Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp reported outstanding zinc and lead drill results of the 2011 drill program on the high grade Bongara joint venture project in Peru.

The company, headquartered in Colorado, has received assay results from 18 surface holes as well as five underground drill holes, with tests from a number of holes pending.

Solitario said 14 of the 18 holes intersected strong mineralized intervals as surface drilling focused on the Karen-Milagros zone located in the northern part of the Florida Canyon mineralized system, while underground drilling was performed in the San Jorge zone in the south western portion of the Florida Canyon.

Significant drill results include: underground drill hole V 240 recovering zinc and lead grading of 13.45% over 26.85 metres, and 11.4% zinc plus lead over 32.1 metres in hole V 244.

Surface drill hole V 234 recovered 24.1 percent of zinc and lead over 5.9 metres and 14.9% of zinc plus lead over 7.2 metres in hole V-235.

Mr Chris Herald CEO of Solitario said that "Drilling results continue to come in strong adding both new resources and increasing the confidence level of existing resources. The Bongará project has advanced to a new and exciting stage with the onset of detailed underground drilling, augmenting the continuation of surface exploration."

The 2011 program was managed and funded by Solitario’s joint venture partner Votorantim Metais.

Additionally, Votorantim will be advancing the project through pre feasibility by year’s end, including more surface and underground drilling.