NOTE 3 – MINERAL PROPERTIES
Our current efforts are focused on our mining properties in Nevada. Because of lack of funds and scaling back our operations, we allowed the remainder of our mineral property claims interests to lapse in 2013.
Mhakari Properties
Vanderbilt
The Vanderbilt property is within 4 miles of the town of Silver Peak, Nevada and highway 265 via Coyote Road. It is comprised of 44 claims, plus 3 patented claims and is located on the southern flank of Mineral Ridge and is within the Silver Peak Range. The Vanderbilt property is within the middle of the Walker Lane tectonic belt with the Sierra uplift to the west and the Basin and Range to the east. Phase I geologic mapping and outcrop sampling (above ground) was completed in October 2010, resulting in average grades of 2.1 g/t gold and 58.6 g/t silver. Phase II exploration program (below ground) in the old mine workings was commenced during the first quarter of 2011 to help identify drill targets, with an exploratory drill program expected to begin in the near term as funding permits.
Coyote Fault/Coyote Fault Extension
The Coyote Fault/Coyote Fault Extension claims are within nine miles of Silver Peak, Nevada and Hwy 265 via Coyote Road. They are comprised of 110 contiguous claims and are also located in the middle of the Walker Lane tectonic belt with Sierra Block uplift to the west and the Basin and Range to the east. The property is on the northern flank of Mineral Ridge and is along the eastern edge of the Silver Peak Range. Phase I geologic mapping and outcrop sampling (above ground) was completed on the Coyote Fault claim group (38 claims) in December 2010, which identified a new potential gold exploration target. Geological mapping of the Coyote Extension claim group (72 claims) is planned for the near term as funding permits.
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Amended and Restated Option Agreement
On February 26, 2013, we entered into an Amended and Restated Option Agreement with Mhakari Gold (Nevada) Inc. (“Mhakari”) with respect to the Mhakari Properties, which terminated all rights and obligations under prior agreements and restated the parties’ agreement with respect to each of the Mhakari Properties.
Mhakari granted us an option to acquire up to an undivided 80% interest in the Mhakari Properties for the following consideration to be paid by us to Mhakari:
Cash payments: $25,500, payable $20,000 upon execution of the agreement and $5,500 within 60 days thereafter; $20,000 payable on the 3 month anniversary of the agreement; $15,000 on the 6 month and 9 month anniversary of the agreement; and $50,000 on the 15 month anniversary of the agreement.
Equity payments: 8,000,000 shares of our common stock upon the execution of the agreement; an additional 7,000,000 shares of our common stock on the 4 month anniversary of the agreement; and an additional 5,000,000 shares on the 12 month anniversary of the agreement.
Work commitment: $500,000 in exploration and development expenditures on the Mhakari Properties within 18 months of the date of the agreement; an additional $500,000 in exploration and development expenditures between 18 months and 30 months from the date of the agreement; with no less than $2,000,000 in exploration and development expenditures in the aggregate within 48 months from the date of the agreement. Inclusive in this work commitment, we are to earmark no less than $10,000 per contract year for 4 years to enhancing safety on the Mhakari Properties.
Upon satisfying the consideration payable under the agreement, we shall receive an 80% undivided interest in the Mhakari Properties and the parties shall enter into a joint venture to further develop the Mhakari Properties, with us retaining an 80% interest in the joint venture. In the event that we fail to satisfy the entire purchase price by completing all cash, equity and work commitment payments within the required time frames, the agreement will be deemed to have been terminated and all payments made to date will be forfeited to Mhakari with no interest earned by us in the Mhakari Properties.
As of the date of filing this report, we are current on our obligations under the Amended and Restated Option Agreement.
North Springs Properties
The North Springs Properties consist of a large, bulk-tonnage and a high-grade vein-shear hosted gold system located along the western margin of the Mineral Ridge Mining District, approximately 8 miles west of the town of Silver Peak and 3 miles west of the Mineral Ridge open pit and underground mines. This property consists of 16 unpatented lode mining claims comprised of 320 acres.
Both the North Springs Properties and the Mineral Ridge deposits are situated along a regional northwest trending, large anticline known as the Mineral Ridge Metamorphic Core Complex. This complex contains extensive high-grade gold veins (52 miles of underground workings on low-angle veins) and stacked, low angle, shear zones, which has been open pit mined in several deposits. The North Springs Properties occupies very similar geology, alteration and mineralization, geochemistry and structural setting to the Mineral Ridge deposits. Sampling to date has identified gold mineralization up to 0.8 ounces per ton from surface workings. The North Springs Properties contain several untested gold targets that include open-pit, disseminated mineralization and high-grade shear zones and feeder veins, such as those that have been mined by several mining companies at the nearby Mineral Ridge deposits. We plan exploration activities on the North Springs Properties in the near future as funding permits.
