Item 2. Properties
Item 2. Properties.
FIGURE 2.1 - REGIONAL MAP OF MINING
PROPERTIES
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FIGURE 2.2 – DETAILED MAP
OF MINING PROPERTIES
We do not own any land, although
we do own some of the buildings on land we lease. Our executive offices are located at Level 11, Vegetable Building, Industrial Park of
the East in Shouguang City, Shandong Province, P.R.C, which also is the headquarters of SCHC, SHSI and SYCI (it had been sold in December,
2025). These offices were purchased from Shandong Shouguang Vegetable Seed industry Group Co., Ltd.
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SYCI concentrates its efforts on
the production and sale of chemical products that are used in oil and gas field exploration, oil and gas distribution, oil field drilling,
papermaking chemical agents, and manufacture and sell materials that are used for human and animal antibiotics in China. Currently, SYCI
is closed according to the November 2017 Letter and currently under construction at Bohai Marine Fine Chemical Industry Park, Shouguang
City, Shandong Province, China, where SYCI will be relocated to.
DCHC is a registered company exploring
and developing natural gas and brine resources (including bromine and crude salt) in China located in No.14 team, Liguanggou Village,
Tianbao Township, Daying County, Suining City, Sichuan Province, China.
In the first quarter of 2018, six
out of its ten bromine factories completed their rectification process within factory areas (i.e. excluding crude salt field area) and
were approved and scheduled for production commencement by April 2018 as verbally indicated by the local government. The remaining four
factories were still undergoing rectification at that time. Three factories (Factory No. 3, Factory No. 4 and Factory No. 11) had to be
demolished in September 2018 as required by the government and rectification for Factory No. 10 was completed in November 2018.
The Company operates its bromine and crude salt production facilities
through its wholly-owned subsidiary SCHC. SCHC has land use rights to one property (10,790 square meters, or approximately 3 acre) as
bromine production area for Factory No. 1 and land lease contracts to seven properties (approximately 17,816 acre), totaling nearly 17,819
acres, located on the south bank of Laizhou Bay on the Shandong Peninsula of the People’s Republic of China. Each of the properties
is accessible by road. The Yiyang railway line is within 50 kilometers and the Yangkou port is five kilometers away.
Each of the seven properties contains
natural brine deposits which are extracted through wells and are used to extract bromine and produce crude salt. Bromine is a simple molecular
element which is produced by extracting the bromine ion from natural brine. Crude salt is sodium chloride. Bromine is an important chemical
raw material in flame retardants, fire extinguishing agents, refrigerants, photographic materials, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and oil
and other industries. Crude salt, also known as industrial salt, is used in a wide range of chemical industries, is the major raw material
in the soda and chlor-alkali industries and can be widely used in agricultural, animal husbandry, fisheries and food processing industries.
Crude salt is also the main raw material for edible salt.
Nature of Ownership Interest in
the Properties
All of the land in the PRC is owned
by the state. Individuals and companies are permitted to acquire rights to use land or land use rights for specific purposes at no cost.
In the case of land used for industrial purposes, the land use rights are granted for a period of 50 years. This period may be renewed
at the expiration of the initial and any subsequent terms. Granted land use rights are transferable and may be used as security for borrowings
and other obligations. The Company does not own any land but has entered into contracts with the local government and original owners
of the land use rights to acquire their rights for a period of 50 years. The contracts required us to pay a one-time fee plus an annual
rent.
Mineral Rights
The Chinese and provincial governments
have enacted a series of laws and regulations relating to the natural resources sector over the past 20 years, including laws and regulations
designed to improve safety and decrease environmental degradation. The “China Mineral Resources Law” declares state ownership
of all mineral resources in China. However, mineral exploration rights can be purchased, sold and transferred to both domestic and foreign
owned companies. Mineral resource rights are granted by the central government permitting recipients to conduct mineral resource activities
in a specific area during the license period. These rights entitle the licensee to undertake mineral resource activities and infrastructure
and ancillary work, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, within the specific area covered by the license during the license
period. The licensee is required to submit a proposal and feasibility studies to the relevant authority and to pay the central government
a natural resources tax levied at 8% of sales. The Company was exempt from paying the fee prior to January 1, 2008. Shandong province
has determined that bromine is to be extracted only by licensed entities.
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Our mineral rights are issued by
the local government and allow for a one-year period of mining. The rights provide us with the exclusive rights to explore and extract
natural brine under the leased land and produce bromine and crude salt. The government performs an annual inspection of the company’s
previous year’s state of production & operations at beginning of each year. The annual inspection reviews: (1) whether the production
is safe and if any accidents occurred during the previous year; (2) whether the natural resources tax and other taxes were timely paid;
(3) whether employees’ salary and welfare benefits were timely paid; and (4) whether the Company meets environment protection standards.
Only those companies who pass the inspection receive mineral rights for another one-year term. For those companies who do not pass the
inspection, additional mineral rights are not allocated until they can meet the requirements. If there is major safety accident, the government
may revoke the mining permit.
The mining certificate was renewed
in July 2021 with production limit of 24,000 tons of bromine production per year.
On September 21, 2018, we received
a closing notice from the People’s Government of Yangkou Town, Shouguang City informing us that we had to shut down our three bromine
factories (Factory No. 3, No. 4, and No. 11.).
The following is a description of
the land use and mineral rights related to each of the nine properties held by SCHC as of December 31, 2025.
All of the bromine factories are under
rectification process without production.
Property
Factory No. 1 – Haoyuan General Factory
Area
6,442 acres
Date of Acquisition
February 5, 2007
Land Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty Years
Land Use Rights Expiration Date
2054 (for mining areas only)
The number of remaining years to expiration of the
of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
28.25 Years
Prior fees paid for land use rights
RMB8.6 million
Annual Rent
RMB186,633
Mining Permit No.:
C3707002009056220022340
Date of Permission:
July 2018, subject to renewal per three years
Period of Permission:
Three years
Property
Factory No. 4 ( originally named as Subdivision
of Factory No. 1 ) – State-owned Shouguang Qinshuibo Farm
Area
0.79 acres
Date of Factory lease
January 1, 2011
Factory Lease Term
Twenty Years
Factory lease Expiration Date
2030
The number of remaining years to expiration of the
of the factory lease as of December 31, 2025
5 Years
Prior Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not applicable
Annual Rent
RMB5,000,000
Mining Permit No.:
Under application
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Property
Factory No. 2 – Yuwenbo
Area
1,846 acres
Date of Acquisition
April 7, 2007
Land Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty Years
Land Use Rights Expiration Date
2052
The number of remaining years to expiration of the
of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
27 Years
Prior Fees Paid For Land Use Rights
RMB7.5 million
Annual Rent
RMB162,560
Mining Permit No.:
C3707002009056220022340
Date of Permission:
July 2021, subject to renewal per three years
Period of Permission:
Three years
Property
Factory No. 2 – State Operated Shouguang Qingshuibo Farm
Area
568 acres
Date of Acquisition
December 30, 2010
Land Use Rights Lease Term
Thirty Years
Land Use Rights Expiration Date
2040
The number of remaining years to expiration of the
of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
15.7 Years
Prior Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not applicable
Annual Rent
RMB172,500 (increase 5% per year)
Mining Permit No.:
Under application
Property
Factory No. 7 (originally named as No. 5)– Wangjiancai
Area
2,165 acres
Date of Acquisition
October 25, 2007
Land Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty Years
Land Use Rights Expiration Date
2054
The number of remaining years to expiration of the
of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
29 Years
Annual Rent
RMB176,441
Prior Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
RMB8.3 million
Mining Permit No.:
Under application, written consent obtained from local
land and resources departments
Property
Factory No. 7 – Qiufen Yuan
Area
1,611 acres
Date of Acquisition
January 7, 2009
Land Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty Years
Land Use Rights Expiration Date
2059
The number of remaining years to expiration of the
of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
33.17 Years
Prior Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not applicable
Annual Rent
RMB171,150 (increase 5% per two years)
Mining Permit No.:
C3707002009056220022340
Date of Permission:
July 2018, subject to renewal per three years
Period of Permission:
Three years
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Property
Factory No. 8 – Fengxia Yuan
Area
2,723 acres
Date of Acquisition
September 7, 2009
Land Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty Years
Land Use Rights Expiration Date
2059
The number of remaining years to expiration of the of the
land lease
as of December 31, 2025
33.66 Years
Prior Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not applicable
Annual Rent
RMB347,130 (increase 5% per two years)
Mining Permit No.:
Under application, written consent obtained from local
land and resources departments
Property
Factory No. 9 – Jinjin Li
Area
759 acres
Date of Acquisition
June 7, 2010
Land Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty Years
Land Use Rights Expiration Date
2060
The number of remaining years to expiration of the of the
land lease
as of December 31, 2025
34.5 Years
Prior Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not applicable
Annual Rent
RMB184,200 (increase 5% per two years)
Mining Permit No.:
Under application, written consent obtained from local
land and resources departments
Property
Factory No. 10 – Liangcai Zhang
Area
1,700 acres
Date of Acquisition
December 13, 2021
Land Use Rights Lease Term
Ten Years
Land Use Rights Expiration Date
2031
The number of remaining years to expiration of the of the
land lease
as of December 31, 2025
6.0 Years
Prior Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not applicable
Annual Rent
RMB1,376,000
Mining Permit No.:
Under application
Leased Facility
On November 5, 2010, SCHC entered
into a Lease Contract with State-Operated Shouguang Qingshuibo Farm. Pursuant to the Lease Contract, SCHC shall lease certain property
with an area of 3,192 square meters (or 0.8 acres) and buildings adjacent to the Company’s Factory No. 1. There are currently non-operating
bromine production facilities on the property which have not been in production for more than 12 months. The annual lease payment for
the property is RMB 5.0 million, approximately $705,950, per year and shall be paid by SCHC no later than June 30th of each year. The
term of the Lease Contract is for twenty years commencing January 1, 2011. The Lease Contract may be renewed by SCHC for an additional
twenty-year period on the same terms. The Lessor has agreed to permit SCHC to reconstruct and renovate the existing bromine production
facilities on the property.
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The chart below represents the annual production
capacity and annualized utilization ratios for our bromine producing properties currently leased by the Company, which are all located
in Shouguang City, Shandong Province, China. There are no proven and probable reserves located on our properties.
Bromine Property
Facility Acquisition Date
Acres
Annual Production Capacity # (in tons)
2025 Utilization Ratio
2024 Utilization Ratio
Factory No. 1
—
6,442
6,681
25 %
11 %
Factory No. 2
April 7, 2007
1,846
4,844
—
—
Factory No. 7* (originally named as No. 5
and
October 25, 2007/
No. 7)
January 7, 2009
3,776
6,986
25 %
11 %
Factory No. 8
September 7, 2009
2,723
4,016
25 %
4 %
Factory No. 9
June 7, 2010
759
2,793
31 %
16 %
Factory No.4 (originally named as
Subdivision
of Factory No. 1)
January 1, 2011
1
3,186
24 %
3 %
Factory No. 10
December 22, 2011
1,700
3,000
—
—
* Bromine production for Factory No. 5 and Factory No. 7 were combined in early 2010 as both factories
are located adjacent to each other, and renamed Factory No. 5 (which was previously considered part of Factory No. 7) as Factory No.
7 on May 2019.
The following table shows the annual bromine produced and sold for
each of our production facilities and the weighted average price received for all products sold for the last two years.
2025
2024
Bromine
Produced
Sold
Selling price
Produced
Sold
Selling price
Facility
(in tons)
(in tons)
(RMB/ton)
(in tons)
(in tons)
(RMB/ton)
Factory No. 1
1,663
1,664
27,481
721
728
17,633
Factory No. 2
—
—
—
—
—
—
Factory No. 3**
—
—
—
—
—
—
Factory No. 4**
—
—
—
—
—
—
Factory No. 7* (originally named as No. 5 and No. 7) *
1,741
1,743
27,343
791
792
17,640
Factory No. 8
1,008
988
27,180
145
168
16,906
Factory No. 9
874
876
27,211
459
465
17,571
Factory No. 4 (originally know Subdivision of Factory No. 1)
753
753
26,752
80
97
17,462
Factory No. 10
—
—
—
—
—
—
Factory No. 11**
—
—
—
—
—
—
Total
6,039
6,024
2,196
2,250
* Bromine production for Factory No. 5 and Factory No. 7 were combined in early 2010 as both factories
are located adjacent to each other, and renamed Factory No. 5 (which was previously considered part of Factory No. 7) as Factory No. 7
on May 2019.
** Factory
No. 3, 4 and 11 were demolished in September 2018.
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The following table shows the annual
crude salt produced and sold for each of our production facilities and the weighted average price received for all products sold for the
last two years.
2025
2024
Crude Salt
Produced
Sold
Selling price
Produced
Sold
Selling price
Facility
(in tons)
(in tons)
(RMB/ton)
(in tons)
(in tons)
(RMB/ton)
Factory No. 1
1,910
1,910
186
1,090
1,090
214
Factory No. 2
6,420
5,847
184
3,850
6,153
194
Factory No. 7* (Originally Named as No. 5 and No. 7) *
32,060
34,866
184
28,960
31,694
185
Factory No. 8
32,040
32,040
183
20,000
20,000
200
Factory No. 9
17,610
19,253
184
15,380
18,353
181
Total
90,040
93,916
69,280
77,290
* Bromine production for Factory No. 5 and Factory No. 7 were combined in early 2010 as both
factories are located adjacent to each other, and renamed Factory No. 5 (which was previously considered part of Factory No. 7) as
Factory No. 7 on May 2019
Our SYCI’s production facilities did not produce or
sold any chemical products for the last two years.
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.