RARE ELEMENT RESOURCES LTD
For the period ended Jun 30, 2024. Filed Aug 7, 2024.
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A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.
Jun 30, 2024 · Filed Aug 7, 2024
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ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except shares outstanding)
| | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · June 30, 2024 · · December 31, 2023 · | |||||||
| · (unaudited) · (audited) · | |||||||
| ASSETS: · · · | |||||||
| CURRENT ASSETS · · · | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | | $30,576 | | $3,633 | | ||
| Grant receivable (Note 5) | | | — | | | 2,000 | |
| Due from related party (Note 4) | | | 192 | | | 179 | |
| Prepaid to related party (Note 4) | | | 4,238 | | | 3,435 | |
| Prepaid expenses and other | | 220 | | 503 | | ||
| Total Current Assets | | 35,226 | | 9,750 | | ||
| | | | | | | | |
| Equipment, net | | 88 | | 29 | | ||
| Restricted cash | | | 190 | | | 186 | |
| Right of use asset (Note 6) | | | 305 | | | 179 | |
| Investment in land (Note 8) | | 600 | | 600 | | ||
| Total Assets | | $36,409 | | $10,744 | | ||
| | | | | | | | |
| LIABILITIES: | | | | ||||
| CURRENT LIABILITIES | | | | ||||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | | $251 | | $291 | | ||
| Repurchase option (Note 8) | | | 1,681 | | | 1,539 | |
| Lease liability, current (Note 6) | | | 164 | | | 111 | |
| Total Current Liabilities | | 2,096 | | 1,941 | | ||
| | | | | | | | |
| Reclamation obligation | | 182 | | 182 | | ||
| Lease liability, long-term (Note 6) | | | 167 | | | 92 | |
| Other long-term liabilities | | | 92 | | | 92 | |
| Total Liabilities | | 2,537 | | 2,307 | | ||
| | | | | | | | |
| Commitments and Contingencies (Note 8) | | | | ||||
| | | | | | | | |
| SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY: | | | | ||||
| Common shares, no par value – unlimited shares authorized; shares outstanding at June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 of 511,111,557 and 212,968,451, respectively | | 172,223 | | 136,937 | | ||
| Additional paid in capital | | 29,094 | | 29,140 | | ||
| Accumulated deficit | | (167,445) | | (157,640) | | ||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | | 33,872 | | 8,437 | | ||
| | | | | | | | |
| Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity | | $36,409 | | $10,744 | | ||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except share and per share amounts)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · Three Months Ended June 30, · · Six Months Ended June 30, · | |||||||||||||
| · 2024 · 2023 · 2024 · 2023 · | |||||||||||||
| Operating expenses: · · · · · · | |||||||||||||
| Exploration and evaluation (See Note 4 for related party costs) | | $(5,821) | | $(2,165) | | $(8,724) | | $(3,675) | | ||||
| Corporate administration | | (623) | | (613) | | (1,322) | | (1,355) | | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | | (38) | | (26) | | (66) | | (51) | | ||||
| Total operating expenses | | (6,482) | | (2,804) | | (10,112) | | (5,081) | | ||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Non-operating income (expense): | | | | | | ||||||||
| Interest income | | 371 | | 139 | | 452 | | 261 | | ||||
| Accretion expense | | (71) | | (71) | | (142) | | (142) | | ||||
| Interest expense | | (9) | | (8) | | (15) | | (16) | | ||||
| Gain on sale of equipment | | 12 | | — | | 12 | | 12 | | ||||
| Total non-operating income | | 303 | | 60 | | 307 | | 115 | | ||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Net loss | | $(6,179) | | $(2,744) | | $(9,805) | | $(4,966) | | ||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| LOSS PER SHARE - BASIC AND DILUTED | | $(0.01) | | $(0.01) | | $(0.02) | | $(0.02) | | ||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING | | 439,278,102 | | 256,932,144 | | 439,278,102 | | 256,876,646 | | ||||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars)
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · For the six months ended June 30, | ||||||
| · · 2024 · 2023 | ||||||
| CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: · · · | ||||||
| Net loss | | $(9,805) | | $(4,966) | ||
| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | | | ||||
| Depreciation and accretion expense | | 147 | | 143 | ||
| Right of use asset amortization | | 61 | | 50 | ||
| Lease liability | | (58) | | (46) | ||
| Stock-based compensation | | (46) | | 331 | ||
| Other | | | 242 | | | (14) |
| | | (9,459) | | (4,502) | ||
| | | | | | | |
| Changes in working capital: | | | ||||
| Due from related party | | | (816) | | | 407 |
| Grant receivable | | | 2,000 | | | — |
| Prepaid expenses and other | | 26 | | (3) | ||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | | (38) | | 26 | ||
| Net cash used in operating activities | | (8,287) | | (4,072) | ||
| | | | | | | |
| CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: | | | ||||
| Proceeds from the sale of equipment | | | 12 | | | 12 |
| Purchase of equipment | | | (64) | | | (16) |
| Net cash provided by investing activities | | (52) | | (4) | ||
| | | | | | | |
| CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: | | | ||||
| Financing transaction, net (Note 7) | | 35,286 | | — | ||
| Stock option exercise | | — | | 7 | ||
| Net cash provided by financing activities | | 35,286 | | 7 | ||
| | | | | | | |
| Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | | 26,947 | | (4,069) | ||
| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash- beginning of the period | | 3,819 | | 15,523 | ||
| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash- end of the period | | $30,766 | | $11,454 | ||
| | | | | | | |
| Supplemental cash flow disclosures: | | | | | | |
| Cash paid for taxes | | $— | | $— | ||
| Cash paid for interest | | $— | | $— | ||
| | | | | | | |
| | | As of June 30, | ||||
| | | 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Reconciliation of amounts in the Balance Sheet to amounts in the Cash Flow Statement | | | | | | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | | $30,576 | | $11,454 | ||
| Restricted cash, long-term | | | 190 | | | — |
| Total of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash - end of period | | $30,766 | | $11,454 | ||
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
(Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except share amounts)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · · · · · · Additional · · · · · · | ||||||||||||||
| · · · · · · · Paid in · · Accumulated · · · | ||||||||||||||
| · Common Shares · Amount · Capital · Deficit · Total | ||||||||||||||
| Balance, March 31, 2023 | 212,515,951 | | $136,906 | | $28,845 | | $(150,866) | | $14,885 | |||||
| Stock option exercises | 100,000 | | 7 | | — | | — | | 7 | |||||
| Stock-based compensation | — | | — | | 159 | | — | | 159 | |||||
| Common shares cancelled | | (2,500) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — |
| Net loss | — | | — | | — | | (2,744) | | (2,744) | |||||
| Balance, June 30, 2023 | 212,613,451 | | $136,913 | | $29,004 | | $(153,610) | | $12,307 | |||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Balance, March 31, 2024 | | 511,111,557 | | | 172,223 | | | 29,158 | | | (161,266) | | | 40,115 |
| Stock-based compensation | — | | — | | (64) | | — | | (64) | |||||
| Net loss | — | | — | | — | | (6,179) | | (6,179) | |||||
| Balance, June 30, 2024 | 511,111,557 | | $172,223 | | $29,094 | | $(167,445) | | $33,872 | |||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · · · · · · Additional · · · · · · | ||||||||||||||
| · · · · · · · Paid in · · Accumulated · · · | ||||||||||||||
| · Number of Shares · Amount · Capital · Deficit · Total | ||||||||||||||
| Balance, December 31, 2022 | 212,515,951 | | $136,906 | | $28,673 | | $(148,644) | | $16,935 | |||||
| Stock option exercise | | 100,000 | | | 7 | | | — | | | — | | | 7 |
| Stock-based compensation | | — | | | — | | | 331 | | | — | | | 331 |
| Common shares cancelled | | (2,500) | | | — | | | — | | | — | | | — |
| Net loss | — | | — | | — | | (4,966) | | (4,966) | |||||
| Balance, June 30, 2023 | 212,613,451 | | $136,913 | | $29,004 | | $(153,610) | | $12,307 | |||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Balance, December 31, 2023 | | 212,968,451 | | $136,937 | | $29,140 | | $(157,640) | | $8,437 | ||||
| 2024 Rights Offering | | 298,106,831 | | | 35,286 | | | — | | | — | | | 35,286 |
| Stock option exercises | 36,275 | | — | | — | | — | | — | |||||
| Stock-based compensation | — | | — | | (46) | | — | | (46) | |||||
| Net loss | — | | — | | — | | (9,805) | | (9,805) | |||||
| Balance, June 30, 2024 | 511,111,557 | | $172,223 | | $29,094 | | $(167,445) | | $33,872 | |||||
- NATURE OF OPERATIONS
Rare Element Resources Ltd. (“we,” “us,” “Rare Element” or the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada, on June 3, 1999.
Rare Element holds a 100% interest in the Bear Lodge rare earth elements project (the “Bear Lodge REE Project”) located near the town of Sundance in northeast Wyoming. The Bear Lodge REE Project consists of several large, disseminated rare earth elements (“REE”) deposits that comprise one of the highest-grade REE deposits identified in North America. The deposit has a favorable distribution of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr), as well as a number of other critical rare earth elements. The Company has additionally developed and enhanced, along with General Atomics and its affiliates (as defined below), innovative and proprietary rare earth processing and separation capabilities for the processing of the Bear Lodge REE Project feed material and possibly feed materials from other sources.
If and when developed, the Bear Lodge REE Project will likely consist of the mine and a separation plant to produce a commercial NdPr product. As market conditions dictate, the Company will decide whether it is prudent to develop and put into production the mine and separation plant independent of each other or whether linking the two production processes into a single project is the more prudent path.
The Company also holds a 100% interest in the Sundance Gold Project that is adjacent to the Bear Lodge REE Project and contains a historical inferred mineral resource primarily composed ofthree gold targets within the area of the Bear Lodge property. Given the Company’s longstanding focus on the Bear Lodge REE Project and the current interest in REEs, the advancement of the Sundance Gold Project has been on hold since 2011 and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.
The Company is currently focused on the advancement of a rare earth processing and separation demonstration-scale plant (the “Demonstration Plant”) project. In January 2021, a consortium of companies, of which the Company is a part, received notice from the Department of Energy (“DoE”) that the consortium had been selected for negotiation of a potential financial award for the engineering, construction and operation of a rare earth separation and processing demonstration plant. The consortium of companies is led by General Atomics, an affiliate of Synchron, the Company’s majority shareholder, and includes certain of General Atomics’ affiliates, and LNV, an Ardurra Group, Inc. company, as engineering and construction subcontractor. A formal proposal was submitted by the consortium in response to a published Funding Opportunity Announcement in mid-2020 for the construction and operation of a rare earth separation and processing demonstration plant utilizing proprietary technology to produce commercial-grade products. The DoE finalized the award, and an agreement was executed by the DoE’s grants/agreement officer on September 27, 2021, with an effective date of October 1, 2021. The Company, as a subrecipient of the award, along with the other consortium members, commenced work on the planning and design of the Demonstration Plant project in November 2021, with the Company’s contractual arrangement with General Atomics finalized in December 2021. The DoE funding is in the amount of $21,900 and represents approximatelyone-half of the originally estimated costs for the Demonstration Plant. The Demonstration Plant will process already stockpiled high-grade sample materials from the Bear Lodge REE Project.
To address the Company’s funding needs, the Company completed rights offerings in December 2021 (the “2021 Rights Offering”) and March 2024 (the “2024 Rights Offering,” and together with the 2021 Rights Offering, the “Rights Offerings”) for gross proceeds of approximately $25,400 and $35,800, respectively. The previously noted $21,900 financial award from the DoE was expected to fund approximatelyone-half of the originally expected total cost of the Demonstration Plant project, with the balance of the required funding being provided by the Company utilizing the proceeds from the 2021 Rights Offering, the $4,400 grant from the Wyoming Energy Authority (the “WEA”) as discussed in Note 5, and other funding sources, as necessary. Due to inflationary pressures and design enhancements among other factors, the initial Demonstration Plant project cost estimate of $43,800 has increased, resulting in the need for the 2024 Rights Offering, which closed in March 2024, to fund, in part, the Demonstration Plant operations as well as for other general corporate purposes. Ultimately, in the event the Company cannot secure additional financial resources, or complete a strategic transaction in the longer term, the Company may need to curtail or suspend the development and commercialization of its Bear Lodge REE Project or other initiatives, or potentially liquidate its business interests, and investors may lose all or part of their investment.
During the six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company continued its work on the Demonstration Plant project. This work is planned to continue until the Demonstration Plant’s expected completion of operations in 2025. In December 2022, the Demonstration Plant achieved its final engineering design milestone, marking the DoE’s first go/no-go decision point. A second go/no-go gating milestone was achieved in December 2023 with the issuance by the DoE of a Project Continuation Notice, allowing for the construction of the Demonstration Plant. The completion of each of these milestones were gating events for the DoE’s continued funding, as provided for in the 2021 DoE award. With the completion of the second gating event, the Demonstration Plant’s construction has progressed, with completion expected during the second half of 2024. Operations to process the sample materials and recover the NdPr and other REEs are expected to follow the completion of the Demonstration Plant’s construction for up to an additional 12 months.
The Company has incurred losses since its inception, and further losses are anticipated in the development of its business. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of$30,576. During the six months ended June 30, 2024, we consumed cash of$8,287 in our operating activities ($10,287 excluding the$2,000 received from the WEA during the period), of which approximately$8,500 was advanced for the payment of costs associated with the Demonstration Plant project, while the remainder was used for the payment of the Company’s general and administrative expenses and other ongoing costs of sustaining its properties.
2. BASIS OF ACCOUNTING AND PRESENTATION
In accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial statements, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not include certain information and note disclosures that are normally included in annual financial statements prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2023, which were included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments (which are of a normal, recurring nature) necessary to present fairly in all material respects the Company’s financial position as of June 30, 2024, and the results of its operations and cash flows for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 in conformity with U.S. GAAP on a going concern basis. These interim results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2024 may not be indicative of the results that will be realized for the full year ending December 31, 2024.
Research & Development (“R&D”) Expenditures
Materials, equipment, and facilities acquired or constructed for R&D activities associated with the Company’s Demonstration Plant project are expensed as incurred. These materials, equipment and facilities are not expected to have an alternative future use beyond the end of the current Demonstration Plant project.
Restricted Cash
The Company periodically maintains cash deposits that are held and earmarked for a specific purpose. At June 30, 2024, the Company had $190 in restricted cash for amounts held by a third party as security for a surety bond for our Demonstration Plant.
Loss per Share
Loss per share is computed using the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. In March 2024, the Company completed the 2024 Rights Offering (Note 7) whereby the Company offered existing shareholders the right to purchase additional common shares at $0.12 per share (the “Offer Price”). Because the Offer Price was significantly lower than the market trading price of the common shares at that time, the discounted Offer Price was considered a bonus element similar in nature to a stock dividend. As a result, the earnings per share calculations have been retroactively adjusted for the bonus element for all periods presented.
- FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price) and establishes a fair-value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value using the following definitions (from highest to lowest priority):
| ● | Level 1 — Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities. |
| ● | Level 2 — Observable inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means. |
| ● | Level 3 — Prices or valuation techniques requiring inputs that are both significant to the fair-value measurement and unobservable. |
Financial assets and liabilities subject to fair value measurements on a recurring basis and the level of inputs used in such measurements by major security type as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 are presented in the following table:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair value at June 30, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| · · Total · · Level 1 · · Level 2 · · Level 3 | ||||||||||||
| Assets: · · · · · | ||||||||||||
| Money market funds | | $30,473 | | $30,473 | | $— | | $— | ||||
| Related party receivables | | | 192 | | | 192 | | | — | | | — |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Fair value at December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| | | Total | | Level 1 | | Level 2 | | Level 3 | ||||
| Assets: | | | | | | |||||||
| Money market funds | | $3,301 | | $3,301 | | $— | | $— | ||||
| Grants and related party receivables | | | 2,179 | | | 2,179 | | | — | | | — |
Money market funds are valued at cost, which approximates fair value. These amounts are included on the balance sheet in cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.
- RELATED PARTY
Cost Share Agreement with General Atomics
In January 2021, a consortium of companies, of which the Company is a party, received notice from the DoE that the consortium had been selected for negotiation of a potential financial award for the engineering, construction, and operation of the Demonstration Plant. This consortium of companies is led by General Atomics, an affiliate of Synchron (the Company’s majority shareholder), and includes certain of General Atomics’ affiliates, and LNV, an Ardurra Group, Inc. company, as engineering and construction subcontractor. A formal proposal was submitted by the consortium in response to a published Funding Opportunity Announcement in mid-2020 for the construction and operation of the Demonstration Plant utilizing proprietary technology to produce commercial-grade products. Under this original proposal, the DoE’s share of the Demonstration Plant project funding was estimated at $21,900 and represented approximatelyone-half of the total originally estimated costs for the project. The DoE agreement was executed by the DoE’s grants/agreement officer on September 27, 2021, with an effective date of October 1, 2021. The DoE award was finalized through a cooperative agreement dated October 1, 2021 (the “Cooperative Agreement”) that was awarded by the DoE for the Demonstration Plant.
The Cooperative Agreement provides that up to approximately $43,800 in allowable costs for the Demonstration Plant are to be funded on a cost-share basis,50% by the DoE and 50% by a non-federal entity.
On November 30, 2021, the Company and General Atomics entered into a Cost Share Funding Assumption Agreement (the “Cost Share Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company agreed to assume and pay for the 50% of the non-federal funds incurred by, and on behalf of, General Atomics for the design, construction, and operation of the Demonstration Plant under the Cooperative Agreement. The Demonstration Plant will process already stockpiled high-grade sample materials from the Bear Lodge REE Project.
On March 17, 2022, the Company executed a subcontract purchase order in the amount of $5,318 with General Atomics under which the Company agreed to provide certain services and materials to the Demonstration Plant project, including but not limited to providing the plant’s sample materials, engaging in site location leases and other logistics, providing operational support, and providing decommissioning, bonding and other Demonstration Plant support activities (“Subcontract Purchase Order”). In connection with the Subcontract Purchase Order, the Company submits monthly invoices to General Atomics for the subcontracted services performed, which are reimbursed by General Atomics with one half of the funds coming from funds advanced by the Company under the Cost Share Agreement and, up to the original Demonstration Plant budget, one-half of the funds from the DOE.
Due to inflationary cost pressures on labor, equipment, and consumables, as well as cost increases associated with certain optimized plant engineering and design parameters, General Atomics, on behalf of the consortium, has submitted to the DoE an updated Demonstration Plant project budget of approximately $53,600, which is approximately 21% higher than the original budget of approximately $43,800. The DoE has been asked to support the growth in this budget increase on the same 50% cost-share basis as previously agreed in the Cooperative Agreement. Irrespective of the DoE’s decision, the Company is prepared to cover the cost increases to ensure the Demonstration Plant can operate for a sufficient amount of time to gather the information necessary for a commercialization decision. The additional funding for the higher budget total and an additional contingency for expected additional budget adjustments that are not covered by the DoE will come from the proceeds generated by the 2024 Rights Offering.
On May 16, 2024, the Company and General Atomics entered into an extension agreement to the Cost Share Agreement (the “Extension Agreement”) under which the Company agreed to make additional cash advances, up to $2,500, to General Atomics while the parties progressed an amended project funding agreement covering the Company’s share of the additional non-federal project funding needed for the project’s completion. Pursuant to the terms of the Cost Share Agreement and Extension Agreement, the Company had advanced payments to General Atomics, as leader of the consortium, totaling $24,200 through June 30, 2024, the maximum amount of advances authorized under these agreements.
As of August 7, 2024, amendments to both the Cost Share Agreement and the Subcontract Purchase Order were still in the process of being finalized with General Atomics.
The following table summarizes transactions under the Cost Share Agreement during the six months ended June 30, 2024:
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of funds remaining on deposit with General Atomics as a prepaid expense at beginning of period | | $3,435 | |
| Funds transferred to General Atomics during the period | | | 8,500 |
| The Company's share of Demonstration Plant project costs incurred during the period | | | (7,697) |
| Balance of funds remaining on deposit with General Atomics as a prepaid expense at end of period | | $4,238 |
The following table summarizes related party receivables due from General Atomics for reimbursable costs incurred by the Company under the Subcontract Purchase Order during the six months ended June 30, 2024:
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of receivables due from General Atomics at beginning of period | | $179 | |
| Reimbursable costs incurred by the Company during the period | | | 549 |
| Reimbursements received from General Atomics during the period | | | (536) |
| Balance of receivables due from General Atomics at end of period | | $192 |
- WYOMING ENERGY AUTHORITY GRANT
In June 2023, the Company, and the WEA entered into a Funding Agreement (the “WEA Funding Agreement”) pursuant to which the WEA agreed to fund, subject to certain conditions, a $4,400 grant to the Company, the proceeds of which are to be used for the Demonstration Plant. Pursuant to the WEA Funding Agreement, the grant is to be paid upon the WEA’s receipt of invoices from the Company detailing its actual expenses relating to the Demonstration Plant (half of which funds will be allocated totwo milestone periods during the development process), less a 10% (or $440) retainer, the payment of which is conditioned upon the WEA’s receipt, following the commencement of the Demonstration Plant’s operations, of an invoice and the Company’s final executive summary report in a form to be approved by the WEA. Pursuant to the WEA Funding Agreement, the funding for the Demonstration Plant will be provided to the WEA from the Energy Resources Council (the “ERC”) and is further conditioned upon the availability of government funds that are appropriated or allocated for the payment of the grant and which may be limited for any reason, including congressional, legislative, gubernatorial, or administration action.
The WEA Funding Agreement will terminate when the funding has been fully disbursed, but no later than December 31, 2025, unless terminated sooner by either party in accordance with the terms of the WEA Funding Agreement. The WEA Funding Agreement may be terminated (i) by either party if the WEA does not receive the requested funding from the ERC or if the grant funds are not allocated or available for the continued performance of the WEA Funding Agreement, or (ii) by the WEA immediately for cause if the Company fails to perform in accordance with the terms of the WEA Funding Agreement.
The following table summarizes transactions under the WEA Funding Agreement for the six months ended June 30, 2024:
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant receivable due from the WEA at beginning of period | | $2,000 | |
| Grant amounts invoiced to the WEA during the period | | | — |
| Grant reimbursements received from the WEA during the period | | | (2,000) |
| Grant receivable due from the WEA at end of period | | $— |
The Company received payment in January 2024 of the $2,000 grant receivable balance at December 31, 2023. The remaining $2,400 of the $4,400 grant total, which is conditioned on the achievement of other future milestones will be invoiced to the WEA once those milestones have been achieved (expected in the fourth quarter of 2024).
- LEASES
The Company accounts for leases in accordance with ASC 842 –*Leases.*This accounting standard requires all lessees to record the impact of leasing contracts on the balance sheet as a right to use asset and corresponding liability. This is measured by taking the present value of the remaining lease payments over the lease term and recording a right to use asset and corresponding lease obligation for lease payments. Rent expense is realized on a straight-line basis and the lease obligation is amortized based on the effective interest method. The amounts recognized reflect the present value of the remaining lease payments for all leases that have a lease term greater than 12 months. The discount rate used is an estimate of the Company’s incremental borrowing rate based on information available at lease commencement in determining the present value of lease payments.
In considering the lease asset value, the Company considers fixed or variable payment terms, prepayments, andoptions to extend, terminate or purchase. Renewal, termination, or purchase options affect the lease term used for determining lease asset value only if the option is reasonably certain to be exercised.
Effective September 21, 2021, the Company entered into a lease agreement for real property, including land and buildings in Upton, Wyoming for the Demonstration Plant (the “Property Lease”). The Property Lease is a 12-month lease with annual renewal terms. In June 2024, the Property Lease was renewed, extending the termination date to September 30, 2025. The Property Lease, which is
classified as an operating lease, generally provides for base rent, and requires the Company to pay all insurance, personal property taxes on any structure or improvements made by the Company and other maintenance costs. The Property Lease provides for an annual cost of living adjustment, but contains no residual value guarantees or restrictive covenants. Pursuant to the Property Lease, the Company is obligated to remove certain Company completed property improvements; however, those items requiring removal, if any, will be confirmed with the lessor prior to the termination of the Property Lease.
On May 14, 2024, the Company entered into a second lease agreement for modular office units for use at its Demonstration Plant site in Upton, Wyoming (the “Office Lease”). The Office Lease is for an initial 12-month term and provides for monthly extension options thereafter. During the initial 12-month term, the Company, at its option, can terminate the Office Lease for convenience upon ninety (90) days’ prior written notice and the payment of an early termination fee. The Office Lease, which is classified as an operating lease, generally provides for base rent, and requires the Company to pay all insurance, property taxes and other applicable costs, including the transportation charges to return the units to their original point of origin in an amount not to exceed $7.
For purposes of the following table, payments under the Property Lease and Office Lease are assumed to run through September 30, 2026 and September 30, 2025, respectively. If the completion of the Demonstration Plant operations dictates further extensions beyond these dates, the Company may seek to extend the term of one or both lease agreements accordingly.
Total future lease payments under the Company’s leases as of June 30, 2024 are as follows:
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | | $96 | |
| 2025 | | | 177 |
| 2026 | | | 96 |
| Total lease payments | | | 369 |
| Less interest | | | (39) |
| Present value of lease payments | | $330 |
For the six months ended June 30, 2024, $58 was included in operating cash flows for amounts paid for operating leases.
As of June 30, 2024 the weighted average lease term for the Company’s operating leases was 1.75 years (including expected renewal options) and the weighted average discount rate was estimated at 12%.
7. SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Stock-based compensation
As of June 30, 2024, the Company had 3,385,000 issued and outstanding stock options that were issued under the 10% Rolling Stock Option Plan, as amended and restated (the “2011 Plan”) and 1,020,000 issued and outstanding stock options that were issued under its 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”).
The 2011 Plan was replaced in 2022 by the 2022 Plan and, as such, no additional stock options can be granted under the 2011 Plan. The maximum term of any stock option grant under the 2011 Plan was 10 years.
Under the 2022 Plan, as approved by our shareholders at the annual meeting of shareholders on August 23, 2022, our Board of Directors is authorized to grant stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units, performance stock units and other cash and share-based awards to eligible directors, officers, employees, or consultants up to a maximum of 17,236,689 common shares. The maximum term of any grant under the 2022 Plan is 10 years.
The Company estimates the fair value of its stock option grants using the Black-Scholes option valuation model and the closing price of our common shares on the business day prior to the grant date. The Company did not grant any stock options during the six months ended June 30, 2024. The significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the 1,020,000 stock options granted during the six months ended June 30, 2023 were as follows:
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk-free interest rate | | 1.54% | |
| Expected volatility | | 123% | |
| Expected dividend yield | | Nil | |
| Expected term in years | | 8 | |
The following table summarizes our stock option activity for each of the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · Six Months Ended June 30, | |||||||||||
| · · 2024 · · · 2023 | |||||||||||
| · · · · Weighted · · · · · Weighted | |||||||||||
| · · · · Average · · · · · Average | |||||||||||
| · · Number of Stock · · Exercise · · · Number of Stock · · Exercise | |||||||||||
| · Options · Price · · Options · Price | |||||||||||
| Outstanding, beginning of period | 4,725,000 | | $1.18 | | 4,160,000 | | $1.26 | ||||
| Granted | — | | $— | | 1,020,000 | | $0.38 | ||||
| Exercised | (50,000) | | $0.07 | | (100,000) | | $0.07 | ||||
| Cancelled/Expired | (270,000) | | $0.42 | | — | | $— | ||||
| Outstanding, end of period | 4,405,000 | | $1.24 | | 5,080,000 | | $1.10 | ||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Exercisable, end of period | 4,363,333 | | $1.24 | | 3,726,250 | | $1.34 | ||||
| Non-vested, end of period | 41,667 | | $1.20 | | 1,353,750 | | $0.44 | ||||
The 50,000 options exercised during the six months ended June 30, 2024, resulted in the issuance of 36,275 common shares on a net settlement basis.
The following table summarizes the intrinsic value and weighted average remaining life for stock options as of June 30, 2024:
| · · · · · | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · · · · Weighted | ||||
| · · · · · Average | ||||
| · · · · · Remaining | ||||
| As of June 30, 2024: | | Intrinsic Value | | Life (Years) |
| Stock options outstanding | | $— | | 6.5 |
| Stock options exercisable | | $— | | 6.5 |
| Stock options non-vested | | $— | | 7.7 |
Stock-based compensation expense is included in corporate administration expenses within the Company’s interim condensed consolidated statements of operations. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, the Company recognized negative stock-based compensation expense of $(64) and $(46), respectively, due to the forfeiture of certain stock options that resulted in the reversal of previously recognized stock-based compensation expense. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, the Company recognized stock-based compensation expense of $159 and $331, respectively.
As of June 30, 2024, there was approximately $12 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to the 41,667 unvested stock options that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining vesting period of approximately nine months.
2024 Rights Offering
On March 11, 2024, the Company completed the 2024 Rights Offering for gross proceeds of approximately $35,800 in which each holder of the Company’s common shares as of the record date of December 15, 2023 was eligible to participate. Terms of the 2024 Rights Offering included the issuance of one and four-tenth (or 1.4) subscription rights for each common share owned by each holder on the record date with each subscription right entitling the holder to purchaseone common share of the Company at a subscription price of $0.12 per share (the “Basic Subscription Privilege”). For any holder exercising its Basic Subscription Privilege in full, the holder could also exercise an oversubscription privilege to purchase additional common shares that were unsubscribed for at the expiration of the 2024 Rights Offering, subject to availability and pro rata allocation of shares among persons exercising the oversubscription privilege. The 2024 Rights Offering, which generated $35,286 in net proceeds after deducting approximately $514 in transactions costs, resulted in the issuance of 298,106,831 common shares of the Company.
The net proceeds from the 2024 Rights Offering will be utilized to progress the Company’s business strategy to support the advancement of the Bear Lodge REE Project, which includes funding the operation of the Demonstration Plant for a period of time that is expected to be sufficient to support a commercialization decision, as well as for other general corporate purposes.
8. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Potential environmental contingency
The Company’s exploration and development activities are subject to various federal and state laws and regulations governing the protection of the environment. These laws and regulations change from time to time and generally have become more restrictive. The Company conducts its operations to protect public health and the environment and believes that its operations are materially in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. The Company has made, and expects to make in the future, expenditures to comply with such laws and regulations. The ultimate amount of reclamation and other future site-restoration costs to be incurred for existing mining interests is uncertain.
Contract commitment – related party
Pursuant to the Cost Share Agreement between the Company and General Atomics as extended and as discussed in Note 4, the Company has agreed to assume and pay for approximatelyone-half of the allowable costs, under the original Demonstration Plant budget, incurred by General Atomics and the other consortium members for the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of the Demonstration Plant.
Asset purchase agreement
On October 25, 2021, the Company and Whitelaw Creek LLC, a Wyoming limited liability company (“Whitelaw Creek”), entered into an amendment (the “Amendment”) to the asset purchase agreement dated October 20, 2016 between the Company and Whitelaw Creek (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”). The Amendment modified certain provisions of the Asset Purchase Agreement related to the terms and conditions of the Company’s option to repurchase (the “Repurchase Option”) approximately 640 acres of non-core real property located in Crook County, Wyoming, that is under consideration for a waste rock facility for the Bear Lodge REE Project. Pursuant to and subject to the terms of the Amendment, among other things, the term of the Repurchase Option (which was to expire on October 26, 2021) was extended for up tothree additional years, subject to annual option extension payments from the Company to Whitelaw Creek of$25 in cash per year (each, a “Repurchase Option Extension Payment”); and the exercise price of the Repurchase Option was increased from$1,000 to a price to be determined by a mutually agreed upon real estate appraiser (the “Repurchase Price”), provided that (i) the Repurchase Price must not be less than$1,200 or greater than$1,850 and (ii) any Repurchase Option Extension Payments paid by the Company to Whitelaw Creek must be credited toward the Company’s payment of the Repurchase Price if the Repurchase
Option is later exercised. In October 2023, the Company made the $25 Repurchase Option Extension Payment to Whitelaw Creek to extend the term of the Repurchase Option through October 26, 2024.
9. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
None
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.