Idaho Copper Corp

Overview

Background

Idaho Copper Corporation (formerly known as Joway Health Industries Group Inc.) (the “Company” or “Idaho Copper”), incorporated in Nevada, was initially engaged in the manufacture, distribution, and sales of tourmaline-related healthcare products through operating entities in China. As a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of December 31, 2020, with Dynamic Elite International Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, Crystal Globe Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, and Joway Merger Subsidiary Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, the Company no longer had any assets or business operations. Accordingly, the Company became a shell company, as that term is defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

On February 3, 2022, the Company consummated the transactions contemplated by the Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of January 31, 2022 (the “Purchase Agreement”), by and among the Company, Crystal Globe Limited and JHP Holdings, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“JHP”), pursuant to which JHJP purchased 16,644,820 shares of common stock of the Company from Crystal Globe. The shares represented 83% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company on a fully diluted basis. The purchase price for the shares paid by JHP was $100,000. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, each of Crystal Globe, JHP and the Company made customary representations and warranties to each other. In connection with the acquisition of the 83% by JHP, Jinghe Zhang, the sole officer and director of the Company, resigned and Ramon Lata was appointed as the sole officer and director of the Company.

On January 23, 2023, the Company entered into and consummated the transactions contemplated by a share exchange agreement (the “Share Exchange Agreement”) by and among the Company, International CuMo Mining Corporation, an Idaho corporation (“ICUMO”), and all of the shareholders of ICUMO (collectively, the “ICUMO Shareholders”). Pursuant to the terms of the Share Exchange Agreement, the ICUMO Shareholders transferred all the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of ICUMO to the Company in exchange for newly issued shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”). As a result of this share exchange (the “Exchange”), ICUMO became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

ICUMO owns or controls the mining claims and rights to the CuMo Project, a large primary molybdenum deposit with silver and copper deposits. Located in Boise County, Idaho, ICUMO was formed to explore the geologic and environmental factors that will determine the future development plan of the CuMo Project. A more detailed description of ICUMO’s history and business is included in Item 2 below.

Pursuant to the terms of the Share Exchange Agreement, each share of ICUMO’s common stock held by the ICUMO Shareholders was converted into the right to receive the number of shares of Common Stock (the “Exchange Shares”) equal to an exchange ratio of 1.34 (the “Exchange Ratio”).

As a result of the Exchange, a change in control of the Company occurred with the ICUMO Shareholders owning 90.1% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock. Immediately after giving effect to the Exchange, there were 202,294,000 issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, held as follows:

Pursuant to the terms of the Share Exchange Agreement, on January 23, 2023 at the closing of the Exchange (the “Closing”) the Company assumed: (i) all ICUMO’s obligations for the options, whether or not vested, granted to key management personnel pursuant to certain incentive stock option agreements (the “Incentive Stock Options”), and any vested options are now exercisable to purchase shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $0.125 until December 31, 2027; and (ii) all ICUMO’s obligations pursuant to certain warrants to purchase shares of ICUMO common stock (the “2021 Warrants”), which warrants are now exercisable to purchase shares of Common Stock, at an exercise price of $0.15, until May 11, 2027. The Incentive Stock Options and 2021 Warrants are (i) exercisable for that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares of ICUMO’s common stock subject to such option and warrants, immediately prior to the Closing and as adjusted by the Exchange Ratio, and (ii) have an initial exercise price per share equal to the initial exercise price per share in effect for that option or warrant immediately prior to the Closing. With respect to these Incentive Stock Options and 2021 Warrants, the Company assumed at Closing, after applying the Exchange Ratio, vested and unvested options to purchase an aggregate of 56,615,000 shares of Common Stock and warrants exercisable for up to 41,540,000 shares of Common Stock.

At the Closing, Ramon Lata, the sole officer, and director of the Company, resigned from all his offices and from the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”). In his place, the Board appointed four new directors, Robert Scannell, John Moeller, Shaun Dykes, and Andrew Brodkey, and the following four executive officers, Steven Rudofsky as Chief Executive Officer and President, Robert Scannell as Chief Financial Officer, Andrew Brodkey as Chief Operating Officer, and Shaun Dykes as Vice President, Exploration.

Private Placement by ICUMO

Prior to entering into the Share Exchange Agreement, from December 2022 to January 9, 2023, ICUMO conducted a private placement offering whereby it issued and sold convertible secured promissory notes in the total amount of $898,000 with a conversion price of $0.10 (the “Notes”) and 8,980,000 warrants to purchase ICUMO common stock, with an exercise price of $0.15 (the “2023 Warrants”). As a condition to entering into the Share Exchange Agreement, ICUMO and the Company agreed that the Company would exchange the Notes and 2023 Warrants for notes and warrants issued by the Company. Such replacement notes and warrants were issued by the Company to the holders of the Notes and 2023 Warrants on January 23, 2023 (the “Replacement Notes and Warrants”). After applying the Exchange Ratio to the conversion rate, the Company now has outstanding convertible secured promissory notes in the principal amount of $898,000 which will convert into shares of Common Stock at an adjusted conversion price of $0.075 per share of Common Stock and 11,973,333 warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock at an adjusted exercise price of $0.15 per share. Principal on the Notes is due and payable on July 23, 2025. The warrants expire on January 9, 2028.

The Replacement Notes and Warrants are secured by a first priority lien on all of the assets and mining claims of the Company, other than certain patented lode mining claims that represent approximately 7.3% of the CuMo Project.

The Company continues to be a “smaller reporting company,” as defined under the Exchange Act, however, as a result of the Exchange, the Company has ceased to be a “shell company”.

In connection with the Exchange, the Company entered into lock-up and leak-out agreements (“Lock-Up Agreements”) with (i) certain majority shareholders of ICUMO, (ii) the holders of the Incentive Stock Options, (iii) the majority stockholder of the Company prior to the Exchange; and (iv) certain service providers who will receive shares of Common Stock as payment for services rendered in connection with the Share Exchange Agreement. These Lock-Up Agreements cover the Exchange Shares, any Common Stock issued pursuant to the exercise of any Incentive Stock Options or 2021 Warrants, and all shares of Common Stock issued to such service providers (the “Covered Securities”). The Lock-Up Agreements did not require any additional restrictions to be added to the Covered Securities at issuance but rather were applicable to the holders of the Covered Securities. The Lock-up Agreements provide that the Covered Securities are subject to an 18-month lock-up from January 23, 2023, subject to (i) early release upon the Company up-listing to a national securities exchange, and (ii) termination upon certain corporate events and transactions, and also provide for certain limited permitted transfers where the recipient takes the shares subject to the restrictions in the Lock-Up Agreement. At the end of the lock-up period, the Covered Securities are subject to a one-year leak-out restriction for public resales of five percent of the trailing ten (10) day average trading volume of the Common Stock. The Company may waive these restrictions.

In connection with the transactions contemplated by the Share Exchange Agreement, prior to the Closing, the Company assigned all the amounts owed to a third-party service provider to JHP, the former controlling stockholder of the Company. Pursuant to the terms of this Debt Assignment and Release Agreement, JHP Holdings, Inc. assumed all the outstanding debts of the Company as of January 23, 2023.

The CuMo Project, Geology and Mineralization

The CuMo Project currently consists of one hundred and twenty-six (126) federal unpatented lode mining claims, and six (6) patented mining claims. In total, the project comprises approximately 2,640 acres. The unpatented lode mining claims and patented claims are situated in an unorganized mining district, in Boise County, Idaho, spanning Sections in Township 7N and 8N, Range 5E and 6E, Boise Meridian.

The regional tectonic setting consists of a basement of amalgamated Archean and Paleoproterozoic crystalline terrains that were joined during the Paleoproterozoic Trans-Montana orogeny, and are overlain discontinuously by sedimentary rocks of Mesoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic, and Paleozoic ages; and volcanic and sedimentary rocks of Eocene and Miocene ages. Voluminous tonalite to granite bodies of the Idaho batholith and later granitic plutons of Eocene age intrude the older rocks. Major deformational episodes superimposed on the Precambrian basement include the Cretaceous Sevier orogeny, which mainly involved east-vergent “thin-skinned” thrusting; Eocene extensional deformation, which resulted in development of metamorphic core complexes; and basin and range type faulting.

The CuMo deposit is situated within the Idaho batholith and is part of a regional scale belt of porphyry and related deposits identified as the Idaho-Montana Porphyry Belt. Igneous complexes in this belt are interpreted to be related to an Eocene, intra-arc rift, and are characterized by alkalic rocks in the northeast, mixed alkalic and calc-alkalic rocks in the middle, and calc-alkaline rocks in the southwest. The CuMo deposit is located at the southwestern end of this belt and is associated with a calc-alkalic monzogranite, reported as 45-52Ma age that intrudes Cretaceous equigranular intrusive rocks of the Atlanta Lobe of the Idaho Batholith. The CuMo area is underlain by biotite granodiorite, the most common rock type of the Atlanta lobe of the Idaho batholith. All of the felsic intrusive phases contain molybdenite (MoS2) mineralization.

The CuMo deposit is located in an historic gold mining camp. Gold was discovered in the Boise Basin in 1862 and lode mining began within a year. As of 1940, total gold production amounted to 2.8 million ounces of which 74% was from placer operations. More gold has been produced from the Boise Basin than any other mining locality in Idaho. Although they are primarily gold deposits, considerable silver and minor copper, lead and zinc were produced as byproducts from the lodes.

The area features two separate mineralizing events that are referred to as early Tertiary and early Miocene. The first event consists of gold-quartz veins containing minor sulfide minerals that occur within the Idaho batholith and are associated with weak wall rock alteration. Associated sulfide minerals include pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite, galena, and stibnite. The second mineralizing event occurs within porphyry dikes and stocks as well as in the batholith, and is characterized by relatively abundant sulfide mineralization, subordinate quartz, and widespread wall rock alteration. Base metal mineralization consists of pyrite, sphalerite, galena, tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite, minor quartz, and siderite with local occurrences of pyrrhotite and enargite.

Molybdenum mineralization was discovered at CuMo in 1963. Mineralization on the property occurs in veins and veinlets developed within various intrusive bodies. Molybdenite (MoS2) occurs within quartz veins, veinlets, and vein stockworks. Individual veinlets vary in size from tiny fractures to veinlets five centimeters in width, with an overall thickness averaging 0.3- 0.4 cm. Pyrite and/or chalcopyrite are commonly associated with molybdenite although molybdenite can occur alone without other metallic mineralization.

The CuMo deposit has been classified as a porphyry copper molybdenum deposit. But more specifically, it is a stockwork-type deposit where the principal mineralization, as described immediately above, is found in thin veins and veinlets, whereas a typical porphyry deposit features disseminated mineralized areas throughout the orebody.

The CuMo deposit is typical of large, dispersed, lower grade copper-molybdenum deposits that are associated with hybrid magmas typified by fluorine-poor, differentiated monzogranite igneous complexes. Due to their large size, the total contained economic molybdenum in these types of deposits can be equivalent to or exceed that of high-grade molybdenum deposits.

Internal Controls and Data Verification

Shaun M. Dykes (the “Qualified Person”) reviewed the procedures used by ICUMO and produced a description and an analysis of the results as contained in Section 8 of the TRS. These are standard data verifications with no limitations.

All assay results used in the verification process by the Qualified Person were obtained from fully certified analytical laboratories with signed assay certificates.

The Qualified Person has reviewed the data collection and verification procedures followed by ICUMO and by third parties on behalf of ICUMO, and believes these procedures are consistent with industry best practices and acceptable for use in geological and resource modelling.

These procedures have also been verified by several independent qualified people over the years.

For more information about quality control/quality assurance and data verification, see Section 8 and Section 9 of the TRS.

The mineral resources estimated may ultimately be affected by a broad range of environmental, permitting, socio-economic (as discussed in Section 17 of the TRS), legal, title (as discussed in Section 3 of the TRS), marketing and political factors (as discussed in Section 22 of the TRS). At this time the authors are unaware of any of these factors that could materially affect the mineral resource estimate. Of course, going forward, relevant factors that could influence the resource estimate include changes to the geological, geotechnical or geometallurgical models, infill drilling to convert mineral resources to a higher classification, drilling to test for extensions to known resources, collection of additional bulk density data and significant changes to commodity prices. It should be noted that all these factors pose potential risk and opportunities to the current mineral resource.

Current Planned Working Programs

Ore Sorting and Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment

ICUMO presently is investigating the potential to utilize additional ore sorting scanning technologies to optimize the separation of waste from ore post-mining and increase the head grade of ICUMO ore being fed to a concentrator. The thin-veined, stockwork nature of the CuMo deposit lends itself nicely to ore sorting, as noted above, since these darker colored veins largely carry the metals of interest and are much different from waste in appearance. A visual scanning exercise of all of the core recovered from the drilling activities described herein shows that on average, 84% of the waste mined can be theoretically separated through application of ore sorting, versus the 28% waste removal that SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. (“SRK”) conservatively used in its 2020 Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”). There are over 90 active mines in the world today which utilize some form of ore sorting.

ICUMO’s sorting examination is designed to not just rely on a single sorting pass, but to possibly integrate multiple sorting technologies, such as combining surface XRF scanning at the face with downstream penetrative prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) or pulsed fast thermal neutron activation (PFTNA) scanners installed on the material conveyors, and potentially particle scanners to finish. The potential combination of different ore sorting technologies and equipment is intended to enable the Company to optimize the separation of ore from waste, substantially increasing the head grade of mill feed, and thereby reducing the size of the concentrator which then will only be concerned with the processing of ore. Consequently, this will in theory allow the Company to design and build a smaller concentrator, significantly reducing capital and operating costs. As an example, the Company believes that if ore sorting can remove 75% of waste pre-mill feed, this result will reduce the size of the mill to around 30,000 tons per day to produce the same amount of metal as the SRK 2020 PEA mill design of 150,000 tons per day, and thereby save over $1.5 billion in projected capital expenditures. The Company has just commenced initial discussions with consultants, and mining equipment providers who design and fabricate penetrative scanning systems for testing of CuMo material.

To date, ICUMO has performed an internal ore sorting investigation. The next phase of of ore sorting will require the Company to contract with an independent third-party engineering firm to publish an updated PEA, utilizing ore sorting results to revise the technical and economic sections of the document. The expected budget for this work is roughly $750,000 and expected completion in the fourth quarter of 2024 assuming the Company is able to raise sufficient additional capital to commission the PEA. There can be no assurance the Company will be able to raise such capital nor complete the PEA timely based on the Company’s current operational state and available capital. Refer to the Company’s Item 1A “Risk Factors” additional information concerning the Company’s current level of available capital.

Additional Exploration and Metallurgical Studies; Pre-Feasibility Study

Following completion of the updated PEA and pending issuance of a new FONSI by the USFS relating to the “2018 Supplemental Redline Environmental Assessment CuMo Exploration Project” issued by the USFS (the “2018 SREA”), the Company intends to resume its plans for additional exploration including infill, expansion, and geotechnical pit wall drilling. The infill work is intended to enable the Company to reclassify resources currently labeled as Inferred, to the level of Indicated, or Measured and Indicated. The expansion drilling should allow the Company to add more resources to at least the Inferred category. The Company has tentatively budgeted $8 million for this drilling work.

The Company also plans to initiate additional metallurgical studies to (1) determine the optimal concentrator design for both copper-silver, and molybdenum concentrate circuits, and (2) investigate the potential to recover copper and molybdenum via heap leaching of lower grade ore that is stockpiled and not immediately processed at the concentrator. The Company has identified a number of outside consultants that can be engaged for both of these studies. In total, the Company expects that these studies will cost approximately $1,000,000 and will take on the order of four (4) months to complete.

These undertakings are part of the Company’s plan to develop an independent, third-party Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for the CuMo Project. In addition to the exploration and metallurgical work, explained above, the PFS will include expenditures for infrastructure and road improvements, environmental and permitting work, preliminary engineering, community, and public/governmental relations work, and potentially costs for expansion of the current land position. All-in, the Company has budgeted a range of $25 to $30 million to reach the PFS stage and estimates that the PFS can be completed within two years of the release of the updated PEA.

Competitive Position in the Industry

The mineral exploration, development, and production industry are largely un-integrated. The Company competes with other exploration companies looking to acquire and obtain financing for the exploration and development of mineral resource properties. While the Company competes with other exploration companies to locate and acquire mineral resource properties, it may also compete with them for the removal or sales of mineral products from its properties if it should eventually discover their presence in quantities sufficient to make production economically feasible. Readily available markets for the sale of mineral products only sometimes exist for all mineral commodities; however, the principal CuMo Project commodities of copper, silver and molybdenum are traded on international exchanges and therefore, at a minimum a terminal market exists for which these commodities can be delivered and sold.

Competition

ICUMO’s competition includes large, established mining companies with substantial capabilities and more significant financial and technical resources. As a result of this competition, it may have to compete for financing and may need help to acquire the funding on terms it considers acceptable. ICUMO may also have to compete with other mining companies to recruit and retain qualified managerial and technical employees. If ICUMO cannot compete successfully for financing or qualified employees, its exploration programs may be slowed down or suspended, which may cause it to cease operations as a company.

Employees

As of the date of this Report, other than certain executives, ICUMO has no employees. ICUMO does not have or maintain any employee benefit plans or similar plans under any applicable laws.

Name Change

On February 7, 2023, the Board and the holder of 121,343,700 shares of Common Stock, representing approximately 59.98% of the Company’s voting equity, approved by written consent, in accordance with the applicable provisions of Nevada law, the execution and filing of a Certificate of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of the Company (the “Amendment”) with the Nevada Secretary of State, to effect the change of the Company’s name from “Joway Health Industries Group Inc.” to “Idaho Copper Corporation”. On March 9, 2023, the Company filed the Amendment with the Nevada Secretary of State, with immediate effect.

Recent Developments

Between February and April 2024, we entered into subscription agreements (each a “Subscription Agreement”) with certain accredited investors (each, a “Subscriber” and collectively, the “Subscribers”), pursuant to which the Company offered and sold to the Subscribers in a private placement offering (the “Offering”), units (each, a “Unit” and, collectively, the “Units”), for a purchase price of $12,000 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $1,952,000. Each Unit consists ofone (1) share of the Company’s Series A Convertible Non-Voting Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), and (ii) 62,500 common stock purchase warrants (the“Warrants”). Each share of Preferred Stock converts into 50,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”). The Warrant entitles the holders to shares of Common Stock for three (3) years, at an exercise price of $0.24 per share. The Company intends to utilize the net proceeds from the sale of the Units in the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Newbridge Securities Corporation acted as the sole placement agent and received cash commissions of 10.0% of the gross proceeds. Certain members of placement agent participated as investors in the Offering.

Pursuant to the Subscription Agreements, the Company agreed to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to register the re-sale of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the conversion of the Preferred Stock and upon the exercise of the Warrants within 90 business days after the final Closing date. If the Company fails to file a registration statement by such date, the Company shall pay the Subscribers 2.5% of their respective purchase price for each 30 days that the registration statement is not filed, with a maximum of 10%.

Available Information

We file annual, quarterly, and current reports and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any reports, statement or other information that we file with the SEC at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at (202) 551-8090 for further information on the public reference room. These SEC filings are also available to the public from commercial document retrieval services and at the Internet site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

The Company’s website is www.idaho-copper.com. The Company’s website is not incorporated in this Form 10-K.