Located near Lucerne Valley in San Bernardino County, the nine mining claims cover an area about 1,440 acres.

The JV agreement calls for Bentley Fairview to pay a total of $10m to earn a 50% interest in the Big Bear mining claims.

According to Siga Resources, the project area is known historically as the Blackhawk Mining District and has been a previous producer of gold and silver.

Anticipated total contained gold could be in the range of two to three million ounces, and the field operations are planned to start in the next 90 days, the company said.

The mining claims were acquired by Siga Resources from US-based Montana Mining Corporation.