Production Royalty So long as this Lease is in force, a Production Royalty shall be due Lessor during any period of commercial production from the claims. One hundred percent (100%) of all cumulative Minimum Advance Royalty paid by Lessee and received by Lessor can be deducted from the Production Royalty due Lessor. Production Royalty shall be payable on all minerals regardless of what stage in the milling, refining, upgrading or other processing the minerals may be, which are mined from the claims ("leased substances") and sold to a buyer. Production Royalty shall be calculated and paid as follows:
(1) The Production Royalty will be calculated as a percentage of Net Smelter Returns ("NSR"). Net Smelter Returns is defined as the dollar amount actually received by Lessee from the sale of any leased substances less Lessee's actual costs, if any, of (a) transportation to a smelter or refiner, (b) off site refining charges and smelter charges, and (c) charges as described in this section B, subsection 9, related to Lessor taking its royalty in kind from the sale of all leased substances.
(2) The Production Royalty on the sale of all leased substances other than gold, silver and platinum shall be three percent (3%) of the Net Smelter Return.
(3) The Production Royalty percentage rate for the sale of all gold, silver or platinum contained in leased substances from the claims will be based upon the average daily price of gold on the London Metal Exchange ("LME") for the twenty (20) trading days immediately preceding the date of sale of such leased substances: less than $375 3% greater than $375, but less than $475 4% $475 or more 5%
(4) In addition to the Production Royalty payable under subsection B(1) of this Section V, Lessee shall pay to Lessor as Production Royalty hereunder a like percentage of the gross amount paid before any deductions whatsoever of any bonus, subsidy or tax credit (but not any Mining Lease Independence Gold Range 061705 federal income tax depletion allowance available to Lessee) which are calculated directly in proportion to the amount of gold or other metal produced.
(5) The Production Royalty payable to Lessor-by Lessee to under this Agreement shall be based solely on the payments actually received by Lessee for leased substances produced from the claims and delivered to a refinery, smelter or other purchaser. Lessee shall have no obligation to account to Lessor, and Lessor shall have no interest or right of participation in, any profits or proceeds of futures contracts, forward sales, hedging or other similar marketing mechanisms used by Lessee concerning any leased substances from the claims.
(6) In the event the United States or other public authority imposes the payment of any new royalty on production from the mining claims (whether a gross, net smelter returns, net proceeds, net profits or other form of royalty) the amount of NSR that Lessor would otherwise receive shall be reduced by whatever the amount of royalty imposed by the United States or other public authority, further provided that, the foregoing notwithstanding, in no event shall Lessor's percentage of NSR be reduced below 2.5% as it would have been calculated without deduction of any new royalty on production by the United States or other public authority.
(7) Unless taken in kind by Lessor, the Production Royalty shall be determined quarterly on the basis such that payments will be determined as of and payable within forty five (45) days after the last day of each calendar quarter during which Lessee receives any net Smelter returns.
(8) It is mutually understood and agreed that Lessor shall have the right and option to take its production royalty in kind in the form in which Lessee sells such leased substances. On or before October 1 of each calendar year commencing with the year 2006, Lessor shall give Lessee written notice of whether Lessor elects to take its production royalty in kind throughout the following calendar year. If Lessor fails to give such notice for the first calendar year in which it is eligible to take its production royalty in kind, Lessor shall be deemed to have elected not to take its production royalty in kind for that calendar year. If Lessor fails to give such notice by October 1st of any subsequent year, the election then in effect will continue throughout the following calendar year. Lessor hereby agrees that each election to take or not to take its production royalty in kind Mining Lease Independence Gold Range 061705 shall remain in effect for calendar year increments and that all persons or entities constituting the Lessor shall be required to make the same election whether or not to take in kind. If Lessor elects to take its production royalty in kind, an account will be established in Lessor's name with any buyers, smelters, refiners or other processors to whom leased substances are shipped from the premises. Such buyers, smelters, refiners or other processors will be instructed to automatically deliver Lessor's share of production to Lessor's account after accounting for the allowable deductions in calculation of Lessor's percentage of NSR. If Lessor elects to take its production royalty in kind, it shall bear all risks associated with taking its production royalty in kind, and shall bear all additional costs incurred by Lessee as a result of Lessor's taking in kind. Such additional costs will be considered a deduction against the NSR and will include but not be limited to increased costs due to separate accounts, pourings, storage, insurance, security, transportation and monitoring. Lessor shall have the right to reasonably inspect procedures used by Lessee to make payment in kind, and at its option, Lessor, or its agent, shall have the right to be present to observe sampling and splitting procedures and to review all records and procedures related to division of leased substances for the purpose of taking in kind.