Document:

Exhibit 4.4

                                WARRANT AGREEMENT

THIS WARRANT AND THE COMMON STOCK ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE HEREOF HAVE NOT BEEN
REGISTERED OR QUALIFIED FOR SALE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED,
OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAW AND MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF
SUCH REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION OR AN EXEMPTION THEREFROM UNDER THE
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND ANY SUCH APPLICABLE STATE LAWS.

                              HECLA MINING COMPANY

                         WARRANT CERTIFICATE TO PURCHASE
                             SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

Date of Issuance: August 2, 2002                                 Certificate W-1

         FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Hecla Mining Company, a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), hereby grants to Great Basin Gold Ltd. and/or its registered assigns
pursuant to Section 5 hereof (each, a "Registered Holder") the right to purchase
from the Company an aggregate of two million (2,000,000) of the Company's shares
of common stock, $0.25 par value per share ("Common Stock"), at a price per
share of $3.73, (the "Exercise Price") which price shall be the weighted average
daily closing price per share for the common stock of the Company for the twenty
(20) trading days immediately prior to the date of this Warrant Agreement, as
adjusted pursuant to Section 2 hereof.

         This Warrant is subject to the following provisions:

         Section 1. Exercise of Warrant.

         1A. Two Year Exercise Period. The Registered Holder may exercise, in
whole or in part, the purchase rights represented by this Warrant at any time
and from time to time during the two year period commencing on August 2, 2002
and ending on August 1, 2004 (the "Exercise Period").

         1B. Exercise Procedure.

         (i) This Warrant shall be deemed to have been exercised when the
Company has received all of the following items (the "Exercise Time"):

                  (a) a completed Exercise Agreement, as described in paragraph
         1C below, executed by the Registered Holder;

                  (b) this Warrant;

                             Hecla Warrant Agreement
                                   Page 1 of 7
<PAGE>

                  (c) an Assignment or Assignments in the form set forth in
         Exhibit I if the Warrant is exercised by any Registered Holder other
         than Great Basin Gold Ltd.; and

                  (d) a cashier's check or wire transfer to the Company in an
         amount equal to the product of the Exercise Price multiplied by the
         number of shares of Common Stock being purchased upon such exercise
         (the "Aggregate Exercise Price").

         (ii) Certificates for Common Stock, if any, purchased upon exercise of
this Warrant shall be delivered by the Company to the Registered Holder within
three business days after the date of the Exercise Time. Unless this Warrant has
expired or all of the purchase rights represented hereby have been exercised,
the Company shall prepare a new Warrant, substantially identical hereto,
representing the rights formerly represented by this Warrant which have not
expired or been exercised and shall, within such three-day period, deliver such
new Warrant to the person designated for delivery in the Exercise Agreement.

         (iii) The shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of this
Warrant shall be deemed to have been issued to the Registered Holder at the
Exercise Time, and the Registered Holder shall be deemed for all purposes to
have become the record holder of such Common Stock at the Exercise Time.

         (iv) The issuance of certificates for the Common Stock, if any, upon
exercise of this Warrant shall be made without charge to the Registered Holder
for any issuance tax in respect thereof or other cost incurred by the Company in
connection with such exercise and the related issuance of Common Stock. Each
share of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall, when issued,
be duly and validly issued and free from all taxes, liens and charges. The
company shall prepare and file at its expense a registration statement with the
United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") forthwith after
issuance hereof and use its reasonable best efforts to obtain SEC approval
thereof so that any Common Stock acquired by exercise hereof is freely tradeable
in the United States within four (4) months from the date of issuance of this
warrant. Until registration of such Common Stock, each certificate shall bear
the following legend:

                  The shares of common stock of Hecla Mining Company represented
                  by this certificate have been issued pursuant to an exemption
                  from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 and may not
                  be resold without registration thereunder or an exemption
                  therefrom. The issuer may require an opinion of counsel
                  reasonably satisfactory to it to the effect that such an
                  exemption is available before permitting transfer of such
                  shares.

         (v) The Company shall assist and cooperate with any Registered Holder
required to make any governmental filings or obtain any governmental approvals
prior to or in connection with any exercise of this Warrant, without limitation,
making any filings required to be made by the Company.

                             Hecla Warrant Agreement
                                   Page 2 of 7
<PAGE>

         (vi) The Company shall take all such actions as may be necessary to
assure that all such shares of Common Stock may be so issued without violation
of any applicable law or governmental regulation or any requirements of any
domestic securities exchange upon which securities of the Company or their
equivalents may be listed (except for official notice of issuance which shall be
immediately delivered by the Company upon such issuance).

         (vii) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, if an exercise of any
portion of this Warrant is to be made in connection with a registered public
offering of the Company, the sale of the Company or pursuant to Section 3
hereof, the exercise of any portion of this Warrant may, at the election of the
Registered Holder hereof, be conditioned upon the consummation of the public
offering, the sale or the event referred to in the notice described in Section
3, in which case such exercise shall not be deemed to be effective until the
consummation of such transaction.

         1C. Exercise Agreement. Upon any exercise of this Warrant, the Exercise
Agreement shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit II hereto. If
the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued does not include all the
Common Stock purchasable hereunder, it shall also state the Registered Holder to
whom a new Warrant for the unexercised portion of the rights hereunder is to be
delivered. Such Exercise Agreement shall be dated the actual date of execution
thereof.

         Section 2. Adjustment of Exercise Price and Number of Shares of Common
Stock. In order to prevent dilution of the rights granted under this Warrant,
the Exercise Price shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided
in this Section 2, and the number of shares of Common Stock obtainable upon
exercise of this Warrant shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as
provided in this Section 2.

         2A. Subdivision or Combination of Common Stock. If the Company at any
time subdivides (by any split, dividend, recapitalization or otherwise) its
outstanding Common Stock into a greater number of shares, the Exercise Price in
effect immediately prior to such subdivision shall be proportionately reduced
and the number of shares of Common Stock obtainable upon exercise of this
Warrant shall be proportionately increased. If the Company at any time combines
(by reverse split or otherwise) its Common Stock into a smaller number of
shares, the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such combination shall
be proportionately increased and the number of shares of Common Stock obtainable
upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately decreased.

         2B. Reorganization, Reclassification, Consolidation, Merger or Sale.
Any recapitalization, reorganization, reclassification, consolidation, merger,
sale of all or substantially all of the Company's assets or other transaction,
in each case which is effected in such a way that the holders of Common Stock
are entitled to receive (either directly or upon subsequent liquidation) stock,
securities or assets with respect to or in exchange for the Common Stock is
referred to herein as an "Organic Change." Prior to the consummation of any
Organic Change, the Company shall make appropriate provision (in form and
substance satisfactory to the Registered Holders of the Warrants representing a
majority of the Common Stock obtainable upon exercise of all Warrants then
outstanding) to insure the Registered Holder of the Warrant shall thereafter be
entitled to receive, upon exercise of this Warrant, the numbers or amount of

                             Hecla Warrant Agreement
                                   Page 3 of 7
<PAGE>

shares of stock, securities or assets resulting from such Organic Change that a
holder of the Common Stock deliverable upon exercise of this Warrant would have
been entitled to receive as a result of such Organic Change If the Warrant had
been exercised immediately before the effective date of such Organic Change. In
any such case, the Company shall make appropriate provision (in form and
substance satisfactory to the Registered Holders of the Warrants representing a
majority of the shares of Common Stock obtainable upon exercise of all Warrants
then outstanding) with respect to such holders' rights and interests to insure
that the provisions of this Section 2 and Sections 3 and 4 hereof shall
thereafter be applicable to the Warrant (including, in the case of any such
consolidation, merger or sale in which the successor entity or purchasing entity
is other than the Company, an immediate adjustment of the Exercise Price to the
value for the Common Stock reflected by the terms of such consolidation, merger
or sale, and a corresponding immediate adjustment in the number of shares of
Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of the Warrant, if the
value so reflected is less than the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior
to such consolidation, merger or sale). The Company shall not effect any such
consolidation, merger or sale, unless prior to the consummation thereof, the
successor entity (if other than the Company) resulting from consolidation or
merger or the entity purchasing such assets assumes by written instrument (in
form and substance satisfactory to the Registered Holders of Warrants
representing a majority of the shares of Common Stock obtainable upon exercise
of all of the Warrants then outstanding), the obligation to deliver to each such
holder such shares of stock, securities or assets as, in accordance with the
foregoing provisions, such holder may be entitled to acquire.

         2C. Certain Events. If any event occurs of the type contemplated by the
provisions of this Section 2 but not expressly provided for by such provisions,
then the Company shall make an appropriate adjustment in the Exercise Price and
the number of shares of Common Stock obtainable upon exercise of this Warrant so
as to protect the rights of the Registered Holders.

         2D. Notices.

                  (i) Immediately upon any adjustment of the Exercise Price, the
Company shall give written notice thereof to the Registered Holder, setting
forth in reasonable detail and certifying the calculation of such adjustment.

                  (ii) The Company shall give written notice to the Registered
Holder at least 10 days prior to the date on which the Company intends to (A)
make any pro rata subscription offer to holders of Common Stock or (B)
consummate any Organic Change, dissolution or liquidation.

         Section 3. Intention to Exercise. If the Company gives a notice
described in paragraph (ii) of Section 2D and the Registered Holder informs the
Company in writing within 10 days of receipt of such notice that it intends to
exercise the Warrant in whole or in part, the Company shall not make or
consummate the event described in such notice before the earlier of (i) the
completion of the exercise of the Warrant in whole or in part or (ii) 30 days
after the date the Registered Holder informs the Company of its intention to
exercise. If the event described in such notice is the liquidation of the
Company, whether or not the Registered Holder responds to such notice, the
Company shall pay to the Registered Holder the payment or payments (net of the
Exercise Price), if any, that would have been made to such Registered Holder on
the Common Stock had this Warrant been exercised in full immediately prior to
the liquidation.

                             Hecla Warrant Agreement
                                   Page 4 of 7
<PAGE>

         Section 4. No Voting Rights; Limitations of Liability. This Warrant
shall not entitle the Registered Holder to any voting rights or other rights as
a holder of Common Stock in the Company. No provision hereof, in the absence of
affirmative action by the Registered Holder to purchase Common Stock, and no
enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Registered Holder shall
give rise to any liability of such holder for the Exercise Price of Common Stock
acquirable by exercise hereof or as a holder of a Common Stock in the Company.

         Section 5. Warrant Transferable. This Warrant and all rights hereunder
are not transferable, in whole or in part, without the consent of the Company.
Upon receipt of such consent, the Warrant will be transferred without charge to
the Registered Holder, upon surrender of this Warrant with a properly executed
Assignment (in the form of Exhibit I hereto) at the principal office of the
Company. As soon as practicable after the transfer, the Company will prepare new
Warrants for the assigning and new Registered Holders, substantially identical
hereto, but reflecting the number of shares of Common Stock the assigning and
new Registered Holders are entitled to receive upon exercise of the applicable
Warrant.

         Section 6. Warrant Exchangeable for Different Denominations. This
Warrant is exchangeable, upon the surrender hereof by the Registered Holder at
the principal office of the Company, for new Warrants of like tenor representing
in the aggregate the purchase rights hereunder, and each of such new Warrants
shall represent such portion of such rights as is designated by the Registered
Holder at the time of such surrender. The date the Company initially issues this
Warrant shall be deemed to be the "Date of Issuance" hereof regardless of the
number of times new certificates representing the unexpired and unexercised
rights formerly represented by this Warrant shall be issued. All Warrants
representing portions of the rights hereunder are referred to herein as the
"Warrant."

         Section 7. Replacement. Upon receipt of evidence reasonably
satisfactory to the Company (an affidavit of the Registered Holder shall be
satisfactory) of the ownership and the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of
any certificate evidencing this Warrant, and in the case of any such loss, theft
or destruction, upon receipt of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the Company
(provided that if the holder is a financial institution or other institutional
investor its own agreement shall be satisfactory), or, in the case of any such
mutilation upon surrender of such certificate, the Company shall (at its
expense) execute and deliver in lieu of such certificate a new certificate of
like kind representing the same rights represented by such lost, stolen,
destroyed or mutilated certificate and dated the date of such lost, stolen,
destroyed or mutilated certificate.

         Section 8. Notices. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all
notices referred to in this Warrant shall be in writing and shall be delivered
personally, sent by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid) or
sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid
and shall be deemed to have been given when so delivered or deposited in the
U.S. Mail (i) to the Company, at its principal executive offices and (ii) to the
Registered Holder of this Warrant, at such holder's address as it appears in the
records of the Company (unless otherwise indicated by any such holder).

         Section 9. Amendment and Waiver. Except as otherwise provided herein,
the provisions of the Warrant may be amended and the Company may take any action
herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by

                             Hecla Warrant Agreement
                                   Page 5 of 7
<PAGE>

it, only if the Company has obtained the written consent of the Registered
Holders of Warrants representing a majority of the shares of Common Stock
obtainable upon exercise of the Warrants; provided that no such action may
change the Exercise Price of the Warrants or the number of shares or class of
shares obtainable upon exercise of each Warrant without the written consent of
all of the Registered Holders of Warrants.

         Section 10. Descriptive Headings; Governing Law. The descriptive
headings of the several Sections and paragraphs of this Warrant are inserted for
convenience only and do not constitute a part of this Warrant. The laws of the
State of Delaware shall govern all issues concerning the relative rights of the
Company and its members and interpretation of this Agreement.

         Section 11. Voting of Shares. So long as any Registered Holders and/or
its affiliates ("Registered Holder Group") hold, along or in the aggregate at
least ten percent (10%) of the shares of Common Stock issued to the Registered
Holder Group upon exercise of this Warrant, the Registered Holder Group agrees
to vote all of the shares of Common Stock held by the Registered Holder Group at
any annual or special meeting of the shareholders of the Company in accordance
with the recommendations of the Company's chief executive officer.

         Section 12. Trading Limitation. Except as otherwise permitted herein,
the Registered Holder Group shall not, individually or in the aggregate, dispose
of more than fifty thousand (50,000) share of Common Stock during any one
trading day. In addition, so long as the Registered Holder Group continues to
hold at least twenty percent (20%) of the shares of Common Stock issued upon
exercise of this Warrant, the Registered Holder Group shall provide the Company
with reasonable advance notice of any such sale of the shares of Common Stock.
The Registered Holder Group shall not be obligated to complete any sale of
shares of Common Stock even if it has provided the Company with advance written
notice of such sale, but the Registered Holder Group shall notify Company of its
withdrawal of any shares of Common Stock from the market with respect to which
the Registered Holder Group has provided prior notice of sale. Company shall
notify the Registered Holder Group of the pendency of a sale under any
underwritten public offering by Company of Common Stock or any other Company
equity security, in which event the Registered Holder Group shall not effect any
sales of any shares of Common Stock within five (5) days prior to the
commencement of or during such underwritten public offering. The Registered
Holder Group shall have the right to sell any amount of shares of Common Stock
in a private transaction, provided that (i) any such sale shall not be reported
or reportable on any exchange or other public market where shares of Common
Stock are or may in future be traded, and (ii) the purchaser in such private
transaction agrees in writing that, for a period of six (6) months from and
after the date of such purchase and sale of shares of Common Stock, such
purchaser shall not sell any such shares of Common Stock. In addition, the
Registered Holder Group shall be permitted to pledge any number of shares of
Common Stock to an arm's-length lender to secure payment of a bona fide loan or
other indebtedness, subject to the terms hereof.

                             Hecla Warrant Agreement
                                   Page 6 of 7
<PAGE>

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be signed
and attested by its duly authorized officers and to be dated the Date of
Issuance hereof.

                                        HECLA MINING COMPANY

                                        By:
                                            ------------------------------------
                                        Name: Thomas F. Fudge, Jr.
                                        Title: Vice President-Operations

                             Hecla Warrant Agreement
                                   Page 7 of 7
<PAGE>

                         EXHIBIT I TO WARRANT AGREEMENT

                                   ASSIGNMENT

         FOR VALUE RECEIVED, _________________________________ hereby sells,
assigns and transfers all of the rights of the undersigned under the attached
Warrant (Certificate No. W-_____________) with respect to the number of shares
of Common Stock covered thereby set forth below, unto:

     Names of Assignee              Address                Number of Shares
     -----------------              -------                ----------------

Dated:                                  Signature
                                                  ------------------------------

                                        Witness
                                                --------------------------------

                      Exhibit I to Hecla Warrant Agreement
                                   Page 1 of 1
<PAGE>

                         EXHIBIT II TO WARRANT AGREEMENT

                               EXERCISE AGREEMENT

To:                                               Dated:

         The undersigned, pursuant to the provisions set forth in the attached
Warrant (Certificate No. W-___________), hereby agrees to subscribe for the
purchase of __________ shares of Common Stock covered by such Warrant and makes
payment herewith in full therefore at the price per share provided by such
Warrant. If any new Warrant will be prepared under Section 1B(ii) of the
Warrant, please deliver it to _________, a Registered Holder.

                                        Signature
                                                  ------------------------------

                                        Address
                                                --------------------------------

                      Exhibit II to Hecla Warrant Agreement
                                   Page 1 of 1Exhibit 4.5

                          REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

                  This agreement (the "Agreement") is made as of August 2, 2002,
by and between Great Basin Gold Ltd. ("Great Basin"), its assignees pursuant to
the Warrant (as hereinafter defined) (each an "Assignee") and Hecla Mining
Company ("Hecla").

                                    RECITALS

                  WHEREAS, Hecla has issued a warrant (the "Warrant") to Great
Basin dated as of the date hereof providing Great Basin the right to purchase
two million (2,000,000) shares of Hecla common stock, $.25 par value per share
(the "Common Stock");

                  WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 5 of the Warrant, Great Basin may
assign some or all of its interest in the Warrant to one or more Assignees;

                  WHEREAS, the rules and regulations promulgated under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), impose certain
limitations on Great Basin and its Assignees with respect to the resale of any
Common Stock purchased by Great Basin or any Assignee upon exercise of their
respective Warrant (the "Hecla Shares"); and

                  WHEREAS, Hecla will, in order to permit the resale of the
Hecla Shares by Great Basin and any Assignee, undertake to register the Hecla
Shares under the Securities Act on Form S-3 or such other form as may be
appropriate (the "Resale Registration Statement").

                  NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual undertakings
contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of
which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

                                    AGREEMENT

         1. Obligations of Great Basin. Great Basin and any Assignee, in
connection with any offer, sale, or distribution of Hecla Shares pursuant to the
Resale Registration Statement, covenant to (i) furnish all such information
concerning Great Basin and/or any Assignee and the offer, sale, or distribution
proposed to be made by Great Basin and any Assignee and take all such action as
may be reasonably required of Great Basin and any Assignee in order to permit
Hecla to comply with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the
rules and regulations thereunder in connection with the Resale Registration
Statement and to obtain the declaration of effectiveness of the Resale
Registration Statement, (ii) update, to the extent required by applicable law,
any information about Great Basin and any Assignee and the proposed plan of
distribution contained in the Resale Registration Statement during the period
the Resale Registration Statement is effective, and (iii) comply with all
applicable requirements under the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and the rules and regulations
thereunder, in connection with such sale, including delivery of a current
prospectus and compliance with the anti-manipulation rules under the Exchange
Act.

                          Registration Rights Agreement
                                   Page 1 of 5
<PAGE>

         Subject to the restrictions contained in Sections 1 and 4 hereof, Great
Basin and/or any Assignee may sell Hecla Shares from time to time pursuant to
the Resale Registration Statement, whether to or through a broker, dealer, or
market maker or directly to one or more purchasers, including pledgees;
provided, however, that sales of Hecla Shares pursuant to the Resale
Registration Statement shall not be made in an underwritten public offering
without Hecla's prior written consent.

         2. Obligations of Hecla. Hecla will use its reasonable efforts to:

         2.1 within four (4) months after the date hereof prepare and file with
the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") the Resale Registration Statement
and the prospectus included therein (including any necessary amendments,
including post-effective amendments, and supplements thereto) and take such
other actions as may be reasonably necessary to cause the Resale Registration
Statement to be declared effective.

         2.2 cause the prospectus included in the Resale Registration Statement
to be amended or supplemented as required and to be filed as required by Rule
424 (the "Resale Prospectus") or any similar rule that may be adopted under the
Securities Act; (ii) respond as promptly as practicable to any comments received
from the SEC with respect to the Resale Registration Statement or any amendment
thereto; (iii) comply in all material respects with the periodic reporting
obligations under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder; (iv) keep such Resale Registration Statement effective until such
date as is the earlier of (x) the date when all Hecla Shares have been sold or
(y) the date when all Hecla Shares may be sold without restriction pursuant to
Rule 144(k) of the Securities Act; and (v) comply with the provisions of the
Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all of the Hecla Shares
covered by such Resale Registration Statement during such period in accordance
with the intended methods of disposition by Great Basin and/or any Assignee set
forth in such Resale Registration Statement.

         2.3 furnish to Great Basin and/or any Assignee such number of copies of
the Resale Registration Statement, each amendment and supplement thereto, the
Resale Prospectus, any supplement to such prospectus, and such other documents
as Great Basin or any Assignee may reasonably request in order to facilitate the
disposition of the Hecla Shares owned by Great Basin and/or any Assignee;

         2.4 register or qualify the Hecla Shares under such other securities or
blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as Great Basin and/or any Assignee
reasonably request and do any and all other acts and things which may be
reasonably necessary or advisable to enable Great Basin and/or any Assignee to
consummate the disposition in such jurisdictions of the Hecla Shares owned by
Great Basin and/or any Assignee (provided that Hecla will not be required to
qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not
otherwise be required to qualify but for this Section 2.4, subject itself to
taxation in any such jurisdiction, or consent to general service of process in
any such jurisdiction);

         2.5 notify Great Basin and any Assignee of the happening of any event
as a result of which the Resale Prospectus contains an untrue statement of a
material fact or omits any fact necessary to make the statement therein, in

                          Registration Rights Agreement
                                   Page 2 of 5
<PAGE>

light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, and, at the
request of Great Basin or any Assignee but subject to the provisions of Section
4 hereof, Hecla will prepare a supplement or amendment to such prospectus so
that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of the Hecla Shares, such
prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances in which they were made, not misleading;

         2.6 notify Great Basin and any Assignee promptly and, if requested,
confirm in writing, (i) when the Resale Registration Statement and any
post-effective amendments thereto have become effective; (ii) when any amendment
or supplement to the prospectus contained in the Resale Registration Statement
has been filed with the SEC; (iii) of the issuance by the SEC or any state
securities authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Resale Registration Statement or any part thereof or the initiation of any
proceedings for that purpose; or (iv) if Hecla receives any notification with
respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Hecla Shares for offer or
sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation of any proceeding for such purpose;

         2.7 make every reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal of any order
suspending the effectiveness of the Resale Registration Statement or any part
thereof as promptly as possible;

         2.8 enable certificates for such Hecla Shares to be issued for such
numbers of shares and registered in such names as Great Basin or any Assignee
may reasonably request;

         2.9 use its reasonable best efforts to cause all Hecla Shares relating
to such Registration Statement to be listed on the NYSE and any other securities
exchange, quotation system, market or over-the-counter bulletin board, if any,
on which the same securities issued by Hecla are then listed.

         3. Registration Expenses.

         3.1 All expenses incident to Hecla's performance of or compliance with
this Agreement, including without limitation all registration and filing fees,
fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws, printing
expenses, messenger and delivery expenses, and fees and disbursements of counsel
for Hecla, and all independent certified public accountants and other persons
retained by Hecla (all such expenses being herein called "Registration
Expenses"), will be borne by Hecla. Any and all commissions, selling
concessions, brokerage fees, discounts, and stock transfer taxes ("Selling
Expenses") shall be borne by Great Basin and any Assignee.

         3.2 In connection with each sale of Hecla Shares, fees and
disbursements of counsel for Great Basin and/or any Assignee shall be borne by
Great Basin or any Assignee, as the case may be.

         4. Black-Out Period. Hecla may provide written notice to Great Basin
and any Assignee requiring Great Basin and any Assignee not to make any sales of
the Hecla Shares pursuant to the Resale Registration Statement if: (i) in the
reasonable opinion of Hecla (x) securities laws applicable to such sale would

                          Registration Rights Agreement
                                   Page 3 of 5
<PAGE>

require Hecla to disclose material non-public information ("Non-Public
Information") and (y) the disclosure of such Non-Public Information would
adversely affect Hecla; (ii) in the reasonable opinion of Hecla such sale would
interfere with a financing transaction by Hecla (a "Financing Period"); or (iii)
such sale would occur during the period between the end of a fiscal quarter and
the announcement by Hecla of its earnings for that quarter (an "Earnings
Period"). The Financing Period and Earnings Period are collectively referred to
herein as the "Restricted Period". In the event sales of the Hecla Shares by
Great Basin and any Assignee is deferred because of the existence of Non-Public
Information, Hecla will notify Great Basin and any Assignee promptly upon such
Non-Public Information being included by Hecla in a filing with the SEC, being
otherwise disclosed to the public (other than through the actions of Great Basin
and/or any Assignee), or ceasing to be material to Hecla, and upon such notice
being given by Hecla, Great Basin and any Assignee shall again be entitled to
sell Hecla Shares as provided herein. In the event the sale by Great Basin and
any Assignee of Hecla Shares is deferred because Hecla has notified Great Basin
and any Assignee of a Restricted Period, Hecla shall specify, in notifying Great
Basin and any Assignee of the deferral, when the Restricted Period will end, at
which time Great Basin and any Assignee shall again be entitled to sell Hecla
Shares as provided herein. If the Restricted Period is thereafter changed, Hecla
will promptly notify Great Basin and any Assignee of such change and upon the
end of the Restricted Period as so changed, Great Basin and any Assignee will
again be entitled to sell Hecla Shares as provided herein. If an agreement to
which such Restricted Period relates is terminated prior to the end of the
Restricted Period, the deferral period hereunder shall end immediately and Hecla
shall promptly notify Great Basin and any Assignee of the end of the deferral
period.

         5. Term. Hecla agrees that the rights of Great Basin and any Assignee
under this Agreement shall remain in effect until the Hecla Shares are sold in
compliance with Rule 144 or may be sold pursuant to Rule 144(k) under the
Securities Act without restriction.

         6. Binding Effect; Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon and
inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors,
assigns, heirs, and legal representatives, but may not be assigned by Great
Basin or any Assignee without the prior written consent of Hecla.

         7. Governing Laws. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware applicable to contracts made
and to be performed therein.

         8. Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for the purpose of
reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning thereof.

         9. Entire Agreement. This instrument contains the entire agreement of
the parties hereto with respect to the sale of Hecla Shares pursuant to the
Resale Registration Statement and matters relating thereto, and supersedes all
prior understandings and agreements of the parties with respect to the subject
matter hereof.

                                     * * * *

                          Registration Rights Agreement
                                   Page 4 of 5
<PAGE>

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed and
delivered this Agreement as of the date first above written.

                                        HECLA MINING COMPANY

                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        By:  Thomas F. Fudge, Jr.
                                        Its: Vice President-Operations

                                        GREAT BASIN GOLD LTD.

                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        By:
                                        Its:

                          Registration Rights Agreement
                                   Page 5 of 5

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