Solitario's 2026 Ponderosa Drilling Program and Critical Metals Projects: Active Domestic Mining

Solitario Resources Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:XPL) announced that its 2026 Ponderosa drilling program has advanced at its 100%-owned Golden Crest gold project in South Dakota. Drilling began in the second half of May, with four core holes completed; samples from the first two have been sent to the lab, while the next two are being prepared for shipment. Initial assay results are expected in early August.

A New Era in Domestic Rural Mining

Solitario is also preparing for the first-ever drilling at its 100%-owned Cat Creek critical metals project in south-central Colorado. Located within the Climax-Henderson-Questa molybdenum porphyry belt, the project was originally discovered by Anaconda Copper in the 1980s but remained untested due to halted exploration activities. CEO Chris Herald noted the company now operates two active drilling programs and is advancing the permit process for its recently acquired Bright Angel copper-gold project. All three properties are situated entirely within the United States.

■Ponderosa drilling highlights potential gold reserve discoveries.

■Cat Creek offers strategic value for molybdenum and other critical elements.

■Bright Angel represents a key step in reducing U.S. reliance on internal resources.

Dr. Yaman Ege: These domestic mining initiatives are crucial for semiconductor and technology supply chains, especially amid the U.S.-China rare earth elements competition. Companies like TSMC and equipment suppliers such as ASML depend on secure, high-purity material sources. Solitario could redefine the rules of global supply chains through its U.S.-based operations.