Hecla Mining Company announced first quarter exploration results. Midas exploration at Green Racer Sinter intercepted high-grade gold and silver mineralization over a 1,000-foot strike length and a 1,250-foot dip extent in the Sinter Vein, as well as two new mineralized footwall structures. Significant intercepts include more than 5 oz/ton gold over 13 feet estimated true width. All are open for expansion. Midas’ plan of operations amendment expands to allow greater access to multiple targets on the Green Racer Sinter and East Graben Corridor. San Sebastian exploration drilling on the El Bronco Vein expanded mineralization over a strike length of 1,500 feet. While at the El Tigre Vein, vein textures indicate drilling was high in the epithermal system, warranting further deeper drilling. At Midas, two core rigs focused on offsetting and expanding high-grade mineralization along strike and up and down dip at the Green Racer Sinter discovery made in the fourth Quarter of 2020. It is anticipated that a third core rig will arrive at Midas in July, and all three core rigs will focus on the Green Racer Sinter and other East Graben Corridor targets. A detailed surface mapping program identified an outcrop of spicular geyserite sinter, anomalous in gold, at the Green Racer Sinter target, 2 miles east of the main Midas Mine. Previously undrilled, Hecla’s drill program began in late 2020 and successfully hit significant mineralization in multiple intercepts, including 3.26 oz/ton over 3.9 feet estimated true thickness. The 2021 drill program is highlighted to date by 5.52 oz/ton gold and 8.9 oz/ton silver over 20.3 feet drilled (13.1 feet estimated true width) including 8.89 oz/ton gold and 14.5 oz/ton silver over 12.3 feet drilled (7.9 feet estimated true width). Mineralization is hosted in quartz and carbonate veining within the Sinter structure which is locally fractured due to post-mineral fault movement. Although early in the exploration program, high-grade mineralization is defined over 1,000 feet of strike length and 1,250 feet of dip extent and is open along strike and down dip. Two additional mineralized structures (FW1 and FW2) have also been intersected in the footwall of the Sinter structure and both are open for expansion. Mineralization in these footwall structures is like the Sinter structure with results that include 0.71 oz/ton gold and 1.5 oz/ton silver over 2.0 feet drilled (1.7 feet estimated true width) in the FW1 structure and 2.93 oz/ton gold and 1.6 oz/ton silver over 2.5 feet drilled (1.8 feet estimated true width) in the FW2 structure. At San Sebastian, two core rigs focused on exploration drilling in the El Bronco and El Tigre veins that were discovered in 2020 through Short Vertical Reverse Circulation (SVRC) drilling program. The 2021 SVRC drilling program was completed in the first quarter within the Saladillo Valley using one reverse circulation drill rig. Core drilling in the El Bronco vein defines a wide zone of veining with 1,500 feet of strike length. Intercepts during the quarter include 0.12 oz/ton gold and 16.2 oz/ton silver over 28.7 feet true width and 0.10 oz/ton gold and 10.4 oz/ton silver over 17.6 feet true width including 0.15 oz/ton gold and 15.5 oz/ton silver over 11.0 feet true width. The El Bronco vein is a wide vein averaging 9.5 feet in true width with a maximum width of up to 37.7 feet true width which occurs at depth and to the west along strike. At the El Tigre vein, the most recent offset drilling of the high-grade intercepts has been low grade including 0.01 oz/ton gold and 2.0 oz/ton silver over 16.5 feet true width, but the drilling appears to be high in the epithermal system so deeper drilling is planned. At Greens Creek, two underground core rigs focused on definition drilling at the East Ore, Upper Plate, and 9A zones while exploration drilling began testing the southern extensions to the Gallagher Zone. Highlights from the East Ore Zone drilling include intercepts containing 28.5 oz/ton silver, 0.33 oz/ton gold, 10.5% zinc and 3.7% lead over 19.9 feet and 8.9 oz/ton silver, 0.18 oz/ton gold, 11.1% zinc and 2.9% lead over 34.5 feet, both located at the hinge zone between the sub-vertical and sub-horizontal portions of the East Zone. Highlights from the Upper Plate Zone include intercepts containing 34.4 oz/ton silver, 0.12 oz/ton gold, 9.5 % zinc and 4.4% lead over 23.1 feet and 37.9 oz/ton silver, 0.13 oz/ton gold, 6.2 % zinc and 3.1% lead over 25.8 feet. Highlights from the 9A results include 24.50 oz/ton silver, 0.17 oz/ton gold, 14.34 % zinc and 9.32% lead over 21.0 feet and 30.37 oz/ton silver, 0.27 oz/ton gold, 8.22 % zinc and 4.01% lead over 19.8 feet. At Casa Berardi, five underground and two surface core rigs were focused on definition drilling in the proposed WMCP and Principal Pit areas as well as in the 118, 119, 123 zones and metallurgical and in-stope drilling. Drilling in the WMCP Pit targeted zones for metallurgical sampling and extensions above the current resource to expand mineralization higher in elevation to the bedrock-overburden contact. Highlights from this drilling include 0.03 oz/ton gold over 124.6 feet, 0.06 oz/ton gold over 92.2 feet and 0.05 oz/ton gold over 78.1 feet. Assay results from drilling in and near the 160 Pit from the 4th Quarter 2020 have been received confirming continuity of mineralization within the 160 Pit. Highlights from this drilling include 0.04 oz/ton gold over 38.7 feet, 0.08 oz/ton gold over 28.9 feet and 0.21 oz/ton gold over 16.1 feet including 0.90 oz/ton gold over 3.0 feet.