UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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o | | REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
OR |
x | | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 |
OR |
o | | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
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OR |
o | | SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Date of event requiring this shell company report: |
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For the transition period from ____ to ______
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Commission file number: 000-30780 |
MAX RESOURCE CORP.
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(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Province of Alberta, Canada
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(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
2300 – 1066 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3X2 Canada
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(Address of principal executive offices)
Stuart Rogers, President and CEO
Max Resource Corp.
2300 – 1066 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3X2 Canada
Tel: (604) 689-1749
Facsimile: (604) 648-8665
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(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None
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(Title of Class)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Common Shares, no par value
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(Title of Class)
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:None
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(Title of Class)
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the Registrant’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report: 24,505,985common shares as at December 31, 2013
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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. YesoNox
![[form20f2013final024.gif]](https://capedge.com/proxy/20-F/0001116548-14-000004/form20f2013final024.gif)
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. YesoNox
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Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YesxNoo
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). YesoNo o
![[form20f2013final030.gif]](https://capedge.com/proxy/20-F/0001116548-14-000004/form20f2013final030.gif)
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one)
Large accelerated filer o Accelerated filer o Non-accelerated filer x
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Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
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U.S. GAAPo | International Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board x | Othero |
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If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow:
Item 17 o Item 18o
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If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YesoNox
![[form20f2013final038.gif]](https://capedge.com/proxy/20-F/0001116548-14-000004/form20f2013final038.gif)
MAX Resource Corp.
Form 20-F Annual Report
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
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Table of Contents | 3 |
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS | 5 |
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PART I | |
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Item 1. | Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers. | 7 |
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Item 2. | Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable. | 7 |
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Item 3. | Key Information. | 7 |
3.A. | Selected Financial Data | 8 |
3.B. | Capitalization and Indebtedness | 10 |
3.C. | Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds | 10 |
3.D. | Risk Factors | 10 |
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Item 4. | Information on the Company | 15 |
4.A. | History and Development of the Company | 15 |
4.B | Business Overview | 18 |
4.C. | Organizational Structure | 18 |
4.D. | Property, Plants and Equipment | 19 |
Item 4.A. | Unresolved Staff Comments | 29 |
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Item 5. | Operating and Financial Review and Prospects | 29 |
5.A. | Operating Results | 31 |
5.B. | Liquidity and Capital Resources | 32 |
5.C. | Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc. | 34 |
5.D. | Trend Information | 34 |
5.E. | Off-balance Sheet Arrangements | 34 |
5.F. | Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations | 34 |
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Item 6. | Directors, Senior Management and Employees | 35 |
6.A. | Directors and Senior Management | 35 |
6.B. | Compensation | 37 |
6.C. | Board Practices | 37 |
6.D. | Employees | 39 |
6.E. | Share Ownership | 39 |
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Item 7. | Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions | 40 |
7.A. | Major Shareholders | 40 |
7.B. | Related Party Transactions | 40 |
7.C. | Interests of Experts and Counsel | 41 |
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Item 8. | Financial Information | 41 |
8.A. | Consolidated Statements and other Financial Information | 41 |
8.B. | Significant Changes | 41 |
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Item 9. | The Offer and Listing | 41 |
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9.A. | Offering and Listing Details | 41 |
9.B. | Plan of Distribution | 43 |
9.C. | Markets | 43 |
9.D. | Selling Shareholders | 43 |
9.E. | Dilution | 43 |
9.F. | Expenses of the Issue | 43 |
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Item 10. | Additional Information | 43 |
10.A. | Share Capital | 43 |
10.B. | Memorandum and Articles of Association | 43 |
10.C. | Material Contracts | 44 |
10.D. | Exchange Controls | 45 |
10.E. | Taxation | 46 |
10.F. | Dividends and Paying Agents | 53 |
10.G. | Statement by Experts | 53 |
10.H. | Documents on Display | 53 |
10.I. | Subsidiary Information | 53 |
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Item 11. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk | 53 |
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Item 12. | Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities | 53 |
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PART II | | |
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Item 13. | Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies | 54 |
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Item 14. | Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds | 54 |
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Item 15. | Controls and Procedures | 54 |
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Item 16. | [Reserved] | 55 |
16.A. | Audit Committee | 55 |
16.B. | Code of Ethics | 55 |
16.C. | Principal Accountant Fees and Services | 55 |
16.D. | Exemptions from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees | 56 |
16.E. | Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers | 56 |
16.F. | Change in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant | 56 |
16.G. | Corporate Governance | 56 |
16.H. | Mine Safety Disclosure | 56 |
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PART III | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | |
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Item 17. | Financial Statements | 57 |
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Item 18. | Financial Statements | 57 |
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Item 19. | Exhibits | 57 |
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 20-F and the exhibits attached hereto contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements concern the Company’s anticipated results and developments in the Company’s operations in future periods, planned exploration and development of its properties, plans related to its business and other matters that may occur in the future. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Statements concerning reserves and mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed, and in the case of mineral reserves, such statements reflect the conclusion based on certain assumptions that the mineral deposit can be economically exploited. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, “plans”, “estimates” or “intends”, or stating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” (or the negative and grammatical variations of any of these terms and similar expressions) be taken, occur or be achieved,) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation:
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| · | risks related to our status as a passive foreign investment company for U.S. tax purposes; |
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| · | risks related to our history of operating losses; |
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| · | risks related to our lack of production history; |
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| · | risks related to our limited financial resources; |
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| · | risks related to our need for additional financing; |
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| · | risks related to competition in the mining industry; |
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| · | risks related to increased costs; |
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| · | risks related to possible shortages in equipment; |
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| · | risks related to mineral exploration activities; |
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| · | risks related to our lack of insurance for certain activities; |
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| · | risks related to all our properties being in the exploration stage; |
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| · | risks related to uncertainty that our properties will ultimately be developed; |
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| · | risks related to our management’s limited experience in mineral exploration; |
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| · | risks related to fluctuations in precious and base metal prices; |
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| · | risks related to the possible loss of key management personnel; |
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| · | risks related to possible conflicts of interest; |
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| · | risks related to our mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers, or claims and other defects in title; |
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| · | risks related to governmental and environmental regulations; |
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| · | risks related to our ability to obtain necessary permits; |
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| · | risks related our status as a foreign corporation; |
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| · | risks related to current economic conditions; and |
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| · | other risks related to our securities. |
This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking statements. Some of the important risks and uncertainties that could affect forward-looking statements are described further in the sections entitled “Risk Factors”, “Information on the Company” and “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and in the exhibits attached to this Annual Report on Form 20-F. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The Company’s forward-looking statements are based on beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management’s beliefs, expectations or opinions change, except as required by law.For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
All references in this Report on Form 20-F to the terms “we”, “our”, “us”, “the Company” and “MAX” refer to MAX Resource Corp. and its subsidiary.
CAUTIONARY NOTE TO U.S. INVESTORS REGARDING RESOURCE AND RESERVE ESTIMATES
Certain disclosure in this Annual Report on Form 20-F has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of the United States securities laws. The terms
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“mineral reserve”, “proven mineral reserve” and “probable mineral reserve” are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the “CIM”) -CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended. These definitions differ from the definitions in United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Industry Guide 7 under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a “final” or “bankable” feasibility study is required to report reserves, the three-year historical average price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis to designate reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority.
In addition, the terms “mineral resource”, “measured mineral resource”, “indicated mineral resource” and “inferred mineral resource” are defined in and required to be disclosed by NI 43-101; however, these terms are not defined terms under SEC Industry Guide 7 and are normally not permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves.
“Inferred mineral resources” have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of “contained ounces” in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute “reserves” by SEC Industry Guide 7 standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures.
Accordingly, information contained in this Annual Report on Form 20-F and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain descriptions of our mineral deposits that may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Conversion Table
In this Annual Report a combination of Imperial and metric measures are used. Conversions from Imperial measure to metric and from metric to Imperial are provided below:
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Imperial Measure = | Metric Unit | Metric Measure = | Imperial Unit |
2.47 acres | 1 hectare | 0.4047 hectares | 1 acre |
3.28 feet | 1 meter | 0.3048 meters | 1 foot |
0.62 miles | 1 kilometer | 1.609 kilometers | 1 mile |
0.032 ounces (troy) | 1 gram | 31.1 grams | 1 ounce (troy) |
1.102 tons (short) | 1 tonne | 0.907 tonnes | 1 ton |
0.029 ounces (troy)/ton | 1 gram/tonne | 34.28 grams/tonne | 1 ounce (troy/ton) |
CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE RATES
Unless otherwise indicated, all references in this Annual Report on Form 20-F are to Canadian dollars.
The following table sets out the exchange rates for one United States dollar (“US$”) expressed in terms of one Canadian dollar (“Cdn$”) based on the average exchange rates (based on the average of the exchange rates on the last day of each month in such periods) for the five most recent financial years and the range of high and low exchange rates for the previous six months as obtained from the Bank of Canada.
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| 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 |
Average for the period | 1.0349 | 0.9989 | 0.9927 | 1.0346 | 1.1486 |
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| March 2014 | February 2014 | January 2014 | December 2013 | November 2013 | October 2013 |
High for the period | 1.1279 | 1.1196 | 1.1225 | 1.0737 | 1.0629 | 1.0497 |
Low for the period | 1.1034 | 1.0974 | 1.0639 | 1.0593 | 1.0425 | 1.0303 |
The noon exchange rate on April 25, 2014 as reported by the Bank of Canada for the conversion of United States dollars into Canadian dollars was US$1.00 = Cdn $1.1042
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PART I
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Item 1. | Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers. |
Not Applicable.
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Item 2. | Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable. |
Not Applicable.
We were incorporated as Proven Capital Corp. on April 25, 1994 under theBusiness Corporations Actof Alberta (the “Alberta BCA”). We changed our name to Cedar Capital Corp. on January 10, 1995 and subsequently to Vancan Capital Corp. on February 12, 2002. On May 14, 2004, we changed our name to Max Resource Corp. On June 27, 2007 we were registered as an extra-provincial company with the Registrar of Companies in British Columbia, pursuant to theBusiness Corporations Act of British Columbia (“BCABC”).
We are in the business of mineral property exploration and development. The recoverability of amounts recorded for mineral properties and related deferred costs is dependent upon the discovery of economically recoverable reserves, our ability to obtain necessary financing to complete the development, and future production or proceeds from the disposition thereof. We will depend almost exclusively on outside capital to complete the exploration and development of our mineral properties. Such outside capital will include the sale of additional stock. There can be no assurance that capital will be available as necessary to meet these continuing exploration and development costs or, if the capital is available, that it will be on terms acceptable to us. The issuances of additional stock by the Company may result in a significant dilution in the equity interests of our current stockholders. If we are unable to obtain financing in the amounts and on terms deemed acceptable, our business and future success may be adversely affected. Our ability to continue operations as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to obtain necessary financing. To date, we have not generated any revenues from operations and will require additional funds to meet our obligations and the costs of our operations. As a result, significant losses are anticipated prior to the generation of any profits.
We are a reporting issuer in British Columbia and Alberta and trade in Canada on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbolMXR. We are quoted in the United States on the OTCQB tier of the OTC Link under the symbolMXROF. We were listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on March 2, 2006 under the symbolM1D.
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3.A. | Selected Financial Data |
The selected financial data of the Company and the information in the following table for the years ended December 31, 2013, December 31, 2012, December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010 was derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company audited by DMCL CA, LLP, independent Registered Public Accountant, as indicated in their report which is included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 20-F.
The information in the following tables should be read in conjunction with the information appearing under the heading “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and the audited consolidated financial statements under the heading "Item 18. Financial Statements" and related notes thereto. Historical results from any prior period are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any future period.
The following table of selected financial data has been derived from audited financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), which differs in certain respects from the principles the Company would have followed had its consolidated financial statements been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.
International Financial Reporting Standards (Cdn$ in 000, except per share data)
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| 2013 | 2012 | | 2011 | 2010 |
Revenue | Nil | Nil | | Nil | Nil |
Net and comprehensive loss for the year | ($1,095) | ($1,840) | | ($1,197) | ($418) |
Earnings (loss) per share | ($0.05) | ($0.08) | | ($0.05) | ($0.02) |
Dividends per shares | Nil | Nil | | Nil | Nil |
| | | | | |
Working capital | ($99) | $498 | | $1,101 | $2,258 |
Mineral properties | $2,171 | $2,614 | | $3,721 | $2,592 |
Long term debt | Nil | Nil | | Nil | Nil |
Total assets | $2,379 | $3,209 | | $5,019 | $4,944 |
Shareholders’ equity | $2,073 | $3,167 | | $4,892 | $4,914 |
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
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| 2013 | 2012 | | 2011 | 2010 |
Operating activities | | | | | |
Cash used per IFRS | $200 | $637 | | $495 | $498 |
Investing activities | | | | | |
Cash used (provided) per IFRS | $107 | ($16) | | $1,125 | $533 |
Financing Activities | | | | | |
Cash provided per IFRS | Nil | Nil | | $665 | Nil |
See the heading “Currency and Exchange Rates” above for disclosure of exchange rates between Canadian dollars and United States dollars. Unless indicated otherwise, all references to dollars in this Annual Report on Form 20-F are to Canadian dollars.
Accounting Standards
International Financial Reporting Standards
In February 2008, the Canadian Accounting Standards Board confirmed that publicly accountable enterprises are required to adopt IFRS for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2011. Accordingly, the Company changed from Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (“Canadian GAAP”) reporting and commenced reporting under IFRS effective January 1, 2010 with restatement of comparative information presented. The conversion to IFRS from Canadian GAAP affects the Company’s reported financial position and results of operations and comprehensive income (loss) and affects the Company’s accounting policies, internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures.
Accounting Standards Issued– not yet in effect
New standard IFRS 9 “Financial Instruments”
This new standard is a partial replacement of IAS 39 “Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement”. IFRS 9 uses a single approach to determine whether a financial asset is measured at amortized cost or fair value, replacing the multiple
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rules in IAS 39. The approach in IFRS 9 is based on how an entity manages its financial instruments in the context of its business model and the contractual cash flow characteristics of the financial assets.
The new standard also requires a single impairment method to be used, replacing the multiple impairment methods in IAS 39. IFRS 9 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013.
New standard IFRS 10 “Consolidated Financial Statements”
This new standard will replace IAS 27 “Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements”, and SIC-12 “Consolidation – Special Purpose Entities”. Concurrent with IFRS 10, the IASB issued IFRS 11 “Joint Ventures”; IFRS 12 “Disclosures of Involvement with Other Entities”; IAS 27 “Separate Financial Statements”, which has been amended for the issuance of IFRS 10 but retains the current guidance for separate financial statements; and IAS 28 “Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures”, which has been amended for conforming changes based on the issuance of IFRS 10 and IFRS 11.
IFRS 10 uses control as the single basis for consolidation, irrespective of the nature of the investee, eliminating the risks and rewards approach included in SIC-12, and requires continuous assessment of control over an investee. The above consolidation standards are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013.
IFRS 11, Joint Arrangements
IFRS 11 requires a venturer to classify its interest in a joint arrangement as a joint venture or joint operation. Joint ventures will be accounted for using the equity method of accounting whereas for a joint operation the venture will recognize its share of the assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses of the joint operation. Under existing IFRS, entities have the choice to proportionately consolidate or equity account for interests in joint ventures. IFRS 11 supersedes lAS 31, Interests in Joint Ventures, and SIC-13, Jointly Controlled Entities-Non-monetary Contributions by Venturers.
IFRS 12, Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities
IFRS 12 establishes disclosure requirements for interests in other entities, such as joint arrangements, associates, special purpose vehicles and off balance sheet vehicles. The standard carries forward existing disclosures and also introduces significant additional disclosure requirements that address the nature of, and risks associated with, an entity's interests in other entities.
IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement
IFRS 13 is a comprehensive standard for fair value measurement and disclosure requirements for use across all IFRS standards. The new standard clarifies that fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset, or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants, at the measurement date. It also establishes disclosures about fair value measurement. Under existing IFRS, guidance on measuring and disclosing fair value is dispersed among the specific standards requiring fair value measurements and in many cases does not reflect a clear measurement basis or consistent disclosures.
New interpretation IFRIC 20 “Stripping Costs in the Production Phase of a Surface Mine”
This new IFRIC clarifies when production stripping should lead to the recognition of an asset and how that asset should be measured, both initially and in subsequent periods. IFRIC 20 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013.
Amendments to IAS 32 “Financial Instruments: Presentation”
These amendments address inconsistencies when applying the offsetting requirements, and is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2014.
The Company has not early adopted these revised standards and is currently assessing the impact that these standards will have on its consolidated financial statements.
Other accounting standards or amendments to existing accounting standards that have been issued but have future effective dates are either not applicable or are not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.
TRANSITION TO IFRS
The Company’s first audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS were prepared for the year ended December 31, 2011 with comparative information for the year ended December 31, 2010 and at January 1, 2010 (the Company’s “Transition Date”).
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An explanation of how the transition from previous Canadian GAAP to IFRS has affected the Company’s financial position and comprehensive loss is set out in the Note 16 to the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011.
The accounting policies set out in Note 2 to the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011 have been applied in preparing those statements and in the comparative information presented in those financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2010 and in the preparation of an opening IFRS statement of financial position at the Transition Date.
FIRST TIME ADOPTION OF IFRS
The Company adopted IFRS effective on the Transition Date. Under IFRS 1 - First Time Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS 1), the IFRS standards are applied retrospectively at the Transition Date with all adjustments to assets and liabilities as stated under Canadian GAAP taken to deficit, with IFRS 1 providing for certain optional and mandatory exemptions to this principle.
The Company has elected to apply the following optional exemptions:
Share-based payment transactions
IFRS 1 allows that full retrospective application may be avoided for certain share-based instruments depending on the grant date, vesting terms and settlement of any real liabilities. A first-time adopter can elect to not apply IFRS 2 to share-based
payments granted after November 7, 2002 that vested before the Transition Date. The Company has elected this exemption and will apply IFRS 2 to only unvested share options as at the Transition Date.
Business Combinations
IFRS 1 allows that a first-time adopter may elect not to apply IFRS 3 Business Combinations (IFRS 3) retrospectively to business combinations prior to the Transition Date avoiding the requirement to restate prior business combinations. The Company has elected to apply IFRS 3 only to business combinations that occur on or after January 1, 2010.
Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates
IAS 21 “The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates” has not been applied to cumulative translation differences that existed at the date of transition to IFRS. The Company has eliminated the cumulative translation difference and adjusted retained earnings by the same amount at the date of transition to IFRS. If, subsequent to adoption, a foreign operation is disposed of, the translation differences that arose before the date of transition to IFRS will not affect the gain or loss on disposal.
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3.B. | Capitalization and Indebtedness |
Not Applicable.
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3.C. | Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds |
Not Applicable.
Any investment in our common shares involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the following information before you decide to buy our common shares. If any of the events discussed in the following risk factors actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations would likely suffer. In this case, the market price of our common shares could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment in our shares. In particular, you should consider carefully the following risk factors:
We have a history of losses.
We have historically incurred losses and have no revenue from operations. We incurred losses from operations of $1,094,521 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and losses of $1,840,099 and $1,112,646 for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. As of December 31, 2013, we had a cumulative deficit of $ 13,967,252 (December 31, 2012: $12,872,731). There can be no assurance that either the Company or our subsidiary will achieve profitability in the future or at all.
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We have not identified any commercially viable mineral deposits. We have not commenced development or commercial production on any of our properties. We have no history of earnings or cash flow from operations. We do not have a line of credit and our only present source of funds available may be through the sale of our equity shares or assets. Even if the results of exploration are encouraging, we may not have the ability to raise sufficient funds to conduct further explorations to determine whether a commercially mineable deposit exists on any of our properties. While additional working capital may be generated through the issuance of equity or debt, the sale of properties or possible joint venturing of the properties, we cannot assure you that any such funds will be available for operations on acceptable terms, if at all.
Very few mineral properties are ultimately developed into producing mines.
At present, none of our properties have a known body of ore and all our proposed exploration programs are an exploratory search for ore. The business of exploration for minerals and mining involves a high degree of risk. Few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines. Most exploration projects do not result in the discovery of commercially mineable deposits of ore.
Substantial expenditures will be required for us to establish ore reserves through drilling, to develop metallurgical processes, to extract the metal from the ore and to develop the mining and processing facilities and infrastructure at any site chosen for mining. Although substantial benefits may be derived from the discovery of a major mineral deposit, no assurance can be given that we will discover minerals in sufficient quantities to justify commercial operations or that we can obtain the funds required for development on a timely basis. The economics of developing precious and base metal mineral properties is affected by many factors including the cost of operations, variations in the grade of ore mined, fluctuations in metal markets, costs of processing equipment and other factors such as government regulations, including regulations relating to royalties, allowable production, importing and exporting of minerals and environmental protection.
Additional financing may be needed for our business operations.
As at December 31, 2013, we had cash and cash equivalents on hand of $203,229. We completed a private placement for gross proceeds of $316,000 in March 2014 and now have sufficient working capital to fund our exploration activities on our mineral properties through fiscal 2014. Our business plan calls for significant expenses in connection with the acquisition and exploration of mineral claims. While we believe we have sufficient working capital to fund our activities through our 2014 fiscal year, we will require additional financing to sustain our business operations if we are not successful in earning revenues once we complete exploration on any mineral properties we acquire.
We do not currently have any arrangements for financing and we can provide no assurance to investors that we will be able to find such financing if required. We believe the only realistic source of future funds presently available to us is through the sale of equity capital. Any sale of share capital will result in dilution to existing shareholders.
Mineral exploration involves a high degree of risk against which we are not currently insured.
Unusual or unexpected rock formations, formation pressures, fires, power outages, labour disruptions, flooding, cave-ins, landslides and the inability to obtain suitable or adequate machinery, equipment or labour are risks involved in the operation of mines and the conduct of exploration programs. We have relied on and will continue to rely upon consultants and others for exploration expertise.
It is not always possible to fully insure against such risks and we may decide not to take out insurance against such risks as a result of high premiums or other reasons. Should such liabilities arise, they could reduce or eliminate any future profitability and result in increasing costs and a decline in the value of our common stock.
We may require permits and licenses that we may not be able to obtain.
Our operations may require licenses and permits from various governmental authorities. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain all necessary licenses and permits that may be required to conduct exploration, development and mining operations at any projects we acquire.
Our plan of operation for our properties is subject to unexpected delays.
Our exploration activities will be subject to the risk of unanticipated delays including permitting its contemplated projects. Such delays may be caused by fluctuations in commodity prices, mining risks, difficulty in arranging needed financing, unanticipated permitting requirements or legal obstruction in the permitting process by project opponents. In addition to adding to project capital costs (and possibly operating costs), such delays, if protracted, could result in a write-off of all or a portion of the carrying value of the delayed project.
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Our properties may not have been examined in detail by a qualified mining engineer or geologist.
Our properties are in an exploratory stage. As a result, they may not have been examined in detail by a qualified mining engineer or geologist who could quantify exactly what their economic potential or value, if any, is.
The Company may be adversely affected by fluctuations in metal prices.
Our business activities are significantly affected by the prices of precious metals and base metals on international markets. The price of minerals affects our ability to raise financing, the commercial feasibility of our properties, the future profitability of our properties should they be developed and our future business prospects. The prices of precious metals and base metals fluctuate widely and are affected by numerous factors beyond our control, including expectations with respect to the rate of inflation, the strength of the U.S. dollar and of other currencies, interest rates, and global or regional political or economic crisis. The demand for and supply of precious metals and base metals may affect precious metals and base metals prices but not necessarily in the same manner as supply and demand affect the prices of other commodities.
In April 2013, gold and silver experienced a dramatic price drop over a two week period that resulted in a negative outlook for junior exploration companies such as ours that has continued into 2014. This will make it difficult for us to raise significant equity capital in the immediate short term and possibly longer should the market for precious and other metals continue to remain volatile.
The resource industry is very competitive.
Significant competition exists for the limited number of property acquisition opportunities available. As a result of this competition, some of which is with large established mining companies with substantial capabilities and greater financial and technical resources than our Company, we may be unable to acquire attractive mining properties on terms we consider acceptable.
Competition in the precious and base metals mining industry is primarily for mineral rich properties which can be developed and exploited economically; the technical expertise to find, develop, and produce such properties; the labor to operate the properties; and the capital for the purpose of funding such properties. Many competitors not only explore for and mine precious and base metals and minerals but conduct refining and marketing operations on a worldwide basis. Such competition may result in our being unable to acquire desired properties, to recruit or retain qualified employees or to acquire the capital necessary to fund our operations and develop our properties. Our inability to compete with other mining companies for these resources may have a material adverse effect on our results of operation and business. There can be no assurance that our exploration and acquisition programs will yield any reserves or result in any commercial mining operation.
Our operations may be adversely affected by environmental regulations.
Our operations may be subject to environmental regulations promulgated by government agencies from time to time. Environmental legislation provides for restrictions and prohibitions on spills, release or emissions of various substances produced in association with certain mining industry operations, such as seepage from tailings disposal areas, which would result in environmental pollution. A breach of such legislation may result in the imposition of fines and penalties. In addition, certain types of operations require the submission and approval of environmental impact assessments. Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner, which means that standards, enforcement, fines and penalties for non-compliance are more stringent. Environmental assessments of proposed projects carry a heightened degree of responsibility for us and our directors, officers and consultants. The cost of compliance with changes in governmental regulations has a potential to reduce the profitability of our operations. We do not maintain environmental liability insurance.
There are differences in U.S. and Canadian reporting of reserves and resources.
The Company’s reserve and resource estimates are not directly comparable to those made in filings subject to SEC reporting and disclosure requirements, as the Company generally reports reserves and resources in accordance with Canadian practices. These practices are different from those used to report reserve and resource estimates in reports and other materials filed with the SEC. It is Canadian practice to report measured, indicated and inferred resources, which are not permitted in disclosure filed with the SEC by United States issuers. In the United States, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated resources will ever be converted into reserves.
Further, "inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined
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legally or economically. Disclosure of "contained ounces" is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC permits issuers to report "resources" only as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit of metal measures.
Accordingly, information concerning descriptions of mineralization, reserves and resources contained in this Annual Report on Form 20-F, or in the documents incorporated herein by reference, may not be comparable to information made public by United States companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC.
As a foreign private issuer, our shareholders may have less complete and timely data.
We are a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We are accordingly exempt from Sections 14(a), 14(b), 14(c), 14(f) and 16 of the Exchange Act pursuant to Rule 3a12-3 of the Exchange Act. Therefore, we are not required to file a Schedule 14A proxy
statement in relation to the annual meeting of shareholders. The submission of proxy and annual meeting of shareholder
information on Form 6-K may result in shareholders having less complete and timely information in connection with shareholder actions. The exemption from Section 16 rules regarding reports of beneficial ownership and purchases and sales of common shares by insiders and restrictions on insider trading in our securities may result in shareholders having less data and there being fewer restrictions on insiders’ activities in our securities.
We are subject to risks related to recent market events and conditions
Recent market events and conditions, including disruptions in the international credit markets and other financial systems and the deterioration of global economic conditions, could impede the Company’s access to capital or increase the cost of capital. Throughout 2009, 2010 and 2011, the U.S. credit markets experienced serious disruption due to a deterioration in residential property values, defaults and delinquencies in the residential mortgage market (particularly, sub-prime and non-prime mortgages) and a decline in the credit quality of mortgage backed securities. Theseproblems led to a slow-down in residential housing market transactions, declining housing prices, delinquencies in non-mortgage consumer credit and a general decline in consumer confidence. These conditions caused a loss of confidence in the broader U.S. and global credit and financial markets and resulting in the collapse of, and government intervention in, major banks, financial institutions and insurers and creating a climate of greater volatility, less liquidity, widening of credit spreads, a lack of price transparency, increased credit losses and tighter credit conditions which continued throughout 2012 and 2013 with continued uncertainty in the European marketplace and continued uncertainty surrounding the “fiscal cliff” and United States government spending cuts. These unprecedented disruptions in the current credit and financial markets have had a significant material adverse impact on a number of financial institutions and have limited access to capital and credit for many smaller companies. These disruptions could, among other things, make it more difficult for us to obtain, or increase its cost of obtaining, capital and financing for its operations. The Company’s access to additional capital may not be available on terms acceptable to it or at all. Further, as a result of on-going global financial conditions, numerous financial institutions have gone into bankruptcy or have been rescued by government authorities. As such, the Company is subject to the risk of loss of its deposits with financial institutions that hold the Company’s cash.
We are subject to risk related to general global economic conditions
The recent unprecedented events in global financial markets have had a profound impact on the global economy. Many industries, including the gold mining industry, are impacted by these market conditions. Some of the key impacts of the current financial market turmoil include contraction in credit markets resulting in a widening of credit risk, devaluations and high volatility in global equity, commodity, foreign exchange and precious metal markets, and a lack of market liquidity.
A continued or worsened slowdown in the financial markets or other economic conditions, including but not limited to,
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| · | consumer spending, |
| · | employment rates, |
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| · | business conditions, |
| · | inflation, |
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| · | fuel and energy costs, |
| · | consumer debt levels, |
| | |
| · | lack of available credit, |
| · | the state of the financial markets, |
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| · | interest rates, |
| · | and tax rates may adversely affect our growth and profitability. |
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Specifically:
The global credit/liquidity crisis could impact the cost and availability of financing and our overall liquidity; the volatility of gold prices may impact our potential revenues, profits and cash flow; volatile energy prices, commodity and consumables prices and currency exchange rates impact potential production costs; and the devaluation and volatility of global stock markets impacts the valuation of our equity securities.
These factors could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
The trading market for our shares is not always liquid.
Although our shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the OTCQB tier of the OTC Link, the volume of shares traded at any one time can be limited, and, as a result, there may not be a liquid trading market for our shares. In addition, trading volumes in our common shares can be volatile and if the trading volume of our common shares experiences significant changes, the price of our common shares could be adversely affected. The price of our common shares could also be significantly affected by factors, many of which are beyond our control.
We do not intend to pay cash dividends.
We have never, and we do not have any intention of paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future. In particular, there can be no assurance that our Board of Director’s will ever declare cash dividends, which action is completely within their discretion.
Economic conditions and fluctuation and volatility of stock price may negatively impact shareholder value
The market price of our common shares is highly volatile. If investors’ interest in the sector in which we operate declines, the price for our common shares would likely also decline. In addition, trading volumes in our common shares can be volatile and if the trading volume of our common shares experiences significant changes, the price of our common shares could be adversely affected. The price of our common shares could also be significantly affected by other factors, many of which are beyond our control.
Fluctuations in economic conditions, such as the continuing downturn in the global economy, may also significantly affect our ability to meet our objectives which could adversely affect our share price.
Our securities may be subject to penny stock regulation.
Our stock is subject to “penny stock” rules as defined in Rule 15-9 of the Exchange Act. The Commission has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Our common shares are subject to these penny stock rules. Transaction costs associated with purchases and sales of penny stocks are likely to be higher than those for other securities. Penny stocks generally are equity securities with a price of less than U.S. $5.00 (other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or quoted on the NASDAQ system, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system).
The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from the rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document that provides information about penny stocks and the nature and level of risks in the penny stock market. The broker-dealer also must provide the customer with current bid and offer quotations for the penny stock, the compensation of the broker-dealer and its salesperson in the transaction and monthly account statements showing the market value of each penny stock held in the customer’s account. The bid and offer quotations, and the broker-dealer and salesperson compensation information, must be given to the customer orally or in writing prior to effecting the transaction and must be given to the customer in writing before or with the customer’s confirmation.
In addition, the penny stock rules require that prior to a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from such rules, the broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to the transaction. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the level of trading activity in the secondary market for our common shares in the United States and shareholders may find it more difficult to sell their shares.
Our Passive Foreign Investment Company (“PFIC”) status has possible adverse tax consequences for U.S. investors.
Current holders of and potential investors in our common shares who are U.S. taxpayers should be aware that we believe we were a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for the year ended December 31, 2013, and may continue to be a PFIC in future years. If we are a PFIC for any year during a U.S. taxpayer’s holding period, then such U.S. taxpayers generally will be required to treat any so-called “excess distribution” received on its common shares, or any gain realized
upon a disposition of common shares, as ordinary income and to pay an interest charge on a portion of such distributions or
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gain, unless the taxpayer makes a qualified electing fund (“QEF”) election or a mark-to-market election with respect to our shares. In certain circumstances, the sum of the tax and the interest charge may exceed the amount of the excess distribution received, or the amount of proceeds of disposition realized, by the taxpayer. A U.S. taxpayer who makes a QEF election generally must report on a current basis its share of our net capital gain and ordinary earnings for any year in which we are a PFIC, whether or not we distribute any amounts to its shareholders. However, U.S. taxpayers should be aware that there can be no assurance that we will satisfy record keeping requirements that apply to a QEF, or that we will supply U.S. taxpayers with information that such U.S. taxpayers require to report under the QEF rules, in event that we are a PFIC and a U.S. taxpayers wishes to make a QEF election. Thus, U.S. taxpayers may not be able to make a QEF election with respect to their common shares. Each U.S. taxpayer should consult its own financial advisor, legal counsel, or accountant regarding the availability of, and procedure for making, a QEF election. A U.S. taxpayer who makes the mark-to-market election generally must include as ordinary income each year the excess of the fair market value of the common shares over the taxpayer’s basis therein. U.S. taxpayers are advised to seek the counsel of their professional tax advisors. This paragraph is qualified in its entirety by the discussion below under the heading “Taxation—Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations.” Each U.S. taxpayer should consult his or her own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal, U.S. state and local, and non-U.S. tax consequences of the PFIC rules and the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of our common shares.
We are a foreign corporation and most of our directors and officers are outside of the United States, which may make enforcement of civil liabilities difficult.
We are incorporated under the laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada and registered extra-provincially in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. All of our directors and officers are residents of Canada, with the exception of Clancy Wendt (who resides in the United States), and part of our assets are located outside of the United States. Consequently, it may be difficult for United States investors to effect service of process within the United States upon those directors or officers who are not residents of the United States, or to realize in the United States upon judgments of United States courts predicated upon civil liabilities under the Exchange Act. A judgment of a US court predicated solely upon such civil liabilities would probably be enforceable in Canada by a Canadian court if the US court in which the judgment was obtained had jurisdiction, as determined by the Canadian court, in the matter. There is substantial doubt whether an original action could be brought successfully in Canada against any of such persons or us predicated solely upon such civil liabilities.
The loss of key management personnel may adversely affect our business and results of operations.
The success of our operations and activities is dependent to a significant extent on the efforts and abilities of our management team, particularly our Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), Stuart Rogers. Investors must be willing to rely to a significant extent on their discretion and judgment.
Certain directors may be in a position of conflicts of interest.
Certain members of our board also serve as directors of other companies involved in natural resource exploration and development. Consequently, there exists the possibility that those directors may be in a position of conflict. Any decision made by those directors will be made in accordance with their duties and obligations to deal fairly and in good faith of our company and such other companies. In addition, such directors will declare, and refrain from voting on, any matter in which such directors may have a conflict of interest.
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Item 4. | Information on the Company |
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4.A | History and Development of the Company |
We were incorporated as Proven Capital Corp. on April 25, 1994 under theBusiness Corporations Actof Alberta. We changed our name and consolidated our share capital as set forth below on the following dates:
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Date | Name | Consolidation (Old:New) |
April 25, 1994 | Proven Capital Corp. | Not applicable |
January 10, 1995 | Cedar Capital Corp. | Not applicable |
February 12, 2002 | Vancan Capital Corp. | 4:1 |
May 14, 2002 | MAX Resource Corp. | Not applicable |
On June 27, 2007 we were registered as an extra-provincial company with the Registrar of Companies in British Columbia, pursuant to theBusiness Corporations Act of British Columbia.
We have an authorized capital of an unlimited number of common shares and an unlimited number of preferred shares, none of which preferred shares are issued.
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The trading symbol for the Company on the TSX Venture Exchange is “MXR” with the symbol on the OTCQB tier of the OTC Link being “MXROF”. The trading symbol on the Frankfurt Exchange is “M1D”.
We are a reporting issuer in the United States and our annual report and Form 6-K filings can be found on the SEC’s EDGAR system atwww.sec.gov . We are a reporting issuer in certain Canadian jurisdictions and our required disclosure filings for Canada can be found atwww.sedar.com.
Our head office is located at 1066 West Hastings Street, Suite 2300, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6E 3X2. Our telephone number is (604) 689-1749.
We have not been involved in any bankruptcy, receivership or similar proceedings, nor have we been a party to any material reclassification, merger, consolidation or purchase or sale of a significant amount of assets.
We are engaged in the business of acquiring and exploring resource properties.
Principal Expenditures And Divestitures
Since the beginning of the last three financial years, our principal capital expenditures and divestitures have been comprised principally of the acquisition, exploration and abandonment or disposition of our mineral properties, as described below.
Mineral Properties Now Held
East Manhattan Wash gold project(Nye County, Nevada)
In December, 2007, we entered into an option agreement in conjunction with Max Resource, Inc., our wholly owned Nevada subsidiary, to acquire a 100 % interest in the East Manhattan Wash (“EMW”) claims in the Manhattan Mining District, Nye County, Nevada from MSM LLC, a Nevada corporation. The property is comprised of 78 claims and is located 40 miles north of the town of Tonopah, Nevada. We made a cash payment of US$28,000 to MSM LLC and, in accordance with the terms of the option agreement, are required to make the following option payments:
| |
Date | Payment Amount |
Upon execution of the option agreement | $28,000 (US) (Paid) |
First anniversary of effective date (December 4, 2008) | $20,000 (US) (Paid) |
Second anniversary of effective date (December 4, 2009) | $25,000 (US) (Paid) |
Third anniversary of effective date (December 4, 2010) | $40,000 (US) (Paid) |
Fourth anniversary of effective date (December 4, 2011) | $50,000 (US) (deferred, subject to receipt of drill permit) |
Fifth anniversary of effective date (December 4, 2012) | $100,000 (US) (deferred, subject to receipt of drill permit) |
The payments due on the fourth and fifth anniversary are both subject to securing a drill permit.
In addition we are required to make exploration expenditures totaling US$700,000 on the EMW claims in the second to fifth years (subject to receipt of the necessary drill permits), as follows:
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| ● | on or before December 4, 2009, US$50,000 (completed); |
| ● | on or before December 4, 2010, a further US$150,000 (deferred until drill permit received); |
| ● | on or before December 4, 2011, a further US$200,000 (deferred until drill permit received); and |
| ● | on or before December 4, 2012, a further US$300,000 (deferred until drill permit received). |
The EMW Property is subject to a 3% NSR royalty. The option may be exercised by making all of the above option payments and exploration expenditures. Upon full exercise of the option, we will own 100% of the project.
We made the following expenditures on this property during the fiscal years ending December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | 2013 | | | 2012 | | | 2011 | |
Drilling and assays | | $ | 2,534 | | | $ | - | | | $ | - | |
Geological consulting | | | 28,653 | | | | 2,387 | | | | 6,045 | |
Field expenses | | | 2,013 | | | | - | | | | 282 | |
| | $ | 33,200 | | | $ | 2,387 | | | $ | 6,327 | |
See Item 4.D, “Property, Plant and Equipment – East Manhattan Wash Gold Project”.
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Majuba Hill Copper/Silver Project (Nevada):
On March 4, 2011 we entered into an option agreement to acquire up to a 75% interest in the Majuba Hill Copper/Gold/Silver property in Pershing County, Nevada (the “Majuba Hill Property”) from Claremont Nevada Mines LLC., Nevada. (the “Majuba Hill Option Agreement”). The Majuba Hill Project encompasses 2,568 acres consisting of patented and unpatented lode mining claims and private mineral rights.
The terms of the Majuba Hill Option Agreement with Claremont allowed us to earn an initial 60% interest in the property over six years by spending US$6.5 Million on exploration of the property, as follows.
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Performance Date | Annual Amount | Cumulative Amount |
By the first anniversary date | $ 500,000 | $ 500,000 (completed) |
By the second anniversary date | $ 750,000 | $1,250,000 (completed) |
By the third anniversary date | $ 1,000,000 | $2,250,000 |
By the fourth anniversary date | $ 1,250,000 | $3,500,000 |
By the fifth anniversary date | $ 1,500,000 | $5,000,000 |
By the sixth anniversary date | $ 1,500,000 | $6,500,000 |
We could increase our interest in the Majuba Hill Property to 75% by spending a further $3.5 Million on exploration over a subsequent two year period. In addition, we are also required to make annual advance royalty payments of US$20,000 to a third party, JR Exploration LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, on the effective date of the Option Agreement and each anniversary thereafter. The Majuba Hill Property is also be subject to a 3% NSR payable to the vendor, 1.5% of which may be purchased at any time for US$1.5 Million.
On December 3, 2012 we entered into a Mining Lease and Option to Purchase Agreement (the “Majuba Hill Lease Agreement”) with Claremont and JR Exploration LLC of Utah, as amended on December 3, 2103 and February 13, 2014, which superseded the Majuba Hill Option Agreement described above. We can now acquire a 100% interest in the Majuba Hill Property by the payment to Claremont of US$1,000,000 over a four year period, with US$200,000 having been paid on signing and the balance payable over a four year period as follows:
(i)
$40,000 on or before December 3, 2013 (paid);
(ii)
$10,000 on or before February 14, 2014 (paid);
(iii)
$15,000 on or before March 31, 2014 (paid);
(iv)
$16,000 on or before April 30, 2014;
(v)
$17,000 on or before May 31, 2014;
(vi)
$17,000 on or before June 30, 2014;
(vii)
$17,000 on or before July 31, 2014;
(viii)
$17,000 on or before August 31, 2014
(ix)
$17,000 on or before September 30, 2014;
(x)
$17,000 on or before October 31, 2014;
(xi)
$17,000 on or before November 30, 2014;
(xii)
$200,000 on or before December 3, 2014;
(xiii)
$200,000 on or before December 3, 2015; and
(xiv)
$200,000 on or before December 3, 2016.
The Majuba Hill Lease Agreement replaced the previous Majuba Hill Option Agreement with Claremont. Under the terms of the Majuba Hill Lease Agreement, there will be no annual work commitments and the NSR will be reduced from 3% to 1%.
During the year ended December 31, 2013, we incurred $49,914 for geological consulting, $7,381 for assaying and $6,931 for field expenses on the Majuba Hill project. During the year ended December 31, 2012, we incurred $181,781 for geological consulting, $204,469 for drilling and $57,588 for field expenses on the Majuba Hill project. See Item 4.D, “Property, Plant and Equipment – Majuba Hill Copper/Silver Property”.
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We are a Canadian based mineral exploration company focused on two exploration projects located in Nevada. We do not have any properties that are in development or production.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, we:
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| (i) | completed additional bulk sampling at East Manhattan Wash to prepare for drilling planned for 2014, subject to permitting; |
| (ii) | Continued to work with the U.S Forest Service in order to secure approval for the drill permit application for East Manhattan Wash that was filed in 2011; and |
| (iii) | Announced the results of preliminary metallurgical testing on samples from Majuba Hill to test the feasibility of utilizing low cots heap leach mineral extraction technology for the extraction of silver and copper; and |
See “Principal Expenditures and Divestitures”.
Management & Employees
We do not have any employees other than our directors and officers.
Our President and Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Rogers, devotes approximately 80% of his business time to our affairs. Effective October 1, 2008, the Company entered into a Consulting Agreement between West Oak Consulting Group, Inc. (“West Oak) and us. Mr. Rogers is the sole shareholder and key employee of West Oak. Pursuant to the Agreement, West Oak, through its key employee who acts as our President and CEO, performs management services on our behalf, will receive $10,000 per month for a period of 24 months. The Agreement calls for an automatic renewal for a second 24 month period in the absence of either West Oak or us providing written notice of termination of the agreement. The Agreement with Mr. Rogers was renewed automatically for a third 24 month period on October 1, 2012.
Our Vice-President of Exploration, Mr. Clarence J. (Clancy) Wendt, entered into a Consulting Agreement with us effective October 1, 2008, which agreement is in force and effect for a period of 24 months, with a fee of US$10,000 per month being paid to him for his geological consulting services and the performance of duties associated with the position of Vice President, Exploration. The agreement calls for an automatic renewal for a second 24 month period in the absence of either Mr. Wendt or us providing written notice of termination of the agreement. The Agreement with Mr. Wendt was renewed automatically for a third 24 month period on October 1, 2012.
Seasonality
The Company’s exploration activities are all in the State of Nevada and are not subject to seasonal variations although certain activities may need to be delayed during periods of extreme inclement weather.
Competition
The mineral property exploration and development business, in general, is intensively competitive and there is not any assurance that even if commercial quantities of minerals are discovered, a ready market will exist for sale of same. Numerous factors beyond our control may affect the marketability of any substances discovered. These factors include market fluctuations; the proximity and capacity of natural resource markets and processing equipment; and government regulations, including regulations relating to prices, taxes, royalties, land tenure, land use, importing and exporting of mineral and environmental protection. The exact effect of these factors cannot be accurately predicted, but the combination of these factors may make it difficult for us to receive an adequate return on investment.
We compete with many companies possessing greater financial resources and technical facilities for the acquisition of mineral concessions, claims, leases and other mineral interests as well as for the recruitment and retention of qualified employees.
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4.C | Organizational Structure |
The Company has only one subsidiary, MAX Resource, Inc., a wholly owned Nevada corporation incorporated in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2005 for the purpose of holding the Company’s mineral interests in Nevada and for the purpose of securing work permits on its properties in those jurisdictions. Throughout this Annual Report on Form 20-F, MAX Resource, Inc. and its parent company, MAX Resource Corp., are collectively referred to as the Company.
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4.D | Property, Plants and Equipment |
Office Space
We utilize about 167 square feet of office space in Vancouver, British Columbia. On September 1, 2012, we entered into a two year lease on these premises with a property management firm for $1,909 per month plus telephones.
WE ARE AN EXPLORATION STAGE COMPANY AND HAVE NO MINERAL PRODUCING PROPERTIES AT THIS TIME. ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES ARE EXPLORATION PROJECTS, AND WE RECEIVE NO REVENUES FROM PRODUCTION. ALL WORK PRESENTLY PLANNED BY US IS DIRECTED AT DEFINING MINERALIZATION AND INCREASING UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHARACTERISTICS AND ECONOMICS OF THAT MINERALIZATION. THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT A COMMERCIALLY VIABLE MINERAL DEPOSIT EXISTS IN ANY OF OUR PROPERTIES NOR DO WE ANTICIPATE SAME UNTIL AFTER COMPLETION OF FURTHER EXPLORATION WORK AND A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION BASED UPON UNIT COST, GRADE, RECOVERIES AND OTHER FACTORS CONCLUDE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN RESPECTING OUR MINERAL PROPERTIES IS BASED UPON INFORMATION PREPARED BY OR THE PREPARATION OF WHICH WAS SUPERVISED BY PROFESSIONAL GEOLOGIST, CLANCY J. WENDT, OUR VICE-PRESIDENT OF EXPLORATION. MR. WENDT IS A “QUALIFIED PERSON” PURSUANT TO CANADIAN SECURITIES NATIONAL INSTRUMENT 43-101 CONCERNING STANDARDS OF DISCLOSURE FOR MINERAL PROJECTS.
Mineral Properties
East Manhattan Wash Gold Project (Nye County, Nevada)
Nature of Interest and Terms of Acquisition
The East Manhattan Wash property (“EMW”) is comprised of 78 claims located 40 miles north of the town of Tonopah, Nevada in the Manhattan Mining District, Nye County, Nevada.
On November 11, 2007 as amended December 4, 2008 and December 21, 2010, we entered into an option agreement to acquire a 100 % interest in the EMW claims in the Manhattan Mining District, Nye County, Nevada from MSM LLC, a Nevada corporation.
Under the terms of the option agreement we are required to make payments to MSM LLC in order to maintain the option in good standing, as follows:
| |
DATE | PAYMENT AMOUNT |
Upon execution of the Option Agreement | $28,000 USD (paid) |
First anniversary of effective date (December 4, 2008) | $20,000 USD (paid) |
Second anniversary of effective date (December 4, 2009) | $25,000 USD (paid) |
Third anniversary of effective date (December 4, 2010) | $40,000 USD (paid) |
Fourth anniversary of effective date (December 4, 2011) | $50,000 USD (deferred) |
Fifth anniversary of effective date (December 4, 2012) | $100,000 USD (deferred) |
The payments due on the fourth and fifth anniversary are subject to securing a drill permit.
In addition we are required to make exploration expenditures totalling US$700,000 on the EMW claims in the second to fifth years, subject to securing a drill permit, as follows:
| |
DATE | EXPENDITURE REQUIRED |
On or before December 4, 2009 | $150,000 USD (fulfilled) |
On or before December 4, 2010 | Further $150,000 USD (deferred, subject to receipt of drill permit) |
On or before December 4, 2011 | Further $200,000 USD (deferred, subject to receipt of drill permit) |
On or before December 4, 2012 | Further $300,000 USD (deferred, subject to receipt of drill permit) |
EMW is subject to a 3% NSR royalty. Upon full exercise of the option, we will own 100% of the project.
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Description, Location and Access:
The EMW property is comprised of 78 claims (1,560 acres) located 40 miles north of the town of Tonopah, Nevada.
The EMW claims are accessible by paved road to within 1 mile of the property and by gravel road to the property itself.
There is no water or electricity available at the property site, with no surface water available within the property boundaries.
The property is comprised of the following claims:
| |
Name of Claims | BLM Serial No’s |
EMW 1-18 | NMC 958691-958708 |
EMW 27 | NMC 958717 |
EMW 29 | NMC 958719 |
EMW 31-35 | NMC 958721-958725 |
EMW 37 | NMC 977041 |
EMW 39 | NMC 977042 |
EMW 41 | NMC 977043 |
EMW 43-68 | NMC 977044-977069 |
EMW 75 | NMC 977070 |
EMW 77 | NMC 977071 |
EMW 79 | NMC 977072 |
EMW 81-100 | NMC 977073-977092 |
EMW 113 | NMC 977093 |
The following is a map of the location of EMW:
![[form20f2013final040.gif]](https://capedge.com/proxy/20-F/0001116548-14-000004/form20f2013final040.gif)
History of Exploration and Status:
Historically, there has been more than 1,000,000 ounces of gold produced in the Manhattan mining district. Production has included the nearby Manhattan mine (1974-1990), an open-pit operation that produced 236,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 0.08 ounces per ton (“opt”). The Echo Bay East and West Pit deposits operated in the early 1990s, producing 260,000 ounces at an average grade of 0.06 opt. The Round Mountain Mine (Kinross/Barrick), situated eight miles north of EMW, is a conventional open pit operation that has produced more than 12 million ounces of gold to date. Recorded placer gold production from the district totals approximately 150,000 ounces from a major dredge operation and small-scale lode mines produced another 100,000 ounces.
The current exploration model suggests that deposits that will be found in the Manhattan District are related to the contact of the Manhattan Caldera Margin and structural intersections. Gold is also related to the Cambrian-Ordivician Age
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Sedimentary rocks along the five mile long by one mile wide zone of the Caldera. What is unique to this occurrence is that it is related to a lithic welded volcanic tuff. More work is planned to determine how this mineralization is related to the overall normal mineralized gold system in the Manhattan District. So far, it appears to be quite different and may be quite extensive.
In March 2009, we received the results of the first bulk sample taken from the EMW. The sample weighed 793 pounds and was crushed to particles of less than 1 mm in size, then processed on a Wilfley Table to concentrate the heavy minerals. A fired bead produced a gold/silver “button” which weighed 2.67 grams. This button was analyzed using x-ray analyzer and contained approximately 80% gold and 20% silver. This is equivalent to 6.1 grams per ton of gold/silver, or 4.9 g/t of gold and 1.2 g/t of silver.
In May of 2009, three large volume soil sampling grids were completed, the “Gold Pit”, “Old Drill Hole”, and “Gold Shaft” grids. The sampling program was designed to delineate the geometry of the native gold mineralization in three areas of interest.
The “Gold Pit Grid”, consists of 30 soil samples of 25 meter spacing over an area of approximately 800 by 200 feet. The original bulk taken from an existing prospector’s pit on this grid graded at 4.9 g/t gold and 1.2 g/t silver. The geology of the Gold Pit area consists of lithic rhyolitic and lapilli tuffs. These tuffs are locally argillically altered with minor local silicification.
The “Old Drill Hole Grid” consists of 58 soil samples taken from an area covering approximately 900 feet by 400 feet which has been drilled by a previous operator. As with the Gold Pit Grid described above, this grid is located in a volcanic rhyolite lithic tuff hosting coarse gold.
The “Gold Shaft Grid” consists of 30 soil samples on 25 meter spacing over an area of approximately 500 feet by 400 feet, with a single line running west from the main part of the grid along a ridge. This grid is approximately 7,000 feet south of the Gold Pit grid with the geology of the area consisting of high angle, east striking altered inter-bedded phyllites, quartzites and limestones, cut by high angle, northeast striking structures. The sediments are in contact with granite to the west.
The “Gold Pit” and The “Old Dill Hole” grids were sampled first by clearing a 1 meter by 1 meter area of surface debris, and then removing the organic (A) and root (B) soil horizon. The sample was collected and consisted of a mixture of soils directly above the bedrock (C horizon) and a portion of the bedrock below the soil. The sample was sieved to ¼ inch minus and bagged. The holes ranged from 12 inches to 48 inches in depth. The “Gold Shaft” holes ranged from 4 inches to 12 inches in depth. The sampling program was designed to delineate the geometry of the native gold mineralization in these areas.
Assay results from these samplings were received in July 2009.
In the Old Drill Hole grid, where 30 samples were taken, the values ranged from nil to 0.32 ppm Au. The mineralized zone is 1200 feet long and 600 feet wide and is open in all four directions. Further work is now planned to define the full areal extent of mineralization in this zone. At the Gold Pit grid the area of significant mineralization was 1000 feet long and 250 feet wide. Again values range from nil to 0.32 ppm Au. The zone is open to the north, east and west and further work is planned for this area, which contains the old prospector’s pit where samplings graded an equivalent of 4.9 g/t Au. The Gold Shaft grid samples did not indicate a mineralized structure or an area of concentrated gold. No real anomalous values of other trace elements were observed. Outcrop samples of silicified zones will be sampled at a later date.
In November 2009, additional assay results from a total of 138 samples were received from ALS Chemex Laboratory Group in Reno, Nevada relating to the two main areas of interest, the Gold Pit Grid and the Old Drill Hole Grid, which samples now indicate are joined. The sample holes ranged from 12 inches to 48 inches in depth. Significant values ranging from 0.05 ppm to 1.5 ppm Au were identified. Results of samples taken from historic prospector pits to the southeast of the Old Drill Hole grid returned high gold values (0.96 g/t) which indicates that the mineralized zone continues and may be linked to another mineralized zone sampled by us further south.
In September 2010 we completed additional soil sampling at EMW that was designed to further delineate the geometry of the native gold mineralization at EMW, which previously encompassed the “Gold Pit”, the “Old Drill Hole Grid” and now includes the “Southeast Extension”. This sampling has filled in the open areas within these grids, where 163 new samples were taken with significant values ranging from 0.05 ppm to 1.27 ppm (1.27 g/t) gold. While the total mineralized zone now exposed at surface encompasses an area in excess of 5,500 by 1,500 feet in size, the mineralized area is much larger but is covered by either overburden or alluvium.
The Gold Pit, Old Drill Hole Grid and Southeast Extension are located in a volcanic rhyolite lithic tuff hosting coarse gold. The sampling between the three pits has now enabled MAX to identify structural linear features seen in air photo images along with argillic alteration that appears to define where strong gold values may be found. Historic pits dug by
21
earlier prospectors have helped to define the areas of mineralization and to confirm the presence of gold.
In August 2013 we announced assay results from additional bulk sampling completed at EMW. This bulk sampling was undertaken to prepare for drilling planned for 2014, subject to permitting. Just north of this area, the very small streams all contain free gold that can be recovered by conventional gold panning techniques. During the current program, two 10 kg samples were taken, one from the same area as the 2009 bulk sample and the second from an area approximately 150 meters to the east. The first 10 kg sample returned 1.5 g/t au and the second sample returned 0.87 g/t Au.
In April 2014 we were advised by the U.S. Forest Service that our drill permit application filed in 2011 should be approved this spring, following which we plan to undertake a 12 hole core drilling program to determine the overall depth and grade of the gold mineralization in the volcanic tuff at EMW. See “Special Note on Forward Looking Statements”.
During the year ended December 31, 2013 we incurred $28,653 for geological consulting costs, $2,534 for assaying costs and $2,013 for field expenses on the East Manhattan project.
Maintaining the claims in good standing in Nevada:
Under Bureau of Land Management rules for the State of Nevada, all holders of State mining locations must pay an annual maintenance fee of US$140 per claim or site by August 31 in each calendar year. These amounts were paid when due prior to August 31, 2013.
Majuba Hill Project (Nevada)
Nature of Interest and Terms of Acquisition
On March 4, 2011 we entered into an option agreement to acquire up to a 75% interest in the Majuba Hill Copper/Gold/Silver property in Pershing County, Nevada (the “Majuba Hill Option”) from Claremont Nevada Mines LLC., Nevada. The Majuba Hill Property encompasses 2,568 acres consisting of patented and unpatented lode mining claims and private mineral rights.
The terms of the Majuba Hill Option Agreement with Claremont allowed us to earn an initial 60% interest in the property over six years by spending US$6.5 Million on exploration of the property, as follows.
| | |
Performance Date | Annual Amount | Cumulative Amount |
| | |
By the first anniversary date | $ 500,000 | $ 500,000 (completed) |
By the second anniversary date | $ 750,000 | $1,250,000 (completed) |
By the third anniversary date | $ 1,000,000 | $2,250,000 |
By the fourth anniversary date | $ 1,250,000 | $3,500,000 |
By the fifth anniversary date | $ 1,500,000 | $5,000,000 |
By the sixth anniversary date | $ 1,500,000 | $6,500,000 |
We could increase our interest in the Majuba Hill Property to 75% by spending a further $3.5 Million on exploration over a subsequent two year period.
In addition, we were also required to make annual advance royalty payments of US$20,000 to a third party, JR Exploration LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, on the effective date of the Option Agreement and each anniversary thereafter. The Majuba Hill Property is also be subject to a 3% NSR payable to the vendor, 1.5% of which may be purchased at any time for US$1.5 Million.
On December 3, 2012 we entered into a Mining Lease and Option to Purchase Agreement (the “Majuba Hill Lease Agreement”) with Claremont and JR Exploration LLC of Utah, as amended on December 3, 2103 and February 13, 2014, which superseded the Majuba Hill Option Agreement described above. We can now acquire a 100% interest in the Majuba Hill Property by the payment to Claremont of US$1,000,000 over a four year period, with US$200,000 having been paid on signing and the balance payable over a four year period as follows:
(i)
$40,000 on or before December 3, 2013 (paid);
(ii)
$10,000 on or before February 14, 2014 (paid);
(iii)
$15,000 on or before March 31, 2014 (paid);
(iv)
$16,000 on or before April 30, 2014;
(v)
$17,000 on or before May 31, 2014;
(vi)
$17,000 on or before June 30, 2014;
(vii)
$17,000 on or before July 31, 2014;
(viii)
$17,000 on or before August 31, 2014
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(ix)
$17,000 on or before September 30, 2014;
(x)
$17,000 on or before October 31, 2014;
(xi)
$17,000 on or before November 30, 2014;
(xii)
$200,000 on or before December 3, 2014;
(xiii)
$200,000 on or before December 3, 2015; and
(xiv)
$200,000 on or before December 3, 2016.
The Majuba Hill Lease Agreement replaced the previous Majuba Hill Option Agreement with Claremont. Under the terms of the Majuba Hill Lease Agreement, there will be no annual work commitments and the NSR will be reduced from 3% to 1%.
Description, Location and Access:
The Majuba Hill Property is located approximately 54 miles west of Winnemucca, Nevada. It can be accessed by driving approximately 140 miles northeast from Reno on U.S. Interstate Highway 80 to the town of Imlay and then heading west from Interstate 80 on 23 miles of dirt roads maintained year round by Pershing County.
There is no water or electricity available at the property site, with no surface water available within the property boundaries.
The Majuba Hill Property is comprised of the following unpatented and patented mineral claims and mineral rights:
Unpatented Mining Claims.
| |
Claim Name | BLM NMC Nos. |
AP-1 to AP-4 | 917098 to 917101 |
MH-1 to MH -15 | 918603 to 918617 |
MHA - 1 to MHA – 16 | 1042860 to 1042875 |
MH - 17 to MH – 89 | 1042876 to 1042948 |
Fee Lands, Patented Mining Claims and Mineral Rights.
Majuba Hill, Majuba Hill No. 1 and Majuba Hill No. 3 patented mining claims, Patent No. 1033600, Mineral Survey No. 4610
Mineral rights in Section 35, T33N, R31E, MDB&M
The following map shows the location of the Majuba Hill Property:
![[form20f2013final041.jpg]](https://capedge.com/proxy/20-F/0001116548-14-000004/form20f2013final041.jpg)
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History of Exploration and Status:
The Majuba Hill Property is centered on the mid-Tertiary age Majuba Hill intrusive complex which is about 4,700 feet in diameter. The lithologic assemblage is a cross-cutting series of intrusives ranging from rhyolite to latite with multiple stages of flow-banded units, intrusive breccias, and radial dikes. These are all emplaced into steeply dipping, northeast striking Triassic argillite.
Breccia textures are very diverse and typically include tourmaline as:
| | |
| · | Breccia matrix |
| · | Cross-cutting veinlets |
| | |
| · | Disseminated tourmaline in the mineralized areas |
Since 1907, production and exploration at Majuba Hill has produced significant copper results with associated silver and gold. Published production data show that prior to 1947 Mason Valley Mines Co. and Greenan-Kerr produced 4,000 tons @ 12 % Cu and slightly less than 23,000 tons @ 4% Cu respectively. Majuba also has the rare distinction of being one of the few tin producers (350 tons @ 2 to 4% tin) in the western United States. Historically, copper and tin were mined from underground workings at Majuba. Copper, silver, and tin ore was taken from stopes along the Majuba Fault, which cuts
northwesterly across the nested series of intrusives, intrusive breccias, and dikes. Gold values are also reported from the historic record. The ore stopes and workings extended to about 500 feet below the surface and 250 feet along the fault.
The Last Chance (Frisco) mine in section 1, T32N, R31E was developed along a fault with a trend similar to the Majuba Fault. Last Chance operated intermittently and produced silver (up to 40 opt Ag), lead (up to 15%), and gold (up to 0.10 opt Au) from an 830 foot tunnel and a 117 foot deep shaft. No drilling or exploration appears to have ever been completed down dip or along the strike of the fault at the Last Chance.
Total production reported from historic underground mines in the project area (see Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 86) included:
| | |
| · | 184,000 ounces of silver |
| · | 5,800 ounces of gold |
| | |
| · | 2.2 million lbs of copper |
| · | 21,000 lbs of tin |
The current land position at Majuba Hill was assembled by Minterra Resource Corp. and conducted a 14 hole reverse-circulation drill program totaling 8,590 feet on the property in 2007. Highlights of results from this drilling reported by Minterra in 2007-8 included:
| | | | |
MH Hole # | Total Depth (ft) | Interval | Copper % | Silver (opt) |
MH-2 | 160-390 | 230 ft | 0.37% | 0.426 opt |
Including | 295-320 | 25 ft | 1.36% | |
Including | 340-350 | 10 ft | | 3.50 opt |
MH-3 | 220-355 | 135 ft | | 0.58 opt |
Including | 220-290 | 70 ft | 0.59% | |
MH-4 | 310-340 | 30 ft | | 1.12 opt |
Including | 335-340 | 5 ft | | 2.90 opt |
MH-5 | 0-290 | 290 ft | 0.28% | |
Including | 0-15 | 15 ft | 1.18% | |
Including | 0-100 | 100 ft | | 0.99 opt |
Including | 5-20 | 15 ft | | 4.00 opt |
MH-6 | 0-145 | 145 ft | 0.49% | 1.85 opt |
Including | 110-125 | 15 ft | | 5.10 opt |
MH-7 | 85-400 | 315 ft | 0.34% | 0.70 opt |
Including | 225-245 | 20 ft | | 2.09 opt |
These copper and silver drill results were encouraging but were not followed up as Minterra ceased operations in 2009. All data collected by Minterra between March 2006 and May 2008, including geophysical data (a 14.4 line-km IP survey), assay certificates, interpretive maps, cross sections and digital data is available to MAX. The combination of geology,
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geochemistry and drill results still point to the patented lode claims around the historic Majuba Mine as a significant copper/silver target.
In September 2011 MAX received and mapped the results of an extensive soil sampling program at Majuba Hill during the summer of 2011. A total of 834 soil samples were taken across a surface area in excess of 5,000 by 2,500 meters (m) with assay results obtained as high as 1.53% Cu and 209 g/t Ag.
On the northwest side of the Majuba Hill Property, on unpatented land, assay results in soils ranged from 1.8 ppm Cu to 15,300 ppm (1.53%) Cu and from nil to 209 g/t Ag at the “DeSoto” zone. Sampling undertaken on the newly identified “Ball Park” target area 1 km east of the Copper Stope target area (the site of MAX’s Phase I drill program completed in August 2011) returned values from 61.2 ppm to 132 ppm Cu and from 0.16 ppm to 2.5 g/t silver. Both of these areas are identified on the soil geochemistry maps available on our web site atwww.maxresource.com, with the target areas outlined in black. MAX drilled both of these areas during a Phase II drill program that was completed in December 2011.
During the summer of 2011, MAX drilled eight core holes at the site of the past producing Majuba Hill mine on patented land. Five of the eight holes were drilled to test results reported by Minterra Resource Corp. from a reverse-circulation drill program conducted in 2007. This drilling confirms higher results for both copper and silver than previously reported by
Minterra due to the improved sample recovery provided by core drilling. In addition, significant gold (Au) values were encountered in all drill holes; no gold assays had previously been reported by Minterra, nor finding native gold in the holes as we have.
The complete assay results from the eight hole Phase I drill program at Majuba Hill are as follows:
| | | | | | | | | |
Hole | Azimuth | Angle | Total Depth | From (m) | To (m) | Thickness (m) | Cu (%) | Au (g/t) | Ag (g/t) |
| | | | | | | | | |
MM-07 | 290 | -45 | 146.4 m | 76.2 | 126.5 | 50.3 m | 0.31% | 0.31 | 50.8 |
includes | | | | 106.7 | 126.5 | 19.8 m | 0.53% | 0.56 | 100.1 |
| | | | | | | | | |
MM-06 | - | 90 | 119.8 m | 1.5 | 97.5 | 96.0 m | 0.57% | 0.10 | 39.2 |
includes | | | 119.8 m | 1.5 | 45.7 | 44.2 m | 1.14% | 0.15 | 71.0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
MM-02 | 243 | -70 | 122.8 m | 68.6 | 114.3 | 45.7 m | 0.56% | 0.07 | 15.4 |
includes | | | | 105.2 | 114.3 | 9.1 m | 0.54% | 0.11 | 39.3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
MM-03 | 263 | -70 | 158.6 m | 91.5 | 134.1 | 42.7 m | 0.38% | | 37.5 |
includes | | | | 102.1 | 112.8 | 10.7 m | 0.93% | | 90.2 |
| | | | | | | | | |
MM-05 | 279 | -45 | 89.3 m | 0 | 89.3 | 89.3 m | 0.28% | | 16.5 |
includes | | | | 1.5 | 15.2 | 13.7 m | 0.47% | | 30.0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
MM-13 | 298 | -56 | 135 m | 0 | 135.0 | 135 m | 0.02% | | 3.0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
MM-15 | 255 | -45 | 257 m | 0 | 257.0 | 257 m | 0.05% | | 4.3 |
includes | | | | 137.2 | 161.6 | 24.4 m | 0.09% | | 12.3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
MM-16 | 042 | -45 | 111.2 m | 0 | 111.2 | 111.2 m | 0.06% | - | 3.08 |
In October 2011, MAX commenced a Phase II core drilling program at Majuba Hill. Four holes were drilled to test new target areas identified during mapping, data compilation and soil sampling conducted over a surface area in excess of 5,500 by 2,500 m during 2011. The first hole of the Phase II program, MM-17 was drilled 730 m southeast of Phase I drilling (see the listing of drill results in the table above) and intercepted 42.7 m of 16.8 g/t Ag, 13.7 m of 15.9 g/t Ag and 6.16 m of 51.0 g/t Ag, indicating that this target area may be the extension of the high grade supergene oxide mineralization identified during Phase I drilling.
Two drill holes, MM-18 and MM-19, were drilled 1.4 km to the northwest of Phase I drilling to follow up on a high grade copper/silver soil anomaly approximately 1.5 km long by 500 m wide identified near the past producing DeSoto silver mine that returned values as high as 1.53% Cu and 209 g/t Ag in soils. Hole MM-18 was drilled to a depth of 146 m and intercepted 29.2 meters of 30.5 g/t Ag and 0.69% Cu starting at 21.9 m from surface. Hole MM-19 was drilled at the same
25
location as hole MM-18 at an angle of –45 to the southeast, whereas hole MM-18 was drilled at the same angle to the northwest, and intercepted 3.6 m of 14.3 g/t Ag and 0.45% Cu within ten feet of surface.
The final hole of the Phase II program, MM-20, intercepted 293 m of 5.49 g/t Ag, 0.10 g/t Au and 0.09% Cu in sulfide mineralization in a porphyry-style alteration zone below the high grade Ag/Cu/Au oxide zone identified during Phase I drilling. Gold mineralization grading 0.145 g/t Au, along with 6.3 g/t Ag and 0.13% Cu, was intercepted over the final 116 m of Hole MM-20, which was still in mineralization when terminated at the planned target depth. The increase in gold, copper and molybdenum mineralization at depth and the long intersections of mineralization add more evidence to support our belief that Majuba Hill is an extensive copper/silver/gold porphyry system that is highly prospective for the development of a bulk-tonnage open pit deposit.
Having discovered the primary zone of porphyry mineralization below Majuba Hill, we concentrated our 2012 exploration activity on defining the high grade supergene (oxide) system located above this zone. The initial hole of the Phase III program, MM-21, was drilled to a depth of 351 m and tested a ridge of high grade oxide mineralization identified during
geologic exploration in 2011 that appears to extend a further 500 m to the southeast to the “Ball Park” area, where hole MM-17 intercepted 42.7 m of 16.8 g/t Ag, 13.7 m of 15.9 g/t Ag and 6.16 m of 51.0 g/t Ag. On completion of hole MM-21, the drill rig was moved to the DeSoto zone 1.4 km to the northwest and seven holes were drilled to follow-up on the discovery hole at DeSoto, MM-18, which intercepted 29.2 m of 30.5 g/t Ag and 0.69% Cu. Core from this program was split, logged and submitted to Inspectorate in Reno for assay.
Assays results from the first hole of the program, MM-21, were announced on September 11, 2012. Hole MM-21 intercepted 4.6 m @ 58.0 g/t Ag and 7.6 m @ 0.80% Cu within an overall mineralized intercept of 332 m @ 12 g/t Ag and 0.13% Cu (23.9 g/t silver equivalent (“AgEq”)) in oxides that began within 12 m of surface. Hole MM-21 was collared approximately 250 m southeast of the middle portal of the past-producing Majuba Hill mine, where Phase I drilling by MAX in 2011 intercepted long intervals of high grade silver and copper mineralization near surface. Hole MM-21 confirms that a southeast trending ridge of high-grade oxide mineralization extends a further 500 m to the southeast from the Majuba Hill mine to the Ball Park target area. A map showing drilling locations from the 2011 exploration programs at Majuba Hill, as well as the location of MM-21, is available on our web site atwww.maxresource.com.
Significant intervals from hole MM-21 are summarized in the following table:
| | | | | | | | | |
Hole | Azimuth | Angle | Total Depth | From (m) | To (m) | Thickness (m) | Cu (%) | Ag (g/t) | AgEq (g/t) |
MM-21 | 068 | -44 | 351.4 m | 12.2 | 344.5 | 332.3 m | 0.13% | 12.0 | 23.9 |
includes | | | | 50.3 | 131.1 | 80.8 | | 19.2 | |
includes | | | | 56.4 | 61.0 | 4.6 | | 58.0 | |
includes | | | | 259.1 | 266.7 | 7.6 | 0.80% | 10.8 | |
includes | | | | 263.7 | 266.7 | 3.0 | 1.16% | 10.1 | |
includes | | | | 242.4 | 291.1 | 48.7 | 0.32% | 16.5 | 47.1 |
Note: Silver equivalent is calculated based on 100% metallurgical recovery and five-year historic metal prices of $24 U.S. for silver and $3 U.S. per pound for Copper.
In addition, we were able to acquire some of the data from drilling completed by the Minefinders Exploration group at Majuba Hill in 1974-5. This information was obtained from a reliable source but readers are cautioned that this information predates NI 43-101 and is not NI 43-101 compliant; it is provided for information purposes only and should not be relied upon. This data included Minefinders hole MF-01, which was drilled a further 250 meters to the southeast of hole MM-21 at an azimuth of 288 and a -54 angle to a total depth of 707 meters. Hole MF-01 was assayed on 3 meter intervals and contained 155.4 m @ 9.23 g/t Ag and 0.221% Cu starting at a down hole depth of 220 meters. Minefinders hole MF 2 was drilled at the same location as MAX’s hole MM-17 to a depth of 387 m and intercepted 30.5 m @ 0.60% Cu from 85.3 m to 115.8m. It also contained 91.4 m @ 11.2 g/t Ag from 42.7 m to 134.1 m, inclusive of 9.1 m @ 53.0 g/t. These drill results, combined with the results from our hole MM-21, serve to expand the known mineralized silver/copper zone for 500 m to the southeast and to a depth of at least 350 m from surface. We now believe that Majuba Hill is a significant porphyry system with a chalcocite blanket; the next phase of drilling at Majuba Hill will focus on the expansion of the known mineralized zone within this target area, now referred to as the “Majuba Ridge”.
In October, 2012 we announced assays from the seven core holes (521 m) drilled at the high grade silver/copper DeSoto soil anomaly, 1.4 km to the northwest of the main mineralized zone at the historic Majuba Hill mine in Nevada. These shallow step-out holes were drilled to test the extension of near-surface oxide mineralization at DeSoto, where the discovery hole, MM-18, intercepted 29.2 m of 30.5 g/t Ag and 0.69% Cu (98.3 g/t silver equivalent(“AgEq”)) in the fall of 2011. The DeSoto soil anomaly was defined by soil sampling and measures approximately 2 km long by 1 km wide, with
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values as high as 1.53% Cu and 209 g/t Ag in soils. Significant copper and silver mineralization was intercepted in four of the seven holes drilled, confirming DeSoto as the second highly prospective mineralized zone to be identified by MAX at Majuba Hill project. Highlights of this drilling at DeSoto included 7.8 m @ 28.0 g/t Ag and 0.57% Cu (81.5 AgEq) in hole DSM-02 and 6.4 m @ 38.8 Ag and 0.70% Cu (105.1 g/t AgEq) in DSM-06.
Significant intervals from the DeSoto drilling are summarized in the following table:
| | | | | | | | | |
Hole | Azimuth | Angle | Total Depth | From (m) | To (m) | Thickness (m) | Cu (%) | Ag (g/t) | AgEq (g/t) |
DSM-01 | 059 | -45 | 128.8 | 71.6 | 73.1 | 1.5 | .50% | 36.4 | 92.3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
DSM-02 | 125 | -45 | 66.3 | 3.0 | 4.7 | 2.7 | 0.58% | 17.7 | 72.7 |
| | | | 46.5 | 54.3 | 7.8 | 0.57% | 28.0 | 81.5 |
Includes | | | | 52.8 | 54.3 | 1.5 | 2.13% | 101.9 | 342.2 |
| | | | | | | | | |
DSM-04 | 310 | -64.3 | 16 | 9.1 | 10.7 | 1.6 | 0.34% | 18.5 | 50.6 |
| | | | | | | | | |
DSM-06 | 115 | -45 | 31.0 | 6.1 | 7.6 | 1.5 | 0.39% | 26.0 | 63.2 |
| | | | 19.5 | 25.9 | 6.4 | 0.70% | 38.8 | 105.1 |
Includes | | | | 19.5 | 21.0 | 1.6 | 1.26% | 81.7 | 200.8 |
Includes | | | | 24.1 | 25.9 | 1.8 | 1.47% | 65.6 | 204.6 |
Note: Silver equivalent is calculated based on 100% metallurgical recovery and five-year historic metal prices of $24 U.S. for silver and $3 U.S. per pound for Copper.
Hole DSM-02 was drilled 200 m northwest of the DeSoto discovery hole, MM-18, and intercepted 7.8 m @ 28 g/t Ag and 0.57% Cu (81.5 g/t AgEq), inclusive of 1.5 m of 101.9 g/t Ag and 2.13 % Cu. A further 310 m to the northwest, hole DSM-06 intersected a separate mineralized zone that included intervals of 1.6 m @ 81.7 g/t Ag and 1.26% Cu and 1.8 m @ 65.6 g/t Ag and 1.47% Cu within 26 m of surface. This initial shallow drilling indicates the presence of high grade copper and silver mineralization in the Auld Lang Syne formation at DeSoto and has provided us with a better understanding of the structural fabric of the system and the depositional environment. We believe that DeSoto is a replacement system within the Auld Lang Syne formation; detailed structural mapping and sampling will focus on the direction and mineralogy of mineralization at DeSoto and its relationship to the Majuba diking and main intrusive system on the Majuba property prior to resumption of drilling.
Analysis was performed by Inspectorate American Corp. Laboratories, an ISO certified facility in Reno, Nevada, using fire assay and multi-element (ICP-ES) techniques producing assays for a 49 element suite of minerals. Standards, duplicates and blanks were used for quality control of the samples. After the core is logged for each drill hole, the location of each site is located using a GPS in UTM coordinates using NAD 27 datum. The core is then split and put into a sample bag which is labelled for each interval and a sample card tag put in each sample bag and taken from the core facility to the Inspectorate Laboratories.
On March 4, 2013 we announced the preliminary report by John Fox, P.Eng., Consulting Metallurgical Engineer of Laurion Consulting Inc. on the test work carried out on samples from Majuba Hill by Inspectorate Exploration & Mining Services in Richmond, B.C.
A total of fourteen samples of assay sample reject material (crushed to 6 mesh) were received at Inspectorate and these were made into a single composite weighing 58 kg. A sub sample was taken for head analysis and indicated a grade of 0.62% Cu and 34.6 g/t Ag.
A series of bottle roll acid tests were carried out with sulphuric acid at pH 1.3 on material running 6 mesh and on material ground to 200 mesh. After 14 days of leaching the copper extraction was 81.1% and 84.6% respectively. These results indicate the potential for heap leaching copper in a relatively short leach cycle, with acid consumption modest at 25kg/t, which is in line with expectations.
Leach testing was also conducted with thiosulphate over a six hour period and 24 hour period. Leaching was carried out at pH8 on the two samples, 6 mesh (un-ground) and 200 mesh. Silver extraction of 73.4% was achieved on ground material, which was 30% higher than on un-ground material. Thiosulphate leaching is normally very rapid; the difference between ground and un-ground leach recoveries may disappear over a longer leach cycle. Moreover, the silver leach value has not been optimized and it is expected that silver recovery may increase with longer leach times.
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While cyanide leaching of sulfuric acid leach residue was also undertaken and gave about a 70% recovery, the thiosulphate leach route may be preferred because of reduced reagent costs (less lime required to neutralize acid to pH8 rather than pH10, and less consumption of lixivient as thiosulphate is not consumed leaching excess copper) as well as for environmental considerations.
Permitting is underway for a development drill program at Majuba Hill designed to define an initial NI 43-101 compliant inferred resource estimate by the end of 2014, subject to receipt of sufficient funding. See “Special Note on Forward Looking Statements”.
During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company incurred $49,914 for geological consulting fees, $7,381 for assaying and $6,931 for field expenses on the Majuba Hill project.
Table Top Gold Project (Nevada)
This property consisted of 10 claims covering approximately 200 acres located in Humboldt County, Nevada 10 miles west of the town of Winnemucca (the “Table Top Project”).
We held our interest in the Table Top Project under an Option Agreement dated for reference September 1, 2009 with Energex, LLC, a Nevada corporation wholly-owned by Clancy J. Wendt, our Vice President of Exploration. Under the terms of the agreement, we had an option to acquire a 100% interest (the “Table Top Option”) in the Table Top Gold Project for the sum of US$300,000 (the “Table Top Purchase Price”) and a 3% NSR Royalty, 1% of which could be repurchased for US$1 million. Pursuant to the Option Agreement, we were required to make the following rental payments (the “Table Top Rental Payments”) are required in order to maintain the Option in good standing:
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Date | Payment Amount (USD) |
Upon execution of the Agreement (September 1, 2009) | $5,000 (paid) |
On the First anniversary of the Agreement (September 1, 2010) | $25,000 (deferred) |
On the Second anniversary of the Agreement (September 1, 2011) | $35,000 (deferred) |
Each anniversary thereafter | $50,000 (deferred) |
The option was exercisable at any time by payment of the Table Top Purchase Price, whereupon we would own 100% of the Property, subject to a 3% NSR royalty, 1% of which could be repurchased for US$1 million (the “Table Top Royalty”). We were required to make minimum annual advance royalty payments of US$50,000 after exercise of the Table Top Option until commencement of sustained commercial production, with such payments being credited against the Table Top Royalty. Table Top Rental Payments were not credited against the Table Top Royalty or the Table Top Purchase Price, but would cease to be payable after the Table Top Option was exercised.
Due to continuing weakness in the market price for gold at the time, and in order to conserve cash, we elected not to make the annual payments to the Bureau of Land Management when due on August 31, 2013 and abandoned the Table Top Project, resulting in a write-off during the year ended December 31, 2013 of $$554,900.
Diamond Peak Property (Nevada)
On May 9, 2006, we entered into an Option Agreement (the “Diamond Peak Option Agreement”), as amended on June 30, 2010, to acquire an option (the “Diamond Peak Option”) to purchase a 100% interest in the FMC claims in Eureka County, Nevada, (the “Diamond Peak Property”) for the sum of US$300,000 (the “Diamond Peak Purchase Price”) plus a 3% NSR, 1% of which could be repurchased for US$1 million (the “Diamond Peak Royalty”), from The Wendt Family Trust of Reno, Nevada. The Wendt Family Trust is controlled by Clancy J. Wendt, our Vice President of Exploration.
Under the terms of the Diamond Peak Option Agreement, we issued 100,000 shares of the Company to the Wendt Family Trust and must make the following rental payments (the “Diamond Peak Rental Payments”) in order to maintain the Diamond Peak Option:
| |
Date | Payment Amount (U.S funds) |
Upon execution of the option agreement (May 9, 2006) | $25,000 (paid) |
First anniversary of effective date (May 9, 2007) | $35,000 (paid) |
Second anniversary of effective date (May 9, 2008) | $45,000 (paid) |
Third anniversary of effective date (May 9, 2009) | $50,000 (paid ) |
On June 30, 2010 upon execution of the amending agreement | $25,000 (paid) |
On May 9, 2011 (as amended) | $35,000 (deferred) |
On May 9, 2012 (as amended) | $45,000 (deferred) |
Each anniversary thereafter for 4 years (as amended) | $50,000 (deferred) |
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The Diamond Peak Option was exercisable at any time by payment of the Diamond Peak Purchase Price and grant of the Diamond Peak Royalty. We were required to make minimum annual advance royalty payments of US$50,000 after exercise until commencement of sustained commercial production, with such payments being credited against the Diamond Peak Royalty. The Diamond Peak Rental Payments were not credited against the Royalty or the Purchase Price, but were not payable after the Option is exercised.
We entered into a mineral property option agreement on May 15, 2006, as amended effective September 30, 2009, with Kokanee Placer Ltd. (“Kokanee Placer”), a British Columbia company, whereby we granted to Kokanee the right to acquire up to a 51% interest in the Diamond Peak Property (the “Kokanee Option”) in consideration of a cash payment of US$25,000 (paid) and the issuance of 100,000 common shares of “Kokanee Minerals Inc.” (“Kokanee”), a public company (TSXV: KOK) which exchanged its shares for Kokanee Placer in conjuction with its public listing (completed in January, 2010).
To maintain this agreement in good standing, Kokanee had agreed to make the following annual payments and share issuances to the Company:
| |
- | By May 15, 2007 pay US$35,000 to the Company (received); |
| |
- | within five days after listing of Kokanee’s common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange, pay US$95,000 and issue 500,000 Kokanee shares to the Company (received); and |
| |
- | On or before May 9, 2010 and on each anniversary thereof up to and including May 9, 2016, pay US$50,000 to the Company; and |
| |
- | On commencement of commercial production, issue 1,000,000 Kokanee shares to the Company; |
The Kokanee Option was also subject to Kokanee completing $1,000,000 in exploration on the Diamond Peak Property over a three year period.
In June 2010 Kokanee advised us that they would not be making the US$50,000 payment then due and would be abandoning their option.
Due to continuing weakness in the market price for zinc, silver and gold, and in order to conserve cash, we elected not to make the annual payments to the Bureau of Land Management when due on August 31, 2013 and abandoned the Diamond Peak Property, resulting in a write-off during the year ended December 31, 2013 of $109,594.
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Item 4.A. | Unresolved Staff Comments |
Not applicable.
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Item 5. | Operating and Financial Review and Prospects |
The following discussion of our operating results explains material changes in our consolidated results of operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 compared to the prior fiscal years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011. The discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements to December 31, 2013 and the related notes included in Item 18 of this report. Management’s discussion and analysis of our operating results in this section is qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. This discussion contains forward-looking statements, the accuracy of which involves risks and uncertainties and our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements for many reasons, including, but not limited to, those risk factors described elsewhere in this report. Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in Canadian dollars and in accordance with IFRS which differs from United States generally accepted accounting principles and this discussion of our financial condition and results of operations is based on the results prepared in accordance with IFRS.
Overview
Our business is exploration for minerals. We do not have any properties that are in development or production. We have no earnings and, therefore, finance these exploration activities by the sale of our equity securities or through joint ventures with other mineral exploration companies. The key determinants of our operating results include the following:
| | |
| · | Our ability to identify quality mineral exploration properties and acquire them on favorable terms; |
| · | The cost of our exploration activities; |
| | |
| · | our ability to finance our exploration activities and general operations; |
| · | our ability to identify and exploit commercial deposits of mineralization; and |
| | |
| · | the write-down and abandonment of mineral properties as exploration results provide further information relating to the underlying value of such properties |
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These determinants are affected by a number of factors, most of which are largely out of our control, including the following:
| | |
| · | The competitive demand for quality mineral exploration properties; |
| · | Political and regulatory climate in countries where properties of interest are located; |
| | |
| · | Regulatory and other costs associated with maintaining our operations as a public company; |
| · | the costs associated with exploration activities; and |
| | |
| · | the cost of acquiring and maintaining our mineral properties. |
Our primary capital and liquidity requirements relate to our ability to secure funds, principally through the sale of our securities, to raise sufficient capital to maintain our operations and fund our efforts to acquire mineral properties with attractive exploration targets and conduct successful exploration programs on them. We anticipate this requirement will continue until such time as we have either discovered sufficient mineralization on one or more properties with sufficient grade, tonnage and type of mineralization to support the commencement of sustained profitable mining operations and are thereafter able to place such property or properties into commercial production or until we have obtained sufficient positive exploration results on one or more of our properties to enable us to successfully negotiate a joint venture with a mining company with greater financial resources than us or some other suitable arrangement sufficient to fund our operations.
Our success in raising equity capital is dependant upon factors which are largely out of our control including:
| | |
| · | market prices for gold and other precious and base metals; |
| · | the market for our securities; and |
| | |
| · | the results from our exploration activities. |
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Continuing effects from the global financial crisis including poor conditions in the U.S. housing market and the credit quality of mortgage backed securities, coupled with slow growth and high levels of unemployment, continued during 2010, causing a loss of confidence in the broader U.S. and global credit and financial markets. In addition, during 2011 new economic stresses emerged including extraordinarily high levels of government debt, major currency instability and a growing sovereign debt crisis. These events in turn resulted in international bailouts for Greece and Ireland, and threats of bailouts for Spain, Portugal and other countries. In the US, the effect of unprecedented levels of government funded stimulus, institutional bailouts, "quantitative easing" and other expansionist monetary policies has led to deterioration of the US dollar and its role as a reserve currency. These factors could, among other things, make it more difficult for us to obtain
capital and financing for our operations in the future as well as increase our costs of obtaining such capital. Access to additional capital, when required, may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.
The most significant factors affecting our operations during the past year were related to reduction in the demand for, and in the prices of, uranium and base metals and a corresponding collapse in the market for shares of junior exploration companies. These factors are expected to have a significant effect on our operations during the next fiscal year and thereafter so long as we continue in our present business of mineral exploration. During 2011 and 2012, the prices of gold and other metals have experienced significant price volatility, with gold maintaining prices substantially higher than the previous five years, as a result of global economic uncertainty. While the price of gold was significantly higher due to its risk premium, this has not had a commensurate impact on the share prices for junior gold exploration companies, and the general market for the shares of junior exploration companies, in all commodities, remained uncertain. In April 2013, gold and silver experienced a dramatic price drop over a two week period that resulted in a negative outlook for junior exploration companies such as ours that will make it difficult for us to raise equity capital in the immediate short term and possibly longer should the market for precious and other metals continue to remain volatile. See “Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors”.
Accounting Policies
We have adopted a number of accounting policies and made a number of assumptions and estimates in preparing our financial reporting, which are described in Note 2 to the attached audited consolidated financial statements. These policies, assumptions and estimates significantly affect how our historical financial performance is reported and also your ability to assess our future financial results. In addition, there are a number of factors which may indicate our historical financial results will not be predictive of anticipated future results. You should carefully review the following disclosure, together with the attached consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, including, in particular, the statement of significant accounting policies set out in Note 2 to such statements.
Going Concern Assumptions
As described in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements, our financial statements have been prepared on the assumption that we will continue as a going concern, meaning that we will continue in operation for the foreseeable future and will be able to realize assets and discharge our liabilities in the ordinary course of operations. We do not have any
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mineral properties in production, and have not yet generated any revenues and have a history of losses. Our continuation as a going concern is uncertain and dependent on our ability to discover commercial mineral deposits on our properties and place them into profitable commercial production and our ability to sustain our operations until such time. This, in turn depends on our ability to continue to fund our operations by the sale of our securities and other factors which are largely out of our control. Although we have been successful in the past in obtaining financing, it cannot be assured that adequate financing or financing on acceptable terms can be obtained in the future. In the event we cannot obtain the necessary funds, it will be necessary to delay, curtail or cancel further exploration on our properties. Our consolidated financial statements do not reflect adjustments to the carrying values and classifications of assets and liabilities that might be necessary should we not be able to continue in our operations, and the amounts recorded for such items may be at amounts significantly different from those contained in our consolidated financial statements.
Treatment of Mineral Property Costs
As we are at the exploration stage, we capitalize the acquisition and exploration costs of our mineral properties under International Reporting Standards. Should any of these properties be placed into production, such costs would be amortized over the life of the properties on a unit-of-production basis. Should exploration results of any of our properties prove unsatisfactory, we would then abandon such property or properties, and write off costs incurred up to that time. The impact on our net loss for the fiscal period would be dependent upon the amount of costs deferred up to the time of the write-off.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates and assumptions are continuously evaluated and are based on management’s experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. However, actual outcomes can differ significantly from these estimates.
Areas requiring a significant degree of estimation and judgment relate to the determination of the useful lives of property, plant and equipment, the recoverability of the carrying value of exploration and evaluation assets, allocation of costs to exploration and evaluation assets, fair value measurements for financial instruments and stock-based compensation and other equity-based payments, the recognition and valuation of provisions for restoration and environmental liabilities, and the recoverability and measurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from those estimates and judgments.
Stock-Based Compensation
We have granted stock options to directors and employees as described in Note 10 to the attached audited consolidated financial statements. We adopted the accounting standards of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants regarding stock-based compensation and other stock-based payments. The standard requires that all stock-based awards be measured and recognized using a fair value based method. Fair values are determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Any consideration paid by employees on the exercise of the options is credited to share capital.
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2013 compared to the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012
During the year ended December 31, 2013, we incurred operating expenses of $432,223 as compared to operating expenses of $669,755 for the year ended December 31, 2012. The significant changes during the current period compared to the same period a year prior are as follows:
During the year ended December 31, 2012, we incurred $115,570 of stock-based compensation, a non-cash expense, on the granting of 675,000 stock options and the vesting of certain options granted in the prior year. No such transactions took place during the year ended December 31, 2013.
Transfer agent, filing fees and shareholder relations expenses decreased to $132,729 during the year ended December 31, 2013 from the $193,417 incurred during the year ended December 31, 2012. This was primarily due to decreased expenditures on investor relations activities and advertising during the current fiscal period as compared to the same period a year prior.
Consulting fees decreased to $58,872 during the year ended December 31, 2013 from $83,227 incurred during the year ended December 31, 2012. The decrease was primarily due to the termination of certain consulting agreements at the end of December 31, 2012.
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Professional fees decreased to $63,350 during the year ended December 31, 2013 from $92,233 incurred during the year ended December 31, 2012. The decrease was primarily due our incurring less accounting fees during the year ended December 31, 2013.
Interest income decreased to $2,196 during the year ended December 31, 2013 from the $11,805 earned during the prior year due to the lower cash balance maintained during the current year.
During the year ended December 31, 2013, we recorded a $664,494 write-off of exploration and evaluation assets. The write-off was due to the abandonment of the Diamond Peak and Table Top properties in August 2013 when the annual Bureau of Land Management payments became due. This compares to the write-off of $1,177,622 of exploration and evaluation assets during the year ended December 31, 2012 in connection with the abandonment of the C de Baca Uranium property in New Mexico and the Ravin molybdenum property in Nevada due to the weakness in the market price of those underlying commodities.
As a result of the foregoing, the loss for the year ended December 31, 2013 was $1,094,521 as compared to a loss of $1,840,999 for the year ended December 31, 2012.
Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2012 compared to the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2011
During the year ended December 31, 2012, we incurred operating expenses of $669,755 as compared to operating expenses of $1,119,974 for the year ended December 31, 2011. The significant changes during the current period compared to the same period a year prior are as follows:
During the year ended December 31, 2012, we incurred $115,570 of stock-based compensation, a non-cash expense, on the granting of 675,000 stock options and the vesting of certain options granted in the prior year. During the year ended December 31, 2011, we incurred $509,357 of stock-based compensation on the granting of 3,405,000 stock options.
Transfer agent, filing fees and shareholder relations expenses decreased to $193,417 during the year ended December 31, 2012 from the $238,008 incurred during the year ended December 31, 2011. This was primarily due to decreased expenditures on investor relations activities and advertising during the current fiscal period as compared to the same period a year prior.
Interest income decreased to $11,805 during the year ended December 31, 2012 from the $15,828 earned during the prior year due to the lower cash balance maintained during the current year.
During the year ended December 31, 2012, we recorded a $1,177,622 (2011-$Nil) write-off of exploration and evaluation assets. The write-off is in connection with the abandonment of the C de Baca Uranium property in New Mexico and the Ravin molybdenum property in Nevada during the current period due to continuing weakness in the market price of those underlying commodities.
As a result of the foregoing, the loss for the year ended December 31, 2012 was $1,840,099 as compared to a loss of $1,112,646 for the year ended December 31, 2011.
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5.B | Liquidity and Capital Resources |
Since our incorporation, we have financed our operations almost exclusively through the sale of our common shares to investors. We expect to finance operations through the sale of equity in the foreseeable future as we have no source of revenue from our business operations. There is no guarantee that we will be successful in arranging financing on acceptable terms. As it is uncertain when we will generate revenues sufficient to fund our operating activities, if ever, we are dependent on raising additional equity or debt capital.
At December 31, 2013, we had negative working capital of $103,499, inclusive of cash and cash equivalents on hand of $203,229. This compares to working capital of $498,352 at December 31, 2012, inclusive of cash and cash equivalents on hand of $510,288. We have no exposure to any asset-backed commercial paper investments.
We have two properties that we need to satisfy certain minimum work commitments or make cash payments on during 2014 in order to maintain our interests. These properties are EMW and the Majuba Hill Property in Nevada. See “Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations”. In order to maintain our interest in EMW, we were required to undertake US$150,000 in exploration work on this property during 2013 but this requirement has been waived by the vendor until such time as we are granted a drill permit from the U.S. Forest Service. At Majuba Hill, we are required to make staged cash payments totaling US$200,000 to the vendors by December 3, 2014 in order to maintain our interest in that property. See “Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements”.
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Looking forward to 2014, we anticipate that we will be able to fund our ongoing general and administrative expenses through the next year from funds on hand. Due to the volatility in capital markets and continued depressed commodity prices for molybdenum and uranium, we took steps to reduce our general and administrative costs, primarily through reductions in advertising and promotional expenses. The resulting cost savings were evident during fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011 and will continue in subsequent periods. Due to the recent drastic decline during April 2013 in the market price for gold, silver and copper which has resulted in a very difficult marketplace in which to raise additional capital, we also plan to continue to be selective in incurring exploration expenditures during fiscal 2014, with management having elected to defer their monthly compensation since December 1, 2012 in order to conserve cash.
While conditions in the resource sector have improved somewhat since 2009, the recent drastic drops in the market price for gold, silver and copper, have combined with the negative events in Europe to once again result in access to capital being limited for early stage exploration companies and we will continue to review our project portfolio and may elect to reduce or eliminate exploration expenditures or abandon certain of our properties should we not deem it fiscally prudent to satisfy these obligations when they come due.
Subsequent to December 31, 2013, we completed a non-brokered private placement of 6,300,000 units at $0.05 per unit for gross proceeds of $316,000. Each unit comprised of one common share and one share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional common share at an exercise price of $0.12 per warrant until March 26, 2016. If at any time prior to the expiry date of the warrants, the closing price of our common shares on the TSX-V is equal to or greater than $0.25 for 30 consecutive days, then we may elect to provide notice to the warrant holders that the warrants will expire 30 days from the date of the notice.
As of April 26, 2014, we have funds on hand of approximately $400,000 which is expected to provide sufficient working capital to fund our general and administrative expenditures through fiscal 2014 but will be insufficient to allow us to conduct meaningful exploration activities on our mineral properties during fiscal 2014, as outlined in Item 4D above. See “Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements”.
Current Economic Conditions
While 2010 saw significant economic improvement over 2009, many of the effects of the 2008/2009 global financial crisis continued in 2010 and into 2011 and a number of new economic stresses, many likely caused or exacerbated by government responses to the crisis, including extraordinarily high levels of government debt, major currency instability and a growing sovereign debt crisis developed. These new economic stresses in turn resulted in international bailouts for Greece and Ireland, and threats of bailouts for Spain and Portugal. In early 2013, Cyprus was the focus of concern that resulted in the demand for an unprecedented tax be imposed on bank savings in that country in order to reduce its deficit, further exacerbated investor unease on an international basis. In the US, the effect of unprecedented levels of government funded stimulus, institutional bailouts, "quantitative easing" and other expansionist monetary policies has led to deterioration of the US dollar and its role as a reserve currency. These and other factors have made for extremely volatile commodity and capital markets and an environment in which it is more difficult to raise additional capital. With this in mind, we have taken precautions and implemented initiatives to preserve our cash requirements. In addition to deferring management compensation commencing in December 2012, we have reviewed our mineral properties and have written down or abandoned a number of properties described in detail above. We have several commitments in the future (this coming year and beyond) on our mineral properties and we may be forced to abandon and write-off other properties if we do not have the means to meet these commitments, or if we do not feel it is fiscally prudent to do so. However, we currently have sufficient cash to meet all obligations during fiscal 2014 and do not believe that any additional write-downs of our mineral properties are required at this time. We will be reviewing our mineral property commitments as well as our capital position on an ongoing basis during fiscal 2014 and may abandon additional properties when obligations become due if management deems it necessary in order to maintain the long-term viability of the Company.
We intend to pursue both the acquisition of mineral properties which we consider to be highly prospective for gold, uranium and other metals and to maintain and explore our current properties while conserving capital during these difficult economic times. We will require substantial additional capital to achieve our goal of discovering significant economic mineralization on one or more of our properties. Until such time as we are able to make such a discovery and thereafter place one or more of our properties into commercial production or negotiate one or more joint venture agreements, we will be largely dependent upon our ability to raise capital from the sale of our securities to fund our operations. We believe that our current capital resources will be sufficient to fund our general and administrative expenditures as well as limited exploration activities through 2014.
We do not anticipate being able to obtain revenue from commercial operations in the short term and anticipate we will be required to raise additional financing in the future to meet our working capital and on-going cash requirements. We intend to raise such financing through sales of our equity securities by way of private placements, and/or the exercise of warrants. We may also secure additional exploration funding through option or joint venture agreements on our mineral properties; or through the sale of our mineral properties, royalty interests or capital assets, or borrow to meet our working capital requirements. While we have in the past been able to raise sufficient funds to sustain our exploration programs,
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there is no assurance that we will continue to be able to do so. If, for any reason, we are not able to access the capital market, our resources during this period will be limited to cash on hand and any revenues we are able to generate from joint venture or similar arrangements we may hereafter enter into. If we are unable to secure sufficient funds to pursue such proposed acquisitions and exploration to the level desired, we will adjust our proposed activities to reflect the amount of capital available to us after providing for sufficient working capital to maintain our existing operations. At present, none of our properties have a known body of ore and all our proposed exploration programs are an exploratory search for ore. See “Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors”.
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5.C | Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc. |
We are a mineral exploration company and we do not carry on any research and development activities.
The Majuba Hill Property is primarily is prospective for copper and silver and the EMW property is prospective for gold.
The overall trend for the price of gold and silver had been upward during 2011 and 2012 due to the uncertainty in the financial sector and the continuation of accommodative monetary policies by governments on an international basis. With stronger economic data in early 2013, the price of gold retreated 28% during the year as investors anticipated the winding down of government stimulus programs in 2014. The price of silver retreated 36% during 2013 as well. In the meantime, the price of other minerals, such as zinc, molybdenum and other base metals, have continued to remain depressed due to lack of demand as a result of the current global recession. We anticipate that the continuing weakness in the price of minerals, combined with the continuing weakness in the price of gold and silver, as well as a lack of new capital for the mineral exploration sector in general, will make the acquisition of quality gold exploration prospects less expensive, as well as decreasing the costs of exploration generally. Metal prices cannot be predicted with accuracy and our plans will be largely dependent upon the timing and outcome of metal markets, particularly the price of gold, silver and copper which is entirely outside of our control. See “Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements”.
The market for gold, silver and copper are homogeneous, integrated commodities markets with a large number of both suppliers and buyers. These markets are not ones which are particularly susceptible to the influence of one or more large suppliers or buyers. As at April 25, 2014, gold traded at US$1.300.70 per ounce in the spot market, silver traded at US$19.70 per ounce and copper traded at US$3.12 per pound.
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5.E. | Off-balance Sheet Arrangements |
We have no off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to investors.
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5.F. | Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations |
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations at December 31, 2013 and the effect these obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flows in future periods.
| | | | | |
Contractual Obligations | Payment Due By Period |
| Total Remaining | Less than a year | 1-3 Years | 4-5 Years | After 5 Years |
East Manhattan Wash(1) Option Payments Work Commitment | US$110,000 $600,000 | US$20,000 Nil | US$90,000 US$600,000 | Nil Nil | Nil Nil |
Majuba Hill Lease Payments(2) | US$760,000 | US$160,000 | US$400,000 | US$200,000 | Nil |
Capital (Finances) Lease Obligations | NIL | | | | |
Operating Lease(3) Obligations | US$13,745 | US$13,745 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Purchase Obligations Equipment | NIL | | | | |
Other Long-term Liabilities | NIL | | | | |
Total Contractual Obligations and Commitments | US$1,483,745 | US$193,745 | US$1,090,000 | US$200,000 | Nil |
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| (1) | These are option payments pursuant to an option agreement dated November 11, 2007, as amended, between us and MSM L.L.C. While we are not obliged to make these payments, it will be necessary to do so if we wish to preserve our interest in this portion of the property. (See Item 4 “Information on the Company” – “Description of Property” - “East Manhattan Wash”) |
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| (2) | These are annual lease payments that must be made met pursuant to the Majuba Hill Lease Agreement dated December 3, 2012, as amended on December 3, 2103 and February 13, 2014, between us and Claremont Nevada Mines LLC and JR Exploration, Inc. While we are not obliged to make these payments, it will be necessary to do so if we wish to preserve our interest in this portion of the property. (See Item 4 “Information on the Company” – “Description of Property” – “Majuba Hill Project”. |
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| (3) | These are lease payments due monthly for office space in Vancouver leased from a property rental company for a term of two years, effective September 1, 2012. |
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Item 6. |
Directors, Senior Management and Employees |
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6.A | Directors and Senior Management |
The following is a list of the current directors and senior officers of the Company, their municipalities of residence, their current position with the Company and their principal occupations:
| | | |
Name of Director | Age | Principal Occupation | Position with Company |
| | | |
STUART ROGERS, Vancouver, BC | 57 | President of the Company President of West Oak Capital Group Inc. | President, Chief Executive Officer & Director |
PAUL JOHN, Penticton, BC | 67 | Businessman | Director |
IAN SMITH, Vancouver, BC | 67 | Chairman of Santa Fe Minerals Corp. | Director |
CLARENCE J. WENDT Reno, Nevada | 75 | Independent professional geologist | Director, Vice President Exploration |
DANIEL T. MACINNIS, Vancouver, BC | 62 | Professional Geologist | Director |
MARK GELMON, Vancouver, BC | 56 | Chartered Accountant | Chief Financial Officer |
The following describes the business experience of our directors and executive officers, including other directorships held in reporting companies:
Stuart Rogers
Mr. Rogers has been involved in the venture capital community since 1987. He is currently the President of West Oak Capital Group, Inc., a privately held investment banking firm specializing in the early stage finance of technology projects through the junior capital markets in Canada and the United States, and has served as a director of client companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange, NASDAQ Small Capital Market and FINRA OTC Bulletin Board. Currently, Mr. Rogers acts as a director and officer of TerraX Minerals Inc., Orefinders Resources Inc. and Alberta Star Development Corp., all of which are reporting issuers on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada.
Clarence (Clancy) J. Wendt, P. Geo
Mr. Wendt received his B.S. degree from San Diego State University in 1967. He began his career at Stauffer Chemical and worked at various companies until returning to the University of Arizona where he obtained his M.S. degree in 1978. After this he worked at Duval Corporation and other companies until becoming District Manager for Westmont Mining. He is credited with the Mt. Hamilton gold/molybdenum discovery in Nevada and managed the programs which led to the discovery of other deposits in the Carlin Trend. Mr. Wendt is currently a director of Santa Fe Minerals Corp., a reporting issuer on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Mr. Wendt has been a consulting geologist since 1992, specializing in exploration and evaluation of mineral deposits. He is a registered geologist in Arizona, British Columbia, Canada, and a Chartered Professional Geologist in Australia and writes reports for various exchanges. He is a member of SME, SEG, FAusIMM(CP), PDAC, a former Trustee of the NWMA and Member of the Board of Directors of the Mining Club of the Southwest. In addition, Mr. Wendt is the recipient of the President’s Award from the NWMA, the Ben F. Dickerson Award, and is a past President of the Geological Society of Nevada.
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Mr. Wendt has prior experience in gold, base metal and uranium exploration with such notable exploration companies as Phillips Uranium, Teton Exploration, Duval and Westmont. He has conducted all phases of uranium, gold and base metal exploration, from conceptual targeting to drilling and evaluation, with extensive experience in the United States and Mexico as well as Central and South America.
Paul John
Mr. John graduated from the University of Victoria, B.C. with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Economics and Political Science. From 1971 to 1979, he worked with the Hudson Bay Company, a national Canadian department store chain, rising to the senior executive level. In 1980, he acquired a Work Wear World franchise in the interior of British Columbia, developing this initial location into 19 stores in B.C. and the Yukon Territories, with annual sales of $18 million in 1999.
In 1999, Mr. John sold his chain of Work Wear World stores to Mark’s Work Warehouse, a publicly traded company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and was appointed as General Manager for Western Canada for their “Work World” franchised locations. He held this position until 2001, when he was appointed General Manager, Franchises for Work World, a position he held until 2010. He is currently a self-employed businessman.
Ian Smith, B.E. (Mining) Hons, F.AusIMM, CP Mgmt
Mr. Smith graduated from the University of Queensland, Australia with a degree in mining engineering and has over 40 years of international experience in corporate development, operations, project management and consulting within the base, precious metals and coal industries. From 2010 until late 2012, Mr. Smith was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Yellowhead Mining Inc. (TSX.V:YMI), successfully completing a detailed Feasibility Study on the Harper Creek copper-gold-silver project in south central B.C. in March 2012.
Mr. Smith was also recently President and CEO of bcMetals Corp., which had engineered the Red Chris copper/gold porphyry project for development in northwest BC prior to being acquired by Imperial Metals Corp. His involvement with large scale open pit copper operations at a senior management level includes Bougainville Copper in Papua New Quinea, La Caridad in Mexico and the Zambian Copperbelt.
Mr. Smith is the Chairman of Santa Fe Metals Corp., a reporting issuer on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Daniel T. MacInnis, P. Geo
Mr. MacInnis retired in 2013 as President and CEO of MAG Silver Corp. MAG Silver is listed on the TSX in Canada and on the NYSE MKT in the United States. He has over 33 years of experience in mineral exploration and experience with mineral property acquisitions and joint venture negotiations. Mr. MacInnis is a registered Professional Geologist (P.Geo.) in British Columbia and obtained a B.Sc. in Geology from Saint Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia) in 1974. Mr. MacInnis continues to serve as a Director of MAG Silver Corp. is also a director of Balmoral Resources Ltd., a reporting issuer on the TSX Venture Exchange.
Mark Gelmon, CA
Mr. Gelmon attained his chartered accountant designation in 1995, and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia. Mr. Gelmon currently serves as chief financial officer of Woulfe Mining Corp., which is listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange, and Bayswater Uranium Corp., which is listed on the the TSX Venture Exchange,.
There are no arrangements or understandings with major shareholders, customers, suppliers or others pursuant to which the foregoing individuals were selected to be a director or executive officer, nor are there any family relationships among any of our directors and officers.
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The following fairly reflects all material information regarding compensation paid to our directors and officers in our fiscal year ended December 31, 2013.
Summary Compensation Table
| | | | | | | | |
NAME AND PRINCIPAL POSITION | YEAR | ANNUAL COMPENSATION | LONG-TERM COMPENSATION |
Salary | Bonus | Other Annual Compensation | Awards | LTIP payouts | All Other Compensation |
Restricted Stock Awards | Securities Underlying Options/ SAR’s |
Stuart Rogers President, Chief Executive Officer and Director | 2013 | Nil | Nil | $120,000(1) | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Paul John Director | 2013 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Ian Smith Director | 2013 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Daniel T. MacInnis Director | 2013 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Christopher Cherry Former Chief Financial Officer | 2013 | Nil | Nil | $15,750(2) | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Mark Gelmon Chief Financial Officer | 2013 | Nil | Nil | $3,000(3) | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Clarence J. Wendt Vice President Exploration | 2013 | Nil | Nil | US$120,000(4) | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| | | |
| (1) | the $120,000 represents a management fee accrued to a company controlled by Stuart Rogers. |
| (2) | Compensation paid prior to his resignation as Chief Financial Officer on August 14, 2014. |
| (3) | Compensation paid following his appointment as Chief Financial Officer on August 14, 2014. |
| (4) | this compensation was accrued to Mr. Wendt pursuant to a consulting agreement entered into by Mr. Wendt for provision of geological consulting services, and for performance of duties normally associated with the position of VP Exploration. |
We are required, under applicable securities legislation in Canada, to disclose to our shareholders details of compensation paid to our directors and members of our administrative, supervisory or management bodies. We have no formal plan for compensating our directors for their services in their capacity as directors. The board of directors may award special
remuneration to any director undertaking any special services on our behalf other than services ordinarily required of a director. Other than indicated above, no director received any compensation for his or her services as a director, including committee participation and/or special assignments.
Stuart Rogers, Paul John, and Daniel T. MacInnis have acted as our directors since May 8, 2002, June 18, 2002 and December 7, 2005, respectively. Clancy Wendt was appointed to our board of directors at our Annual General Meeting held on June 30, 2010, with Ian Smith appointed to our board on February 22, 2012.
The directors will, unless they choose to resign, hold office until the next annual general meeting of the shareholders at which time they may stand for re-election. We are required to hold an annual general meeting once in every calendar year and not longer than fifteen months from the last annual general meeting.
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We are party to a consulting agreement with West Oak Capital Group, Inc., a private company owned by Stuart Rogers, whereby it is entitled to be paid $10,000 per month for management services. We are also party to a consulting agreement with Clarence Wendt, whereby he is entitled to be paid USD$10,000 per month for provision of geological consulting services and duties normally associated with the position of Vice President, Exploration. No other directors have service contracts with us, nor are they entitled to any termination benefits.
There are no service contracts with the Company for the directors providing for benefits upon termination of their service save and except for Mr. Rogers, as set out in the Consulting Agreements referred to above. Under the terms of that Agreement, in the event of termination:
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| (a) | By the Company upon an “Event of Default” by the Consultant (as defined in Agreement) or by the Consultant for any reason other than an Event of Default by Company, the Company shall pay to the Consultant all amounts accruing hereunder up to and including the effective date of Termination. |
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| (b) | By the Consultant due to an Event of Default by the Company or by the Company for any reason other than an Event of Default by the Consultant (as defined in the Agreement), the Company shall pay the Consultant: |
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| · | The full amount of monthly Fees (as defined in the Agreement) multiplied by the number of months remaining in the Term of the Agreement (as defined in the Agreement); |
| · | The full amount of any Bonus (as defined in the Agreement) then due and owing, provided that, in the absence of any bona fide award by the Compensation Committee (as defined in the Agreement) made more than 60 days prior to the effective date of Termination (as defined in the Agreement), the amount of such Bonus shall be deemed to be equal to 50% of the total amount of Fees and Bonuses paid to the Consultant and the Key Employee (as defined in the Agreement) within the 24 months prior to the effective date of Termination; |
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| · | The full amount of any Expenses incurred up to the effective date of Termination; |
| · | Any Options then outstanding shall be deemed to be extended and exercisable for 90 days following the expiry of the Term. |
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| · | Reference is made to the full text of the Consulting Agreements which are attached as exhibits to this Report. See Item 19 “Exhibits”. Other than the foregoing, we do not currently have any retirement, pension, bonus, profit-sharing or similar plans and none are proposed at this time. |
The Company does not have an executive committee or a remuneration committee, with remuneration being determined by the entire board of directors.
Audit Committee
Our audit committee is comprised of Ian Smith, Paul John and Stuart Rogers. The specific functions and responsibilities of the audit committee are set forth in our audit committee charter.
Ian Smith and Paul John are independent directors pursuant to the independence standards set forth in Section 803A of the NYSE MKT Company Guide and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. We have determined that Stuart Rogers qualifies as an audit committee financial expert, pursuant to SEC regulations. Each of Ian Smith and Paul John satisfy the financial literacy requirements for audit committee members under the SEC rules and regulations and Section 803 of the NYSE MKT Company Guide. Since Stuart Rogers is not independent, the Audit Committee does not satisfy the requirements of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act.
The Audit Committee’s primary function is to review the annual audited financial statements with our external auditor (the “Auditor”) prior to presentation to the Board and to make recommendations thereon, together with recommendations to the Board with respect to such financial statements and compensation payable to the Auditor. The audit committee also reviews our interim un-audited quarterly financial statements prior to finalization and publication. The Audit Committee also provides review oversight with respect to pre-approval of all non-audit services to be provided by the Auditor to the Company and a number of other related matters including issues related to a change of auditors and establishing procedures for treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters.
Our audit committee also establishes procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters; and establishes procedures for the confidential, anonymous submission byemployees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. The specific functions and responsibilities of the audit committee are set forth in our audit committee charter.See, “Audit Committee Financial Expert” for information related to audit committee independence and financial expert.
The Audit Committee meets as a separate committee of the board as and when needed to carry out its functions and keeps formal minutes of its proceedings.
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We do not have any employees other than our directors and officers. We have not had any employees during the past three years.
The following table sets forth the shareholdings, to the best of our knowledge, owned beneficially, directly or indirectly, by our directors and officers as of April 25, 2014. There were 30,825,985 common shares issued and outstanding as of April 25, 2014.
| | | | |
Name | | Number of Shares Owned | | Percentage of Outstanding Common Shares |
Stuart Rogers | | 863,605 | | 2.80% |
Paul John | | 438,750 | | 1.42% |
Ian Smith | | Nil | | Nil |
Daniel MacInnis | | Nil | | Nil |
Mark Gelmon | | Nil | | Nil |
Clancy Wendt | | 540,000 | | 1.75% |
Statements as to securities beneficially owned by directors and officers, or as to securities over which they exercise control or direction, are based upon information obtained from such directors and officers and from records available to the Company.
The following incentive stock options are outstanding to our directors and officers as at April 25, 2014:
| | | | | |
Name | Shares that may be Purchased Upon Exercise of Option | | Exercise Price | | Expiry Date |
Stuart Rogers (West Oak Capital) | 200,000 100,000 | | $0.24 $0.25 | | August 17, 2014 February 22, 2015 |
Paul John | 225,000 25,000 | | $0.24 $0.25 | | August 17, 2014 February 22, 2015 |
Ian Smith | 250,000 | | $0.25 | | February 22, 2015 |
Daniel MacInnis | 250,000 | | $0.24 | | August 17, 2014 |
Clancy Wendt | 250,000 50,000 | | $0.24 $0.25 | | August 17, 2014 February 22, 2015 |
We have an incentive stock option plan which was approved by the shareholders of the Company at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on August 21, 2012 (the “Stock Option Plan”). This Stock Option Plan provides for equity participation in the Company by our directors, officers, employees and consultants through the acquisition of common shares pursuant to the grant of options to purchase common shares. The exercise price for options granted under the Stock Option Plan is determined by the closing trading price on the day immediately preceding the date of grant, less any discounts permitted by the TSX Venture Exchange or such other stock exchange on which the common shares are listed. We have reserved and authorized up to 20.0% (4,901,197) of our issued treasury shares for issuance under the Stock Option Plan to our directors and key employees.
Under the Stock Option Plan, the aggregate number of optioned common shares granted to any one optionee in a 12-month period must not exceed 5% of the issued and outstanding common shares. The number of optioned common shares granted to any one consultant in a 12-month period must not exceed 2% of the issued and outstanding common shares. The aggregate number of optioned common shares granted to an optionee who is employed to provide investor relations activities must not exceed 2% of our issued and outstanding common shares in any 12-month period.
Options will be exercisable for a term of up to ten years, subject to earlier termination in the event of death or the optionee’s cessation of services to the Company; and options granted under the stock option plan are non-assignable, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
The policies of the TSX-Venture Exchange limit the granting of stock options to our directors, officers, employees and consultants and provide limits on the length, number and exercise price of such options.
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On March 14, 2011, the Company granted stock options to consultants to purchase 1,300,000 common shares at a price of $0.35 per share to March 14, 2013. These options all expired unexercised. On August 17, 2011, the Company granted stock options to consultants to purchase 1,625,000 common shares at a price of $0.24 per share to August 17, 2014. A further 480,000 incentive stock options, exercisable at $0.24 per share until October 26, 2013, were granted to consultants on October 26, 2011; these options expired unexercised.
On February 25, 2012, the Company granted stock options to directors and consultants to purchase 675,000 common shares at a price of $0.25 per share to February 25, 2015.
As at December 31, 2013, there were 2,200,000 stock options outstanding and exercisable.
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Item 7. | Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions |
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7A | Major Shareholders |
As used in this section, the term "beneficial ownership" with respect to a security is defined as: (1) any person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise has or shares voting power (which includes the power to vote, or to direct the voting of such security) or investment power (which includes the power to dispose, or to direct the disposition of, such security); and (2) any person who, directly or indirectly, creates or uses a trust, proxy, power of attorney, pooling arrangement or any other contract, arrangement or device with the purpose or effect of divesting such person of beneficial ownership of a security or preventing the vesting of such beneficial ownership.
As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 20-F, there are 30,825,985 common shares issued and outstanding in our capital stock. We are authorized to issue an unlimited number of common shares and preferred shares. We have not issued any preferred shares since our incorporation.
As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 20-F, no persons known to us were the beneficial owner of more than five percent of our outstanding common shares.
Of our 65 registered shareholders at March 31, 2014, 43 have Canadian addresses (including CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc.) representing 27,984,527 common shares or 90.78% of our issued and outstanding common shares. We have 22 registered shareholders with U.S. addresses holding 2,841,458 common shareholders or 9.22% of our issued and outstanding common shares. The remaining common shares of the Company are held by brokerages and other intermediaries and the Company cannot determine the residency of the beneficial holders of those shares.
Each of our issued common shares entitles the holder to one vote at meetings of the shareholders of the Company. There are no disproportionate or weighted voting privileges.
We are not controlled directly or indirectly by any other corporation or any other foreign government or by any other natural or legal person, severally or jointly.
There are no arrangements the operation of which at a subsequent date may result in a change in our control.
Our registrar and transfer agent is Computershare Trust Company of Canada, which is located at 3rd Floor, 510 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Tel: (604) 661-9400.
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7.B | Related Party Transactions |
Three month period ended March 31, 2014:
During the three month period ended March 31, 2014, we have not entered into transactions or loans with any (a) enterprises that directly or indirectly control, are controlled by or under common control with us; (b) our associates; (c) individuals directly or indirectly owning voting rights which give them significant influence over us or close members of their respective families, (d) our directors, senior management or close members of their respective families or (e) enterprises in which a substantial interest in the voting power is owned by any of the foregoing individuals (a “Related Party”) or over which such a person is able to exercise significant influence, except as follows:
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§ | Accrued $30,000 to a private company controlled by Stuart Rogers, our President, for management fees pursuant to an agreement with Mr. Rogers; and |
§ | Accrued US$30,000 to Clancy Wendt, our Vice-President of Exploration, for consulting fees pursuant to an agreement with Mr. Wendt. |
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Fiscal Year ended December 31, 2013:
In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, we did not enter into transactions or loans with any Related Party except as follows:
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§ | We paid or accrued $120,000 to a private company controlled by Stuart Rogers, our President, for management fees; and |
§ | We paid or accrued a total of US$120,000 to a private company controlled by Clancy Wendt, our Vice President Exploration, for consulting fees. |
Our directors or officers must disclose in writing to us the nature and extent of any interest they have in a material contract, or proposed material contract, with us. Such disclosure must be made immediately after the director or officer becomes aware of the contract or proposed contract. A director who is required to disclose an interest in a material contract or proposed material contract may not vote on any resolution to approve the contract except in very limited circumstances.
Stock option compensation to our directors and officers is disclosed elsewhere in this Form 20F. See Item 6.E “Share Ownership”.
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7.C | Interests of Experts and Counsel |
Not Applicable.
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Item 8. | Financial Information |
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8.A | Consolidated Statements and other Financial Information |
The following financial statements have been audited by an independent auditor and are accompanied by an audit report, are attached and incorporated herein:
(a) Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as at December 31, 2013 and 2012;
(b) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011;
(c) Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
(d) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011; and
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(e) | Related notes and schedules required by the comprehensive body of accounting standards pursuant to which the financial statements are prepared. |
Export Sales
The Company had no export sales in its latest financial year ended December 31, 2013 and, as a result, the percentage of export sales for the Company was zero.
Legal Proceedings
There are no legal proceedings as at April 28, 2014.
Dividend Policy
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common shares. As we do not have any earnings, we do not anticipate paying cash dividends on the common shares for the foreseeable future. Future dividends on the commons shares will be determined by the Board of Directors in light of circumstances existing at the time, including our earnings and financial condition. There is no assurance that dividends will ever be paid. See “Special Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements”.
There have been no significant changes since the date of the audited financial statements included herein.
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Item 9. | The Offer and Listing |
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9.A | Offer and Listing Details |
Our common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under symbol “MXR”. Our common shares were traded on the OTCBB from November 8, 2000 to July 18, 2012 and are currently quoted on the OTCQB tier of the OTC Link under the
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symbol “MXROF”. On March 2, 2006, our shares were listed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol “M1D”.
Our principal trading market in volume is the TSX Venture Exchange. The closing price of our common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange on April 25, 2014 was $0.06. The following table sets forth the high and low closing prices in Canadian funds of our common shares traded on this Canadian exchange:
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Annual Period | High | Low |
January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009 | $0.66 | $0.09 |
January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 | $0.45 | $0.15 |
January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 | $0.53 | $0.15 |
January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012 | $0.28 | $0.09 |
January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013 | $0.17 | $0.04 |
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Quarterly Period | High | Low |
January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012 | $0.30 | $0.16 |
April 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012 | $0.25 | $0.11 |
July 1, 2012 to September 30, 2012 | $0.20 | $0.10 |
October 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012 | $0.18 | $0.09 |
January 1, 2013 to March 31, 2013 | $0.17 | $0.09 |
April 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013 | $0.115 | $0.04 |
July 1, 2013 to September 30, 2013 | $0.12 | $0.04 |
October 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013 | $0.085 | $0.065 |
January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2014 | $0.08 | $0.05 |
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Monthly Period | High | Low |
October 2013 | $0.085 | $0.065 |
November 2013 | $0.07 | $0.06 |
December 2013 | $0.075 | $0.06 |
January 2014 | $0.085 | $0.04 |
February 2014 | $0.07 | $0.05 |
March 2014 | $0.08 | $0.055 |
Our common shares were traded on the OTCBB from November 8, 2000 to July 18, 2012 and are currently being quoted on the OTCQB tier of the OTC Link. The following sets forth the high and low closing prices in United States funds of our common shares traded in the United States:
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Annual Period | | High | | Low |
January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009 | US$ | 0.56 | US$ | 0.05 |
January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 | US$ | 0.43 | US$ | 0.11 |
January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 | US$ | 0.55 | US$ | 0.15 |
January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012 | US$ | 0.28 | US$ | 0.09 |
January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013 | US$ | 0.115 | US$ | 0.0462 |
| | | | |
Quarterly Period | | High | | Low |
January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012 | US$ | 0.28 | US$ | 0.15 |
April 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012 | US$ | 0.22 | US$ | 0.11 |
July 1, 2012 to September 30, 2012 | US$ | 0.2 | US$ | 0.10 |
October 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012 | US$ | 0.19 | US$ | 0.09 |
January 1, 2013 to March 31, 2013 | US$ | 0.115 | US$ | 0.085 |
April 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013 | US$ | 0.106 | US$ | 0.0505 |
July 1, 2013 to September 30, 2013 | US$ | 0.065 | US$ | 0.0505 |
October 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013 | US$ | 0.088 | US$ | 0.0551 |
January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2014 | US$ | 0.078 | US$ | 0.0462 |
| | | | |
Monthly Period | | High | | Low |
October 2013 | US$ | 0.088 | US$ | 0.057 |
November 2013 | US$ | 0.088 | US$ | 0.065 |
December 2013 | US$ | 0.071 | US$ | 0.0551 |
January 2014 | US$ | 0.07 | US$ | 0.05 |
February 2014 | US$ | 0.055 | US$ | 0.0462 |
March 2014 | US$ | 0.078 | US$ | 0.0462 |
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Not Applicable.
The common shares of the Company were listed for trading on the TSX-Venture Exchange on the 15th day of June, 1994.
Our common shares were quoted for trading on the OTCBB from November 8, 2000 to July 18, 2012 and are currently quoted on the OTCQB tier of the OTC Link.
Our common shares were listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on March 2, 2006 with the symbol “M1D”.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
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Item 10. | Additional Information |
Not applicable.
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10.B | Memorandum and Articles of Association |
We were incorporated under the Alberta BCA by registration of our articles of incorporation and bylaws. Pursuant to the provisions of the Alberta BCA, a company may conduct any business that it is not restricted by the terms of its articles or bylaws from conducting. Our articles and bylaws contain no such restrictions.
On June 27, 2007, we were registered under theBusiness Corporations Act of British Columbia as an extra-provincial company in British Columbia.
Our directors are required to disclose to the board of directors the nature and extent of their interest in any proposed transaction or contract and must thereafter refrain from voting in respect thereof. An interested director may be counted in the quorum when a determination as to such director’s remuneration is being considered but may not vote in respect thereof. The directors have an unlimited power to borrow money, issue debt obligations and mortgage or charge our assets provided such actions are conducted bona fide and in our best interests. There are no mandatory retirement ages for directors or any required shareholdings.
All holders of common shares are entitled to receive dividends out of assets legally available therefore at such times and in such amounts as the board of directors may from time to time determine. All holders of common shares will share equally
on a per share basis in any dividend declared by the board of directors. The dividend entitlement time limit will be fixed by the board of directors at the time any such dividend is declared. Each outstanding common share is entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders at a general meeting. There are no cumulative voting rights attached to any of our shares and, accordingly, the holders of more than half of the shares represented at a general meeting can elect all of the directors to be elected in a general meeting. All directors stand for re-election annually. Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up, all common shareholders are entitled to share ratably in all net assets available for distribution after payment to creditors. The common shares are not convertible or redeemable and have no preemptive, subscription or conversion rights. In the event of a merger or consolidation, all common shareholders will be entitled to receive the same per share consideration.
The rights of shareholders may only be altered by the shareholders passing a special resolution at a general meeting. A special resolution may only be passed when it has been circulated to all shareholders by way of information circular and then must be passed by seventy-five percent of the votes cast at the general meeting.
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The board of directors may call an annual or extraordinary general meeting when required. One or more shareholders holding in aggregate five percent or more of our issued shares may requisition an extraordinary meeting and the directors are required to hold such meeting within four months of such requisition. Only registered shareholders or persons duly appointed by proxy may be admitted to meetings unless otherwise permitted by the chairman of the meeting.
There are no federal Canadian limitations or restrictions on the right to own our common shares.
Some regulatory restrictions, and disclosure obligations, would apply to persons purchasing 5% or more of our issued and outstanding common shares. Persons resident outside of Canada might be subject to foreign investment review regulations if they were to purchase a controlling interest in the Company.
There are no provisions in our bylaws or articles of incorporation that would have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control.
There are no provisions in our bylaws or articles of incorporation that establish any threshold for disclosure of ownership. However, the Alberta and British Columbia Securities Commission require that persons that are the registered owners of, and/or have voting control over 10% or more of our common shares must file insider reports disclosing securities holdings and must disclose any plans to acquire additional securities above that 10%.
The following are the material contracts which we, or any of our subsidiaries, have entered into in the last two years immediately prior to date of this report. See “Principal Expenditures and Divestitures”:
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● | Mining Lease and Option to Purchase Agreement between Claremont Nevada Mines LLC of Nevada and JR Exploration LLC of Utah and us dated December 3, 2012, as amended December 3, 2013 and February 13, 2014. Pursuant to the Majuba Hill Lease Agreement, as amended, we can acquire a 100% interest in the Majuba Hill Property by the payment to Claremont of US$1,000,000 over a four year period, with US$200,000 having been paid on signing and the balance payable over a four year period as follows, subject to an NSR of 1%:
(i) $40,000 on or before December 3, 2013 (paid); (ii) $10,000 on or before February 14, 2014 (paid); (iii) $15,000 on or before March 31, 2014 (paid); (iv) $16,000 on or before April 30, 2014; (v) $17,000 on or before May 31, 2014; (vi) $17,000 on or before June 30, 2014; (vii) $17,000 on or before July 31, 2014; (viii) $17,000 on or before August 31, 2014 (ix) $17,000 on or before September 30, 2014; (x) $17,000 on or before October 31, 2014; (xi) $17,000 on or before November 30, 2014; (xii) $200,000 on or before December 3, 2014; (xiii) $200,000 on or before December 3, 2015; and (xiv) $200,000 on or before December 3, 2016. |
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● | Mineral Lease and Participation Agreement between New Nevada Resources, LLC, (“NNR”) and us dated April 9, 2012. Pursuant to the agreement, we can acquire a 85% interest in Section 33, a mineral property adjacent to the Majuba Hill project in Pershing County, Nevada. The Mineral Lease with NNR was for a term of 20 years and called for annual lease payments of $15 per acre in the first year, increasing incrementally to $30 per acre in year four and subsequent years. NNR had the right to retain a 15-per-cent working interest in Section 33 or could convert it to a net smelter return of 0.5 per cent on base metals and 1 per cent on precious metals, in addition to retaining an overriding NSR of 1.75 per cent on base metals and 3 per cent on precious metals. We elected not to make the annual lease payment when due in April 2013 and terminated this agreement. |
We have not entered into any other material agreements other than in the ordinary course of its business.
We have excluded management and public relations agreements, geological data access agreements, geological consulting agreements, professional services and other generic agreements as being in the ordinary course of our business.
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There are no governmental laws, decrees or regulations in Canada that restrict the export or import of capital (including, without limitation, foreign exchange controls), or that affect the remittance of dividends, interest or other payments to non-resident holders of our Common Shares. However, any such remittance to a resident of the United States may be subject to a withholding tax pursuant to the reciprocal tax treaty between Canada and the United States. For further information concerning such withholding tax, see “Item 10.E Taxation”
There are no limitations under the laws of Canada, the Province of Alberta, or in our charter or other constituent documents with respect to the right of non-resident or foreign owners to hold and/or vote our common shares. However, theInvestment Canada Act (the “Act”), enacted on June 20, 1985, as amended, requires the prior notification and, in certain cases, advance review and approval by the Government of Canada of the acquisition by a “non-Canadian” of “control” of a “Canadian business,” all as defined in the Act. For the purposes of the Act, “control” can be acquired through the acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets used in the Canadian business, or the direct or indirect acquisition of interests in an entity that carries on a Canadian business or which controls the entity which carries on the Canadian business. Under the Act, control of a corporation is deemed to be acquired through the acquisition of a majority of the voting shares of a corporation, and is presumed to be acquired where more than one-third, but less than a majority, of the voting shares of a corporation are acquired, unless it can be established that the corporation is not controlled in fact through the ownership of voting shares. Other rules apply with respect to the acquisition of non-corporate entities.
Investments requiring review and approval include direct acquisition of Canadian businesses with assets with a gross book value of $5,000,000 or more; indirect acquisitions of Canadian businesses with assets of $50,000,000 or more; and indirect acquisitions of Canadian businesses where the value of assets of the entity or entities carrying on business in Canada, control of which is indirectly being acquired, is greater than $5,000,000 and represents greater than 50% of the total value of the assets of all of the entities, control of which is being acquired.
Pursuant to theWorld Trade Organization Agreement Implementation Act, the Act was amended to provide that the value of the business acquisition threshold (the “Threshold”) above described is increased from those levels outlined where the acquisition is by a World Trade Organization Investor or by a non-Canadian other than a World Trade Organization Investor where the Canadian business that is the subject of the investment is immediately before the investment controlled by a World Trade Organization Investor. The Threshold is to be determined yearly in accordance with a formula set forth in the Act. For 2010, the Threshold was determined to be $299,000,000
A World Trade Organization Investor includes an individual, other than a Canadian, who is a national of a World Trade Organization Member, or who has the right of permanent residence in relation to that World Trade Organization Member.
Different provisions and considerations apply with respect to investment to acquire control of a Canadian business that, as defined in the Act or regulations:
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| · | engages in production of uranium and owns an interest in a producing uranium property in Canada; |
| · | provides financial services; |
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| · | provides transportation services; |
| · | is a cultural business. |
If an investment is reviewable, an application for review in the form prescribed by regulation is normally required to be filed with the Ministry of Industry, Director of Investment prior to the investment taking place and the investment may not be consummated until the review has been completed and ministerial approval obtained. Applications for review concerning indirect acquisitions may be filed up to 30 days after the investment is consummated. Applications concerning reviewable investments in culturally sensitive and other specified activities referred to in the preceding paragraph are required upon receipt of a notice for review. There is, moreover, provision for the Minister (a person designated as such under the Act) to permit an investment to be consummated prior to completion of review if he is satisfied that delay would cause undue hardship to the acquirer or jeopardize the operation of the Canadian business that is being acquired.
Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following is a general summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to a U.S. Holder (as defined below) arising from and relating to the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares.
This summary is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be a complete analysis or listing of all potential U.S. federal income tax considerations that may apply to a U.S. Holder arising from and relating to the
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acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares. In addition, this summary does not take into account the individual facts and circumstances of any particular U.S. Holder that may affect the U.S. federal income tax consequences to such U.S. Holder, including specific tax consequences to a U.S. Holder under an applicable tax treaty. Accordingly, this summary is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal or U.S. federal income tax advice with respect to any U.S. Holder. Except as specifically set forth below, this summary does not discuss applicable tax reporting requirements. Each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal, U.S. federal alternative minimum, U.S. federal estate and gift, U.S. state and local tax, and foreign tax consequences relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of common shares.
No legal opinion from U.S. legal counsel or ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) has been requested, or will be obtained, regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares. This summary is not binding on the IRS, and the IRS is not precluded from taking a position that is different from, and contrary to, the positions taken in this summary. In addition, because the authorities on which this summary is based are subject to various interpretations, the IRS and the U.S. courts could disagree with one or more of the positions taken in this summary.
Scope of this Summary
Authorities
This summary is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), Treasury Regulations (whether final, temporary, or proposed), published rulings of the IRS, published administrative positions of the IRS, U.S. court decisions, the Convention Between Canada and the United States of America with Respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital, signed September 26, 1980, as amended (the “Canada-U.S. Tax Convention”), and U.S. court decisions that are applicable and, in each case, as in effect and available, as of the date of this document. Any of the authorities on which this summary is based could be changed in a material and adverse manner at any time, and any such change could be applied on a retroactive or prospective basis which could affect the U.S. federal income tax considerations described in this summary. This summary does not discuss the potential effects, whether adverse or beneficial, of any proposed legislation that, if enacted, could be applied on a retroactive or prospective basis.
U.S. Holders
For purposes of this summary, the term "U.S. Holder" means a beneficial owner of common shares that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
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| · | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the U.S.; |
| · | a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) organized under the laws of the U.S., any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
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| · | an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| · | a trust that (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the U.S. and the control of one or more U.S. persons for all substantial decisions or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. |
Non-U.S. Holders
For purposes of this summary, a “non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of common shares that is not a U.S. Holder. This summary does not address the U.S. federal income tax consequences to non-U.S. Holders arising from and relating to the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares. Accordingly, a non-U.S. Holder should consult its own tax
advisor regarding the U.S. federal, U.S. federal alternative minimum, U.S. federal estate and gift, U.S. state and local tax, and foreign tax consequences (including the potential application of and operation of any income tax treaties) relating to the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares.
U.S. Holders Subject to Special U.S. Federal Income Tax Rules Not Addressed
This summary does not address the U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to U.S. Holders that are subject to special provisions under the Code, including U.S. Holders that: (a) are tax-exempt organizations, qualified retirement plans, individual retirement accounts, or other tax-deferred accounts; (b) are financial institutions, underwriters, insurance companies, real estate investment trusts, or regulated investment companies; (c) are dealers in securities or currencies or U.S. Holders that are traders in securities that elect to apply a mark-to-market accounting method; (d) have a “functional currency” other than the U.S. dollar; (e) own common shares as part of a straddle, hedging transaction, conversion transaction, constructive sale, or other arrangement involving more than one position; (f) acquired common shares in connection with the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation for services; (g) hold common shares other than as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment purposes); (h) are partnerships and other pass-through entities (and investors in such partnerships and entities); or (i) own or
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have owned (directly, indirectly, or by attribution) 10% or more of the total combined voting power of the outstanding shares of the Company. This summary also does not address the U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to U.S. Holders who are (a) U.S. expatriates or former long-term residents of the U.S. , (b) persons that have been, are, or will be a resident or deemed to be a resident in Canada for purposes of the Canadian Act (as defined below); (c) persons that use or hold, will use or hold, or that are or will be deemed to use or hold common shares in connection with carrying on a business in Canada; (d) persons whose common shares constitute “taxable Canadian property” under the Canadian Act; or (e) persons that have a permanent establishment in Canada for the purposes of the Canada-U.S. Tax Convention. U.S. Holders that are subject to special provisions under the Code, including U.S. Holders described immediately above, should consult their own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal, U.S. federal alternative minimum, U.S. federal estate and gift, U.S. state and local tax, and foreign tax consequences relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of common shares.
If an entity or arrangement that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds common shares, the U.S. federal income tax consequences to such partnership and the partners of such partnership generally will depend on the activities of the partnership and the status of such partners. This summary does not address the tax consequences to any such partner. Partners of entities or arrangements that are classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes should consult their own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences arising from and relating to the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares.
Tax Consequences Not Addressed
This summary does not address the U.S. state and local, U.S. federal estate and gift, U.S. federal alternative minimum tax or foreign tax consequences to U.S. Holders of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares. Each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the U.S. state and local, U.S. federal estate and gift, U.S. federal alternative minimum tax and foreign tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares.
Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules
If the Company is considered a “passive foreign investment company” under the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code (a “PFIC”) at any time during a U.S. Holder’s holding period, the following sections will generally describe the U.S. federal income tax consequences to the U.S. Holder of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares.
PFIC Status of the Company
The Company generally will be a PFIC if, for a tax year, (a) 75% or more of the gross income of the Company for such tax year is passive income or (b) 50% or more of the value of the Company’s assets either produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income, based on the quarterly average of the fair market value of such assets. “Gross income” generally includes sales revenues less the cost of goods sold, plus income from investments and from incidental or outside operations or sources, and “passive income” generally includes, for example, dividends, interest, certain rents and royalties, certain gains from the sale of stock and securities, and certain gains from commodities transactions.
Active business gains arising from the sale of commodities generally are excluded from passive income if substantially all (85% or more) of a foreign corporation’s commodities are stock in trade of such foreign corporation or other property of a
kind which would properly be included in inventory of such foreign corporation, or property held by such foreign corporation primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, and certain other requirements are satisfied.
For purposes of the PFIC income test and asset test described above, if the Company owns, directly or indirectly, 25% or more of the total value of the outstanding shares of another corporation, the Company will be treated as if it (a) held a proportionate share of the assets of such other corporation and (b) received directly a proportionate share of the income of such other corporation. In addition, for purposes of the PFIC income test and asset test described above, “passive income” does not include any interest, dividends, rents, or royalties that are received or accrued by the Company from a “related person” (as defined in Section 954(d)(3) of the Code), to the extent such items are properly allocable to the income of such related person that is not passive income.
In addition, under certain attribution rules, if the Company is a PFIC, U.S. Holders will be deemed to own their proportionate share of any subsidiary of the Company which is also a PFIC (a ‘‘Subsidiary PFIC’’), and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on their proportionate share of (i) a distribution on the shares of a Subsidiary PFIC and (ii) a disposition or deemed disposition of shares of a Subsidiary PFIC, both as if such U.S. Holders directly held the shares of such Subsidiary PFIC.
The Company believes that it qualified as a PFIC for the tax year ended December 31, 2013 and may continue to be a PFIC in future years. The determination of whether a corporation was, or will be, a PFIC for a tax year depends, in part, on the application of complex U.S. federal income tax rules, which are subject to differing interpretations. In addition, whether a
corporation will be a PFIC for any tax year depends on the assets and income of such corporation over the course of each
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such tax year and, as a result, cannot be predicted with certainty as of the date of this document. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge any determination made by the Company (or a Subsidiary PFIC) concerning its PFIC status or that the Company (and each subsidiary) was not, or will not be, a PFIC for any tax year. Each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the PFIC status of the Company and each subsidiary.
In addition, in any year in which the Company is classified as a PFIC, such holder may be required to file an annual report with the IRS containing such information as Treasury Regulations and/or other IRS guidance may require. In addition to penalties, a failure to satisfy such reporting requirements may result in an extension of the time period during which the IRS can assess a tax. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the requirements of filing such information returns under these rules, including the requirement to file a IRS Form 8621.
Default PFIC Rules Under Section 1291 of the Code
If the Company is a PFIC, the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a U.S. Holder of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares will depend on whether such U.S. Holder makes an election to treat the Company as a “qualified electing fund” or “QEF” under Section 1295 of the Code (a “QEF Election”) or a mark-to-market election under Section 1296 of the Code (a “Mark-to-Market Election”). A U.S. Holder that does not make either a QEF Election or a Mark-to-Market Election will be referred to in this summary as a “Non-Electing U.S. Holder.”
A Non-Electing U.S. Holder will be subject to the rules of Section 1291 of the Code with respect to (a) any gain recognized on the sale or other taxable disposition of common shares and (b) any excess distribution received on the common shares. A distribution generally will be an “excess distribution” to the extent that such distribution (together with all other distributions received in the current tax year) exceeds 125% of the average distributions received during the three preceding tax years (or during a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the common shares, if shorter).
Under Section 1291 of the Code, any gain recognized on the sale or other taxable disposition of common shares, and any “excess distribution” received on common shares, must be ratably allocated to each day in a Non-Electing U.S. Holder’s holding period for the respective common shares. The amount of any such gain or excess distribution allocated to the tax year of disposition or distribution of the excess distribution and to years before the entity became a PFIC, if any, would be taxed as ordinary income. The amounts allocated to any other tax year would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the highest tax applicable to ordinary income in each such year, and an interest charge would be imposed on the tax liability for each such year, calculated as if such tax liability had been due in each such year. A Non-Electing U.S. Holder that is not a corporation must treat any such interest paid as “personal interest,” which is not deductible.
If the Company is a PFIC for any tax year during which a Non-Electing U.S. Holder holds common shares, the Company will continue to be treated as a PFIC with respect to such Non-Electing U.S. Holder, regardless of whether the Company ceases to be a PFIC in one or more subsequent tax years. A Non-Electing U.S. Holder may terminate this deemed PFIC status by electing to recognize gain (which will be taxed under the rules of Section 1291 of the Code discussed above) as if such common shares were sold on the last day of the last tax year for which the Company was a PFIC.
QEF Election
A U.S. Holder that makes a QEF Election for the first tax year in which its holding period of its common shares begins, generally, will not be subject to the rules of Section 1291 of the Code discussed above with respect to its common shares. However, a U.S. Holder that makes a QEF Election will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such U.S. Holder’s pro rata share of (a) the net capital gain of the Company, which will be taxed as long-term capital gain to such U.S. Holder, and (b) and the ordinary earnings of the Company, which will be taxed as ordinary income to such U.S. Holder. Generally, “net capital gain” is the excess of (a) net long-term capital gain over (b) net short-term capital loss, and “ordinary earnings” are the excess of (a) “earnings and profits” over (b) net capital gain. A U.S. Holder that makes a QEF Election will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such amounts for each tax year in which the Company is a PFIC, regardless of whether such amounts are actually distributed to such U.S. Holder by the Company. However, for any tax year in which the Company is a PFIC and has no net income or gain, U.S. Holders that have made a QEF Election would not have any income inclusions as a result of the QEF Election. If a U.S. Holder that made a QEF Election has an income inclusion, such a U.S. Holder may, subject to certain limitations, elect to defer payment of current U.S. federal income tax on such amounts, subject to an interest charge. If such U.S. Holder is not a corporation, any such interest paid will be treated as “personal interest,” which is not deductible.
A U.S. Holder that makes a QEF Election generally (a) may receive a tax-free distribution from the Company to the extent that such distribution represents “earnings and profits” of the Company that were previously included in income by the U.S. Holder because of such QEF Election and (b) will adjust such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the common shares to reflect the amount included in income or allowed as a tax-free distribution because of such QEF Election. In addition, a U.S. Holder that makes a QEF Election generally will recognize capital gain or loss on the sale or other taxable disposition of common shares.
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The procedure for making a QEF Election, and the U.S. federal income tax consequences of making a QEF Election, will depend on whether such QEF Election is timely. A QEF Election will be treated as “timely” if such QEF Election is made for the first year in the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the common shares in which the Company was a PFIC. A U.S. Holder may make a timely QEF Election by filing the appropriate QEF Election documents at the time such U.S. Holder files a U.S. federal income tax return for such year.
A QEF Election will apply to the tax year for which such QEF Election is made and to all subsequent tax years, unless such QEF Election is invalidated or terminated or the IRS consents to revocation of such QEF Election. If a U.S. Holder makes a QEF Election and, in a subsequent tax year, the Company ceases to be a PFIC, the QEF Election will remain in effect (although it will not be applicable) during those tax years in which the Company is not a PFIC. Accordingly, if the Company becomes a PFIC in another subsequent tax year, the QEF Election will be effective and the U.S. Holder will be subject to the QEF rules described above during any subsequent tax year in which the Company qualifies as a PFIC.
U.S. Holders should be aware that there can be no assurance that we will satisfy record keeping requirements that apply to a QEF, or that we will supply U.S. Holders with information that such U.S. Holders require to report under the QEF rules, in event that we are a PFIC and a U.S. Holder wishes to make a QEF Election. Thus, U.S. Holders may not be able to make a QEF Election with respect to their common shares. Each U.S. Holder should consult its own financial advisor, legal counsel, or accountant regarding the availability of, and procedure for making, a QEF Election.
Mark-to-Market Election
A U.S. Holder may make a Mark-to-Market Election only if the common shares are marketable stock. The common shares generally will be “marketable stock” if the common shares are regularly traded on (a) a national securities exchange that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, (b) the national market system established pursuant to section 11A of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, or (c) a foreign securities exchange that is regulated or supervised by a governmental authority of the country in which the market is located, provided that (i) such foreign exchange has trading volume, listing, financial disclosure, and other requirements and the laws of the country in which such foreign exchange is located, together with the rules of such foreign exchange, ensure that such requirements are actually enforced and (ii) the rules of such foreign exchange ensure active trading of listed stocks.
If such stock is traded on such a qualified exchange or other market, such stock generally will be “regularly traded” for any calendar year during which such stock is traded, other than in de minimis quantities, on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter.
A U.S. Holder that makes a Mark-to-Market Election with respect to its common shares generally will not be subject to the rules of Section 1291 of the Code discussed above with respect to such common shares. However, if a U.S. Holder does not make a Mark-to-Market Election beginning in the first tax year of such U.S. Holder’s holding period for the common shares or such U.S. Holder has not made a timely QEF Election, the rules of Section 1291 of the Code discussed above will apply to certain dispositions of, and distributions on, the common shares.
A U.S. Holder that makes a Mark-to-Market Election will include in ordinary income, for each tax year in which the Company is a PFIC, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of (a) the fair market value of the common shares, as of the close of such tax year over (b) such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in such common shares. A U.S. Holder that makes a Mark-to-Market Election will be allowed a deduction in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of (i) such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the common shares, over (ii) the fair market value of such common shares (but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the Mark-to-Market Election for prior tax years).
A U.S. Holder that makes a Mark-to-Market Election generally also will adjust such U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the common shares to reflect the amount included in gross income or allowed as a deduction because of such Mark-to-Market Election. In addition, upon a sale or other taxable disposition of common shares, a U.S. Holder that makes a Mark-to-Market Election will recognize ordinary income or ordinary loss (not to exceed the excess, if any, of (a) the amount included in ordinary income because of such Mark-to-Market Election for prior tax years over (b) the amount allowed as a deduction because of such Mark-to-Market Election for prior tax years).
A Mark-to-Market Election applies to the tax year in which such Mark-to-Market Election is made and to each subsequent tax year, unless the common shares cease to be “marketable stock” or the IRS consents to revocation of such election. Each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the availability of, and procedure for making, a Mark-to-Market Election.
Although a U.S. Holder may be eligible to make a Mark-to-Market Election with respect to the common shares, no such election may be made with respect to the stock of any Subsidiary PFIC that a U.S. Holder is treated as owning, because such stock is not marketable. Hence, the Mark-to-Market Election will not be effective to eliminate the interest charge described above with respect to deemed dispositions of Subsidiary PFIC stock or distributions from a Subsidiary PFIC.
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Other PFIC Rules
Under Section 1291(f) of the Code, the IRS has issued proposed Treasury Regulations that, subject to certain exceptions, would cause a U.S. Holder that had not made a timely QEF Election to recognize gain (but not loss) upon certain transfers of common shares that would otherwise be tax-deferred (e.g., gifts and exchanges pursuant to corporate reorganizations). However, the specific U.S. federal income tax consequences to a U.S. Holder may vary based on the manner in which common shares are transferred.
Certain additional adverse rules will apply with respect to a U.S. Holder if the Company is a PFIC, regardless of whether such U.S. Holder makes a QEF Election. For example under Section 1298(b)(6) of the Code, a U.S. Holder that uses common shares as security for a loan will, except as may be provided in Treasury Regulations, be treated as having made a taxable disposition of such common shares.
Special rules also apply to the amount of foreign tax credit that a U.S. Holder may claim on a distribution from a PFIC. Subject to such special rules, foreign taxes paid with respect to any distribution in respect of stock in a PFIC are generally eligible for the foreign tax credit.
The rules relating to distributions by a PFIC and their eligibility for the foreign tax credit are complicated, and a U.S. Holder should consult with their own tax advisor regarding the availability of the foreign tax credit with respect to distributions by a PFIC.
In addition, a U.S. Holder who acquires common shares from a decedent will not receive a “step up” in tax basis of such common shares to fair market value.
The PFIC rules are complex, and each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the PFIC rules and how the PFIC rules may affect the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of common shares.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Acquisition, Ownership, and Disposition of Common Shares
The following discussion is subject to the rules described above under the heading “Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”
General Taxation of Distributions
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed above, a U.S. Holder that receives a distribution, including a constructive distribution, with respect to a Common Share will be required to include the amount of such distribution in gross income as a dividend (without reduction for any Canadian income tax withheld from such distribution) to the extent of the current or accumulated “earnings and profits” of the Company, as computed for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A dividend generally will be taxed to a U.S. Holder at ordinary income tax rates. To the extent that a distribution exceeds the current and accumulated “earnings and profits” of the Company, such distribution will be treated first as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of a U.S. Holder's tax basis in the common shares and thereafter as gain from the sale or exchange of such common shares. (See “Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of common shares” below). However, the Company may not maintain the calculations of earnings and profits in accordance with U.S. federal income tax principles, and each U.S. Holder should therefore assume that any distribution by the Company with respect to the common shares will constitute ordinary dividend income. Dividends received on common shares generally will not be eligible for the “dividends received deduction”. Subject to applicable limitations and provided the Company is eligible for the benefits of the Canada-U.S. Tax Convention, dividends paid by the Company to non-corporate U.S. Holders, including individuals, generally will be eligible for the preferential tax rates applicable to long-term capital gains for dividends, provided certain holding period and other conditions are satisfied, including that the Company not be classified as a PFIC in the tax year of distribution or in the preceding tax year. The dividend rules are complex, and each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the application of such rules.
Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Shares
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed above, upon the sale or other taxable disposition of common shares, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount of cash plus the fair market value of any property received and such U.S. Holder's tax basis in such common shares sold or otherwise disposed of. Subject to the PFIC rules discussed above, gain or loss recognized on such sale or other disposition generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if, at the time of the sale or other disposition, the common shares have been held for more than one year.
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Preferential tax rates apply to long-term capital gain of a U.S. Holder that is an individual, estate, or trust. There are currently no preferential tax rates for long-term capital gain of a U.S. Holder that is a corporation. Deductions for capital losses are subject to significant limitations under the Code.
Receipt of Foreign Currency
The amount of any distribution paid to a U.S. Holder in foreign currency, or on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of common shares, generally will be equal to the U.S. dollar value of such foreign currency based on the exchange rate applicable on the date of receipt (regardless of whether such foreign currency is converted into U.S. dollars at that time).
If the foreign currency received is not converted into U.S. dollars on the date of receipt, a U.S. Holder will have a basis in the foreign currency equal to its U.S. dollar value on the date of receipt. Any U.S. Holder who receives payment in foreign currency and engages in a subsequent conversion or other disposition of the foreign currency may have a foreign currency exchange gain or loss that would be treated as ordinary income or loss, and generally will be U.S. source income or loss for foreign tax credit purposes. Each U.S. Holder should consult its own U.S. tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of receiving, owning, and disposing of foreign currency.
Foreign Tax Credit
Subject to the PFIC rules discussed above, a U.S. Holder who pays (whether directly or through withholding) Canadian income tax with respect to dividends paid on the common shares generally will be entitled, at the election of such U.S. Holder, to receive either a deduction or a credit for such Canadian income tax paid. Generally, a credit will reduce a U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability on a dollar-for-dollar basis, whereas a deduction will reduce a U.S. Holder’s income subject to U.S. federal income tax. This election is made on a year-by-year basis and applies to all foreign taxes paid (whether directly or through withholding) by a U.S. Holder during a year.
Complex limitations apply to the foreign tax credit, including the general limitation that the credit cannot exceed the proportionate share of a U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability that such U.S. Holder’s “foreign source” taxable income bears to such U.S. Holder’s worldwide taxable income. In applying this limitation, a U.S. Holder’s various items of income and deduction must be classified, under complex rules, as either “foreign source” or “U.S. source.” In addition, this limitation is calculated separately with respect to specific categories of income. Dividends paid by the Company generally will constitute “foreign source” income and generally will be categorized as “passive category income.” Gain or loss recognized by a U.S. Holder on the sale or other taxable disposition of common shares generally will be treated as “U.S. source” for purposes of applying the U.S. foreign tax credit rules unless the gain is subject to tax in Canada and its resourced as “foreign source” under the Canada U.S. Tax Convention and such U.S. Holder elects to treat such gain or loss as “foreign source”. The foreign tax credit rules are complex, and each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the foreign tax credit rules.
Additional Tax on Passive Income
Individuals, estates and certain trusts whose income exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare surtax on “net investment income” including, among other things, dividends and net gain from dispositions of property (other than property held in a trade or business). Further, excess distributions treated as dividends, gains treated as excess distributions, and mark-to-market inclusions and deductions are all included in the calculation of net investment income.
Treasury Regulations provide, subject to the election described in the following paragraph, that solely for purposes of this additional tax, that distributions of previously taxed income will be treated as dividends and included in net investment income subject to the additional 3.8% tax. Additionally, to determine the amount of any capital gain from the sale or other taxable disposition of common shares that will be subject to the additional tax on net investment income, a U.S. Holder who has made a QEF Election will be required to recalculate its basis in the common shares excluding QEF basis adjustments.
Alternatively, a U.S. Holder may make an election for its first taxable year beginning after December 31, 2013, which will be effective with respect to all interests in controlled foreign corporations and QEFs held in that year or acquired in future years. Under this election, a U.S. Holder pays the additional 3.8% tax on QEF income inclusions, and on gains calculated after giving effect to related tax basis adjustments. U.S. Holders that are individuals, estates or such trusts should consult their own tax advisors regarding the applicability of this tax to any of their income or gains in respect of the common shares.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
Under U.S. federal income tax law and Treasury Regulations, certain categories of U.S. Holders must file information returns with respect to their investment in, or involvement in, a foreign corporation. For example, U.S. return disclosure
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obligations (and related penalties) are imposed on individuals who are U.S. Holders that hold certain specified foreign financial assets in excess of certain threshold amounts. The definition of specified foreign financial assets includes not only financial accounts maintained in foreign financial institutions, but also, unless held in accounts maintained by a financial institution, any stock or security issued by a non-U.S. person, any financial instrument or contract held for investment that has an issuer or counterparty other than a U.S. person and any interest in a foreign entity. U.S. Holders may be subject to these reporting requirements unless their common shares are held in an account at certain financial institutions. Penalties for failure to file certain of these information returns are substantial. U.S. Holders should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the requirements of filing information returns, including the requirement to file an IRS Form 8938.
Payments made within the U.S. or by a U.S. payor or U.S. middleman, of dividends on, and proceeds arising from the sale or other taxable disposition of, common shares generally may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding tax, at the rate of 28%, if a U.S. Holder (a) fails to furnish such U.S. Holder’s correct U.S. taxpayer identification number (generally on Form W-9), (b) furnishes an incorrect U.S. taxpayer identification number, (c) is notified by the IRS that such U.S. Holder has previously failed to properly report items subject to backup withholding tax, or (d) fails to certify, under penalty of perjury, that such U.S. Holder has furnished its correct U.S. taxpayer identification number and that the IRS has not notified such U.S. Holder that it is subject to backup withholding tax. However, certain exempt persons, such as corporations, generally are excluded from these information reporting and backup withholding rules. Any amounts withheld under the U.S. backup withholding tax rules will be allowed as a credit against a U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, or will be refunded, if such U.S. Holder furnishes required information to the IRS in a timely manner. Each U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the information reporting and backup withholding rules.
Certain Canadian Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following discussion summarizes the principal Canadian federal income tax considerations generally applicable to a person who owns one or more common shares of the Company (the "Shareholder"), and who at all material times for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Canadian Act") deals at arm's length with the Company, holds all common shares solely as capital property, is a non-resident of Canada, and does not, and is not deemed to, use or hold any Common share in or in the course of carrying on business in Canada. It is assumed that the common shares will at all material times be listed on a stock exchange that is prescribed for the purposes of the Canadian Act.
This summary is based on the current provisions of the Canadian Act, including the regulations thereunder, and the Canada-United States Income Tax Convention (1980) (the "Treaty") as amended. This summary takes into account all specific proposals to amend the Canadian Act and the regulations thereunder publicly announced by the government of Canada to the date hereof and the Company's understanding of the current published administrative and assessing practices of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. It is assumed that all such amendments will be enacted substantially as currently proposed, and that there will be no other material change to any such law or practice, although no assurances can be given in these respects. Except to the extent otherwise expressly set out herein, this summary does not take into account any provincial, territorial or foreign income tax law or treaty.
This summary is not, and is not to be construed as, tax advice to any particular Shareholder. Each prospective and current Shareholder is urged to obtain independent advice as to the Canadian income tax consequences of an investment in common shares applicable to the Shareholder's particular circumstances.
A Shareholder generally will not be subject to tax pursuant to the Canadian Act on any capital gain realized by the Shareholder on a disposition of a Common share unless the Common share constitutes "taxable Canadian property" to the Shareholder for purposes of the Canadian Act and the Shareholder is not eligible for relief pursuant to an applicable bilateral tax treaty. A Common share that is disposed of by a Shareholder will not constitute taxable Canadian property of the Shareholder provided that the Common share is listed on a stock exchange that is prescribed for the purposes of the Canadian Act (the Toronto Stock Exchange is so prescribed), and that neither the Shareholder, nor one or more persons with whom the Shareholder did not deal at arm's length, alone or together at any time in the five years immediately preceding the disposition owned, or owned any right to acquire, 25% or more of the issued shares of any class of the capital stock of the Company.
In addition, the Treaty generally will exempt a Shareholder who is a resident of the United States for the purposes of the Treaty, and who would otherwise be liable to pay Canadian income tax in respect of any capital gain realized by the Shareholder on the disposition of a Common share, from such liability provided that the value of the Common share is not derived principally from real property (including resource property) situated in Canada or that the Shareholder does not have, and has not had within the 12-month period preceding the disposition, a "permanent establishment" or "fixed base," as those terms are defined for the purposes of the Treaty, available to the Shareholder in Canada. The Treaty may not be available to a non-resident Shareholder that is a U.S. LLC, which is not subject to tax in the U.S. Any dividend on a Common share, including a stock dividend, paid or credited, or deemed to be paid or credited, by the Company to a Shareholder will be subject to Canadian withholding tax at the rate of 25% on the gross amount of the dividend, or such
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lesser rate as may be available under an applicable income tax treaty. Pursuant to the Treaty, the rate of withholding tax applicable to a dividend paid on a Common share to a Shareholder who is a resident of the United States for the purposes of the Treaty will be reduced to 5% if the beneficial owner of the dividend is a company that owns at least 10% of the voting stock of the Company, and in any other case will be reduced to 15%, of the gross amount of the dividend. It is Canada Customs and Revenue Agency’s position that the Treaty reductions are not available to a Shareholder that is a "limited liability company" resident in the United States. The Company will be required to withhold any such tax from the dividend, and remit the tax directly to Canada Customs and Revenue Agency for the account of the Shareholder.
ALL PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE SPECIFIC TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PURCHASING THE COMMON SHARES.
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10.F | Dividends and Paying Agents |
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
We have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission this Annual Report on Form 20-F, including exhibits, under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934.
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and file reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Reports and other information which we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including this Annual Report on Form 20-F, may be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities of the Securities and Exchange Commission at:
100 F Street, NE
Washington D.C. 20549
You can also obtain copies of this material by mail from the Public Reference Section of the Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. Additionally, copies of this material may also be obtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission's internet site at http://www.sec.gov. The Commission's telephone number is 1-800-SEC-0330. Copies of the above material contracts may be inspected at our principal executive office at the address on the face page of this Report during normal business hours.
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10.I | Subsidiary Information |
As of April 25, 2014, we have one subsidiary, MAX Resource, Inc., a wholly owned Nevada corporation.
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Item 11. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk |
We were incorporated under the laws of Alberta, Canada and our financial results are quantified in Canadian dollars. We raise equity funding through the sale of securities denominated in Canadian dollars, whereas the majority of our obligations and expenditures with respect to our properties will be incurred in US Dollars. Variations in the exchange rate may give rise to foreign exchange gains or losses that may be significant. Market risks relating to our operations, if we begin production, are anticipated to result primarily from changes in interest rates, foreign exchange rates and commodity prices, as well as credit risk concentrations. We do not use financial instruments for trading purposes and are not parties to any leverage derivatives. We do not currently engage in hedging transactions. See “Currency and Exchange Rates” and Item 4 – “Information on the Company”.
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Item 12. | Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities |
A.-C.
Not Applicable.
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D. | American Depository Receipts |
The Company’s Common Shares are not represented by American Depository Receipts.
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PART II
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Item 13. | Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies |
We have had no material defaults in payment of principal, interest or sinking or purchase fund installments or other material defaults relating to indebtedness.
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Item 14. | Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds |
Not Applicable.
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Item 15. | Control and Procedures |
(a) Disclosure Controls and Procedures
At the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 an evaluation was carried out under the supervision of, and the with the participation of, the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act). Based
upon that evaluation, the Company’s CEO and CFO have concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective to give reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and (ii) accumulated and communicated to management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
(b) Managements’ Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management, under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Internal control over financial reporting includes policies and procedures that:
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| (i) | pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect our transactions and asset dispositions; |
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| (ii) | provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit the preparation of our financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
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| (iii) | provide reasonable assurance that receipts and expenditures are made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and board of directors (as appropriate); and |
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| (iv) | provide reasonable assurance regarding the prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on our financial statements. |
Due to its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. In addition, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 based on the framework in “Internal Control – Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) (the “Framework”).
Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that, as of fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, that management’s controls over financial reporting were effective.
(c) Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm
This Annual Report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), which permits
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the Company to provide only management’s report in this Annual Report on Form 20-F. The Dodd-Frank Act permits a “non-accelerated filer” to provide only management’s report on internal control over financial reporting in an Annual Report and omit an attestation report of the issuer’s registered public accounting firm regarding management’s report on internal control over financial reporting.
(d) Changes in Internal Control OverFinancial Reporting
Based upon their evaluation of our controls, our CEO and CFO have concluded that, there were no significant changes in our internal control over financial reporting or in other factors during our last fiscal year that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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16A. | Audit Committee Financial Expert |
We have determined that Stuart Rogers qualifies as an audit committee financial expert, pursuant to SEC regulations and the other members of the audit committee (Ian Smith and Paul John) satisfy the financial literacy requirements for audit committee members and are independent members of the Audit Committee as determined in accordance with Section 803A of the NYSE MKT Company Guide and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. Mr. Rogers does not qualify as independent under Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act or Section 803A of the NYSE MKT Company Guide.
We have not adopted a formal code of ethics. We have concluded that a written code of ethics would serve little practical purpose for us in deterring wrongdoing and promoting ethical conduct and full, fair and accurate public disclosure and compliance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements. Since our operations are currently relatively small, most of our important activities are conducted directly by or under the direct supervision of our directors and senior officers. All of our current directors and officers have held their positions for a number of years and are familiar with our operations and our informal requirements for conduct. In light of the lack of perceived benefit from adopting a formal code considered against the time and cost for management to consider and implement a code, we have decided not to do so at the present time. We will continue to monitor the possible benefits of adopting a formal code of ethics, particularly as our operations expand and will consider whether we should adopt a formal code of ethics at a future date.
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16C. | Principal Accountant Fees and Services |
(a) Audit Fees
The aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by our principal accountant for the audit of our annual financial statements, together with services that are normally provided by the principal accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements were $18,000 for the year ended December 31, 2013 and $26,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012.
(b) Audit-Related Fees
The aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that were reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements but are not reported under paragraph (a) of this Item were approximately $2,000 for the year ending December 31, 2013 and $2,000 for the year ending December 31, 2012.
(c) Tax Fees
The aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning were approximately $5,000 for the year ending December 31, 2013 and $5,000 for the year ending December 31, 2012.
(d) All Other Fees
The aggregate fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for products and services provided by the principal accountant other than services disclosed in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item were $ nil for the year ending December 31, 2013 and $ nil in the year ending December 31, 2012.
(e) Pre-Approval Policies
Our Audit Committee nominates and engages the independent auditors to audit the financial statements, and approves all
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audits, audit-related services, tax services and other services provided by the auditor. Any services provided by our independent auditor that are not specifically included within the scope of the audit must be pre-approved by our audit committee prior to any engagement. Our audit committee is permitted to approve certain fees for audit-related services, tax services and other services pursuant to ade minimusexception before the completion of the engagement.
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16D. | Exemptions from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees |
Not Applicable.
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16E. | Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers |
There were no repurchases by or on behalf of the Company or any affiliated purchaser, including any repurchases made pursuant to a publicly announced plan or program or made pursuant to a plan or program that was not announced publicly, in the last fiscal year. We made no open market repurchases.
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16F. | Change in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant |
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
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16H. | Mine Safety Disclosure |
Pursuant to Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), issuers that are operators, or that have a subsidiary that is an operator, of a coal or other mine in the United States are required to disclose in their periodic reports filed with the SEC information regarding specified health and safety violations, orders and citations, issued under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (the “Mine Act”) by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (the “MSHA”), as well as related assessments and legal actions, and mining-related fatalities.
The following table provides information for the year ended December 31, 2013.
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Mine | Mine Act §104 Violations (1) | Mine Act §104(b) Orders (2) | Mine Act §104(d) Citations and Orders (3) | Mine Act §110(b)(2) Violations (4) | Mine Act §107(a) Orders (5) | Proposed Assessments from MSHA (In dollars $) | Mining Related Fatalities | Mine Act §104(e) Notice (yes/no) (6) | Pending Legal Action before Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (yes/no) |
Majuba Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | No |
Ravin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | No |
East Manhattan Wash | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | No |
Table Top | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | No |
C de Baca | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | No |
Diamond Peak | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | No |
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(1) | The total number of violations received from MSHA under §104 of the Mine Act, which includes citations for health or safety standards that could significantly and substantially contribute to a serious injury if left unabated. |
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(2) | The total number of orders issued by MSHA under §104(b) of the Mine Act, which represents a failure to abate a citation under §104(a) within the period of time prescribed by MSHA. |
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(3) | The total number of citations and orders issued by MSHA under §104(d) of the Mine Act for unwarrantable failure to comply with mandatory health or safety standards. |
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(4) | The total number of flagrant violations issued by MSHA under §110(b)(2) of the Mine Act. |
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(5) | The total number of orders issued by MSHA under §107(a) of the Mine Act for situations in which MSHA determined an imminent danger existed. |
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(6) | A written notice from the MSHA regarding a pattern of violations, or a potential to have such pattern under §104(e) of the Mine Act. |
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PART III | FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
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Item 17. | Financial Statements |
Not applicable as we have elected to provide financial statements in accordance with Item 18.
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Item 18. | Financial Statements |
We are furnishing the following financial statements and reports:
Independent Auditor’s Report Of Registered Public Accounting Firm dated March 13, 2014
Consolidated Statements of Financial Position at December 31, 2013 and 2012.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity at December 31, 2013 and 2012
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
Our financial statements are stated in Canadian dollars and are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
The following exhibits are filed as part of this Annual Report:
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1. | Certificate of Incorporation and Certificate of Amendment and Registration of Restated Articles and Bylaws(1) |
4. | Material Contracts |
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| 4.1 | Management Agreement dated May 8, 2002 between Vancan Capital Corp. and West Oak Capital Group Ltd(2) |
| 4.2 | Option Agreement dated May 17, 2004 between MAX Resource Corp. and Zazu Exploration, Inc. to acquire an interest in the Gold Hill Project near Cantwell, Alaska(3) |
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| 4.3 | Mineral Property Option Agreement with Alberta Star Development Corp. to acquire up to a 50% interest in the MacInnis Lake Uranium Property dated April 1, 2005(3) |
| 4.4 | Mineral Property Option Agreement between the Wendt Family Trust and the Company dated May 9, 2006 optioning 100% of the Diamond Peak Property to the Company(4) |
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| 4.5 | Mineral Property Option Agreement between Kokanee Placer Ltd. and the Company dated May 15, 2006 granting Kokanee Place Ltd. the right to acquire up to a 51% interest in the Diamond Peak Property(4) |
| 4.6 | Agreement dated September 22, 2005 between the Company and Applied Geological Services, Inc. regarding the acquisition by the Company of the C de Baca Project claims(4) |
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| 4.7 | Agreement dated April 4, 2007 between NUSTAR Exploration LLC and the Company for the acquisition of the mineral claims in Colorado Plateau, Arizona(5) |
| 4.8 | Mineral Property Option Agreement dated September 10, 2007 between Energex LLC and us to acquire a 100% interest in the Ravin Property(6) |
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| 4.9 | Mineral Property Option Agreement between MSM LLC and us dated December, 2007 to acquire a 100% interest in the East Manhattan Wash claims in the Manhattan Mining District, Nye County, Nevada(6) |
| 4.10 | Mineral Property Option Agreement between Eastfield Resource Ltd. and us dated June 9, 2008 to acquire a 60% interest in and to the Indata project located in North Central B.C(6) |
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| | |
| 4.11 | Mineral Property Option Agreement between Eastfield Resource Ltd. and us dated June 9, 2008 to acquire a 60% interest in and to the Howell property in southeastern B.C(6) |
| 4.12 | Consulting Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between MAX Resource Corp. and West Oak Capital Group, Inc(7) |
| 4.13 | Consulting Agreement dated October 1, 2008 between MAX Resource Corp. and Clarence Wendt(7) |
| 4.14 | Mineral Property Option Amending Agreement between Eastfield Resource Ltd. And us dated July 24, 2009 to acquire up to a 60% interest in and to either the Howell property or the Crowsnest property in southeastern BC(8) |
| 4.15 | Mineral Property Lease and Option to Purchase Agreement between Energex, LLC and us, and dated September 1, 2009 to acquire the Table Top property in Humboldt County, Nevada(8) |
| 4.16 | Amending agreement dated November 9, 2010 between the Company and Energex, LLC amending option to purchase a 100% interest in the Ravin Property(9) |
| 4.17 | Amending agreement dated September 30, 2009 between the Company and the Wendt Family Trust amending option to purchase a 100% interest in the Diamond Peak Property(9) |
| 4.18 | Option Agreement dated March 4, 2011 between the Company and Claremont Nevada Mines LLC., granting an option to purchase up to a 75% interest in the Majuba Hill Property(10) |
| | |
| 4.19 | Mineral Lease and Participation Agreement between New Nevada Resources, LLC, and us dated April 22, 2012 to acquire a 85% interest in Section 33(10) |
| 4.20 | Mining Lease and Option to Purchase Agreement between Claremont Nevada Mines LLC of Nevada and JR Exploration LLC of Utah and us dated December 3, 2012 to acquire a 100% interest in the Majuba Hill property (11) |
| 4.21 | Amending Agreement dated December 3, 2012 between Claremont Nevada Mines LLC of Nevada and JR Exploration LLC of Utah and us dated December 3, 2012 to acquire a 100% interest in the Majuba Hill property |
| 4.22 | Amending Agreement No. 2 dated February 13, 2014 between Claremont Nevada Mines LLC of Nevada and JR Exploration LLC of Utah and us dated December 3, 2012 to acquire a 100% interest in the Majuba Hill property |
| | |
| 8.1 | Subsidiary of the Company |
| 12.1 | Section 302 Certification of CEO |
| 12.2 | Section 302 Certification of CFO |
| 13.1 | Section 906 Certification of CEO |
| | |
| 13.2 | Section 906 Certification of CFO |
|
(1) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on June 8, 2001.
(2) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on June 27, 2003.
(3) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on June 29, 2005.
(4) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on June 30, 2006.
(5) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on July 2, 2007.
(6) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on June 25, 2008.
(7) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on April 22, 2009.
(8) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on April 2, 2010.
(9) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on June 28, 2011.
(10) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on May 24, 2012.
(11) incorporated by reference from our Form 20-F that was originally filed with the commission on April 29, 2013.
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SIGNATURES
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this Annual Report on its behalf.
MAX RESOURCE CORP.
Dated: April 28, 2014
/s/ Stuart Rogers
_________________________________________________
By: Stuart Rogers, Chief Executive Officer
/s/ Mark Gelmon
_________________________________________________
By: Mark Gelmon, Chief Financial Officer
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Consolidated Financial Statements
For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012
Expressed in Canadian Dollars
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INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT
To the Shareholders ofMax Resource Corp.:
We have audited the accompanying consolidated financial statements of Max Resource Corp. which comprise the consolidated statements of financial position as at December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the consolidated statements of loss and comprehensive loss, changes in equity and cash flow for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012, and 2011 and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
Management's Responsibility for the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these consolidated financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards and the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity's preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity's internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence that we have obtained in our audits is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Max Resource Corp.as at December 31, 2013 and 2012, and its financial performance and its cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.
Emphasis of Matter
Without modifying our opinion, we draw attention to Note 1 in the consolidated financial statements which describe matters and conditions that indicate the existence of a material uncertainty that cast significant doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from this uncertainty.
“DMCL
DALE MATHESON CARR-HILTON LABONTE LLP
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
Vancouver, Canada
March 13, 2014
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