of course they "lease" the land, just like many other mining companys and oil companys and lumber companys and companys that lease their buildings and lease computors and lease cars, and lease trucks and lease aircraft and lease and lease and lease imo more nonsense
rayman3399 - Very few mining companies actualy own the land they mine on. The mining companies by leasing the claims / property ... own the "rights" to mine the ore on the land.
sometimes a mining company will pay a smelters fee as well. But very rarely do they actually own the land.