One more time, major producers these days are not in the exploration business.  Phelps Dodge was the last one doing that, and they were exiting that part of their business when they were taken out by Freeport.

More than that, Hay Mountain is pretty much a blind target.  That eliminates many other prospective partners as well.  Interest comes from proving that you have something.  Many times that from channel sampling which can not be done in this case as the hoped-for commercial mineralization is 200-300 feet below the surface.   

All of this means that there is not a large pool of prospective partners to draw on while the market is just not very much into mining stocks now anyway.  But things can turn on a dime, as you know, so anything can happen at any time.