UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 20-F
[ ] REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(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 the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014
OR
[ ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from ________ to ________
OR
[ ] 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 ________
Commission file number001-14598
RICHMONT MINES INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
Quebec, Canada
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
161, Avenue Principale, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada J9X 4P6
(Address of principal executive offices)
Renaud Adams
Telephone: 819 797-2465
Facsimile: 819 797-0166
161, Avenue Principale, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada J9X 4P6
(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each Class | Name of each Exchange on which Registered |
Common Stock, no par value | The Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE MKT |
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:
None
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report: As of December 31, 2014: 48,276,223.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes [ ] No [ X ]
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.
Yes [ ] No [ X ]
Note – Checking the box above will not relieve any registrant required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from their obligations under those Sections.
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.
Yes [ X ] No [ ]
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).
Yes [ ] No [ X ]
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 [ ] Accelerated Filer [ X ] Non-Accelerated Filer [ ]
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing.
US GAAP [ ] | International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by [ X ] | Other [ ] |
the International Accounting Standards Board |
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 [ ] Item18 [ ]
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).
Yes [ ] No [ X ]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE | ||
ITEM 1. | IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS | 6 |
ITEM 2. | OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE | 6 |
ITEM 3. | KEY INFORMATION | 7 |
ITEM 4. | INFORMATION ON THE CORPORATION | 19 |
ITEM 4A. | UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS | 77 |
ITEM 5. | OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS | 77 |
ITEM 6. | DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES | 96 |
ITEM 7. | MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS | 116 |
ITEM 8. | FINANCIAL INFORMATION | 119 |
ITEM 9. | THE OFFER AND LISTING | 119 |
ITEM 10. | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | 123 |
ITEM 11. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK | 134 |
ITEM 12. | DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES | 134 |
ITEM 13. | DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES | 135 |
ITEM 14. | MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS | 135 |
ITEM 15. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES | 135 |
ITEM 16.A. | AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT | 136 |
ITEM 16.B. | CODE OF ETHICS | 136 |
ITEM 16.C. | PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES | 136 |
ITEM 16.D. | EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES | 137 |
ITEM 16.E. | PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS | 137 |
ITEM 16.F. | CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT | 138 |
ITEM 16.G. | CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | 138 |
ITEM 16.H. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE | 139 |
ITEM 17. | CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 139 |
ITEM 18. | CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | 139 |
ITEM 19. | EXHIBITS | 140 |
Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Annual Report, including, without limitation, those regarding the Corporation’s opinions, financial position, business strategy, budgets, reserve estimates, development and exploitation opportunities and projects, classification of reserves, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Such forward-looking statements reflect the Corporation’s views as at the date of this Form 20-F and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the Risk Factors set forth in “ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION – D. Risk Factors”. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, the Corporation expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in the Corporation’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Note to Investors Concerning Certain Measures of Performance
Throughout this document, the Corporation uses performance indicators that are not defined according to International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), such as the total cash cost of production per ounce sold for each of the Corporation’s properties, excluding the rates of depreciation per ounce. These performance indicators are in no way a standard prescribed by IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Corporation believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, the Corporation and certain investors use this information to evaluate the Corporation's performance. Accordingly, it is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.
4
Terminology
Unless otherwise specified, all units of measurement used in this report are expressed according to the metric system. The most commonly used conversion factors and their respective abbreviations are shown below:
1 troy ounce (oz) = 31.1035 grams (g)
1 metric tonne (t) = 1.1023 short ton (st)
1 metre (m) = 3.28 feet
Au: gold
g/t: gram per metric tonne
ha: hectare
NSR: Net Smelter Return
t/d: metric tonnes per day
cm: centimetre
mm: millimetre
kg: kilogram
g: gram
t/m3: metric tonnes per cubic metre
km: kilometre
NPI: Net Profit Interest
ppb: parts per billion
TSX: Toronto Stock Exchange
NYSE MTK: New York Stock Exchange market
Currency
In this Annual Report, all dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.
Definitions
Mineral Reserves
Mineral reserves are sub-divided in order of increasing confidence into Probable Mineral Reserves and Proven Mineral Reserves. A Probable Mineral Reserve provides a lower level of confidence than a Proven Mineral Reserve. A Mineral Reserve is the economically mineable part of a Measured or Indicated Mineral Resource demonstrated by at least a preliminary feasibility study. Such study must include adequate information on mining, processing, metallurgical, economic parameters and other relevant factors that demonstrate, at the time of reporting, that economic extraction can be justified. A Mineral Reserve includes diluting materials and allowances for losses that may occur when the material is mined.
5
Proven Mineral Reserves
A Proven Mineral Reserve is the economically mineable part of a Measured Mineral Resource demonstrated by at least a preliminary feasibility study. This study must include adequate information on mining, processing, metallurgical, economic parameters and other relevant factors that demonstrate, at the time of reporting, that economic extraction is justified.
Probable Mineral Reserves
A Probable Mineral Reserve is the economically mineable part of an Indicated Mineral Resource and, in some cases, a Measured Mineral Resource, demonstrated by at least a preliminary feasibility study. This study must include adequate information on mining, processing, metallurgical, economic parameters, and other relevant factors that demonstrate, at the time of reporting, that economic extraction can be justified.
Cash cost per ounce
Cash cost per ounce is comprised of minesite costs incurred during the period and applicable royalty payments. Cash cost per ounce is affected by various factors such as the quantity of gold produced, operating costs and Canadian dollar/US dollar exchange rates and is intended to provide investors with information about the cash generating capabilities of mining operations. Management uses this measure to monitor the performance of mining operations.
Net Profit Interest (NPI)
A percentage interest in the net profit as defined in the following manner: gross revenues realized from the sale or deemed sale as herein provided, of ores produced from the property or concentrates derived therefrom less costs (all costs and expenses attributable to exploration, development, mining, milling, concentrating, production, handling, delivery and/or sale of ores or concentrates).
Net Smelter Return (NSR)
A royalty payment made by a producer of metals based on gross metal production from the property, less deduction of certain limited costs including refining, transportation and insurance costs.
Regulation 43-101
Standards of disclosure for mineral projects adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators. This Regulation applies to all oral statements and written disclosure of scientific or technical information, including disclosure of a mineral resource or mineral reserve, made by or on behalf of an issuer in respect of a mineral project of the issuer.
ITEM 1. | IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS |
Not applicable.
ITEM 2. | OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE |
Not applicable.
6
ITEM 3. | KEY INFORMATION |
A. | Selected Financial Data |
The selected financial data of Richmont Mines Inc. (consolidated with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Camflo Mill Inc., Patricia Mining Corporation (“Patricia Mining”) and Louvem Mines Inc. (“Louvem”); herein referred to collectively as “Richmont Mines,” “Richmont” or the “Corporation”) set forth below has been derived from the consolidated financial statements of the Corporation which have been audited by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP, Chartered Accountants, as indicated in their Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s report as at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and which are included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
The selected financial data were extracted from the more detailed consolidated financial statements of the Corporation and related notes included in this Annual Report and should be read in conjunction with such consolidated financial statements and related notes and with the information appearing under the heading “ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS.” Unless otherwise indicated, all amounts presented herein are based on IFRS.
Herein, all references to “$” and “CAN$” refer to Canadian dollars and all references to “US$” refer to United States dollars.
The information contained in this Annual Report on Form 20-F is current as at December 31, 2014, except where a different date is specified.
The Corporation has not declared or paid any dividends on its capital stock during the past five years and currently has no intention of paying dividends subject to a periodic review of this policy by the Board of Directors.
7
Selected Financial Data | |||||||||||
(IFRS)1 | |||||||||||
(in thousands of Canadian dollars except per share and share data) | |||||||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | |||||||
Revenues | 132,196 | 90,213 | 101,718 | 118,518 | 90,412 | ||||||
Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations | 8,182 | (33,162 | ) | (2,977 | ) | 26,043 | 9,432 | ||||
Net loss from discontinued operation | - | (1,098 | ) | (42,038 | ) | (125 | ) | (98 | ) | ||
Net earnings (loss) | 8,182 | (34,260 | ) | (45,015 | ) | 25,918 | 9,334 | ||||
Earnings (loss) per share | |||||||||||
Basic earnings (loss) per share | |||||||||||
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations | $0.18 | ($0.84 | ) | ($0.08 | ) | $0.81 | $0.33 | ||||
Loss from discontinued operation | - | ($0.03 | ) | ($1.20 | ) | - | - | ||||
$0.18 | ($0.87 | ) | ($1.28 | ) | $0.81 | $0.33 | |||||
Diluted earnings (loss) per share | |||||||||||
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations | $0.18 | ($0.84 | ) | ($0.08 | ) | $0.80 | $0.32 | ||||
Loss from discontinued operation | - | ($0.03 | ) | ($1.20 | ) | - | - | ||||
$0.18 | ($0.87 | ) | ($1.28 | ) | $0.80 | $0.32 | |||||
Total assets | 148,771 | 123,328 | 148,244 | 167,990 | 115,305 | ||||||
Long-term debt | 5,724 | 5,196 | 702 | - | - | ||||||
Working capital | 34,837 | 13,952 | 54,296 | 68,711 | 43,880 | ||||||
Equity | |||||||||||
Total | 107,957 | 86,353 | 118,363 | 134,134 | 94,791 | ||||||
Share capital | 144,535 | 132,202 | 132,113 | 104,872 | 91,010 | ||||||
Number of outstanding common shares at year end (000’s) | 48,276 | 39,596 | 39,566 | 33,110 | 31,230 |
8
Exchange Rates
The Government of Canada permits a floating exchange rate to determine the value of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar.
Set forth below are the average rates of exchange for the Canadian dollar and the U.S. dollar for each of the past five fiscal years, and the range of high and low rates for each of the past six calendar months. For purposes of these tables, the rate of exchange is presented as published by the Bank of Canada. The tables set forth the number of Canadian dollars required under that formula to buy one U.S. dollar. The average rate means the average of the exchange rates of each day around noon during the period.
U.S. Dollar/Canadian Dollar Exchange Rates
Year ended | |
December 31 | Average |
2010 | 1.0299 |
2011 | 0.9891 |
2012 | 0.9996 |
2013 | 1.0299 |
2014 | 1.1045 |
The following table sets forth the high and low closing exchange rate for the past six months. As of April 21, 2015, the exchange rate was 1.2281.
U.S. Dollar/Canadian Dollar Exchange Rates
Month | Low | High |
November 2014 | 1.1236 | 1.1440 |
December 2014 | 1.1328 | 1.1656 |
January 2015 | 1.1749 | 1.2711 |
February 2015 | 1.2374 | 1.2641 |
March 2015 | 1.2416 | 1.2790 |
April 1stto April 21th, 2015 | 1.2181 | 1.2626 |
B. | Capitalization and Indebtedness |
Not applicable.
C. | Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds |
Not applicable.
D. | Risk Factors |
See the discussion regarding forward-looking statements on page 4.
In addition to the other information contained herein, the following risk factors should be carefully considered when evaluating an investment in the Corporation’s common shares:
9
Risks Associated with the Mining Industry
The exploration of mineral properties is highly speculative, involves substantial expenditures and is frequently unsuccessful.
The Corporation’s profitability is significantly affected by the costs and results of its exploration and development programs. As mines have limited lives based on the quantity of Proven and Probable mineral reserves, the Corporation actively seeks to replace and expand its mineral reserves, primarily through exploration and development as well as through strategic acquisitions. Exploration for minerals is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks and is frequently unsuccessful. Among the many uncertainties inherent in any gold exploration and development program are the location of economic ore bodies, the development of appropriate metallurgical processes, the receipt of necessary governmental permits and the construction of mining and processing facilities. Substantial expenditures are required to pursue such exploration and development activities. Assuming discovery of an economic ore body, depending on the type of mining operation involved, several years may elapse from the initial phases of drilling until commercial operations are commenced and during such time the economic feasibility of production may change. Accordingly, the Corporation’s current or future exploration and development programs may not result in any new economically viable mining operations or yield new mineral reserves to replace and expand current mineral reserves.
The Corporation’s financial performance and results may fluctuate widely due to volatile and unpredictable commodity prices and changes in the exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian Dollars.
The Corporation’s earnings are directly related to commodity prices as revenues are derived principally from the sale of gold. Gold prices fluctuate widely and are affected by numerous factors beyond the Corporation’s control, including central bank purchases and sales, producer hedging and de-hedging activities, expectations of inflation, the relative exchange rate of the U.S. dollar with other major currencies, global and regional demand, political and economic conditions, production costs in major gold-producing regions and worldwide production levels. The aggregate effect of these factors is impossible to predict with accuracy. In addition, the price of gold has on occasion been subject to very rapid short-term changes because of speculative activities. Fluctuations in gold prices may materially adversely affect the Corporation’s financial performance or results of operations. If the market price of gold falls below the Corporation’s total cash costs per ounce of production at one or more of its projects at that time and remains so for any sustained period, the Corporation may experience losses and/or may curtail or suspend some or all of its exploration, development and mining activities at such projects or at other projects. Also, the Corporation’s evaluation of the proven and probable reserves at its current mines was based on a market price of gold of CAN$1,300 per ounce. If the market price of gold falls below this level, the mines may be rendered uneconomic and production may be suspended. The Corporation’s policy and practice is not to sell forward its future gold production; however, under the Corporation’s price risk management policy, approved by the Corporation’s board of directors (the “Board”), the Corporation may review this practice on a project by project basis. The Corporation may occasionally use derivative instruments to mitigate the effects of fluctuating by-product metal prices; however, these measures may not be successful.
The volatility of gold prices is illustrated in the following table which sets out, for the periods indicated, the high, low and average afternoon fixing prices for gold on the London Bullion Market (the "London P.M. Fix").
(US$ per ounce) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 |
High price | 1,385 | 1,694 | 1,792 | 1,895 | 1,421 | 1,212 |
Low price | 1,142 | 1,192 | 1,540 | 1,319 | 1,058 | 810 |
Average price | 1,266 | 1,411 | 1,669 | 1,572 | 1,225 | 972 |
On April 21 2015, the London P.M. Fix was US$1,195.30 per ounce of gold.
10
The Corporation’s operating results and cash flows are significantly affected by changes in the U.S. dollar/Canadian dollar exchange rate. All of the Corporation’s precious metals revenues are earned in U.S. dollars but the majority of its operating costs at its mines are in Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar/Canadian dollar exchange rate has fluctuated significantly over the last several years. From January 1, 2009 to January 1, 2015, the Noon Buying Rate fluctuated from a high of CAN$1.3000 per US$1.00 to a low of CAN$0.9449 per US$1.00. Historical fluctuations in the U.S. dollar/Canadian dollar exchange rate are not necessarily indicative of future exchange rate fluctuations
The Corporation has no gold hedging contracts and no U.S. dollar exchange contracts. However, the Corporation may engage in hedging activities in the future. Hedging activities are intended to protect a corporation from the fluctuations of the price of gold and to minimize the effect of declines in gold prices on results of operations for a period of time. Hedging activities may protect a corporation against low gold prices, however, they may also limit the price that can be realized on gold that is subject to forward sales and call options where the market price of gold exceeds the gold price in a forward sale or call option contract. The Corporation continually evaluates the potential short and long-term benefits of engaging in such derivative strategies based upon current market conditions. However, the use of by-product metal derivative strategies may not benefit the Corporation in the future. There is a possibility that the Corporation could lock in forward deliveries at prices lower than the market price at the time of delivery. In addition, the Corporation could fail to produce enough precious metals to offset its forward delivery obligations, causing the Corporation to purchase the metal in the spot market at higher prices to fulfill its delivery obligations or, for cash settled contracts, make cash payments to counterparties in excess of precious metals revenue. If the Corporation is locked into a lower than market price forward contract or has to buy additional quantities at higher prices, its net income could be adversely affected.
Also, the Corporation may in the future, if it considers it advisable, enter into hedging arrangements with a view to reducing some risks associated with foreign exchange exposure and/or fuel prices. However, such hedging strategies may not prove to be successful and foreign exchange fluctuations may materially adversely affect the Corporation’s financial performance and results of operations.
If the Corporation experiences mining accidents or other adverse conditions, the Corporation’s mining operations may yield less gold than indicated by its estimated gold production and to the extent not adequately covered by insurance may result in possible adverse financial consequences to the Corporation.
The Corporation’s gold production may fall below estimated levels as a result of mining accidents such as cave-ins, rock falls, rock bursts, slope and pit wall failures, dams, fires or flooding or as a result of other operational problems such as a failure of mining, production and milling equipment. In addition, production may be reduced or curtailed if, during the course of mining, unfavourable, unusual or unexpected geological or geotechnical formations or seismic activity are encountered, ore grades are lower than expected, the physical or metallurgical characteristics of the ore are less amenable than expected to mining or treatment, data on which engineering assumptions are made prove faulty or dilution increases. The Corporation may also encounter shortages or interruptions of economical electricity and adequate water supplies at its mines and production facilities which may adversely affect operations. Finally, inclement weather conditions, floods and the occurrence of other adverse natural phenomena at its mine and production sites may curtail, interrupt or delay mining and production operations and the ability of the Corporation to transport and market its production. Occurrences of this nature and other accidents, adverse conditions or operational problems in future years may result in the Corporation’s failure to achieve current or future production estimates and may make profitable mineral deposits unprofitable for continued production. In addition, the occurrence of industrial accidents may result in personal injury or death and damage to property which may result in possible legal liability to the Corporation and if not adequately covered by insurance possible adverse financial consequences to the Corporation. The occurrence of any of these factors could materially and adversely affect a project and as a result materially and adversely affect the Corporation’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
11
The exploration and development of new mineral deposits is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties which may adversely affect the Corporation’s ability to expand or replace its existing production.
The exploration process generally begins with the identification and appraisal of mineral prospects. Exploration and development projects have no operating history upon which to base estimates of future operating costs and capital requirements. Mining projects frequently require a number of years and significant expenditures during the mine development phase before production is possible. Development projects are subject to the completion of successful feasibility studies and environmental assessments, issuance of necessary governmental permits, acquiring title to prospects and the receipt of adequate financing. The economic feasibility of development projects is based on many factors such as:
estimation of reserves;
anticipated metallurgical recoveries;
environmental considerations and permitting;
estimates of future gold prices; and
anticipated capital and operating costs of such projects.
Exploration and development of mineral deposits thus involve significant financial risks which a combination of careful evaluation, experience and knowledge may not eliminate. The discovery of an ore body may result in substantial rewards, however, few properties which are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines. A mine must generate sufficient revenues to offset operating and development costs such as the costs required to establish reserves by drilling, to develop metallurgical processes, to construct facilities and to extract and process metals from the ore. Once in production, it is impossible to determine whether current exploration and development programs at any given mine will result in the establishment of new reserves.
Newly opened mines, mine construction projects and expansion projects are subject to risks associated with new mine development, which may result in delays in the start-up of mining operations, delays in existing operations and unanticipated costs.
The Corporation’s ability to replace its existing mineral reserves as they are produced and depleted will be dependent upon locating new or expanding production from existing economic mineral reserves and developing new mines or extending and expanding existing mining operations. The Corporation’s ability to achieve full production rates at its new and expanded mines on schedule is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. New mines may require the construction of significant new underground mining operations and may present problems in acquiring and achieving access to mine locations. The construction of underground mining facilities is subject to a number of risks, including unforeseen geological formations, implementation of new mining processes, delays in obtaining required title to mining deposits and access to locations, construction, environmental or operating permits and engineering and mine design adjustments and construction delays. These occurrences may result in delays in the planned start up dates and in additional costs being incurred by the Corporation beyond those budgeted. Moreover, the construction activities at possible mine extensions may take place concurrently with normal mining operations, which may result in conflicts with, or possible delays to, existing mining operations.
Due to the nature of the Corporation’s mining operations, the Corporation may face liability, delays and increased production costs from environmental and industrial accidents and pollution, and the Corporation’s insurance coverage may prove inadequate to satisfy future claims against the Corporation.
The business of gold mining is generally subject to risks and hazards, including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected rock formations, changes in the regulatory environment, cave-ins, rock bursts, rock falls, slope and pit wall failures and flooding and gold bullion losses. Such occurrences could
12
result in damage to, or destruction of, mineral properties or production facilities, personal injury or death, environmental damage, delays in mining, monetary losses and possible legal liability. The Corporation carries insurance to protect itself against certain risks of mining and processing which may not provide adequate coverage in certain unforeseen circumstances. The Corporation may also become subject to liability for pollution, cave-ins or other hazards against which it cannot insure or against which it has elected not to insure because of high premium costs or other reasons, or the Corporation may become subject to liabilities which exceed policy limits. In these circumstances, the Corporation may be required to incur significant costs that could have a material adverse effect on its financial performance and results of operations.
The Corporation’s operations are subject to numerous laws and extensive government regulations which may cause a reduction in levels of production, delay or the prevention of the development of new mining properties or otherwise cause the Corporation to incur costs that adversely affect the Corporation’s results of operations.
The Corporation’s mining and mineral processing operations and exploration activities are subject to the laws and regulations of federal, provincial, and local governments in the jurisdictions in which the Corporation operates. These laws and regulations are extensive and govern prospecting, exploration, development, production, exports, taxes, labour standards, occupational health and safety, waste disposal, toxic substances, environmental protection, mine safety and other matters. Compliance with such laws and regulations increases the costs of planning, designing, drilling, developing, constructing, operating, closing, reclaiming and rehabilitating mines and other facilities. New laws, regulations or taxes, amendments to current laws, regulations or taxes governing operations and activities of mining corporations or more stringent implementation or interpretation thereof could have a material adverse impact on the Corporation, cause a reduction in levels of production and delay or prevent the development of new mining properties.
The Canadian mining industry is subject to federal and provincial environmental protection legislation. This legislation sets high standards on the mining industry in order to reduce or eliminate the effects of waste generated by extraction and processing operations and subsequently emitted into the air or water. Consequently, drilling, refining, extracting and milling are all subject to the restrictions imposed by such legislation. In addition, the construction and commercial operation of a mine typically entail compliance with applicable environmental legislation and review processes, as well as the obtaining of permits, particularly for the use of the land, permits for the use of water, and similar authorizations from various governmental bodies. Compliance with such laws and regulations increases the costs of planning, designing, drilling, developing, constructing, operating and closing mines and other facilities.
All of the Corporation’s operations are subject to reclamation, site restoration and closure requirements. Costs related to ongoing site restoration programs are expensed when incurred. The Corporation calculates its estimates of the ultimate reclamation liability based on current laws and regulations and the expected future costs to be incurred in reclaiming, restoring and closing its operating mine sites. It is possible that the Corporation’s estimates of its ultimate reclamation liability could change as a result of possible changes in laws and regulations and changes in cost estimates.
Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations may result in enforcement actions thereunder, and may include corrective measures requiring capital expenditures, installation of additional equipment or remedial actions. Parties engaged in mining operations may be required to compensate those suffering loss or damage by reason of the mining activities and may become subject to civil or criminal fines or penalties for violations of applicable laws or regulations.
New or expanded environmental regulations, if adopted, or more stringent enforcement of existing laws and regulations, could affect the Corporation’s projects or otherwise have a material adverse effect on its operations. As a result, expenditures on any and all projects, actual production quantities and rates and cash operating costs, among other things, may be materially and adversely affected and may differ materially from anticipated expenditures, production quantities and rates, and costs, and estimated production dates may be delayed
13
materially, in each case. Any such event would materially and adversely affect the Corporation’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The conduct of mining operations is dependent upon obtaining and renewing applicable governmental permits the issuance of which may be subject to meeting certain conditions which may prove difficult and costly.
Mineral exploration and mining activities may only be conducted by entities that have obtained or renewed exploration or mining permits and licenses in accordance with the relevant mining laws and regulations. No guarantee can be given that the necessary exploration and mining permits and licenses will be issued to the Corporation in a timely manner, or at all, or, if they are issued, that they will be renewed, or that the Corporation will be in a position to comply with or can afford to comply with all conditions that may be imposed.
Increased regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change issues may adversely affect the Corporation’s operations.
The Corporation operates in a number of jurisdictions in which regulatory requirements would require it to report and/or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Corporation’s operations in Quebec use primarily hydroelectric power and, consequently, are not large producers of greenhouse gases.
Title to the Corporation’s properties may be uncertain and subject to risks.
The acquisition of title to mineral properties is a very detailed and time-consuming process. Title to, and the area of, mineral deposits may be disputed. Although the Corporation believes it has taken reasonable measures to ensure proper title to its properties, there is no guarantee that title to any of its properties will not be challenged or impaired. Third parties may have valid claims on underlying portions of the Corporation’s interests, including prior unregistered liens, agreements, transfers or claims, including native land claims, and title may be affected by, among other things, undetected defects. In addition, the Corporation may be unable to operate its properties as permitted or to enforce its rights in respect of its properties. Moreover, where the Corporation’s interest in a property is less than 100%, or a third party holds a form of profit sharing interest, the Corporation’s entitlement to, and obligations in respect of, the property are subject to the terms of the agreement relating to that property, or in the absence of an agreement subject to provincial or federal laws and regulations, which in certain circumstances may be the subject of differing interpretations between the parties.
The success of the Corporation is dependent on good relations with its employees and on its ability to attract and retain key personnel.
Production at the Corporation’s mines and mine projects is dependent on the efforts of the Corporation’s employees and contractors. Relationships between the Corporation and its employees may be affected by changes in the scheme of labour relations that may be introduced by relevant government authorities in the jurisdictions that the Corporation operates. Changes in applicable legislation or in the relationship between the Corporation and its employees or contractors may have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s business, results of operations and financial condition.
The Camflo Mill has successfully renewed its collective agreement that expired on December 31, 2012 for another three-year period ending December 31, 2015.
The Corporation is also dependent upon a number of key management personnel. The loss of the services of one or more of such key management personnel could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation. The Corporation’s ability to manage its operating, development, exploration and financing activities will depend in large part on the efforts of these individuals. The Corporation faces significant competition for qualified personnel and the Corporation may not be able to attract and retain such personnel.
14
The estimates of mineral reserves and forecasts of the production are subject to numerous uncertainties, and the production and recovery of the reserve estimates appearing in the Annual Report may not be realized.
The ore reserves presented in the Annual Report are in large part estimates, and production of the anticipated tonnages and grades may not be achieved or the indicated level of recovery may not be realized. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating Proven and Probable reserves including many factors beyond the Corporation’s control. The estimation of reserves is a complex and subjective process and the accuracy of any such estimate is a function of the quantity and quality of available data and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation. Reserve estimates may require revision based on various factors such as actual production experience, exploration results, market price fluctuations of gold, results of drilling, metallurgical testing, production costs or recovery rates. These factors may render the Proven and Probable reserves unprofitable to develop at a particular property or for a specific mine. Any material reduction in estimates of the Corporation’s reserves or its ability to extract these reserves could have a material adverse effect on its future cash flows, results of operations and financial condition.
Also, the grade of ore mined may differ from that indicated by drilling results, and this variation may have an adverse impact on production results. In addition, the reliability of estimates of future production might also be affected by factors such as weather, strikes and environmental occurrences.
The Corporation’s annual production estimates are developed based on, among other things, mining experience, reserve estimates, assumptions regarding ground conditions and physical characteristics of ores (such as hardness and presence or absence of certain metallurgical characteristics) and estimated rates and costs of production. Actual production may vary from estimates for a variety of reasons, including risks and hazards of the types discussed above.
The mining industry is highly competitive, and the Corporation may not be successful in competing for new mining properties.
The mining industry is intensely competitive and the Corporation is in competition with other mining companies for the acquisition of interests in precious and other metal or mineral mining properties which are in limited supply. In the pursuit of such acquisition opportunities, the Corporation competes with other Canadian and foreign companies that may have substantially greater financial and other resources. As a result of this competition, the Corporation may be unable to maintain or acquire attractive mining properties on acceptable terms, or at all.
The Corporation may not have insurance or its insurance coverage may prove inadequate to reimburse the Corporation for liabilities encountered from operations.
The Corporation carries insurance against property damage and comprehensive general liability insurance for all operations. It is also insured against gold and silver bullion thefts and losses of goods in transit. Such insurance, however, contains exclusions and limitations on coverage. The Corporation believes that its insurance coverage is adequate and appropriate for the perceived risks of its current operations, however, such insurance may not continue to be available, or if available may not continue to be available at economically acceptably premiums or may not continue to be adequate to cover the Corporation’s anticipated liabilities. In some cases, however, risk coverage is not available or is considered too expensive relative to the perceived risk.
Risks not insured against include mine cave-ins, mine flooding or other comparable hazards. Furthermore, there are risks attributable to most types of environmental pollution against which the Corporation cannot insure or against which it has elected not to insure.
15
The Corporation may have difficulty financing its additional capital requirements for its planned mine construction, exploration and development.
The construction of mining facilities and commencement of mining operations, the expansion of existing capacity and the exploration and development of the Corporation’s properties, including continuing exploration and development projects, will require substantial capital expenditures. Based on current funding available to the Corporation and expected cash from operations, the Corporation believes it has sufficient funds available to fund its projected capital expenditures for all of its current mining operations. However, if cash from operations is lower than expected or capital costs at these current mining operations or future projects exceed current estimates, or if the Corporation incurs major unanticipated expenses related to exploration, development or maintenance of its properties, the Corporation may be required to seek additional financing to maintain its capital expenditures at planned levels. In addition, the Corporation will have additional capital requirements to the extent that it decides to expand its present operations and exploration activities; construct additional new mining and processing operations at any of its properties; or take advantage of opportunities for acquisitions, joint ventures or other business opportunities that may arise. Additional financing may not be available when needed or, if available, the terms of such financing may not be favourable to the Corporation and, if raised by offering equity securities, or securities convertible into equity securities, any additional financing may involve substantial dilution to existing shareholders. Failure to obtain any financing necessary for the Corporation’s capital expenditure plans may result in a delay or indefinite postponement of exploration, development or production on any or all of the Corporation’s properties, which may have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Weakness in the global credit and capital markets could have a material adverse impact on the Corporation’s liquidity and capital resources.
The credit and capital markets experienced significant deterioration in 2008, including the failure of significant and established financial institutions in the United States and abroad, and continued to show weakness and or uncertainty into 2014. These unprecedented disruptions in the credit and capital markets have negatively impacted the availability and terms of credit and capital. If uncertainties in these markets continue, or these markets deteriorate further, it could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s liquidity, ability to raise capital and costs of capital. Failure to raise capital when needed, or on reasonable terms, may have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Corporation may be party to certain mining joint ventures in the future, under which the Corporation’s joint venture partners may be in a position to prevent the Corporation from meeting its objectives.
Mining projects are often conducted through an unincorporated joint venture or an incorporated joint venture corporation. Joint ventures can often require unanimous approval of the parties to the joint venture or their representatives for certain fundamental decisions, such as an increase or reduction of registered capital, merger, division, dissolution, including indebtedness and the pledge of the joint venture assets, which means that each joint venture party has a veto right with respect to such decisions, which could in turn lead to a deadlock. The Corporation’s existing or future joint venture partners may veto the Corporation’s business plans, with regard to a specific joint venture, and prevent the Corporation from achieving its objectives.
On a regular basis, the Corporation evaluates potential acquisitions of mining properties and/or interests in other mining corporations which may entail certain risks.
Consistent with its growth strategy, the Corporation evaluates the potential acquisition of advanced exploration, development and production assets on a regular basis. From time to time, the Corporation may also acquire securities of or other interests in companies with whom the Corporation may complete acquisitions or other transactions. These transactions involve inherent risks, including, without limitation:
16
accurately assessing the value, strengths, weaknesses, contingent and other liabilities and potential profitability of acquisition candidates;
ability to achieve identified and anticipated operating and financial synergies;
unanticipated costs;
diversion of management attention from existing business;
potential loss of key employees or the key employees of any business the Corporation acquires;
unanticipated changes in business, industry or general economic conditions that affect the assumptions underlying the acquisition; and
decline in the value of acquired properties, corporations or securities.
Any one or more of these factors or other risks could cause the Corporation not to realize the benefits anticipated to result from the acquisition of properties or corporations, and could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s ability to grow and, consequently, on the Corporation’s financial condition and results of operations.
The Corporation continues to seek acquisition opportunities consistent with its acquisition and growth strategy, however, it may not be able to identify additional suitable acquisition candidates available for sale at reasonable prices, to consummate any acquisition, or to integrate any acquired business into its operations successfully. Acquisitions may involve a number of special risks, circumstances or legal liabilities, some or all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, to acquire properties and corporations, the Corporation could use available cash, incur debt, issue common shares or other securities, or a combination of any one or more of these. This could limit the Corporation’s flexibility to raise additional capital, to operate, explore and develop its properties and to make additional acquisitions, and could further dilute and decrease the trading price of the common shares. When evaluating an acquisition opportunity, the Corporation cannot be certain that it will have correctly identified and managed the risks and costs inherent in the business that it is acquiring.
From time to time, the Corporation engages in discussions and activities with respect to possible acquisitions. At any given time, discussions and activities can be in process on a number of initiatives, each at different stages of development. Potential transactions may not be successfully completed, and, if completed, the business acquired may not be successfully integrated into the Corporation’s operations. If the Corporation fails to manage its acquisition and growth strategy successfully it could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations and financial condition.
Risks related to owning the Corporation’s common shares
The Corporation’s shares fluctuate in price.
The market price of the Corporation’s common shares may fluctuate due to a variety of factors relating to the Corporation’s business, including the announcement of expanded exploration, development and production activities by the Corporation and its competitors, gold price volatility, exchange rate fluctuations, consolidations, dispositions, acquisitions and financings, changes or restatements in the amount of the Corporation’s mineral reserves, fluctuations in the Corporation’s operating results, sales of the Corporation’s common shares in the marketplace, failure to meet analysts’ expectations, changes in quarterly revenue or earnings estimates made by the investment community, speculation in the press or investment community about the Corporation’s strategic position, results of operations, business or significant transactions and general conditions in the mining industry or the worldwide economy. In addition, wide price swings are currently common in the markets on which the Corporation’s securities trade. This volatility may adversely affect the prices of the Corporation’s common
17
shares regardless of the Corporation’s operating performance. The market price of the Corporation’s common shares may experience significant fluctuations in the future, including fluctuations that are unrelated to the Corporation’s performance.
Issuance by the Corporation of additional common shares could affect the market price of the shares and dilute existing shareholders.
Issuance of a substantial number of the Corporation’s common shares by the Corporation, for example, in connection with a potential acquisition or to raise additional capital for operations, or to reduce indebtedness, or pursuant to existing agreements, or the availability of a large number of Corporation common shares that may be available for sale, could adversely affect the prevailing market prices for the Corporation’s outstanding common shares. A decline in the market price of the Corporation’s outstanding common shares could impair the Corporation’s ability to raise additional capital through the issuance of securities should the Corporation desire to do so.
The Corporation does not currently anticipate declaring any dividends on its common shares.
The Corporation has not declared or paid any dividends on its common shares since its incorporation and it has no current plans to pay dividends on its common shares. Its present policy is to retain earnings to finance its capital expenditure program. The Board of Directors assesses its dividend policy on a yearly basis. In the future, the Board of Directors may declare dividends according to its assessment of the financial position of the Corporation, taking into account financing requirements for future growth and other factors that the Board of Directors may deem relevant in the circumstances.
Potential unenforceability of civil liabilities and judgments.
The Corporation is incorporated under the laws of the Province of Quebec, Canada. All of the Corporation’s directors and officers as well as the experts named in the Form 20-F are residents of Canada. Also, all of the Corporation’s assets and substantially all of the assets of these persons are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for shareholders to initiate a lawsuit within the United States against these non-U.S. residents, or to enforce U.S. judgments against the Corporation or these persons. The Corporation’s Canadian counsel has advised the Corporation that a monetary judgment of a U.S. court predicated solely upon the civil liability provisions of U.S. federal securities laws would likely be enforceable in Canada if the U.S. court in which the judgment was obtained had a basis for jurisdiction in the matter that was recognized by a Canadian court for such purposes. This result may not always be the case. It is less certain that an action could be brought in Canada in the first instance on the basis of liability predicated solely upon such laws.
18
ITEM 4. | INFORMATION ON THE CORPORATION |
A. | History and Development of the Corporation |
General
The legal and commercial name of the Corporation is Richmont Mines Inc. The Corporation is a corporation domiciled in Quebec, Canada. The Corporation was incorporated pursuant to Part 1A of theCompanies Act(Quebec) on February 12, 1981 (File number 1843-2286) under the corporate name of Ressources Minières Rouyn Inc. Pursuant to an Article of Amendment filed February 10, 1987 the Corporation added the English version Rouyn Mining Resources Inc. and by another Amendment filed with the Government of Quebec on June 20, 1991, the Corporation changed its name to Richmont Mines Inc., now governed by theBusiness Corporations Act(Quebec). The Articles of the Corporation are registered by the Government of Quebec in register S02473, folio 10.
Richmont Mines holds all of the shares of Camflo Mill Inc., a corporation incorporated under theCanada Business Corporations Act, all of the shares of Patricia Mining Corporation (“Patricia Mining”), a corporation continued under theOntario Business Corporation Actand all of the shares of Louvem Mines Inc. (“Louvem”), a corporation incorporated under theCompanies Act(Quebec) now governed by theBusiness Corporations Act(Quebec).
The head office and principal place of business of the Corporation are located at offices of approximately 8,391 square feet at 161 avenue Principale, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, J9X 4P6, telephone number: 819 797-2465. The Corporation also utilizes an office of approximately 2,156 square feet in rented premises at 181 Bay Street, Suite 810, Bay Wellington Tower, Brookfield Place, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2T3.The Corporation’s Investor Relations department remains in Montreal and utilizes an office of approximately 250 square feet in rented premises at 1501 McGill College, Suite 2900, Montreal, Quebec H3A 3M8. The common shares of Richmont Mines are listed and posted for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIC) and the New York Stock Exchange Market (NYSE MKT: RIC). The co-transfer agent for the Corporation in the United States is Computershare Trust Company, N.A., 350 Indiana Street, Suite 800, Golden, Colorado 80401.
Richmont Mines is principally engaged in activities related to the acquisition, exploration, development and operation of mineral properties. The Corporation began its exploration activities in northwestern Quebec in the spring of 1984. During the following years, it acquired a portfolio of properties with gold-bearing potential with a view to development and commercial operation.
Three-year History
Richmont Mines currently produces gold from the Island Gold Mine in Ontario, and the Beaufor and Monique Mines in Quebec. The Corporation is also advancing development of the extension at depth of the Island Gold Mine in Ontario.
On February 1, 2012, Richmont Mines completed a $10 million private placement with Mr. Bob Buchan and two members of his immediate family in the form of convertible debentures. The debentures had a 5 year maturity, a 7.6% annual interest rate, and were convertible into Richmont common shares at a conversion price of $12.17 per share at the option of the holders at any time following the date of issuance. Mr. Buchan was appointed as Vice-Chairman of Richmont’s Board of Directors on January 11, 2012. On September 24, 2012, Richmont Mines announced the immediate retirement of the $10 million debentures held by Mr. Bob Buchan and two members of his immediate family. Mr. Buchan subsequently left Richmont’s Board of Directors.
On February 27, 2012, the Corporation announced the resignation of Mr. Martin Rivard, its President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Rivard officially left Richmont Mines on May 31, 2012. On May 10, 2012, the Corporation announced the appointment of Mr. Paul Carmel as its new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 22, 2012. At that time it was also announced that Mr. Christian Pichette had been appointed to the
19
position of Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Pichette worked for Richmont since September 12, 2005, and previously held the position of Vice-President, Operations.
On April 12, 2012, the Corporation announced the appointment of Mr. Ebe Scherkus as a member of the Board of Directors. Refer to the April 12, 2012 press release entitled“Gold industry veteran Ebe Scherkus to join the Richmont Mines Board of Directors”filed under Form 6-K on April 12, 2012 for full details.
On September 26, 2012, the Corporation announced the completion of a $26 million private placement with four institutional funds. The Corporation issued 5.97 million shares at $4.35 per share, refer to the September 26, 2012 press release entitled“Richmont Mines Inc. closes $26 million private placement”for full details.
On November 26, 2012, the Corporation announced the appointment of Mr. Pierre Rougeau to the position of Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, effective December 3, 2012. Refer to the November 26, 2012 press release entitled“Richmont Mines announces the appointment of Mr. Pierre Rougeau as Chief Financial Officer”filed under Form 6-K on November 26, 2012 for full details.
On January 9, 2013, the Corporation announced that it had received the required mining permits for its 100%-owned Monique Gold Project. The Corporation subsequently began overburden removal with a view to extracting a 5,000 tonnes bulk sample in 2013.
On February 25, 2013, the Corporation announced the appointment of Mr. Daniel Adam as Vice-President, Exploration. Mr. Adam has worked for Richmont Mines since March 10, 2008 and has held various positions over the years.
On April 12, 2013, Richmont announced that the Island Gold Deep 43-101 technical report was filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), and the Corporation noted that new drill results continued to show Island Gold Mine deep potential. Refer to the April 12, 2013 press release entitled“Island Gold Deep 43-101 Report filed on SEDAR; New drill results continue to show Island Gold Mine deep potential”filed under From 6-K on April 12, 2013 for further details.
On May 9, 2013, the scheduled four month de-commissioning process of the Francoeur Mine was completed following the November 29, 2012 mine closure and approximately $1.6 million of equipment from the operations was redeployed to the other mine sites during the year 2013. Some of the surface buildings on the property continued to be used for part of the Corporation’s exploration department, and for the maintenance and refurbishment of heavy equipment used at the Island Gold and Beaufor mine operations.
On June 17, 2013, Richmont Mines obtained a letter of offer for a senior credit facility (the “Facility”) for up to US$50 million from Macquarie Bank Limited (“MBL”) to advance the Island Gold Deep project. The US$50 million facility consisted of three tranches, all of which were subject to certain conditions being met prior to drawdown. The Corporation issued call warrants for the purchase of 1,250,000 Richmont shares to MBL at closing of the facility agreement. The warrants had an exercise price of $2.45 per share, and expire 3 years from the original date of their issue to MBL. A total of 812,500 warrants vested immediately upon closing of the facility agreement. The remaining 437,500 warrants were to have vested when the conditions to drawdown Tranche B are fully met by the Corporation. Refer to the June 17, 2013 press release entitled“Richmont Mines obtains letter of offer for senior credit facility for up to US$50 million from Macquarie Bank Limited to advance Island Gold Deep Project”filed under Form 6-K on June 17, 2013 for full details. The financial closing of the Facility was completed on August 23, 2013.
On June 19, 2013, Richmont Mines announced a successful completion of the bulk sampling phase for its W Zone Gold Project. As a result, the Corporation made the decision to proceed to the commercial production phase of the project.
20
On July 31, 2013, Richmont Mines announced a successful completion of the bulk sampling phase for its Monique Gold Project. As a result, the Corporation established estimated mineral reserves for the project, and made the decision to proceed to commercial production.
On August 2, 2013, Richmont Mines announced that Mr. Sam Minzberg had resigned from the Corporation’s Board of Directors.
On October 4, 2013, Richmont Mines announced that the Monique Gold project had successfully completed the three month pre-production phase and commercial production was declared on October 1, 2013. The Corporation noted that Monique was expected to produce 4,500 ounces of commercial gold production during the fourth quarter of 2013, and had an estimated life of mine commercial gold production of 30,000 ounces, over 19 months, at an average cash cost per ounce of $904. An NI 43-101 technical report for Monique’s mineral reserve estimate, published July 31, 2013, was filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) on September 13, 2013.
On October 16, 2013, Richmont Mines entered into a land and mining rights agreement with Argonaut Gold, owner of the Magino Gold Project that is adjacent to the Corporation’s Island Gold Mine. The agreement will enable Richmont to extend the western boundary of its Island Gold Deep project by a distance of approximately 585 metres thus increasing the project’s exploration potential towards the west. Mining rights below a depth of 400 metres were also secured on several claims to the south of the Island Gold Deep project, thus adding to the project’s exploration potential at depth. As part of the agreement, Richmont will acquire Claim SSM 722481 in its entirety, which immediately abuts Island Gold’s Lochalsh Zone, where reserves and resources currently exist and where mining is currently taking place. In exchange, Argonaut will receive exploration and mining rights from surface to a maximum depth of 400 metres on certain Richmont claims that border the Magino Gold Project, providing it with greater flexibility in its project development. Under the terms of the agreement, Richmont will receive a net payment of $2.0 million in cash from Argonaut upon completion of the land transactions. This Agreement was slightly modified in June 2014. Under the revised terms, Argonaut will receive one claim in its entirety and surface and mining rights down to a depth of 400 metres on six claims. It will also receive surface rights on two claims down to a depth of 100 metres. The Corporation will receive two additional claims for a total of three and mining rights below a depth of 400 metres on three claims. As previously reported, under the terms of the Agreement, the Corporation will receive a net payment of $2.0 million in cash from Argonaut upon completion of the land transactions, which are now expected to take place in 2015.
On October 17, 2013, Richmont Mines announced that it had successfully completed the three month preproduction phase on the W Zone Gold Project and that commercial production was declared on October 1, 2013. W Zone was expected to produce an estimated 3,000 ounces of commercial gold production for the Corporation during the fourth quarter of 2013, and a projected 12,000 ounces of commercial gold production in 2014.
On November 7, 2013, Richmont Mines announced that Mr. Christian Pichette, Richmont’s Chief Operating Officer, would retire at the end of 2013 after more than 35 years in the mining industry, the last eight of which he spent as an integral part of Richmont’s team. The Corporation also noted that after 24 years as a Director of Richmont, Mr. Réjean Houle had decided to step down from its Board of Directors to focus on his dual roles as an Ambassador for the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club Inc., and as President of The Montreal Canadiens Alumni Association. Similarly, it was announced that Mr. Ebe Scherkus had resigned from Richmont’s Board of Directors for personal reasons. In addition, it was announced that Mr. René Marion had joined Richmont’s Board of Directors effective November 6, 2013. A mining engineer by training, Mr. Marion brings over 30 years of industry experience to the Corporation’s Board.
On December 10, 2013, Richmont Mines announced that mining industry veteran Dr. James W. Gill would join its Board of Directors. In addition, the Corporation appointed Mr. Rosaire Émond, Eng., to the position of Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, replacing Mr. Christian Pichette, who retired after a distinguished 35 year career in the mining industry. It was also announced that Mr. Jean Bastien, Eng., MBA, had been appointed to the position of Mine Manager of the Corporation’s Island Gold Mine and Mr. Raynald Vincent, Eng. M.G.P., had been appointed to the position of Chief Geologist for the Corporation’s Island Gold Mine. Refer to the
21
December 10, 2013 press release entitled“Richmont Mines announces Board nomination and management changes”filed under Form 6-K on December 10, 2013 for full details.
On December 20, 2013, Richmont Mines announced that it had decided to terminate the Senior Secured Credit Facility for up to $50 million secured with MBL in August 2013. No amounts had been drawn on the Facility, and no gold hedging contracts had been put in place. The Corporation, in conjunction with MBL, began the process of releasing the securities that had been put in place as part of the Facility. As per the terms of the Facility, the Corporation did not incur any cancellation costs. Please see the December 20, 2013 press release entitled“Richmont Mines terminates Senior Credit Facility with Macquarie Bank Limited”filed under Form 6-K on December 20, 2013 for full details.
On February 11, 2014, Richmont Mines announced updated corporate mineral reserve and resource estimates as of December 31, 2013, along with forecasted 2014 production, capital expenditures and exploration budget. The Corporation also announced that, as a result of a downward adjustment to the W Zone Mine reserve base, it would incur a $13.5 million non-cash write-down on the W Zone Mine in the fourth quarter of 2013. Please see the February 11, 2014 press release entitled“Richmont Mines reports updated corporate Mineral Reserve and Resource estimates and W Zone Mine non-cash write-down”filed under Form 6-K on February 11, 2014 for full details.
On April 1, 2014, Richmont Mines announced that an updated National Instrument 43-101 technical report had been filed for the Corporation’s Island Gold Mine Property, which encompasses the producing Island Gold Mine and the Island Gold Deep resource located directly below. The Island gold Mine Property contained estimated Proven and Probable Reserves of 143,506 gold ounces (733,347 tonnes grading 6.09 g/t Au). Please see the April 1, 2014 press release entitled“Richmont Mines files updated technical report for Island Gold Mine property”filed under Form 6-K on April 1, 2014 for full details.
On April 3, 2014, Richmont Mines announced that it had entered into an agreement with Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. (“Macquarie”) as lead underwriter, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters, for the issuance of 7.0 million common shares of the Corporation, on a bought-deal basis, at a price of $1.45 per share (the “Offering Price”) for gross proceeds of $10.15 million (the “Offering”). The syndicate of underwriters also included BMO Capital Markets, CIBC World Markets and Desjardins Securities. Please see the April 3, 2014 press release entitled“Richmont Mines announces $10.15 Million bought deal financing of common shares”filed under Form 6-K on April 4, 2014 for full details.
On April 23, 2014, Richmont Mines announced that it had closed the bought deal financing previously announced on April 3, 2014. The Corporation issued a total of 8.05 million common shares at a price of $1.45 per share, including the entire over-allotment option of 1.05 million common shares, on a bought-deal basis, for aggregate gross proceeds of $11.67 million, through a syndicate of underwriters lead by Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. and including BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., CIBC World Markets Inc. and Desjardins Securities Inc (the "Offering"). The proceeds from the Offering would be used for working capital and general corporate purposes.
On April 24, 2014, Richmont Mines announced that access to the upper portion of the Island Gold Deep resource had been achieved with approximately 130 metres of development into the C Zone, on claims that are 100% owned by the Corporation, at a vertical depth of 560 metres (the 560 level). An approximate 92 metre length of this development is well mineralized, and corresponds well with the previously established resource. Chip sample (face) results obtained for the C mineralized zone during lateral drift development over 92 metres averaged a cut grade of 12.73 g/t over an average width of 2.92 metres. This grade value should be seen as indicative, as the capping value used (75 g/t) needs to be confirmed by further studies. Results from definition drilling completed within the deep resource offer additional confirmation of prior exploration data for Island Gold. Approximately 5,000 metres of definition drilling has been done in the upper part of the C zone resource at 25 metre spacing, and results will enable a better definition of the resource limits for both the C and B zones. Please see the April 24, 2014 press release entitled“Richmont exposes Island Gold deep C Zone mineralization
22
over 92 metres, confirms grade and continuity of resource”filed under Form 6-K on April 24, 2014 for full details.
On July 2, 2014, Richmont Mines announced that Mr. Paul Carmel, Richmont’s President and Chief Executive Officer, had been relieved of his duties with the Corporation effective immediately. Ms. Elaine Ellingham was appointed interim President and CEO. Please see the July 2, 2014 press release entitled“Richmont Mines announces departure of CEO and appointment of Interim CEO”filed under Form 6-K on July 3, 2014 for full details.
On August 5, 2014, Richmont Mines announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the outstanding 31% ownership of four patented claims on the Island Gold Mine property, thereby increasing its ownership of these claims to 100% from 69% previously. The 31% ownership held by the third party would be acquired by Richmont in return for a 3% Net Smelter Return (“NSR”) royalty that is payable on 100% of the mineral production from the four claims. Please see the August 5, 2014 press release entitled“Richmont Mines consolidates 100% ownership of Island Gold Mine”filed under Form 6-K on August 5, 2014 for full details.
On August 6, 2014, Richmont Mines announced that it had closed the previously detailed transaction consolidating its ownership of the Island Gold Mine property.
On September 15, 2014, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that it is commencing an additional exploration drilling program from surface to test part of the down plunge projection of the Island Gold deposit. This was in addition to the remaining budgeted 2014 exploration and definition drill programs currently underway from underground. The new program would consist of four diamond drill holes for approximately 4,800 metres at an estimated cost of $0.5 million. Please see the September 15, 2014 press release entitled“Richmont Mines announces commencement of additional deep exploration drilling at Island Gold”filed under Form 6-K on September 15, 2014 for full details.
On September 25, 2014, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that the Board of Directors had promoted Nicole Veilleux to Vice-President, Finance, a role which she previously held for the Corporation. The Corporation concurrently announced that Pierre Rougeau, Chief Financial Officer, resigned from the Corporation to pursue other opportunities. Please see the September 25, 2014 press release entitled“Richmont Mines announces appointment of Nicole Veilleux to Vice-President, Finance following resignation of CFO”filed under Form 6-K on September 25, 2014 for full details.
On September 30, 2014, Richmont Mines Inc. announced an accelerated and expanded development plan for the extension below the Corporation’s Island Gold Mine in Ontario, as well as chip sampling results from lateral development on the 535 and 585 metre levels of the mine. Richmont also reported that a temporary crusher and conveyor had been installed at its Island Gold mill to do primary crushing while required repairs were being completed on the jaw crusher. Please see the September 30, 2014 press release entitled“Richmont Mines accelerates Island Gold Mine development plans and provides update”filed under Form 6-K on September 30, 2014 for full details.
On October 17, 2014, Richmont Mines Inc. announced the appointment of Mr. Renaud Adams to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer effective November 15, 2014. Please see the October 17, 2014 press release entitled“Richmont Mines announces appointment of Mr. Renaud Adams to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer”filed under Form 6-K on October 17, 2014 for full details.
On October 17, 2014, Richmont Mines Inc. announced the resignation of Dr. James Gill from the Corporation’s Board of Directors, effective October 17, 2014.
On November 17, 2014, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that Mr. Renaud Adams officially began his duties as President and Chief Executive Officer of Richmont Mines. Please see the November 17, 2014 press release
23
entitled“Mr. Renaud Adams officially commences as President and Chief Executive Officer at Richmont Mines”filed under Form 6-K on November 17, 2014 for full details.
On January 8, 2015, Richmont Mines Inc. provided results from its deep exploration drilling that was announced in September 2014 to test part of the down plunge projection of the Island Gold deposit to the east. Highlights included intersections of 19.87 g/t Au over 3.93 metres at a vertical depth of 1,203 metres and 7.44 g/t Au over 8.49 metres at a vertical depth of 858 metres. Richmont was also pleased to announce a $7.6 million exploration program for Island Gold Mine in 2015. Please see the January 8, 2015 press release entitled“Deep exploration drilling extends mineralisation to a depth of 1,200 metres at Richmont’s Island Gold Mine; $7.6 million exploration program announced for 2015”filed under Form 6-K on January 8, 2015 for full details.
On January 15, 2015, Richmont Mines Inc. reported 2014 gold production of 95,208 ounces, a 45% increase over the 2013 level. Full details regarding 2014 production and guidance for 2015 were provided, as well as transformational development plans for the Corporation’s 1.1 million gold ounce global higher-grade resource at the Island Gold Mine in Ontario. Please see the January 15, 2015 press release entitled“Richmont Mines provides guidance for 2015 and transformational development plans for Island Gold Mine”filed under Form 6-K on January 15, 2015 for full details.
On January 20, 2015, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement with Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. (“Macquarie”) as lead underwriter, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters, for the issuance of 7.5 million common shares of the Corporation, on a bought-deal basis, at a price of $4.00 per share (the “Offering Price”) for gross proceeds of $30 million (the “Offering”). The syndicate of underwriters also included CIBC World Markets Inc., National Bank Financial Inc., BMO Capital Markets, TD Securities Inc., and PI Financial Corp. Please see the January 20, 2015 press release entitled“Richmont Mines announces $30 million bought deal financing of common shares for transformational development of the Island Gold Mine resource”filed under Form 6-K on January 21, 2015 for full details.
On January 21, 2015, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that it has agreed to increase the size of its previously announced bought deal offering to $34 million. Please see the January 21, 2015 press release entitled“Richmont Mines announces increase of bought deal financing to $34 million”filed under Form 6-K on January 21, 2015 for full details.
On February 11, 2015, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that it had closed the bought deal financing previously announced on January 20, 2015, and increased on January 21, 2015. Please see the February 11, 2015 press release entitled“Richmont Mines closes previously announced bought deal financing of common shares; 2014 results to be released February 19”filed under Form 6-K on February 11, 2015 for full details.
On February 23, 2015, Richmont Mines Inc. announced the appointment of Mr. Steve Burleton to the position of Vice-President, Business Development. Please see the February 23, 2015 press release entitled“Richmont Mines announces the appointment of Mr. Steve Burleton to the position of Vice-President, Business Development”filed under Form 6-K on February 23, 2015 for full details.
On February 27, 2015, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that Mr. Rosaire Emond, Chief Operating Officer, had decided to leave Richmont to pursue other career opportunities. Mr. Emond’s last day was March 6, 2015. Mr. Renaud Adams, President and CEO, will oversee the operations and the transformational development currently underway at Richmont’s cornerstone Island Gold Mine. Consequently, the Corporation does not plan to replace Mr. Emond in the near-term.
24
Capital Expenditures
The following table sets forth the Corporation’s capital expenditures on its properties for the past three fiscal years.
(in thousands of $) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
$ | $ | $ | ||
Island Gold Mine | 20,168 | 27,770 | 8,364 | |
Beaufor Mine | 1,623 | 980 | 1,192 | |
W Zone Mine | 234 | 3,779 | 9,911 | |
Monique Mine | 21 | 8,358 | - | |
Discontinued operation – Francoeur Mine | - | - | 15,458 | |
Other | 1,006 | 1,001 | 2,929 | |
Total | 23,052 | 41,888 | 37,854 |
Richmont invested $23.1 million in its assets in 2014, down from $41.9 million in 2013 and $37.9 million in 2012. The decrease largely reflects the lower development costs associated with the Monique Mine following its commencement of commercial production in the fourth quarter of 2013, lower investments in the W Zone following the decision to cease operations in the second quarter of 2014, and decreased year-over-year investments at the Island Gold Mine.
Total investments in 2013 were $41.9 million, up from $37.9 million the prior year, with the increase reflecting focused development efforts at Island Gold, most notably the completion of an additional 848 linear meters of the underground access ramp, in addition to development costs associated with beginning commercial production at the Monique Mine at the beginning of October. Offsetting the higher investment levels at these two operations were lower development costs at the W Zone Mine, and the termination of development efforts at the Francoeur Mine operations following its closure at the end of 2012. An additional $1.0 million was invested at the Camflo Mill and other corporate installations in 2013, down from $2.9 million in 2012.
Property Interests
The following table outlines Richmont Mines’ interest in its exploration properties as at December 31, 2014.
Property | Year of acquisition | Number of Mining titles | Participation1 |
Quebec | |||
Francoeur | 1988 | 24 | 100% |
Wasamac | 1988 | 4 | 100% |
Camflo Northwest | 2005 | 13 | 80% |
Ontario | |||
Sewell | 2002 | 6 | 100% |
Cripple Creek | 2002 | 27 | 100% |
25
Exploration and Project Evaluation Expenditures
The following table presents Richmont Mines’ exploration expenses in 2012, 2013, 2014 and the budgeted estimated amounts for 2015 (in thousands of CAN$).
(in thousands of $) | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||
$ | $ | $ | $ | |||
Estimated | ||||||
Exploration costs - Mines | ||||||
Island Gold | 8,496 | 771 | 4,532 | 10,969 | ||
Beaufor | 1,320 | 1,733 | 1,929 | 1,432 | ||
9,816 | 2,504 | 6,461 | 12,401 | |||
Exploration costs - Other properties | ||||||
Wasamac | 142 | 169 | 1,102 | 9,477 | ||
Monique | - | 2 | 221 | 744 | ||
Other | 31 | 154 | 347 | 459 | ||
Project evaluation | 300 | 357 | 474 | 511 | ||
Exploration and project evaluation before depreciation and exploration tax credits | 10,289 | 3,186 | 8,605 | 23,592 | ||
Depreciation | 84 | 71 | 229 | 200 | ||
Exploration tax credits | - | 515 | (959 | ) | (3,527 | ) |
10,373 | 3,772 | 7,875 | 20,265 |
2015 Trends
Management believes that the cost-effective development of its mining assets, both current and future, has always been at the heart of Richmont Mines’ success over the years, and remains a top priority for the Corporation. Richmont is committed to generating positive cash flows, and delivering organic growth, and with over 30 years of experience in gold production, exploration and development, along with prudent financial management, is believed to be well-positioned to cost-effectively build its Canadian reserve base and to successfully enter its next phase of growth.
Richmont Mines currently operates three gold mines (the Beaufor and Monique mines in Quebec and the Island Gold Mine in Ontario), and is actively developing its Island Gold project, which lies directly below the operating Island Gold Mine. The Corporation is forecasting significantly higher capital expenditures of $56.3 million in 2015. A total of $48.3 million of this amount is being invested in development efforts at Island Gold, that will to accelerate access to the deeper resource base which is expected to reposition the mine as a longer-life, higher production and superior free cash flow operation.Specifically, 2015 development plans at Island Gold include extending the main access ramp to a minimum depth of -750 metres and the secondary eastern ramp to a minimum depth of -570 metres, and completing the in progress 600 metre long exploration/definition drift to the east on the -620 metre level of the mine. Additional plans include 61,000 metres of exploration drilling to test the potential to extend the Island Gold resource to the east, as well as in some areas slightly to the west and closer to surface, 59,000 metres of definition and delineation drilling to upgrade the information between 500 and 1,000 metres of depth in preparation for mining in 2016, and mining and milling studies to evaluate mining and milling requirements under various possible growth scenarios. Two priorities are driving the Island Gold accelerated 2015 plans, namely to expedite access to the deeper high quality resource base, and to increase the reserve and resource base of the asset. In doing so, the Corporation’s goal is to extend the assets’ mine life, while
26
also accelerating the potential to expand production and increase the amount of free cash flow generated by the mine.
The Corporation will invest more modestly in its Quebec operations during 2015. Specifically, approximately 11,800 metres of definition drilling and an additional 18,200 metres of exploration drilling planned for the Beaufor Mine property during the year, and some development work required to access the lower Q Zone at the mine will also be advanced. Mining by the contractor was completed at the open-pit Monique Mine at the end of January 2015, and the higher grade material will be given milling priority during the first quarter of the year, after which the lower grade stockpile will be transported and milled. Along with the ore that was generated in the first month of 2015, the on-site stockpile as at the end of December 2014 will continue to be batch processed at the Corporation’s Camflo Mill through to the third quarter of 2015. The Corporation expects to generate gold sales of 78,000 to 88,000 ounces from its operations in 2015.
27
B. | Business Overview | |
1. | Island Gold Mine, Dubreuilville, Ontario, Canada |
Location and Property Description
The Island Gold Mine is located approximately 83 km northeast of Wawa, Ontario, in the Sault Ste. Marie Mining Division. Dubreuilville, Ontario, is approximately 10 km northwest of the Island Gold Mine.
Description of Mining Rights
The Island Gold property is divided into nine parts and consists of 216 patented, leased and staked claims totaling 7,696 ha.
Property | Number of | Area (ha) | Expiration date | Richmont Mines |
claims | Ownership (%) | |||
Kremzar | 21 | 383 | Patented Claims: | 100 |
Lochalsh | 33 | 348 | Patented Claims: taxes are paid every year Mining Leases: 06/30/2030 to 03/31/2033 Claims: 02/06/2017 to 04/25/2018 | 100 |
Goudreau | 65 | 988 | 64 Patented Claims: taxes are paid every year 1 Claim: 08/20/2018 | 100 |
Goudreau/JMW | 4 | 58 | 4 Patented Claims: Taxes are paid every year | 100 |
Island Gold | 38 | 5,038 | Claims: 07/29/2015 to 07/14/2019 | 100 |
Edwards | 43 | 705 | Patented Claims: taxes are paid every year Claims: 04/05/2017 to 08/28/2019 | 100 |
Ego | 3 | 64 | Patented Claims: taxes are paid every year Claims: 06/05/2016 | 100 |
Salo | 3 | 40 | Claims: 06/08/2017 to12/28/2018 | 100 |
Argonaut | 6 | 72 | 3 Patented Claims: taxes are paid every year Claims: 02/05/2018 to 04/18/2018 | 100 |
28
The claims are expected to be renewed by applying excess credits available before the anniversary date. Taxes are paid annually to the government to keep Patented Claims and Mining Leases in good standing. Richmont Mines has an internal procedure to ensure monitoring of the claim expiry dates. All of these mining claims, mining leases and patented leases were in good standing in 2014 and are expected to be for 2015. A detailed list and map of locations can be found in the Island Gold 43-101 technical report dated March 31, 2014, and filed under the Corporation’s profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.
Summary of Agreements
Richmont Mines entered into an agreement with Patricia Mining on August 28, 2003. Under the agreement, Richmont Mines completed a private placement investment of $1.0 million in common shares of Patricia Mining at $0.50 per share and obtained an option to acquire a 55% interest in the Island Gold property by investing up to $10 million or by bringing the project into commercial production. This initial investment was used to partly finance a $3 million exploration program on the Island Gold property. On December 3, 2004, Richmont Mines decided to invest up to an additional $10 million in order to acquire a 55% interest in the project. Richmont Mines became the project operator as of January 1, 2005. The Corporation acquired its 55% interest during the course of the fourth quarter of 2005, after having fulfilled its obligation to invest $10 million toward the project’s development.
In January 2006, Richmont Mines and Patricia Mining announced the purchase of the remaining joint venture interest of Algoma Steel Inc. (“Algoma”) in the Goudreau property near Dubreuilville, Ontario, for $100,000. The property remains subject to a 15% net profits interest (“NPI”) royalty as per the original joint venture agreement between Algoma and Patricia Mining.
On December 16, 2008, Richmont Mines acquired all of the common shares of Patricia Mining that it did not already own pursuant to a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). Following this transaction, Richmont’s ownership interest of the Island Gold Mine increased to 100%.
On May 9, 2012, Richmont Mines acquired Red Pine Exploration’s remaining 25% interest in the Edwards property, bringing the Corporation’s ownership to 100%, and on June 13, 2012, the Corporation acquired the Salo property, which includes 3 claims located to the east of the Island Gold Mine.
On October 16, 2013, Richmont Mines signed a land and mining rights agreement (the “Agreement”) with Prodigy Gold Inc. (Argonaut Gold Inc.), owner of the Magino Gold Project that is adjacent to the Corporation’s Island Gold Mine. The Agreement will enable Richmont to extend the western boundary of its Island Gold Deep Project by a distance of 585 metres thus increasing the project’s exploration potential towards the west. Mining rights below a depth of 400 metres were also secured on several claims to the south of the Island Gold Deep project, thus adding to the project’s exploration potential at depth. As part of the Agreement, Richmont will acquire Claim SSM 722481 in its entirety, which immediately abuts Island Gold’s Lochalsh Zone, where reserves and resources currently exist and where mining is currently taking place. In exchange, Argonaut will receive exploration and mining rights from surface to a maximum depth of 400 metres on certain Richmont claims that border the Magino Gold Project, providing it with greater flexibility in its project development. Under the terms of the Agreement, Richmont will receive a net payment of $2.0 million in cash from Argonaut upon completion of the land transactions.
This Agreement was slightly modified in June 2014. Under the revised terms, Argonaut will receive one claim in its entirety and surface and mining rights down to a depth of 400 metres on six claims. It will also receive surface rights on two claims down to a depth of 100 metres. The Corporation will receive two additional claims for a total of three and mining rights below a depth of 400 metres on three claims. As previously reported, under the terms of the Agreement, the Corporation will receive a net payment of $2.0 million in cash from Argonaut upon completion of the land transactions, which are now expected to take place in 2015.
On August 5, 2014, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the outstanding 31% ownership of four patented claims on the Island Gold Mine property, thereby increasing its
29
ownership of these claims to 100% from 69% previously. The 31% ownership held by the third party will be acquired by Richmont in return for a 3% Net Smelter Return (“NSR”) royalty that is payable on 100% of the mineral production from the four claims, SSM2490, SSM2491, SSM2666 and SSM2667.
As part of this agreement Richmont will make the following advance royalty payments: $1 million upon closing of the transaction, and $1 million on each of January 3, 2015 and January 3, 2016. Advance royalty payments will decrease to $0.3 million as of January 3, 2017, and will be paid annually until such time as a total of $5.1 million has been paid in royalties (including advance royalties) to the third party, after which advance royalty payments will cease. All advance royal payments will be credited against any future NSR payments.
Ownership of Mining Rights
All mining titles on the Island Gold project were jointly held by Richmont Mines (55%), and Patricia Mining (45%). Since the acquisition of Patricia Mining on December 16, 2008, Richmont Mines held 100% of all mining titles relating to the Island Gold property with the exception of 4 patented claims of the Goudreau property (2490, 2491, 2666 and 2667), for which Richmont Mines owned 69% and the remaining 31% was held by a third party. Following the acquisition, the mining rights owned by Patricia Mining (45%) were transferred to Richmont Mines in February and March 2009.
Since the signing in 2014 of a definitive agreement to acquire the outstanding 31% ownership of the four patented claims of the Goudreau property on the Island Gold Mine property, Richmont Mines holds 100% of all mining titles relating to the Island Gold property.
Mining Royalties
Island Gold properties held by Richmont Mines are subject to the payment of royalties and financial contractual obligations. Details can be found in the Island Gold 43-101 technical report dated March 31, 2014 and filed under the Corporation’s profile on the SEDAR website atwww.sedar.com.
The Kremzar property is subject to a 4% NSR payable to Algoma which becomes payable to Algoma pursuant to the Algoma Royalty Agreement.
The Kremzar property is also subject to a 3% NSR payable to Teck, which is payable until such time as the Algoma NSR becomes payable. In the event that the Algoma NSR becomes payable and is reduced below 4%, Teck will be entitled to receive an NSR equal to 50% of the amount by which the Algoma royalty is reduced, payable on the same terms as the Algoma NSR.
The Lochalsh property is subject to a 3% NSR payable to Teck. The Island Main and Lochalsh zones, as well as a part of the Island Gold mineral resources below the 400 level, are located on this property.
The Goudreau property is subject to a 2% NSR payable to Teck and a 15% NPI royalty payable to Algoma. The portion of the Island Gold mineral resources below the 400 level that are located on this property include the 4 patented claims for which Richmont Mines acquired in 2014 the remaining 31% that was held by a third party (claims 2490, 2491, 2666 and 2667). On a consolidated basis, NSRs on the four claims will total 4.38%. The 69% of the four claims is subject to the 15% NPI, that becomes payable only once all operating costs and investments relating to the full Goudreau claim package have been recovered, including working capital, interest and management fees. The 15% NPI applicable to 69% of the four claims is equivalent to a 10.38% NPI on 100% of these four claims.
The Salo property is subject to an NSR royalty of 2%.
Red Pine Exploration owns a 2% NSR on the Edwards property.
There is a 10% NPI payable to Cavendish Investing Ltd. on 3 of the 6 claims transferred from Argonaut.
30
Environmental Obligations and Permits
A new closure plan was submitted in April 2013, to amalgamate the existing closure plan (Lochalsh and Kremzar) and include infrastructure associated with the new Island Gold project. Richmont has received the confirmation in June 2014, that the Closure Plan was considered filed and that Richmont must now comply with this last version. The total closure cost estimate is $1,577,127. To this end, financial guarantees have been submitted to the Director of Mineral Development and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. Consequently, Richmont Mines has fulfilled its financial commitments for the mine closure.
An amendment to the Amended Environmental Compliance Approval (Number 3467-8TXKLU) was submitted in November 2014, to allowed discharges from the tailings facility at additional times other than the approved seasonal discharges. For this purpose, an assimilative capacity study has been conducted on Goudreau Lake, to assess the capacity of the lake to assimilate loadings from the proposed additional discharge period.
An application for an amendment to our existing Environmental Compliance Authorization (ECA: 6323-8GBRXV) for air and noise was submitted in the fall of 2013. The purpose of this application was to address action items provided by the Provincial Ministry following an inspection, obtain approval for new and previously unapproved equipment and obtain an ECA with Limited Operational Flexibility. At this time, the processing of the application has still not been completed by the Ministry and Richmont has not received this amendment.
Infrastructure
The Island Gold Mine infrastructure includes the primary tailings pond, the secondary settling pond, the Kremzar Mill (a carbon-in-pulp mill with a capacity of 850 tonnes per day), the Lochalsh ramp and portal, the mine access road, and the hydro lines. An office, a core logging and storage facility, and a locker-room are also located on the Kremzar Mine site.
Location of Mineralized Zones
The mineralized zones, including the reserves and resources of the Island Zone and underground infrastructure, are located on mining leases 991853, 991854 and 991852 and patented claim 2075 of the Lochalsh property, and the ramp and waste pad are on patented claims 1776 and 1710 of the Goudreau property. The reserves and resources of Lochalsh are located on mining leases 825288 and 825287 of the Lochalsh property. The Goudreau resources are located on patented claim 3817 of the Goudreau property. The deep C Zone estimated mineral resources at the Island Gold Mine are principally located on the Lochalsh mining lease 825288 and on Goudreau patented claim 2491.
Accessibility
Access to the Island Gold Mine is via an all-weather road from Highway 519, just west of Dubreuilville, Ontario. This village is located approximately 35 km east of the junction between Highways 17 and 519. It takes approximately one hour to drive from Wawa, Ontario, to the mine site.
Climate
The mine is located within the Lake Superior Regional climatic zone, moderated by the influence of Lake Superior. The average day time temperature is 2°C, ranging from -41°C to 31°C throughout the year. Annual precipitation is normally 669 mm of rain and 278 cm of snow. Winter winds are from the northwest and north, and during the summer south westerly to westerly winds prevail. The climate does not affect the mining operation, which extends all year long.
31
Local Resources and Infrastructure
Wawa has a population of approximately 3,500. Dubreuilville, originally a forestry community, has a population of approximately 900. The Island Gold Mine is also within a few kilometres of railway lines operated by Canadian National Railways and Algoma Railways. Sidings for each of these railway lines are located in the villages of Goudreau and Lochalsh.
A power substation connected to the Provincial power grid, water supply, gravel roads, offices, maintenance buildings and living accommodations are all available within the mine area. Power is supplied by Algoma Power Inc. (formerly Great Lakes Power Corporation).
Richmont Mines also offers living accommodations and flexible schedules to its employees. Training is offered in order to maintain a local qualified workforce.
Physiography
The property area is within the Precambrian Shield adjacent to Lake Superior, in an area of low rolling hills that trend in an east-west direction with widespread swamps, and mixed forests of broadleafs and conifers. Property relief is low, from a high point of 488 metres above sea level near the Miller and Maskinonge Lakes, to a topographic low point of 381 metres above sea level near Goudreau Creek. The Mine area has been partially logged.
Exploration History
In 1983 Canamax Resources Inc. (“Canamax”) and Algoma formed a joint venture to evaluate the mineral potential of Algoma’s 117 patented claims covering the Goudreau iron range. In 1985, drilling by Canamax about two kilometres south of the Kremzar mine intersected a series of sub-parallel lenses containing gold mineralization within deformed rocks of the Goudreau Lake Deformation Zone (“GLDZ”). These lenses are known as the Lochalsh, Island Gold, Shore and Goudreau Lake zones. During 1989 and 1990, a 1,280 metre long ramp was driven into the Island deposit beneath Goudreau Lake from an adit on the north shore. Drifts and raises totalling 382 metres were developed on two levels at depths of 125 metres and 140 metres below the Goudreau Lake elevation. A bulk sample weighing 4,167 tonnes was extracted and processed at the Kremzar Mill.
Patricia Mining acquired the project in 1996 and completed 16,862 metres of diamond drilling in 49 holes on the Island deposit and Lochalsh Zone between 1996 and 2002. In 2004, Patricia Mining started an underground exploration program and completed a resource estimate at a cost of $3.0 million. A total of 125 metres of exploration drifts, 53 metres of ore sill and 8,137 metres of drilling were completed.
In 2005, Richmont Mines completed 2,111 metres of underground development and 7,903 metres of delineation drilling. A total of 7,259 tonnes with a content of 6.23 g/t Au from ore development were stockpiled on the surface.
In 2006, Richmont Mines continued the exploration program. A total of 3,469 metres of development were completed including 506 metres of ramps and 1,700 metres of ore silling. A total of 56,861 tonnes of development ore with a content of 6.96 g/t Au were stockpiled on the surface. At the end of December 2006, a total of 41,531 tonnes of mineralized material grading 4.80 g/t Au were processed at the mill. A total of 28,149 metres of underground diamond drilling were performed on the Island Zone, and 10,602 metres of drilling were completed from the surface on the Lochalsh and Goudreau zones. Reserve and resource estimates were performed by Genivar in 2007 based on this work.
On October 1, 2007, Island Gold began commercial production. On December 16, 2008, Richmont Mines acquired all of the outstanding shares of Patricia Mining, increasing its ownership of the property to 100%, with the exception of four claims on the Goudreau property, for which Richmont owns a 69% interest.
32
During 2009, underground drilling at the Island Gold Mine included 212 drill holes totaling 26,914 metres. Approximately half of these metres were exploration holes in the Lochalsh, Goudreau and Extension-2 zones. The drilling confirmed the presence and continuity of the targeted zones. A surface diamond drilling program was implemented in conjunction with the underground drilling. The goal of this program was to primarily test the near surface eastern and western extensions of the known zones in the vicinity of Island Gold Mine.
In 2010, Richmont Mines continued its underground exploration program via drilling and drifting in order to improve the quality of the resources, convert resources to reserve categories and increase the overall resource base. The excavations were done in waste rock to continue the exploration access drifts towards the Extension-2 sector of the E1E Zone, the Goudreau and the Lochalsh zones. This development also permitted exploration diamond drilling in the Extension-2 sector of the E1E Zone, the Lochalsh and the Goudreau zones. During 2010, underground drilling at the Island Gold Mine included 12,110 metres of definition drilling and 24,423 metres of exploration drilling. These metres were exploration holes in the Lochalsh, Extension-1, Goudreau and Extension-2 zones. Drilling confirmed the presence and continuity of the targeted zones. The delineation drilling into the Extension-1 sector of the E1E and the Lochalsh sector permitted the conversion of Probable reserves into Proven reserves. The exploration drilling in the Extension-2 sector of the E1E confirmed the location of the known resource, and resulted in the conversion of a portion of the resources into Probable reserves. A surface diamond drilling program was implemented in conjunction with the underground drilling during 2010. The goal of this program was to primarily test the eastern, western and depth extensions of the known zones in the vicinity of Island Gold Mine. The 2010 surface exploration drill program was completed in December 2010, and consisted of 30,015 metres. The drilling on the projected eastern, western and depth extensions of the mine structure horizon was successful in identifying the continuance of similar alteration, mineralization and shearing over one kilometre east of the Island Gold Deposit under Goudreau Lake.
A total of 58,958 metres of drilling were completed in 2011. Nearly 26,000 metres of underground definition drilling were completed in the areas of Lochalsh, Goudreau and Extensions 2 and 3. These and other holes allowed for the conversion of a portion of the resources into reserves. Drilling below the 400 level was mainly done from the surface and once again demonstrated the potential at depth of the mine. More specifically, drilling identified four main areas (G, C, D and E1E) between the -500 and -900 m levels over a 150 metre corridor extending between the Main Island and Lochalsh areas.
A total of 85,509 metres of drilling were completed at Island Gold in 2012, nearly 60,534 metres of which were done underground. Definition drilling, in Lochalsh, Goudreau and Extensions 2 and 3 along with other drill holes, permitted part of the resources to be converted into reserves. Drilling below the 400 metre level was done from surface and from underground, and demonstrated the potential at depth of this mine (Island Gold Deep program). More specifically, the drilling resulted in a first mineral resource estimation for the C Zone at depth in January 2013.
In 2013, nearly 100,000 metres of drilling were completed underground at the Island Gold Mine, including approximately 62,000 metres for the Island Gold Deep exploration program, 20,000 metres of definition drilling and 18,000 metres of exploration drilling in the other areas of the mine. Exploration holes in Island Gold Deep sectors from the west, below Lochalsh, to the east, below Extension 1, confirmed the presence and continuity of the deep C Zone and of some parallel zones, and resulted in an important increase in gold resources. The definition-delineation drilling into the upper sectors of the mine and below Extension-2 also renewed the mineral reserves of the mine.
During 2014, approximately 35,000 metres of mainly delineation and definition drilling were performed underground at the Island Gold Mine. The definition-delineation drilling occurred mainly in the lower sectors of the mine, below the 400 level: upper part of the Deep C zone and below Extension 1 and 2. This program has renewed and also increased the mineral reserves of the mine.
33
With some underground drilling, there were also 1,000 metres of surface exploration drilling which were performed in 2014. Recent drill results (cut grades over true widths): in hole GD-14-01C from surface, intersections of 19.87 g/t Au over 3.93 metres in the C Zone, and 21.1 g/t Au over 0.95 metres in an undetermined zone, and in hole 400-528 09 drilled from underground, an intersection of 7.44 g/t Au over 8.49 metres in the C Zone.
Geological Setting
Regional Geology
The Island Gold property is part of the Michipicoten greenstone belt which is part of the Wawa sub-province and Superior Province of Archean age. The property is stratigraphically positioned in the upper portion of the Wawa Assemblage, composed by intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks capped by pyrite-bearing iron formations.
Project Geology
The Island Gold property covers part of the interface between the Catfish assemblage, composed of mafic rocks, and the Wawa assemblage, which consists of felsic rocks. The pyrite-rich Goudreau iron formation lies at the contact between the Wawa and Catfish assemblages. A unit of pyroclastic rocks marks the transition between the two assemblages and hosts the gold occurrences encountered on the property. This gold mineralization is controlled by the Goudreau Lake Deformation zone (the “GLDZ”). The GLDZ hosts the Island, Lochalsh, Goudreau, Shore, and north shear gold zones, all located within the Island Gold property.
Mineralization
Within the GLDZ there are a series of parallel shear zones, up to 25 metres wide by several hundred metres long, with dips ranging from -70° to -90°, which host the gold mineralization. Moderate to high strain intensity is present within the shear zones containing pervasive alterations occurring in the form of iron carbonate, silica and calcite. Gold is found primarily in quartz stringers and in veins, 1 cm to 1.5 metres wide, within areas of intense sericitization and silicification with 2% to 5% pyrite. Finely disseminated gold occurs in clusters up to 3 mm in diameter.
At the Island Gold deposit, 5 zones referred to as E1, E, D1, D, and C, are defined and characterized by the presence of alteration halos ranging from 0.5 metres to over 8 metres in thickness, and are comprised of intense silica alteration, albite alteration and quartz-carbonate veins. Two dominant envelopes are defined, namely the C/D envelope and the E/E1 envelope, which includes the D1 Zone. An anastamosing pattern defines the relationship between the zones.
The mineralized Island Gold Deep C Zone, which is being defined, corresponds to the continuation at depth of the mineralized zones which are mined at present above the -400 m level. The mineralization undergoes an inflection southward between the -400 m and -500 m levels, before returning with a high dip southward at depth. The average width of the deep C Zone resource is approximately 4.5 metres, which is above the average of 2.7 metres in mineralized zones above the -400 m level. Also, it seems that the number of gold-bearing quartz veins inside the alteration zone of the C Zone is slightly greater, with approximately 60% of the drill holes inside the first resource containing some visible gold, which translates into a higher average grade. Island Gold Deep mineral resources now also include 6 additional zones that are sub-parallel to the C Zone.
2014 Results
Production
Island Gold Mine
For the 12 months ended December 31, 2014, 233,202 tonnes of ore were processed at an average grade of 5.83 g/t, and 42,078 ounces of gold were sold at an average price of CAN$1,398 (US$1,266) per ounce. This
34
compared to 2013 results, in which 244,631 tonnes of ore were processed at an average grade of 4.65 g/t, and 35,113 ounces of gold were sold at an average price of CAN$1,434 (US$1,392) per ounce. The higher year-over-year gold sales change reflect a 25% improvement in grade, partially offset by a slight 5% decrease in processed tonnage. The grade improved with the increase of the cut-off from 3 g/t to 3.75 g/t and also with the mining of higher grade areas: Extension 2, Goudreau and C Zone at depth. Cash costs at Island Gold decreased year-over-year to CAN$982 (US$889) from CAN$1,124 (US$1,092) in 2013, with the improvement being driven by the higher recovered grade. This was partially offset by a higher mining cost per tonne year-over-year, which stemmed from a greater amount of development work and a lower amount of processed tonnage year-over-year, as well as the short-term rental of crushing equipment from an outside supplier.
For the 12 months ended December 31, 2013, 244,631 tonnes of ore were processed at the Island Gold Mine at an average grade of 4.65 g/t, and 35,113 ounces of gold were sold at an average price of CAN$1,434 (US$1,392) per ounce. This compared to 2012, during which 246,743 tonnes of ore were processed at an average grade of 5.45 g/t, and 41,686 ounces of gold were sold at an average price of CAN$1,665 (US$1,666) per ounce. The year-over-year change reflected a 15% decline in recovered grades and a slight decrease in tonnage. Cash costs at Island Gold increased to CAN$1,124 (US$1,092) in 2013 from CAN$884 (US$884) in 2012, due primarily to a lower recovered grade and higher milling cost.
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||
Ounces poured | 42,042 | 34,691 | 41,952 | |
Gold Sold | ||||
Tonnes | 233,202 | 244,631 | 246,743 | |
Head grade(g/t) | 5.83 | 4.65 | 5.45 | |
Gold recovery(%) | 96.26 | 96.09 | 96.45 | |
Recovered grade(g/t) | 5.61 | 4.46 | 5.25 | |
Ounces sold | 42,078 | 35,113 | 41,686 | |
Cash cost per ounce(US$) | 889 | 1,092 | 884 | |
Investment in property, plant and equipment(thousands of CAN$) | 20,168 | 27,770 | 8,364 | |
Exploration expenses(thousands of CAN$) | 771 | 4,532 | 10,969 | |
Deferred development(metres) | 3,013 | 1,939 | 1,135 | |
Diamond drilling(metres) | ||||
Definition/Delineation | 34,599 | 19,971 | 16,425 | |
Exploration | 6,724 | 17,736 | 69,084 |
Extensive development work will be completed at the Island Gold Mine in 2015 in order to position the mine for future growth. Approximately 600,000 tonnes of ore and waste are expected to be mined during 2015, 80% of which will originate from below a vertical depth of -425 metres. The Corporation expects to mill an estimated 260,000 tonnes, of which approximately 45% will be from ore development, and a maximum of 30% will come from production stopes below level -425 but within the upper portion of the new resource. This higher level of development ore coming from exposing the new resources at depth will translate into a slightly higher cash cost per ounce at the mine. The amount of handled waste is expected to begin diminishing in 2016, which will reduce costs and increase profitability, while also freeing up capacity for additional ore tonnage as a greater percentage of mining is migrated to the lower levels of the mine.
Development of the main access ramp, or West Ramp, will continue to be advanced by the contractor, and will be extended from its current depth of -650 metres to a minimum depth of approximately -750 metres before the
35
end of 2015. This will provide Richmont with access to mine between the depths of -650 and -750 metres in 2016, and should allow for increased gold ounce production to originate from the deeper, typically higher-grade and larger width zones.
The Corporation continues to use its own teams to advance the secondary East Ramp, located approximately 450 metres to the east of the main access ramp. This ramp will be extended from its current depth of -440 metres to a minimum depth of -570 metres by year-end 2015, and will open development and mining for 2015 and 2016 on the Extension 1 and Extension 2 areas of the mine below the -400 metre level. The main objective is to increase mining flexibility moving forward by splitting mining efforts between the Western and Eastern parts of the deposit. A total of nearly 2,900 metres of ramp development are planned in 2015.
Exploration
Richmont’s objective is to increase the reserves and the resources of this property and the Corporation remains confident regarding the long-term possibilities of Island Gold.
Definition and delineation drilling was completed during 2014 near the mine infrastructure, which resulted in a mining depletion replacement as well as an increase of 40,000 ounces of the gold reserves of the mine.
In September 2014, the Corporation announced that it would conduct a limited deep exploration drilling program to test part of the down plunge projection of the Island Gold deposit to the east, the first results of which were published on January 8, 2015. Highlights included results from hole GD-14-01C that had been drilled from surface. This hole intersected 19.87 g/t Au over a true width of 3.93 metres at a depth of -1,200 metres, at approximately -250 metres down plunge from the limits of the currently defined Resources, and reinforced the potential to grow the deposit both laterally and at depth. The second hole that was drilled from surface intersected two small mineralized zones at a depth of about -900 metres, the best one returned 2.43 g/t of gold over a true width of 1.5 metres. Exploration drilling in this area will continue from underground.
The additional two holes, drilled from underground (400-528-09 and 400-528-10), both successfully intersected the C Zone. Hole 400-528-09 intersected 7.44 g/t Au over 8.49 metres at a vertical depth of 858 metres, which is not a significant step out from the known resources, while hole 400-528-10 intersected 4.44 g/t Au over 6.07 metres at a vertical depth of 1,091 metres, which is approximately 100 metres below the currently defined resource base. A second zone grading 4.79 g/t Au over 2.87 metres at a vertical depth of -1,179 metres was similarly intersected by hole 400-528-10. While in a zone that is yet to be determined, this intersection is an approximate -200 metre step out to depth from the known resource, and is very encouraging.
Richmont has approved an $8.5 million exploration budget for the Island Gold Mine property for 2015. The 61,000 metre exploration drill program has two primary objectives. The first is to test the eastern extension potential of the resource between 500 and 1,000 metres of depth with a budgeted 41,000 metres of underground drilling. This drilling will be more heavily weighted to the second half of the year once access has been achieved via the 620 metre level drift currently being developed by the contractor. Carrying out drilling from underground is less expensive considering the depths that are being targeted, and will also enable a better core angle. The second primary objective is to test a number of targets and target areas located toward the western property boundary, as well as to the east of the existing operations. This surface exploration drilling will encompass 20,000 metres, and will test the targeted areas from surface to a depth of approximately 750 metres.
The $8.5 million exploration budget for Island Gold in 2015 will be a significant step to unlocking the future value of this asset.
Drilling
Most of the definition drill holes are planned on vertical cross-sections, in order to intercept mineralized zones at right angles along a grid spacing of 20 metres by 20 metres. Drilling operations are performed by a drilling contractor, under the supervision of the geological staff at the Island Gold Mine. Underground drill holes are BQ
36
or NQ calibre. Core recovery is approximately 100%. The drill core is logged in detail by experienced and highly skilled staff, following established guidelines for the Island Gold Mine. A rock quality designation (“RQD”) analysis was completed for most of the drill holes drilled in the 2014 program and the RQD for the zones are generally excellent (› 90%). The interpretation and development of each section was completed after receipt of the drill hole assays and section plots. This interpretation served to complete the reserve and resource estimates.
Sampling
The drill hole sampling approach is defined to coincide with lithological contacts, and samples have a minimum width of 0.3 metres and a maximum length of one metre. The core recovery is very good and can be considered to be representative.
The panel (or chip) sampling method consisted of taking horizontal representative samples of the geology (units or alteration) that was exposed either in the face or in the adjacent walls. The samples weighed an average of 1.5 kg to 2 kg for a zone of 1.5 vertical metres by 0.3 to 1.0 horizontal metres. Each face was sampled and the number of assays varied based on the geology and the opening.
The drill cores and chip samples are representative and the mineralization style, with the presence of quartz veins and free gold, shows a nugget effect.
Assays
During 2014, core samples were sent to Expert Laboratory (LabExpert) in Rouyn-Noranda, Québec, to Activation Laboratory (Actlabs) in Geraldton, Ontario and also to Wesdome (Wesdome) Laboratory in Wawa, Ontario. Underground muck and chip samples were also sent at this laboratory.
Gold assays are completed by fire assay with 30 g of material with either a gravimetric or AA finish. The cut-off for gravimetric versus AA finish, has been established at 3 g/t Au. The detection limit for gold is 3 ppb. Rejects and pulps are kept by the laboratory or stored at the Island Gold site. These methods and the routine sample preparation are described in the following section. A detailed procedure can be found in the Technical Report for the Island Gold Mine as of March 31, 2014, filed under the Corporation’s profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.
The step-by-step procedure for sample analyses is briefly described as follows:
1) | Dry samples, if required; | |
2) | Crush total sample to ½ inch (Jaw Crusher); | |
3) | Split approximately 350 g using a Riffle Jones; | |
4) | Remaining rejects are placed in a plastic bag and packed in cartons with sample numbers listed on the outside; | |
5) | Pulverize the 350 g sample; | |
6) | Homogenize the pulp: it is then ready for assay; | |
7) | Samples are then analyzed by fire assay with an absorption atomic or gravimetric finish. A total of 30 g of representative material are subjected to the fire assay and to gravimetric finish. |
Quality Control
In 2007, during the course of the geological confirmation program, an evaluation of “Quality Assurance/Quality Control” (“QA/QC”) data was done to address the three main concerns of analytical determination protocols, namely: (i) contamination, (ii) accuracy, and (iii) precision, as measured by the results obtained from field and analytical blank standards, certified reference standards and an assortment of specific duplicate samples collected and/or prepared, in addition to the regular samples submitted to the laboratory. A certified standard and
37
blank assay was run with each sample batch. In addition, a replicate assay was run on every 10th sample to be used for checking the reproducibility of the assays.
The results of the field and analytical blanks used to monitor for potential contamination during sample processing and assaying indicate that no significant contamination is likely to have occurred during the sampling/assaying programs completed for 2007.
In 2013, the QA/QC program was still in place with the addition of certified standards applied to samples submitted to the laboratory (Wesdome, LabExpert and Actlabs). Each laboratory has its own QA/QC program with the addition of analytical blank standards and certified reference standards to each batch of assays. Also, some core and chip sample duplicates were taken in 2014 and sent to the laboratories as part of the QA/QC program.
The assays supporting the Island Gold Mineral Resource estimate are based on sample preparation and analytical protocols that meet standard industry practice.
Security of Samples
The coreshack is located on the Island Gold Mine site. The core is stored outdoors in covered racks or as separate cross-piles. There is a gate on the mine access road and there are personnel working on site at all times. Individual sample bags are sealed. The samples are placed in large rice fiber bags and placed on pallets. Samples are transported by a third party transportation company. The underground channel samples are shipped to the River Gold laboratory in Wawa, Ontario, by Island Gold staff.
Mineral Reserve Estimates
Proven and Probable Reserves at Island Gold were increased by 28%, net of 2014 mining depletion. As of December 31, 2014, total Proven and Probable Reserves at the Island Gold Mine were 183,750 gold ounces, of which 51%, or 93,750 ounces, are located in zones below –400 metres. This compared to Proven and Probable Reserves of 143,500 gold ounces at the end of December 2013. The updated Reserve estimate reflects the 16,897 metres of definition drilling and 17,702 metres of delineation drilling completed during the year, which successfully replaced Reserves that were mined during the year. This also compared with Proven and Probable reserves of 141,456 ounces of gold at a grade of 5.60 g/t at December 31, 2012. Please refer to the detailed Mineral Reserve table on page 75.
December 31, 2014, mineral reserve estimates were performed by Raynald Vincent, P. Eng., M.G.P., and Daniel Vachon, P. Eng., employees of the Corporation, who are qualified persons under NI 43-101. Factors and parameters used in the determination of the mineral reserve estimates are based on the knowledge of the employees of the Island Gold Mine as of December 31, 2014.
The mineral reserve estimates were carried out in accordance with NI 43-101 recommendations and regulations. Mineral reserves were classified according to the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (“CIM”) classification and adopted by the CIM Council on December 11, 2005. All standards generally accepted in the mineral industry as well as NI 43-101 recommendations and CIM regulations for mineral reserve estimates have been fully complied with.
Mineral Reserve Estimates
General
The database and the parameters used to estimate the mineral reserves are based on the results from 2014, the forecast for 2015 and information available as at December 31, 2014. The technical parameters were reviewed by Daniel Adam, P.Geo., Ph.D., Vice-President, Exploration, an employee of the Corporation. Thus, both the dilution and the ore-recovery factors by mining methods used in the reserve estimate are based on mining
38
methods. All these factors and parameters will be updated on an annual basis in order to account for changes in mining operations.
The conversion of mineral resources to reserves is based on economic studies. As per NI 43-101, only mineral resources in the Measured and Indicated categories can be used to establish the estimate of mineral reserves.
See “ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION - D. Risk Factors –Risks Associated with the Mining Industry– The estimates of mineral reserves and forecasts of the production are subject to numerous uncertainties, and the production and recovery of reserve estimates appearing in the Annual Report may not be realized” for a discussion of the risks inherent in estimating reserves and production.
Technical Parameters
The main parameters used to estimate mineral reserves and mineral resources are as follows:
A cut-off grade of 3.75 g/t Au estimated using a gold price of US$1,200 per ounce and an exchange rate of CAN$1.0833/US$1.00;
Grades were capped at 75 g/t Au for all zones, with the exception of Island Gold lower zones: 95 g/t for the C, 70 g/t for the B, 40 g/t for the G and G1 and 31 g/t for the D, D1 and E1E;
A minimum true thickness of 2.0 metres based on the mining method (longitudinal long-holes);
An average rock density of 2.82 t/m3is defined, 2.80 t/m3for Island Gold lower zones;
Ore mining recovery: 95% for designed stopes - pillars between stopes have been excluded;
External dilution: an average dilution rate of 18% of waste at a grade of 0.5 g/t Au is assumed for stopes. A dilution rate of 30% at a grade of 0.5 g/t Au is assumed for development;
Mill recovery of approximately 95% was not applied.
Estimation Methods
At the Island Gold Mine, the Gemcom GEMS 6.7 software was used to prepare the resource estimation. The reserve and resources estimates were calculated following two distinct methods. Reserve estimation was done with block model using an inverse distance to the power 2 calculation for Island Main, Lochalsh and Goudreau sectors and also Island Gold lower D, D1, E1E, G and G1 zones. Ordinary Kriging has been used for Extension 1 and 2 as well as for Island Gold lower C and B zones. The polygonal method was used for Extension 3 resource estimation.
Regardless of the methods used, composites were established by the geological department for each drill hole and underground development face. The diamond drill hole composites were determined following an interpretation on vertical cross-sections and horizontal plans while the development composites were interpreted using the face mapping and assay results of each development face. Once individual composites were determined, each one was tagged in the database according to their individual zone name. Individual pierce points were generated on longitudinal sections for each zone. These longitudinal sections are a representation of an average plane through each mineralized zone.
For the polygonal method, construction of the polygons is completed on longitudinal sections. An area of influence of 20 metres was determined for the development composite and the diamond drill holes. A 10 metre influence was used on the lateral extremities of the development composite to limit their influence. When all polygons are generated, a combination of the development and drill hole pierce points is created. After the ore block limits are determined and the grade and tonnes of each reserve block are calculated, specific dilution and ore recovery are factored into the final reserve estimate.
39
All the geo-scientific data collected at the Island Gold Mine are entered into a Gemcom database. Internal procedures have been prepared in order to validate the information in the database. All this work is performed by the Island Gold Mine geology department and all steps, from data entry to layout drawings, follow strict and established procedures, including crosschecks to ensure full validity. Access to all databases is restricted to selected personnel in order to ensure complete integrity.
Cut-off Grade
The cut-off for stopes was established at 3.75 g/t Au. This cut-off was calculated using, among other things, 2014 production costs and anticipated 2015 production costs.
Reserve Classification
More detailed descriptions regarding classification of mineral reserves at the Island Gold Mine are set out below.
Proven Mineral Reserves
Ore development was completed above, below or on both levels of the ore block. If only one level was developed, a minimum drill spacing of 20 metres was necessary to confirm the vein continuity. An economic study was done by the engineering department of the Island Gold Mine to validate the block as reserves.
Probable Mineral Reserves
Since the information from the ore development was lacking, a maximum drill hole spacing of 20 metres center to center was necessary to validate the vein continuity inside the ore block. An economic study was done by the engineering department of the Island Gold Mine to validate the block as reserves.
Dilution and mining recovery rates are included in the reserve estimation.
Reserve Table
As of December 31, 2014, the mineral reserves of the Island Gold Mine are estimated at:
Reserve Categories | Tonnes | Grade | Au1 |
(metric) | (g/t Au) | (oz) | |
Proven | 173,000 | 6.25 | 34,700 |
Proven (below -400 m) | 86,000 | 6.57 | 18,150 |
Probable | 290,500 | 5.91 | 55,300 |
Probable (below -400 m) | 345,500 | 6.81 | 75,600 |
Total (Proven + Probable) | 895,000 | 6.39 | 183,750 |
As of December 31, 2014, the mineral reserves at Island Gold were 183,750 ounces of gold, calculated using a long-term gold price of US$1,200 per ounce, an exchange rate of CAN$1.0833 = US$1.00, and an expected mine life of approximately four years.
40
Mining Operations and Metallurgy
The extraction method is by longitudinal long-holes with a maximum panel length fixed by a hydraulic radius factor of 4.5.
The Island Gold ore is hauled by truck to the Kremzar mill located at an approximate distance of 0.8 km from the portal of the ramp. The Kremzar mill is a traditional gold recovery mill using a conventional Carbon in Pulp (“CIP”) process, with circuits for crushing, grinding, gold cyanidation and carbon-in-pulp and two electrowinning (“EW”) cells.
Gold recovery of the CIP circuit at the Kremzar mill is approximately 95%.
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||
Revenues (thousands of CAN$) | 58,971 | 50,487 | 69,631 | |||
Ounces sold | 42,078 | 35,113 | 41,686 | |||
Data per ounce of gold sold | US$ | CAN$ | US$ | CAN$ | US$ | CAN$ |
Cash cost | 889 | 982 | 1,092 | 1,124 | 884 | 884 |
Depreciation and depletion | 225 | 248 | 221 | 228 | 181 | 181 |
Total | 1,114 | 1,230 | 1,313 | 1,352 | 1,065 | 1,065 |
Average price obtained per ounce | 1,266 | 1,398 | 1,392 | 1,434 | 1,666 | 1,665 |
41
2. | Beaufor and W Zone Mines, Val-d’Or, Quebec, Canada |
Location and Property Description
The Beaufor Mine property and the W Zone Mine, along with other adjacent properties such as Pascalis, Perron, Colombière, Courvan and Perron Blocks 2 and 3, are located approximately 20 kilometres northeast of the town of Val-d’Or, in the Abitibi-East county, in the Province of Quebec.
Description of Mining Rights
The property, which includes the mineral reserves and resources of the Beaufor and W Zone mines, consists of a series of adjacent mining rights subdivided into four projects: Perron, Beaufor, Pascalis and Colombière. The projects are composed of three mining leases, one mining concession and 23 claims covering a total area of 591 ha. The Courvan project and Perron blocks 2 and 3 form another group of mining titles with high economic potential but currently have no mining activities. This group consists of two mining concessions and 65 claims, covering a total area of 1,255.12 ha.
Property | Number of | Area | Expiration date |
mining titles | (ha) | ||
Beaufor | 1 | 106.03 | Mining concession 280PTA: 01/31/2016 |
Colombière | 13 | 226.00 | Claims expire between 09/21/2015 and 10/15/2015 |
Courvan | 61 | 1,099.12 | Mining concession 295 and 280PTB: 01/31/2016 and 59 claims expire between 10/02/2015 and 04/29/2017 |
Pascalis | 1 | 37.50 | Mining Lease BM 750: 06/02/2016 |
Perron | 12 | 221.58 | 2 mining leases BM 858: 03/11/2023 and BM 1018: 09/16/2033 and 10 claims expire between 09/10/2015 and 09/11/2016 |
Perron Blocks 2 and 3 | 6 | 156.00 | Claims expire between 10/31/2016 and 12/15/2016 |
Total | 94 | 1,846.12 |
All of these claims are expected to be renewed before the anniversary date by applying excess credits available or by the execution of the required works. For the mining leases, taxes are paid to the government every year to keep them in good standing. For a mining concession, geological work is performed to keep it in good standing. Richmont Mines has an internal procedure and an external control to insure appropriate follow up regarding claim expiry dates. One isolated claim, Perron Block 4, was allowed to lapse as it was not viewed as prospective and no work was conducted on the block. All the other mining claims, mining concessions and mining leases were in good standing in 2014 and are expected to remain so in 2015. A detailed list and map of locations can be found in the Technical Report for the Beaufor Mine as of December 31, 2006 filed on March 29, 2007 under the Corporation’s profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.
A mining lease (BM1018) was granted to Richmont on September 17, 2013 for the western area of the W Zone Mine, the 350 Zone. This 350 Zone is accessible by the W Zone ramp.
Ownership of Mining Rights
All the mining titles of the Beaufor property are held by Richmont Mines.
Mining Royalties
All the Beaufor division’s properties, including the W Zone Mine, are subject to the payment of royalties and financial contractual obligations. Details can be found in the Technical Report for the Beaufor Mine as of
42
December 31, 2006, filed on March 29, 2007 under the Corporation’s profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.
Beaufor Property (Royalty payable on 50% of the production)
The Beaufor and the W Zone mines productions are subject to a quarterly royalty payment to Hecla Mining Company (formerly Aurizon Mines Ltd):
Gold Price (US$/oz) | Royalties per ounce on 50% of ounces produced |
<300 | CAN$0.00 |
300 – 325 | CAN$17.00 |
325 – 350 | CAN$18.50 |
350 – 375 | CAN$20.00 |
375 – 400 | CAN$22.50 |
400 – 500 | CAN$24.00 |
>500 | CAN$30.00 |
Perron Property (payable on 100% of the production)
The Perron property (including the 350 Zone in the west area of the W Zone Mine, which is located on the Perron property) is subject to a quarterly royalty payment to Hecla Mining Company (formerly Aurizon Mines Ltd):
Gold Price (US$/oz) | Royalties per ounce produced |
<300 | CAN$0.00 |
300 – 325 | CAN$17.00 |
325 – 350 | CAN$18.50 |
350 – 375 | CAN$20.00 |
375 – 400 | CAN$22.50 |
400 – 500 | CAN$24.00 |
>500 | CAN$30.00 |
Despite the fact that claims 5102441, 5098056 and 5098055 are part of the Perron Block 2 property, they are subject to the same royalty as the claims included in the Perron property.
Perron Block 2 (payable on 100% of the production on claims 3493171, 3493172 and 3493173)
The Perron Block 2 property is subject to a 2% NSR payable to Northwest Gold Corporation (“Northwest”). The Northwest NSR is payable when the gold price is higher than US$300 per ounce.
Pascalis (payable on 100% of the production)
The Pascalis property is subject to a 25% NPI royalty payable to New Pascalis Mines Limited.
Colombière (payable on 100% of the production)
The Colombière property is subject to a 2% NSR payable to IAMGOLD Corporation (formerly Cambior Inc.).
Environmental Obligations and Permits
Over 75% of the development waste material is either hoisted or trucked from the underground mine to the surface and placed in a waste dump. The waste rock is not acid generating and does not require any particular environmental measures.
43
The rehabilitation plan for the Beaufor Mine was approved in April 2008 by the Ministère des Ressources naturelles du Québec (the “MRN”). A partial revision of the rehabilitation plan was submitted to MRN in November 2010, following the expansion of the tailings storage area and drilling programs on the old restored tailings. The rehabilitation plan was accepted by the MRN on December 7, 2011. The updated rehabilitation plan was submitted to MRN in February 2014, and included the W Zone. This updated rehabilitation plan has been approved by the MRN on November 6th, 2014.
The Corporation is of the opinion that all necessary permits and authorizations have been requested and obtained.
Infrastructure
Two mine shafts are located on the Beaufor property: the old Perron shaft No. 5 is currently used for hoisting and the Pascalis shaft is used as the ventilation air intake shaft. A raise between the 1,250 level and surface is used as an escape way. The ramp collar that provides access to the W Zone Mine is located 350 metres southeast of the Perron shaft. It provides access to the W Zone, in which 5 levels were developed, and to the 350 Zone to the west where presently one level is developed and the access to two other ones are in progress. There are also a series of buildings including warehouses, workshops and offices. There were a total of 117 employees and 26 independent contractors as of December 31, 2014 for the combined Beaufor and the W Zone mine operations.
Location of Mineralized Zones
The mineralized zones, including the mineral reserves and mineral resources, underground infrastructure and the waste pad are located on mining concession 280 PTA of the Beaufor property, mining lease 750 of the Pascalis property and mining leases 858 and 1018 of the Perron property.
Accessibility
The mines can be accessed from Highway 117 by going east from Val-d’Or to the Perron Road, and then north towards the village of Perron. The mines can also be accessed using the secondary road 397 from Val-d’Or to Val-Senneville, and then going south on Paré Road to the village of Perron.
Climate
The average annual precipitation is approximately 914 mm, with the highest level of precipitation occuring in September (approximately 102 mm). Snowfalls occur between October and May, with the most snowfall occurring between November and March. The monthly average for that period is about 50 mm (expressed in mm of water).
The average daily temperature in Val-d’Or is 1.2° C, slightly above freezing. The average temperature for July reaches 17.2°C, while in January the average temperature falls to –17.2° C. The lowest temperature measured was -43.9° C and the highest temperature measured was 36.1° C. Although the temperature of the area is below the freezing point an average of 209 days per year, mining operations are not affected by the climate.
Local Resources and Infrastructure
The area is well served by existing infrastructure and human resources. The population of the town of Val-d’Or is approximately 32,000 people. The town is accessible from the national road network and commercial flights are available daily at the local airport. The town also hosts an appropriate base of suppliers and manufacturers for the mining industry.
A railroad is located a few kilometres to the south of the property and power is supplied by Hydro-Québec.
The ore from the Beaufor and W Zone mines is hauled by truck to the Camflo Mill located at an approximate distance of 49 km from the mine site. Waste rock is stored on site.
44
Skilled administrative personnel, technicians, geologists, mining engineers and experienced miners are available in the area.
Physiography
The regional landscape is typical of the Abitibi lowlands, with its small rolling hills and widespread swamps, and its mixed forests of broadleafs and conifers. The forest cover is relatively young, as a forest fire devastated the area in 1942. The elevation is approximately 300 metres above sea-level.
Exploration History
Intermittent exploration fieldwork has been conducted on the Beaufor property since the 1930s. Following a development period, Aurizon Mines (50%) and Louvem (50%) started commercial production at the Beaufor Mine in January 1996. In August 2000, Aurizon Mines stopped mining operations at the Beaufor Mine. In spring 2001, Aurizon Mines transferred the mining rights of the Perron, Beaufor, Pascalis, Colombière and Courvan properties to Richmont Mines for an amount of $1.8 million. In September 2001, Richmont Mines undertook construction work to secure the stability of the crown pillar and commercial production resumed at the Beaufor Mine jointly with Louvem in January 2002. In March 2010, the Beaufor Mine reached the notable historical production milestone level of 1,000,000 gold ounces over its mine life. In June 2010, Richmont Mines acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Louvem not owned by Richmont Mines. As a result of this transaction, Richmont Mines owns a 100% interest in the Beaufor Mine and assumed ownership of all Louvem properties.
Geological Setting
Regional Geology
The mining town of Val-d’Or is located in the southeastern part of the Abitibi greenstone belt formed of Archean volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Superior Province. The mining camp of Val-d’Or is located in the Malartic area, which is comprised of a volcanic pile including ultramafic, basaltic and rhyolitic flows. The Bourlamaque granodiorite intrusion hosts significant gold concentrations, namely at the Beaufor Mine.
Beaufor Mine Geology
The Beaufor, Perron, Pascalis, Colombière and Courvan properties belong to the same gold-bearing hydrothermal system with a similar geometry. The Beaufor deposit is included in the Bourlamaque granodiorite. Gold mineralization occurs in veins associated with shear zones moderately dipping south. The mineralization is associated with quartz-tourmaline veins resulting from the filling of shear and extension fractures. The gold-bearing veins show a close association with mafic dykes intrusive and undercutting the granodiorite. The dykes seem to have influenced the structural control of the gold-bearing veins.
In the W Zone Mine, a part of the gold mineralization (the W Zone sensu stricto) occurs in a series of en echelon quartz-tourmaline veins located in a large mafic volcanic rock enclave while the other area (the 350 Zone) is similar to the Beaufor deposit and occurs in the Bourlamaque granodiorite.
Mineralization
Gold-bearing veins at the Beaufor Mine consist of quartz-tourmaline-pyrite veins, typical of Archean epigenetic lode gold deposits, that cross-cut the Bourlamaque Batholith. Mafic dykes that predate the mineralization are associated with shear-hosted gold-bearing veins. Shallowly dipping extensional gold-bearing veins are commonly observed at the Beaufor Mine. Shear zones striking N070oand dipping steeply to the southwest control the opening and gold enrichment of veins.
All the gold-bearing veins are contained in a strongly-altered granodiorite in the form of chlorite-silica forming anastomosing corridors of 5 m to 30 m in thickness. The veins at the Beaufor Mine form panels of more than 300
45
m in length by 350 m in height. The thickness of the veins varies from 5 cm to 5 m. The zones are limited by the Beaufor fault (N115o/65o-75o) at 380 metres from the surface and a parallel system of shears (N70o/sub vertical).
2014 Results
Production
Beaufor Mine
For 2014, a total of 111,474 tonnes of ore were processed from the Beaufor Mine at an average grade of 6.84 g/t, and 24,006 ounces of gold were sold at an average price of CAN$1,399 (US$1,267). This compared to tonnage of 124,570 at an average grade of 5.88 g/t, and gold sales of 23,028 ounces at an average price of CAN$1,417 (US$1,376) in 2013.
The 2012 processed tonnage levels from the Beaufor Mine totaled 116,675 at an average grade of 5.19 g/t, which translated into gold sales of 19,055 ounces at an average price of CAN$1,665 (US$1,666). Cash costs of CAN$1,393 (US$1,394) during the period reflected lower levels of tonnage and a low grade. The annual variance from 2012 to 2013 was attributable to the 7% increase in tonnage and 13% improvement in mined grade.
Cash costs at the Beaufor Mine for the 12 months of 2014 decreased 13% to CAN$946 (US$856) from the prior year levels of CAN$1,082 (US$1,051), which was primarily a function of the improved grade.
Cash costs at the Beaufor Mine in 2013 decreased from CAN$1,393 (US$1,394) in 2012, a reflection of an improved grade and a lower cost per tonne owing to the higher tonnage levels and lower mining costs per tonne.
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Ounces poured | 24,959 | 23,076 | 18,878 |
Gold Sold | |||
Tonnes | 111,474 | 124,569 | 116,675 |
Head grade(g/t) | 6.84 | 5.88 | 5.19 |
Gold recovery(%) | 97.91 | 97.75 | 97.80 |
Recovered grade(g/t) | 6.70 | 5.75 | 5.08 |
Ounces sold | 24,006 | 23,028 | 19,055 |
Cash cost per ounce(US$) | 856 | 1,051 | 1,394 |
Investment in property, plant and equipment(thousands of CAN$) | 1,623 | 980 | 1,192 |
Exploration expenses(thousands of CAN$) | 1,733 | 1,929 | 1,432 |
Deferred development(metres) | 386 | 354 | - |
Diamond drilling(metres) | |||
Definition | 12,801 | 8,050 | 9,725 |
Exploration | 25,215 | 22,906 | 14,730 |
46
W Zone Mine
A total of 37,055 tonnes of ore were processed from the W Zone at an average grade of 4.25 g/t in 2014. Annual gold sales from this operation were 4,929 ounces at an average price of CAN$1,405 (US$1,272) per ounce. This compared to 23,262 tonnes at an average grade of 3.25 g/t, and gold sales of 2,326 ounces at an average price of CAN$1,328 (US$1,265) in the year-ago period. Cash costs at the operation were CAN$992 (US$899) in 2014, versus CAN$1,441 (US$1,373) in 2013, with the decrease reflecting the discontinuation of development costs when operations were closed in the second quarter of 2014.
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Ounces poured | 4,900 | 2,324 | - |
Gold Sold | |||
Tonnes | 37,055 | 23,262 | - |
Head grade(g/t) | 4.25 | 3.25 | - |
Gold recovery(%) | 97.45 | 95.65 | - |
Recovered grade(g/t) | 4.14 | 3.11 | - |
Ounces sold | 4,929 | 2,326 | - |
Cash cost per ounce(US$) | 899 | 1,373 | - |
Investment in property, plant and equipment(thousands of CAN$) | 234 | 3,779 | 9,911 |
Exploration expenses(thousands of CAN$) | - | - | - |
Deferred development(metres) | - | 1,474 | 238 |
Diamond drilling(metres) | |||
Definition | - | 1,626 | - |
Exploration | - | 1,602 | 11,805 |
Exploration
Proven and Probable Reserves at the Beaufor Mine property, which now include estimated Reserves located within the W Zone and 350 Zone, decreased to 32,750 gold ounces at December 31, 2014, from 43,950 gold ounces at December 31, 2013, as 12,801 metres of definition drilling on the Beaufor Mine property in 2014 was insufficient to replace mined Reserves during the year. More than half of the Proven and Probable Reserves are contained in two zones, namely the M-M1 Zone with 48,000 tonnes at a grade of 7.32 g/t for 11,400 ounces and the 350 Zone with 28,000 tonnes at a grade of 7.34 g/t for 6,650 ounces.
Year-end 2013 Proven and Probable reserves were lower to the December 31, 2012 level of 69,800 ounces, as results from definition drilling was not successful in replacing all the mine’s 2013 gold production.
The Corporation is currently evaluating the economic feasibility in the Beaufor Mine’s Q Zone and is planning approximately 11,800 metres of definition drilling and an additional 18,200 metres of exploration drilling, in part to finalize the economic analysis of the zone and extend the life of the asset. The upper part of the Q Zone is located approximately 50 vertical metres below current mining operation. The development of a 450 m long ramp would be required to reach the top part of the zone. A decision of whether or not to proceed with the development necessary to access the zone will be made by the second quarter of 2015.
47
Drilling
For both, the Beaufor and the W Zone mines, most of the drill holes are planned on vertical cross-sections in order to undercut the shear veins at right angles. Drilling programs are sub-divided into two main categories:
Exploration drilling using a 40 to 80 metre by 40 to 80 metre grid;
Definition drilling based on a 10 to 20 metre by 10 to 20 metre grid.
Drilling operations are performed by a drilling contractor, under the supervision of the geological staff at the Beaufor Mine. Underground drill holes are LTK48 (35.6 mm) and BQTK (40.7 mm) calibre. The core recovery is better than 90%, including the fault zones where the RQD (“rock quality designation”) is more than 75%. Detailed descriptions of the drill core are prepared by experienced and highly qualified personnel, in accordance with established Beaufor Mine guidelines.
The Corporation is planning 11,800 metres of definition drilling and 18,200 metres of exploration drilling at the Beaufor Mine in 2015, and is targeting annual production of approximately 22,000 to 25,000 ounces of gold for the year.
No drilling is planned on the Colombière and Courvan properties.
Sampling
Sampling of the rock mass is performed using drill cores and blasted rock. Results of the drill core analyses as well as the grades of ore samples taken in the car wagon are taken into account for mineral reserve estimation. The weight of each sample is around 0.5 kg per 5 tonne wagon. For development purposes, the weight of each sample is around 0.5 kg per 12-15 tonnes of blasted rock. There are currently no face-sampling “chips” taken at the Beaufor and W Zone mines.
In definition drill holes, samples are collected between 0.5 m and 1 metre intervals, and frequently include both vein material and wall rocks, since veins are often less than 1 metre thick. Core recovery is over 90%. The entire core is then analyzed at the chemical assay laboratory.
For exploration holes, the length of the sample varies from 0.5 to 1 metre. The core is sawed in two using a core saw. The recovery of core is over 90%.
Assays
ALS Chemex Laboratories in Val-d’Or was selected to analyze the samples from the Beaufor and the W Zone mines. This laboratory is certified ISO 9001-2000 for the Supply of assays and geochemical analysis services by QMI, an ISO certification firm.
The step-by-step procedure for sample analysis is briefly described as follows:
Upon receipt of sample bags, all sample numbers are verified and entered into the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), a sample tracking system used by the laboratory;
Samples are dried and crushed to 70% passing 2 mm using a jaw crusher. A representative sub-sample weighing 250 to 300 g of the –2 mm fraction is prepared using a “Riffle Jones” splitter. The sub-sample is then pulverized to 85% passing –200 mesh using a ring pulverizer;
Samples are then analyzed by fire assay with gravimetric finish using 30 g per sample.
48
Quality Control
The laboratory’s quality control program, at different steps of the process, includes:
Crushing, pulverizing, weighing: daily monitoring;
Fire assay: 1 blank, 2 standards and 3 duplicates are inserted in each batch of 84 samples.
A second quality control program established at the Beaufor and W Zone mines involves the insertion of blanks and standards. Furthermore, rejects for all samples exceeding 10 g/t Au and less than 100 g/t Au are systematically re-assayed.
Security of Samples
Samples are gathered in plastic boxes by the Beaufor and the W Zone mines geological personnel and stored in a core shack. The samples are collected by the laboratory staff and brought to the laboratory directly. Historical production and milling data indicate reliability of the laboratory results. When there is doubt as to the location of a sample, the sampling number or any other anomaly, the data is not used for resource estimation.
Mineral Reserve Estimates
In 2014, the mineral reserve estimates for the Beaufor Mine and the W Zone Mine were performed by Jessy Thelland, P.Geo., an employee of Richmont Mines and a qualified person pursuant to NI 43-101. The methodology and procedures for mineral reserve estimates have been adopted from a study completed in 2006 by Golder Associates, an independent firm. The database, factors and parameters used in the determination of the mineral reserves are based on the available information as of December 31, 2014. However, these parameters are revised on an annual basis in order to take into consideration the experience gathered from the current mining operation.
The mineral reserve estimates are carried out in accordance with NI 43-101. Mineral reserves are classified according to the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) classification adopted by the CIM Council on August 20, 2000. All standards generally accepted in the mineral industry as well as NI 43-101 requirements and CIM regulations for mineral reserve estimates have been fully complied with in this study.
All the geo-scientific data collected at the Beaufor Mine is grouped into two main databases. Internal procedures have been prepared in order to validate the information in the databases. All the work performed by the Beaufor Mine geology department, from data entry to layout drawings follows strict and established procedures, including crosschecks to ensure full validity. Access to all databases is restricted to selected personnel in order to ensure complete integrity.
Mineral Reserve Estimates
The database and the parameters used to estimate the mineral reserves are based on past mining experience and the information available as at December 31, 2014. The parameters were reviewed and modified by Golder Associates in 2006. Thus, both the dilution and the ore recovery factors by mining methods used in the reserve estimate are based on actual results obtained in 2014. All these factors and parameters are updated on an annual basis in order to account for changes in the mining operations.
The conversion of mineral resources to reserves is based on economic feasibility. An economic study is done for each resource block or group of resource blocks, if positive, the resource can be converted into reserve. As per NI 43-101, only mineral resources in the Measured and Indicated categories can be used to establish the estimate of mineral reserves.
The budgeted costs used are based on actual and historic data of the mining operation and are updated to reflect actual experience and any changes in the prevailing economic situation.
49
See “ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION - D. Risk Factors –Risks Associated with the Mining Industry– The estimates of mineral reserves and forecasts of the production are subject to numerous uncertainties, and the production and recovery of reserve estimates appearing in the Annual Report may not be realized” for a discussion of the risks inherent in estimating reserves and production.
Technical Parameters
The basis and the parameters used for reserve estimation are given in the following sections.
Mining Methods
The two major underground extraction methods currently used at the Beaufor Mine are the room and pillar and long-hole methods, while only the long-hole mining method has been used at the W Zone Mine.
Room and Pillar Mining Method
Geometry: stope width of 6 metres in the plane of the vein with in-stope pillars of 2.5 metres x 2.5 metres;
Maximum dip of vein: 40°;
Ore mining recovery: 80% used in the economic evaluation;
Internal dilution: the ore block is designed with a true thickness of 2.4 metres. The drilling intercepts are projected to the same lengths. The minimum mining width is 2.4 metres. The dilution grade is assumed to be 0 g/t Au;
External dilution: a dilution of 5% at a grade of 0 g/t Au is added in the determination of the economic mineral reserves.
Long-Hole Mining Method
Geometry: maximum panel length of 25 metres;
Minimum dip of vein: 45°;
Ore mining recovery: 100% for designed stopes with all pillars between stopes clearly identified during the process of mineral reserve estimation;
Internal dilution: minimum mining width is 2.4 metres. The drilling intersections are projected to a minimum width of 2.4 metres;
External dilution: a dilution rate of 10% for waste at a grade of 0 g/t Au is assumed for primary stopes.
Cut-off Grades
Cut-off grade averages have been calculated based on both developed and un-developed workings for the two major mining methods used at the Beaufor Mine, which are room and pillar and long-hole.
The main criteria are as follows:
No profit margin is built into the estimate;
Deferred development costs or capital expenditures are not used;
Only the price of gold is taken into account in the economic calculation;
50
The price of gold used was US$1,200 per ounce using an exchange rate of CAN$1.0833:US$1.00;
Operating costs include fixed costs budgeted for 2015 and variable costs (production and development) based on the results from January to July 2014 for each method.
Results of the cut-off grade study by mining method for both developed and undeveloped underground workings are listed in the following table:
Mining Method | Workings | Cut-off Grade |
(g/t) | ||
Room and pillar | Developed | 5.82 |
Room and pillar | Undeveloped | 6.60 |
Long-hole | Developed | 5.14 |
Long-hole | Undeveloped | 5.92 |
Reserve Classification
More detailed descriptions about the classification of reserves at the Beaufor and W Zone mines are detailed below.
Proven Mineral Reserves
At the Beaufor and W Zone mines, Proven reserves are based on ore blocks developed from drifts or raises up to a maximum of 8 metres from these openings. The level of accuracy of the economic evaluation in the estimation of reserves is that of a feasibility study.
Probable Mineral Reserves
The mineral reserve estimate in the Probable category is based on an economic study in order to determine the economically mineable part of an Indicated mineral resource. At the Beaufor and W Zone mines, Probable reserves extend to a maximum of 10 metres from drilling data. Dilution and mining recovery rates are included in the reserve estimation.
Reserve Table
In accordance with the mineral reserve estimation, as at December 31, 2014, the mineral reserves of the Beaufor Mine, including the W Zone area, are estimated as follows:
Category of reserves | Tonnes | Grade | Au |
(metric) | (g/t Au) | (oz) | |
Proven | 53,000 | 7.13 | 12,100 |
Probable | 91,500 | 7.02 | 20,650 |
Total (Proven + Probable) | 144,500 | 7.06 | 32,750 |
W Zone and 350 Zone mineral reserves are included with the Beaufor Mine as at December 31, 2014.
Mining Operations and Metallurgy
The two major underground mining methods currently used at the Beaufor Mine are the room and pillar and long-hole methods, while only the long-hole mining method has been used at the W Zone Mine.
51
Ore from the Beaufor and W Zone mines is trucked to the Corporation’s 100% owned Camflo Mill, which is located approximately 49 kilometres from the mine site. The Camflo Mill, with a rated capacity of 1,200 tonnes per day, is a Merrill-Crow conventional type mill with circuits for crushing, grinding, gold cyanidation and precipitation using zinc powder.
The historic average rate of recovery of the mill is 98% when ore extracted from the Beaufor Mine is milled. No major operating problems have been experienced at this mill nor are any anticipated in the near future. Usual maintenance and repairs are carried out when deemed appropriate.
Beaufor Mine | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||
Revenues (thousands of CAN$) | 33,624 | 32,669 | 31,772 | |||
Ounces sold | 24,006 | 23,028 | 19,055 | |||
Data per ounce of gold sold | US$ | CAN$ | US$ | CAN$ | US$ | CAN$ |
Cash cost | 856 | 946 | 1,051 | 1,082 | 1,394 | 1,393 |
Depreciation and depletion | 87 | 96 | 80 | 82 | 110 | 110 |
Total | 943 | 1,042 | 1,131 | 1,164 | 1,504 | 1,503 |
Average price obtained per ounce | 1,267 | 1,399 | 1,376 | 1,417 | 1,666 | 1,665 |
W Zone Mine | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||
Revenues (thousands of CAN$) | 6,938 | 3,096 | - | |||
Ounces sold | 4,929 | 2,326 | - | |||
Data per ounce of gold sold | US$ | CAN$ | US$ | CAN$ | US$ | CAN$ |
Cash cost | 899 | 992 | 1,373 | 1,441 | - | - |
Depreciation and depletion | 273 | 301 | 1,067 | 1,120 | - | - |
Total | 1,172 | 1,293 | 2,440 | 2,561 | - | - |
Average price obtained per ounce | 1,272 | 1,405 | 1,265 | 1,328 | - | - |
52
3. | Monique Mine, Val-d’Or, Quebec, Canada |
Location and Property Description
The Monique Mine is located 25 km east of Val-d’Or, in the province of Quebec. The property is located approximately 10 km east of the Beaufor Mine and 50 km from the Corporation’s Camflo Mill.
Description of Mining Rights
The Monique property consists of 17 claims and 1 mining lease covering a total area of 546.16 ha. More specifically, it covers the northern part of lots 38 to 45 in Range VIII and the southern part of lots 36 to 45 in Range IX of the Louvicourt township.
The mining lease (1012) was obtained on February 14, 2012, from the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec, and the environmental certificates of authorization for an open pit operation were received at the beginning of 2013.
A detailed list and map of locations can be found in the Monique 43-101 technical report dated September 13, 2013, and filed under the Corporation’s profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. All the mining titles were in good standing in 2013, and Richmont expects that they will remain so in the future.
Property | Number of | Area | Expiration date |
mining titles | (ha) | ||
Monique | 17 mining claims | 446.75 | Claims expire between 05/23/2015 and 04/20/2017 |
1 mining lease | 99.41 | Mining lease 1012, expire on 02/13/2032 | |
Total | 18 | 546.16 |
Ownership of Mining Rights
The Monique property was acquired in 1983 by Louvem Mines Inc. (“Louvem”) from SOQUEM Inc. (“SOQUEM”). In 1986 Louvem sold 19% of the Monique property to SOQUEM, following which Louvem was required to spend $6 million prior to SOQUEM beginning its financial contribution to the project.
On June 30, 2010, Richmont acquired the remaining 30% of the issued and outstanding shares of Louvem Mines Inc. that it did not previously own, and became the sole shareholder of Louvem.
On December 21, 2010, the Corporation signed an option agreement with SOQUEM to acquire the remaining 19% interest of the Monique property that had been sold to SOQUEM in 1986. Under terms of the option agreement with SOQUEM, Richmont Mines paid an amount of $350,000 upon signing the Agreement, and completed exploration work in the amount of more than $400,000 before February 28, 2011, thereby enabling it to acquire the residual 19% interest of the Monique property.
Mining Royalties
As part of Richmont’s successful acquisition of the outstanding 19% interest in the Monique property a 0.38% NSR royalty was granted to SOQUEM, payable at the time the property reaches commercial production.
Similarly, Richmont Mines assumed existing royalty obligations on 8 out of the property’s 17 claims, payable to Exploration Concorde Ltd., and equal to 5% net profit interest. The northern part of five of these claims are now
53
partly covered by the Mining Lease 1012, however the present open pit lies outside of the original limit of these claims.
Environmental Obligations and Permits
A closure plan was developed in conjunction with Roche Ltd, Consulting Group, and was submitted to the Ministère des Ressources naturelles (“MRN”) on March 18, 2013. Financial guarantees amounting to $474 thousand were submitted to MRN on January 31, 2014, and an additional $474 thousand was submitted on November 6, 2014.
The Corporation is of the opinion that all the necessary permits and authorizations have been requested and obtained.
Infrastructure
The Monique property is located 25 km east of Val-d’Or, Quebec. It is located 500 m to the North of the provincial highway 117, and a gravel road allows for easy access to the property.
The gravel road was extended toward the open pit, as well as to the overburden and waste piles using waste rock from the Beaufor Mine and gravel from a local source. A fence was erected at the entry of the site. Access to electricity was extended to the surface installations and the open pit from the 25kv line that runs along Highway 117. The installation of electric transformers was required on the site (for buildings and the garage) and for the open pit (for pumping and lighting requirements).
The water treatment installations consist of 2 ponds of approximately 1,925 m2, each with a volume of 2,440 m3. The ponds were built using clay material on site and waste material from the Beaufor Mine for erosion protection. A water treatment system with electronic distribution of sulfate ferric and flocculent was installed upstream of the water pond. These two products are mixed with the water originating from open pit dewatering, in order to control iron concentration and levels of suspension material.
Temporary buildings such as an office, dining room and dry room, were installed on site by the contractor and Richmont. A water well was drilled for both human consumption and industrial usage. The contractor has built a temporary garage and a storage room to house and service equipment. The contractor has also installed a fuel tank (40,000 litres) on site, which sits on a concrete pad to avoid spills. The contractor has also installed powder and detonator rooms.
A surface lease was obtained for the overburden and the waste dump on the Monique property.
Location of Mineralized Zones
The Monique mineralized zones have been defined from surface to a depth of 400 m (in the G and J zones). Their orientation varies from 270° to 300°, with a dip of 55° to 80° to the North. They vary in width from less than 1 m to almost 20 m (G Zone). Most of the known gold zones are still open at depth. Laterally, they extend over a few hundred metres.
The G and J mineralized zones, which were mined with the open pit, lie on mining lease 1012, as do the A and B mineralized zones.
Accessibility
The property can be reached from Rouyn-Noranda via Highway 117, heading toward the town of Val-d’Or and then toward Louvicourt, Quebec. The Monique mine is located 25 km east of Val-d’Or, 500 m to the North of the provincial highway 117, and is easily accessed by a gravel road.
54
Climate
The average temperatures are -17.2°C in January (minimum -23.5°C, maximum -10.9°C) and +17.2°C in July (minimum 11°C, maximum 23.4°C) based on measurements taken in the area over a 30 year period. There is an average snowfall of 61 cm in December and 100 mm of rain in September.
Local Resources and Infrastructure
Val-d’Or (pop. 31,000) is a well establish mining community offering a vast amount of resources. Skilled administrative personnel, technicians, geologists, mining engineers and experienced miners are available in the area.
Physiography
The general topography is relatively flat with the elevation varying from 337 m in the northwestern part of the property, to 323 m near the Tiblemont river, which crosses the southern part of the property in a general east-west direction.
The area has poor drainage with a thick overburden that is over 30 m deep in some places. The northern and western parts of the property are covered by a large swamp with no trees, while the southern and eastern parts of the property are covered with resinous trees, mainly black spruce. The Abitibian forest is a living habitat able to support a wide diversity of mammals and birds.
Exploration History
The first exploration work dates back to the mid-1940s when Starlight Mines Limited completed a magnetic survey over lots 38 to 45 in Range VIII of the Louvicourt township. They drilled 6 holes (1,630 m) in the southern part of the property, and the best gold value obtained was 1.4 g/t Au over 7.6 m.
SOQUEM drilled 3 holes (549 m) in 1978 on lots 42 of Range VIII and IX to test induced polarisation anomalies. Interesting gold values were intersected at that time in hole 838-1 (10.28 g/t Au over 0.3 m and 7.20 g/t Au over 0.91 m) and in hole 838-3 (4.11 g/t Au over 1.52 m and 5.48 g/t Au over 1.25 m).
Louvem optioned the property from SOQUEM in 1983, and drilled 42 diamond drill holes (12,358 m) in 1984 to test the gold zones discovered on the property in 1983. Several gold zones were discovered, namely A, B West, B East and C.
A magnetic survey was completed on the property in 1987 by Exploration Monicor Inc., the new owner of the property. A total of 17,682 m of diamond drilling were completed, 69 new holes were drilled and 2 holes were deepened. The objective of this program was to test the lateral and depth extensions of the known gold zones. The G Zone, a new gold bearing structure, was discovered.
In 1989, two diamond drilling programs of 66 holes and 25 holes were completed by Exploration Monique Inc. A metallurgical and mineralogical study of the gold mineralization of the Monique property was completed by the “Centre de Recherches Minérales” (CRM) for Cambior. The objective of the study was to test if ore from Monique was treatable at Cambior’s mill, on their Lucien Béliveau mine site. In August 1990, 3 vertical HQ size diamond drill holes were completed to obtain material for metallurgical testing.
Over the 1992 to 2003 period, no exploration work was conducted on the Monique property. Richmont started its first exploration program in 2004.
In 2007, Geopointcom was mandated by Richmont to complete a preliminary modelling of the A, B, G and J gold bearing zones on the Monique property. At that time, a preliminary resource estimation was calculated at 1.35 million tonnes at a cut grade of 4.28 g/t Au (5.29 g/t Au uncut). This resource estimation was not NI 43-101 compliant.
55
In 2011, Richmont completed an 8,117 metre exploration drill program on the G and J zones on the Monique property.
Results of these programs were presented in the first 43-101 technical report on the Monique property (Vincent, 2012). Richmont began site preparation for a bulk sampling program in late 2012, excavation of the overburden was begun in February 2013 and commercial production began on October 1, 2013.
Geological Setting
Regional Geology
The Monique property is located within the Val-d’Or mining district, in the Abitibi greenstone belt of the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield. The area consists mostly of felsic to mafic volcanic rocks of Archean age along with related dioritic sills which are concordant to the regional rock formations. These volcanic and intrusive rocks have generally been metamorphosed to the greenschist facies.
The Superior Province is the largest exposed Archean craton in the world that hosts several world class gold deposits. It has yielded nearly 300 million ounces of gold from hundreds of deposits since the beginning of the twentieth century.
Monique Mine Geology
The Monique property is characterized by a volcanic sequence belonging to the Jacola Formation of the Malartic Group. The general orientation of the units is N270°E to N292°E, with a steep dip to the north. There are only a few outcrops on the property, so geological information comes entirely from drill holes. Historically, the majority of drilling was done in the northern part of the property, and consequently it is better known than the southern part of the property, where the density of drilling is low.
Two main volcanic domains are interpreted on the property, the north domain and the south domain. The first one is composed mainly of basalts with interlayered ultramafic flows, while the second one is formed of andesitic flows and pyroclastics. Units of both domains are cut by dioritic dykes and felsic dykes.
Several deformation zones cross the property in an east-west direction, roughly parallel to the stratigraphy. They are characterized by the development of a strong foliation with quartz-carbonate veining. Variable alteration in chlorite, silica, sericite and albite is associated with these deformations zones. Several fault zones with gouge can be seen in places, however, they are not particularly associated to the mineralization events.
Mineralization
Gold mineralization on the Monique property is mainly associated with three deformation zones that cross the property with an orientation of 280° and a 75° - 80° dip to the north. Gold mineralization is defined by a network of quartz/tourmaline/carbonate veins and veinlets, measuring 1 cm to 10 cm, with disseminated sulphides in the altered wall rocks. Free gold is frequently observed in the veins. A total of 12 gold zones have been observed on the property over the years, the most promising being the A, B, G and J zones.
The mineralized zones have been defined from surface to a depth of 400 m (in the G and J zones). They vary in width from less than 1 m to almost 20 m. Mineralized lenses extend laterally over few hundred metres. Gold is generally associated with 1% to 5% finely disseminated pyrite, and visible gold is common in the quartz and carbonate veins and veinlets. Albite and fuschite alteration are locally observed.
56
2014 Results
Monique Mine
In early January 2013, Richmont announced that it had received the required mining permits for the Monique property. Following the completion of a bulk sample in the second quarter of 2013, and the subsequent completion of the three month pre-production phase, the Monique open pit Mine began commercial production on October 1, 2013. Mining activities were continuous during all the 2014 year.
Production
A total of 279,884 tonnes of ore were processed at an average grade of 2.72 g/t from the Monique Mine during the 12 months of 2014. This compared to processed tonnage of 51,541 tonnes at an average grade of 1.90 g/t in 2013, which included only 3 months of commercial production. Annual gold sales from this mine totaled 23,490 ounces at an average price of CAN$1,387 (US$1,256) in 2014, versus gold sales of 2,976 ounces at an average price of CAN$1,328 (US$1,265) per ounce in the three months of commercial production in 2013. Annual cash costs of CAN$910 (US$824) reflect the distribution of costs over a full year of production in 2014, versus the higher cash costs of CAN$1,290 (US$1,230) during the first three months of commercial operation in 2013 as production was being ramped up.
Mining activities at the Monique open-pit were completed in the last week of January 2015. Along with the ore that was generated in the first month of 2015, the on-site stockpile of over 158,000 tonnes of ore at 1.81 g/t as at the end of December 2014 will continue to be batch processed at the Corporation’s Camflo Mill through to the third quarter of 2015. Richmont is targeting annual production of approximately 11,000 to 12,000 ounces of gold from the Monique Mine in 2015.
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
Ounces poured | 23,307 | 4,521 | - |
Gold Sold | |||
Tonnes | 279,884 | 51,541 | - |
Head grade(g/t) | 2.72 | 1.90 | - |
Gold recovery(%) | 96.03 | 94.35 | - |
Recovered grade(g/t) | 2.61 | 1.80 | - |
Ounces sold | 23,490 | 2,976 | - |
Cash cost per ounce(US$) | 824 | 1,230 | - |
Investment in property, plant and equipment(thousands of CAN$) | 21 | 8,358 | - |
Exploration expenses(thousands of CAN$) | 2 | 221 | 744 |
Diamond drilling(metres) | |||
Definition | - | 549 | 540 |
Exploration | - | 1,074 | 3,475 |
57
Exploration
An NI 43-101 report on the Monique property resource estimate was filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) on February 3, 2012. Since this report, Richmont completed 7,063 m of diamond drilling on the Monique property, with drilling taking place during 2 different periods. The first one began in December 2011 and ended in March 2012, while the second one began in February 2013 and ended in March 2013. The objectives of the drilling programs were as follows:
Condemnation drilling: 3 holes were drilled to test the lateral extension of the gold zone intersected by hole MO-200-02 for a total of 693 m;
Definition drilling: 9 holes were drilled in the upper part of the G zone (549 m), 2 infill holes were also drilled below the proposed open pit (471 m) and 2 holes were lost in the overburden (69 m);
Exploration drilling: 16 holes totaling 5,281 m were drilled to test IPower 3D anomalies and to verify the lateral and depth extensions of known gold zones.
Finally, in 2013, 13 holes were drilled in the overburden (238 m) to increase the precision on the depth of the bedrock.
A 43-101 technical report was completed for the first Reserve estimation of this property on July 1st, 2013, and was filed on SEDAR on September 13, 2013.
Drilling
A 20 m grid was established by JL Corriveau, a surveying firm, in the G Zone area with lines every 20 m from section 1000E to 1320E, and from station 1000N to 1200N. The definition drill holes were spotted by Richmont employees using these lines to measure the eastern and northern coordinates.
The condemnation and exploration holes that were drilled outside of this grid were spotted by Richmont personnel using a GPS and an APS system (Azimut Pointing System).
Drilling operations were performed by a drilling contractor, under the supervision of Richmont’s geological staff.
Sampling
Since 2004, core description has been performed by Richmont’s geological staff according to the Corporation’s standards under the supervision of qualified geologist members whom are in good standing with the OGQ (Ordre des Géologues du Québec/Quebec Order of Geologists) or the OIQ (Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec/Quebec Order of Engineers). Gemlogger software was used to enter the geological information in the database:
Log header, hole location and parameters, surveys;
Descriptions of the main and sub-geological units with their locations;
Mineralized zones with their mineralogy, attitude, thickness;
Structure, alteration and RQD.
Selected mineralized intervals were cut in half with a saw blade, one half being kept as a reference in core boxes, the other half being sent for gold grade determination. Samples from the 2012 drill program were sent to Expert Laboratory in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, and samples from the 2013 drilling program were sent to ALS Chemex laboratory in Val-d’Or, Quebec.
58
Assays
2012 samples were sent to Expert Laboratory in Rouyn-Noranda. These samples were assayed by the Fire Assay method with Atomic Absorption finish. Samples with gold values greater than 1 g/t were re-assayed by Fire Assay with a gravimetric finish. Nearly 20% of pulps from the G and J mineralized zones were re-assayed by Technilab laboratory in Ste-Germaine-Boulé, Quebec, using the same techniques.
2013 samples were sent to ALS Chemex in Val-d’Or, Quebec, to be assayed by the Fire Assay method with Atomic Absorption finish. Samples with gold values greater than 3 g/t were re-assayed by Fire Assay with a gravimetric finish. Nearly 20% of pulps and from the G and J mineralized zones were re-assayed by the Technilab laboratory in Ste-Germaine-Boulé, Quebec, using the same techniques.
Quality control
Since 2010, the QA/QC procedure for Richmont’s drilling programs consists of the insertion of a certified standard and a blank sample in every batch of 20 samples sent to a laboratory. In addition, 348 pulp samples and 380 reject samples representing roughly 20% of the mineralized samples of the G and J zones have been sent to Techni-Lab in Ste-Germaine Boulé, Quebec, for verification.
Security of samples
Logging was completed at the Beaufor Mine site, a secured area that has guards limiting access to authorized people only. In 2012, samples were brought directly to the Expert Laboratory in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec by Richmont employees. In 2013, samples were picked up at the Beaufor Mine site by ALS Chemex technicians every morning.
Mineral Reserve Estimates
The mineral reserves estimate was carried out under the supervision of Daniel Adam, P.Geo., Ph.D., Vice-President, Exploration (Ordre des Géologues du Québec #229), an employee of Richmont. He is a qualified person and member of a professional association as defined by NI 43-101 requirements.
This mineral inventory was realized in accordance with the recommendations and regulations as set by the NI 43-101 committee.
An NI 43-101 technical report was completed for the first Reserve estimation of the Monique property on July 1st, 2013, and was filed on SEDAR on September 13, 2013.
Mineral reserves have been updated as of December 31, 2014 using the topography surface of the open pit at the end of the year.
Mineral Reserve Estimates
Reserve estimation of Monique’s G and J zones was done using all existing diamond drill hole (“DDH”) results obtained as of April 3, 2013. All DDH information was compiled in a GEMS database and all parameters were checked. Monique resources were estimated by 3D block modeling using 3D wireframes in Gemcom GEMS software (“GEMS”).
Interpretation of mineralized zones was done on section and plans, and 3D wireframes were built using.GEMS. Interpretation of mineralized zones was done using geology, quartz veining and alteration, and assay results. In some cases, low grade areas were included as they were included in the whole mineralized envelope. Being thinner, more discontinuous and with a small distance between them, the J and J South zones were modeled as one zone (collectively the J Zone).
59
See “ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION - D. Risk Factors –Risks Associated with the Mining Industry– The estimates of mineral reserves and forecasts of the production are subject to numerous uncertainties, and the production and recovery of reserve estimates appearing in the Annual Report may not be realized” for a discussion of the risks inherent in estimating reserves and production.
Technical Parameters
A capping level of 26 g/t Au was used for the high grade values. Before creation of 5 metre composites, all assays with a grade above 26 g/t Au were capped at 26 g/t Au. 5 metre composites were created inside and outside the mineralized zones and respectively coded. Composite length was adjusted to make all intervals equal. A nil grade was considered for parts of the DDH that were not sampled.
A block model was built in GEMS with the following parameters. A standard model was used with 3D wireframes for each mineralized zone.
Block size was chosen to fit with planned bench height and selectivity enabled by loading equipment type (block dimension: 5 m x 5 m x 10 m wide).
Topographic surveying was used to define the surface which was then used to code blocks in the air and in the overburden. The bedrock surface, defined with all available diamond drill holes and topographic surveys completed in the open pit, was used to code blocks in the overburden and in the rock. Mineralized zone wireframes were used to code the G and J zones blocks. Block grade inside the G and J zone envelopes was interpolated using composites created from respective DDH intercepts. Block grade outside mineralized wireframe was interpolated with composites from outside mineralized envelopes.
A rock density of 2.85 was used for the tonnage calculation in the rock (mineralized zones and waste). A density of 2.0 was used for the overburden.
From the block models created for the G and J zones, an optimized open pit design was worked on in 2012 by SGS Geostat using the Whittle software of Gems. Mining costs were defined from costs obtained from a local contractor. Transportation and milling costs were established considering that ore will be treated at Richmont’s Camflo Mill located 50 km away in Malartic, Quebec. The following parameters were used in Whittle to define the optimized open pit:
Open pit slope in the overburden: 14°
Open pit slope in the rock: based on AMEC report but 5° to 7° lower than the calculated value to take into account the addition of a ramp in the final design
Mining cost in overburden: $3.70/t
Mining cost in waste rock: $5.19/t
Mining cost in ore: $5.78/t
Ore recovery: 100%
Dilution: 0%
Ore transportation and milling costs: $30/t
Gold recovery: 95%
Gold price: $1,400/oz (CAN$)
60
After the determination of the optimized pit shell, SGS completed the final design of the Monique open pit with the integration of an access ramp. This is this design that is used for the mineral resource and reserve estimate of the Monique project.
The Monique open pit was expected to have final dimension of approximately 315 metres by 290 metres, a depth of 100 metres, and a stripping ratio of 5.4:1.
Estimation Methods
Grade interpolation inside the blocks was done by Ordinary Kriging. Kriging parameters were defined using the G Zone variography, which was done using 5 metre composites and SAGE 2001 software.
The grade interpolation inside the block was done by Ordinary Kriging using capped 5.0 m composites. Kriging parameters were defined using the G Zone variography. The Kriging estimate was done using a multiple pass estimation approach as summarized below:
First pass: A minimum of 2 and a maximum of 12 composites collected within a search ellipse that corresponds to the range of the first structure identified by the variography study (25 m for the major axis). A maximum of 2 composites per drill hole was used for any block estimate.
Second pass: A minimum of 2 and a maximum of 12 composites collected within a search ellipse that corresponds to about 60% of the range of the second structure identified by the variography study (80 m for the major axis). A maximum of 2 composites per drill hole were used.
Cut-off Grade
The cut-off grade used to define the mineral reserves at the Monique Mine was established at 0.85 g/t Au, and took the cost of loading and transportation to the mill, the cost of milling, the recovery of gold within the mill and the gold price (US$1,200/oz with an exchange rate of US$1.00 for CAN$1.0833) into consideration.
Reserve Classification
As a result of the actual drill hole spacing, along with the additional infill drilling completed in 2013 and the 2014 mining, the entire estimated mineral reserve inside the open pit of the Monique Mine is considered to be in the Probable category.
The reserve estimation was completed by calculating the tonnage and grade of all the blocks that were above the cut-off grade, and which were contained between the wall of the final design of the open pit and the surface topography as of December 30, 2014. The resulting mineral reserves were considered to be in the probable category. The ore material on the stockpile as of December 31, 2014, was considered as an inventory.
An ore recovery factor of 95% and a dilution factor of 10% at a grade of 0 g/t gold were applied to the mineral reserves.
At December 31, 2014, the Monique open-pit has Probable Reserves of 1,450 ounces at a grade of 3.16 g/t. This compares to Proven and Probable open-pit Reserves of 30,700 gold ounces at December 31, 2013.
Category of reserves1 | Tonnes | Grade | Au |
(metric) | (g/t Au) | (oz) | |
Proven | - | - | - |
Probable | 14,500 | 3.16 | 1,450 |
Total (Proven + Probable) | 14,500 | 3.16 | 1,450 |
61
Mining Operations and Metallurgy
Open pit mining was completed by a contractor following the 2012 pit design. As of the end of 2014 almost only one bench remained to be mined.
Ore and waste separation was done using blast hole assay results. On the first 2 benches, almost all the blast hole cuttings were sampled (average of 7 kg per sample) and sent to ALS laboratory in Val d’Or, Quebec. Areas of ore and waste are delineated using the gold assay results and a cut-off of 0.85 g/t gold. As much as possible, ore and waste blocks were blasted separately in order to reduce dilution. A capping of 8 g/t of gold has been used for blast hole results. On the other benches, blastholes were sampled only in the mineralized areas.
Ore material was trucked to a stockpile located near the open pit, and is then trucked to the Corporation’s Camflo Mill for batch processing. An average gold recovery of 96% was achieved during 2014.
Open pit mining was completed at the end of January 2015. Stockpiled ore will be processed at the Camflo Mill in 2015.
Monique Mine | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||
Revenues (thousands of CAN$) | 32,663 | 3,961 | - | |||
Ounces sold | 23,490 | 2,976 | - | |||
Data per ounce of gold sold | US$ | CAN$ | US$ | CAN$ | US$ | CAN$ |
Cash cost | 824 | 910 | 1,230 | 1,290 | - | - |
Depreciation and depletion | 233 | 257 | 268 | 281 | - | - |
Total | 1,057 | 1,167 | 1,498 | 1,571 | - | - |
Average price obtained per ounce | 1,256 | 1,387 | 1,265 | 1,328 | - | - |
62
4. | Exploration Projects and Other Properties |
General
Richmont Mines owns or holds interests in many mining properties at different stages of exploration. The following table outlines Richmont Mines’ interest in its exploration properties as at December 31, 2014.
Property | Year of acquisition | Number of Mining titles | Participation1 |
Quebec | |||
Francoeur | 1988 | 24 | 100% |
Wasamac | 1988 | 4 | 100% |
Camflo Northwest | 2005 | 13 | 80% |
Ontario | |||
Sewell | 2002 | 6 | 100% |
Cripple Creek | 2002 | 27 | 100% |
1 | The Corporation will be required to pay royalties if some of these properties are brought into commercial production. |
The following table presents Richmont Mines’ exploration expenses in 2012, 2013, 2014 and the budgeted estimated amounts for 2015 (in thousands of CAN$).
(in thousands of $) | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||
$ | $ | $ | $ | |||
Estimated | ||||||
Exploration costs - Mines | ||||||
Island Gold | 8,496 | 771 | 4,532 | 10,969 | ||
Beaufor | 1,320 | 1,733 | 1,929 | 1,432 | ||
9,816 | 2,504 | 6,461 | 12,401 | |||
Exploration costs - Other properties | ||||||
Wasamac | 142 | 169 | 1,102 | 9,477 | ||
Monique | - | 2 | 221 | 744 | ||
Other | 31 | 154 | 347 | 459 | ||
Project evaluation | 300 | 357 | 474 | 511 | ||
Exploration and project evaluation before depreciation and exploration tax credits | 10,289 | 3,186 | 8,605 | 23,592 | ||
Depreciation | 84 | 71 | 229 | 200 | ||
Exploration tax credits | - | 515 | (959 | ) | (3,527 | ) |
10,373 | 3,772 | 7,875 | 20,265 |
63
4.1 | Francoeur Property, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada |
The Francoeur Mine was closed on November 30, 2012 and ceased mining operations on March 6, 2013 (within the meaning of federal regulations).
Location and Property Description
The Francoeur property is located 25 km west of Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi, Beauchastel Township, ranges IV and V, lots 1 to 9.
Description of Mining Rights
The Francoeur property consists of 16 mining claims, 3 mining concessions and 5 mining leases totalling approximately 505 ha.
Number of mining titles | Area | Expiration date |
(ha) | ||
16 mining claims | 170.57 | Claims expire between 05/23/2015 and 12/28/2016 |
3 mining concessions | 230.21 | Mining concessions 194, 322 and 326: 01/31/2016 |
5 mining leases | 103.95 | Mining leases 776, 825, 826 ,849 and 1006 expire between 09/07/2015 and 06/26/2032 |
24 | 504.73 |
All of these claims are anticipated to be renewed before the anniversary date by applying excess credits available or by the execution of the required works. For the mining leases, taxes are paid to the government every year to keep them in good standing. For mining concessions, geological work is performed to keep it in good standing and taxes are paid every year. Richmont Mines has an internal procedure and an external control to insure appropriate follow up regarding claim expiry dates. All the mining claims, mining concessions and mining leases were in good standing in 2014 and are expected to be for 2015. A mining lease was obtained for the West Zone area in 2012. A detailed list and map of locations can be found in the amended technical report for the Francoeur Gold Property as of August 17, 2012 filed under the Corporation’s profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.
Ownership of Mining Rights
All mining titles on the Francoeur property are held by Richmont Mines.
Mining Royalties
There are no royalties or back-in-rights related to any of the mining claims, mining leases and mining concessions.
Environmental Obligations and Permits
Following the announcement of the end of mining activities, Richmont Mines stopped mine dewatering on March 18, 2013 and ceased mining operations on March 6, 2013 (within the meaning of federal regulations). The notice of final cessation of mining activities was sent April 4, 2014 to MDDELCC. Richmont has begun the preliminary cleaning and restoration work on this property and awarded a contract to a consultant to conduct the Environmental Site Assessment on May 2014. The consultant made a site assessment based on historical activities (phase I) and made collection and chemical analysis of soil and groundwater samples on the site (phase II). Following these results, decontamination work began in 2014 and will continue in 2015.
64
Infrastructure
The Francoeur property includes two vertical shafts with their headframes. The 477-metre shaft No.6 provided access to levels 4 to 11, and served thereafter for ventilation purposes. A machine shop, a core shack and a warehouse are regrouped in this same area.
The 818-metre Jean-Guy Rivard shaft (No.7) is located 650 metres northeast of the No.6 shaft. The Jean-Guy Rivard shaft was sunk by Richmont Mines, giving access to six additional levels (12 to 17). The headframe also included a service building containing a covered ore bin, the main office and a dry room. A hoist room, an air compressors room, an electric room are grouped in this same area.
There are no mill facilities at the site, and accordingly, no mine tailings were left in place, except in the area of the old tailings between shaft No.1 and No.2 in the eastern part of the property.
From 1993 to the end of mining activities in 2001, the ore was sent to Richmont Mines’ Camflo Mill in Malartic, Quebec. Waste contained 0.4% sulphur, and the material had a positive neutralizing potential and did not generate acidic drainage (H2SO4). Richmont Mines also used the Camflo Mill to treat the ore from the West Zone in 2012. Consequently, no mine tailings have been stored on the site. Only a non-acid generating waste stock pile is on the site.
Location of Mineralized Zones
The Francoeur No.3 deposit constitutes the main ore zone of the Francoeur property which was mined until 2001 down to the 17th level by Richmont Mines. The No.3 deposit is hosted in the metavolcanic rocks of the Blake River Group. Gold mineralization mainly developed in the ductile Francoeur-Wasa shear zone. The mineralized zone extends for at least 1,200 metres down dip from surface to beyond the 17th level. It is a composite orebody consisting of four distinct ore zones, three of which occur within the Francoeur-Wasa shear zone.
The “West Zone” is located to the west of the No.3 deposit. It is composed of two zones, the Main Zone (West) and the Footwall Zone (FW), both located in the Francoeur-Wasa shear zone and dipping northward at about 30° to 40°. Gold-bearing mineralization is closely associated with albite-pyrite alteration. This zone apparently differs from the No.3 orebody by its apparent NW plunge instead of the NE plunge generally observed elsewhere.
Accessibility
The property is easily accessible by Provincial road 117 that joins Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, and the small community of Arntfield, Quebec. From there, a secondary road (Provencher Avenue North) leads northwest for 3.2 km to the Francoeur No.6 and Jean-Guy Rivard shafts. A number of gravel and bush roads crosscut the property over a few hundred metres in all directions.
Climate
The average temperatures are -17.2° C in January and +17.2° C in July based on measurements taken over 30 years in this area. There is an average monthly maximum of 61 cm of snowfall in December and 101.9 mm of rain in September.
Local Resources and Infrastructure
Rouyn-Noranda (pop. 41,475) is a well established mining community offering a vast amount of services. The Horne copper smelter is the most important employer with a workforce of more than 500.
Hydro-Québec electric power is available on the mine site from an hydro line located along the access road and connected to a provincial hydro line which runs along Provincial Highway 117.
65
The Ontario Northland Railway runs south of the property, parallel to Provincial Highway 117.
Physiography
The area straddles the coniferous and boreal zones. The forest cover is composed of 50% leafy and 50% resinous trees with moderate commercial value.
The topography is relatively flat (285 m to 300 m) with the exception of the northeast corner of the property where outcrops are no more than 30 metres higher than the average level.
Exploration History
The Francoeur property was staked for the first time in 1923 following a gold discovery which later became Zone 1. In 1932, Francoeur Gold Mines Ltd. sunk a 45° incline shaft (No.1) of approximately 226 metres with four levels (95, 191, 290 and 488 foot levels) in the footwall of Zone 1.
In 1936, zones 2 and 3, located at more than 549 metres west of Zone 1, were discovered through drilling along the Francoeur-Wasa shear.
In July 1964, Francoeur Gold Mines Ltd. was acquired by Wright-Hargreaves Mines Ltd. (Wasamac Division). Mining operations started in May 1968 and ended in March 1971 for a total gold production of 69,227 ounces from 385,292 tonnes grading 5.6 g/t of gold (Karpoff, 1986).
In October 1985, Rouyn Mining Resources (“RMR”, now Richmont Mines) signed an option agreement with Lac Minerals to acquire a 50% interest on the Francoeur property.
The Jean-Guy Rivard (No.7) shaft was sunk in May 1989 to a final depth of 818 metres.
In June 1991, RMR’s name was changed to Richmont Mines Inc.
On October 1, 1991, development work was completed and commercial production began at a rate of 400 tonnes per day. From 1992 to 1994, production was increased from 500 tons to 800 tonnes per day.
In June 1992, Richmont Mines acquired Lac Minerals’ 50% share of the Francoeur and Wasamac properties.
In 1993, Richmont Mines bought the Camflo Mill and began processing Francoeur’s ore.
From 1991 to 2001, the Francoeur Mine produced 1,701,892 tonnes of ore at a grade of 6.31 g/t (345,436 ounces of gold).
In 2001, Richmont Mines conducted exploration work in the west part of the mine. A new resource was identified, the West Zone, but given the low gold price, the development work required to mine this resource made the project uneconomic. Subsequent to the closing of the mine in November 2001, Richmont Mines acquired the adjacent Norex property in February 2002.
The 2002-2003 exploration drilling programs (7,801 m) successfully increased the West Zone mineral resources to 884,514 tonnes grading 7.9 g/t Au. However, the feasibility study demonstrated that any effort to resume production by deepening the Jean-Guy Rivard shaft would be marginally profitable at that time. The mine was subsequently flooded and restoration of the site began.
A 43-101 technical report was produced in 2009 and the dewatering of the mine was undertaken.
At the end of 2009, 8 out of the mine’s 17 levels had been dewatered, and the surface infrastructure had been fully re-commissioned. The Corporation began drift excavation and underground mine preparation work on this
66
property when dewatering of the mine was completed at the end of the second quarter of 2010. As of December 31, 2010, 1,239 metres of underground development had been completed.
From 2010 to November 2012, 639 diamond drill holes were done over a total of 46,489 metres to define the West Zone. A new reserve and resource estimate was completed in June 2012 and a 43-101 technical report was filed on SEDAR on August 17, 2012. Furthermore, an exploration drift and rehabilitation work were done on levels 12 to 17, and the access ramp was completed between levels 16 and 17. The Francoeur Mine began commercial production on August 1, 2012. The ramp was being advanced below level 17 until the announcement of the mine closure on November 29, 2012.
Geological Setting
Regional Geology
The property is located in the Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec area, a typical sector of the Archean aged Abitibi greenstone belt located in the eastern part of the Superior Province. The Superior Province is the largest exposed Archean craton in the world that hosts several world class gold deposits.
Project Geology
The Francoeur property includes the Francoeur No.1, No.2 and No.3 deposits. They occur along the Francoeur-Wasa shear zone and, from east to west, together with the Arntfield No.1, No.2, and No.3 deposits, the Wasamac deposit and the Wingate deposit. Despite the showing of local differences, all of these deposits are very similar to one another in both geological aspects and types of mineralization. The Francoeur No.3 deposit was the largest one of them all.
Mineralization
The ore zones of the Francoeur deposits are generally made up of distinct lenticular and tabular bodies up to one metre in thickness, and form buff or beige coloured bands, called BB bands. All the BB bands are mainly composed of carbonate, albite, pyrite and minor amounts of quartz and rutile, with trace amounts of sericite and gold.
Instead, the gold emplacement apparently developed in the shear zone and is partially related to albitite dikes. The nature of the contacts of gold ore bodies with enclosing mylonitic schist is quite variable.
The BB bands display a wide variety of textures ranging from a foliated micro-breccia, to more common fine grained and very well laminated rock. They contain on average 20 to 40 g/t Au and the grade can reach 50 g/t Au locally. The gold is commonly in its native form and is very fine-grained. Gold grains are usually associated with small pyrite crystals, but a proportion is also disseminated in the finely recrystallized carbonate-albite matrix.
2012 Development
In 2012, necessary developments were completed permitting the Francoeur Mine to begin commercial production on August 1, 2012. At the end of November 2012, the mine had 153 employees.
On November 29, 2012, the Corporation announced the immediate closure of the Francoeur Mine. Constant high production costs due to low gold grade, difficult mining conditions and the lack of experienced miners required to run the mine in those particular conditions, within a context in which management was not able to see significant improvements in the future, were the main factors which led to the decision to close the mine. Gold commercial production at the mine ceased on November 30, 2012 and the Corporation subsequently began the estimated 4 month closing process.
67
Mineral Reserve Estimates
All the results of the definition drilling done in 2011 and in the beginning of 2012 were used to do the re-estimation of the Francoeur mineral reserve in June 2012. Technical parameters used for this reserve estimation are described in the Technical Report filed on SEDAR on August 17, 2012.
At the end of 2013, there were no more reserves at the Francoeur Mine, as the last tonne of ore was sent to the Camflo Mill in March 2013 and the mine was subsequently closed.
4.2 | Wasamac, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada |
Location and Property Description
The Wasamac property is located approximately 15 km west of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, within the heart of the Abitibi gold mining district.
Description of Mining Rights
The Wasamac property consists of 3 mining concessions (CM 349, CM 364, and CM 370 for 757.65 ha) and a mining claim (CDC20098 for 1.71 ha) which cover a total area of 759.36 hectares in the Beauchastel township.
Ownership of Mining Rights
The Corporation owns 100% of the Wasamac property.
Mining Royalties
There are no royalties or back-in-rights related to any of the mining concessions.
Environmental Obligations and Permits
The restoration work of drilling sites was completed in 2013. Approximately 20,000 trees were planted on drilling sites and on other areas of the Wasamac property. Seeding was also done on various other areas. A follow-up of the plantation was made in 2014.
Steps for the request of the development authorization applications have been continued. A second pump test has been conducted on the dewatering well, to perform modeling of groundwater. The results have been transmitted to the MDDELCC in 2014. Following the analysis of these results, additional informations were asked by the ministry.
Upon the receipt of the Certificate of Approval (MDDELCC) for carrying out remedial work to the south of Wasamac parks, two spillways were built on August 2014 to prevent rejection of mining residues to the environment.
Infrastructure
In the past, the Wasamac Mine had an inclined shaft dipping to the north in the footwall of the Main Zone that was approximately 420 m deep. Drifting was done on 7 main levels (every 200 feet) until approximately -400 m below surface. Two lateral drifts accessed zones 1 and 2 towards the east (at the 400 foot and 800 foot levels). The mine was closed in 1971 and is now entirely flooded. All infrastructure was dismantled and equipment removed.
The surface rights covering the area of the old infrastructure and of the tailings pond are still owned by Richmont.
68
Location of Mineralized Zones
The main mineralized zones currently known on the Wasamac property are located within the Wasa shear zone. This shear zone runs through the center of the property, and has an east-west orientation and a dip of about 50° to the North.
Accessibility
The property is located 15 km west of Rouyn-Noranda, in the province of Quebec. It is easily accessible from the Provincial Highway 117 that joins Rouyn-Noranda and the small community of Arntfield. The Wasamac property is directly accessible from Provincial Highway 117 and from a secondary road (Rang des Cavaliers).
Climate
The average temperatures are -17.2° C in January and +17.2° C in July based on measurements taken over 30 years in the area. There is an average of 61 cm of snowfall in December and 101.9 mm of rain in September.
Local Resources and Infrastructure
Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec (pop. 41,475) is a well established mining community offering a vast amount of services. The Horne copper smelter is the most important employer with a workforce of more than 500 employees. Skilled administrative personnel, technicians, geologists, mining engineers and experienced miners are available in the area.
Hydro-Québec electric power is available from a provincial hydro line which runs along Provincial Highway 117.
The Ontario Northland Railway runs north of the property, parallel to Provincial Highway 117.
Physiography
The area straddles the coniferous and boreal zones. The forest cover is composed of 50% leafy and 50% resinous trees with a moderate commercial value.
The Abitibian forest is a living habitat able to support a wide diversity of mammals and birds. Amongst these, beavers and moose are the most common species. Meanwhile, the moose habitat is somewhat restricted by the absence of large coniferous covers, human activities and the close proximity of the town of Rouyn-Noranda. Beaver dams hinder the water flow in several areas (including the Wasamac property) and aquatic fur animals like muskrats, minks and otters can cohabit in such an environment.
The topography is relatively flat (average 300 metres above sea level) with the exception of the northwest portion of the property where outcrops are not more than 20 metres higher than the average level, and the Monts Kekeko to the South. The local drainage heads south from creeks crosscutting the property towards the Wasa, Helene and Adeline lakes.
Exploration History
The Wasamac property has been the object of extensive past exploration work. The following section provides a brief exploration history.
Gold mineralization was originally discovered in 1936 by Mine d’Or Champlain through surface trenching work. Subsequent surface diamond drilling intersected encouraging gold values but geological continuity seemed erratic. A 60 metre shaft (Wildcat Shaft) was sunk and one underground level was developed.
69
In 1944, Mine d’Or Champlain changed its name to Wasa Lake Gold Mines and initiated a new exploration program. This led to the discovery of a new gold bearing zone, the Main Zone, located some 300 metres north of the Wildcat Zone.
During the period from 1945 to 1948, an inclined shaft was sunk at a 55° angle down to the 1,000 foot level which was followed by significant development work on five underground levels. Ore reserves established at the time stood at just over 2 million tonnes at an average grade of 5.28 g/t Au (NI 43-101 non-compliant).
In 1960, Barnat Mines Ltd., in association with Little Long Lac Gold Mines, gained control of Wasa Lake Gold Mines and changed its name to Wasamac Mines Ltd. A production decision was reached in 1964, and the underground workings were dewatered and rehabilitated and commercial production officially commenced on April 1, 1965.
Between 1965 and 1971, nearly 1.9 million tonnes of ore from the Wasamac deposit were treated by Wasamac Mines Ltd. followed by Wright-Hargreaves Mines Ltd.
In May 1971, the mine ceased its operations due to low gold prices (approximately US$35/oz), increasing production costs and the abolishment of federal aid to the mining sector.
Consequently, very little exploration was conducted on the property until 1974 when Lac Minerals carried out limited diamond drilling on the MacWin Zone and deep diamond drilling work on the Main Zone. During the early 1980’s, Lac Minerals reactivated exploration work on the property.
In 1983, following pre-feasibility work on the surface pillar recovery, Lac Minerals drilled an additional 1,880 metres from 33 surface holes at a 15 metre spacing in order to upgrade the level of confidence of this surface zone.
Following the option agreement with Lac Minerals in 1986, the exploration work conducted by Rouyn Mining Resources (“RMR”, which later changed its name to Richmont Mines Inc. in 1991), which consisted of 11 surface holes totaling 3,710 metres, was aimed at further evaluating the surface pillar zone along with Zone 1 and Main Zone down dip extensions.
From November 1987 to June 1988, RMR dewatered the mine to a depth of 975 feet and rehabilitated the 400 and 800 foot levels in an attempt to explore the Zone 1 down dip extension through underground drilling. Once again, however, weak gold prices drove the Corporation to bring the project to a halt.
In 1994, Richmont restored the Wasamac Mine site. All surface installations were dismantled, the shaft was capped and the tailings re-vegetated.
From 1989 to 2002, exploration work on the property consisted of limited surface diamond drilling to keep the mining lease in good standing. A total of 8 surface holes were drilled during this period, totaling just over 4,500 metres. The main geological target was the Wasa shear zone at depth.
In 2002, Richmont re-activated exploration work on the Wasamac property in an attempt to evaluate the down plunge extension of zones 1 and 2 at depth.
In 2011, a total of approximately 52,000 metres of drilling was completed on the Wasamac property.
In March 2012, the Corporation announced the results of an independent NI 43-101 compliant Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) for the Wasamac gold project. According to the PEA which assumed a gold price of CAN$1,350 (US$1,300) per ounce, the estimated total potential mine life would be 14 years with production of 6,000 tonnes per day, and an annual production of 140,000 ounces of gold. The PEA similarly estimated that the total life of mine recovered production would be 1.75 million ounces of gold at an average cash cost of US$688 per ounce, or CAN$46.15 per tonne. The undiscounted cash flows of this project were estimated to be CAN$405 million with an internal rate of return of 7% and a payback of 8 years.
70
Following 2012 drilling results, Richmont announced that scheduled technical work and permitting efforts would continue as planned in 2013 at Wasamac, however, no additional exploration and development activities would be undertaken on the asset. This decision was made following several months of project optimization studies, from which Richmont concluded that alternative scenarios did not currently offer a meaningful economic improvement in the current gold price environment, over the initial Preliminary Economic Assessment outlined in the Corporation’s March 28, 2012 press release.
Geological Setting
Regional Geology
The Wasamac property is located within the Rouyn-Noranda mining district, in the Abitibi greenstone belt of the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield. The area consists mostly of felsic to mafic volcanic rocks of Archean age along with related dioritic sills which are concordant to the regional rock formations. These volcanic and intrusive rocks have generally been metamorphosed to the green schist facies.
The greenstone belts which host the gold deposits occur as east-northeasterly trending ribbon domains in the volcano-plutonic terrains. They typically consist of mafic to ultramafic and felsic metavolcanics, interlayered with metasediments. The supracrustal rocks have been intruded by syn-volcanic plutons. Saturated and undersaturated felsic to mafic igneous rocks intruded into the greenstone belts in late Archean.
The metamorphic grade of most of the present greenstone terrains ranges from sub-greenschist to greenschist facies in the center, to lower amphibolite facies at the margin. Amphibolite facies contact metamorphic aureoles occur around intrusions into the greenstones.
Project Geology
Volcanic rocks of the Blake River Group which host the gold deposits are the principal Archean rock-types exposed in the study area. Rocks of the Blake River Group are bounded to the north by the Porcupine-Destor-Parfouru fault system and to the south by the Cadillac Fault. The Blake River Group is the youngest volcanic sequence in the Superior Province and forms a central volcanic complex which is characterized by cyclic bimodal andesite-rhyolite units of calc-alkaline and tholeiitic affinity. These units are underlain by the sedimentary rocks of the Timiskaming Group, which are themselves overlain by little deformed Proterozoic sedimentary rocks of the Cobalt Group along the south boundary. The volcanic rocks are intruded by two major intrusive rocks, mafic gabbro-diorite sills and stocks that are either synvolcanic or clearly post-tectonic. All lithologies, except for the syenites, are folded and metamorphosed.
The property can be subdivided into two distinct volcanic sequences; the southeastern portion is characterized by massive mafic to intermediate flows, while the northern portion is underlain by an intercalation of mafic volcanic flows, felsic tuffs and brecciated rhyolite. These two volcanic sequences are separated by a subsidiary fault of the Larder Lake-Cadillac tectonic zone, called the Wasa shear zone, which crosses the entire length of the property from east to west.
Elsewhere on the property, several small mafic intrusive bodies composed of gabbro and diorite can be found. These intrusive bodies vary in size and seem to be generally concordant with the regional stratigraphy which runs east-west.
Below the Proterozoic Cobalt sediments, just south of the Wasamac property, the Larder Lake-Cadillac Fault cuts the Archean rocks and separates the rocks of the Blake River Group to the north with the sedimentary rocks of the Timiskaming Group to the south. Beside this major structure, the Archean rocks are also affected by two families of very different faults, one of which is related to the Wasa shear zone, and the other to the Horne fault. Like the regional structures, these faults and shear zones are nearly striking east-west. The Wasa shear zone is a reverse fault with a north dipping trend and is strongly hydrothermally altered on the Wasamac property. Most of the gold mineralization found on the property to date is related to the Wasa shear zone.
71
Only minor folding has been observed on the property. Schistosity varies between south-east to north-east with a northern dip of about 55 degrees and corresponds to regional schistosity. The stratigraphic high, from pillows observation, is towards the north.
Mineralization
The Wasa shear zone runs through the centre of the property in an east-west fashion. This shear zone, which trends at an azimuth of 265°, has a 50-60° dip to the north and a maximum thickness of 80 metres. To the west, the shear zone splits into two separate branches and becomes thinner, while to the east, the shear zone weakens as well and displays an average thickness of 25 metres. This shear zone is characterized by the development of a strong mylonitic fabric and an intense hydrothermal alteration which totally destroyed the primary structures and textures of the protolith. Mineral assemblages of rocks within the shear zone consist of chlorite, carbonate, hematite, albite and sericite in the middle of the zone. Gold is associated with a dissemination of fine pyrite in the altered portions of the shear zone.
During the production era, two gold bearing zones were mined, namely the Main Zone and the East N°1 Zone (now Zone 1), while two other less significant zones, the East N°2 (now Zone 2) and the MacWin zones, have only been delimited by diamond drilling.
Main Zone:Originally discovered in 1944 through surface drilling, the Main Zone can be described as a well laminated mineralized zone. It is located near the centre of the property, within the Wasa Shear and high grade parts display true widths of 10 to 15 metres (up to 25 metres locally) over a strike length of 400 metres. Gold mineralization is associated with quartz, carbonate, sericite, albite, pyrite and chlorite inside the shear zone. Visible gold is rare and strong gold assays are generally associated with high silica content and a lot of fine grained pyrite. If the entire mineralized zone is considered, i.e. including lower grade parts, the width of the mineralized zone can reach over 50 metres.
Zone 1:Located some 400 metres east of the Main Zone, this zone has a similar mineralogical assemblage with the Main Zone. The high grade part displays true widths of 4.5 to 7.5 metres over a strike length of 150 metres. During the last phase of production work, underground development work was undertaken in an effort to mine this gold bearing lens but only limited tonnage was finally extracted. The thickness of the whole mineralized envelop is larger, up to 20 metres.
Zone 2:In September of 1944, surface drilling work intersected another gold bearing structure some 800 metres east of the Main Zone. The higher grade part of this zone has an average thickness of 3 to 6 metres over a strike length of 225 metres. The zone was partially developed from underground but no production was recorded. This mineralized zone is located in the upper part of the shear zone, near the hanging wall.
Zone 3:This mineralization was intersected with the 2002-2004 drilling. It is located in the lower part of the shear zone, near the footwall, below the MacWin Zone.
Zone 4:This new mineralized zone was discovered with the exploration drilling conducted in 2012. This small mineralized zone was intersected at the eastern edge of the property, and it extends onto the neighboring Globex Mining Enterprises claim.
MacWin Zone:Formerly known as the Wingate Zone, this zone was found in 1945 near the eastern property boundary and is also located within the Wasa shear zone.
Wildcat Zone:Located approximately 300 metres south of the Main Zone, the Wildcat Zone was the first gold showing to be discovered on the property (1936). This gold bearing zone consists of a carbonate altered zone at the margins of a gabbroic unit. Gold mineralization is associated with quartz carbonate veinlets containing fine grained pyrite. The pyrite mineralization is also present throughout the altered halo as disseminations.
72
Drilling
Previous Exploration Work
A considerable amount of exploration and development work was carried out on the Wasamac property since the discovery of the first gold-bearing veins. Successive underground developments have allowed for the discovery of additional resources along the Wasa Shear during the years the Main Zone was exploited.
The most recent exploration programs conducted on the Wasamac property were completed between 2002 and 2012 by the Corporation.
All applications for permits and certificates of authorization were completed in order to begin the excavation of an exploration ramp and the dewatering of the old mine. On November 29, 2012, Richmont Mines announced that exploration work was being suspended due to current market conditions and gold price, and given that alternative mining scenarios considered showed no improvement over the results of the PEA.
2013 Program
A cementation program of previously completed exploration holes was undertaken during the first quarter of 2013. Forty nine diamond drill holes were cemented followed by ground preparation for tree planting and reforestation of the property.
On the next page you will find a map of the Corporation’s properties.
73
74
5. | Table of reserves |
December 31, 2014 | December 31, 2013 | |||||||||||
Tonnes | Grade | Ounces | Tonnes | Grade | Ounces | |||||||
(metric) | (g/t Au) | contained | (metric) | (g/t Au) | contained | |||||||
Island Gold Mine | ||||||||||||
Proven Reserves1 | 173,000 | 6.25 | 34,700 | 251,500 | 5.95 | 48,100 | ||||||
Proven Reserves1(below -400 m) | 86,000 | 6.57 | 18,150 | - | - | - | ||||||
Probable Reserves1 | 290,500 | 5.91 | 55,300 | 393,000 | 6.04 | 76,350 | ||||||
Probable Reserves1(below -400 m) | 345,500 | 6.81 | 75,600 | 88,500 | 6.70 | 19,050 | ||||||
Total Proven & Probable Reserves1 | 895,000 | 6.39 | 183,750 | 733,000 | 6.09 | 143,500 | ||||||
Beaufor Mine2 | ||||||||||||
Proven Reserves1 | 53,000 | 7.13 | 12,100 | 82,000 | 5.54 | 14,600 | ||||||
Probable Reserves1 | 91,500 | 7.02 | 20,650 | 130,500 | 7.00 | 29,350 | ||||||
Total Proven and Probable Reserves | 144,500 | 7.06 | 32,750 | 212,500 | 6.43 | 43,950 | ||||||
Monique Mine3 | ||||||||||||
Proven Reserves1 | - | - | - | 14,500 | 1.42 | 650 | ||||||
Probable Reserves1 | 14,500 | 3.16 | 1,450 | 401,000 | 2.33 | 30,050 | ||||||
Total Proven & Probable Reserves1 | 14,500 | 3.16 | 1,450 | 416,000 | 2.30 | 30,700 | ||||||
TOTAL GOLD | ||||||||||||
Proven + Probable Reserves | 1,054,000 | 6.43 | 217,950 | 1,361,500 | 4.98 | 218,150 |
1 | In 2014, based on a gold price of US$1,200/oz and an exchange rate of CAN$1.0833 = US$1.00 (in 2013, a price of US$1,225/oz and an exchange rate of CAN$1.06 = US$1.00 were used). |
2 | W Zone and 350 Zone Mineral Reserves are included with the Beaufor Mine as at December 31, 2014 and 2013. |
3 | Monique Mineral Reserves are open-pit. |
National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure of Mineral Projects
Mineral reserve and mineral resource estimations for the Corporation’s material properties were established by “qualified persons” as defined under NI 43-101, and their names are set out in the table below. These reserve and resource estimations were reviewed by Mr. Daniel Adam, P.Geo., Ph.D., Vice-President, Exploration, an employee of Richmont Mines.
Mines | Qualified Persons | Titles |
Beaufor and W Zone mines | Jessy Thelland, P.Geo. Marc-André Lavergne, P.Eng. | Senior Geologist, Beaufor and W Zone mines Manager, Beaufor, W Zone and Monique divisions |
Island Gold Mine | Raynald Vincent, P.Eng., M.G.P. Daniel Vachon, P.Eng. | Chief Geologist Chief Engineer |
Francoeur Property | Marc-André Lavergne, Eng. Daniel Adam, P.Geo., Ph.D. Pierre Rivard, P.Geo. | Former Francoeur Mine Manager Vice-President, Exploration Corporate division Former Production Geologist |
Wasamac Project | Daniel Adam, P.Geo., Ph.D. | Vice-President, Exploration, Corporate division |
Monique Mine | Daniel Adam, P.Geo., Ph.D. | Vice-President, Exploration, Corporate division |
75
6. | Gold Marketing and Sales |
The profitability of gold mining is directly related to the market price of gold as compared to the cost of production. Gold prices fluctuate widely and are affected by numerous factors, including expectations with respect to the rate of inflation, exchange rates (specifically the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies), interest rates, global and regional political and economic conditions and governmental policies with respect to gold holdings by a nation’s central bank. The demand and supply of gold usually affect gold prices but not necessarily in the same manner as supply and demand affect the prices of other commodities. The entire gold available for sale includes a combination of mine production, stock and gold bullion held by governments, public and private financial institutions, industrial organizations and private individuals. As the amounts produced in any single year account for a small portion of the total available supply of gold, normal variations in current production do not have a significant impact on the supply of gold or its price.
The following table sets out the annual average gold price (London PM fix) in U.S. over the past five years:
Exchange | |||
(US$) | rate1 | (CAN$) | |
2010 | 1,225 | 1.0 | 1,262 |
2011 | 1,572 | 0.99 | 1,556 |
2012 | 1,669 | 1.00 | 1,669 |
2013 | 1,411 | 1.03 | 1,453 |
2014 | 1,266 | 1.10 | 1,393 |
As at April 21, 2015 | 1,195 | 1.23 | 1,470 |
1Source: Bank of Canada |
Gold can be sold on numerous markets throughout the world and it is not difficult to ascertain its market price at any particular time. Richmont Mines is not dependent upon the sale of its gold to any one customer because of the large number of available gold purchasers.
Richmont Mines may occasionally use put and call options on gold, and forward sales contracts on gold and U.S. dollars. All such contracts are previously approved by the Corporation’s Board of Directors.
Gold dore bars are transported between the mills and the refinery by commercial armoured truck. These bars are refined at the Royal Canadian Mint of Ottawa refinery under a service contract at competitive rates. Refined metal is sold on the spot market to commercial bullion dealers (or under forward sales contracts if previously approved by the Corporation’s Board of Directors).
In 2014, 2013 and 2012, Richmont Mines had not entered into any gold derivatives contracts.
7. | Governmental Regulation (Environment) |
Richmont Mines’ principal business activities are the production of gold from mining development, extraction and processing of minerals, and mining exploration to maintain and increase its ore reserves. These operations are subject to various levels of control and strict government regulations, such as laws and regulations with respect to activities related to natural resources and the protection of the environment.
Environmental protection legislation applicable to the Canadian mining industry mandates high standards for the reduction or elimination of emissions, deposits, and issuance or release into the environment of contaminants caused by the extraction or processing of ore. In addition, certificates of authorization must be obtained in advance for the construction and commercial operation of a mine, plant, concentrator or refinery, since such types of operations that are specific to the mining industry may result in emissions, deposits, issuance or release of contaminants into the environment or may affect the quality of the environment.
76
Quebec & Ontario
Provincial legislation in Quebec and Ontario in mining matters includes the acquisition and ownership of mining titles, safety standards, royalties and mining taxes. TheMining Actprovides for the rehabilitation and restoration of lands affected by mining activities. In Ontario, approval for any plan for the rehabilitation and restoration of land affected by a Corporation’s operations is given by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (“MNDM”), while in Quebec it is given by theMinistère des Ressources naturelles(“MRN”). Corporations must comply with the plan and provide a financial guarantee to that effect.
In Quebec, when a corporation commences mining operations, it must submit its rehabilitation and closure plan before the beginning of its activities. In Ontario, the plan must be approved before the beginning of commercial production; moreover, a local public consultation must also be held.
The Ministries may enjoin a corporation which has already ceased its mining operations on a particular site to perform the rehabilitation and restoration work required by the presence of tailings. In the event that the Corporation does not comply with such requirements, the MRN and the MNDM may have the rehabilitation and restoration work executed by a third party, at the Corporation’s expense.
Richmont Mines does not foresee any specific difficulty in meeting the requirements under theMining Act(Quebec) and theMining Act(Ontario).
Richmont Mines holds certificates of authorization issued by theMinistère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement, de la Faune et des Parcs(theMinistry of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks, the “MDDEFP”) with respect to its mining operations in Quebec (Beaufor Mine, W Zone Mine, Monique Mine and Camflo Mill) and by the Ontario’sMinistry of the Environmentfor its Island Gold Mine, located in Ontario.
C. | Organization Structure |
See Exhibit 8.1 to this Annual Report.
D. | Property, Plants and Equipment |
See Section B. “Business Overview” above.
ITEM 4A. | UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS |
None.
ITEM 5. | OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS |
The discussion and analysis of the operating results and financial position of the Corporation for the three years ended December 31, 2012, 2013 and 2014 should be read in conjunction with the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included in this Annual Report. Notice should also be taken of the cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements on page 4 of this Annual Report, in particular with respect to trend and other forward looking information and disclosure regarding the Corporation’s contractual obligations.
The preparation of financial statements involves making estimates and assumptions that have a significant impact on the reported amounts of revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities. The items most dependent on the use of estimates include the useful life of assets, amortization and depletion calculations based on proven and probable reserves, the calculation of asset retirement obligations, share based remuneration expense, dismantling costs and severance costs, the evaluation of provisions and contingent liabilities, start of advanced exploration phase, start of commercial production, recoverability of credits relating to resources and credits on duties
77
refundable for losses as well as deferred income and mining taxes. Consequently, future results may differ from these estimates.
On January 1, 2011, the Corporation adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board. The impacts of this transition were presented in the Corporation’s December 31, 2011 consolidated financial statements. Unless otherwise indicated, all amounts presented herein are based on IFRS.
Previously, the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (“Canadian GAAP”). At that time, reference was made to notes to the consolidated financial statements of the Corporation included in the Annual Report for a discussion of the material differences between Canadian GAAP and U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”), and their effect on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements. Statements prepared in accordance with IFRS are not comparable in all respects with financial statements that are prepared in accordance with either Canadian GAAP or with US GAAP.
A. | Operating Results |
Year ended December 31, 2014 compared to year ended December 31, 2013 and year ended December 31, 2012
(all dollar amounts are in thousands of Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated except for share and per ounce data).
Overview
Gold Prices
The gold market continued to be turbulent in 2014, with the price per ounce varying from the highest London PM fix close of US$1,385 on March 14, 2014, to the annual low of US$1,142 on November 5, 2014. The average annual price of US$1,266 was US$145 or 10% below the 2013 average price of US$1,411, and US$403 or 24% below the 2012 average price of US$1,669, but was nonetheless above the 2013 lowest monthly average of US$1,225 that occurred in December.
The main factors that may continue to have influence on the future price of gold include:
Possible strengthening in the US dollar and the US tapering of its monetary stimulus;
Continued gold ETF liquidation;
Weak global inflationary pressures;
Increased demand levels from China, and easing of import duties in India;
Uncertainty around governmental fiscal issues in North America and Europe; and
Ongoing geopolitical instability.
Production
In 2014 Richmont produced gold primarily from the Island Gold Mine in Ontario and the Beaufor and Monique mines in Quebec. Gold sales from these operations were 94,503 ounces in 2014, versus 63,443 ounces in 2013, with the annual difference reflecting a full year of production from the Monique Mine versus only three months in 2013, and higher gold sales from the Island Gold and Beaufor mines that was driven primarily by improved grades at both operations. This compared to 60,741 ounces sold in 2012.
78
The Island Gold Mine generated gold sales of 42,078 ounces in 2014, in line with forecasts and 20% above the 35,113 ounces of gold sold in 2013, predominantly due to the 25% improvement in mined grade to 5.83 g/t from 4.65 g/t in 2013. This compared to 41,686 ounces sold in 2012. As of December 31, 2014, the Island Gold Mine had Proven and Probable reserves of 183,750 ounces of gold, more than replacing its 2014 annual production.
The Beaufor Mine, in commercial production since 1996, generated gold sales of 24,006 ounces in 2014, a 4% improvement over 2013 gold sales of 23,028 ounces, and in line with its targeted production range of 20,000 to 25,000 ounces and a 26% improvement over 2012 gold sales of 19,055 ounces. The annual improvement was driven by a stronger recovered grade of 6.84 g/t in 2014, versus 5.88 g/t in 2013, stemming from the implementation of a more selective mining focus. The Beaufor Mine Proven and Probable reserves as of December 31, 2014 were 32,750 ounces of gold, compared to 43,950 ounces of gold at the end of 2013.
Investments
Richmont invested $23.1 million in its assets in 2014, down from $41.9 million in 2013 and $37.9 million in 2012. The decrease largely reflects the lower development costs associated with the Monique Mine following its commencement of commercial production in the fourth quarter of 2013, lower investments in the W Zone following the decision to cease operations in the second quarter of 2014, and decreased year-over-year investments at the Island Gold Mine.
Richmont invested $41.9 million in the continued development of its assets in 2013, up from $37.9 million in 2012. The increase reflects the Corporation’s focused development efforts at Island Gold in depth, most notably the completion of an additional 848 linear meters of the underground access ramp, in addition to development costs associated with beginning commercial production at the Monique Mine at the beginning of October. Offsetting the higher investment levels at these two operations were lower development costs at the W Zone Mine, and the termination of development efforts at the Francoeur Mine operations following its closure at the end of 2012. An additional $1.0 million was invested at the Camflo Mill and other corporate installations in 2013, down from $2.9 million in 2012.
Summary of Operational and Financial Results
Net earnings in 2014 was $8.2 million or $0.18 per share, compared to net loss in 2013 of ($34.3 million) or ($0.87) per share and to net loss in 2012 of ($45.0 million) or ($1.28) per share.
The cash and cash equivalent balance was $35.3 million at December 31, 2014, an increase of $17.7 million over the $17.6 million at December 31, 2013. The cash and cash equivalent balance was $59.8 million at December 31, 2012.
At December 31, 2014, Richmont had working capital of $34.8 million compared with $14.0 million at December 31, 2013 and $54.3 million at December 31, 2012.
Changes to accounting policies
New Accounting Pronouncements
There were no new accounting pronouncements for annual periods beginning on or after January 1st, 2014.
Future Accounting Pronouncements
At the date of authorization of these consolidated financial statements, new standards, amendments and interpretations to existing standards have been published by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) but are not yet effective, and have not been adopted early by the Corporation.
Management anticipates that all of the pronouncements not yet effective will be adopted in the Corporation’s accounting policies for the first period beginning after the effective date of the pronouncement. Information on
79
new standards, amendments and interpretations that are expected to be relevant to the Corporation’s financial statements is provided below. Certain other new standards and interpretations have been issued but are not expected to have a material impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements.
IFRS 9 – Financial instruments (IFRS 9)
In July 2014, the IASB published IFRS 9 which replaces IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement (IAS 39). IFRS 9 introduces improvements which include a logical model for classification and measurement of financial assets, a single, forward-looking “expected loss” impairment model and a substantially-reformed approach to hedge accounting. IFRS 9 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Earlier application is permitted. The Corporation has yet to assess the impact of this new standard on its consolidated financial statements.
IFRS 15 – Revenues from contracts with Customers (IFRS 15)
In May 2014, the IASB published IFRS 15 which replaces IAS 18 Revenue, IAS 11 Construction Contracts and some revenue-related interpretations. IFRS 15 establishes a new control-based revenue recognition model, changes the basis for deciding when revenue is recognized at a point in time or over time, provides new and more detailed guidance on specific topics and expands and improves disclosures about revenue. IFRS 15 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017. Earlier application is permitted. The Corporation has yet to assess the impact of this new standard on its consolidated financial statements.
Revenue
Total annual revenues increased 47% in 2014 to $132.2 million from $90.2 million in 2013, due to the 49% increase in the number of gold ounces sold minimally offset by a 2% decrease in the average gold sales price realized in Canadian dollars. For the 2014 fiscal year, a total of 94,503 ounces of gold were sold at an average price of CAN$1,396 (US$1,264) per ounce. This compared to gold sales of 63,443 ounces at an average price of CAN$1,419 (US$1,378) per ounce in 2013, and gold sales of 60,741 in 2012 at an average price of CAN$1,665 (US$1,666) per ounce. The Island Gold Mine sold 42,078 ounces of gold in 2014 at an average price of CAN$1,398 (US$1,266), compared with 35,113 ounces of gold in 2013 at an average price of CAN$1,434 (US$1,392), and 41,686 ounces of gold in 2012 at an average price of CAN$1,665 (US$1,666). The Beaufor Mine sold 24,006 ounces of gold at an average price of CAN$1,399 (US$1,267) in 2014, versus 23,028 ounces of gold at an average price of CAN$1,417 (US$1,376) per ounce in 2013, and 19,055 ounces of gold at an average price of CAN$1,665 (US$1,666) per ounce in 2012. The Monique Mine sold 23,490 ounces of gold in 2014 at an average price of CAN$1,387 (US$1,256), compared to 2,976 ounces of gold at an average price of CAN$1,328 (US$1,265) in its first three months of commercial production during the last quarter of 2013. The W Zone Mine contributed gold sales of 4,929 ounces at an average price of CAN$1,405 (US$1,272) in 2014, and gold sales of 2,326 ounces at an average price of CAN$1,328 (US$1,265) in 2013. Total annual revenues of $90.2 million in 2013 were below the $101.7 million generated in 2012, largely attributable to a 15% decrease in the average gold sales price realized in Canadian dollars.
Expenses
2014 cost of sales increased 30% over prior year levels to $111.9 million, with 87% of this increase attributable to the higher costs associated with a full year of commercial operations at the Monique Mine in 2014, versus only three months in 2013. Cost of sales levels at the Island Gold Mine increased 9% year-over-year, largely due to higher cost per tonne attributable to the previously announced expense associated with the scheduled installation of a new cone crusher at the end of the second quarter, and the rental of a temporary primary jaw crusher and conveyor during the fourth quarter while new crushing equipment was being installed. The Beaufor Mine contributed $25.0 million toward consolidated cost of sales, below prior year levels due to lower tonnage. Operating costs at the Corporation’s Camflo Mill increased slightly as capacity utilisation was maximized with the contribution of a full year of Monique ore, and also increased marginally at the W Zone as remaining areas were mined prior to the cessation of operations at the end of the second quarter. The average cash cost of
80
production decreased by a notably 15% in Canadian dollars to CAN$956 (US$866) in 2014 from CAN$1,128 (US$1,095) in 2013, primarily driven by improved grades at all three of the Corporation’s operating mines, and the resulting higher gold sales.
2013 cost of sales increased 7% over 2012 levels at the Island Gold Mine to $47.5 million, reflecting a higher cost per tonne, primarily in milling, that were the result of mechanical issues at the mill during the second quarter of the year that necessitated the short-term rental of equipment from an outside supplier. Cost of sales at the Beaufor Mine decreased a comparable 6% in 2013 to $26.8 million from $28.6 million in 2012, as a 12% decrease in cost per tonne offset the 7% increase in tonnage. The Corporation’s Monique and W Zone mines, which both began commercial production on October 1, 2013, contributed $4.7 million and $6.0 million, respectively, to the 2013 consolidated cost of sales of $85.8 million, with costs levels at the W Zone Mine reflecting materially higher depreciation expense following the reduction of its reserve base. The average cash cost of production increased 8% in Canadian dollars in 2013 to CAN$1,128 (US$1,095) from CAN$1,044 (US$1,044) in 2012, as higher costs at the Island Gold Mine stemming from lower grades and the high costs at the Monique and W Zone mines in their initial ramp up stage, were only partially offset by lower year-over-year costs at the Beaufor Mine stemming from the improved grade and lower cost per tonne.
The amount of royalties paid out in 2014 increased to $2.3 million from $1.9 million the prior year, driven by higher royalty levels at all three of the Corporation’s operating mines as a result of the higher gold ounce production levels. 2013 royalty payments decreased to $1.9 million from $2.3 million in 2012, reflecting lower royalty levels at the Island Gold Mine as a result of the 16% year-over-year decrease in gold ounces sold and lower gold prices. This was only partially mitigated by slightly higher royalties at the Beaufor Mine as a result of increased gold sales in 2013, and royalties at both the Monique and W Zone mines following their transition into commercial production.
The Corporation pays a 3% net smelter return (NSR) royalty on the greater part of the gold production at the Island Gold Mine, royalties of $30 per ounce on 50% of the ounces produced from the Beaufor Mine and the W Zone Mine, and a 0.38% net smelter return royalty (NSR) on commercial gold production from the Monique Mine (please see Note 23 of the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” for additional details).
Custom milling- Richmont did not process any custom milling ore at the Camflo Mill in 2014 and in 2013. The Corporation processed 7,314 tonnes of custom milling ore in 2012.
Administration- Administration expenses totaled $7.6 million in 2014 versus $7.5 million in 2013. However, excluding severance payments in both periods, administration expenses in 2014 were 12% below the 2013 levels. The total cost in 2014 reflects lower levels of salaries and related benefits stemming from the decrease in the number of administrative employees, the effects of which were offset by higher severance compensation following the departure of the President and CEO in early July, and departure of the CFO in September. Administration expenses in 2013 of $7.5 million were below the comparable $10.3 million in 2012, reflecting lower non-cash expenses for share-based compensation, as the value of 1,639,000 options granted during the year was impacted by the lower share price, as well as lower severance compensation following the payment of $2.0 million in severance compensation to the Corporation’s ex-President and CEO in 2012.
Exploration and project evaluation–Richmont Mines continued to make investments related to exploration and project evaluation as shown below:
81
Exploration Costs
(in thousands of $) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||
$ | $ | $ | |||
Exploration costs - Mines | |||||
Island Gold | 771 | 4,532 | 10,969 | ||
Beaufor | 1,733 | 1,929 | 1,432 | ||
2,504 | 6,461 | 12,401 | |||
Exploration costs - Other properties | |||||
Wasamac | 169 | 1,102 | 9,477 | ||
Monique | 2 | 221 | 744 | ||
Other | 154 | 347 | 459 | ||
Project evaluation | 357 | 474 | 511 | ||
Exploration and project evaluation before depreciation and exploration tax credits | 3,186 | 8,605 | 23,592 | ||
Depreciation | 71 | 229 | 200 | ||
Exploration tax credits | 515 | (959 | ) | (3,527 | ) |
3,772 | 7,875 | 20,265 |
Accretion expense of asset retirement obligations– The Corporation’s production and exploration activities are subject to various federal and provincial laws and regulations governing the protection of the environment. These laws and regulations are continually changing and are generally becoming more restrictive. The Corporation conducts its operations so as to protect public health and the environment. The Corporation has recorded the asset retirement obligations of its mining sites on the basis of management’s best estimates of future costs, based on information available on the reporting date. Best estimates of future costs are the amount the Corporation would reasonably pay to settle its obligation on the closing date. Future costs are discounted using pre-tax rates that reflect current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the liability. Such estimates are subject to change based on modifications to laws and regulations or as new information becomes available. This charge was $111 thousand in 2014, compared with $81 thousand in 2013 and $66 thousand in 2012.
Loss on disposal of long-term assets– The loss on disposal of long-term assets includes the following items:
(in thousands of $) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||
$ | $ | $ | ||||
Exploration mining assets | 493 | - | - | |||
Mining equipment | 146 | 105 | 198 | |||
639 | 105 | 198 |
82
Impairment loss on W Zone Mine
Property, plant and equipment that are subject to amortization are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the asset's carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is determined on the basis of value-in-use. For the purpose of this test, the Corporation has determined that each mine site represented a cash-generating unit.
Subsequent to 2013 production and a re-interpretation of the geology following exposure from mining, the reserve base of the W Zone Mine was significantly reduced. As a result of this reduction, and the ensuing impact on expected future production from this operation, the Corporation has taken a $13.5 million, or $0.34 per share, non-cash write-down on the asset base in the fourth quarter of 2013. A discount rate of 9% was used by the Corporation to determine the value-in-use.
Mining and Income Taxes
(in thousands of $) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||
$ | $ | $ | ||||
Current taxes | 78 | 785 | 4,610 | |||
Future taxes | 427 | 7,209 | (4,237 | ) | ||
505 | 7,994 | 373 |
For the fiscal year 2014, mining and income taxes totaled $0.5 million. This amount mainly includes $2.3 million of mining and income tax, or 27% of the pre-tax income of $8.7 million, offset by a $1.2 million credit on mining duties from previous years, and the $0.3 million reversal of a 2010 charge that had been booked (for part XII-6 of the tax return of a subsidiary), but will no longer have to be paid by the Corporation.
For the fiscal year 2013, mining and income taxes totalled $8.0 million, including a write-off of $7.5 million of deferred income and mining tax assets. In the charge there is an amount of $0.5 million for current tax expense and a same amount booked against exploration expense.
The 2012 mining and income taxes totalled $4.6 million, including Ontario mining taxes of $1.5 million, an adjustment to previous year taxes of $1.4 million and a recorded tax charge of $1.8 million, the latter of which enabled the Corporation to benefit from an exploration credit of the same amount. The recovery of future taxes is due to a $2.3 million reduction in liabilities for future mining taxes and a reduction of $1.9 million for income taxes.
Net loss from discontinued operation
At the end of November 2012, management made the decision to cease commercial gold production at the Francoeur Mine. This Mine was part of the Corporation’s Quebec segment. As a result, revenues, expenses and losses relating to the discontinuation of this operation were segregated from the Corporation’s results from continuing operations, and are shown as a single line item in the consolidated income statement. The remaining property, plant and equipment from this mine were valued at their recoverable amount, and the majority of these assets are now redeployed within the Corporation’s other mines. The recoverable value of assets was established by three internal experts with the necessary expertise to determine the value of mining assets. They evaluated the fair value for each asset considering the general condition of the asset as well as the actual conditions of the market. Total charges related to the mine closure including asset write-down, closure costs and operational losses, totaled $1.1 million in 2013 and $42.0 million for the full year of 2012, after mining and income taxes.
83
Net Earnings (loss)
The Corporation generated net earnings of $8.2 million, or $0.18 per share for the fiscal year 2014, a significant improvement of over $41 million compared to the 2013 net loss from continuing operations of ($33.2) million, or ($0.84) per share, which included charges totaling $22.1 million, or $0.56 per share, stemming from a non-cash write-down of the W Zone Mine assets, a write-off of deferred income and mining tax assets, and a write-off of financing costs following the termination of a debt-financing agreement. The annual variance in results also reflects the 49% increase in the number of gold ounces sold, and a 15% decrease in the average cash cost per ounce stemming from improved mined grades at all three operating mines, the effects of which were only partially mitigated by the slight 2% decrease in the average sales price per ounce in Canadian dollar terms.
The Corporation generated a net loss from continuing operations of ($33.2) million, or ($0.84) per share, for the 2013 fiscal year. This compared to a net loss from continuing operations of ($3.0) million, or ($0.08) per share, in 2012, which excluded a loss of ($42.0) million associated with the discontinued Francoeur Mine operation. In addition to significant elements mentioned above, the annual variance in results also reflects a 15% decrease in the average realized gold price in Canadian dollars, an 8% increase in the average cash cost per ounce stemming partly from the onset of commercial production at the Monique and W Zone mines in the fourth quarter, as well as higher cost at Island Gold, the effects of which were only partially mitigated by a 4% increase in the number of gold ounces sold.
Balance Sheet
Assets
The total assets of Richmont decreased from $148.2 million at the end of 2012 to $123.3 million at the end of 2013 and increased to $148.8 million at the end of 2014.
The Corporation’s cash balance was $35.3 million at December 31, 2014, up from the $17.6 million balance at December 31, 2013. Year-end cash levels reflect investments of $23.1 million in property, plant and equipment during the year, which were more than offset by $27.3 million of cash generated from operations and the $10.7 million of net proceeds from a bought deal financing completed in April 2014.
The cash balance of $17.6 million at December 31, 2013 was below the $59.8 million balance at December 31, 2012, reflecting investments of $41.9 million in property, plant and equipment during 2013, partially offset by $3.5 million of cash generated from operations during the 12 month period.
At December 31, 2014, Richmont had working capital of $34.8 million compared with $14.0 million at December 31, 2013. The $20.8 million increase is mainly attributable to a $17.7 million increase in the Corporation’s cash balance, a $4.7 million increase in inventories, a $2.0 million increase in income and mining taxes payable, and a $1.0 million increase in the current portion levels of long-term debt related to advance Island Gold Mine royalty payments payable to a third party in January 2015.
At December 31, 2013, Richmont had working capital of $14.0 million compared with $54.3 million at December 31, 2012. The decrease of $40.3 million in working capital reflects the negative variation in cash and cash equivalent of $42.2 million, mostly from the $41.9 million invested in proprety, plant and equipement, a $2.2 million increase in exploration tax credits receivable related to exploration credits in 2013 from the Province of Quebec and the fact that no credit was received from previous year, and a $1.3 million increase in inventories and a $2.5 million increase in accounts payables both related to two new mines, and a $0.7 million decrease in income and mining taxes payable.
Liabilities
The liabilities of Richmont were $40.8 million as at December 31, 2014 and are composed of current liabilities, asset retirement obligations, royalty payments payable, finance lease obligations, contract payment holdbacks,
84
long-term share based compensation, closure allowance and deferred income and mining tax liabilities.The liabilities of the Corporation were $37.0 million as at December 31, 2013, compared with $29.9 million at December 31, 2012.
Asset retirement obligations
The rate used to determine the future value of the obligations is based on the expected life of the operation and varies between 3.0% and 3.5% (between 3.0% and 3.5% in 2013) while the rate reflecting the current market assessments (adjusted for the risks specific to this liability) used to determine the present value of the obligations varies between 1.0% and 1.6% (between 1.1% and 1.7% in 2013). The payments schedule was determined by taking into account the proven and probable reserves, the estimated annual production level and the estimated mine life. The following table sets forth the estimated cash flows of future retirement costs used in the calculation of the asset retirement obligations for the year ended December 31, 2014:
(in thousands of $) | Anticipated | |||
Total amount | cash flow | |||
of the estimated | payment | |||
cash flow | schedule | |||
2014 | $ | |||
Island Gold Mine | 2,269 | 2025 | ||
Beaufor Mine and W Zone Mine | 863 | 2017 | ||
Camflo Mill | 3,806 | 2017 | ||
Monique Mine | 981 | 2015 and after | ||
Francoeur Mine | 747 | 2015 and after | ||
8,666 |
Long-Term Debt
Long-term debt includes the following financial liabilities:
(in thousands of $) | December 31, | December 31, | |||
2014 | 2013 | ||||
$ | $ | ||||
Royalty payments payable a) | 2,000 | - | |||
Finance lease obligations b) | 2,912 | 3,737 | |||
Contract payment holdbacks c) | 1,116 | 1,000 | |||
Long-term share-based compensation d) | 982 | 711 | |||
Closure allowance e) | 513 | 573 | |||
7,523 | 6,021 | ||||
Current portion | 1,799 | 825 | |||
5,724 | 5,196 |
a) | On August 5, 2014, the Corporation signed a definitive agreement to acquire the outstanding 31% ownership of four patented claims on the Island Gold Mine property, thereby increasing its ownership of these claims to 100% from 69% previously. The 31% ownership held by the third party was |
85
acquired by the Corporation in return for a 3% net smelter return (NSR) royalty that is payable on 100% of mineral production from the four claims. As part of this agreement, the Corporation made an advance royalty payment of $1.0 million at the closing of the transaction, and will make the following additional future payments: $1.0 million each on January 3, 2015 and January 3, 2016. In the event that there is production from these claims, advance royalty payments will continue, and will decrease to $0.3 million as of January 3, 2017, and will be paid annually until such time as a total of $5.1 million has been paid in royalties (including advance royalties) to the third party, after which advance royalty payments will cease. All advance royalty payments will be credited against any future NSR payments. | ||
b) | During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Corporation acquired rolling stock at a cost of $4.4 million via five finance leases. The Corporation benefits from an option of a lower purchase price at the end of these contracts. | |
Future minimum finance lease payments at December 31, 2014 are as follows: | ||
(in thousands of $) | Minimum lease payments due | ||||||||
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | Total | ||||||
December 31, 2014: | |||||||||
Lease payments | 922 | 922 | 1,310 | 3,154 | |||||
Finance charges | (123 | ) | (84 | ) | (35 | ) | (242 | ) | |
Net present values | 799 | 838 | 1,275 | 2,912 |
c) | Contract payment holdbacks represent amounts that are payable to suppliers for work that has already been completed. The holdback is payable upon completion of the contract, once the Corporation has deemed that the work meets requirements or when the contract is terminated. As at December 31, 2014, the Corporation has not yet deemed that the work done by the supplier meets requirements and estimates that the payment of the holdback will not occur in the next year. | |
d) | In March and in August 2012, the Corporation signed agreements with several employees considered as key personnel. These agreements incorporate a retention payment (“Retention Awards”) provided certain conditions are met by the employee, most notably that the employee continues his or her employment with the Corporation until March and August 2017. These retention payments would be payable in 2017 in either of the Corporation’s common shares or cash, at the discretion of the employee, with the number of common shares to be determined by the current value of the common shares at the time of payment. As at December 31, 2014, the total amount that could be paid as Retention Awards under these agreements is $2.0 million ($2.25 million in 2013, $6.0 million in 2012). The cost recorded in 2014 is $456 thousand ($742 thousand in 2013, $639 thousand in 2012) and the liability to this effect amounts to $982 thousand as at December 31, 2014 ($711 thousand in 2013 and $639 thousand in 2012), which correspond to the best estimate of the amount to be paid relating to the Retention Awards, based on estimated forfeitures and a 1.3% discount rate. | |
| ||
e) | This closure allowance is payable upon the closure of the Beaufor Mine anticipated to be in 2016. Although no specific date or timeframe has been established for the closure of the mine, this closure allowance has been established using the best estimation of the amount that would be payable when the division will close. |
Deferred income and mining tax assets and liabilities
Note 12 of the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report provides detailed information about tax reconciliation as well as deferred income and mining tax assets and liabilities.
86
Shareholders’ equity
Shareholders’ equity totaled $108.0 million as at December 31, 2014 compared with $86.4 million as at December 31, 2013 and with $118.4 million as at December 31, 2012. At December 31, 2014, Richmont Mines had 48,276,223 shares outstanding, 812,500 warrants, 2,911,450 options granted under its stock option plans, 800,000 options outside of the Corporation’s plans and 186,900 restricted share units under the Corporation’s long-term incentive plan. At December 31, 2013, Richmont Mines had 39,596,103 shares outstanding, 812,500 warrants, 3,439,950 options granted under its stock option plans and 324,675 options outside of the Corporation’s plans compared with 39,566,103 shares outstanding and 2,277,450 options granted under its stock option plans and 324,675 options outside of the Corporation’s plans at December 31, 2012.
Commitments and contingencies
The Corporation is subject to pay the following royalties: the Beaufor Mine and the W Zone Mine, $30 per ounce produced on 50% of the production; Island Gold Mine, a 3% net smelter return royalty per ounce produced from the Lochalsh claims and a 2% net smelter return royalty in addition to a 15% net profit interest royalty per ounce produced from the Goudreau claims; and at the Monique Mine, a 0.38% smelter return royalty per ounce produced. Royalty payments could be payable on other properties if such other properties are brought into commercial production.
In light of a modification to the Quebec Mining Law, the financial guarantee for each of the Corporation’s Quebec mining sites must now cover 100% of the anticipated restoration work costs for each mining site. Consequently, the Corporation increased the amount of its letters of credit issued as financial guarantees by an aggregate of $1.0 million in 2014 and must increase the amount of its financial guarantees by an aggregate of $1.8 million in 2015 and $1.2 million in 2016.
On August 5, 2014, the Corporation announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire the outstanding 31% ownership of four patented claims on the Island Gold Mine property, thereby increasing its ownership of these claims to 100% from 69% previously. The 31% ownership held by the third party was acquired by the Corporation in return for a 3% net smelter return (NSR) royalty that is payable on 100% of mineral production from the four claims. As part of this agreement, the Corporation made an advance royalty payment of $1.0 million at the closing of the transaction, and will make the following additional future payments: $1.0 million each on January 3, 2015 and January 3, 2016. In the event that there is production from these claims, advance royalty payments will continue, and will decrease to $0.3 million as of January 3, 2017, and will be paid annually until such time as a total of $5.1 million has been paid in royalties (including advance royalties) to the third party, after which advance royalty payments will cease. All advance royalty payments will be credited against any future NSR payments.
The Corporation is committed, under an operating lease expiring in December 2017, to pay a total sum of $0.4 million for office space. Minimum rental payments for the next three years amount to $0.14 million annually.
In mid-October 2013, the Corporation announced that it had signed a land and mining rights agreement with Argonaut Gold Inc. (“Argonaut”), owner of the Magino Gold Project that is adjacent to the Corporation’s Island Gold Mine. This Agreement was slightly modified in June 2014. Under the revised terms, Argonaut will receive one claim in its entirety and surface and mining rights down to a depth of 400 metres on six claims. It will also receive surface rights on two claims down to a depth of 100 metres. The Corporation will receive two additional claims for a total of three and mining rights below a depth of 400 metres on three claims. As previously reported, under the terms of the Agreement, the Corporation will receive a net payment of $2.0 million in cash from Argonaut upon completion of the land transactions, which are now expected to take place in 2015.
During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Corporation entered into five financial lease agreements for rolling stock. At the end of these contracts, the Corporation benefits from an option of a lower purchase price. These financial lease agreements have a carrying value of $2.9 million.
87
In March and in August 2012, the Corporation signed agreements with several employees considered as key personnel. These agreements incorporate a retention payment (“Retention Awards”) provided certain conditions are met by the employee, most notably that the employee continues his or her employment with the Corporation until March and August 2017. These retention payments would be payable in 2017 in either of the Corporation’s common shares or cash, at the discretion of the employee, with the number of common shares to be determined by the current value of the common shares at the time of payment. As at December 31, 2014, the total amount that could be paid as Retention Awards under these agreements is $2.0 million.
In light of a modification to the Quebec Mining Law, the financial guarantee for each of the Corporation’s Quebec mining sites must now cover 100% of the anticipated restoration work costs for each mining site. Consequently, the Corporation increased the letters of credit issued as financial guarantee by $1.0 million in 2014 and must increase the financial guarantees by $1.8 million in 2015 and $1.2 million in 2016.
On January 21, 2015, a syndicate of underwriters, has agreed to purchase on a bought deal basis 8.5 million common shares of the Corporation at a price of $4.00 per share for gross proceeds of $34.0 million. In addition, the underwriters have been granted an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 1.125 million common shares from the Corporation, exercisable in whole or in part at the Offering Price for a period of 30 days from closing of the Offering, for additional gross proceeds of up to approximately $4.5 million. If the Over-Allotment Option is exercised in full, the total gross proceeds to the Corporation will be $38.5 million. Following the deduction of estimated fees, net proceeds are expected to amount to $36.1 million, and the Corporation’s share capital will increase by the same amount. The financing was closed on February 11, 2015 and the full over-allotment option was exercised.
The Corporation is involved in three (3) legal proceedings as of April 21, 2015:
Against Sterling Oil & Gas Corporation (“Sterling”), which was the propane supplier for the Island Gold Mine. Richmont Mines is suing Sterling for approximately $156 thousand. The Corporation presented its claim in front of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, for a breach of contract which occurred on July 30, 2010. In response to this claim, Sterling is countersuing Richmont Mines for approximately $365 million, mainly related to the installation and rental of Sterling equipment. Management is of the opinion that the basis of Sterling’s countersuit is unfounded. A trial is expected to be held in 2015.
Against 6676162 Canada Inc., which filed legal proceedings in the Court of Quebec in June 2010 claiming $450 thousand. A decision was rendered on November 29, 2010. The claim was rejected due to the fact that 6676162 Canada Inc. was not represented by counsel at the outset which was counter to the requirements of the Quebec Code of Civil Procedure. A new application by 6676162 Canada Inc to institute proceedings was filed on February 23, 2011. Richmont transferred the case to arbitrators as stipulated in the contract. The parties have chosen arbitration before three arbitrators. Both Richmont and 6676162 Canada Inc. have each chosen one arbitrator. The third arbitrator has been selected by the first two. Richmont made a counterclaim of $218 thousand for repairs that needed to be redone. The arbitration is expected to be held in 2015.
Against Agrégat RN, its former contractor at the Monique Mine, Richmont filed legal proceedings for an amount of $1.4 million, representing the cost of corrective measures that had to be performed by Richmont’s new contractor. Richmont has received the defense and counterclaim pleadings from Agrégat RN claiming an amount of almost $15.5 million. The trial is expected to be held in 2015.
Management is of the opinion that the basis of these litigations is unfounded and, consequently, no provision has been accounted for in the financial statements in this respect.
As at April 21, 2015, Richmont Mines is not aware of any other legal proceedings involving the Corporation.
88
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements requires the use of estimates and the formulation of assumptions that have a significant impact on revenue and expenses as well as on the amounts of assets and liabilities. The following factors represent the estimates that management considers the most significant, and for which the actual amounts may differ considerably thereby affecting operating results.
Mineral reserves
The main parameters used to determine the mineral reserves of Beaufor Mine, Monique Mine and Island Gold Mine are the following:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||
Gold(US$/ounce) | 1,200 | 1,225 | 1,450 | |||
Exchange rate(US$/CAN$) | 1.083 | 1.060 | 1.000 | |||
Gold(CAN$/ounce) | 1,300 | 1,300 | 1,450 |
Basis of depletion of mining sites in production
Property, plant and equipment of mining sites in production are depleted according to the units-of-production method to write down the cost to residual value. Management estimates the residual value of property, plant and equipment based on the estimated fair value as of the financial position date. For these assets, the depletion rate is calculated based on the number of ounces of gold sold in proportion to the number of ounces in proven and probable reserves.
Proven and probable reserves are estimates of the quantity of ore that could be economically and legally extracted from a mine. The Corporation estimates its reserves using information compiled by qualified persons who work for the Corporation. This information relates to geological data on the size, depth and shape of the deposit and requires geological assessments to interpret the data. The assessment of proven and probable reserves is based on factors such as the estimated exchange rate, price of metals, capital investments required and production costs stemming from geological assumptions based on the size and grade of the deposit. Changes in proven and probable reserves could have an impact on the net carrying amount of property, plant and equipment, asset retirement obligations, recognition of deferred tax assets and amortization, depreciation and depletion expenses.
Asset retirement obligations
The Corporation assesses its asset retirement obligations annually. Determining these obligations requires significant estimates and assumptions due to the numerous factors that affect the amount ultimately payable. Such factors include estimates of the scope and cost of restoration activities, legislative amendments, known environmental impacts, the effectiveness of reparation and restoration measures and changes in the discount rate. This uncertainty may lead to differences between the actual expense and the allowance. At the date of the statement of financial situation, asset retirement obligations represent management’s best estimate of the charge that will result when the actual obligation is terminated.
Impairment test of property, plant and equipment
Determining if there are any facts and circumstances indicating impairment losses or reversal of impairment losses is a subjective process involving judgment and a number of estimates and interpretations in many cases. When an indication of an impairment loss or a reversal of an impairment loss exists, the recoverable amount of
89
the individual asset must be estimated. If it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of the individual asset, the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs must be determined.
The assumption used in the asset valuation process was a price of CAN$1,300 per ounce of gold in 2015, CAN$1,370 per ounce of gold in 2016, and CAN$1,374 per ounce of gold in 2017 and after. These prices are used in order to estimate future revenues and are based on an average of recent prices.
In the process of measuring expected future cash flows, management makes assumptions about future operating results, such as future metal production (proven and probable reserves), estimated future metal prices, operating costs, capital and site restoration expenses and estimated future foreign exchange rates. These assumptions relate to future events and circumstances. Actual results may differ from estimated results.
Income taxes and deferred mining taxes
The Corporation is subject to taxes from different tax jurisdictions. Management continually evaluates the likelihood that its deferred tax assets could be realized. This requires management to assess whether it is probable that sufficient taxable income will exist in the future to utilize these losses within the carry-forward period. The Corporation also maintains allowances for uncertain tax positions that, in its opinion, appropriately reflect the risks related to the tax positions subject to discussions, audits, differences of opinion and appeals with the tax authorities or that are otherwise uncertain. These allowances are determined using best estimates of the amount payable based on a qualitative assessment of all relevant information. These allowances are reassessed at the end of each financial reporting period to determine if the amount is sufficient. However, audits by the tax authorities could subsequently result in an additional liability. Upon the definite resolution of a tax issue resulting in a tax amount that differs from the initially recognized tax expense, the difference is recognized in the tax expense of the period of definitive settlement.
Share-based remuneration expense
The estimation of share-based payment costs requires the selection of an appropriate valuation model and consideration as to the inputs necessary for the valuation model chosen. The Corporation has made estimates as to the volatility of its own shares, the probable life of options and the time of exercise of those options. The model used by the Corporation is the Black-Scholes model. The Corporation similarly evaluated the expected extinguishments for each remuneration program within the parameters of each individual program.
Dismantling costs and severance costs
The Corporation estimates dismantling costs and severance costs by making assumptions such as retention of employees and timing of dismantling. The uncertainty of these estimations may lead to differences between the actual expenses and the estimated costs.
Recoverability of credits relating to resources and credits on duties refundable for losses
Uncertainties related to the review by government authorities of the Corporation’s current and prior years’ claims for the refundable tax credit relating to resources and the credit on duties refundable for losses, based on qualifying exploration expenditures under the Taxation Act (Quebec) and the Mining Tax Act (Quebec), require management to assess whether these claims will be settled in full or in part. Uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation of tax legislation and regulations by government authorities, the amount of expenditures that may be disallowed by such authorities as a result of their interpretation of tax legislation and regulations and the timing of recovery of the credits.
Start of advanced exploration phase
The Corporation evaluates the potential of each project to determine when the project should progress from the exploration phase to the advanced exploration phase. Once management has determined that a project has
90
demonstrated a potential for development, and an economic analysis supports its commercial viability and its economic benefit, the project moves into the advanced exploration phase once approval has been given by the Board of Directors. Expenditures related to the project are capitalized as of this time.
Start of commercial production
Management assesses the stage of completion of each advanced exploration project to determine when it begins commercial production. The Corporation considers a number of criteria to determine when a mine enters into commercial production, thereby resulting in reclassification from “Advanced exploration project” to “Mining site in production”. The following criteria are used:
Production capacity achieved
Recovered grade
Stage of completion of development work
When a mine considered to be an advanced exploration project becomes a mining site under production, previously capitalized costs are allocated among the various assets, such as inventory, development expenses, buildings and equipment. Additionally, from that time, some previously capitalized costs are then recognized as expenses and the related income is recognized as precious metals revenue. Depreciation/depletion begins at that time as well.
Provisions and contingent liabilities
Judgments are made as to whether a past event has led to a liability that should be recognized in the consolidated financial statements or disclosed as a contingent liability. Quantifying any such liability often involves judgments and estimations. These judgments are based on a number of factors including the nature of the claims or dispute, the legal process and potential amount payable, legal advice received, past experience and the probability of a loss being realized. Several of these factors are sources of estimation uncertainty.
Reconciliation of total cash cost per ounce to production costs:
(in thousands of $ other than exchange rate and per ounce data) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||
Operating costs as per note 4 of the consolidated financial statements (CAN$) | 87,984 | 69,688 | 61,102 | |||
Royalties as per note 4 of the consolidated financial statements (CAN$) | 2,335 | 1,910 | 2,294 | |||
Total cash costs (CAN$) | 90,319 | 71,598 | 63,396 | |||
Ounces of gold sold | 94,503 | 63,443 | 60,741 | |||
Total cash cost in CAN$/per ounce | 956 | 1,128 | 1,044 | |||
Average exchange rate (US$/CAN$) | 1.1045 | 1.0299 | 0.9996 | |||
Total cash cost in US$/per ounce | 866 | 1,095 | 1,044 |
91
B. | Liquidity and Capital Resources (all dollar amounts are in thousands of Canadian dollars, unless otherwise stated) |
The Corporation’s cash balance was $35.3 million at December 31, 2014, up from the $17.6 million balance at December 31, 2013. Year-end cash levels reflect investments of $23.1 million in property, plant and equipment during the year, which were more than offset by $27.3 million of cash generated from operations and the $10.7 million of net proceeds from a bought deal financing completed in April 2014.
The cash balance of $17.6 million at December 31, 2013 was below the $59.8 million balance at December 31, 2012, reflecting investments of $41.9 million in property, plant and equipment during 2013, partially offset by $3.5 million of cash generated from operations during the 12 month period.
Most of the restricted deposits relate specifically to site restoration. As at December 31, 2014, the Corporation has $117 thousand in restricted deposits with the Quebec government, $601 thousand in restricted deposits with the Ontario government and a credit facility is available to the Corporation up to an amount of $5.0 million for the issuance of letters of credit as guarantees for the settlement of asset retirement obligations. The credit facility has a fixed annual fee of 0.95% (0.95% in 2013). The following table provides the allocation of restricted deposits and letters of credit issued as at December 31, 2014 and 2013:
(in thousands of $) | 2014 | 2013 | ||
$ | $ | |||
Restricted deposits | ||||
Island Gold Mine (Island Gold Deep and Lochalsh property) | 601 | 594 | ||
Beaufor Mine | 107 | 107 | ||
Other | 10 | 10 | ||
718 | 711 | |||
Guaranteed investment certificate1 | - | 2,650 | ||
Other | 298 | 60 | ||
1,016 | 3,421 | |||
Letters of credit1 | ||||
Camflo Mill | 1,332 | 1,332 | ||
Island Gold Mine (Kremzar property) | 979 | 979 | ||
Francoeur Mine | 314 | 239 | ||
Monique Mine | 948 | - | ||
Additional credit | - | 100 | ||
3,573 | 2,650 |
1 | Since June 30, 2014, letters of credit have been secured by a first rank movable mortgage for a maximum amount of $6,785 thousand, guaranteed by equipment and rolling stock which has a net carrying value of $17,967 thousand. Prior to that, letters of credit were secured by the guaranteed investment certificate. |
Cash flows from operating activities
Cash flows from operations increased from $3.5 million in 2013 to $27.3 million in 2014. This increase reflects that net earnings in 2014 were $8.2 million, or $0.18 per share, compared with net loss of ($34.3) million or ($0.87) per share in 2013 reflecting a 49% increase in ounces of gold sold and a 15% decrease, in Canadian dollars, of the average cash cost of production primarily driven by improved grades and the resulting higher gold sales. Futhermore Richmont spent $3.8 million in exploration costs in 2014 compared to $7.9 million in 2013.
92
Cash flows from operations decreased from $7.7 million in 2012 to $3.5 million in 2013. The annual variance reflects a 15% decrease in the average realized gold price in Canadian dollars, an 8% increase in the average cash cost per ounce stemming partly from the onset of commercial production at the Monique and W Zone mines in the fourth quarter, as well as higher cost at Island Gold, the effects of which were only partially mitigated by a 4% increase in the number of gold ounces sold.
Cash flows used in investing activities
Richmont invested $23.1 million in its assets in 2014, down from $41.9 million in 2013 and $37.9 million in 2012. The decrease largely reflects the lower development costs associated with the Monique Mine following its commencement of commercial production in the fourth quarter of 2013, lower investments in the W Zone following the decision to cease operations in the second quarter of 2014, and decreased year-over-year investments at the Island Gold Mine.
In 2013, Richmont invested $41.9 million in the continued development of its assets, up from $37.9 million in 2012. The increase reflects the Corporation’s focused development efforts at Island Gold Deep, most notably the completion of an additional 848 linear meters of the underground access ramp, in addition to development costs associated with beginning commercial production at the Monique Mine at the beginning of October. Offsetting the higher investment levels at these two operations were lower development costs at the W Zone Mine, and the termination of development efforts at the Francoeur Mine operations following its closure at the end of 2012. An additional $1.0 million was invested at the Camflo Mill and other corporate installations in 2013, down from $2.9 million in 2012.
(in thousands of $) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||
$ | $ | $ | ||||
Island Gold Mine | 20,168 | 27,770 | 8,364 | |||
Beaufor Mine | 1,623 | 980 | 1,192 | |||
W Zone Mine | 234 | 3,779 | 9,911 | |||
Monique Mine | 21 | 8,358 | - | |||
Discontinued operation – Francoeur Mine | - | - | 15,458 | |||
Other | 1,006 | 1,001 | 2,929 | |||
Total | 23,052 | 41,888 | 37,854 |
Cash flows from financing activities
On April 23, 2014, the Corporation issued a total of 8.05 million common shares on a bought-deal basis through a syndicate of underwriters, at a price of $1.45 per share. This included the entire over-allotment option of 1.05 million shares, and generated aggregate gross proceeds of $11.7 million. An expense of $0.9 million was incurred relating to the issuance of common shares.
The Corporation issued 630,120 common shares during 2014 (30,000 in 2013 and 483,600 in 2012) following the exercise of stock options and received cash proceeds in the amount of $1.1 million ($0.1 million in 2013 and $1.5 million in 2012).
According to the terms of a Senior Secured Credit Facility, 812,500 warrants were issued to the lender, each warrant allowing for the acquisition of one common share at a price of $2.45 prior to August 2016. These warrants vested immediately and an amount of $0.4 million was registered in shareholder’s equity in contributed surplus and the counterpart as financing costs.
93
In September 2012, the Corporation issued, as part of a private placement, 5,972,540 common shares at $4.35 each for a total consideration of $26.0 million. An expense of $1.0 million was incurred relating to the issuance of common shares, creating a non recorded future tax asset of $0.2 million.
Capital disclosures
Richmont’s cash and cash equivalents balance was $35.3 million at December 31, 2014, $17.6 million at December 31, 2013 and $59.8 million at December 31, 2012. The Corporation invests its cash and cash equivalents in high-quality securities issued by government agencies, financial institutions and major corporations, and limits its amount of credit exposure by diversifying its holdings.
The Corporation’s objectives when managing its capital are to safeguard the Corporation’s ability to continue as a going concern in order to support the development of its mining assets and ongoing exploration programs, to provide sufficient working capital to meet its ongoing obligations and to pursue potential investments.
Although in the Corporation’s opinion, its working capital is sufficient for ongoing operation for the next twelve months, the Corporation is forecasting significantly higher capital expenditures of $56.3 million in 2015. A total of $48.3 million of this amount is being invested in development efforts at Island Gold, that will accelerate access to the deeper resource base thereby repositioning the mine as a longer-life, higher production and superior free cash flow operation. On February 11, 2015 the Corporation announced that it had closed a bought deal financing, subsequent to which a total of 9.625 million shares were issued, including the entire over-allotment option, at a price of $4.00, generating gross proceeds of $38.5 million. (See ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION - B. Significant change for more information). Richmont plans to apply the entire net proceeds of the financing toward accelerating the transformational development of the higher-grade Resource extension at its Island Gold Mine in Ontario currently underway.
On April 23, 2014, the Corporation issued a total of 8.1 million common shares of the Corporationat a price of $1.45 per share, including the entire over-allotment option of 1.05 million common shares, for aggregate gross proceeds of $11.7 million which were used for working capital and general corporate purposes.
The Corporation’s profitability may vary significantly as a result of many factors, including, the price of gold, Canadian dollar/United States dollar exchange rate, fluctuations in commodity prices and unforeseen variations from expected grade, tonnage levels and production costs at its operating mines, most of which are not under the Corporation’s control. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the Corporation’s working capital will continue to be sufficient to support its ongoing operations.
The Corporation has no material commitments for either capital expenditures or its exploration program.
The Corporation’s budget can be modified and its investments adjusted depending on available funds and operating and exploration results. The exploration and development of new mineral deposits is subject to numerous risks, discussed in greater detail on page 10.
As at December 31, 2014, Richmont Mines had no hedging contracts. In order to finance additional exploration activities or to maintain or increase its liquidity and capital resources, the Corporation may decide to issue new shares or to issue new debt.
C. | Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc. |
None.
D. | Trend Information |
See discussions in Parts A and B of “ITEM 5 OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS”.
94
E. | Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements |
The Corporation does not have any off-balance-sheet arrangements.
F. | Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations |
As of December 31, 2014, the Corporation had the following long-term liabilities required to be reflected on the Corporation’s balance sheet under International Financial Reporting Standard.
Payments due by period | ||||||||||
(in thousands of $) | ||||||||||
Less than | More than | |||||||||
Contractual obligations | Total | 1 year | 1-2 years | 3-4 years | 4 years | |||||
Royalty payments payable | 2,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | - | - | |||||
Finance lease obligations | 2,912 | 799 | 838 | 1,275 | - | |||||
Contract payment holdback | 1,116 | - | 1,116 | - | - | |||||
Long-term share-based compensation | 982 | - | - | 982 | - | |||||
Closure allowance | 513 | - | 513 | - | - | |||||
Total | 7,523 | 1,799 | 3,467 | 2,257 | - |
The Corporation is subject to pay the following royalties: the Beaufor Mine and the W Zone Mine, $30 per ounce produced on 50% of the production; Island Gold Mine, a 3% net smelter return royalty per ounce produced from the Lochalsh claims and a 2% net smelter return royalty in addition to a 15% net profit interest royalty per ounce produced from the Goudreau claims; and at the Monique Mine, a 0.38% smelter return royalty per ounce produced. Royalty payments could be payable on other properties if such other properties are brought into commercial production.
The Corporation is committed, under an operating lease expiring in December 2017, to pay a total sum of $0.4 million for office space. Minimum rental payments for the next three years amount to $0.14 million annually.
In mid-October 2013, the Corporation announced that it had signed a land and mining rights agreement with Argonaut Gold Inc. (“Argonaut”), owner of the Magino Gold Project that is adjacent to the Corporation’s Island Gold Mine. This Agreement was slightly modified in June 2014. Under the revised terms, Argonaut will receive one claim in its entirety and surface and mining rights down to a depth of 400 metres on six claims. It will also receive surface rights on two claims down to a depth of 100 metres. The Corporation will receive two additional claims for a total of three and mining rights below a depth of 400 metres on three claims. As previously reported, under the terms of the Agreement, the Corporation will receive a net payment of $2.0 million in cash from Argonaut upon completion of the land transactions, which are now expected to take place in 2015.
In light of a modification to the Quebec Mining Law, the financial guarantee for each of the Corporation’s Quebec mining sites must now cover 100% of the anticipated restoration work costs for each mining site. Consequently, the Corporation increased the letters of credit issued as financial guarantee by $1.0 million in 2014 and must increase the financial guarantees by $1.8 million in 2015 and $1.2 million in 2016.
95
ITEM 6. | DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES |
A. | Directors and Officers |
Names, municipalities of residence, offices and principal occupations of the directors and executives officers of the Corporation are as follows:
Number of | ||||||
Number of | options | |||||
Office held | Director | shares owned | held on | |||
Name and Municipality of | with the | Principal | or Officer | on March 24, | March 24, | |
Residence | Corporation | Occupation | since | 20151 | 2015 | RSU’s |
H. Greg Chamandy4 Westmount, QC, Canada | Executive Chairman of the Board | Business Executive | May 14, 2009 | 5,016,3632 | 667,000 | 14,000 |
Renaud Adams, Eng.11 Oakville, ON, Canada | President and CEO | President and CEO of Richmont Mines Inc. | Nov. 17, 2014 | 70,000 | 800,000 | - |
René Marion, Eng.3, 4, 5, 6 Toronto, ON, Canada | Director | Mining Consultant | Nov. 6, 2013 | 50,000 | 115,000 | 11,000 |
Elaine Ellingham, P.Geo., M. Sc., MBA3, 4, 5, 6, 9 Toronto, ON, Canada | Director | Geologist, President of Ellingham Consulting Ltd. | Feb. 4, 2010 | - | 335,000 | 11,000 |
Michael Pesner, CPA, CA3, 5, 6 Montreal, QC, Canada | Director | President, Hermitage Canada Finance Inc. | Nov. 1, 2010 | 16,000 | 256,000 | 11,000 |
Daniel Adam, P.Geo., Ph.D.7 Rouyn-Noranda, QC, Canada | Vice-President, Exploration | Vice-President, Exploration of Richmont Mines Inc. | March 10, 2008 | 43,200 | 135,000 | 7,000 |
Rosaire Émond, Eng,8 Val-d’Or, QC, Canada | Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer | Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Richmont Mines Inc. | Jan. 13, 2014 | - | 191,800 | 7,000 |
Nicole Veilleux, CPA, CA10 Rouyn-Noranda, QC, Canada | Vice-President, Finance | Vice-President, Finance of Richmont Mines Inc. | March 1, 2006 | 32,000 | 175,000 | 8,500 |
Mélissa Tardif Ste-Gertrude-Manneville, QC, Canada | Corporate Secretary | Lawyer at Richmont Mines Inc. | May 9, 2013 | - | 50,000 | 2,700 |
1) | As the Corporation has no direct knowledge of the number of shares controlled by the above-mentioned directors and officers, the information was provided by each of them. |
2) | Of this number, 961,805 common shares are directly held by Mr. Chamandy. The remaining 4,020,854 and 33,704 common shares are held by Oxbridge Group Inc., an entity ultimately controlled by Mr. Chamandy and Ms. Chantal Condoroussis, Mr. Chamandy’s spouse. |
3) | Member of the Audit Committee. |
4) | Member of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. |
5) | Member of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee. |
6) | Member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. |
7) | Mr. Daniel Adam was nominated Vice-President, Exploration on February 25, 2013. |
8) | Mr. Rosaire Émond was nominated Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer on January 13, 2014 and resigned on March 6, 2015. |
9) | Lead Director |
10) | Ms. Nicole Veilleux was nominated Vice-President, Finance on September 25, 2014. |
11) | Mr. Renaud Adams was nominated President and Chief Executive Officer on November 17, 2014. |
96
The Corporation does not have any other committees other than those mentioned above.
The above-mentioned individuals have held their principal occupation as indicated beside their respective names during the last five years, with the exception of Mr. Rosaire Émond who, prior to January 13, 2014, was Island Gold Deep Project Manager for Richmont, Mr. Daniel Adam, who, prior to February 25, 2013 was General Manager, Exploration at Richmont, Ms. Mélissa Tardif who, prior to May 9, 2013, was Richmont’s Assistant Corporate Secretary and prior to August 8, 2011, was a lawyer in a property management company, Ms. Nicole Veilleux, who, prior to September 25, 2014 was the Financial Director for Richmont Mines, Mr. Renaud Adams, who, prior to November 17, 2014 worked as President and COO of Primero Mining Corp. and Mr. René Marion, who, prior to November 6, 2013, worked as President and CEO and Director of AuRico Gold.
Director | Other Reporting Issuers |
H. Greg Chamandy | Liquid Nutrition Group Inc. |
Michael Pesner | Quest Rare Minerals Ltd., Alexandria Minerals Corporation, Le Château Inc., Canamex Resources Corp., Nutritional High International Inc., Wi2Wi2 Corporation and Liquid Nutrition Group Inc. |
René Marion | Guyana Goldfields Inc., Falco Resources Limited and Temex Resources Corp. |
Elaine Ellingham | Aurania Resources Ltd., Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd. and Williams Creek Gold Limited |
Renaud Adams | Klondex Mines Ltd. |
Each director shall, unless he or she resigns or his or her office becomes vacant for any reason, hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of shareholders or until his or her successor is elected or appointed.
The directors and officers mentioned above own a total of 5,227,563 common shares of Richmont Mines, which represents 9.02% of the Corporation’s 57,941,223 common shares issued and outstanding as at March 24, 2015.
97
B. | Compensation (all the amounts are in Canadian dollars) |
Compensation of the Named Executive Officers for the Financial Year Ended December 31, 2014
During the financial year ended December 31, 2014, the Named Executive Officers of the Corporation (identified in the table below (the “NEOs”)) were paid an aggregate remuneration of $4,287,925.
The following information sets forth the remuneration paid for the financial year ended December 31, 2014 by the Corporation and its subsidiaries to the Corporation’s NEOs who have received in return for services rendered to the Corporation or its subsidiaries in any capacity, an aggregate compensation exceeding $150,000 during the latest fiscal year. In March 2012, the Corporation offered an employment agreement to Mr. Daniel Adam, the Vice-President, Exploration, since he is considered to be a key person. That agreement incorporates a retention payment provided certain conditions are met by the employee, most notably that the employee continues his employment with the Corporation until March 2017. That retention payment of $500,000 would be payable in 2017 either through the issuance of the Corporation’s common shares or cash, at the discretion of the employee, with the number of common shares to be determined by the market value of the common shares at the time of payment. The Corporation offered the same employment agreement to Mr. Rosaire Émond, the Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. His retention payment would have been $250,000 if he did not resign on March 6, 2015.
98
Summary Compensation Table of the Named Executive Officers
Share- | ||||||||
Name and principal | Fiscal | based | Option-based | Non-equity incentive | All other | Total | ||
position | year | Salary | awards | awards | plan compensation | compensation | compensation | |
($) | ($)(1) | ($)(2) | ($) | ($)(3) | ($) | |||
Annual | Long-term | |||||||
incentive | incentive | |||||||
plans | plans | |||||||
(Bonus) | ||||||||
H. Greg Chamandy | 2014 | 270,000 | 52,220 | 259,000 | - | n/a | 2,720 | 583,940 |
Director and Executive | 2013 | 270,000 | - | 100,160 | - | - | 370,160 | |
Chairman of the Board | 2012 | 270,000 | - | 1,211,056 | - | - | 1,481,056 | |
Renaud Adams(4) | 2014 | 33,080 | - | 990,560 | - | n/a | 2,035 | 1,025,675 |
President and Chief | ||||||||
Executive Officer | ||||||||
Nicole Veilleux(5) | 2014 | 180,230 | 31,705 | 156,280 | 55,000 | n/a | 17,980 | 441,195 |
Vice-President, Finance | 2013 | 180,000 | - | 25,000 | 35,000 | 17,980 | 257,980 | |
2012 | 165,000 | - | 25,000 | 36,000 | 16,840 | 242,840 | ||
Daniel Adam | 2014 | 185,380 | 26,110 | 83,630 | 41,250 | n/a | 14,490 | 350,860 |
Vice-President, | 2013 | 181,700 | - | 25,000 | 20,000 | 13,260 | 239,960 | |
Exploration | ||||||||
Rosaire Émond(6) | 2014 | 235,970 | 26,110 | 137,250 | 118,800 | n/a | 27,220 | 543,350 |
Vice-President and | ||||||||
Chief Operating Officer | ||||||||
Paul Carmel(7) | 2014 | 182,550 | - | - | 150,000 | n/a | 623,075 | 955,625 |
Former President and | 2013 | 300,000 | - | 100,000 | 195,000 | 26,200 | 621,200 | |
Chief Executive Officer | 2012 | 182,000 | - | 1,000,000 | 184,000 | 18,250 | 1,384,250 | |
Pierre Rougeau(8) | 2014 | 191,085 | - | - | 117,000 | n/a | 79,195 | 387,280 |
Former Executive Vice- | 2013 | 240,000 | - | 28,000 | 78,000 | 23,916 | 369,916 | |
President and Chief | 2012 | 20,000 | - | 183,490 | - | 460 | 203,950 | |
Financial Officer |
Notes:
1) | The valuation of the awards of RSUs is calculated based on the closing price of the Corporation’s common shares on the TSX of $3.73 on December 9, 2014, the day prior to the date of the award. |
2) | On December 10, 2014, the Corporation granted 125,000 options to Greg Chamandy and 25,000 options on October 16, 2014 and 800,000 options to Renaud Adams granted on October 16, 2014, remitted on November 17, 2014, 85,400 options to Nicole Veilleux and 45,700 options to Daniel Adam on December 10, 2014 and 75,000 options to Rosaire Emond. |
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||
Risk-free rate: | 1.4% | 1.5% | 1.6% | ||
Expected option life: | 3.9 years | 3.8 years | 3.8 years | ||
Volatility: | 63% | 56% | 62% | ||
Expected dividends yield: | 0% | 0% | 0% |
3) | The heading “All Other Compensation” includes: |
a) | the amount that was paid to each of the senior management designed to be equivalent to the amount that would normally be paid in the form of a retirement savings plan. | |
b) | the amount that was paid to each of the senior management for health and life insurance fees, car allowance, parking allowance, professional fees and other fees. | |
c) | any amount that was paid as termination benefits for Paul Carmel and Pierre Rougeau in 2014. | |
d) | Please note that the amount of taxable benefit, associated with the exercising of options, is now presented in the sectionAggregated Option Exercised by Named Executive Officers during the Financial Year Ended December 31, 2014 and Financial Year-End Option Values. |
99
4) | On November 17, 2014, Mr. Adams was appointed President and CEO. |
5) | On September 25, 2014, Ms. Veilleux was appointed Vice-President, Finance. |
6) | On January 13, 2014, Mr. Émond was appointed Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer and he resigned on March 6, 2015. |
7) | Mr. Carmel was relieved of his duties on July 2, 2014. The amount presented for 2014 represents the amounts earned between January 1st, 2014 and July 2, 2014. |
8) | On September 25, 2014, Mr. Rougeau resigned from his position as Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. The amount presented for 2014 represents the amounts earned between January 1st, 2014 and September 25, 2014. |
Director Compensation (other than the Executive Chairman of the Board and the CEO) for the financial year ended on December 31, 2014
During a meeting held in December 2013, the members of the Board of Directors determined the annual compensation granted to the members of the Board for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014.
During this meeting, it was decided that the members of the Board (with the exception of the Executive Chairman of the Board and the CEO) would be paid a sum of $35,000 in annual compensation for the 2014 year, that an additional sum of $12,000 per year would be paid to each Chair of a sub-committee of the Board of Directors, and that members of committees would be paid $4,000 per year per committee.
The level of the annual compensation of the members of the Board of Directors (with the exception of the Executive Chairman of the Board and the CEO) is based on the Human Resources and Compensation Committee’s analysis regarding compensation levels of directors of mining companies that are similar to Richmont Mines.
Executive Chairman of the Board compensation for the financial year ended on December 31, 2014
On December 10, 2013, the Human Resources and Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors ratified, that the Executive Chairman’s compensation of $270,000 should remain for the 2014 fiscal year.
On an aggregate basis, the Corporation’s Board members therefore received total compensation of $1,057,298 during the 2014 fiscal year, as detailed in the table below. Please note that this table does not include the compensation granted to the Executive Chairman of the Board and the CEO, who is also a director of the Board. For more details about the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, please consult the section “Compensation of the Named Executive Officers for the Financial Year Ended December 31, 2014”.
100
Director Compensation Table for the financial year ended on December 31, 2014
Non-Equity | ||||||||
Share- | Option- | Incentive Plan | ||||||
Fiscal | Fees | based | based | Compensation | Pension | All other | ||
Name | Year | Earned | Awards(1) | Awards(2) | (bonus) | Value | Compensation(3)(4) | Total(7) |
($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | ($) | |||
Elaine Ellingham | 2014 | 48,000 | 41,030 | 245,000 | 192,000 | 526,030 | ||
Director | 2013 | 52,000 | - | 80,128 | n/a | n/a | - | 132,128 |
2012 | 38,550 | - | 144,000 | - | 182,550 | |||
Michael Pesner | 2014 | 59,000 | 41,030 | 121,750 | 15,000 | 236,780 | ||
Director | 2013 | 55,000 | - | 80,128 | n/a | n/a | - | 135,128 |
2012 | 32,000 | - | 144,000 | - | 176,000 | |||
René Marion(6) | 2014 | 43,250 | 41,030 | 121,750 | 28,750 | 234,780 | ||
Director | 2013 | 8,500 | - | 67,128 | n/a | n/a | - | 75,628 |
2012 | - | - | - | - | - | |||
James Gill(5) | 2014 | 30,958 | - | - | 28,750 | 59,708 | ||
Director | 2013 | 4,583 | - | 73,744 | n/a | n/a | - | 78,327 |
2012 | - | - | - | - | - |
Notes:
1) | The valuation of the grants of RSUs is calculated based on the closing price of the Corporation’s common shares on the TSX of $3.73 on December 9, 2014, the day prior to the date of the grant. |
2) | On October 16, 2014, the Corporation granted 25,000 options to the Executive Chairman of the Board and to two directors in place, and on November 11, 2014, the other director received 50,000 options. On December 10, 2014, the Executive Chairman of the Board received 125,000 options, two directors in place received 50,000 options each and the other director in place received 100,000 options. |
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||
Risk-free rate: | 1.4% | 1.5% | 1.6% | ||
Expected option life: | 3.9 years | 3.8 years | 3.8 years | ||
Volatility: | 63% | 56% | 62% | ||
Expected dividends yield: | 0% | 0% | 0% |
3) | Please note that the amount of taxable benefit, associated with the exercising of options are now presented in the sectionOptions Exercised by Named Executive Directors during the Most Recently Completed Financial Year Ended December 31, 2014. |
4) | Additional fees of $15,000 were paid to each director during the interim mandate of Elaine Ellingham as President and CEO. In the case of Michael Pesner, these fees were paid to Hermitage Canada Ltd., a company wholly owned by Michael Pesner. In the case of James Gill, these fees were paid to Halo Centrex Inc., a company controlled by James Gill. An amount of $192,000 was paid to Ellingham Consulting Ltd., a company wholly-owned by Elaine Ellingham for consulting services. |
5) | Mr. Gill commenced his position on December 6, 2013 and resigned on October 17, 2014. The amount presented for 2014 represents the amounts earned between January 1st, 2014 and October 17, 2014. |
6) | On February 2014, Mr. Marion received his directors fees through RJLM Professionals Ltd., a consulting company wholly owned by Mr. Marion. |
7) | The Board relieved the former President and CEO of his duties July 2, 2014. Between mid-June and November 2014, when Mr. Adams commenced his employment as President and CEO, directors were called upon for additional meetings with significant workload. As a result, additional compensation was approved for Mr. Marion, Mr. Pesner and Mr. Gill that included a $15,000 cash fee, 25,000 options and 11,000 RSUs. The Executive Chairman was granted additional compensation that included 50,000 options and 14,000 RSUs. |
The Corporation has not set aside or accrued any amounts to provide pension, retirement or similar benefits to the directors or executive officers.
C. | Board Practices |
The directors serve as directors of the Corporation from their election until the next Annual and Special General Meeting or until a successor is duly elected.
101
Directors
Name | Elected or Appointed | ||
Director | |||
H. Greg Chamandy | May 2009 | ||
Elaine Ellingham | February 2010 | ||
Michael Pesner | November 2010 | ||
René Marion | November 2013 | ||
Renaud Adams | November 2014 |
Employment Contracts
The Corporation has entered into employment contracts with the NEOs: Renaud Adams, as President and Chief Executive Officer, Nicole Veilleux, as Vice-President, Finance and Daniel Adam, as Vice-President, Exploration.
The contract of Renaud Adams provides that in the event that, within the first twelve (12) months following the effective date, (A) the employment of the executive is terminated by the Corporation without cause or (B) the executive resigns for good reason, in both cases whether or not the termination of the executive's employment occurs following a change in control, the Corporation shall pay the following amounts to the executive: (i) the basic payments, and (ii) an amount representing one (1) times the executive's annual base salary at his most recent base salary rate plus one (1) times the executive's target annual bonus entitlement under the executive incentive bonus plan.
In the event that, after the first twelve (12) months following the effective date, (A) the employment of the executive is terminated by the Corporation without cause or (B) the executive resigns for good reason, in both cases whether or not the termination of the executive's employment occurs following a change in control, the Corporation shall pay the following amounts to the executive: (i) the basic payments, and (ii) an amount representing two (2) times the executive's annual base salary at his most recent base salary rate plus two (2) times the average of the annual bonuses awarded to the executive in the two (2) full years preceding the date of termination. If the executive has not been employed by the Corporation for two (2) full bonus years, then the executive shall be deemed to have received his annual bonus at target in the two (2) years preceding the date of termination.
The payment provided shall be payable, at the Corporation's discretion, by way of (i) salary continuance until the full amount of said payment is remitted, or (ii) a lump sum.
In addition to the amounts payable above, in the event that (A) the employment of the executive is terminated by the Corporation without cause or (B) the executive resigns for good reason, in both cases whether or not the termination of the executive's employment occurs following a change in control, (i) the Corporation shall continue to provide the executive with group insurance benefits for such period as is required pursuant to theOntario Employment Standards Act (2000), as amended from time to time, if applicable, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plan and to the approval of the insurance carrier; and (ii) all unvested options held by the executive on the date of termination shall automatically vest on this day and shall remain available for exercise until the earlier of the following dates: the expiry of a sixty (60) day period following the date of termination or the expiry of the original term of the options.
The estimated amount that could be paid by the Corporation in these given circumstances, assuming that the termination occurred on the last working day of the most recent financial year of the Corporation is $1,720,000 inclusive of base salary, bonus and stock options, for the President and CEO.
102
The estimated amount that could be paid by the Corporation in these given circumstances, assuming that a change of control occurred on the last business day of the most recent financial year of the Corporation, is $1,720,000 inclusive of base salary, bonus and stock options, for the President and CEO.
The contract of Nicole Veilleux provides that, in the event of termination initiated by the Corporation without cause or termination by the Executive with good reason, or if the contract is not renewed, the Vice-President, Finance, Ms. Veilleux will be entitled to one month of total compensation by year of service, whether such year of service is completed or not. For the purposes of calculating the severance payment, the executive’s total compensation will be based on the annual average of the two (2) complete fiscal years immediately preceding the date of termination. Moreover, and notwithstanding the provisions contained in the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan and the conditions of the options held by the executive, a part of the options held by the executive will become vested on the termination date. Also, the options thus vested on the termination date will be exercisable on the earliest of the following two dates: (i) on the dates initially stipulated; or (ii) two years after the termination date. The other options, thus vested on the termination date will be exercisable before the expiry term of sixty (60) days.
The estimated amount that could be paid by the Corporation in these given circumstances, assuming that the termination occurred on the last working day of the most recent financial year of the Corporation and that this date falls during the renewal term of the contract of employment of the executive is $428,069 for the Vice-President, Finance.
In the event that, during a three-year period after the date of a “change of control”, the employment contract of Nicole Veilleux was to be terminated by her resignation for valid cause or by the severing by the Corporation of the employment relationship binding her to the Corporation for cause other than serious cause or her permanent incapacity, then the Corporation shall pay her, in addition to the payment of any amount owed to her as unpaid salary and vacation accumulated but not yet taken on the termination date, within 30 days of the termination date, a lump sum equivalent to twice her total average annual compensation (total compensation is defined as all the components which have monetary value and, without limiting the scope of the foregoing, any salary, bonuses (applicable for the period, regardless of whether they are calculated at that time), benefits, insurance), based on the average annual amount of total compensation for the two full calendar years preceding the termination date, minus applicable deductions. Also, the options held by the Named Executive Officer will become vested on the termination date and thereupon may be exercised. Moreover, and notwithstanding the provisions contained in the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan and the conditions of the options held by the Named Executive Officer, the maturity dates of the options thus exercisable will be those initially stipulated, but without exceeding three years after the termination date. The change of control agreements will end upon the termination of the Named Executive Officer within the Corporation if it occurs before the occurrence of a change of control.
The estimated amount that could be paid by the Corporation in these given circumstances, assuming that a change of control occurred on the last business day of the most recent financial year of the Corporation, is $678,021 for the Vice-President, Finance. That amount includes the options annual average value attributed during the last two years.
In the event that following termination of employment, amounts are payable to an NEO pursuant to an employment contract and a change of control agreement, the Corporation would only have to pay the greater of the two amounts for the Vice-President, Finance.
The contract of Daniel Adam provides that, in the event of termination initiated by the Corporation with cause, the NEO will not receive any compensation including his retention payment. In the event of termination initiated by the Corporation without cause, the compensation (including the salary and the annual bonus) will be determined by the Human Resources and Compensation Committee at their discretion and following the law. His retention payment will be given to him prorated to the number of months he worked. If the NEO becomes invalid, or dies before the termination date of his contract, he or his succession will receive the retention payment prorated to the number of months he worked. All his options exercisable or that will become exercisable before the expiry term of 60 days will become vested.
103
The estimated amount that could be paid by the Corporation in these given circumstances, assuming that the termination occurred on the last working day of the most recent financial year of the Corporation is $283,333 for the Vice-President, Exploration.
The contract of Daniel Adam provides that, after a change of control, if the contract is terminated within twelve (12) months following the change in control, the NEO will be entitled to the entire payment of his retention payment. All un-vested options held by the executive on the date of termination will automatically vest on this day. If the contract is terminated after the period of twelve (12) months, following a change of control, the NEO will be entitled to receive his retention payment prorated to the number of months he worked.
The estimated amount that could be paid by the Corporation in these given circumstances, assuming that a change of control occurred on the last business day of the most recent financial year of the Corporation, is $283,333 for the Vice-President, Exploration.
For the Executive Chairman of the Board (the “Executive”):
a) | In case of a change of control: |
In the event that the executive’s appointment as Chairman of the Board is terminated by the Corporation (including, without limitation, if the executive does not stand for election or is not elected a director of the Corporation) or the executive resigns from his position as Executive Chairman of the Board, either (1) at the time of, or within 12 months following, the occurrence of a transaction or event constituting a change of control, or (2) within 6 months prior to the occurrence of a transaction or event constituting a change of control, in each case (if applicable) whether or not the executive remains non-executive Chairman of the Board or a director of the Corporation, the executive will be entitled to the payments and benefits set out hereafter: (a) his annual base salary accrued and unpaid up to and including the date of termination; (b) any annual bonus plan payment to which the executive may be entitled as of the date of termination; (c) a severance payment equal to one (1) time the executive’s annual base salary; (d) his accrued expenses up to and including the date of termination.
The estimated amount that could be paid by the Corporation in these given circumstances, assuming that a change of control occurred on the last business day of the most recent financial year of the Corporation, is $270,000 for the Executive Chairman of the Board.
b) | In case of a termination other than under a change of control: |
In the event of the termination of the executive’s appointment as Executive Chairman other than under a change of control, either by the Corporation or by the executive’s resignation from his position as the Executive Chairman of the Board, (in each case, if applicable, whether or not the executive remains non-executive Chairman of the Board or a director of the Corporation), the executive will be entitled to receive the following compensation: (a) his annual base salary accrued and unpaid up to and including the date of termination; (b) any annual bonus plan payment to which the executive may be entitled as of the date of termination; (c) his accrued expenses up to and including the date of termination.
There would not be any amounts owed to the Executive Chairman of the Board following a termination on the last business day of the most recent financial year of the Corporation.
In all of the cases noted above, with the exception of the President and Chief Executive Officer, a change of control occurs when: (i) another party acquires, directly or indirectly, alone or with any person acting in concert with him, more than 331/3% of the outstanding voting securities of the Corporation, (ii) after a takeover bid, a public offer of exchange, a merger, an arrangement, another form of business combination, a sale of assets of the Corporation or a contested election, or any combination of these transactions, the persons who are directors of the Corporation immediately prior to these transactions cease, after these transactions, to represent the majority of the directors on the Board, or on the Board of Directors of any parent Corporation or successor of the
104
Corporation, or (iii) the shareholders of another entity hold more than 331/3% of the outstanding voting securities of the entity resulting from a merger, arrangement or other form of business combination with the other entity.
For the President and Chief Executive Officer a change of control occurs when (i) any Person becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of either the issued and outstanding common shares in the share capital of the Corporation or the combined voting power of the Corporation's then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally; (ii) any Person acquires, directly or indirectly, securities of the Corporation to which is attached the right to elect the majority of the directors of the Corporation; or (iii) the Corporation undergoes a liquidation or dissolution or sells all or substantially all of its assets.
Human Resources and Compensation Committee
The Board has an Human Resources and Compensation Committee which is composed of Elaine Ellingham, Michael Pesner and René Marion, all are independent directors. The Human Resources and Compensation Committee meets at least once a year to make recommendations to the Board on the remuneration of Corporation’s employees, executive officers and directors. The Human Resources and Compensation Committee takes into consideration the achievement of corporate objectives, operational and financial performance of the Corporation, as well as the responsibilities and workload of executive officers in formulating its recommendations and favors giving key personnel competitive compensation in order to keep them with the Corporation.
Each member of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee has been in a senior leadership position in various organizations, and in those capacities obtained direct experience relevant to executive compensation, and has the skills and experience that enable the Human Resources and Compensation Committee to make decisions on the suitability of the Corporation’s compensation policies and practices.
For the first part of fiscal year 2014, the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the Corporation was composed of Mr. James Gill, Mr. Michael Pesner and Ms. Elaine Ellingham. The compensation of the Executive Chairman of the Board, the CEO and the other executive officers is determined by the Board of Directors following recommendations by the Human Resources and Compensation Committee. As the Board of Directors establishes the salaries of executive officers, it should be noted that the Executive Chairman of the Board and the CEO abstain from the discussion and the ensuing decision concerning their total compensation arrangements.
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
The Board has a Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, which meets at least once a year. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee is composed entirely of independent directors. The Committee is composed of Elaine Ellingham, Michael Pesner and René Marion, all of whom are independent directors. The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee’s mandate is to evaluate every aspect of the Corporation’s governance practices. In particular, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee examines the effectiveness of the Corporation’s governance practices at regular intervals, and reviews the role and the mandate of the Board and its committees.
The Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee has the responsibility for identifying new candidates for Board nomination. Comprised of all independent directors, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee makes recommendations to the Board regarding selection criteria for directors, and periodically reviews the criteria the Board has adopted, as the case may be.
When candidates are needed, the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee looks for candidates with varied backgrounds, who can contribute to the overall performance of the Board, and who have demonstrated integrity, independence, experience and leadership in the past. Directors and members of senior management may recommend a candidate to the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee if he or she believes that the individual possesses the required abilities to successfully perform the duties of a director. The Corporate
105
Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for conducting an interview with the candidate, from which it will form recommendations that will then be given to the Board of Directors.
Audit Committee
The Board has an Audit Committee and at year end it was composed of Michael Pesner, René Marion and Elaine Ellingham, all independent directors as defined in National Instrument 52-110 Audit Committees (“NI 52-110”). The information on the Audit Committee is presented in Part VIII of the Corporation’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2014, a copy of which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
The Audit Committee is a standing committee of the Board of Directors whose primary function is to carry out a detailed and thorough review of audit matters, to be responsible for the oversight of the work of any accounting firm engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit or review services for the Corporation (including resolution of disagreements between management and the auditor regarding financial reporting), to consider and approve related party transactions and to offer the Corporation’s auditors, shareholders and employees a direct link to the non-executive directors. This Committee will assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities by reviewing the financial information which will be provided to the shareholders and others, the internal auditing and disclosure controls and procedures, the audit process, and adherence to applicable laws and regulations. In carrying out its duties, the Committee will apply reasonable materiality standards to all matters under review.
Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
On December 8, 2010, the Board of Directors created the Environmental, Health and Safety Committee, composed of a majority of independent directors. At year end, 2014, the Environmental, Health and Safety Committee was composed of René Marion, Elaine Ellingham and Greg Chamandy. The Board agreed in order to align with industry standards, the mandate of the Environmental, Health & Safety Committee be broadened to include Corporate Social Responsibility. A new terms of reference and respective charters were developed and approved by the Board. The main purpose of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee (formerly the Environmental, Health & Safety Committee) is to review, monitor and make recommendations to the Board of Directors in respect of the health and safety, environmental, community, business conduct and human rights policies and activities of the Corporation in order to verify that such policies and activities reflect, and are in accordance with their respective charters.
D. | Employees |
The number of employees of the Corporation as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, was 373, 442 and 471 respectively. The distribution of the employees was the following:
Category of Activity or | December 31, | ||||||||||
Geographical Location | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||||
Head Office / Montreal | 15 | 25 | 32 | ||||||||
Beaufor | 117 | 173 | 163 | ||||||||
Island Gold | 205 | 202 | 191 | ||||||||
Exploration | 2 | 2 | 20 | ||||||||
Camflo | 31 | 35 | 21 | ||||||||
Monique | 3 | 5 | - | ||||||||
Francoeur | - | - | 44 | ||||||||
Total | 373 | 442 | 471 |
106
E. | Share Ownership |
See “ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES - A. Directors and Senior Management” above for the number of shares of the Corporation’s common shares held by directors and executive officers of the Corporation.
Information regarding the outstanding stock options held by directors and senior management of the Corporation as of December 31, 2014, is set forth below.
Stock Options Outstanding to Named Executive Officers and Directors as at December 31, 2014
Unexercised | ||||
Options at Year- | ||||
Unexercised | End | |||
underlying | (#) | Exercise price of | ||
securities | Exercisable/ | share options | Share options | |
Name | (unit) | Unexercisable | ($) | expiry date |
Renaud Adams | ||||
President and Chief Executive Officer | 800,000 | Nil / 800,000 | 2.46 | Oct. 15, 2019 |
- | ||||
TOTAL | 800,000 | |||
Rosaire Émond | 50,000 | 10.87 | Sep. 26, 2016 | |
Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer | 12,500 | 69,220 / 122,580 | 3.88 | Aug. 28, 2017 |
54,300 | 1.08 | Dec. 11, 2018 | ||
75,000 | 3,73 | Dec. 9, 2019 | ||
TOTAL | 191,800 | |||
Nicole Veilleux | 16,000 | 5.09 | Dec. 8, 2015 | |
Vice-President, Finance | 3,500 | 12.03 | Dec. 8, 2016 | |
15,800 | 50,000 / 125,000 | 3.05 | Dec. 11, 2017 | |
54,300 | 1.08 | Dec. 11, 2018 | ||
85,400 | 3.73 | Dec. 9, 2019 | ||
TOTAL | 175,000 | |||
Daniel Adam | 15,000 | 5.22 | Oct. 5, 2015 | |
Vice-President, Exploration | 4,200 | 12.03 | Dec. 8, 2016 | |
15,800 | 49,560 / 85,440 | 3.05 | Dec. 11, 2017 | |
54,300 | 1.08 | Dec. 11, 2018 | ||
45,700 | 3.73 | Dec. 9, 2019 | ||
TOTAL | 135,000 | |||
H. Greg Chamandy | 30,000 | 4.19 | Feb. 3, 2015 | |
Director and Executive | 352,000 | 6.57 | May. 9, 2018 | |
Chairman of the Board | 100,000 | 295,800 / 386,200 | 1.62 | Aug. 7, 2018 |
50,000 | 1.29 | Nov. 11, 2018 | ||
25,000 | 2.55 | Oct. 15, 2019 | ||
125,000 | 3.73 | Dec. 9, 2019 | ||
TOTAL | 682,000 | |||
Elaine Ellingham | 50,000 | 4.19 | Feb. 3, 2015 | |
Director | 30,000 | 4.19 | Feb. 3, 2015 | |
50,000 | 210,000 / 190,000 | 11.51 | Jan. 9, 2015 | |
80,000 | 1.62 | Aug. 7, 2018 | ||
40,000 | 1.29 | Nov. 11, 2018 |
107
Unexercised | ||||
Options at Year- | ||||
Unexercised | End | |||
underlying | (#) | Exercise price of | ||
securities | Exercisable/ | share options | Share options | |
Name | (unit) | Unexercisable | ($) | expiry date |
50,000 | 2.70 | Nov. 10, 2019 | ||
100,000 | 3.73 | Dec. 9, 2019 | ||
TOTAL | 400,000 | |||
Michael Pesner | 50,000 | 5.31 | Nov. 8, 2015 | |
Director | 26,000 | 5.31 | Nov. 8, 2015 | |
50,000 | 11.51 | Jan. 9, 2015 | ||
80,000 | 181,000 / 140,000 | 1.62 | Aug. 7, 2018 | |
40,000 | 1.29 | Nov. 11, 2018 | ||
25,000 | 2.55 | Oct. 15, 2019 | ||
50,000 | 3.73 | Dec 9, 2019 | ||
TOTAL | 321,000 | |||
René Marion | 40,000 | 1.29 | Nov. 11, 2018 | |
Director | 25,000 | 25,000 / 90,000 | 2.55 | Oct. 15, 2019 |
50,000 | 3.73 | Dec. 9, 2019 | ||
TOTAL | 115,000 |
Information regarding RSUs held by directors and senior management of the Corporation as of December 31, 2014, is set forth below.
RSUs toNamed Executive Officers and Directorsas at December 31, 2014
Securities Under | Market or Payout Value of | ||
Name and Principal | RSUs Awarded | RSUs Awards that have not | Expiration |
Position | that have not | Vested(1) | Date |
Vested (#) | ($) | ||
Rosaire Émond | 7,000 | 25,830 | Dec. 10, 2017 |
Vice-President and Chief | |||
Operating Officer | |||
Nicole Veilleux | 8,500 | 31,365 | Dec. 10, 2017 |
Vice-President, Finance | |||
Daniel Adam | 7,000 | 25,830 | Dec. 10, 2017 |
Vice-President, Exploration | |||
H. Greg Chamandy | 14,000 | 51,660 | Dec. 10, 2017 |
Director and Executive | |||
Chairman of the Board | |||
Elaine Ellingham | 11,000 | 40,590 | Dec. 10, 2017 |
Director | |||
Michael Pesner | 11,000 | 40,590 | Dec. 10, 2017 |
Director | |||
René Marion | 11,000 | 40,590 | Dec. 10, 2017 |
Director |
Note: | |
1) | Based on a closing price of the Corporation’s shares on the TSX of $3.69 on December 31, 2014. |
108
Description of the Share Option Plans
Other than the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan, the Corporation had only one equity-based compensation plan previously in existence, a share option plan, for the benefit of the Corporation’s and its affiliate’s officers, directors, employees and service providers (the “Share Option Plan”). Following the approval and adoption of the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan in May 2012, options are no longer granted under the Share Option Plan and all grants of awards are now made under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan.
As of December 31, 2014, options for the acquisition of a total of 566,750 common shares under the Share Option Plan were outstanding and with exercise prices ranging from $4.19 to $12.03 per share, representing approximately 1.2% of the common shares issued and outstanding on such date.
As at December 31, 2014, options to acquire a total of 2,344,700 common shares had been granted under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan and with exercise prices ranging from $1.08 to $6.57 per share, representing approximately 4.9% of the common shares issued and outstanding on such date, leaving a balance of 1,916,172 available options to be issued by the Board of Directors pursuant to the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan, as indicated in the table below. As at April 21, 2015, a balance of 2,947,672 options was available to be issued.
Information regarding share option plans as at December 31, 2014
Number of shares to be | Weighted-average | Number of shares | |
issued upon exercise of | exercise price of | available for future | |
outstanding options | outstanding options | grants under the plan | |
Share Option: Old Plan | 566,750 | $7.62 | - |
Share Option: New Plan | 2,344,700 | $3.14 | 1,916,172 |
(approved by the holders) |
During the year 2014, ten option holders exercised a total of 630,120 options.
Information regarding options outside the share option plans as at December 31, 2014
Number of shares issued outside | Weighted-average exercise price of | |
the share option plans | options | |
Outside the Share Option Plans | 800,000 | $2.46 |
(not approved by the holders) |
The total number of common shares reserved and available for grant and issuance pursuant to Awards (including the common shares issuable upon exercise of the options granted under the existing Share option Plan of the Corporation) shall not exceed a number of common shares equal to ten percent (10%) of the total issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation at the time of granting of Awards (on a non-diluted basis) or such other number as may be approved by the TSX and the shareholders of the Corporation from time to time, assuming there is no adjustment in accordance with the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan. Options are no longer being granted under the current Share option Plan of the Corporation and all grants of Awards are now made under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan. Any increase in the issued and outstanding common shares (whether as a result of exercise of Awards or otherwise) will result in an increase in the number of common shares that may be issued on Awards outstanding at any time and any increase in the number of Awards granted will, upon exercise, make new grants available under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan.
109
The Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan provides that the aggregate number of common shares of the Corporation (a) issued to insiders and associates of such insiders under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan or any other proposed or established share compensation arrangement within any one-year period and (b) issuable to insiders and associates of such insider at any time under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan or any other proposed or established share compensation arrangement, shall not in each case exceed ten percent (10%) of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation.
Awards granted or awarded under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan may not be assigned or transferred with the exception of an assignment made to a personal representative of a deceased participant. The Board of Directors, as the case may be, may in their sole discretion, appoint from time to time one or more entities to act as administrative agent to administer the Awards under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan.
The Board of Directors will not provide financial assistance to participants to assist them in exercising their Awards, provided, however, that the Board of Directors may, in its discretion, amend the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan to authorize the administrator under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan to make arrangements to provide a form of financial assistance to the participants.
Specific Terms Related to the Options
The Board of Directors (i) set the term of the options granted under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan which term cannot exceed ten (10) years and (ii) fix the vesting terms of options as it deems appropriate at the time of the grant of such options. Should the expiration date for an option fall within a period during which designated persons cannot trade in any securities of the Corporation pursuant to the Corporation's policy respecting restrictions on insider trading which is in effect at that time (a "Black-Out Period") or within nine (9) business days following the expiration of a Black-Out Period, the expiry date of the option shall be extended until that date which is the tenth business day following the end of the Black-Out Period.
The exercise price of any options granted pursuant to the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan will be determined by the Board of Directors at the time of the grant, provided that the exercise price shall not be less than the market value of the common shares at the time of the grant which shall be, if the grant is made during a Black-Out Period, the volume weighted average trading price of the common shares on the TSX for the five (5) trading day period following the last day of such Black-Out Period. If the grant is made outside a Black-Out Period, the market value of the common shares shall be the volume weighted average trading price of the common shares on the TSX for the five (5) trading day period ending on the last trading day before the day on which the option is granted. Pursuant to the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan, the exercise price may also be such other price as is permitted under the rules of the TSX, including the prior day’s close.
With the consent of the Board, a participant may, rather than exercise the option which the participant is entitled to exercise under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan, elect to exercise such option, in whole or in part and, in lieu of receiving the common shares to which the exercised option relate, receive the number of common shares, disregarding fractions, which, when multiplied by the market value of the common shares to which the exercised option relate, have a value equal to the product of the number of common shares to which the exercised option relate multiplied by the difference between the market value of such common shares and the price of such option, less any amount withheld on account of income taxes, which withheld income taxes will be remitted by the Corporation.
Specific Terms Related to the RSUs
The Board of Directors, as the case may be, will fix the period during which RSUs may vest, a period which period shall not exceed three (3) years after the calendar year in which the RSU is granted (the "Restriction Period"). Each RSU grant will be subject to certain vesting conditions (including performance criteria, if any) such conditions to be determined by the Board of Directors, as the case may be, and to be provided to the participant under a separate agreement. The vesting of the RSUs may be subject to the expiration of a performance period which corresponds to the period over which the performance criteria, if any, and other
110
vesting conditions will be measured and which shall not end after the Restriction Period (the "Performance Period").
The participant will be entitled to receive, after the vesting determination date, which is the date on which, after the end of the Performance Period, if any, the Board of Directors, as the case may be, determines that the vesting conditions (including the performance criteria, if any) are met, but no later than the last day of the Restriction Period (the "RSU Vesting Determination Date"), payment for each awarded RSU in the form of the common shares of the Corporation, cash, or a combination of the common shares and cash, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, as the case may be. For the purposes of such payment, the market value of the common shares of the Corporation shall be the weighted average trading volume price of the common shares on the TSX for the five trading day period ending on the last trading day before the day on which the payment is made.
Specific Terms Related to the SARs
The Board of Directors will (i) set the term of the SARs granted under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan which term cannot exceed ten (10) years and (ii) fix the vesting terms of SARs, (including performance criteria, if any) as it deems appropriate at the time of the grant of such SARs. Should the expiration date for a SAR fall within a Black-Out Period or within nine (9) business days following the expiration of a Black-Out Period, the expiry date of the SAR shall be extended until that date which is the tenth business day following the end of the Black-Out Period.
The exercise price of any SAR granted pursuant to the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan will be determined by the Board of Directors at the time of the grant, provided that the exercise price shall not be less than the market value of the common shares at the time of the grant which shall be, if the grant is made during a Black-Out Period, the weighted average trading volume price of the common shares on the TSX for the five (5) trading day period following the last day of such Black-Out Period. If the grant is made outside a Black-Out Period, the market value of the common shares shall be the weighted average trading volume price of the common shares on the TSX for the five (5) trading day period ending on the last trading day before the day on which the SAR is granted.
The exercise of a SAR with respect to any number of common shares of the Corporation shall entitle the participant to a payment, in cash or common shares, or a combination of cash and common shares, for each SAR, equal to the excess of the market value of the common shares on the effective date of such exercise over the exercise price per SAR.
Specific Terms Related to the Retention Awards
The Board of Directors will (i) set the term of the retention awards granted under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan and (ii) fix the vesting terms of retention awards (including performance criteria, if any) as it deems appropriate at the time of the grant of such Retention Awards.
Each retention award awarded to a participant shall entitle the participant to receive, on the vesting date of the retention award, such number of common shares of the Corporation which, when multiplied by the market value of the common shares on the vesting date of the retention award, to which the retention awards relate, have a value equal to the amount determined by the Board of Directors at the time of the grant (the "Retention Payment"), less any amount withheld on account of income taxes, which withheld income taxes will be remitted by the Corporation.
A participant may, in lieu of receiving the common shares to which the retention awards relate, elect to receive, in cash, the Retention Payment, less any amount withheld on account of income taxes, which withheld income taxes will be remitted by the Corporation.
111
Cessation in Case of Grant of Options, SARs and Retention Awards
Unless the Board of Directors decides otherwise, options, SARs or retention awards granted under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan will expire at the earlier of the expiration of the original term of the options, SARs or retention awards, and (i) the effective date of the termination as specified in the notice of termination provided by the Corporation to the participant that its employment has been terminated for cause; (ii) twelve (12) months after the participant's death; (iii) three (3) years after the participant's employment has been terminated for reasons other than for "cause" or by reason of injury or disability, after retirement of a participant (provided that the participant does not carry on any activities or business in the mining services business prior to the end of the term of his/her options, SARs or retention awards) or after a participant becoming eligible to receive long-term disability benefits; or (iv) sixty (60) days following the participant's termination of employment for any other reason.
Cessation in Case of RSUs Grant
Unless the Board of Directors decides otherwise, upon a participant's (i) death; (ii) termination of employment for reason of injury or disability; (iii) eligibility to receive long-term disability benefits; (iv) retirement (provided that the participant does not carry on any activities or business in the mining services business prior to the RSU Vesting Determination Date); (v) leave of absence for a period of more than six (6) months authorized by the Corporation; (vi) termination of employment for reasons other than for "cause" (excluding resignation); the participant's participation in Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan in respect of RSUs shall be immediately terminated, provided however, that all unvested RSUs shall remain in effect until the applicable RSU Vesting Determination Date. On the RSU Vesting Determination Date or any earlier date as may be determined by the Board of Directors, the Board of Directors will evaluate whether the vesting conditions and performance criteria, if any, were met in order to determine the amount of the payment to which the participant is entitled, if any, in accordance with the following formula:
D multiplied by E/F
where:
(i) | D is equal to the number of RSUs outstanding in the participant’s account; | |
| ||
(ii) | E is equal to the number of completed months during the applicable Performance Period, as of the date of the participant's death, termination, eligibility date to receive long-term disability benefits, election for a leave of absence or retirement (subject to the condition mentioned above); and | |
| ||
(iii) | F is equal to the total number of months included in the applicable Performance Period. |
Upon a participant's employment being terminated for cause or the participant's resignation, the participant's participation in the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan shall be immediately terminated and all RSUs credited to such participant's account that have not vested shall be forfeited and cancelled.
Amendment
The Board of Directors has the discretion to make amendments to the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan which it may deem necessary, without the consent of the participants, provided that such amendment shall:
(a) | not adversely alter or impair any Award previously granted except as permitted by the provisions of Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan; |
| |
(b) | be subject to any regulatory approvals including, where required, the approval of the TSX; and |
112
(c) | be subject to the shareholders' approval, where required, by law or the requirements of the TSX, provided that shareholder approval shall not be required for the following amendments and the Board of Directors may make any changes which may include but are not limited to: |
|
(i) | amendments of a "housekeeping" nature; | |
| ||
(ii) | a change to the vesting provisions of any Award; | |
| ||
(iii) | the introduction or amendment of a cashless exercise feature payable in securities, whether or not such feature provides for a full deduction of the number of underlying securities from the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan reserve; | |
| ||
(iv) | the addition of a form of financial assistance and any amendment to a financial assistance provision which is adopted; | |
| ||
(v) | a change to the eligible participants under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan, including a change which would have the potential of broadening or increasing participation by insiders; and | |
| ||
(vi) | the addition of a deferred or restricted share unit or any other provision which results in participants receiving securities while no cash consideration is received by the issuer. |
The Board of Directors shall be required to obtain shareholder approval to make the following amendments:
(a) | any change to the maximum number of common shares of the Corporation issuable from treasury under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan, except such increase resulting from any increase in the issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation (whether as a result of exercise of Awards or otherwise) and in the event of an adjustment pursuant to the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan; |
| |
(b) | any amendment which reduces the exercise price of any Award after such Awards have been granted or any cancellation of an Award and the substitution of that Award by a new Award with a reduced price, except in the case of an adjustment pursuant to a change in capitalization; |
| |
(c) | any amendment which extends the expiry date of any Award or the Restriction Period of any RSU beyond the original expiry date, except in case of an extension due to a Black-Out Period; |
| |
(d) | any amendment which would permit a change to the eligible participants, including a change which would have the potential of broadening or increasing participation by insiders; |
|
(e) | any amendment which would permit any Award granted under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan to be transferable or assignable by any participant other than by will or by the laws of succession of the domicile of a deceased participant; |
| |
(f) | any amendment which increases the maximum number of common shares of the Corporation (i) issued to insiders and associates of such insiders under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan or any other proposed or established share compensation arrangement within one-year period; or (ii) issuable to insiders and associates of such insiders at any time under the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan or any other proposed or established share compensation arrangement; |
|
(g) | any amendment to the amendment provisions of the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan; and |
| |
(h) | provided that common share of the Corporation held directly or indirectly by insiders benefiting from such amendments shall be excluded when obtaining such shareholder approval. |
113
Impact of a Change of Control
Subject to the provisions contained in any employment agreement between a holder of Awards and the Corporation, if (i) any person becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of either the issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation or the combined voting power of the Corporation's then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally; (ii) any person acquires, directly or indirectly, securities to which is attached the right to elect the majority of the directors of the Corporation; (iii) the Corporation undergoes a liquidation or dissolution or sells all or substantially all of its assets; or (iv) the Corporation is involved in, or becomes subject to, a reorganization, an amalgamation, an arrangement, a take-over bid (as that term is defined in theSecurities Act(Québec)) for all of the common shares of the Corporation or the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Corporation, the Board of Directors may make such provision for the protection of the rights of the participants as the Board of Directors, in its discretion, considers appropriate in the circumstances, including, without limitation, changing the performance criteria and/or the vesting conditions for the Awards and/or the date on which any Award expires or the Restricted Period, the Performance Period, the performance criteria and/or the vesting conditions for the Awards.
114
The table below describes the share options exercised during the financial year ended December 31, 2014 by Named Executive Officers and Directors and the aggregate value realized on unexercised options at Year-End.
Options Exercised by Named Executive Officers and Directors during the Most Recently Completed
Financial Year Ended December 31, 2014
Unexercised Options at | Value of Unexercised in-the- | |||
Shares | Aggregate | Year-End | Money Options at Year-End(2) | |
Name and principal | Acquired on | Value | (#) | ($) |
position | Exercise | Realized(1) | Exercisable/ | Exercisable/ |
(#) | ($) | Unexercisable | Unexercisable | |
H. Greg Chamandy Director and Executive Chairman of the Board | n/a | n/a | 295,800 / 386,200 | 235,500 / 120,000 |
Renaud Adams(3) President and Chief Executive Officer | n/a | n/a | Nil / 800,000 | Nil / 984,000 |
Nicole Veilleux(4) Vice-President, Finance | 25,000 | 3,500 | 50,000 / 125,000 | 62,756 / 89,079 |
Daniel Adam | n/a | n/a | 49,560 / 85,440 | 62,756 / 89,079 |
Vice-President, Exploration | ||||
Rosaire Émond(5) Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer | n/a | n/a | 69,220 / 122,580 | 56,689 / 85,034 |
Paul Carmel(6) Former President and Chief Executive Officer | 150,000 | 162,000 | Nil / Nil | Nil / Nil |
Pierre Rougeau(7) Former Executive Vice- President and Chief Financial Officer | 150,000 | 49,500 | Nil / Nil | Nil / Nil |
Elaine Ellingham Director | n/a | n/a | 210,000 / 190,000 | 215,100 / 96,000 |
Michael Pesner Director | n/a | n/a | 181,000 / 140,000 | 194,100 / 96,000 |
René Marion Director | 80,000 | 192,800 | 25,000 / 90,000 | 28,500 / 96,000 |
James Gill(8) Director | 80,000 | 93,600 | Nil / Nil | Nil / Nil |
Notes:
1) | The aggregate dollar value realized is equal to the indicated number in the column entitled “Shares acquired on Exercise” times the difference between the low price of the common shares of the Corporation on the TSX on the day that the NEO exercised his or her options and the exercise price of the options. |
2) | The value is based on the closing price of the common shares of the Corporation on the TSX on December 31, 2014, which was $3.69. |
3) | On November 17, 2014, Mr. Adams was appointed President and CEO. |
4) | On September 25, 2014, Ms. Veilleux was appointed Vice-President, Finance. |
5) | On January 13, 2014, Mr. Émond was appointed Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer and he resigned on March 6, 2015. |
6) | Mr. Carmel was relieved of his duties on July 2, 2014. |
7) | On September 25, 2014, Mr. Rougeau resigned from his position as Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. |
8) | Mr. Gill resigned on October 17, 2014. |
115
ITEM 7. | MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS |
A. | Major Shareholders |
On September 30, 2014, Oxbridge Bank & Trust Scc sold all its shares to Oxbridge Group Inc.by way of transfer. As of April 21, 2015, to the knowledge of the directors and executive officers of the Corporation, Oxbridge Group Inc. (“Oxbridge”), an entity ultimately controlled by H. Greg Chamandy, a member of the Board of the Corporation and Chairman of the Board, is the only shareholder, directly or indirectly, beneficially owning or controlling over more than 5% of the outstanding common shares of the Corporation. Oxbridge, with its affiliates, beneficially owns or controls directly or indirectly 5,016,363 common shares representing approximately 8.66% of the outstanding common shares of the Corporation (excluding common shares underlying outstanding options). See “ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES – E. Share Ownership” above.
Mr. Chamandy and Oxbridge became a shareholder of the Corporation in 2009.
Mr. Chamandy or Oxbridge does not have any different voting rights compared with the Corporation’s other shareholders.
As of April 21, 2015, a total of 7,225,154 shares of the Corporation’s common shares, representing 12.47% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Corporation’s common shares, were held by a total of 120 U.S. record holders.
The Corporation is not directly or indirectly owned or controlled by another corporation or by any foreign government or by any other natural or legal person, severally or jointly.
The Corporation has no knowledge of any arrangement that may, at a subsequent date, result in a change of control of the Corporation.
B. | Related Party Transactions |
A Related Party Transaction is any transaction between the Corporation and (a) enterprises that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, control or are controlled by, or are under common control with, the Corporation; (b) associates; (c) individuals owning, directly or indirectly, an interest in the voting power of the Corporation that gives them significant influence over the Corporation, and close members of any such individual’s family; (d) key management personnel, that is, those persons having authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the Corporation, including directors and senior management and close members of such individuals’ families; and (e) enterprises in which a substantial interest in the voting power is owned, directly or indirectly, by any person described in (c) or (d) or over which such a person is able to exercise significant influence.
Throughout the year 2013, and until the date of this Annual Report, certain Related Party Transactions occurred with the Corporation, as described below:
Oxbridge Bank & Trust SCC
On May 12, 2009, Oxbridge announced that it had acquired common shares of the Corporation and that, together with its joint actors, it owned and controlled an aggregate of approximately 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation.
On November 24, 2009, Oxbridge amended its public disclosure related to the Corporation, and announced that it had acquired common shares from a private investor and that, subject to the completion of such acquisition, Oxbridge, together with its joint actors, would own and control common shares and options to purchase common shares representing an aggregate amount of approximately 19.49% of the issued and outstanding common shares
116
(excluding common shares underlying outstanding options). Oxbridge also indicated that it intended to engage in discussions with the Board and management of the Corporation, as well as other shareholders, regarding the Corporation, its prospects and potential means for enhancing shareholder value, including potential changes in the business, strategy or Board composition of the Corporation.
On November 25, 2009, in a letter duly authorized by the Board of Directors of Oxbridge and delivered to Denis Arcand, Chairman of the Board, and to the other members of the Board, Mr. Chamandy outlined certain proposals from Oxbridge (the “Oxbridge Proposals”) including the addition of Elaine Ellingham, A. Michel Lavigne, Samuel Minzberg and Jean-Pierre Ouellet (the “Proposed Directors”) to the Board, all with a view to maximizing the Corporation’s potential value for all of its shareholders.
On November 30, 2009, Oxbridge announced the completion of the acquisition of common shares announced on November 24, 2009.
Based on the Oxbridge Proposals and the Board’s own independent review of the Proposed Director’s qualifications, credentials, expertise, and experience, the directors determined that there existed no impediment, legally or from a corporate governance perspective, to the Proposed Directors acting as directors of the Corporation or holding their proposed positions on the Board committees, for reasons of conflict of interests or otherwise, and that the Proposed Directors, together with the current directors, have the qualifications, credentials, expertise and experience to implement the execution of the contemplated strategic plan for the Corporation’s future growth.
Accordingly, on December 15, 2009, the Board unanimously determined that it is in the best interests of the Corporation and all its stakeholders to call a meeting of the shareholders of the Corporation for the purposes of electing the Proposed Directors. In addition, Mr. Chamandy was appointed Chairman of the Board and Mr. Arcand was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Board.
Finally, the Board approved and the Corporation executed a mutual undertaking whereby (A) Mr. Chamandy and Oxbridge, in their capacity as shareholders of the Corporation, have undertaken to vote, and to cause to be voted, all shares of the Corporation that they, or any person with whom they are acting jointly or in connection with the Corporation, control directly or indirectly, in favour of the election of the current directors of the Corporation, as directors of the Corporation at all meetings of the shareholders of the Corporation to be held prior to December 31, 2012, at which directors are to be elected; and (B) the Corporation has undertaken (i) to cause the Proposed Directors (or any replacement) to be included as nominees proposed by the Corporation to its shareholders for election at the meeting; (ii) to ensure that the Proposed Directors and one additional individual (the “Additional Director”) to be identified by Mr. Chamandy, duly authorized by Oxbridge, before the next annual meeting of the shareholders of the Corporation (or any replacement), be included as nominees proposed by the Corporation to its shareholders for election to the Board of Directors at all meetings of the shareholders of the Corporation at which directors are to be elected prior to December 31, 2011; and (iii) to use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the election of such Proposed Directors at such meetings in each case, provided that (x) there exists no impediment, legal or from a corporate governance perspective, to such replacement person or Additional Director, as the case may be, acting as a director of the Corporation, for reasons of conflict of interest or otherwise, and (y) such replacement person or Additional Director, as the case may be, has the qualifications, credentials, expertise and experience to oversee the execution of the Corporation’s strategic plan for future growth together with the current directors, in each case as determined by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.
Davies, Ward, Phillips & Vineberg
On February 4, 2010, Director Samuel Minzberg, was elected a Director of the corporation by a majority of shareholders during a special meeting held for that purpose.
Mr. Minzberg is a senior partner at the law firm Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (“Davies”) and until August 1st, 2013, he was a member of the Corporation’s Board of Directors.
117
In 2011, the Corporation paid fees to Davies in the amount of approximately $27 thousand (including taxes) for professional services rendered mainly in connection with legal tax advice ($14 thousand, in 2010, mainly in connection with legal tax advice).
Stikeman, Elliott
On December 15, 2009, Sidney Horn was named as Corporate Secretary of the Corporation.
Mr. Horn is a senior partner at the law firm Stikeman, Elliott LLP (“Stikeman”).
Until his resignation as Corporate Secretary effective May 9, 2013, the Corporation paid fees to Stikeman in 2013 in the amount of approximately $65 thousand (including taxes) for professional services rendered mainly in connection with general matters.
In 2012, the Corporation paid fees to Stikeman in the amount of approximately $333 thousand (including taxes) for professional services rendered mainly in connection with general matters and financings.
In 2011, the Corporation paid fees to Stikeman in the amount of approximately $225 thousand (including taxes) for professional services rendered mainly in connection with general corporate matters, financings and the option agreement with Globex Mining Enterprises Inc.
Oxbridge Aviation
On May 14, 2009, Mr. H. Greg Chamandy was appointed as Director of the Corporation and subsequently Executive Chairman of the Board.
Oxbridge Aviation is owned by Mr. H. Greg Chamandy.
In 2011, the Corporation paid fees to Oxbridge Aviation in the amount of approximately $4 thousand for a meeting of the Board of Directors in Rouyn-Noranda (Quebec), ($3 thousand, in 2010).
Subsequent Transaction
See “ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION - B. Significant Change” for a discussion of the issuance of 9.625 million of common shares.
C. | Interests of Experts and Counsel |
Not applicable.
118
ITEM 8. | FINANCIAL INFORMATION |
A. | Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information |
The following consolidated financial statements of the Corporation are attached to this Annual Report:
Independent Auditor’s report of registered public accounting firm dated February 18, 2015 on Internal Control over financial reporting and on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as at December 31, 2014 and 2013, Consolidated Income Statements, Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity, and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Corporation has not declared or paid any dividends on its common shares since its incorporation. Richmont Mines has no current plans to pay dividends on its common shares. Its present policy is to retain earnings to finance its capital expenditures program. In the future, the Board of Directors may declare dividends according to its assessment of the financial position of the Corporation, taking into account its financing requirements for future growth and other factors that the Board of Directors may deem relevant in the circumstances. The Corporation had no export sales during 2014.
Except for the three litigation matters discussed above in the section entitled “Commitments and contingencies,” the Corporation knows of no active, pending or overtly threatened legal or arbitration proceeding to which the Corporation is a party or to which any of its properties is subject which may have, or has had in the recent past, a significant effect on the Corporation’s financial position or profitability.
B. | Significant Change |
The Corporation has reported a significant change since the date of the annual financial statements included:
On January 21, 2015, a syndicate of underwriters, has agreed to purchase on a bought deal basis 8.5 million common shares of the Corporation at a price of $4.00 per share for gross proceeds of $34.0 million. In addition, the underwriters have been granted an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 1.125 million common shares from the Corporation, exercisable in whole or in part at the Offering Price for a period of 30 days from closing of the Offering, for additional gross proceeds of up to approximately $4.5 million. If the Over-Allotment Option is exercised in full, the total gross proceeds to the Corporation will be $38.5 million. Following the deduction of estimated fees, net proceeds are expected to amount to $36.1 million, and the Corporation’s share capital will increase by the same amount. The financing was closed on February 11, 2015 and the full over-allotment option was exercised.
ITEM 9. | THE OFFER AND LISTING |
The Corporation’s common shares are traded on the TSX under the symbol “RIC” and on the NYSE MKT also under the symbol “RIC”.
Toronto Stock Exchange
Set forth below are the high and low sell prices on the TSX for actual trades of shares of the Corporation’s common shares for the periods indicated.
119
Last Five Full Years
Toronto Stock Exchange
Common Shares Trading Activity
- Price - | ||||||
Canadian Dollars | ||||||
Year Ended | High | Low | ||||
December 31, 2010 | $5.71 | $3.78 | ||||
December 31, 2011 | $13.39 | $4.28 | ||||
December 31, 2012 | $12.98 | $2.69 | ||||
December 31, 2013 | $3.44 | $1.00 | ||||
December 31, 2014 | $4.00 | $1.09 |
Last Two Full Years
Toronto Stock Exchange
Common Shares Trading Activity
- Price - | ||||||
Canadian Dollars | ||||||
Quarter Ended | High | Low | ||||
March 31, 2013 | $3.44 | $2.30 | ||||
June 30, 2013 | $2.82 | $1.37 | ||||
September 30, 2013 | $1.88 | $1.32 | ||||
December 31, 2013 | $1.50 | $1.00 | ||||
March 31, 2014 | $2.07 | $1.09 | ||||
June 30, 2014 | $1.63 | $1.21 | ||||
September 30, 2014 | $3.07 | $1.36 | ||||
December 31, 2014 | $4.00 | $2.07 |
Last Six Months
Toronto Stock Exchange
Common Shares Trading Activity
- Price - | ||||||
Canadian Dollars | ||||||
Month Ended | High | Low | ||||
October 31, 2014 | $2.94 | $2.07 | ||||
November 30, 2014 | $3.83 | $2.17 | ||||
December 31, 2014 | $4.00 | $3.07 | ||||
January 31, 2015 | $4.55 | $3.54 | ||||
February 28, 2015 | $4.49 | $3.80 | ||||
March 31, 2015 | $4.19 | $3.51 |
* | The closing price of the Corporation’s common shares on the TSX on April 21, 2015 was CAN$3.93. |
120
American Stock Exchange and NYSE Amex, NYSE MKT
The Corporation’s common shares were listed for trading on the American Stock Exchange effective on March 6, 1997. In 2008, the American Stock exchange was bought by NYSE Alternext and became NYSE Amex in the beginning of 2009. On May 2012, NYSE Amex became NYSE MKT. Set forth below are the high and low sell prices on and NYSE Amex until May 2012, and NYSE MKT thereafter for actual trades of shares of the Corporation’s Common shares for the periods indicated.
Last Five Full Years
American Stock Exchange /
NYSE Amex, NYSE MKT
Common Shares Trading Activity
- Price - | ||||||
US Dollars | ||||||
Year Ended | High | Low | ||||
December 31, 2010 | $5.72 | $3.50 | ||||
December 31, 2011 | $13.40 | $4.28 | ||||
December 31, 2012 | $12.91 | $2.71 | ||||
December 31, 2013 | $3.44 | $0.94 | ||||
December 31, 2014 | $3.49 | $1.04 |
Last Two Full Years
NYSE Amex, NYSE MKT
Common Shares Trading Activity
- Price - | ||||||
US Dollars | ||||||
Quarter Ended | High | Low | ||||
March 31, 2013 | $3.44 | $2.23 | ||||
June 30, 2013 | $2.78 | $1.31 | ||||
September 30, 2013 | $1.85 | $1.28 | ||||
December 31, 2013 | $1.47 | $0.94 | ||||
March 31, 2014 | $1.85 | $1.04 | ||||
June 30, 2014 | $1.52 | $1.11 | ||||
September 30, 2014 | $2.82 | $1.27 | ||||
December 31, 2014 | $3.49 | $1.86 |
121
Last Six Months
NYSE MKT
Common Shares Trading Activity
- Price - | ||||||
US Dollars | ||||||
Month Ended | High | Low | ||||
October 31, 2014 | $2.60 | $1.86 | ||||
November 30, 2014 | $3.36 | $1.91 | ||||
December 31, 2014 | $3.49 | $2.61 | ||||
January 31, 2015 | $3.68 | $2.97 | ||||
February 28, 2015 | $3.56 | $3.00 | ||||
March 31, 2015 | $3.35 | $2.78 |
* | The closing price of the Corporation’s common shares on the NYSE MKT on April 21, 2015 was US$3.18. |
|
122
ITEM 10. | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
A. | Share Capital |
Not applicable.
B. | Memorandum and Articles of Association |
The Corporation was incorporated pursuant to Part 1A of theCompanies Act(Quebec) on February 12, 1981 (File number 1843-2286) under the name Ressources Minières Rouyn inc. by Article of Amendment filed February 10, 1987 the Corporation added the English version Rouyn Mining Resources Inc. and by another amendment filed with the Government of Quebec on June 20, 1991, the Corporation changed its name to Richmont Mines Inc., now governed by theBusiness Corporations Act(Quebec) (the “Business Corporations Act”) which replaced theCompanies Act(Quebec) on February 14, 2011. The Articles of the Corporation are registered by the Government of Quebec in register S02473, folio 10.
The Corporation has perpetual duration and no specific objects or purposes are set forth in its Articles or By-Laws.
Amendments to Articles
On February 14, 2011, theCompanies Act(Quebec) was replaced by the newBusiness Corporations Act(Quebec) (the “Business Corporations Act”).
The new Business Corporations Act provides that a corporation may hold shareholder meetings at a place outside of the Province of Quebec if the Articles so allow. The Board of Directors believes that it would be beneficial both to the Corporation and its shareholders to give the Board flexibility to permit shareholder meetings to be held outside of the Province of Quebec.
The new Business Corporations Act further provides that if the Articles so allow, the directors of a corporation that is a reporting issuer may appoint one or more additional directors to hold office for a term expiring not later than the close of the annual shareholders meeting following their appointment, provided that the total number of directors so appointed may not exceed one third of the number of directors elected at the annual shareholders meeting preceding their appointment. The Board believes that it would be beneficial to the Corporation and its shareholders to give the Board flexibility to add directors who possess expertise and knowledge relevant to the Corporation’s operations from time to time between two annual shareholder meetings. Pursuant to its Articles, the business of the Corporation is managed by a Board of Directors composed of a maximum of eleven directors.
Accordingly, the Board of Directors, at its meeting held on March 28, 2011, adopted a resolution to amend the Articles approving the foregoing proposed amendments subject to the receipt of the approval of shareholders. In accordance with the Business Corporations Act, the proposed amendments to the Articles were approved by the shareholders at the Annual and Special General Meeting of shareholders held on May 13, 2011 (the “Meeting”).
By-Laws
The Corporation updated its General By-laws enacted by the Board of Directors on February 25, 1981, which have been amended since and are now known as the “By-laws”. To align the By-laws with the terminology and principles set out in the new Business Corporations Act as well as governance best practices, the Board of Directors elected to adopt the By-laws on April 5, 2012. (For more information, see Exhibit 1.3 of 2011 Annual Report).
123
Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan
The Board of Directors has approved the Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "Omnibus Plan") of the Corporation, (a copy of which has been disclosed in Exhibit "4.2" of 2011 Annual Report), and approved by the shareholders of the Corporation.
The Omnibus Plan was drafted to comply with the policies of the TSX and remains subject to any requirements the NYSE MKT may have for the Omnibus Plan to be in compliance with the NYSE standards. The following information is intended as a summary of the Omnibus Plan, and is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed provisions of the Omnibus Plan in the form disclosed as Exhibit "4.2" in 2011 Annual Report.
C. | Material Contracts |
Private Placements
In October 2011, Richmont completed a private placement of 980,500 common shares at CAN$10.50 per share with the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and the Fonds régional de solidarité Abitibi-Témiscamingue, s.e.c. (collectively, the “Subscribers”), for a total cash consideration of $10.3 million. In addition, the private placement entitled the Subscribers to 245,125 warrants to purchase additional Richmont common shares at an exercise price of $13.00 per common share before December 31, 2012.
On February 1st, 2012, Richmont Mines completed a $10 million private placement with Mr. Bob Buchan and two members of his immediate family in the form of convertible debentures. The debentures which had a 5 year maturity with a 7.6% annual interest rate were convertible into Richmont common shares at a conversion price of $12.17 per share at the option of the holders at any time following the date of issuance. On September 24, 2012, Richmont Mines announced the immediate retirement of these debentures held by Mr. Bob Buchan and two members of his immediate family.
On September 26, 2012, Richmont Mines Inc. completed a non-brokered private placement with four institutional funds, through which the Corporation issued 5.97 million common shares at CAN$4.35 per share for, a total cash consideration of $26 million. Some Directors and officers subscribed to the private placement for an amount representing less than 2% of the private placement.
On June 17, 2013, Richmont Mines obtained a letter of offer for a senior credit facility for up to US$50 million from Macquarie Bank Limited (“MBL”) to advance the Island Gold Deep project. The US$50 million facility consisted of three tranches, all of which were subject to certain conditions being met prior to drawdown. The Corporation issued call warrants for the purchase of 1,250,000 Richmont shares to MBL upon closing of the facility agreement on August 23, 2013. The warrants had an exercise price of CAN$2.45 per share, and expire 3 years from the original date of their issue to MBL. A total of 812,500 warrants vested immediately upon closing of the facility agreement. The remaining 437,500 warrants were to have vested when the conditions to drawdown Tranche B had been fully met by the Corporation, and were cancelled upon the December 20, 2013 termination of the facility.
On August 5, 2014, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the outstanding 31% ownership of four patented claims on the Island Gold Mine property, thereby increasing its ownership of these claims to 100% from 69% previously. The 31% ownership held by the third party will be acquired by Richmont in return for a 3% Net Smelter Return (“NSR”) royalty that is payable on 100% of the mineral production from the four claims, SSM2490, SSM2491, SSM2666 and SSM2667. As part of this agreement Richmont will make the following advance royalty payments: $1 million upon closing of the transaction, and $1 million on each of January 3, 2015 and January 3, 2016. Advance royalty payments will decrease to $0.3 million as of January 3, 2017, and will be paid annually until such time as a total of $5.1 million has been paid in royalties (including advance royalties) to the third party, after which advance royalty payments will cease. All advance royal payments will be credited against any future NSR payments.
124
Public Prospectus
On April 23, 2014, Richmont Mines announced that it closed the bought deal financing previously announced on April 3, 2014. The Corporation issued a total of 8.05 million common shares at a price of CAN$1.45 per share, including the entire over-allotment option of 1.05 million common shares, on a bought-deal basis, for aggregate gross proceeds of CAN$11.67 million, through a syndicate of underwriters lead by Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. and including BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., CIBC World Markets Inc. and Desjardins Securities Inc (the "Offering"). The proceeds from the Offering would be used for working capital and general corporate purposes.
On February 11, 2015, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that it closed the bought deal financing previously announced on January 20, 2015, and increased on January 21, 2015. Indeed, on January 20, 2015, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that it entered into an agreement with Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. (“Macquarie”) as lead underwriter, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters, for the issuance of 7.5 million common shares of the Corporation, on a bought-deal basis, at a price of CAN$4.00 per share (the “Offering Price”) for gross proceeds of CAN$30 million (the “Offering”). The syndicate of underwriters also included CIBC World Markets Inc., National Bank Financial Inc., BMO Capital Markets, TD Securities Inc., and PI Financial Corp. On January 21, 2015, Richmont Mines Inc. announced that it has agreed to increase the size of its previously announced bought deal offering to CAN$34 million.
Land and mining rights agreement
On October 16, 2013, Richmont Mines entered into a land and mining rights agreement with Argonaut Gold, owner of the Magino Gold Project that is adjacent to the Corporation’s Island Gold Mine. The agreement will enable Richmont to extend the western boundary of its Island Gold Deep project by a distance of approximately 585 metres thus increasing the project’s exploration potential towards the west. Mining rights below a depth of 400 metres were also secured on several claims to the south of the Island Gold Deep project, thus adding to the project’s exploration potential at depth. As part of the agreement, Richmont will acquire Claim SSM 722481 in its entirety, which immediately abuts Island Gold’s Lochalsh Zone, where reserves and resources currently exist and where mining is currently taking place. In exchange, Argonaut will receive exploration and mining rights from surface to a maximum depth of 400 metres on certain Richmont claims that border the Magino Gold Project, providing it with greater flexibility in its project development. Under the terms of the agreement, Richmont will receive a net payment of CAN$2.0 million in cash from Argonaut upon completion of the land transactions. This Agreement was slightly modified in June 2014. Under the revised terms, Argonaut will receive one claim in its entirety and surface and mining rights down to a depth of 400 metres on six claims. It will also receive surface rights on two claims down to a depth of 100 metres. The Corporation will receive two additional claims for a total of three and mining rights below a depth of 400 metres on three claims. As previously reported, under the terms of the Agreement, the Corporation will receive a net payment of CAN$2.0 million in cash from Argonaut upon completion of the land transactions, which are now expected to take place in 2015.
Amended and Restated Shareholders Rights Plan
Introduction
On March 28, 2011, the Corporation amended and restated the existing shareholder rights plan which was set to terminate in accordance with its terms in 2012 (the “Amended and Restated Rights Plan”). The Amended and Restated Rights Plan was approved by the shareholders of the Corporation at a meeting of shareholders held on May 31, 2011 (Reference is made at Item 19. in Exhibit 2.2 of 2011 Annual Report).
Background
A shareholder rights plan was adopted by the Corporation’s shareholders in 2002 and, in accordance with the terms set out at that time, the plan required ratification at the Corporation’s annual meetings in 2005, 2008 and 2011, and would expire in April 2012. In lieu of shareholders ratifying the plan in 2011 for one year only (the
125
plan would have expired in 2012), the Board of Directors thought it was appropriate to bring the shareholder rights plan up to date. Consequently a new shareholder rights plan was approved by the shareholders at the Corporation’s annual and special meeting on May 13, 2011, subject to reconfirmation by shareholders every three years. The plan was renewed on May 8, 2014.
The primary objective of a rights plan is (a) to prevent creeping acquisition of control or an acquisition of control through a partial bid; (b) to provide adequate time to the Board of Directors and shareholders to properly consider and evaluate any unsolicited takeover bid without undue pressure; (c) to provide the Board of Directors and shareholders adequate time to value all of the assets of the Corporation and for the Corporation to undertake a value recognition program if necessary to demonstrate the value of one or more assets; (d) to provide the Board of Directors of the Corporation adequate time to explore and develop alternatives for maximizing shareholder value if an unsolicited takeover bid is made for the Corporation and to possibly allow competing bids to emerge; and (e) to provide every shareholder of the Corporation an equal opportunity to participate in such a bid and to ensure the equal treatment of all shareholders of the Corporation under such bid. The Amended and Restated Rights Plan encourages a potential acquiror to proceed either by way of a Permitted Bid (as defined in the Amended and Restated Rights Plan), which requires the takeover bid to satisfy certain minimum standards designed to promote fairness, or with the concurrence of the Board of Directors. The Amended and Restated Rights Plan is not intended to prevent takeover bids that treat shareholders of the Corporation fairly and has not been adopted in response to any proposal to acquire control of the Corporation. On the effective Date, one Right (as defined in the Amended and Restated Rights Plan) was issued and attached to each common share of the Corporation then outstanding, and one Right will be issued and attached to each common share of the Corporation subsequently issued.
In choosing to implement a rights plan, the Board of Directors of the Corporation considered the legislative framework in Canada governing takeover bids. Under provincial securities legislation, a takeover bid means an offer to acquire voting or equity shares of a corporation, where the shares subject to the offer to acquire, together with shares already owned by the bidder and any person or Corporation acting jointly or in concert with the bidder, aggregate 20% or more of the outstanding shares of a corporation, but does not include an offer to acquire if the offer to acquire is a step in an amalgamation, merger, reorganization or arrangement that requires approval in a vote of security holders.
The Corporation has reviewed the Amended and Restated Rights Plan for conformity with current practices of Canadian companies with respect to shareholder protection rights plan. The Corporation believes that the Amended and Restated Rights Plan preserves the fair treatment of shareholders, is consistent with current best Canadian corporate practice and addresses institutional investor guidelines. The Amended and Restated Rights Plan contains substantially the same terms and conditions as the 2008 Rights Plan and has been updated to meet current best Canadian corporate practices.
The existing legislative framework for takeover bids in Canada continues to raise the following concerns for shareholders of the Corporation:
Time– Canadian securities laws permit a takeover bid to expire 35 days after it is initiated. The Board of Directors of the Corporation is of the view that this is not sufficient time to permit shareholders to consider a takeover bid and make a reasoned and unhurried decision as well as permit directors to evaluate a takeover bid, explore, develop and pursue alternatives which it believes are preferable to the takeover bid or which could maximize shareholder value, and make reasoned recommendations to the shareholders.
Pressure to Tender- A shareholder may feel compelled to tender to a takeover bid which the shareholder considers to be inadequate out of concern that in failing to do so, the shareholder may be left with illiquid or minority discounted Common Shares. This is particularly so in the case of a partial takeover bid for less than all of the Common Shares, where the bidder wishes to obtain a control position but does not wish to acquire all of the Common Shares. The Amended and Restated Rights Plan provides the shareholder with a tender approval mechanism which is intended to ensure that the
126
shareholder can separate the decision to tender from the approval or disapproval of a particular takeover bid.
Unequal Treatment: Full Value- While existing Canadian securities legislation has substantially addressed many concerns in this regard, there remains the possibility that control of the Corporation may be acquired pursuant to a private agreement in which one or a small group of shareholders dispose of Common Shares at a premium to market price which premium is not shared with the other shareholders or through a partial bid that may be oppressive to the shareholders of the Corporation. In addition, a person may slowly accumulate Common Shares through stock exchange acquisitions which may result, over time, in an acquisition of control without payment of fair value for control or a fair sharing of a control premium among all shareholders.
Summary
The following is a summary of the principal terms of the Amended and Restated Rights Plan for the Corporation which is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Amended and Restated Rights Plan. A shareholder or any other interested party may obtain a copy of the Amended and Restated Rights Plan by contacting the Corporate Secretary, 161 Avenue Principale, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec, J9X 4P6; telephone (819) 797-2465; fax (819) 797-0166, by consulting the Web Site SEDAR at www.sedar.com or by consulting the Corporation’s Web Site at www.richmont-mines.com.
In management’s opinion, the terms of the Amended and Restated Rights Plan conform to the terms of plans now in place in many other Canadian public companies.
Effective Date
The effective date of the Amended and Restated Rights Plan is March 28, 2011 (the “Effective Date”).
Term
The Amended and Restated Rights Plan was reconfirmed at the meeting of shareholders scheduled on May 8, 2014, it is in effect until the end of the annual meeting of shareholders of the Corporation to be held in 2017 unless the Amended and Restated Rights Plan is reconfirmed at that meeting by the shareholders. If the Amended and Restated Rights Plan is so reconfirmed, it will then need to be reconfirmed at every third annual meeting. If it is not reconfirmed it will terminate. Even if reconfirmed by the shareholders, it expires ten years after the Effective Date or in 2021, at which time a new plan can be adopted.
Issue of Rights
On the Effective Date, one Right was issued and attached to each Common Share outstanding of the Corporation and will be issued and attached to each Common Share of the Corporation subsequently issued.
Rights Exercise Privilege
The Rights will separate from the Common Shares and will be exercisable 10 trading days (the “Separation Time”) after a person has acquired, or commenced a takeover bid to acquire, 20% or more of the Common Shares, other than by an acquisition pursuant to a takeover bid permitted by the Amended and Restated Rights Plan (a “Permitted Bid”). The acquisition by any person (an “Acquiring Person”) of 20% of the Common Shares, other than by way of a Permitted Bid, is referred to as a “Flip-in Event”. Any Rights held by an Acquiring Person will become void upon the occurrence of a Flip-in Event. Ten trading days after the occurrence of the Flip-in Event, each Right (other than those held by an Acquiring Person) will permit the purchase by holders of Rights, other than an Acquiring Person, of Common Shares at a 50% discount to their market price.
The issue of the Rights is not initially dilutive. Upon a Flip-in Event occurring and the Rights separating from the Common Shares, reported earnings per share of the Corporation on a fully diluted or non-diluted basis may
127
be affected. Holders of Rights not exercising their Rights upon the occurrence of a Flip-in Event may suffer substantial dilution.
Certificates and Transferability
Prior to the Separation Time, the Rights are evidenced by a legend imprinted on certificates for the Common Shares and are not transferable separately from the Common Shares. From and after the Separation Time, the Rights will be evidenced by Rights certificates which will be transferable and traded separately from the Common Shares.
Permitted Bid Requirements
The requirements for a Permitted Bid include the following:
the takeover bid must be made by way of a takeover bid circular;
the takeover bid must be made to all shareholders of the Corporation as registered on the books of the Corporation, other than the Offeror; the takeover bid must be outstanding for a minimum period of 60 days and Common Shares tendered pursuant to the takeover bid may not be taken up prior to the expiry of the 60 day period and only if at such time more than 50% of the Common Shares of the Corporation held by shareholders, other than the Offeror, its affiliates and persons acting jointly or in concert and certain other persons (the “Independent Shareholders”), have been tendered to the takeover bid and not withdrawn; and
if more than 50% of the Common Shares held by Independent Shareholders are tendered to the takeover bid within the 60 day period, the Offeror must make a public announcement of that fact and the takeover bid must remain open for deposits of Common Shares for not less than 10 business days from the date of such public announcement.
The Amended and Restated Rights Plan allows for a competing Permitted Bid (a “Competing Permitted Bid”) to be made while a Permitted Bid is in existence. A Competing Permitted Bid must satisfy all the requirements of a Permitted Bid except that it may expire on the same date as the Permitted Bid, subject to the requirement that it be outstanding for a minimum period of 35 days.
Waiver
The Board of Directors, acting in good faith, may, prior to the occurrence of a Flip-in Event, waive the application of the Amended and Restated Rights Plan to a particular Flip-in Event (an “Exempt Acquisition”) where the takeover bid is made by a takeover bid circular to all holders of Common Shares of the Corporation. When the Board of Directors exercises the waiver power for one takeover bid, the waiver will also apply to any other takeover bid for the Corporation made by a takeover bid circular to all holders of Common Shares prior to the expiry of any other bid for which the Amended and Restated Rights Plan has been waived. Additionally, the Board of Directors, acting in good faith, may waive the application of the Amended and Restated Rights Plan for any Flip-in Event by written notice delivered to the Rights Agent (as such term is defined in the Amended and Restated Rights Plan).
Redemption
The Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the votes cast by shareholders (or holders of Rights if the Separation Time has occurred) voting in person or by proxy at a meeting duly called for that purpose may redeem the Rights at $0.000001 per share. Rights will be deemed to have been redeemed by the Board of Directors following completion of a Permitted Bid, Competing Permitted Bid or Exempt Acquisition.
128
Amendment
Prior to the meeting of shareholders, the Board of Directors may make any changes to the Amended and Restated Rights Plan which the Board of Directors acting in good faith may deem necessary or desirable without the approval of any holders of Rights or Common Shares. After the meeting, the Board of Directors may amend the Amended and Restated Rights Plan with the approval of a majority vote of the votes cast by shareholders (or the holders of Rights if the Separation time has occurred) voting in person and by proxy at a meeting duly called for that purpose. The Board of Directors without such approval may correct clerical or typographical errors and, subject to approval at the next meeting of the shareholders (or holders of Rights, as the case may be) may make amendments to the Amended and Restated Rights Plan to maintain its validity due to changes in applicable legislation.
Board of Directors
The Amended and Restated Rights Plan will not detract from or lessen the duty of the Board of Directors to act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Corporation. The Board of Directors, when a Permitted Bid is made, will continue to have the duty and power to take such actions and make such recommendations to shareholders as are considered appropriate.
Exemptions for Investment Advisors
Investment advisors (for fully managed accounts), trust companies (acting in their capacities as trustees and administrators), statutory bodies whose business includes the management of funds and administrators of registered pension plans acquiring 20% or more of the Common Shares of the Corporation are exempted from triggering a Flip-in Event, provided that they are not making, or are not part of a group making, a takeover bid.
Approval of the Directors
The directors of the Corporation have unanimously adopted and approved the renewal of the Amended and Restated Rights Plan. In renewing the Amended and Restated Rights Plan, the directors concluded, for the reasons discussed above, that it was in the best interests of the Corporation and the shareholders to do so.
The directors believe that the Amended and Restated Rights Plan preserves the fair treatment of shareholders of the Corporation, is consistent with Canadian’s corporate practice and addresses institutional investor guidelines.
Shareholder Approval
The Amended and Restated Rights Plan was confirmed and approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by shareholders of the Corporation at the Annual Meeting of shareholders on May 8, 2014.
The Amended and Restated Rights Plan have been approved by resolution by the shareholders at May 8, 2014 annual meeting of shareholders.
D. | Exchange Controls |
There are no governmental laws, decrees, regulations or other legislation in Canada that may affect the export or import of capital, or the remittance of interest, dividends or other payments to non-residents holders of the Corporation’s common shares, except that any remittance of dividends to United States residents is subject to a 15% withholding tax (5% if the shareholder is a corporation owning at least 10% of the common shares of the Corporation) pursuant to Article X of the reciprocal income tax treaty between Canada and the United States.
E. | Taxation |
The following summary of the material Canadian federal income tax considerations generally applicable in respect of the common shares reflect the Corporation’s opinion. The tax consequences to any particular holder of
129
common shares will vary according to the status of that holder as an individual, trust, corporation or member of a partnership, the jurisdiction in which that holder is subject to taxation, the place where that holder is resident and, generally, according to that holder’s particular circumstances. This summary is applicable only to holders who are resident in the United States, have never been resident in Canada, deal at arm’s length with the Corporation, hold their common shares as capital property and who will not use or hold the common shares in carrying on business in Canada. Special rules, which are not discussed in this summary, may apply to a United States holder that is an issuer that carries on business in Canada and elsewhere.
This summary is not exhaustive of all possible income tax consequences. It is not intended as legal or tax advice to any particular holder of common shares and should not be so construed. Each holder should consult his own tax advisor with respect to the income tax consequences applicable to him in his own particular circumstances.
Disposition of common shares
If a non-resident were to dispose of common shares of the Corporation to another Canadian corporation which deals or is deemed to deal on a non-arm’s length basis with the non-resident and which, immediately after the disposition, is connected with the Corporation (i.e., the non-resident and any person with whom the non-resident does not deal at arm’s length holds directly or indirectly shares representing more than 10% of the voting power and more than 10% of the market value of all issued and outstanding shares of the Corporation), the amount by which the fair market value of any consideration (other than any shares of the purchaser corporation) exceeds the paid-up capital of the common shares sold will be deemed to be taxable as a dividend paid by the purchasing corporation, either immediately or eventually by means of a deduction in computing the paid-up capital of the purchasing corporation, and subject to withholding taxes as described below.
Under theIncome Tax Act(Canada), a gain from the sale of common shares of the Corporation by a non-resident will not be subject to Canadian tax since the common shares of the Corporation are listed on a prescribed stock exchange, provided the shareholder (and persons who do not deal at arm’s length with the shareholder) have not held a “substantial interest” in the Corporation (25% or more of the shares of any class of the Corporation’s stock) at any time in the five years preceding the disposition. Generally, the Canada-United States Income Tax Convention (1980) (the “Treaty”) will exempt from Canadian taxation any capital gain realized by a resident of the United States, provided that the value of the common shares is not derived principally from real property situated in Canada.
Dividends
In the case of any dividends paid to non-residents, the Canadian tax is withheld by the Corporation, which remits only the net amount to the shareholder. By virtue of Article X of the Treaty, the rate of tax on dividends paid to residents of the United States is generally limited to 15% of the gross dividend (or 5%, in the case of certain corporate shareholders owning at least 10% of the Corporation’s voting shares). In the absence of treaty provisions, the rate of Canadian withholding tax imposed on non-residents is 25% of the gross dividend. Stock dividends received by non-residents from the Corporation are taxable by Canada as ordinary dividends.
If a non-resident holder disposes of common shares to the Corporation (unless the Corporation acquired the common shares in the open market in the manner in which shares would normally be purchased by any member of the public), this will result in a deemed dividend to the non-resident holder equal to the amount by which the consideration paid by the Corporation exceeds the paid-up capital of such stock. The amount of such dividend will be subject to withholding tax as described above.
Capital Gains
A non-resident of Canada is not subject to tax under theIncome Tax Act(Canada) in respect of a capital gain realized upon the disposition of a share of a class that is listed on a prescribed stock exchange unless the share represents “taxable Canadian property” to another holder thereof. A common share of the Corporation will be taxable Canadian property to a non-resident holder if, at any time during the period of five years immediately
130
preceding the disposition, the non-resident holder, persons with whom the non-resident holder did not deal at arm’s length, or the non-resident holder and persons with he/she did not deal at arm’s length owned 25% or more of the issued shares of any class or series of the Corporation. In the case of a non-resident holder to whom shares of the Corporation represent taxable Canadian property and who is resident in the United States, American tax will be payable on a capital gain realized on such shares by reason of the Treaty unless the value of such shares is derived principally from real property situated in Canada or the non-resident holder previously held the shares while resident in Canada. However, in such a case, certain transitional relief under the Treaty may be available.
Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following is a summary of the material United States federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of common shares of the Corporation by a United States Holder (as defined below) that holds the common shares as a capital asset. The discussion does not cover all aspects of United States federal income taxation that may be relevant to, or the actual tax effect that any of the matters described herein will have on, the acquisition, ownership or disposition of common shares of the Corporation by particular shareholders, and does not address state, local, foreign or other tax laws. In particular, this summary does not address tax considerations applicable to persons that own (directly or indirectly) 10 percent or more of the Corporation’s voting shares, nor does this summary discuss all of the tax considerations that may be relevant to certain types of persons subject to special treatment under the United States federal income tax laws (such as financial institutions, insurance companies, persons liable for the alternative minimum tax, individual retirement accounts and other tax-deferred accounts, tax-exempt organizations, dealers in securities or currencies, persons that hold the common shares as part of straddles, hedging transactions or conversion transactions for United States federal income tax purposes or persons whose functional currency is not the United States dollar).
As used herein, the term “United States Holder” means a beneficial owner of the Corporation’s common shares that is (i) a citizen or resident of the United States for United States federal income tax purposes, (ii) a corporation, or other entity treated as a corporation, created or organised under the laws of the United States or any State thereof, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income tax without regard to its source or (iv) a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust.
The summary is based on the tax laws of the United States, including the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), its legislative history, existing and proposed regulations thereunder, published rulings and court decisions, as well as on the Treaty, all as currently in effect and all subject to change at any time, possibly with retroactive effect.
Distributions on common shares of the Corporation
General. United States Holders receiving dividend distributions (including constructive dividends) with respect to common shares of the Corporation are required to include in gross income for United States federal income tax purposes the gross amount of such distributions to the extent that the Corporation has current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for United States federal income tax purposes), without reduction for any Canadian income tax withheld from such distributions. Such income will be foreign source dividend income and generally will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations. Canadian tax withheld from such distributions may be credited, subject to certain limitations, against the United States Holder’s United States federal income tax liability or, alternatively, may be deducted in computing the United States Holder’s United States federal taxable income by those who itemize deductions. (See more detailed discussion in the section captioned “Foreign Tax Credit” below). To the extent that distributions exceed current or accumulated earnings and profits of the Corporation, they will be treated first as a return of capital up to the United States Holder’s adjusted basis in the common shares, and then as capital gain. Preferential tax rates for long-term capital gains are applicable to a United States Holder that is an individual, estate or trust. There are currently no preferential tax rates for long-term capital gains for a United States Holder that is a corporation. The
131
Corporation does not maintain calculations of its earnings and profits in accordance with United States Federal income tax accounting principles.
For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, dividends paid by foreign qualified corporations to non-corporate taxpayers will be taxed at the same rate as long-term capital gains, rather than at the higher ordinary income tax rate. A foreign corporation such as the Corporation is a qualified corporation (i) if the corporation is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States which the United States Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) determines is satisfactory and which contains an exchange of information provision, or (ii) to the extent that the dividends are paid with respect to stock that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. The IRS has ruled that the Treaty is a satisfactory treaty for this purpose. Accordingly, dividends paid with respect to shares of the Corporation should be eligible for the reduced tax rate. Eligibility for the reduced tax rate is dependent on satisfying a holding period and certain other limitations. The reduced tax rate also cannot be claimed with respect to dividends that are included as investment income for purposes of the limitation on the deduction of investment interest.
For tax years beginning after 2012, dividends paid to U.S. citizens and residents with modified adjusted gross income above $200,000 ($250,000 for joint returns) also will be subject to a 3.8% tax on net investment income. The 3.8% tax is imposed on the lesser of net investment income or the excess of modified adjusted gross income above $200,000 for single and head of household tax returns ($250,000 for joint returns). For estates and trusts the threshold applies at the top marginal bracket, which for 2015 starts at $12,300. There is an exemption for foreign trusts except to the extent the foreign trust has United States beneficiaries.
Foreign Currency Dividends. Dividends paid in Canadian dollars will be included in income in a US dollar amount calculated by reference to the exchange rate in effect on the day the dividends are received by the United States Holder, regardless of whether the Canadian dollars are converted into US dollars at that time. If dividends received in Canadian dollars are converted into US dollars on the day they are received, the United States Holder generally will not be required to recognize foreign currency gain or loss with respect to the dividend income. A United States Holder may have foreign currency gain or loss if it does not convert the amount of such dividend into U.S. dollars on the date of its receipt.
Effect of Canadian Withholding Taxes. As discussed above in Taxation, Dividends, under current law payments by the Corporation to foreign investors are subject to a 25% Canadian withholding tax. The rate of withholding applicable to United States Holders that are eligible for benefits under the Treaty generally is reduced to a maximum rate of 15% (except for certain corporate holders). For United States federal income tax purposes, United States Holders will be treated as having received the amount of Canadian taxes withheld by the Corporation, and as then having paid over the withheld taxes to the Canadian taxing authorities. As a result of this rule, the amount of dividend income included in gross income for United States federal income tax purposes by a United States Holder with respect to the payment of dividends may be greater than the amount of cash actually received (or receivable) by the United States Holder from the Corporation with respect to the payment.
Foreign Tax Credit
Subject to certain limitations, a United States Holder who pays (or has withheld from distributions) Canadian income tax with respect to the ownership of common shares of the Corporation may be entitled, at the option of the United States Holder, to either a deduction or a tax credit for such foreign tax paid or withheld. United States Holders that are eligible for benefits under the Treaty will not be entitled to a foreign tax credit for the amount of Canadian taxes withheld in excess of the 15% maximum rate available under the Treaty, and with respect to which the United States Holder can obtain a refund from the Canadian taxing authorities. The limitation in foreign taxes eligible for credit is calculated separately with respect to specific classes of income. The rules governing foreign tax credits are complex and, therefore, United States Holders should consult their tax advisor regarding the availability of foreign tax credits in their particular circumstances.
United States Holders that are accrual basis taxpayers must translate Canadian taxes into United States dollars at a rate equal to the average exchange rate for the taxable year in which the taxes accrue, while all United States
132
Holders must translate taxable dividend income into U.S. dollars at the spot rate on the date received. This difference in exchange rates may reduce the U.S. dollar value of the credits for Canadian taxes relative to the United States Holder’s United States federal income tax liability attributable to a dividend.
Disposition of common shares of the Corporation
A United States Holder will recognize gain or loss from the sale of common shares of the Corporation equal to the difference, if any, between (i) the amount of cash plus the fair market value of any property received, and (ii) the shareholder’s tax basis in the common shares of the Corporation. This gain or loss will be capital gain or loss if the common shares are a capital asset in the hands of the United States Holder, which will be a short-term or long-term capital gain or loss depending upon the holding period of the United States Holder. Gains and losses are netted and combined according to special rules in arriving at the overall capital gain or loss for a particular tax year. Deductions for net capital losses are subject to significant limitations. For United States Holders that are not corporations, net capital loss may be offset against up to $3,000 of ordinary income each tax year, and any unused portion of such net capital loss may be carried over to be used in later tax years until such net capital loss is thereby exhausted. For United States Holders that are corporations (other than corporations subject to Subchapter S of the Code), an unused net capital loss may be carried back three years from the loss year and carried forward from the loss year to be offset against capital gains until the earlier of five years or the exhaustion of the net capital loss.
As with dividends, for tax years beginning after 2012, capital gains of U.S. citizens and residents with modified adjusted gross income above $200,000 ($250,000 for joint returns) will be subject to an additional 3.8% tax on net investment income.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
Payments of dividends or other proceeds with respect to common shares of the Corporation by a United States paying agent or other United States intermediary will be reported to the IRS and to the United States Holder as may be required under applicable regulations. Backup withholding at a rate of 28 per cent may apply to these payments if the United States Holder fails to provide an accurate taxpayer identification number or certification of foreign or other exempt status or fails to report all interest and dividends required to be shown on its United States federal income tax returns. Certain United States Holders (including, among others, corporations) are not subject to backup withholding. United States Holders should consult their tax advisors as to their qualification for exemption from backup withholding and the procedure for obtaining exemption.
F. | Dividends and Paying Agents |
Not applicable.
G. | Statement by Experts |
Not applicable.
H. | Documents on Display |
Subject to confidentiality concerns, all documents concerning the Corporation that are referred to in this Report may be inspected by shareholders upon reasonable advance notice, at the Corporation’s headquarters at 161, avenue Principale, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, J9X 4P6. A summary in English of any such document not in English will be provided.
I. | Subsidiary Information |
Not applicable.
133
ITEM 11. | QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK |
Commodity Price and Foreign Currency Risk Disclosure
See “ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE CORPORATION – B. Business Overview -Gold Marketing and Sales” above.
The Corporation’s revenues are mainly denominated in US dollars, while investments and operating costs, primarily accrue in Canadian dollars. The Corporation’s cash flows and results of operations will therefore be affected by fluctuations in the US/CAN dollar exchange rate.
The Corporation’s financial results are sensitive to movements in the price of gold, and the US$/CAN$ exchange rate, as the Corporation mostly generates revenue in US dollars and generally incurs expenses in Canadian dollars. The following table describes, for demonstration purposes only, the financial impact that changes in certain variables would generally have had on the Corporation’s 2014 net earnings, all other variables being constant.
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS | ||
Variable | Change | Impact on net earnings |
(in thousands of CAN$) | ||
Price of gold (US$) | +/-10% per ounce | +/- 9,566 |
Exchange rate (US$/CAN$) | +/- 9% (US$/CAN$) | +/- 7,779 |
To reduce the effects of fluctuations in US/CAN dollar exchange rates, the Corporation may use financial instruments to hedge currency exposures in the ordinary course of business. The Corporation has not entered into such agreements over the last three (3) years.
The Corporation does not require or place collateral for its foreign currency and gold hedging derivatives. However, the Corporation seeks to minimize its credit risk by dealing with only major international banks and financial institutions.
Interest Rate Risk Disclosure
At December 31, 2014, the Corporation had long-term Finance lease obligations, Contract payment holdbacks, Royalty payments payable, Long-term share-based compensation and Closure allowance . See “ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS - A. Operating Results – Long-Term Debt” above. The Corporation does not believe it is exposed to significant interest rate risk.
ITEM 12. | DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES |
Not applicable.
134
PART II
ITEM 13. | DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES |
There have been no defaults, dividend arrearages or delinquencies.
ITEM 14. | MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS |
There have been no material modifications to the rights of security holders.
See “ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – C. Material Contracts” for a description of the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Rights Plan.
ITEM 15. | CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES |
a) | Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Based on their evaluation of the Corporation’s disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report, and pursuant to Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Renaud Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer and Nicole Veilleux, Vice-President, Finance have concluded that the Corporation’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) or Rule 15d-15(e)) are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Corporation in the reports that it files under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and are operating in an effective manner. |
|
b) | Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. The Corporation’s internal control system was designed to provide reasonable assurance to the Corporation’s management and Board of Directors regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of published financial statements in accordance with IFRS. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective may not prevent or detect misstatements and can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. |
Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014. In making this assessment, management used the criteria for effective internal control over financial reporting set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) in 2013 Internal Control-Integrated Framework. Based on this assessment, management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2014, the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting was effective based on those criteria.
The effectiveness of the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014 has been audited by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears herein.
The Corporation will continue to periodically review its disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting and may make modifications from time to time as considered necessary or desirable.
c) | Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm. The attestation report of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, regarding the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting is included under Item 18. |
135
d) | Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Management regularly reviews its system of internal control over financial reporting and makes changes to the Corporation’s processes and systems to improve controls and increase efficiency, while ensuring that the Corporation maintains an effective internal control environment. Changes may include such activities as implementing new, more efficient systems, consolidating activities, and migrating processes. |
There were no changes in the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 20-F that have materially affected, or are reasonable likely to materially affect, the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 16.A. | AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT |
The Corporation’s Board of Directors has determined that Michael Pesner, chairman of the Audit Committee, serves as “audit committee financial expert” on its audit committee and that he is also an “independent” director as defined under the listing standards of the NYSE MKT.
ITEM 16.B. | CODE OF ETHICS |
The Board has a Code of Ethics for employees responsible for financial information, including the CEO, the Vice-President, Finance, the Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer and any other person performing functions that are connected to the objective of the Code of Ethics for Financial Reporting Employees. The Code of Ethics for Financial Reporting Employees, which is under the responsibility of the Audit Committee, is reviewed and reassessed annually and must be signed by all employees every year. A copy of such code may be obtained by making a request to the Corporate Secretary of the Corporation. The Board also has a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for its directors, officers and employees. This Code was modified to insert a clause on exceptions and overrides. The Corporation similarly has a whistle blower policy under the terms of which employees can report an offence to the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, or voice a concern relating to possible irregularities with regards to internal accounting, auditing or internal controls, by communicating by email, mail or telephone, confidentially with an appointed director. A memo was sent to all employees of the Corporation explaining this procedure. A memo was sent to inform employees of new coordinates of the new appointed director. Furthermore, no director may participate in any Board discussion regarding a matter in which he has a conflict of interest, and may not vote on any such matter. Copies of the Business Conduct and Ethics Code and the Code of Ethics for Financial Reporting Employees are available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.
ITEM 16.C. | PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES |
Audit Committee’s Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
Beginning in 2004, the Corporation’s Audit Committee provided to the Corporation’s principal independent accounting firm a list of preapproved services. If officers of Richmont Mines request such firm to perform other services on behalf of the Corporation, the independent accounting firm must have the approval of the Audit Committee chairman before accepting the mandate, which request must also be formally approved by the Audit Committee at the next Audit Committee meeting. The list of services provided to the Corporation’s principal independent accounting firm is subject to revision every year by the Audit Committee and can be modified by the Audit Committee at any time by sending written notice to the Corporation’s principal independent accounting firm.
The following tables show the total fees billed for each of the three past financial years by the Corporation’s principal independent accounting firm.
136
Audit Fees
The aggregate fees billed by the external auditors for audit services for each of the last three financial years are the following:
Nature of services(in CAN$) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||
Audit services* | 154,875 | 141,750 | 135,000 |
* | Includes the audit of the internal controls and financial reporting as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. |
Audit-Related Fees
The aggregate fees billed for each of the last three financial years for certification services and related services provided by the external auditors which are reasonably related with the performance of the audit or review of the Corporation’s financial statements are described in the following table:
Nature of services(in CAN$) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||
Special work | 46,337 | 27,403 | 25,050 |
Taxation Fees
The aggregate fees billed for each of the last three financial years for the professional services provided by the external auditors with regards to tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning are described in the following table:
Nature of services(in CAN$) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||
Review quarterly estimate | 11,625 | 10,125 | 10,125 | ||||||
Planning and tax advice | 5,750 | 6,400 | 7,925 |
All Other Fees
The aggregate fees billed for each of the last three financial years for the products and services provided by the external auditors, other than the services previously stated, are described in the following table:
Nature of services(in CAN$) | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||||
Other consultations | 869 | 997 | 8,185 | ||||||
Other expenses | 13,125 | 12,955 | 1,968 |
100% of all Audit Related Fees, Tax Fees and All Other Fees reported above were approved by the Corporation’s Audit Committee.
ITEM 16.D. | EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES |
The Corporation did not rely on any exemption from the listing standards for audit committees.
ITEM 16.E. | PURCHASES OF EQUITYSECURITIESBYTHEISSUERANDAFFILIATED PURCHASERS |
The Corporation had no share repurchase program in effect in 2014.
137
ITEM 16.F. | CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT |
Not applicable.
ITEM 16.G. | CORPORATE GOVERNANCE |
NYSE MKT Corporate Governance Matters
The Corporation’s common shares are listed on NYSE MKT. Section 110 of the NYSE MKT Corporation Guide permits the NYSE MKT to consider the laws, customs and practices of the foreign issuer’s country of domicile in relaxing certain NYSE MKT listing criteria, and to grant exemptions from NYSE MKT listing criteria based on these considerations. A corporation seeking relief under these provisions is required to provide written certification from independent local counsel that the non-complying practice is not prohibited by home country law. A description of the significant ways in which the Corporation’s governance practices differ from those followed by domestic companies pursuant to NYSE MKT standards is as follows:
[ ] | Shareholder Meeting Quorum Requirement: The NYSE MKT recommended minimum quorum requirement for a shareholder meeting is one-third of the outstanding common shares. In addition, a corporation listed on NYSE MKT is required to state its quorum requirement in its By-Laws. The Corporation’s quorum requirement as set forth in its By-Laws is two shareholders with at least 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders whether present in person or represented by proxy. | |
[ ] | Proxy Delivery Requirement: NYSE MKT requires the solicitation of proxies and delivery of proxy statements for all shareholder meetings, and requires that these proxies shall be solicited pursuant to a proxy statement that conforms to SEC proxy rules. The Corporation is a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 3b-4 under the Exchange Act and Rule 405 under the Securities Act and the equity securities of the Corporation are accordingly exempt from the proxy rules set forth in Sections 14(a), 14(b), 14(c) and 14(f) of the Exchange Act. The Corporation solicits proxies in accordance with applicable rules and regulations in Canada. |
[ ] | Shareholder Approval Requirement:The Corporation will follow the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and Toronto Stock Exchange rules for shareholder approval of new issuances of its common shares. Following such securities and exchange rules, shareholder approval is required for certain issuances of shares that: (i) materially affect control of the Corporation; or (ii) provide consideration to insiders in aggregate of 10% or greater of the market capitalization of the listed issuer and have not been negotiated at arm’s length. Shareholder approval is also required, pursuant to Toronto Stock Exchange rules, in the case of most private placements: (x) for an aggregate number of listed securities issuable greater than 25% of the number of securities of the listed issuer which are outstanding, on a non-diluted basis, prior to the date of closing of the transaction if the price per security is less than the market price; or (y) that during any six month period are to insiders for listed securities or options, rights or other entitlements to listed securities greater than 10% of the number of securities of the listed issuer which are outstanding, on a non-diluted basis, prior to the date of the closing of the first private placement to an insider during the six month period. |
The Corporation believes that foregoing are consistent with the laws, customs and practices in Canada.
In addition, the Corporation may from time-to-time seek relief from NYSE MKT corporate governance requirements on specific transactions under Section 110 of the NYSE MKT Corporation Guide by providing written certification from independent local counsel that the non-complying practice is not prohibited by the Corporation’s home country law.
138
ITEM 16.H. | MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE |
None of the mines operated by the Corporation or its subsidiaries is subject to the provisions of the United States Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and, accordingly, no disclosure is required.
PART III
ITEM 17. | CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
The Corporation has elected to provide consolidated financial statements pursuant to Item 18 of Form 20-F.
ITEM 18. | CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS |
The audited consolidated financial statements referred to below are included herein and found immediately following the text of this Annual Report. The report of the Independent Auditor on such consolidated financial statements is included herein immediately preceding such audited consolidated financial statements.
Audited Consolidated Financial Statements
Independent Auditor’s report of registered public accounting firm dated February 18, 2015 on Internal Control over financial reporting and on the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position as at December 31, 2014 and 2013, Consolidated Income Statement, Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income, Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity, and Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, and a summary of significant accounting policies, and other explanatory information.
139
ITEM 19. | EXHIBITS |
Exhibit | Exhibit |
No. | |
1.1 | Articles of the Corporation, including all amendments thereto(1) |
1.2 | By-Laws of the Corporation, including all amendments thereto(2) |
1.3 | New By-Laws No. 2012-1 adopted by the shareholders at the Annual Meeting on May 10, 2012(3) |
2.1 | Shareholder Rights Plan(4) |
2.2 | Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Rights Plan(5) |
4.1 | Acquisition Agreement and Amalgamation Agreement (Acquisition of Louvem Mines Inc.)(5) |
4.2 | Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan adopted by the shareholders at the Annual Meeting on May 10, 2012(6) |
4.3 | Private Financing: Fonds de solidarité des travailleurs du Québec (F.T.Q.); Fonds régional de solidarité Abitibi-Témiscamingue, société en commandite(7) |
4.4 | Private Financing: Robert Buchan; Fraser Buchan; Jennifer Buchan(7) |
4.5 | Private Financing: Non-brokered private placement with four institutional funds(8) |
4.6 | Prospectus Financing(9) |
4.7 | Prospectus Financing † |
4.8 | Agreement of Purchase and Sale dated October 15, 2013 between Prodigy Gold Inc. (“Argonaut”) and Richmont Mines Inc. (“Richmont”) † |
4.9 | Amending Agreement of Purchase and Sale dated June 6, 2014 between Prodigy Gold Inc. (“Argonaut”) and Richmont Mines Inc. (“Richmont”) † |
4.10 | Purchase and Sale Agreement dated August 1, 2014 between Richmont Mines Inc. (“Purchaser”) and Host’s Gold Incorporated (“Vendor”); and Royalty Agreement dated August 1, 2014 between Richmont Mines Inc. (“Grantor”) and Host’s Gold Incorporated (“Payee”) † |
8.1 | List of Subsidiaries † |
12.1 | Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certifications † |
13.1 | Certification of periodic financial report pursuant to Section 906 of theSarbanes-Oxley Actof 2002, 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 † |
† Filed herewith. |
(1) | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 20-F dated September 25, 1996 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Amendments to Articles mentioned under “Item 10 Additional Information” into the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 5, 2011. |
(2) | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 20-F dated September 25, 1996 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Amendment to By-Laws mentioned under “Item 10 Additional Information” into the Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 5, 2011. |
(3) | Incorporated by reference to Exhibit No. 1 to the Corporation’s Annual Report under “Item 10 Additional Information” on Form 20- F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 27, 2012. |
140
(4) | Incorporated by reference to the identically numbered Exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 10, 2007. |
(5) | The Acquisition and Amalgamation Agreements were filed on EDGAR on May 28, 2010 and the Amended and Restated Shareholders Rights Plan was filed on EDGAR on April 14, 2011. The Plan was renewed on May 8, 2014. These documents are incorporated by reference in this Annual Report. |
(6) | The Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan incorporated in the 2011 Management Information Circular and in the 2011 Annual Report on Form 20-F was filed on EDGAR on April 27, 2012. The Plan will be renewed on May 7, 2015. That document is incorporated by reference in this Annual Report. |
(7) | The two Private Financing (the first one with Fonds de solidarité des travailleurs du Québec (F.T.Q.) and Fonds régional de solidarité Abitibi-Témiscamingue, société en commandite), (the second one with Robert Buchan; Fraser Buchan; Jennifer Buchan) were filed on Form 20-F on EDGAR on April 27, 2012. Those documents are incorporated by reference in this Annual Report. |
(8) | Incorporated by reference to the identically numbered Exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 24, 2013. |
(9) | Richmont Mines closed a bought deal financing on April 23, 2014, for aggregate gross proceeds of CAN$11.67 million. Incorporated by reference to the identically numbered Exhibit to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 28, 2014. |
141
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.
RICHMONT MINES INC. | |
Registrant |
Dated: April 21, 2015 | By: | (/s/) Nicole Veilleux |
Nicole Veilleux | ||
Vice-President, Finance |
Consolidated Financial Statements of
RICHMONT MINES INC.
Years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT OF REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the shareholders of Richmont Mines Inc.
We have completed integrated audits of Richmont Mines Inc.’s 2014, 2013 and 2012 consolidated financial statements and of its internal control over financial reporting as at December 31, 2014. Our opinions, based on our audits, are presented below.
Report on the consolidated financial statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated financial statements of Richmont Mines Inc., which comprise the consolidated statements of financial position as at December 31, 2014 and 2013 and the consolidated income statements, the consolidated statements of comprehensive income, the consolidated statements of changes in equity and the consolidated statements of cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2014, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
Management’s responsibility for the consolidated financial statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these consolidated financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, as established by the International Accounting Standards Board, and for such internal control as management determines 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 an audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence, on a test basis, 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 risks assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Company’s preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting principles and 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 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 Richmont Mines Inc. as at December 31, 2014 and 2013 and its financial performance and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2014 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as established by the International Accounting Standards Board.
Report on internal control over financial reporting
We have also audited Richmont Mines Inc. internal control over financial reporting as at December 31, 2014, based on the criteria established in “2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission(COSO).
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT OF REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Management’s responsibility
Management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting.
Auditor’s responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We conducted our audit of internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit of internal control over financial reporting includes obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on assessed risk and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained in our audit is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Definition of internal control over financial reporting
A Company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. A Company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.
Inherent limitations
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, 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.
Opinion
In our opinion, Richmont Mines Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as at December 31, 2014, based on the criteria established in“2013 Internal Control—Integrated Framework”issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
Montreal (Canada)
February 18, 2015
____________________________
1CPA auditor, CA public accountancy permit no. A105359
RICHMONT MINES INC.
Consolidated Financial Statements
Years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013
Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Income Statements | 1 |
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income | 2 |
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity | 3 |
Consolidated Statements of Financial Position | 6 |
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows | 7 |
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | 8 |
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||
$ | $ | $ | ||||
CONTINUING OPERATIONS | ||||||
Revenues(note 3) | 132,196 | 90,213 | 101,718 | |||
Cost of sales(note 4) | 111,898 | 85,832 | 73,798 | |||
GROSS PROFIT | 20,298 | 4,381 | 27,920 | |||
OTHER EXPENSES (REVENUES) | ||||||
Exploration and project evaluation(note 5) | 3,772 | 7,875 | 20,265 | |||
Administration(note 6) | 7,627 | 7,514 | 10,270 | |||
Loss on disposal of long-term assets(note 8) | 639 | 105 | 198 | |||
Impairment loss on W Zone Mine(note 17.1) | - | 13,472 | - | |||
Other revenues(note 9) | (102 | ) | (154 | ) | (28 | ) |
11,936 | 28,812 | 30,705 | ||||
OPERATING EARNINGS (LOSS) | 8,362 | (24,431 | ) | (2,785 | ) | |
Financial expenses(note 10) | 111 | 1,263 | 656 | |||
Financial revenues(note 11) | (436 | ) | (526 | ) | (837 | ) |
EARNINGS (LOSS) BEFORE MINING AND INCOME TAXES | 8,687 | (25,168 | ) | (2,604 | ) | |
MINING AND INCOME TAXES(note 12) | 505 | 7,994 | 373 | |||
NET EARNINGS (LOSS) FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS | 8,182 | (33,162 | ) | (2,977 | ) | |
NET LOSS FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATION(note 13) | - | (1,098 | ) | (42,038 | ) | |
NET EARNINGS (LOSS) | 8,182 | (34,260 | ) | (45,015 | ) | |
EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE(note 14) | ||||||
Basic earnings (loss) per share | ||||||
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations | 0.18 | (0.84 | ) | (0.08 | ) | |
Loss from discontinued operation | - | (0.03 | ) | (1.20 | ) | |
Basic net earnings (loss) | 0.18 | (0.87 | ) | (1.28 | ) | |
Diluted earnings (loss) per share | ||||||
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations | 0.18 | (0.84 | ) | (0.08 | ) | |
Loss from discontinued operation | - | (0.03 | ) | (1.20 | ) | |
Diluted net earnings (loss) | 0.18 | (0.87 | ) | (1.28 | ) | |
BASIC WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING (in thousands) | 45,261 | 39,594 | 35,055 | |||
DILUTED WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING (in thousands) | 45,700 | 39,594 | 35,207 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
1
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Year ended December 31 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||
$ | $ | $ | |||
NET EARNINGS (LOSS) | 8,182 | (34,260 | ) | (45,015 | ) |
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS, NET OF TAXES | |||||
ITEMS THAT WILL BE RECLASSIFIED SUBSEQUENTLY TO NET EARNINGS (LOSS) | |||||
Fair value variation on available-for-sale financial assets | - | (18 | ) | (281 | ) |
Realized gain on sale of available-for-sale financial assets transferred to net earnings | - | (12 | ) | (90 | ) |
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS, NET OF TAXES | - | (30 | ) | (371 | ) |
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) | 8,182 | (34,290 | ) | (45,386 | ) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
2
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
Year ended December 31, 2014 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Contributed | ||||||||
Share capital | surplus | Deficit | Total equity | |||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | |||||
BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2013 | 132,202 | 11,253 | (57,102 | ) | 86,353 | |||
Issue of shares | ||||||||
Common | 11,673 | - | - | 11,673 | ||||
Exercise of share options | 1,594 | (505 | ) | - | 1,089 | |||
Common shares issue costs | (934 | ) | - | - | (934 | ) | ||
Share-based compensation | - | 1,594 | - | 1,594 | ||||
Transactions with Richmont Mines shareholders | 12,333 | 1,089 | - | 13,422 | ||||
| ||||||||
Net earnings and total comprehensive income | - | - | 8,182 | 8,182 | ||||
BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2014 | 144,535 | 12,342 | (48,920 | ) | 107,957 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
3
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
Year ended December 31, 2013 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Available-for- | |||||||||
Contributed | sale financial | ||||||||
Share capital | surplus | Deficit | assets | Total equity | |||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||
BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2012 | 132,113 | 9,062 | (22,842 | ) | 30 | 118,363 | |||
Issue of shares | |||||||||
Exercise of share options | 89 | (27 | ) | - | - | 62 | |||
Issue of warrants | - | 439 | - | - | 439 | ||||
Share-based compensation | - | 1,779 | - | - | 1,779 | ||||
Transactions with Richmont Mines shareholders | 89 | 2,191 | - | - | 2,280 | ||||
Net loss | - | - | (34,260 | ) | - | (34,260 | ) | ||
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes | |||||||||
Items that will be reclassified subsequently to net earnings (loss) | |||||||||
Fair value variation on available-for-sale financial assets | - | - | - | (18 | ) | (18 | ) | ||
Realized gain on sale of available-for-sale financial assets transferred to net earnings | - | - | - | (12 | ) | (12 | ) | ||
Total comprehensive loss | - | - | (34,260 | ) | (30 | ) | (34,290 | ) | |
BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2013 | 132,202 | 11,253 | (57,102 | ) | - | 86,353 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
4
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
Year ended December 31, 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Retained | Available-for- | |||||||||
Contributed | earnings | sale financial | ||||||||
Share capital | surplus | (deficit) | assets | Total equity | ||||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||
BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2011 | 104,872 | 6,688 | 22,173 | 401 | 134,134 | |||||
Issue of shares | ||||||||||
Common | 25,981 | - | - | - | 25,981 | |||||
Exercise of share options | 2,174 | (653 | ) | - | - | 1,521 | ||||
Common shares issue costs | (914 | ) | - | - | - | (914 | ) | |||
Convertible debentures - | ||||||||||
Equity component, net impact | - | 88 | - | - | 88 | |||||
Deferred income and mining tax liabilities | - | (23 | ) | - | - | (23 | ) | |||
Share-based compensation | - | 2,962 | - | - | 2,962 | |||||
Transactions with Richmont Mines shareholders | 27,241 | 2,374 | - | - | 29,615 | |||||
Net loss | - | - | (45,015 | ) | - | (45,015 | ) | |||
Other comprehensive loss, net of taxes | ||||||||||
Items that will be reclassified subsequently to net earnings (loss) | ||||||||||
Fair value variation on available-for-sale financial assets | - | - | - | (281 | ) | (281 | ) | |||
Realized gain on sale of available-for-sale financial assets transferred to net earnings | - | - | - | (90 | ) | (90 | ) | |||
Total comprehensive loss | - | - | (45,015 | ) | (371 | ) | (45,386 | ) | ||
BALANCE AT DECEMBER 31, 2012 | 132,113 | 9,062 | (22,842 | ) | 30 | 118,363 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
5
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION
December 31 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
December 31, | December 31, | |||
2014 | 2013 | |||
$ | $ | |||
ASSETS | ||||
CURRENT ASSETS | ||||
Cash | 35,273 | 17,551 | ||
Guaranteed investment certificate, 0.9%, maturing in February 2015 | 474 | - | ||
Receivables(note 15) | 3,139 | 3,008 | ||
Income and mining tax assets | 1,558 | 925 | ||
Exploration tax credits receivable | 5,300 | 5,670 | ||
Inventories(note 16) | 13,814 | 9,075 | ||
59,558 | 36,229 | |||
RESTRICTED DEPOSITS (note 19 d) | 1,016 | 3,421 | ||
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT(note 17) | 88,197 | 83,678 | ||
TOTAL ASSETS | 148,771 | 123,328 | ||
LIABILITIES | ||||
CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||||
Payables, accruals and provisions | 19,487 | 19,897 | ||
Income and mining taxes payable | 3,241 | 1,225 | ||
Current portion of long-term debt | 1,799 | 825 | ||
Current portion of asset retirement obligations | 194 | 330 | ||
24,721 | 22,277 | |||
LONG-TERM DEBT(note 18) | 5,724 | 5,196 | ||
ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS(note 19 c) | 8,043 | 7,603 | ||
DEFERRED INCOME AND MINING TAX LIABILITIES(note 12) | 2,326 | 1,899 | ||
TOTAL LIABILITIES | 40,814 | 36,975 | ||
EQUITY | ||||
Share capital(note 20) | 144,535 | 132,202 | ||
Contributed surplus | 12,342 | 11,253 | ||
Deficit | (48,920 | ) | (57,102 | ) |
TOTAL EQUITY | 107,957 | 86,353 | ||
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | 148,771 | 123,328 | ||
Commitments and subsequent event(note 23) |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
On behalf of the Board:
/s/ Renaud Adams | /s/ Michael Pesner |
Renaud Adams | Michael Pesner |
Director | Director |
6
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Years ended December 31 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||
$ | $ | $ | ||||
OPERATING ACTIVITIES | ||||||
Net earnings (loss) | 8,182 | (34,260 | ) | (45,015 | ) | |
Adjustments for: | ||||||
Depreciation and depletion | 21,808 | 14,674 | 10,771 | |||
Impairment loss on W Zone Mine’s assets | - | 13,472 | - | |||
Impairment loss on Francoeur Mine’s assets | - | - | 41,161 | |||
Adjustment to estimated recoverable value of remaining Francoeur Mine’s assets | - | 867 | - | |||
Non-cash expenses related to discontinued operation | - | - | 4,571 | |||
Income and mining taxes received (paid) | 1,304 | (1,541 | ) | (3,626 | ) | |
Interest revenues | (409 | ) | (409 | ) | (718 | ) |
Interest and accretion expenses on long-term debt | 161 | 66 | 596 | |||
Share-based compensation | 2,008 | 2,521 | 3,601 | |||
Share-based compensation settled in cash | (60 | ) | (725 | ) | - | |
Adjustment to closure allowance | (60 | ) | - | - | ||
Financing expenses | - | 1,165 | - | |||
Accretion expense – asset retirement obligations | 111 | 81 | 66 | |||
Loss on disposal of long-term assets | 639 | 193 | 205 | |||
Gain on disposal of shares of publicly-traded companies | - | (12 | ) | (90 | ) | |
Mining and income taxes | 505 | 7,994 | (6,655 | ) | ||
34,189 | 4,086 | 4,867 | ||||
Net change in non-cash working capital items(note 21) | (6,910 | ) | (630 | ) | 2,789 | |
Cash flows from operating activities | 27,279 | 3,456 | 7,656 | |||
INVESTING ACTIVITIES | ||||||
Disposition of shares of publicly-traded companies | - | 12 | 582 | |||
Interest received | 390 | 420 | 736 | |||
Restricted deposits | (704 | ) | (2,737 | ) | (394 | ) |
Guaranteed investment certificate | 2,650 | - | - | |||
Property, plant and equipment – Island Gold Mine | (20,168 | ) | (27,770 | ) | (8,364 | ) |
Property, plant and equipment – Beaufor Mine | (1,623 | ) | (980 | ) | (1,192 | ) |
Property, plant and equipment – W Zone Mine | (234 | ) | (3,779 | ) | (9,911 | ) |
Property, plant and equipment – Monique Mine | (21 | ) | (8,358 | ) | - | |
Property, plant and equipment – Francoeur Mine | - | - | (15,458 | ) | ||
Property, plant and equipment – Other | (1,006 | ) | (1,001 | ) | (2,929 | ) |
Disposition of property, plant and equipment | 390 | 869 | 105 | |||
Cash flows used in investing activities | (20,326 | ) | (43,324 | ) | (36,825 | ) |
FINANCING ACTIVITIES | ||||||
Payments of asset retirement obligations | (74 | ) | - | - | ||
Issue of common shares | 12,762 | 62 | 27,502 | |||
Common shares issue costs | (934 | ) | - | (914 | ) | |
Interest paid | (160 | ) | (66 | ) | (508 | ) |
Financing expenses | - | (727 | ) | - | ||
Issue of convertible debentures | - | - | 10,000 | |||
Retirement of convertible debentures | - | - | (10,000 | ) | ||
Payment of finance lease obligations | (825 | ) | (1,660 | ) | (633 | ) |
Cash flows from (used in) financing activities | 10,769 | (2,391 | ) | 25,447 | ||
Net change in cash and cash equivalents | 17,722 | (42,259 | ) | (3,722 | ) | |
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year | 17,551 | 59,810 | 63,532 | |||
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year(note 26 d) | 35,273 | 17,551 | 59,810 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
7
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
1. | General information and compliance with IFRS |
Richmont Mines Inc. (the “Corporation“), is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Quebec) and is engaged in mining, exploration and development of mining properties, principally gold.
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Corporation’s management in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) that are in effect at December 31, 2014, as established by the International Accounting Standards Board.
Richmont Mines inc. is the parent company. The address of the head office is 161 Avenue Principale, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada. The Corporation’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and on the New York Stock Exchange Market (NYSE MKT), under the symbol “RIC”.
2. | Summary of accounting policies |
2.1. Overall considerations
The significant accounting policies that have been applied in the preparation of these consolidated financial statements are summarized below.
2.2. Basis of evaluation
These consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, under the historical cost method, except for available-for-sale financial assets which are measured at fair value.
2.3. Standards, amendments and interpretations to existing standards that are not yet effective and have not been adopted early by the Corporation
At the date of authorization of these consolidated financial statements, new standards, amendments and interpretations to existing standards have been published but are not yet effective, and have not been adopted early by the Corporation.
Management anticipates that all of the pronouncements not yet effective will be adopted in the Corporation’s accounting policies for the first period beginning after the effective date of the pronouncement. Information on new standards, amendments and interpretations that are expected to be relevant to the Corporation’s financial statements is provided below. Certain other new standards and interpretations have been issued but are not expected to have a material impact on the Corporation’s consolidated financial statements.
IFRS 9 – Financial instruments (IFRS 9)
In July 2014, the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) published IFRS 9 which replaces IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement (IAS 39). IFRS 9 introduces improvements which include a logical model for classification and measurement of financial assets, a single, forward-looking “expected loss” impairment model and a substantially-reformed approach to hedge accounting. IFRS 9 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Earlier application is permitted. The Corporation has yet to assess the impact of this new standard on its consolidated financial statements.
IFRS 15 – Revenues from contracts with Customers (IFRS 15)
In May 2014, the IASB published IFRS 15 which replaces IAS 18 Revenue, IAS 11 Construction Contracts and some revenue-related interpretations. IFRS 15 establishes a new control-based revenue recognition model, changes the basis for deciding when revenue is recognized at a point in time or over time, provides new and more detailed guidance on specific topics and expands and improves disclosures about revenue. IFRS 15 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017. Earlier application is permitted. The Corporation has yet to assess the impact of this new standard on its consolidated financial statements.
8
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
2.4. Basis of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements consolidate those of the parent company and all of its subsidiaries as at December 31, 2014. The parent controls a subsidiary if it is exposed, or has rights, to variable returns from its involvement with the subsidiary and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the subsidiary. The Corporation’s subsidiaries are all 100% owned by the parent company. The financial year end of all subsidiaries is December 31.
All transactions and balances between corporations are eliminated upon consolidation, including unrealized gains and losses on transactions between these consolidated corporations. When unrealized losses on intragroup asset sales are reversed on consolidation, the underlying asset is also tested for impairment from a Corporation perspective. Amounts reported in the financial statements of subsidiaries have been adjusted where necessary to ensure consistency with the accounting policies adopted by the Corporation.
Earnings and loss and other comprehensive income of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the year are recognized from the effective date of the acquisition, or up to the effective date of disposal, as applicable.
Subsidiaries
Details of the Corporation’s subsidiaries at December 31, 2014, are as follows:
Name of subsidiary | Principal activity | Incorporation law | Interest and voting share | |
Camflo Mill Inc. | Ore milling | Canada Business Corporations Act | 100% | |
Patricia Mining Corp. | Inactive | Ontario Incorporation | 100% | |
Louvem Mines Inc. | Inactive | Business Corporations Act (Quebec) | 100% |
2.5. Foreign currency translation
The consolidated financial statements are presented in Canadian dollars, which is also the functional currency of the parent company and all subsidiaries. The functional currency has remained unchanged during the reporting periods for all entities of the Corporation.
Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional currency using the exchange rates prevailing at the date of the transactions. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions and from the remeasurement of monetary items using year-end exchange rates are recognized in the income statement in “Financial revenues” or “Financial expenses”.
Non-monetary items measured at historical cost are translated using the exchange rates at the date of the transaction (not retranslated). Non-monetary items measured at fair value are translated using the exchange rates at the date when fair value was determined.
2.6. Revenue recognition
Revenue is recognized to the extent that it is probable that the economic benefits will flow to the Corporation and the revenue can be reliably measured. Revenue is measured at fair value of the consideration received or receivable, excluding taxes.
Revenue includes precious metals revenue and milling revenue.
Precious metals revenue, based on spot metal prices, is recorded on delivery when rights and obligations related to ownership are transferred to the purchaser and assurance regarding collectability of the consideration exists.
Milling revenue is recorded when the ore processing service is rendered by the Corporation, accepted by the client and reasonable assurance regarding collectability of the consideration exists.
9
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Interest revenue is reported on an accrual basis using the effective interest method and is included in “Financial revenues” in the income statement.
2.7. Post employment benefits and short-term employee benefits
The Corporation provides post employment benefits through a defined contribution plan. A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the Corporation pays contributions, established according to a percentage of the employee’s salary, to an independent entity. The Corporation has no legal or constructive obligations to pay further contributions after its payment of the fixed contribution. The Corporation also contributes to state plans for certain employees that are considered defined contribution plans. Contributions to plans are recognized as an expense in the period that relevant employee services are received.
Short-term employee benefits, including vacation entitlement, are current liabilities included in “payables, accruals and provisions", measured at the undiscounted amount that the Corporation expects to pay as a result of the unused entitlement.
2.8. Share-based compensation
The Corporation offers a long-term incentive plan that permits the granting of options (“Options”), restricted share units (“RSUs”), share appreciation rights (“SARs”) and retention awards (“Retention Awards”) to directors, officers, senior executives and other employees, consultants and service providers providing ongoing services to the Corporation.
In the event that participants are rewarded using share-based payments, the fair values of participants' services are determined by reference to the fair value of the services received or of the equity instruments granted if the Corporation cannot estimate reliably the fair value of the services received. When applicable, the fair value of each grant is evaluated using the Black-Scholes pricing model at the date of grant.
Each share-based payment is ultimately recognized as an expense (except warrants to brokers). For grants settled in equity instruments such as Options and RSUs, the compensation is considered as “contributed surplus”. For grants settled in cash or in equity instruments, at the discretion of the participant, such as SARs and Retention Awards, the fair value is the sum of the fair values of the liability component and the equity component. The Corporation first assesses the fair value of the liability component, and then the fair value of the equity component. Any subsequent change in the fair value of the liability component is recognized in the consolidated income statement. For grants settled in cash or equity instrument at the discretion of the Corporation such as RSUs, the compensation is considered as contributed surplus because the Corporation has no past practice to settle such grants in cash.
If vesting periods or other vesting conditions apply, the expense is allocated over the vesting period, based on the best available estimate of the number of grants expected to vest. Estimates are subsequently revised if there is any indication that the number expected to vest differs from previous estimates. Any cumulative adjustment prior to vesting is recognized in the current period. No adjustment is made to any expense in prior periods.
At the date of settlement of Options and RSUs, the proceeds received are allocated to share capital, and the accumulated expenses recorded in contributed surplus are then transferred to share capital.
At the date of settlement of SARs and Retention Awards, the Corporation shall re-measure the liability to its fair value. If the entity issues equity instruments on settlement rather than paying cash, the liability shall be transferred directly to equity, as consideration for the equity instruments issued. If the entity pays in cash on settlement rather than issuing equity instruments, that payment amount shall be applied to settle the liability in full.
10
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
2.9. Exploration and project evaluation
Exploration and project evaluation expenditure comprises costs, depreciation and exploration tax credits that are directly attributable to:
researching and analysing existing exploration data;
conducting geological studies, exploratory drilling and sampling;
examining and testing extraction and treatment methods;
compiling pre-feasibility and feasibility studies.
Exploration expenditures relate to the initial search for deposits. Project evaluation expenditure arises from a detailed assessment of deposits or other projects that have been identified as having geological potential.
Exploration and project evaluation expenditures are not capitalized. Capitalization of expenditures begins when management and the Board of Directors have determined that a project has demonstrated a potential for development and an economic analysis which will be presented to, and formally approved by the Board of Directors, demonstrates the commercial viability and economic benefits of the project. There can be three different types of economic analysis that can be produced and relied upon, which indicate whether development of a property is economically feasible:
The first type is in the form of a preliminary economic analysis showing the profitability of the project based at least on Inferred Resources;
The second type is in the form of a pre-feasibility study showing the profitability of the project based on Measured or Indicated Resources;
Finally, the third type is in the form of a feasibility study, which is a more detailed analysis, where the margin of error is lower. To the extent that the feasibility study has a positive outcome, then resources are converted to reserves. This type of analysis details all costs required for the development of the project as well as production costs. When required, third party bids for part of the project are also provided.
The actual type of analysis that is prepared either internally or with the help of, or by third parties depends on factors such as the level of knowledge about the property and the project, the potential size of such project and whether the project is related or in close proximity to an existing Corporation mining site.
If the analysis demonstrates the technical feasibility and commercial viability of developing a mineral deposit identified through the exploration phase or if the analysis demonstrates a significant potential for probable future economic benefits, and if management decides to pursue the project, it is then presented to the Corporation’s Board of Directors for review and approval.
Once the commercial viability and economic benefits has been determined and approved by the Board of directors the project is classified as an Advance Exploration Project(note 2.15). Subsequent costs relating to further exploring or developing the property for eventual production are capitalized.
Although the Corporation has taken steps to verify title to the mining properties in which it holds an interest, in accordance with industry practices for the current stage of exploration and development of such properties, these procedures do not guarantee the validity of the titles. Property titles may be subject to unregistered prior agreements. They can be lost or revoked if regulatory measures are not respected.
2.10. Mining and income taxes
The income tax expense is composed of current and deferred taxes. Taxes are recognized in the income statement unless they are related to items carried in other comprehensive income or directly in shareholders’ equity.
11
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Current income taxes and mining taxes
Current income tax and mining tax assets and/or liabilities comprise those obligations to, or claims from, tax authorities relating to the current or prior reporting periods, that are unpaid at the reporting date. The current income tax expense is based on income for the period adjusted for non-taxable or non-deductible items. The mining tax expense is based on income for the period for each mining site in production adjusted for non-taxable or non-deductible items. Calculation of current tax and mining tax is based on tax rates and tax laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period. Management regularly examines positions in tax returns where tax regulations are subject to interpretation. Where appropriate, the Corporation sets up a provision based on amount likely to be paid to tax authorities.
Deferred income taxes and deferred mining taxes
Deferred income taxes are recognized using the liability method on temporary differences between the tax basis of the assets and liabilities and their carrying amount in the statement of financial position. However, deferred tax is not provided on the initial recognition of goodwill, or on the initial recognition of an asset or liability unless the related transaction is a business combination or affects tax or accounting profit.
Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are calculated without discounting at tax rates that are expected to apply to their respective period of realization, provided they are enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period.
Deferred income and mining tax liabilities
Are generally recognized for temporary taxable differences and are always provided in full;
Are recognized for temporary differences associated with investments in subsidiaries unless the Corporation controls the timing of the reversal and it is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future;
Are not recognized for temporary differences resulting from goodwill that is not deductible for tax purposes.
Deferred income and mining tax assets
Are recognized to the extent that it is probable that the underlying tax loss or deductible temporary difference will be utilized against future taxable income
Are examined at the end of the reporting period and reduced when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that the deferred income and mining tax assets will not be realized.
Deferred income and mining tax assets and liabilities are offset only when the Corporation has a right and intention to set off current tax assets and liabilities from the same taxation authority.
Changes in deferred income and mining tax assets or liabilities are recognized as a component of tax income or expense in net earnings, except where they relate to items that are recognized in other comprehensive income or directly in equity, in which case the related deferred tax is also recognized in other comprehensive income or equity, respectively.
Under the provisions of tax legislation relating to flow-through shares, the Corporation is required to renounce its right to tax deductions for expenses related to exploration activities to the benefit of the investors. When the Corporation has renounced to its tax deductions and has incurred its admissible expenditures, the sale of tax deductions is recognized in profit or loss as a reduction to deferred tax expense and a deferred tax liability is recognized for the taxable temporary difference that arises from the difference between the carrying amount of admissible expenditures capitalized as an asset and its tax base.
2.11. Basic and diluted earnings per share
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the earnings attributable to common equity holders of the parent company by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period.
12
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Diluted earnings per share is calculated by adjusting earnings attributable to common equity holders and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for dilutive potential common shares. The Corporation’s potentially dilutive common shares comprise stock options, warrants and RSUs. The number of shares included is computed unless they are anti-dilutive. The calculation considers that dilutive potential common shares are deemed to have been converted into common shares at the beginning of the period or, if later, at the date of issue of the potential common share. The proceeds from the exercise of such instruments are assumed to be used to purchase common shares at the average market price for the period and the difference between the number of shares and the number of shares assumed to be purchased are included in the calculation.
2.12. Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash and term deposits with original maturities of three months or less, and that are readily convertible into known amounts of cash and which are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.
2.13. Exploration tax credits receivable
The Corporation is entitled to a refundable tax credit on qualified expenditures incurred in the province of Quebec. The refundable tax credits may reach 12% of qualified exploration expenditures incurred. The corporation is also entitled to a Federal tax credit on qualified exploration expenditures incurred. The exploration tax credits are recognized when the eligible expenses are incurred and when the refundable amounts can be reasonably estimated.
The exploration tax credits have been applied against the costs incurred, either as a reduction of exploration expenses or of capitalized development costs.
A valuation allowance is provided against tax credits claimed or received to the extent that recovery is not considered to be more likely than not.
2.14. Inventories
Supply, ore and precious metals inventories are valued at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The cost of supply, ore and precious metals inventories are determined using the weighted average cost formula. The cost of ore and precious metals inventories includes all expenses directly attributable to the mineral extraction and processing process, including a systematic allocation of fixed and variable production overheads that are incurred in extracting and processing ore.
Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business less any applicable estimated cost to completion and estimated selling expenses. The amount of inventories recognized as an expense is included in the cost of sales under operating costs (note 4).
2.15. Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment are recorded at cost, net of related government assistance, accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment. Cost includes all costs incurred initially to acquire or construct an item of property, plant and equipment, costs directly attributable to bringing the asset to the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management and costs incurred subsequently to add to or replace part thereof.
Advanced exploration projects
Expenditures incurred on properties identified as having commercial viability and economic benefits(note 2.9)are capitalized as property, plant and equipment under this category. The costs of advanced exploration projects are not amortised. Costs include in particular, salaries and related benefits, retirement costs(note 2.17)and are accounted for net of secondary products generated during the advanced exploration phase. Upon commencement of commercial production, advanced exploration costs are transferred to the various categories of property, plant and equipment of mining sites in production and are depleted.
13
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Depletion of mining sites in production
Property, plant and equipment of mining sites in production are depleted according to the units-of-production method to write down the cost to estimated residual value. The depletion rate is calculated in accordance with the number of ounces of gold sold using proven and probable reserves. The estimated period of depletion is determined according to the reserves of each mining site in production. The depreciation is presented as depreciation and depletion and is included in the cost of sales.
Depreciation
Depreciation of an asset begins when it is available for use, i.e. when it is in the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management. Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is calculated using the straight-line method based on their anticipated useful lives as follows:
Buildings: 20 years
Lease improvements: 5 years
Equipment and rolling stock: 2 to 5 years
Others
Depreciation of an asset ceases when it is classified as held for sale or when it is derecognized. Therefore, depreciation does not cease when the asset becomes idle or is retired from active use unless the asset is fully depreciated.
Material residual value estimates, estimates of useful life, proven and probable reserves and the depreciation method are updated as required, at least annually. Any changes in residual value, estimated useful life and proven and probable reserves are recognized prospectively as they occur.
The carrying amount of an item of property, plant and equipment is derecognized upon disposal or when no future economic benefits are expected from its use or disposal. Gains or losses arising on the disposal of property, plant and equipment are determined as the difference between the disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the assets and are recognized separately in the consolidated income statement.
2.16. Impairment testing of property, plant and equipment
For the purposes of assessing impairment, assets are grouped at the lowest levels for which there are largely independent cash inflows (cash-generating units). As a result, some assets are tested individually for impairment and some are tested at a cash-generating unit level. Reviews of the net carrying amount of mining sites in production and advanced exploration projects are carried out on a property-by-property basis, with each site representing a potential single cash-generating unit.
Whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable, an asset or cash-generating unit is reviewed for impairment.
An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the asset's or cash-generating unit's carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount, which is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value-in-use. To determine the value in use, management estimates expected future cash flows from each asset or cash-generating unit, and then determines an appropriate discount rate for the calculation of the expected present value of the cash flows. Discount factors are determined individually for each asset or cash-generating unit and reflect their respective risk profiles as assessed by management.
Impairment losses for cash-generating units, that is mining sites, are allocated on a pro-rata basis to the assets of that site. All the assets are assessed in each reporting period to determine whether there is any indication that an impairment loss recognized in prior periods may no longer exist. An impairment charge is reversed if the asset’s or mining site’s recoverable amount exceeds its carrying amount. However, a reversal of an impairment loss cannot exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined (net of amortization or depreciation) if no impairment loss had been recognized for the asset in prior years.
14
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
2.17. Provisions, contingent liabilities and contingent assets
Provisions are recognized when present obligations as a result of a past event will probably lead to an outflow of economic resources from the Corporation and amounts can be estimated reliably. Timing or amount of the outflow may still be uncertain. A present obligation arises from the presence of a legal or constructive commitment that has resulted from past events, for example, legal disputes, property, plant and equipment retirement obligations, and similar liabilities, or onerous contracts.
Provisions are measured at the estimated expenditure required to settle the present obligation, based on the most reliable evidence available at the reporting date, including the risks and uncertainties associated with the present obligation. Provisions are discounted when the time value of money is significant.
Any reimbursement that the Corporation can be virtually certain to collect from a third party with respect to the obligation is recognized as a separate asset. However, this asset may not exceed the amount of the related provision.
All provisions are reviewed at each reporting date and adjusted to reflect the current best estimate.
In those cases where the possible outflow of economic resources as a result of present obligations is considered improbable or remote, no liability is recognized, unless it was assumed in the course of a business combination. In a business combination, contingent liabilities are recognized in the course of the allocation of the purchase price to the assets and liabilities acquired in the business combination. They are subsequently measured at the higher amount of a comparable provision as described above and the amount initially recognized, less any amortization.
The Corporation is subject to environmental laws and regulations enacted by federal and provincial authorities. As of the reporting date, management believes that the Corporation’s operations are in compliance with current laws and regulations. To take account of estimated cash flows required to settle the obligations arising from environmentally acceptable closure plans (such as dismantling and demolition of infrastructures, removal of residual matter and site restoration), provisions are recognized in the year that the harm to the environment occurs, that is when the Corporation has an actual obligation resulting from harm to the environment, it is likely that an outflow will be required in settlement of the obligation and the obligation is reasonably determinable. These provisions are determined on the basis of the best estimates of future costs, based on information available on the reporting date. Best estimates of future costs are the amount the Corporation would reasonably pay to settle its obligation on the closing date or to transfer it to a third party on the same date. Future costs are discounted using pre-tax rates that reflect current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the liability. A corresponding asset is recognized in property, plant and equipment when establishing the provision.
The provision is reviewed annually to reflect changes in the estimated outflow of resources as a result of changes in obligations or legislation, changes in the current market-based discount rate or an increase that reflects the passage of time. The accretion expense is recognized in net earnings as a finance expense as incurred. The cost of the related asset is adjusted to reflect changes (other than accretion) in the reporting period.
Costs of asset retirement are deducted from the provision when incurred.
2.18. Leases
The economic ownership of a leased asset is transferred to the lessee if the lessee bears substantially all the risks and rewards related to the ownership of the leased asset. The related asset is then recognized at the inception of the lease at the fair value of the leased asset or, if lower, the present value of the lease payments plus incidental payments, if any. A corresponding amount is recognized as a finance leasing liability. The corresponding finance leasing liability is reduced by lease payments less finance charges, which are expensed as part of finance expenses.
15
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
All other leases are treated as operating leases. Payments on operating lease agreements are recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Associated costs, such as maintenance and insurance, are expensed as incurred.
2.19. Segment information
In identifying its operating segments, management generally uses the physical location of mining sites in production. Two segments are analyzed, sites in Quebec and sites in Ontario. Segments are reported on the same basis as the internal information reported to the chief decision makers in allocating resources to operating segments and assessing the performance of these segments. The chief decision makers are represented by the management committee.
All inter-segments transfers are carried out at arm’s length prices. The measurement policies the Corporation uses for segment reporting are the same as those used in its financial statements, except that the following are not included in arriving at the operating earnings of the Corporation’s operating segments:
Administration expenses (including share-based compensation and corporate office remuneration);
Exploration expenses of mining properties not located on mining sites in production;
Exploration tax credits of mining properties not located on mining sites in production.
In addition, corporate assets which are not directly attributable to the business activities of any operating segment are not allocated to a segment. In the financial periods under review, this primarily applies to the Corporation’s assets at the headquarters.
2.20. Equity
Share capital represents the amount received on the issue of shares, less issuance costs, net of any underlying income tax benefit from these issuance costs. If shares are issued when stock options, warrants and RSUs are exercised, the share capital account also comprises the compensation costs previously recorded as contributed surplus.
Unit placements
Proceeds from unit placements are allocated between shares and warrants issued using the residual method. Proceeds are first allocated to shares according to the quoted price of existing shares at the time of issuance and any residual in the proceeds is allocated to warrants.
Other elements of equity
Contributed surplus includes the value attributable to warrants and charges related to share-based compensation until the exercise of options issued and the settlement of the RSUs as remuneration. This account also includes the value of equity conversion option associated with the issuance of convertible debentures, net of tax.
Retained earnings (deficit) include all current and prior period retained profits or losses.
Gains and losses on available-for-sale financial assets are included in accumulated other comprehensive income in the section entitled “available-for-sale financial assets”.
All transactions with owners of the Corporation are recorded separately within equity.
2.21. Financial instruments
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognized when the Corporation becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the financial instrument and are measured initially at fair value plus transaction costs, except for financial assets and financial liabilities carried at fair value through net earnings, which are measured initially at fair value.
Financial assets are derecognized when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the financial asset expire, or when the financial asset and all substantial risks and rewards are transferred.
16
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
A financial liability is derecognized when it is extinguished, discharged, cancelled or when it expires.
Financial assets and financial liabilities are measured subsequently as described below.
Financial assets
For the purpose of subsequent measurement, financial assets of the Corporation are classified into the following categories upon initial recognition:
loans and receivables;
available-for-sale financial assets.
The category determines subsequent measurement and whether any resulting income and expense is recognized in net earnings or in other comprehensive income.
All financial assets, except for those at fair value through net earnings, are subject to review for impairment at least at each reporting date. Financial assets are impaired when there is any objective evidence that a financial asset or a group of financial assets is impaired. Different criteria to determine impairment are applied for each category of financial assets, which are described below.
All income and expenses relating to financial assets that are recognized in net earnings are presented within financial revenues or administrative expenses, if applicable.
Loans and receivables
Loans and receivables are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market. After initial recognition, these are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method, less provision for impairment. Discounting is omitted where the effect of discounting is immaterial. Cash, guaranteed investment certificate and receivables (except taxes receivable) fall into this category of financial instruments.
Individually significant receivables are considered for impairment when they are past due or when other objective evidence is received that a specific counterparty will default.
Available-for-sale financial assets
Available-for-sale financial assets are non-derivative financial assets that are either designated to this category or do not qualify for inclusion in any of the other categories of financial assets. As at December 31, 2014 and 2013 the Corporation has no financial assets in this category.
All available-for-sale financial assets are measured at fair value. Gains and losses are recognized in other comprehensive income and reported within the available-for-sale reserve within equity, except for impairment losses, which are recognized in net earnings. When the asset is disposed of or is determined to be impaired, the cumulative gain or loss recognized in other comprehensive income is reclassified to net earnings in and presented as a reclassification adjustment within other comprehensive income.
Reversals of impairment losses are recognized in other comprehensive income, except for financial assets that are debt securities which are recognized in net earnings only if the reversal can be objectively related to an event occurring after the impairment loss was recognized.
Financial liabilities
The Corporation’s financial liabilities include payables, accruals (except salaries and related benefits payable), royalty payments payable, contract payment holdbacks and the closure allowance.
Financial liabilities are measured subsequently at amortized cost using the effective interest method.
17
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
2.22. Accounting estimates and critical judgments
The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments with respect to future events. These estimates and judgments are constantly challenged. They are based on past experience and other factors, in particular, forecasts of future events that are reasonable in the circumstances. The actual results are likely to differ from the estimates, assumptions and judgments made by management, and will seldom equal the estimated results. The following paragraphs describe:
the most critical management estimates and assumptions in the recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities and expenses;
the most critical management judgments in applying accounting policies.
Critical accounting estimates and assumptions
Basis of depletion of mining sites in production
Property, plant and equipment of mining sites in production are depleted according to the units-of-production method to write down the cost to residual value. Management estimates the residual value of property, plant and equipment based on the estimated fair value as of the financial position date. For these assets, the depletion rate is calculated based on the number of ounces of gold sold in proportion to the number of ounces in proven and probable reserves.
Proven and probable reserves are estimates of the quantity of ore that could be economically and legally extracted from a mine. The Corporation estimates its reserves using information compiled by qualified persons who work for the Corporation. This information relates to geological data on the size, depth and shape of the deposit and requires geological assessments to interpret the data. The assessment of proven and probable reserves is based on factors such as the estimated exchange rate, price of metals, capital investments required and production costs stemming from geological assumptions based on the size and grade of the deposit. Changes in proven and probable reserves could have an impact on the net carrying amount of property, plant and equipment, asset retirement obligations, recognition of deferred tax assets and amortization, depreciation and depletion expenses.
Asset retirement obligations
The Corporation assesses its asset retirement obligations annually. Determining these obligations requires significant estimates and assumptions due to the numerous factors that affect the amount ultimately payable. Such factors include estimates of the scope and cost of restoration activities, legislative amendments, known environmental impacts, the effectiveness of reparation and restoration measures and changes in the discount rate. This uncertainty may lead to differences between the actual expense and the allowance. At the date of the statement of financial situation, asset retirement obligations represent management’s best estimate of the charge that will result when the actual obligation is terminated.
Impairment test of property, plant and equipment
Determining if there are any facts and circumstances indicating impairment loss or reversal of impairment losses is a subjective process involving judgment and a number of estimates and interpretations in many cases. When an indication of impairment loss or a reversal of an impairment loss exists, the recoverable amount of the individual asset must be estimated. If it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of the individual asset, the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs must be determined.
In the process of measuring expected future cash flows, management makes assumptions about future operating results, such as future metal production (proven and probable reserves), estimated future metal prices, operating costs, capital and site restoration expenses and estimated future foreign exchange rates. These assumptions relate to future events and circumstances. Actual results may differ from estimated results.
18
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Income taxes and deferred mining taxes
The Corporation is subject to taxes from different tax jurisdictions. Management continually evaluates the likelihood that its deferred tax assets could be realized. This requires management to assess whether it is probable that sufficient taxable income will exist in the future to utilize these losses within the carry-forward period. The corporation also maintains allowances for uncertain tax positions that, in its opinion, appropriately reflect the risks related to the tax positions subject to discussions, audits, differences of opinion and appeals with the tax authorities or that are otherwise uncertain. These allowances are determined using best estimates of the amount payable based on a qualitative assessment of all relevant information. These allowances are reassessed at the end of each financial reporting period to determine if the amount is sufficient. However, audits by the tax authorities could subsequently result in an additional liability. Upon the definite resolution of a tax issue resulting in a tax amount that differs from the initially recognized tax expense, the difference is recognized in the tax expense of the period of definitive settlement.
Share-based compensation expense
The estimation of share-based payment costs requires the selection of an appropriate valuation model and consideration as to the inputs necessary for the valuation model chosen. The Corporation has made estimates as to the volatility of its own shares, the probable life of options and the time of exercise of those options. The model used by the Corporation is the Black-Scholes model. The Corporation similarly evaluated the expected extinguishments for each remuneration program within the parameters of each individual program.
Dismantling costs and severance costs
The Corporation estimates dismantling costs and severance costs by making assumptions such as retention of employees and timing of dismantling. The uncertainty of these estimations may lead to differences between the actual expenses and the estimated costs.
Recoverability of credits relating to resources and credits on duties refundable for losses
Uncertainties related to the review by government authorities of the Corporation’s current and prior years’ claims for the refundable tax credit relating to resources and the credit on duties refundable for losses, based on qualifying exploration expenditures under the Taxation Act (Quebec) and the Mining Tax Act (Quebec), require management to assess whether these claims will be settled in full or in part. Uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation of tax legislation and regulations by government authorities, the amount of expenditures that may be disallowed by such authorities as a result of their interpretation of tax legislation and regulations and the timing of recovery of the credits.
Significant management judgments in applying accounting policies
Start of advanced exploration phase
The Corporation evaluates the potential of each project to determine when the project should progress from the exploration phase to the advanced exploration phase. Once management has determined that a project has demonstrated a potential for development, and an economic analysis supports its commercial viability and its economic benefit, the project moves into the advanced exploration phase once approval has been given by the Board of Directors. Expenditures related to the project are capitalized as of this time.
Start of commercial production
Management assesses the stage of completion of each advanced exploration project to determine when it begins commercial production. The Corporation considers a number of criteria to determine when a mine enters into commercial production, thereby resulting in reclassification from “Advanced exploration project” to “Mining site in production”. The following criteria are used:
Production capacity achieved
Recovered grade
Stage of completion of development work
Provisions and contingent liabilities
Judgments are made as to whether a past event has led to a liability that should be recognized in the consolidated financial statements or disclosed as a contingent liability. Quantifying any such liability often involves judgments and estimations. These judgments are based on a number of factors including the nature of the claims or dispute, the legal process and potential amount payable, legal advice received, past experience and the probability of a loss being realized. Several of these factors are sources of estimation uncertainty.
19
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
2.23. Earnings or loss from discontinued operation
A discontinued operation is a component of the Corporation that either has been disposed of, or is classified as held for sale, and:
represents a separate major line of business or geographical area of operations;
is part of a single co-ordinated plan to dispose of a separate major line of business or geographical area of operations; or
is a subsidiary acquired exclusively with a view to resale.
Earnings or loss from discontinued operation, including prior year components of earnings or loss, is presented in a single amount in the consolidated income statement. This amount, which comprises the post–tax earnings or loss of discontinued operation and the post-tax gain or loss resulting from the measurement of assets is further analysed in note 13.
3. | Revenues |
Revenues include revenue from gold sales, silver sales and custom milling.
4. | Cost of sales |
The cost of sales includes the following items:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Operating costs | 87,984 | 69,688 | 61,102 | ||||
Royalties | 2,335 | 1,910 | 2,294 | ||||
Depreciation and depletion | 21,579 | 14,234 | 10,143 | ||||
Custom milling costs | - | - | 259 | ||||
111,898 | 85,832 | 73,798 |
5. | Exploration and project evaluation |
The exploration and project evaluation expenses were incurred for the following mines and properties:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||
$ | $ | $ | ||||
Beaufor Mine | 1,733 | 1,929 | 1,432 | |||
Island Gold Mine | 771 | 4,532 | 10,969 | |||
Wasamac property | 169 | 1,102 | 9,477 | |||
Monique Mine | 2 | 221 | 744 | |||
Other properties | 154 | 347 | 459 | |||
Project evaluation | 357 | 474 | 511 | |||
Exploration and project evaluation before depreciation and exploration tax credits | 3,186 | 8,605 | 23,592 | |||
Depreciation | 71 | 229 | 200 | |||
Exploration tax credits | 515 | (959 | ) | (3,527 | ) | |
3,772 | 7,875 | 20,265 |
20
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
6. | Administration |
The administration expenses include the following items:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Salaries, director’ fees and related benefits | 2,484 | 3,320 | 2,822 | ||||
Severance compensation | 1,2691 | 269 | 1,986 | ||||
Share-based compensation | 1,506 | 1,887 | 3,601 | ||||
Depreciation | 158 | 211 | 129 | ||||
Miscellaneous | 2,210 | 1,827 | 1,732 | ||||
7,627 | 7,514 | 10,270 |
1 | Severance compensation is related to the departure of the President and Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer and comprises $945 of cash severance and $324 of share-based compensation expense. |
7. | Employees and directors remuneration |
7.1. Employees and directors remuneration
Expenses recognised for employees and directors remuneration are presented below:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Salaries and related benefits | 40,432 | 44,497 | 52,876 | ||||
Severance compensation | 1,050 | 700 | 1,986 | ||||
Severance costs – Closure of Francoeur Mine | - | - | 4,306 | ||||
Directors’ fees and related benefits | 515 | 563 | 684 | ||||
Share-based compensation | 2,008 | 2,521 | 3,601 | ||||
Defined contribution plans | 1,085 | 1,220 | 1,109 | ||||
State plans | 1,115 | 1,282 | 1,380 | ||||
46,205 | 50,783 | 65,942 | |||||
Less: salaries capitalized in property, plant and equipment | 5,297 | 8,680 | 14,161 | ||||
40,908 | 42,103 | 51,781 |
7.2. Share-based compensation
a) | The Corporation had a Stock Option Purchase Plan (the “Initial Plan”) under which options to acquire common shares were granted to its directors, officers, employees and non-employees. The exercise price of each option was determined by the market price of the Corporation’s stock on the Toronto Stock Exchange, on the day prior to the grant, and the maximum term of the options granted was ten years. 20% of the options were vested on the grant date and vested cumulatively thereafter on every anniversary date over a length of four years. However, on February 4, 2010, the Board of Directors voted to grant its members remuneration that is partly based on share options. These options vest in thirds beginning one year after the grant date, then vest cumulatively thereafter on every anniversary date over a total length of three years, and expire five years after the date of grant. Furthermore, in January 2012, a total of 400,000 options were granted to directors. Those options fully vest one year after the grant date, and expire in January 2015. However, these options may only be exercised if the Corporation’s shares have traded at $21.51 or higher at any time during any 10 days in any consecutive 20 trading day period. The Corporation ended the Initial Plan in 2012. Outstanding options that were issued under this previous plan, will continue to have the same terms and conditions as when they were initially issued. |
21
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
A summary of the status, in 2014, 2013 and 2012, of the Corporation’s Initial Plan, and changes during the years then ended, is presented below:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
Weighted | Weighted | Weighted | |||||
Number | average | Number | average | Number | average | ||
of options | exercise | of options | exercise | of options | exercise | ||
(in thousands) | price | (in thousands) | price | (in thousands) | price | ||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
| Options outstanding, beginning of year | 935 | 6.93 | 1,378 | 6.44 | 1,637 | 4.66 |
Granted | - | - | - | - | 500 | 10.60 | |
Exercised | (25) | 3.55 | (30) | 2.07 | (484) | 3.15 | |
Forfeited | (193) | 7.76 | (312) | 6.76 | (274) | 9.23 | |
Expired | (150) | 3.79 | (101) | 2.24 | (1) | 2.88 | |
Options outstanding, end of year | 567 | 7.62 | 935 | 6.93 | 1,378 | 6.44 | |
Exercisable options, end of year | 444 | 6.60 | 629 | 5.71 | 661 | 4.93 |
The following table summarizes information about the Corporation’s Initial Plan at December 31, 2014:
Options outstanding at December 31, 2014 | Exercisable options at | |||||
December 31, 2014 | ||||||
Exercise | Weighted average | |||||
price | Number | remaining | Weighted average | Number | Weighted average | |
of options | contractual | exercise price | of options | exercise price | ||
(in thousands) | life (years) | $ | (in thousands) | $ | ||
$4.19 to $5.41 | 320 | 0.6 | 4.85 | 320 | 4.85 | |
$6.86 | 12 | 1.5 | 6.86 | 9 | 6.86 | |
$10.87 to $12.03 | 235 | 1.1 | 11.44 | 115 | 11.44 | |
567 | 0.8 | 7.62 | 444 | 6.60 |
The weighted average market share price at the date of exercise was $3.69 in 2014 ($3.25 in 2013 and $9.51 in 2012).
b) | In effect since May 2012, the Corporation’s long-term incentive plan (the “New Plan”) permits the granting of options, restricted share units (“RSUs”), share appreciation rights (“SARs”) and retention awards (“Retention Awards”) to directors, officers, other employees, consultants and service providers providing ongoing services to the Corporation. |
22
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
The exercise price of each option granted is the market price of the Corporation’s stock on the Toronto Stock Exchange, on the day prior to the grant, and the maximum term of the options granted is ten years. Nine types of options were issued: (1) options that vest in thirds one year after the grant date, then vest cumulatively thereafter on every anniversary date over a total length of three years, and expire five years after the date of grant; (2) options that fully vest one year after the grant date, expire three years after the grant date and are exercisable only if the Corporation’s shares have traded at $21.51 or higher at any time during any 10 days in any consecutive 20 trading day period; (3) options that vest in tranches of 20% beginning one year after the grant date, thereafter vesting cumulatively on every anniversary date over a length of four years, and expire six years after the date of grant; (4) options that vest 20% on the grant date and vest cumulatively thereafter on every anniversary date over a length of four years, and expire five years after the date of grant; (5) options that vest 50% on the grant date and 50% the year after, and expire five years after the date of grant; (6) options that vest on August 8, 2016 and expire five years after the date of grant; (7) options that vest in thirds on the grant date, then vest cumulatively thereafter on every anniversary date over a total length of two years, and expire five years after the date of grant; (8) options that vest 25% on the grant date, then vest cumulatively thereafter every month of January over a total period of three years, and expire five years after the date of grant; (9) options that vest 100% on the grant date and expire five years after the date of grant.
A summary of the status of the Corporation’s New Plan and changes during the years 2014, 2013 and 2012 is presented below:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
Weighted | Weighted | Weighted | |||||
Number | average | Number | average | Number | average | ||
of options | exercise | of options | exercise | of options | exercise | ||
(in thousands) | price | (in thousands) | price | (in thousands) | price | ||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
| Options outstanding, beginning of year | 2,505 | 2.64 | 900 | 5.05 | - | - |
| Granted | 879 | 3.38 | 1,639 | 1.30 | 912 | 5.04 |
| Exercised | (605) | 1.65 | - | - | - | - |
| Forfeited | (434) | 2.84 | (34) | 3.54 | (12) | 4.36 |
| Options outstanding, end of year | 2,345 | 3.14 | 2,505 | 2.64 | 900 | 5.05 |
| Exercisable options, end of year | 876 | 2.87 | 854 | 2.36 | 98 | 3.65 |
The following table summarizes information about the Corporation’s New Plan at December 31, 2014:
Options outstanding at | Exercisable options at | |||||
December 31, 2014 | December 31, 2014 | |||||
Weighted average | Weighted | Weighted | ||||
Exercise | Number of | remaining | average | Number of | average | |
price | options | contractual life | exercise price | options | exercise price | |
(in thousands) | (years) | $ | (in thousands) | $ | ||
$1.08 to $1.62 | 813 | 3.8 | 1.30 | 399 | 1.43 | |
$2.02 to $2.34 | 120 | 4.4 | 2.26 | 28 | 2.23 | |
$2.51 to $3.05 | 308 | 3.8 | 2.81 | 237 | 2.80 | |
$3.73 to $4.36 | 752 | 4.6 | 3.79 | 71 | 4.15 | |
$6.57 | 352 | 3.4 | 6.57 | 141 | 6.57 | |
2,345 | 4.0 | 3.14 | 876 | 2.87 |
The weighted average market share price at the date of exercise was $2.88 in 2014.
23
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Corporation granted 186,900 restricted share units at a weighted average price of $3.73 per share for a total of $697. The amount expensed and recorded in contributed surplus for the restricted share units plan is $32 for 2014. Each restricted share unit is equal in value to one common share of the Corporation at the date of grant. The fair value is amortized over the vesting period of 3 years.
c) | In March and in August 2012, the Corporation signed agreements with several employees considered as key personnel. These agreements incorporate a retention payment (“Retention Awards”) provided certain conditions are met by the employee, most notably that the employee continues his or her employment with the Corporation until March and August 2017. These retention payments would be payable in 2017 in either of the Corporation’s common shares or cash, at the discretion of the employee, with the number of common shares to be determined by the current value of the common shares at the time of payment. As at December 31, 2014, the total amount that could be paid as Retention Awards under these agreements is 2 million dollars (2.25 million dollars in 2013, 6 million dollars in 2012). The cost recorded in 2014 is $456 ($742 in 2013, $639 in 2012) and the liability to this effect amounts to $982 as at December 31, 2014 ($711 in 2013, $639 in 2012), which correspond to the best estimate of the amount to be paid relating to the Retention Awards, based on estimated forfeitures and a 1.3% discount rate. |
d) | In addition, 800,000 options were issued outside of the Corporation’s plans on October 16, 2014. These options vest in thirds on December 1st, 2015, and thereafter cumulatively on every December 1stover two years, and expire five years after the date of grant. These options have an exercise price of $2.46. As at December 31, 2014, all options are outstanding and none are exercisable. |
e) | During 2014, the Corporation granted 1,679,100 share options to directors, officers and employees (1,639,000 in 2013 and 1,736,575 in 2012). |
The weighted average fair value of these share options at the grant date, calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model was $1.45 ($0.58 in 2013 and $2.73 in 2012).
The compensation costs were calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||
Exercise price | $2.99 | $1.34 | $7.01 | |
Share price | $2.99 | $1.34 | $7.01 | |
Risk-free interest rate | 1.4% | 1.5% | 1.6% | |
Expected life | 3.9 years | 3.8 years | 3.8 years | |
Expected volatility | 63% | 56% | 62% | |
Expected dividend yield | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
The expected underlying volatility was based on the historical data of the Corporation’s shares over a period equivalent to the expected average life of the options.
The Corporation may grant rights to acquire shares totalling up to 10% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of the Corporation at the time of the granting. Options issued outside of plans are not accounted for in this calculation. As of December 31, 2014, a total of 1,916,172 options could still be issued.
f) | On May, 2012, 324,675 options were issued to the former President and Chief Executive Officer outside of the Corporation’s option plans. These options were exercisable at a price of $6.61 each. As of September 2014, or 60 days after the departure of said President and Chief Executive Officer, all of these options were forfeited. |
24
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
8. | Loss on disposal of long-term assets |
The loss on disposal of long-term assets includes the following items:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Exploration mining assets | 493 | - | - | ||||
Mining equipment | 146 | 105 | 198 | ||||
639 | 105 | 198 |
9. | Other revenues |
Other revenues include, among others, revenues from the sale of scrap material and rental revenue.
10. | Financial expenses |
The financial expenses include the following items:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Accretion expense – asset retirement obligations | 111 | 81 | 60 | ||||
Interest on finance – lease obligations1 | - | 17 | 21 | ||||
Financing expenses(note 20 b) | - | 1,165 | - | ||||
Interest and accretion expenses on convertible debentures | - | - | 575 | ||||
111 | 1,263 | 656 |
1 | The interest on operating mine finance lease obligations is included in operating costs and amounted to $161 in 2014 (in 2013, $14 was recorded as property, plant and equipment and a financial expense of $52 was included in operating costs and in 2012, $35 was recorded as property, plant and equipment). | |
11. | Financial revenues |
The financial revenues include the following items:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Interest on cash and cash equivalents | 409 | 405 | 718 | ||||
Gain on disposal of shares of publicly-traded companies | - | 12 | 90 | ||||
Foreign exchange gain | 27 | 109 | 29 | ||||
436 | 526 | 837 |
25
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
12. | Mining and income taxes |
Income taxes
Mining and income tax expense consists of:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Current taxes | 78 | 785 | 4,610 | ||||
Deferred taxes | 427 | 7,209 | (4,237 | ) | |||
505 | 7,994 | 373 |
The income tax expense attributable to earnings from continuing operations differs from the amounts computed by applying the combined federal and provincial income tax rate of 26.71% (26.71% in 2013 and 26.69% in 2012) to earnings before mining and income taxes as a result of the following:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Earnings (loss) before mining and income taxes | 8,687 | (25,168 | ) | (2,604 | ) | ||
Tax expense (recovery) at combined statutory rate | 2,320 | (6,722 | ) | (694 | ) | ||
Increase (decrease) in mining and income taxes resulting from: | |||||||
Resource allowance deduction | (354 | ) | (104 | ) | (302 | ) | |
Deductible mining taxes | (130 | ) | 58 | 342 | |||
Recording of deferred income tax assets unrecognized previously | (2,877 | ) | - | (232 | ) | ||
Impact of the change in tax rates | 1,418 | 410 | 272 | ||||
Adjustment of previously deferred taxes | (327 | ) | 311 | 90 | |||
Non deductible expenses | 492 | 608 | 789 | ||||
Deferred income tax assets unrecognized on temporary differences during the year | 71 | 13,705 | 1,225 | ||||
Other | 12 | 3 | (65 | ) | |||
Income taxes | 625 | 8,269 | 1,425 | ||||
Mining tax | (120 | ) | (275 | ) | (1,052 | ) | |
Mining and income taxes related to continuing operations | 505 | 7,994 | 373 | ||||
Mining and income taxes related to discontinued operation | - | - | (7,028 | ) | |||
Total mining and income tax expense | 505 | 7,994 | (6,655 | ) |
During the year ended in 2014, the Corporation amended prior years’ mining tax returns following the refusal by the Quebec tax authorities to allow the payment of credits relating to resources which had been previously claimed. The amendments to tax attributes results in the Corporation now claiming the payment of $3.4 million for credits on duties refundable for losses for prior years under the Mining Tax Act (Quebec). The calculation of the Corporation’s credits is subject to review by government authorities that may disallow certain expenditures based on their interpretation of tax legislation and regulations and the tax treatment of such expenditures cannot be finally determined until notices of assessment and payments have been received. The Corporation decided to take a conservative approach and to account for only a portion of the claimed amounts as income and mining tax assets.
Differences arising between the actual results following final resolution of some of these claims and the assumptions made could necessitate adjustments to the credit on duties refundable for losses and income tax expenses in future periods.
26
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Balance | Balance | ||||||
January 1, | Recognized | December 31, | |||||
2014 | in net income | 2014 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Deferred income and mining taxes assets (liabilities) | |||||||
Property, plant and equipment - creditor | (2,088 | ) | (433 | ) | (2,521 | ) | |
Property, plant and equipment - debtor | 263 | (4 | ) | 259 | |||
Asset retirement obligations | 188 | (12 | ) | 176 | |||
Exploration credits | (274 | ) | 9 | (265 | ) | ||
Severance pay | 12 | 13 | 25 | ||||
(1,899 | ) | (427 | ) | (2,326 | ) | ||
Presented in the consolidated statement of financial position: | |||||||
Deferred income and mining tax assets | - | ||||||
Deferred income and mining tax liabilities | (2,326 | ) | |||||
Balance | Balance | ||||||
January 1, | Recognized | December 31, | |||||
2013 | in net income | 2013 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Deferred income and mining taxes assets (liabilities) | |||||||
Property, plant and equipment - creditor | (2,317 | ) | 229 | (2,088 | ) | ||
Property, plant and equipment - debtor | 7,823 | (7,560 | ) | 263 | |||
Shares of publicly-traded companies | (4 | ) | 4 | - | |||
Asset retirement obligations | 141 | 47 | 188 | ||||
Exploration credits | (343 | ) | 69 | (274 | ) | ||
Severance pay | 10 | 2 | 12 | ||||
5,310 | (7,209 | ) | (1,899 | ) | |||
Presented in the consolidated statement of financial position: | |||||||
Deferred income and mining tax assets | - | ||||||
Deferred income and mining tax liabilities | (1,899 | ) |
Deferred tax assets and liabilities
The following differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases from timing differences, unused tax losses and unused tax credits give rise to the following recognized deferred tax assets and liabilities:
December 31, 2014 | ||||||
Deferred tax | Deferred tax | |||||
assets | liabilities | Net | ||||
Recognized deferred tax assets and liabilities | ||||||
Property, plant and equipment | 259 | (2,521 | ) | (2,262 | ) | |
Asset retirement obligations | 176 | - | 176 | |||
Exploration credits | - | (265 | ) | (265 | ) | |
Severance pay | 25 | - | 25 | |||
Recognized deferred tax assets and liabilities | 460 | (2,786 | ) | (2,326 | ) |
27
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
December 31, 2013 | ||||||
Deferred tax | Deferred tax | |||||
assets | liabilities | Net | ||||
Recognized deferred tax assets and liabilities | ||||||
Property, plant and equipment | 263 | (2,088 | ) | (1,825 | ) | |
Asset retirement obligations | 188 | - | 188 | |||
Exploration credits | - | (274 | ) | (274 | ) | |
Severance pay | 12 | - | 12 | |||
Recognized deferred tax assets and liabilities | 463 | (2,362 | ) | (1,899 | ) |
The Company has the following timing differences:
December 31, 2014 | |||||||
Quebec | |||||||
Mining | |||||||
Federal | Provincial | Duties | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Property, plant and equipment | 70,553 | 125,839 | 32,719 | ||||
Asset retirement obligations | 8,061 | 8,061 | 2,569 | ||||
Deductible future mining taxes | 2,326 | 2,326 | - | ||||
Severance pay | 1,931 | 1,931 | 667 | ||||
Share issue costs | 1,254 | 1,254 | - | ||||
84,125 | 139,411 | 35,955 |
The ability to realize the tax benefits is dependent upon a number of factors, including the future profitability of operations. Deferred tax assets are recognized only to the extent that it is more likely than not that the timing differences will reverse, that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow the asset to be recovered. Accordingly, all deferred tax assets have not been recognized, these deferred tax assets not recognized equal an amount of $30,409.
December 31, 2013 | |||||||
Quebec | |||||||
Mining | |||||||
Federal | Provincial | Duties | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Property, plant and equipment | 73,838 | 137,221 | 48,246 | ||||
Asset retirement obligations | 7,933 | 7,933 | 2,321 | ||||
Deductible future mining taxes | 1,899 | 1,899 | - | ||||
Severance pay | 1,592 | 1,592 | 676 | ||||
Share issue costs | 1,073 | 1,073 | - | ||||
Losses carried forward | 111 | 105 | - | ||||
86,446 | 149,823 | 51,243 |
The ability to realize the tax benefits is dependent upon a number of factors, including the future profitability of operations. Deferred tax assets are recognized only to the extent that it is more likely than not that the timing differences will reverse, that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow the asset to be recovered. Accordingly, some deferred tax assets have not been recognized, these deferred tax assets not recognized equal an amount of $34,952.
28
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
13. | Net loss from discontinued operation |
At the end of November 2012, management made the decision to cease commercial gold production at the Francoeur Mine. This Mine was part of the Corporation’s Quebec segment. As a result, revenues, expenses and losses relating to the discontinuation of this operation were segregated from the Corporation’s results from continuing operations, and are shown as a single line item in the consolidated income statement. The remaining property, plant and equipment from this mine were valued at their recoverable amount, and the majority of these assets are now redeployed within the Corporation’s other mines. The recoverable value of assets was established by three internal experts with the necessary expertise to determine the value of mining assets. They evaluated the fair value for each asset considering the general condition of the asset as well as the actual conditions of the market.
Operational results for the Francoeur Mine which closed on November 30, 2012 and charges related to the dismantling and closure after this date are summarized as follows:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||
$ | $ | $ | ||||
Revenues | ||||||
Revenues from precious metals | - | 1,837 | 8,709 | |||
Cost of sales | - | 1,807 | 10,485 | |||
Gross profit (loss) | - | 30 | (1,776 | ) | ||
Other expenses (revenues) | ||||||
Exploration and project evaluation | - | - | 290 | |||
Loss on disposal of long-term assets | - | 88 | �� | 7 | ||
Adjustment in the asset retirement obligation | - | - | 154 | |||
Impairment loss on Francoeur Mine’s assets | - | - | 41,161 | |||
Adjustment to estimated recoverable value of remaining Francoeur Mine assets | - | 867 | - | |||
Dismantling costs | - | 182 | 1,389 | |||
Severance costs | - | - | 4,306 | |||
Other revenues | - | (9 | ) | (23 | ) | |
- | 1,128 | 47,284 | ||||
Operating loss | - | (1,098 | ) | (49,060 | ) | |
Accretion expense – asset retirement obligations | - | - | 6 | |||
Loss before mining and income taxes | - | (1,098 | ) | (49,066 | ) | |
Mining and income taxes | - | - | (7,028 | ) | ||
Net loss from discontinued operation | - | (1,098 | ) | (42,038 | ) | |
Cash flows used in discontinued operation | ||||||
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | ||||
$ | $ | $ | ||||
Cash flows from (used) operating activities | - | (5,271 | ) | 5,943 | ||
Cash flows from (used) in investing activities | - | 825 | (15,450 | ) | ||
- | (4,446 | ) | (9,507 | ) |
29
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
14. | Earnings per share |
Both the basic and diluted earnings per share have been calculated using net earnings attributable to Richmont Mines shareholders as the numerator. The weighted average number of shares for the purposes of diluted earnings per share can be reconciled to the weighted average number of ordinary shares used in the calculation of basic earnings per share as follows:
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
Weighted average number of shares used in basic earnings per share(in thousands) | 45,261 | 39,594 | 35,055 | ||||
Shares deemed to be issued in respect of stock option purchase plans, warrants and RSUs(in thousands) | 439 | - | 152 | ||||
Weighted average number of shares used in diluted earnings per share (in thousands) | 45,700 | 39,594 | 35,207 |
15. | Receivables |
The receivables include the following items:
December 31, | December 31, | ||||
2014 | 2013 | ||||
$ | $ | ||||
Taxes receivable | 2,574 | 2,166 | |||
Prepayments and deposits | 298 | 227 | |||
Workers’ compensation receivable | - | 113 | |||
Others | 267 | 502 | |||
3,139 | 3,008 |
16. | Inventories |
The inventories include the following items:
December 31, | December 31, | ||||
2014 | 2013 | ||||
$ | $ | ||||
Precious metals | 2,067 | 1,647 | |||
Ore | 7,939 | 3,923 | |||
Supplies | 3,808 | 3,505 | |||
13,814 | 9,075 |
During the year ended December 31, 2014, a write-down of inventories of $41, was recognized as an expense (write-down of inventories of $332 in 2013, including $80 from discontinued operation and write-down of inventories of $562 in 2012, including $310 from discontinued operation). There was no reversal of write-down in 2014, 2013 and 2012.
30
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
17. | Property, plant and equipment |
The property, plant and equipment includes the following items:
Advan- | ||||||||||||||||||
ced | ||||||||||||||||||
Mining sites in production | Corporate office and others | explora- | Total | |||||||||||||||
tion | ||||||||||||||||||
projects | ||||||||||||||||||
Mining properties | Development costs | Buildings | Equipment | Total | Lands, buildings and leasehold improvements | Equipment and rolling stock | Total | |||||||||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Gross carryingamount | ||||||||||||||||||
Balance at January 1, 2014 | 1,965 | 76,888 | 13,443 | 36,039 | 128,335 | 2,211 | 1,468 | 3,679 | 16,444 | 148,458 | ||||||||
Additions | 3,146 | 15,398 | 1,433 | 2,280 | 22,257 | - | - | - | 4,948 | 27,205 | ||||||||
Disposals and write-off | - | - | - | (420 | ) | (420 | ) | (590 | ) | (330 | ) | (920 | ) | - | (1,340 | ) | ||
Exploration tax credits | - | (72 | ) | - | - | (72 | ) | - | - | - | - | (72 | ) | |||||
Transfers | - | 20,230 | 653 | 573 | 21,456 | - | (64 | ) | (64 | ) | (21,392 | ) | - | |||||
Adjustments to the asset retirement obligations | - | 266 | - | - | 266 | - | - | - | - | 266 | ||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2014 | 5,111 | 112,710 | 15,529 | 38,472 | 171,822 | 1,621 | 1,074 | 2,695 | - | 174,517 | ||||||||
Depreciation anddepletion | ||||||||||||||||||
Balance at January 1, 2014 | 1,027 | 41,391 | 6,520 | 15,049 | 63,987 | 393 | 400 | 793 | - | 64,780 | ||||||||
Depreciation and depletion | 243 | 12,403 | 2,701 | 6,251 | 21,598 | 127 | 83 | 210 | - | 21,808 | ||||||||
Disposals and write-off | - | - | - | (197 | ) | (197 | ) | (64 | ) | (7 | ) | (71 | ) | - | (268 | ) | ||
Transfers | - | - | - | 20 | 20 | - | (20 | ) | (20 | ) | - | - | ||||||
Balance at December 31, 2014 | 1,270 | 53,794 | 9,221 | 21,123 | 85,408 | 456 | 456 | 912 | - | 86,320 | ||||||||
Carrying amount atDecember 31, 2014 | 3,841 | 58,916 | 6,308 | 17,349 | 86,414 | 1,165 | 618 | 1,783 | - | 88,197 |
During the fiscal year, the Corporation started mining the deep zone of Island Gold Mine. As a result, assets for this project were transferred from “advanced exploration projects” classification into the “Mining Sites in Production” classification.
31
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Advan- | |||||||||||||||||||
ced | |||||||||||||||||||
Mining sites in production | Corporate office and others | explora- | Total | ||||||||||||||||
tion | |||||||||||||||||||
projects | |||||||||||||||||||
Mining properties | Development costs | Buildings | Equipment | Total | Lands, buildings and leasehold improvements | Equipment and rolling stock | Total | ||||||||||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||
Gross carryingamount | |||||||||||||||||||
Balance at January 1, 2013 | 1,965 | 58,714 | 10,312 | 21,891 | 92,882 | 2,546 | 5,261 | 7,807 | 14,836 | 115,525 | |||||||||
Additions | - | 8,998 | 1,470 | 8,827 | 19,295 | 280 | 156 | 436 | 29,970 | 49,701 | |||||||||
Disposals and write-off | - | - | - | (475 | ) | (475 | ) | (586 | ) | (1,137 | ) | (1,723 | ) | - | (2,198 | ) | |||
Impairment | - | (10,723 | ) | (419 | ) | (2,330 | ) | (13,472 | ) | - | - | - | - | (13,472 | ) | ||||
Exploration tax credits | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | (1,225 | ) | (1,225 | ) | |||||||
Transfers | - | 19,772 | 2,080 | 8,126 | 29,978 | (29 | ) | (2,812 | ) | (2,841 | ) | (27,137 | ) | - | |||||
Adjustments to the asset retirement obligations | - | 127 | - | - | 127 | - | - | - | - | 127 | |||||||||
Balance at December 31, 2013 | 1,965 | 76,888 | 13,443 | 36,039 | 128,335 | 2,211 | 1,468 | 3,679 | 16,444 | 148,458 | |||||||||
Depreciation anddepletion | |||||||||||||||||||
Balance at January 1, 2013 | 967 | 32,868 | 5,082 | 10,694 | 49,611 | 293 | 471 | 764 | - | 50,375 | |||||||||
Depreciation and depletion | 60 | 8,523 | 1,460 | 4,318 | 14,361 | 116 | 197 | 313 | - | 14,674 | |||||||||
Disposals and write-off | - | - | (22 | ) | (182 | ) | (204 | ) | (16 | ) | (49 | ) | (65 | ) | - | (269 | ) | ||
Transfers | - | - | - | 219 | 219 | - | (219 | ) | (219 | ) | - | - | |||||||
Balance at December 31, 2013 | 1,027 | 41,391 | 6,520 | 15,049 | 63,987 | 393 | 400 | 793 | - | 64,780 | |||||||||
Carrying amount atDecember 31, 2013 | 938 | 35,497 | 6,923 | 20,990 | 64,348 | 1,818 | 1,068 | 2,886 | 16,444 | 83,678 |
During the year 2013, the Corporation determined that the W Zone Mine and the Monique Mine met the commercial production criteria. As a result, assets for these mines were transferred from “advanced exploration projects” classification into the “Mining Sites in Production” classification. Revenues and expenses associated with these mines have been included in the results from continuing operations in the consolidated income statement from the date of such determination. In addition, at the beginning of 2013, the Corporation determined that the Island Gold Deep project met the criteria of an “Advanced Exploration Project”. As a result, the costs incurred on this project were capitalized.
During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Beaufor Mine’s average depletion rate was 96 dollars per ounce sold (82 dollars in 2013), the Island Gold Mine’s average depletion rate was 248 dollars per ounce sold (228 dollars in 2013), the Monique Mine’s average depletion rate was 257 dollars per ounce sold (281 dollars in 2013) and the W Zone Mine’s average depletion rate was 301 dollars per ounce sold (1,120 dollars in 2013). Camflo Mill had an average depletion rate of 3.06 dollars per processed tonnes for the year ended December 31, 2014 (2.88 dollars in 2013).
32
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
17.1. Impairment loss
Property, plant and equipment that are subject to amortization are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the asset's carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is determined on the basis of value-in-use. For the purpose of this test, the Corporation has determined that each mine site represented a cash-generating unit.
For the year ended December 31, 2013, considering a reduction in proven and probable reserves at the W Zone Mine, management determined that an impairment loss of $13,472 was required. A discount rate of 9% was used by the Corporation to determine the value-in-use. Value-in-use was estimated at $3,087.
18. | Long-term debt |
Long-term debt includes the following financial liabilities:
December 31, | December 31, | ||||
2014 | 2013 | ||||
$ | $ | ||||
Royalty payments payable a) | 2,000 | - | |||
Finance lease obligations b) | 2,912 | 3,737 | |||
Contract payment holdbacks c) | 1,116 | 1,000 | |||
Long-term share-based compensation(note 7.2 c) | 982 | 711 | |||
Closure allowance d) | 513 | 573 | |||
7,523 | 6,021 | ||||
Current portion | 1,799 | 825 | |||
5,724 | 5,196 |
a) | On August 5, 2014, the Corporation signed a definitive agreement to acquire the outstanding 31% ownership of four patented claims on the Island Gold Mine property, thereby increasing its ownership of these claims to 100% from 69% previously. The 31% ownership held by the third party was acquired by the Corporation in return for a 3% net smelter return (NSR) royalty that is payable on 100% of mineral production from the four claims. As part of this agreement, the Corporation made an advance royalty payment of $1,000 at the closing of the transaction, and will make the following additional future payments: $1,000 each on January 3, 2015 and January 3, 2016. In the event that there is production from these claims, advance royalty payments will continue, and will decrease to $300 as of January 3, 2017, and will be paid annually until such time as a total of $5,100 has been paid in royalties (including advance royalties) to the third party, after which advance royalty payments will cease. All advance royalty payments will be credited against any future NSR payments. | |
b) | During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Corporation acquired rolling stock at a cost of $4,402 via five finance leases. The Corporation benefits from an option of a lower purchase price at the end of these contracts. |
The net carrying value of the rolling stock under these finance leases amounts to $3,300 ($4,792 in 2013).
33
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Future minimum finance lease payments at December 31, 2014 are as follows:
Minimum lease payments due | |||||||||
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | Total | ||||||
December 31, 2014: | |||||||||
Lease payments | 922 | 922 | 1,310 | 3,154 | |||||
Finance charges | (123 | ) | (84 | ) | (35 | ) | (242 | ) | |
Net present values | 799 | 838 | 1,275 | 2,912 |
c) | Contract payment holdbacks represent amounts that are payable to suppliers for work that has already been completed. The holdback is payable upon completion of the contract, once the Corporation has deemed that the work meets requirements or when the contract is terminated. As at December 31, 2014, the Corporation has not yet deemed that the work done by the supplier meets requirements and estimates that the payment of the holdback will not occur in the next year (note 24). | |
d) | This closure allowance is payable upon the closure of the Beaufor Mine anticipated to be in 2016. Although no specific date or timeframe has been established for the closure of the mine, this closure allowance has been established using the best estimation of the amount that would be payable when the division will close. | |
19. | Asset retirement obligations |
The Corporation’s production and exploration activities are subject to various federal and provincial laws and regulations governing the protection of the environment. These laws and regulations are continually changing and are generally becoming more restrictive. The Corporation conducts its operations so as to protect public health and the environment. The Corporation has recorded the asset retirement obligations of its mining sites on the basis of management’s best estimates of future costs, based on information available on the reporting date. Best estimates of future costs are the amount the Corporation would reasonably pay to settle its obligation on the closing date. Future costs are discounted using pre-tax rates that reflect current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the liability. Such estimates are subject to change based on modifications to laws and regulations or as new information becomes available.
a) | Changes in asset retirement obligations |
The following table sets forth the variation in the asset retirement obligations for the year ended December 31, 2014:
2014 | 2013 | ||||
$ | $ | ||||
Balance, beginning of year | 7,933 | 6,745 | |||
Accretion expense | 111 | 81 | |||
Asset retirement obligation – Monique Mine | - | 980 | |||
Payments – Francoeur Mine | (74 | ) | - | ||
Changes to estimated cash flow and payment schedules | 267 | 127 | |||
Balance, end of year | 8,237 | 7,933 |
34
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
b) | Information used in the calculation of obligations |
The rate used to determine the future value of the obligations is based on the expected life of the operation and varies between 3.0% and 3.5% (between 3.0% and 3.5% in 2013) while the rate reflecting the current market assessments (adjusted for the risks specific to this liability) used to determine the present value of the obligations varies between 1.0% and 1.6% (between 1.1% and 1.7% in 2013). The payments schedule was determined by taking into account the proven and probable reserves, the estimated annual production level and the estimated mine life. The following table sets forth the estimated cash flows of future retirement costs used in the calculation of the asset retirement obligations for the year ended December 31, 2014:
Total amount | Anticipated | ||||
of the estimated | cash flow | ||||
cash flow | payment schedule | ||||
2014 | $ | ||||
Island Gold Mine | 2,269 | 2025 | |||
Beaufor Mine and W Zone Mine | 863 | 2017 | |||
Camflo Mill | 3,806 | 2017 | |||
Monique Mine | 981 | 2015 and after | |||
Francoeur Mine | 747 | 2015 and after | |||
8,666 |
In 2014, the schedules of the estimated cash flows of future retirement costs of the Beaufor Mine and the Island Gold Mine were revised to take into account their updated estimated reserves and their estimated mine life.
In 2013, the schedules of the estimated cash flows of future retirement costs of the Island Gold Mine and W Zone Mine were revised to take into account their updated estimated reserves.
c) | Distribution of the asset retirement obligations |
The following table sets forth the distribution of the asset retirement obligations:
December 31, | December 31, | ||||
2014 | 2013 | ||||
$ | $ | ||||
Camflo Mill | 3,731 | 3,736 | |||
Island Gold Mine | 1,937 | 1,663 | |||
Monique Mine | 976 | 965 | |||
Beaufor Mine and W Zone Mine | 846 | 749 | |||
Francoeur Mine | 747 | 820 | |||
8,237 | 7,933 | ||||
Current portion | 194 | 330 | |||
8,043 | 7,603 |
35
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
d) | Restricted deposits and letters of credit |
Most of the restricted deposits relate specifically to site restoration. As at December 31, 2014, the Corporation has $117 in restricted deposits with the Quebec government, $601 in restricted deposits with the Ontario government and a credit facility is available to the Corporation up to an amount of $5,000 for the issuance of letters of credit as guarantees for the settlement of asset retirement obligations. The credit facility has a fixed annual fee of 0.95% (0.95% in 2013). The following table provides the allocation of restricted deposits and letters of credit issued as at December 31, 2014:
2014 | 2013 | ||||
$ | $ | ||||
Restricted deposits | |||||
Island Gold Mine (Island Gold Deep and Lochalsh property) | 601 | 594 | |||
Beaufor Mine | 107 | 107 | |||
Other | 10 | 10 | |||
718 | 711 | ||||
Guaranteed investment certificate1 | - | 2,650 | |||
Other | 298 | 60 | |||
1,016 | 3,421 | ||||
Letters of credit1 | |||||
Camflo Mill | 1,332 | 1,332 | |||
Island Gold Mine (Kremzar property) | 979 | 979 | |||
Francoeur Mine | 314 | 239 | |||
Monique Mine | 948 | - | |||
Additional credit | - | 100 | |||
3,573 | 2,650 |
1 | Since June 30, 2014, letters of credit have been secured by a first rank movable mortgage for a maximum amount of $6,785, guaranteed by equipment and rolling stock which has a net carrying value of $17,967. Prior to that, letters of credit were secured by the guaranteed investment certificate. | |
In light of a modification to the Quebec Mining Law, the financial guarantee for each of the Corporation’s Quebec mining sites must now cover 100% of the anticipated restoration work costs for each mining site. Consequently, the Corporation increased the letters of credit issued as financial guarantee by $1,023 in 2014 and must increase the financial guarantees by $1,818 in 2015 and $1,190 in 2016.
As at December 31, 2013, the Corporation had guaranteed the restoration of its mining sites by $117 in restricted deposits with the Quebec government, $594 in restricted deposits with the Ontario government and by the pledge of letters of credit amounting to $2,650.
36
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
20. | Share capital |
Authorized: Unlimited number of common shares with no par value
Number | 2014 | Number | 2013 | Number | 2012 | ||||||||
of shares | Amount | of shares | Amount | of shares | Amount | ||||||||
(thousands) | $ | (thousands) | $ | (thousands) | $ | ||||||||
Issued and paid: Common shares | |||||||||||||
Balance, beginning of year | 39,596 | 132,202 | 39,566 | 132,113 | 33,110 | 104,872 | |||||||
Issue of shares for cash a) | |||||||||||||
Common | 8,050 | 11,673 | - | - | 5,972 | 25,981 | |||||||
Exercise of stock options | 630 | 1,594 | 30 | 89 | 484 | 2,174 | |||||||
Common shares issue costs, net of future tax asset a) | - | (934 | ) | - | - | - | (914 | ) | |||||
Balance, end of year | 48,276 | 144,535 | 39,596 | 132,202 | 39,566 | 132,113 |
a) | Issue of shares |
On April 23, 2014, the Corporation issued a total of 8.05 million common shares on a bought-deal basis through a syndicate of underwriters, at a price of $1.45 per share. This included the entire over-allotment option of 1.05 million shares, and generated aggregate gross proceeds of $11,673. A share issue cost of $934 was incurred relating to the issuance of common shares. A deferred tax asset of $249 related to the share issue cost was not recognised.
In 2014, the Corporation issued 630,120 common shares (30,000 in 2013 and 483,600 in 2012) following the exercise of stock options and received cash proceeds in the amount of $1,089 ($62 in 2013 and $1,521 in 2012). Contributed surplus was reduced by $505 ($27 in 2013 and $653 in 2012) which represents the fair value of the exercised stock options.
In September 2012, the Corporation issued, as part of a private placement, 5,972,540 common shares at $4.35 each for a total consideration of $25,981. An expense of $914 was incurred relating to the issuance of common shares, creating a non recorded future tax asset of $243.
b) | Warrants |
During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Corporation established a Senior Secured Credit Facility for up to US$50.0 million. By mutual agreement between the Corporation and the lender, the Facility was terminated on December 20, 2013. The Corporation incurred financing costs of $1,165 related to this Facility, which was recorded as financial expenses. As part of the terms of the Facility, 812,500 warrants were issued to the lender, each warrant allowing for the acquisition of one common share at a price of $2.45 prior to August 2016. The method used to recognize the value of these warrants is the fair value method which at the grant date, calculated using the Black and Scholes pricing model, is $0.54 per warrant. Consequently, an amount of $439 was registered in shareholder’s equity in contributed surplus and the counterpart as financing costs. The assumptions used in the Black & Scholes model were a strike price of $2.45, a stock price of $1.77, a risk-free interest rate of 1.18%, an expected life of 3 years, an expected volatily of 59% and an expected dividend yield of 0%. The expected underlying volatility was based on the historical volatility of the Corporation’s shares over a period of 3 years. As at December 31, 2014 and 2013, 812,500 warrants are issued and exercisable.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
21. | Consolidated statements of cash flows |
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Net change in non-cash working capital items | |||||||
Receivables | (207 | ) | (98 | ) | 114 | ||
Exploration tax credits receivable | 442 | (959 | ) | (668 | ) | ||
Inventories | (4,739 | ) | (1,311 | ) | (167 | ) | |
Payables, accruals and provisions | (2,406 | ) | 1,738 | 3,510 | |||
(6,910 | ) | (630 | ) | 2,789 | |||
Supplemental informations | |||||||
Transactions with no impact on cash flows: | |||||||
Property, plant and equipment increase (decrease) as a result of | 266 | 127 | (160 | ) | |||
Property, plant and equipment increase as a result of a new | - | 980 | - | ||||
Payables, accruals and provisions related to | 3,894 | 1,898 | 523 | ||||
Increase in long-term debt related to property, plant and equipment | 2,116 | 1,000 | - |
In 2014, an amount of $42, included in long-term share-based compensation, was recorded as an increase in property, plant and equipment ($117 in 2013). This amount is not included in the investing activities section. Furthermore, in 2014, an amount of $72 ($1,125 in 2013 and $950 in 2012), included in exploration tax credits receivable, was recorded as a reduction in property, plant and equipment. During 2012, an amount of $4,141 initially recorded as exploration tax credits receivable was reversed and reflected as an increase to property, plant and equipment. These amounts are not included in the net change in non-cash working capital items.
During the year 2014, an amount of $3,124 was transferred from restricted deposits to guaranteed investment certificates. This is not reflected in the consolidated statement of cash flows as it is a non-cash event.
During the year 2012, an amount of $7,169 of exploration tax credits receivable was applied against income taxes payable after the filing of the tax return.
38
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
22. | Related party transactions |
22.1. Transactions with key management personnel
The key management personnel include members of the Board of Directors and named executive officers of the Corporation consisting of the President & Chief Executive Officer, the Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, the Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer and the Vice-President, Finance. Key management personnel remuneration includes the following expenses.
2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |||||
$ | $ | $ | |||||
Short-term benefits | |||||||
Salaries, directors’fees, bonuses and other benefits | 1,957 | 2,336 | 1,988 | ||||
Professional fees | 249 | - | - | ||||
Severance compensation | 945 | 266 | 1,986 | ||||
Related benefits | 110 | 78 | 159 | ||||
Total short-term benefits | 3,261 | 2,680 | 4,133 | ||||
Post-employment benefits | |||||||
Defined contribution pension plan | 22 | 9 | 8 | ||||
State plan | 23 | 23 | 23 | ||||
Total post-employment benefits | 45 | 32 | 31 | ||||
Stock-based compensation | 1,169 | 1,328 | 2,438 | ||||
4,475 | 4,040 | 6,602 |
During 2014, key management exercised 105,000 share options, with a total exercise price of $192. During 2013, key management did not exercise any share options while in 2012, key management exercised 324,000 share options with a total exercise price of $1,072.
22.2. Other transactions
The former corporate secretary, who is a partner at a law firm, resigned from the position as corporate secretary on May 9, 2013. From January 2013 until the date of his resignation, the Corporation received professional services from this firm for a total consideration of $60, including taxes ($333 in 2012).
On February 1, 2012, the Corporation completed a private placement of $10,000 with the past Vice Chairman of the Corporation’s Board of Directors and two members of his immediate family in the form of debentures convertible into the Corporation’s common shares. The convertible debentures were entirely retired in September 2012.
23. | Commitments and subsequent event |
The Corporation is subject to pay the following royalties: the Beaufor Mine and the W Zone Mine, $30 per ounce produced on 50% of the production; Island Gold Mine, a 3% net smelter return royalty per ounce produced from the Lochalsh claims and a 2% net smelter return royalty in addition to a 15% net profit interest royalty per ounce produced from the Goudreau claims; and at the Monique Mine, a 0.38% smelter return royalty per ounce produced. Royalty payments could be payable on other properties if such other properties are brought into commercial production.
39
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
On August 5, 2014, the Corporation announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire the outstanding 31% ownership of four patented claims on the Island Gold Mine property, thereby increasing its ownership of these claims to 100% from 69% previously. The 31% ownership held by the third party was acquired by the Corporation in return for a 3% net smelter return royalty (NSR) that is payable on 100% of mineral production from the four claims. As part of this agreement, the Corporation made an advance royalty payment of $1,000 at the closing of the transaction, and will make the following additional future payments: $1,000 each on January 3, 2015 and January 3, 2016. In the event that there is production from these claims, advance royalty payments will continue, and will decrease to $300 as of January 3, 2017, and will be paid annually until such time as a total of $5,100 has been paid in royalties (including advance royalties) to the third party, after which advance royalty payments will cease. All advance royal payments will be credited against any future NSR payments.
The Corporation is committed, under an operating lease expiring in December 2017, to pay a total sum of $409 for office space. Minimum rental payments for the next three years amount to $136 annually.
In mid-October 2013, the Corporation announced that it had signed a land and mining rights agreement with Argonaut Gold Inc. (“Argonaut”), owner of the Magino Gold Project that is adjacent to the Corporation’s Island Gold Mine. This Agreement was slightly modified in June 2014. Under the revised terms, Argonaut will receive one claim in its entirety and surface and mining rights down to a depth of 400 metres on six claims. It will also receive surface rights on two claims down to a depth of 100 metres. The Corporation will receive two additional claims for a total of three and mining rights below a depth of 400 metres on three claims. As previously reported, under the terms of the Agreement, the Corporation will receive a net payment of $2,000 in cash from Argonaut upon completion of the land transactions, which are now expected to take place in 2015.
On January 21, 2015, a syndicate of underwriters has agreed to purchase on a bought deal basis 8.5 million common shares of the Corporation at a price of $4.00 per share for gross proceeds of $34,000. In addition, the underwriters have been granted an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 1.125 million common shares from the Corporation, exercisable in whole or in part at the Offering Price for a period of 30 days from closing of the Offering, for additional gross proceeds of up to approximately $4,500. If the Over-Allotment Option is exercised in full, the total gross proceeds to the Corporation will be $38,500. Following the deduction of estimated fees, net proceeds are expected to amount to $36,100, and the Corporation’s share capital will increase by the same amount. The financing was closed on February 11, 2015 and the full over-allotment option was exercised.
24. | Contingencies |
The Corporation is involved in the following legal proceedings against the Corporation:
a) | The Corporation filed a lawsuit against a supplier (the “supplier”) for non-compliance of a supply agreement, which has resulted in additional costs for the Corporation. The supplier disputed the amount claimed by the Corporation, and counter-sued the Corporation for an amount higher than the Corporation’s original claim amount, on the basis that the supplier had to absorb substantial costs following the breach of contract; | |
b) | The second dispute is related to an invoice that the Corporation is contesting because the amount invoiced included costs stemming from work that the Corporation had not previously authorized. This work was not specified in the contract, and did not meet the parameters of the signed contract that stated that any additional work required prior approval. The parties have chosen to transfer the case to arbitrators as stipulated in the contract. The Corporation made a counter-claim to be reimbursed for the amount that had to be spent in order to redo the repairs. |
Management is of the opinion that the basis of these litigations is unfounded and, consequently, no provision has been accounted for in the financial statements in this respect.
Furthermore, in 2013, the Corporation began legal procedures against its former Monique Mine mining contractor for work that had been poorly executed or not executed at all. As at December 31, 2014, a contract holdback amount of $1,000 remains unpaid by the Corporation related to this work. In November 2014, the Corporation received a defense and counterclaim from this former contractor for an amount of $15,500. Management is of the opinion that the basis of this counterclaim is unfounded and, consequently, no provision has been accounted for in the financial statements in this respect.
40
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
25. | Capital disclosures |
The Corporation’s objectives when managing its capital are to safeguard the Corporation’s ability to continue as a going concern in order to support the development of its mining assets and ongoing exploration programs, to provide sufficient working capital to meet its ongoing obligations and to pursue potential investments.
The Corporation defines its capital as its equity.
The Corporation manages its capital structure and makes adjustments to it in accordance with the aforementioned objectives, as well as in light of changes in economic conditions and the risk characteristics of the underlying assets. In order to maintain or adjust its capital structure, the Corporation may purchase some of its shares for cancellation pursuant to normal course issuer bids, issue new shares, issue new debt, acquire or dispose of assets. The Corporation is not subject to externally imposed capital requirements. The Corporation’s management of capital remained unchanged since the previous year.
26. | Financial instruments and risk management |
a) | Fair value |
The following table presents the carrying amounts and fair values of each financial instruments category:
December 31, 2014 | December 31, 2013 | |||||||||
Book | Fair | Book | Fair | |||||||
Fair value | value | value | Value | Value | ||||||
hierarchy | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||
Loans and receivables | ||||||||||
Cash1 | 35,273 | 35,273 | 17,551 | 17,551 | ||||||
Guaranteed investment certificate1 | 474 | 474 | ||||||||
Receivables1 | 267 | 267 | 502 | 502 | ||||||
36,014 | 36,014 | 18,053 | 18,053 | |||||||
Financial liabilities, at amortized cost | ||||||||||
Payables, accruals and provisions1 | 12,681 | 12,681 | 13,096 | 13,096 | ||||||
Royalty payments payable1 | Level 2 | 2,000 | 2,000 | - | - | |||||
Finance lease obligations2 | Level 2 | 2,912 | 2,912 | 3,737 | 3,737 | |||||
Contract payment holdbacks2 | Level 2 | 1,116 | 1,116 | 1,000 | 1,000 | |||||
Closure allowance2 | Level 2 | 513 | 513 | 573 | 573 | |||||
19,222 | 19,222 | 18,406 | 18,406 |
1 | The Corporation owns and assumes financial assets and liabilities such as cash, guaranteed investment certificate and receivables (except taxes receivable), as well as payables, accruals and provisions (except salaries and related benefits payable). The fair value of these financial assets and liabilities approximates their book value as these items will be realized or settled in the short term. | |
2 | The fair value was determined by calculating the discounted cash flows using market interest rates for financial instruments with similar characteristics. The fair value of the royalty payments payable, the finance lease obligations, the contract payment holdbacks and the closure allowance approximate the book value. |
41
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
b) | Fair value hierarchy |
Financial instruments recognized at fair value and financial instruments measured at amortized cost for which the fair value is disclosed on the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position must be classified using a fair value hierarchy that reflects the significance of the inputs used in making the measurement, the fair value hierarchy levels are as follow:
Level 1: | quoted prices (unadjusted) observed in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; | |
Level 2: | valuation techniques based on inputs other than quoted prices included in level 1, that are either directly or indirectly observable; | |
Level 3: | valuation techniques with significant unobservable market inputs. |
c) | Market risk |
The Corporation is exposed to gold price fluctuations and to fluctuations of the US dollar compared to the Canadian dollar. The Corporation could manage its exposure to these risks through the occasional use of derivative financial instruments and gold commodity contracts. The Corporation is also exposed to fluctuations of interest rates for its cash and its guaranteed investment certificate. The risks and the management of those risks were unchanged compared to previous years. The exposure to fluctuations of interest rates is not significant.
The Board of Directors approves all policies concerning the use of derivative financial instruments and gold sales contracts. The Corporation does not hold any financial instrument or derivative financial instrument for trading or speculative purposes.
Foreign exchange risk
Exposure to currency exchange rates arises from revenues from the sale of precious metals and purchases that the Corporation carries out abroad. All of the Corporation’s precious metal revenues are either earned in or based on U.S. dollars precious metal prices, while the majority of its operating costs are in Canadian dollars.
The price of gold is established in US dollars; to manage its exposure due to the fluctuation of the US dollar, the Corporation can occasionally enter into various types of foreign exchange contracts. During the years 2014 and 2013 the Corporation did not enter into any forward exchange contracts. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, assets and liabilities denominated in US dollars are not significant.
The following table illustrates the sensitivity of net earnings and equity in regards to the US dollar/ Canadian dollar exchange rate, all other variables being constant. It assumes a +/- 9% change of the US dollar/ Canadian dollar exchange rate for the reporting period ended December 31, 2014 (+/- 8% for the reporting period ended December 31, 2013 and +/- 7% for the reporting period ended December 31, 2012). These percentages have been determined based on the average market volatility in exchange rates in the preceding twelve months. The sensitivity analysis assumes that all the Corporation revenues are U.S. dollars based for the reporting period.
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS | |||
Change | Impact on net earnings | ||
(in thousands of CAN$) | |||
2014 | +/- 9% (US$ / CAN$) | +/- 7,779 | |
2013 | +/- 8% (US$ / CAN$) | +/- 5,267 | |
2012 | +/- 7% (US$ / CAN$) | +/- 5,572 |
42
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
Commodity price risk
The Corporation’s earnings are directly related to commodity prices as revenues are derived principally from the sale of gold. For its gold production, the Corporation can reduce its risk of a decrease in the price of gold through the occasional use of forward sales contracts and put and call options. The risk related to fluctuation of gold price is unchanged from the previous years. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Corporation did not enter into any hedging contracts for its gold production.
The following table illustrates the sensitivity of net earnings and equity to movements in the price of gold, all other variables being constant. It assumes a +/- 10% change in the average selling price of gold realized (US$ per ounce), taking into account the average exchange rate for the corresponding year.
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS | |||
Change | Impact on net earnings | ||
(in thousands of CAN$) | |||
2014 | +/- 10% | +/- 9,566 | |
Average exchange rate (US$/CAN$) 1.1045 | |||
2013 | +/- 10% | +/- 6,328 | |
Average exchange rate (US$/CAN$) 1.0299 | |||
2012 | +/- 10% | +/- 7,903 | |
Average exchange rate (US$/CAN$) 0.9996 |
d) | Credit risk |
Financial instruments that expose the Corporation to a credit risk consist of receivables (except taxes receivable) and cash and guaranteed investment certificate. The receivables partially consist of prepayments and consequently the exposure to credit risk for the receivables is reduced.
The Corporation invests its cash and guaranteed investment certificate in high-quality securities issued by government agencies, financial institutions and major corporations, and limits the amount of credit exposure by diversifying its holdings. At December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Corporation’s cash and guaranteed investment certificate are held through one financial institution.
As at December 31, 2014 and 2013, the cash was invested with an effective rate of 1.20%.
e) | Liquidity risk |
The objective of management with respect to liquidity risk is to hold enough cash and cash equivalents in order to ensure that the Corporation has the necessary funds to meet its obligations. The liquidity risk and its management were the same as during the previous year.
Payables, accruals and provisions are due in the next financial year.
Payments for the finance lease obligations are disclosed in note 18.
43
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
27. | Segmented information |
The Corporation operates gold mines at different sites in Quebec and Ontario. These operating sites are managed separately given their different locations. The Corporation assesses the performance of each segment based on earnings before taxes and discontinued operation. Accounting policies for each segment are the same as those used for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements.
There was no difference in 2014 compared to annual financial statements of 2013 and 2012 in the basis of segmentation or the basis of evaluation of segment result.
2014 | |||||||||||
Segmented information | Exploration, | ||||||||||
concerning the consolidated | Total | corporate | |||||||||
income statement | Quebec | Ontario | segments | and others | Total | ||||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||
Revenues | 73,225 | 58,971 | 132,196 | - | 132,196 | ||||||
Cost of sales | 60,132 | 51,766 | 111,898 | - | 111,898 | ||||||
Gross profit | 13,093 | 7,205 | 20,298 | - | 20,298 | ||||||
Exploration and project Evaluation | 1,735 | 771 | 2,506 | 1,266 | 3,772 | ||||||
Administration | - | - | - | 7,627 | 7,627 | ||||||
Loss on disposal of long-term assets | 10 | 132 | 142 | 497 | 639 | ||||||
Other revenues | (63 | ) | (32 | ) | (95 | ) | (7 | ) | (102 | ) | |
1,682 | 871 | 2,553 | 9,383 | 11,936 | |||||||
Operating earnings (loss) | 11,411 | 6,334 | 17,745 | (9,383 | ) | 8,362 | |||||
Financial expenses | 83 | 28 | 111 | - | 111 | ||||||
Financial revenues | 4 | (8 | ) | (4 | ) | (432 | ) | (436 | ) | ||
Earnings (loss) before taxes | 11,324 | 6,314 | 17,638 | (8,951 | ) | 8,687 | |||||
Addition of property, plant and equipment | 2,884 | 20,168 | 23,052 | - | 23,052 | ||||||
Current assets | 16,727 | 8,041 | 24,768 | 34,790 | 59,558 | ||||||
Restricted deposits | 369 | 601 | 970 | 46 | 1,016 | ||||||
Property, plant and equipment | 8,861 | 77,184 | 86,045 | 2,152 | 88,197 | ||||||
Total assets | 25,957 | 85,826 | 111,783 | 36,988 | 148,771 | ||||||
Current liabilities | 6,918 | 12,504 | 19,422 | 5,299 | 24,721 | ||||||
Long-term debt | 1,513 | 3,229 | 4,742 | 982 | 5,724 | ||||||
Asset retirement obligations | 5,477 | 1,937 | 7,414 | 629 | 8,043 | ||||||
Deferred income and mining tax liabilities | - | - | - | 2,326 | 2,326 | ||||||
Total liabilities | 13,908 | 17,670 | 31,578 | 9,236 | 40,814 |
44
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
2013 | |||||||||||||
Segmented information | Exploration, | ||||||||||||
concerning the consolidated | Total | corporate | Discontinued | ||||||||||
income statement | Quebec | Ontario | segments | and others | operation | Total | |||||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||
Revenues | 41,563 | 50,487 | 92,050 | - | (1,837 | ) | 90,213 | ||||||
Cost of sales | 40,164 | 47,475 | 87,639 | - | (1,807 | ) | 85,832 | ||||||
Gross profit (loss) | 1,399 | 3,012 | 4,411 | - | (30 | ) | 4,381 | ||||||
Exploration and project evaluation | 2,240 | 4,532 | 6,772 | 1,103 | - | 7,875 | |||||||
Administration | - | - | - | 7,514 | - | 7,514 | |||||||
Loss (gain) on disposal of long-term assets | (89 | ) | 79 | (10 | ) | 26 | 89 | 105 | |||||
Impairment loss on W Zone Mine | 13,472 | - | 13,472 | - | - | 13,472 | |||||||
Other revenues | (20 | ) | (132 | ) | (152 | ) | (6 | ) | 4 | (154 | ) | ||
15,603 | 4,479 | 20,082 | 8,637 | 93 | 28,812 | ||||||||
Operating loss | (14,204 | ) | (1,467 | ) | (15,671 | ) | (8,637 | ) | (123 | ) | (24,431 | ) | |
Financial expenses | 62 | 19 | 81 | 1,182 | - | 1,263 | |||||||
Financial revenues | (4 | ) | (2 | ) | (6 | ) | (523 | ) | 3 | (526 | ) | ||
Loss before taxes and discontinued operation | (14,262 | ) | (1,484 | ) | (15,746 | ) | (9,296 | ) | (126 | ) | (25,168 | ) | |
Net loss from discontinued operation | (1,098 | ) | - | (1,098 | ) | - | - | (1,098 | ) | ||||
Addition of property, plant and equipment | 13,681 | 27,770 | 41,451 | 437 | - | 41,888 | |||||||
Current assets | 11,479 | 7,710 | 19,189 | 17,040 | - | 36,229 | |||||||
Restricted deposits | 107 | 594 | 701 | 2,720 | - | 3,421 | |||||||
Property, plant and equipment | 18,193 | 62,184 | 80,377 | 3,301 | - | 83,678 | |||||||
Total assets | 29,779 | 70,488 | 100,267 | 23,061 | - | 123,328 | |||||||
Current liabilities | 7,876 | 9,943 | 17,819 | 4,458 | - | 22,277 | |||||||
Long-term debt | 1,573 | 2,912 | 4,485 | 711 | - | 5,196 | |||||||
Asset retirement obligations | 5,451 | 1,662 | 7,113 | 490 | - | 7,603 | |||||||
Deferred income and mining tax liabilities | - | - | - | 1,899 | - | 1,899 | |||||||
Total liabilities | 14,900 | 14,517 | 29,417 | 7,558 | - | 36,975 |
45
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands of Canadian dollars)
2012 | |||||||||||||
Segmented information | Exploration, | ||||||||||||
concerning the consolidated | Total | corporate | Discontinued | ||||||||||
income statement | Quebec | Ontario | segments | and others | operation | Total | |||||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||
Revenues | 40,820 | 69,631 | 110,451 | - | (8,733 | ) | 101,718 | ||||||
Cost of sales | 39,888 | 44,395 | 84,283 | - | (10,485 | ) | 73,798 | ||||||
Gross profit | 932 | 25,236 | 26,168 | - | 1,752 | 27,920 | |||||||
Exploration and project evaluation | 1,722 | 10,969 | 12,691 | 7,864 | (290 | ) | 20,265 | ||||||
Administration | - | - | - | 10,270 | - | 10,270 | |||||||
Loss (Gain) on disposal of long-term assets | 1 | 181 | 182 | 23 | (7 | ) | 198 | ||||||
Other revenues | (33 | ) | (1 | ) | (34 | ) | (1 | ) | 7 | (28 | ) | ||
1,690 | 11,149 | 12,839 | 18,156 | (290 | ) | 30,705 | |||||||
Operating earnings (loss) | (758 | ) | 14,087 | 13,329 | (18,156 | ) | 2,042 | (2,785 | ) | ||||
Financial expenses | 53 | 14 | 67 | 595 | (6 | ) | 656 | ||||||
Financial revenues | (16 | ) | (1 | ) | (17 | ) | (820 | ) | - | (837 | ) | ||
Earnings (loss) before taxes and discontinued operation | (795 | ) | 14,074 | 13,279 | (17,931 | ) | 2,048 | (2,604 | ) | ||||
Net loss from discontinued operation | (42,038 | ) | - | (42,038 | ) | - | - | (42,038 | ) | ||||
Addition of property, plant and equipment | 27,288 | 8,364 | 35,652 | 2,202 | - | 37,854 | |||||||
Current assets | 6,387 | 12,854 | 19,241 | 55,685 | - | 74,926 | |||||||
Restricted deposits | 107 | 184 | 291 | 393 | - | 684 | |||||||
Property, plant and equipment | 21,282 | 35,851 | 57,133 | 8,017 | - | 65,150 | |||||||
Deferred income and mining tax assets | - | - | - | 7,484 | - | 7,484 | |||||||
Total assets | 27,776 | 48,889 | 76,665 | 71,579 | - | 148,244 | |||||||
Current liabilities | 4,583 | 4,723 | 9,306 | 11,324 | - | 20,630 | |||||||
Long-term debt | 63 | - | 63 | 639 | - | 702 | |||||||
Asset retirement obligations | 4,514 | 1,411 | 5,925 | 450 | - | 6,375 | |||||||
Deferred income and mining tax liabilities | - | - | - | 2,174 | - | 2,174 | |||||||
Total liabilities | 9,160 | 6,134 | 15,294 | 14,587 | - | 29,881 |
In 2014, 59% of precious metals have been sold through US financial institutions (67% in 2013 and 71% in 2012).
28. | Approval of Financial Statements |
The consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 were approved for publication by the Board of Directors on February 18, 2015.
46