Gold Resource (GORO) Risk Factors

Mineral exploration is highly speculative in nature and frequently results in no or very little return on amounts invested in evaluating a particular property. The probability of an individual prospect ever having Mineral Reserves that meets the requirements of S-K 1300 is low. Even if we do eventually discover Mineral Reserves or Mineral Resources on our exploration properties, there can be no assurance that we can develop a mine and extract those minerals. Substantial expenditures are required to (i) establish the existence of a potential ore body through drilling and metallurgical and other testing techniques; (ii) determine metal content and metallurgical recovery processes to process metal from the ore; (iii) determine the feasibility of mine development and production; and (iv) construct, renovate or expand mining and processing facilities. If we discover a deposit or ore at a property, it usually takes several years from the initial phases of exploration until mineral extraction is possible, if at all. During this time, the economic feasibility of a project may change because of increased costs, lower metal prices, or other factors. As a result of these uncertainties, our exploration programs may not result in the identification of proven and probable Mineral Reserves in sufficient quantities to justify developing a particular property.

Costs at our mining properties are subject to fluctuation due to a number of factors, such as variable ore grade, changing metallurgy, and revisions to mine plans in response to the physical shape and location of the ore body, as well as the age and utilization rates for the mining and processing-related facilities and equipment. In addition, costs are affected by the price and availability of input commodities, such as fuel, electricity, labor, chemical reagents, explosives, steel, concrete, and mining and processing related equipment and facilities. Commodity costs are often subject to volatile price movements, including increases that could make mineral extraction less profitable. Further, changes in laws and regulations can affect commodity prices, uses, and transport. Reported costs may also be affected by changes in accounting standards. A material increase in costs could significantly affect our results of operations and operating cash flow. We could have significant increases in capital and operating costs over the next several years in connection with developing new projects in challenging jurisdictions and sustaining and/or expanding existing mining and processing operations. Costs associated with capital expenditures may increase in the future as a result of factors beyond our control, such as inflation. Increased capital expenditures may have an adverse effect on the results of operations and cash flow generated from existing operations, as well as the economic returns anticipated from new projects, or may make the development of future projects uneconomic.

Our ability to explore and operate our properties depends on the validity of our title to that property. Uncertainties inherent in mineral properties relate to such things as the sufficiency of mineral discovery, proper posting and marking of boundaries, assessment work and possible conflicts with other claims not determinable from public record. There may be valid challenges to the title to our properties which, if successful, could impair development and/or operations. The resolution of disputes in foreign countries can be costly and time consuming. In a foreign country, we face the additional burden of understanding unfamiliar laws and procedures. Not like in the U.S., we may not be entitled to a jury trial. Further, to litigate in any foreign country, we would be faced with the necessity of hiring lawyers and other professionals who are familiar with the foreign laws. For these reasons, we may incur unforeseen costs if we are forced to resolve a dispute in Mexico or any other foreign country. In most of the countries where we operate, failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations relating to mineral right applications and tenure could result in loss, reduction or expropriation of entitlements, or the imposition of additional local or foreign parties as joint venture partners. Any such loss, reduction, or imposition of partners could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. Under the laws of Mexico, Mineral Resources belong to the United States of Mexico, and government concessions are required to explore for or exploit Mineral Reserves. Mineral rights derive from concessions granted, on a discretionary basis, by the Ministry of Economy, pursuant to the Mexican mining law and regulations thereunder. Our concessions in Mexico are subject to continuing government regulation, and failure to adhere to such regulations will result in the termination of the concession. A title defect could result in losing all or a portion of our right, title, and interest in and to the properties to which the title defect relates. Additionally, in 2014, new mining concessions became subject to additional review and approval by the Mexico Ministry of Energy, and in recent years, the federal government has been reluctant to issue new mining concessions. Mining concessions in Mexico give exclusive exploration and exploitation rights to the minerals located in the concessions but do not include surface rights to the real property, which requires that we negotiate the necessary agreements with surface landowners. Many of our mining properties are subject to the Mexican Ejido system, requiring us to contract with the local communities surrounding the properties in order to obtain surface rights to land needed in connection with our mining exploration activities. Please see Item 1A. Risk Factors-Regulatory Risks-Our ability to develop our Mexican properties is subject to the rights of the Ejido (agrarian cooperatives) who use or own the surface for agricultural purposes.

Our exploration and mining operations are subject to extensive laws and regulations governing land use and the protection of the environment, which control the exploration and mining of mineral properties and their effects on the environment, including air and water quality, mine reclamation, waste generation, handling and disposal, the protection of different species of flora and fauna, and the preservation of lands. These laws and regulations require us to acquire permits and other authorizations for conducting certain activities. In many countries, there is relatively new comprehensive environmental legislation, and the permitting and the authorization process may not be established or predictable. We may not be able to acquire necessary permits or authorizations on a timely basis, if at all. Delays in acquiring any permit or authorization could increase the cost of our projects and could suspend or delay the commencement of extraction and processing of mineralized material. Environmental legislation in Mexico and in many other countries is evolving in a manner that will require stricter standards and enforcement, increased fines and penalties for non-compliance, more stringent environmental assessments of proposed projects, and a heightened degree of responsibility for companies and their officers, directors, and employees. Future changes in environmental regulation in the jurisdictions where our properties are located may materially adversely affect our business, make our business prohibitively expensive, or prohibit it altogether. We cannot predict what environmental legislation or regulations will be enacted or adopted in the future or how future laws and regulations will be administered or interpreted. Compliance with more stringent laws and regulations, as well as potentially more vigorous enforcement policies or regulatory agencies or stricter interpretation of existing laws, may (i) necessitate significant capital outlays, (ii) cause us to delay, terminate, or otherwise change our intended activities with respect to one or more projects, or (iii) materially adversely affect our future exploration activities.

The risks with respect to operating in Mexico or other developing countries include, but are not limited to: nationalization of properties, military repression, extreme fluctuations in currency exchange rates, increased security risks, labor instability or militancy, mineral title irregularities, and high rates of inflation. In addition, changes in mining or investment policies or shifts in political attitudes in Mexico may materially adversely affect our business. We may be affected in varying degrees by government regulation concerning restrictions on production, price controls, export controls, income taxes, expropriation of property, maintenance of claims, environmental legislation, land use, land claims of local people, opposition from non-governmental organizations, labor legislation, water use, and mine safety. The effect of these factors cannot be accurately predicted and may adversely impact our operations.

We rely on third-party transportation companies to transport our metal concentrate to the buyer's facilities for processing and further refining. The terms of our sales contracts with the buyers require us to rely, in part, on assay results from samples of our metal concentrate that are obtained at the buyer's warehouse to determine the final sales value for our metals. Once the metal concentrate leaves our processing facility, we no longer have direct custody and control of these products. Theft, loss, road accidents, improper storage, fire, natural disasters, tampering, or other unexpected events while in transit or at the buyer's location may lead to the loss of all or a portion of our metal concentrate products. Such losses may not be covered by insurance and may lead to a delay or interruption in our revenue, and as a result, our operating results may be materially adversely affected.