November 4, 2019 Mr. Michael Tompson NEW MEXICO MINING AND MINERALS DIVISION State of New Mexico Energy, Mineral and Natural Resources Department 1220 South Saint Francis Drive Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 Re: PERMIT APPLICATION FOR MINIMAL IMPACT EXPLORATION OPERATION NEAR TYRONE IN GRANT COUNTY, NEW MEXICO WESTLAND PROJECT NO. 1883.18 Dear Mr. Tompson: On behalf of BHP Mineral Resources Inc., please find enclosed the permit application for minimal impact exploration drilling on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in Grant County, New Mexico. The project is designed to locate economic mineral deposits at one drilling site located southeast of Tyrone, New Mexico. The attached includes seven (7) copies of the Part 3 permit application with associated attachments to facilitate your review of the application. If you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to call. Respectfully, WestLand Resources, Inc. Amanda Best Senior Environmental Specialist ALB:kd Attachment: Part 3 Minimal Impact Exploration Operation Permit Application 1. BLM Mining Notice for Exploration Drilling 2. BLM Claims 3. Class III Cultural Resources Survey Report 4. Biological Evaluation 5. Directions to Site 6. Forms WD-08 and WR-07 Application fee – Check # 136610 cc: Meghan Chesal, BHP Mineral Resources Inc. Santiago Gonzalez, BHP Mineral Resources Inc. Q:\Jobs\1800's\1883.18\ENV\04_State\20191104_Submittal_NM_State\20191104_Transmittal_Ltr.docx ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 4001 E. Paradise Falls Drive Tucson, Arizona 85712 5202069585 PART 3 MINIMAL IMPACT EXPLORATION OPERATION PERMIT APPLICATION Accompanying instructions for this permit application are available from MMD, and on MMD webpage: http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/MMD/MARP/MARPApplicationandReportingForms.htm Send 6 copies of the completed application to: STATE OF NEW MEXICO ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT Director Mining and Minerals Division 1220 South Saint Francis Drive Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 Telephone: (505) 476-3400 Webpage: www.emnrd.state.nm.us/MMD/index.htm CHECK OFF LIST TO DETERMINE YOUR PROJECT’S STATUS AS A MINIMAL IMPACT EXPLORATION OPERATION: Yes No My project will exceed 1000 cubic yards of excavation, per permit (drill pads, mud pits, and roads will not be counted in excavated materials). Yes No Surface disturbances for constructed roads, drill pads and mud pits will exceed 5 acres total for my project. Yes No My project is located in or is expected to have a direct surface impact on wetlands, springs, perennial or intermittent streams, lakes, rivers reservoirs or riparian areas. Yes No My project is located in designated critical habitat areas as determined in accordance with the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 or in areas determined by the Department of Game and Fish likely to result in an adverse impact on an endangered species designated in accordance with the Wildlife Conservation Act, Sections 17-2-37 through 17-2-46 NMSA 1978 or by the State Forestry Division for the Endangered Plants Act, section 75-6-1 NMSA 1978. Permit Application Revision Date: February 2012 Page 1 Yes No My project is located in an area designated as Federal Wilderness Area, Wilderness Study Area, Area of Critical Environmental Concern, or an area within the National Wild and Scenic River System. Yes No My project is located in a known cemetery or other burial ground. Yes No My project is located in an area with cultural resources listed on either the National Register of Historic Places or the State Register of Cultural Properties. Yes No My project will or is expected to have a direct impact on ground water that has a total dissolved solids concentration of less than 10,000 mg/L, except exploratory drilling intersecting ground water may be performed as a minimal impact operation. Yes No My project is expected to use or using cyanide, mercury amalgam, heap leaching or dump leaching in its operations. Yes No My project is expected to result in point or non-point source surface or subsurface releases of acid or other toxic substances from the permit area. Yes No My project requires a variance from any part of the Mining Act Rules as part of the permit application. If you answer yes to any of the above questions, your project does not qualify as a minimal impact exploration operation. Confidential Information Yes No Is any of the information submitted in this application considered by the applicant to be confidential in nature? If yes, please provide this information separately and marked as “confidential.” Tim eline • Exploration applications must be provided no less than 45 days prior to the anticipated date of operations desired by the applicant. • Renewal applications shall be filed at least 30 days preceding expiration of the current permit. Permits are valid for one year. • Approved permit is valid for one year from the date of approval. Permit Application Revision Date: February 2012 Page 2 SECTION 1 – OPERATOR INFORMATION (§304.D.1) Project Name: Oak Grove Exploration Drilling Nearest Town to Project: Tyrone, New Mexico Applicant Name and Contact Information (entity obligated under the Mining Act): Name: Meghan Chesal Address: 180 West Magee Road, Ste. 134 Tucson, Arizona 85704 Office Phone: (520) 448-5880 Cell Phone: Fax Number: Email: [email protected] Name of On-Site Contact, Representative, or Consultant: Name: Rod Michael Address: National EWP Inc. 580 West Silver Street Elko, NV 89801 Office Phone: +1 (480) 262-1828 Cell Phone: Fax Number: Email: [email protected] Permit Application Revision Date: February 2012 Page 3 SECTION 2 – RIGHT TO ENTER INFORMATION (§302.D.1) A. Describe or attach copies of documents that give the applicant the right to enter the property to conduct the exploration and reclamation, include: lease agreements, access agreements, right of way agreements, surface owner agreements, and claim numbers, if applicable. BHP (the applicant) has submitted a Notice to the BLM - Las Cruces office, to conduct exploration drilling on BLM land, which is being processed concurrently with this permit application. The BLM Notice is provided as Attachment 1. The right of entry agreement with Gerald and Rhonda Billings to cross their private land to access BLM land is provided as Appendix A of Attachment 1. Attachment 1 B. List the names and addresses of surface and mineral ownership within the proposed permit area. If the mineral is federal mineral, indicate as federal mineral, but provide the name of the claim holder or lease holder. Surface Estate Owner(s): Name Address Phone # U.S. BLM Las Cruces Office (575) 525-4300 1800 Marquess St Las Cruces, NM 88005 U.S. Forest Service State of NM Private/Corporate Gerald and Rhonda Billings (575) 313-2780 Name: P.O. Box 695, Tyrone, NM 88065 Other Name: Permit Application Revision Date: February 2012 Page 4 Lease Holder(s) of Surface Estate (if applicable): Name Address Phone # Mineral Estate Owner(s): Name Address Phone # Bureau of Land Management see above US Forest Service State of NM Claim/Lease Holder 180 W. Magee Road, Ste. 134 (713) 961-8624 Name: BHP Mineral Resources Inc. Tucson, Arizona 85704 Claim Numbers: Oak Grove 16, 17,18; see Attachment 2 and Figure 3 in Attachment 1 Claim/Lease Holder Name: Claim Numbers: Other Name: Permit Application Revision Date: February 2012 Page 5 C. Has a Cultural Resource Survey been performed on the site? Yes No If yes, please provide the author, title, date and report number, and include a copy of the survey with this application, if possible: Bradford W. Stone, A Cultural Resources Inventory for Proposed Mineral Exploration Activities on U.S. Bureau of Land Management (Las Cruces District) Land South of Silver City, Grant County, New Mexico. September 26, 2019. Report No. 2019-51. Attachment 3 D. Has a wildlife survey or vegetation survey been performed for the permit area? Yes No If yes, please provide the author, title, date and report number, and include a copy of the survey with this application, if possible: WestLand Resources, Inc. Biological Evaluation for Oak Grove Exploration Drilling BLM Notice. October 25, 2019. Project No. 1883.13 Attachment 4 Permit Application Revision Date: February 2012 Page 6 SECTION 3 – MAPS AND PROJECT LOCATION (§302.D.2) A. Project Location: Township 20 South Range 14 West Section 4, 9, 10, 15-18, 21 Township 20 South Range 14 West Section 13, 14, and 24 List the drill hole/exploration name and the GPS coordinates for each site. I.D. Northing / Easting / I.D. Northing / Easting / Number Latitude Longitude Number Latitude Longitude Oak01 3610145 753980 Coordinate system used to collect GPS data points: NAD83 Geographic NAD27 Geographic NAD83 UTM Zone 13 (or 12) NAD27 UTM Zone 13 (or 12) WGS 1984 Other: Attachment n/a (for listing additional boreholes). Permit Application Revision Date: February 2012 Page 7 B. Maps (see application form instructions for examples of maps to be included): Are topographic maps included with the application that show the following items: Yes – The boundary of the proposed exploration project Permit Area Yes – The proposed exploration locations (i.e., borehole locations) Yes – Existing roads, new roads and overland travel routes Yes N/A – Areas of proposed road improvement Attachments 1, Figures 1-3 Are maps or figures included with the application showing the approximate dimensions and locations of drill pads and other disturbances: Yes – Drill pad dimensions and constructed drill pad locations Attachments 1, Figures 4-5 C. Provide detailed driving directions to access the site: From Tyrone, NM, drive south on Highway 90 for approximately 12 miles. Turn left onto White Water Road. Continue on east on White Water Road for approximately 4 miles. Turn left onto an existing unnamed access road on private land and travel in a generally northern direction for approximately 4 miles.