Hecla Mining | Company Profile

About The Company

Established in 1891 in northern Idaho’s Silver Valley, Hecla Mining Company’s rich history of mining has distinguished it as a respected precious metals producer. Hecla is the oldest U.S.-based precious metals mining company in North America and a low-cost primary silver producer. Headquartered in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, this international, publicly traded company is 118 years old.

In early 2008, Hecla acquired 100% ownership of the fifth largest silver mine in the world – the Greens Creek joint venture in Alaska. This transaction will increase Hecla’s annual silver production by 2009, while maintaining a low cash cost per ounce of silver, relative to its peers.

In 2007, Hecla was the lowest-cost primary silver producer in North America, producing 5.6 million ounces of silver at an average total cash cost of negative $2.81 per ounce. Hecla also produced 107,708 ounces of gold. The company has exploration properties and operating mines in the U.S. and Mexico. Hecla has proven operating expertise and highly prospective exploration opportunities.

Hecla mines, processes and explores for silver and gold in the U.S. and Mexico. Hecla currently produces silver from two silver mines, Greens Creek and Lucky Friday. In 2007, the Greens Creek mine in Alaska contributed 2.6 million ounces of silver to Hecla’s account (Hecla owned just 29.37% at that time), and the Lucky Friday mine in northern Idaho produced 3.0 million ounces.

The Projects

Greens Creek

Hecla holds a 29.73% interest in the Greens Creek mine. Greens Creek produced a total of 2.6 million ounces of silver and 20,218 ounces of by-product gold for Hecla’s account in 2007, at the low average total cash cost of negative $5.47 per ounce of silver. The average ore grade was 15.45 ounces of silver per ton. In 2008, Greens Creek is expected to produce at approximately the same rate as 2007, with a potential for a low or possibly negative total cash costs per ounce.

Kennecott Greens Creek Mining Company’s geology and engineering staff computes the estimated ore reserves, and provides the weighted average metals prices used in the reserve estimates, for the Greens Creek unit, with technical support from Rio Tinto PLC. We review geologic interpretation and reserve methodology, but the reserve compilation is not independently confirmed by us in its entirety. Information with respect to our 29.73% share of production.

Lucky Friday

The Lucky Friday silver mine is located in one of the world’s most prolific silver-producing districts, northern Idaho’s Silver Valley. It is the deepest operating mine in the United States and has been in commercial production since 1942. Over the past 65 years, nearly 138 million ounces of silver have been mined, with 3.1 million ounces produced in 2007 at an average ore grade of 10.27 ounces of silver per ton. The total average cash cost in 2007 was negative $0.75 per ounce of silver.

For more detailed information about the projects and the company in general, please visit the website of Hecla!

Contact: