WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2023
The following management discussion and analysis of Western Copper and Gold Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, "Western" or the "Company") is dated May 4, 2023, and provides an analysis of the Company's results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2023.
This discussion is intended to provide investors with a reasonable basis for assessing the financial performance of the Company as well as certain forward-looking statements relating to its potential future performance. The information should be read in conjunction with Western’s condensed interim consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2023, and Western’s audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the notes thereto, the latter of which have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”). The Company’s accounting policies are described in note 3 to the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022. All of the financial information presented herein is expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated.
Western is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") and the NYSE American under the symbol WRN. The Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2022, ("AIF"), is filed with Canadian regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. This information, along with Western's annual report on Form 40-F, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), is also available at edgar.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.
The operations of the Company are speculative due to the high-risk nature of the mining industry and given the Company is an exploration stage company. Western faces risks that are generally applicable to its industry and others that are specific to its operations. Certain key risks affecting the Company's current and future operations are discussed in its AIF and Form 40-F. This list is not exhaustive. Additional risks not currently known to the Company, or that the Company currently deems immaterial, may also impair the Company's operations. Such risk factors could materially affect the value of the Company's assets and future operating results, and could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements contained in this management discussion and analysis. Reference is made to the discussion of forward-looking statements at the end of this document.
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
Western Copper and Gold Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Casino Mining Corp. ("Casino Mining"), are focused on advancing the Casino project ("Casino", "Project" or "Casino Project") towards production. The Casino Project is located in Yukon, Canada and hosts one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits in Canada.
CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT
Strategic Investment by Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
On April 14, 2023, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation ("Mitsubishi Materials") purchased 8,091,390 common shares of the Company at a price of $2.63 per common share for gross proceeds of $21,280,356. The strategic investment results in Mitsubishi Materials owning 5% of the Company.
In connection with the strategic investment by Mitsubishi Materials, the Company and Mitsubishi Materials entered into an investor rights agreement whereby, subject to certain conditions, Mitsubishi Materials will have certain rights until the earlier of (a) its ownership falling below 3.0%, and (b) the date that is 24 months following completion of the investment (the "Expiry Date"), including:
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
• the right to appoint one member to a Casino Project Technical and Sustainability Committee.
• the right to appoint the greater of one director of the Company or 17% of the number of directors (rounding to the nearest whole number), if Mitsubishi Materials' ownership increases to at least 12.5%
In addition, until the Expiry Date, Mitsubishi Materials will have a right to participate in future equity issuances to maintain its ownership in the Company and, in the event its ownership increases to 8.0%, will be provided with a one-time "demand registration right" and "piggy-back registration rights."
Under the investor rights agreement, for a period of 24 months, Mitsubishi Materials will agree:
• not to sell, transfer, offer or otherwise dispose of any Shares without first notifying the Company
• to abstain from voting or vote any Shares in favor of each director nominated by the board of directors of the Company for election by shareholders
• not to acquire any securities of the Company, subject to certain exceptions
Mitsubishi Materials will have the right of first negotiation, until the later of (a) its ownership falling below 3.0%, and (b) the date that is 24 months following completion of the investment, to offtake at least its proportionate share of minerals produced from the Casino Project.
The Company and Mitsubishi Materials will negotiate in good faith new rights and restrictions attaching to its share ownership on the earlier of (a) 18 months following completion of the investment, and (b) Mitsubishi Materials' ownership reaching 12.5% or greater.
Strategic Investment by Rio Tinto Canada
On May 1, 2023, the Company announced that in connection with the strategic investment by Mitsubishi Materials, Rio Tinto Canada ("Rio Tinto") subscribed for 878,809 common shares of the Company for gross proceeds of $2,311,268, allowing Rio Tinto to maintain its current interest of approximately 7.84%.
On November 23, 2022, the Company announced that Rio Tinto had exercised its right to extend certain rights under the investor rights agreement, including the right to appoint:
• one member to a Casino Project Technical Committee until the earlier of: (a) Rio's ownership falling below 5.0%; and (b) November 28, 2023.
• one non-voting observer to attend all meetings of the board of directors of the Company until the earlier of (a) Rio's ownership falling below 5.0%; and (b) November 28, 2023.
• one director of the Company, if Rio Tinto's ownership increases to at least 12.5% before November 28, 2023.
• up to three secondees to the Casino Project until the earlier of: (a) Rio's ownership falling below 5.0%; and (b) November 28, 2023.
Rio Tinto continues to have a right to participate in future equity issuances to maintain its ownership in Western until the earlier of (a) Rio Tinto's ownership falling below 5.0%; and (b) May 28, 2023, with a one-time right to extend until May 28, 2024.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
CASINO PROJECT UPDATE
Feasibility Study
On June 28, 2022, the Company released the results of its Feasibility Study (the "Study") on its wholly-owned Casino copper-gold-molybdenum deposit. The Study considered the Project being constructed as an open pit mine, with a concentrator processing 120,000 tonnes per day (t/d) to recover copper, gold, molybdenum and silver, as well as a 25,000 t/d oxide heap leach facility to recover gold, silver and copper.
The Study supersedes all previous studies and incorporates an updated mineral resource and mineral reserve with an effective date of April 29, 2022. The Study examines the development of the Casino Project, which comprises the processing of 1.43 billion tonnes of Mineral Reserve for both the mill and heap leach, with deposition of mill tailings and mine waste in the Tailings Management Facility ("TMF") consistent with the design concepts considered during the Best Available Tailings Technology ("BATT") Study as a base case development.
Unless otherwise indicated, all references to "$" are to Canadian dollars and references to "US$" are to United States dollars.
FINANCIAL RESULTS
The Study indicates that the potential economic returns from the Project justify its further development and securing of the required permits and licenses for operation.
The financial results of the Study were developed under commodity prices that were based on analyst projections of long-term metal prices and a CAN$:US$ exchange rate of 0.80 ("Base Case" prices).
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
The following table summarizes the financial results:
Base Case | |
Copper (US$/lb) | 3.60 |
Gold (US$/oz) | 1,700 |
Molybdenum (US$/lb) | 14.00 |
Silver (US$/oz) | 22.00 |
Exchange Rate (C$:US$) | 0.80 |
NPV pre-tax (5% discount, $millions) | 5,768 |
NPV pre-tax (8% discount, $millions) | 3,473 |
IRR pre-tax (100% equity) | 21.2 |
NPV after-tax (5% discount, $millions) | 4,059 |
NPV after-tax (8% discount, $millions) | 2,334 |
IRR after-tax (100% equity) | 18.1 |
LOM pre-tax free cash flow ($millions) | 13,713 |
LOM after-tax free cash flow ($millions) | 10,019 |
Payback period (years) | 3.3 |
Net Smelter Return ($/t milled) | 29.08 |
Copper Cash Cost (net of by-product credits) ($/lb) | (1.00) |
Copper Cash Cost (co-product basis) ($/lb) | 1.92 |
Gold Cash Cost (co-product basis) ($/oz) | 908.53 |
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
Higher grade material is fed to the concentrator during the first four years of the concentrator operation. This factor, combined with the concurrent heap leach facility operation, results in higher yearly cash flows and other metrics during this period and contributes significantly to the Project's financial performance.
Years 1-4 | Life of Mine | |
Average Annual Pre-tax Cash Flow ($millions) | 1,033 | 662 |
Average Annual After-tax Cash Flow ($millions) | 951 | 517 |
Average Net Smelter Return (NSR) ($/t ore milled) | 43.15 | 29.08 |
% of Revenue - Copper | 48.5 | 46.8 |
% of Revenue - Gold | 38.8 | 36.0 |
% of Revenue - Silver | 2.1 | 2.4 |
% of Revenue - Molybdenum | 10.6 | 14.8 |
CAPITAL COSTS
Total initial capital investment in the Project is estimated to be $3.62 billion, which represents the total direct and indirect cost for the complete development of the Project, including associated infrastructure and power plant. The following table shows how the initial capital is distributed between the various components.
Cost Item | Total ($M) |
Process Plant and Infrastructure | |
Project Directs including freight | 2,116 |
Project Indirects | 431 |
Contingency | 369 |
Subtotal | 2,916 |
Mining | |
Mine Equipment | 433 |
Mine Preproduction | 228 |
Subtotal | 661 |
Owner's Costs | 41 |
Total Initial Capital Costs | 3,618 |
Sustaining Capital | 751 |
Total Life of Mine Capital Costs | 4,369 |
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
OPERATING COSTS
Operating costs for the milling operation were calculated per tonne of material processed through the mill over the life of mine:
LOM | |
($/tonne) | |
Milling | $6.42 |
General & Administrative | $0.46 |
Total | $6.88 |
Heap leach operating costs were calculated per tonne of material processed through the heap leach over the life of the heap leach.
LOM | |
($/tonne) | |
Heap Leach Operation | $1.93 |
ADR/SART | $4.80 |
Total | $6.73 |
Mining costs were calculated to average $2.30 per tonne of material moved and $3.65 per tonne of mineralized material.
($/tonne) | |
Cost per tonne material (material moved) | $2.30 |
Cost per tonne mill feed (mill + heap leach material) | $3.65 |
Cost per tonne mill feed | $4.28 |
The combined mining and milling costs are $11.16 per tonne material milled for the life of mine, which compares favorably to the life-of-mine net smelter return of $29.08 per tonne at Base Case metal prices.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The Study evaluates the development of the Casino deposit as a conventional open pit mine, concentrator complex, and heap leach operation. The initial production will focus on the deposit's oxide cap as a heap leach operation to recover gold and silver in doré form. The main sulphide deposit will be processed using a conventional concentrator to produce copper-gold-silver and molybdenum concentrates. Key metrics of the processing plant are shown below:
Years 1-4 | Life of Mine | |
Strip ratio | 0.26 | 0.43 |
Nominal Throughput | ||
Mill (t/d) | 120,000 | 120,000 |
Heap (t/d) | 25,000 | 25,000 |
Average Annual Metal Production | ||
Copper (Mlbs) | 241 | 163 |
Gold (kozs) | 333 | 211 |
Silver (kozs) | 1,596 | 1,277 |
Molybdenum (Mlbs) | 15.5 | 15.1 |
Average Annual Mill Feed Grade | ||
Copper (%) | 0.300 | 0.189 |
Gold (g/t) | 0.352 | 0.217 |
Silver (g/t) | 2.054 | 1.659 |
Molybdenum (%) | 0.025 | 0.021 |
Average Annual Heap Leach Grade* | ||
Gold (g/t) | 0.366 | 0.265 |
Silver (g/t) | 2.356 | 1.95 |
Copper (%t) | 0.042 | 0.036 |
Recovery (Mill) | ||
Copper (%) | 83.9 | 86.5 |
Gold (%) | 67.7 | 67.1 |
Silver (%) | 55.6 | 53.1 |
Molybdenum (%) | 64.1 | 71.2 |
Recovery (Heap) | ||
Gold (%) | 80.0 | 80.0 |
Copper (%) | 18.0 | 18.0 |
Silver (%) | 26.0 | 26.0 |
Annual Concentrate Production | ||
Cu (dry kt) | 390 | 264 |
Mo (dry kt) | 13 | 12 |
Average Concentrate Grade | ||
Copper Concentrate | ||
Cu (%) | 28.0 | 28.0 |
Au (g/t) | 26.5 | 24.9 |
Ag (g/t) | 127.2 | 150.7 |
Molybdenum Concentrate | ||
Mo (%) | 56.0 | 56.0 |
*Heap leach first four years grades taken from the start of the heap leach.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
MINERAL RESERVES
The Mineral Reserve estimate is based on an updated open pit mine plan and mine production schedule using commodity prices of US$3.25 per pound copper, US$1,550 per ounce gold, US$12.00 per pound molybdenum and US$22.00 per ounce silver.
All of the mineralization comprised in the Mineral Reserve estimate with respect to the Casino Project is contained on mineral titles controlled by Western Copper and Gold. The following table presents the Mineral Reserve that is the basis for this Study.
Tonnes | NSR | Cu | Au | Mo | Ag | CuEq | Cu | Au | Mo | Ag | |
Mill Ore Reserve: | (Mt) | ($/t) | (%) | (g/t) | (%) | (g/t) | (%) | (Mlbs) | (Moz) | (Mlbs) | (Moz) |
Proven Mineral Reserve | 140.1 | 38.50 | 0.31 | 0.39 | 0.024 | 2.1 | 0.67 | 944 | 1.8 | 74.9 | 9.4 |
Probable Mineral Reserve | 1,076.9 | 23.68 | 0.17 | 0.19 | 0.021 | 1.6 | 0.36 | 4,135 | 6.7 | 497.1 | 55.5 |
Proven/Probable Reserve | 1,217.1 | 25.38 | 0.19 | 0.22 | 0.021 | 1.7 | 0.40 | 5,079 | 8.5 | 571.9 | 64.9 |
Tonnes | NSR | Au | Cu | Mo | Ag | AuEq | Au | Cu | Mo | Ag | |
Heap Leach Reserve: | (Mt) | ($/t) | (g/t) | (%) | (%) | (g/t) | (g/t) | (Moz) | (Mlbs) | (Mlbs) | (Moz) |
Proven Mineral Reserve | 42.9 | 22.52 | 0.45 | 0.055 | N/A | 2.7 | 0.47 | 0.62 | 51.8 | N/A | 3.7 |
Probable Mineral Reserve | 166.8 | 11.14 | 0.22 | 0.031 | N/A | 1.8 | 0.23 | 1.17 | 113.5 | N/A | 9.4 |
Proven/Probable Reserve | 209.6 | 13.47 | 0.26 | 0.036 | N/A | 1.9 | 0.28 | 1.78 | 165.3 | N/A | 13.1 |
Notes:
1. The Mineral Reserve estimate has an effective date of June 13, 2022 and was prepared using the CIM Definition Standards (10 May 2014).
2. Columns may not sum exactly due to rounding.
3. Mineral Reserves are based on commodity prices of US$3.25/lb Cu, US$1550/oz Au, US$12.00/lb Mo, and US$22.00/oz Ag.
4. Mineral Reserves amenable to milling are based on NSR cutoffs that vary by time period to balance mine and plant production capacities. They range from a low of $6.11/t to a high of $25.00/t.
5. NSR value for supergene (SOX and SUS) mill material is NSR (C$/t) = $73.63 x recoverable copper (%) + $40.41 x gold (g/t) + $142.11 x moly (%) + 0.464 x silver (g/t), based on recoveries of 69% gold, 52.3% molybdenum and 60% silver. Recoverable copper = 0.94 x (total copper - soluble copper).
6. NSR value for hypogene (HYP) mill material is NSR (C$/t) = $67.88 x copper (%) + $38.66 x gold (g/t) + $213.78 x moly (%) + $0.386 x silver (g/t), based on recoveries of 92.2% copper, 66% gold, 78.6% molybdenum and 50% silver.
7. Mineral Reserves amenable to heap leaching are based on an NSR cutoff of $6.61/t.
8. NSR value for leach material is NSR (C$/t) = $14.05 x copper (%) + $47.44 x gold (g/t) + $0.210 x silver (g/t), based on recoveries of 18% copper, 80% gold and 26% silver.
9. AuEq and CuEq values are based on prices of US$ 3.25/lb Cu, US$ 1550/oz Au, US$ 12.00/lb Mo, and US$ 22.00/oz Ag, and account for all metal recoveries and smelting/refining charges.
10. The NSR calculations also account for smelter/refinery treatment charges and payables.
On August 9, 2022, the Company filed a technical report titled "Casino Project, Form NI 43-101F1 Technical Report Feasibility, Yukon, Canada" with an effective date of June 13, 2022 (the "Report"). The Report summarizes the results of the Feasibility Study on the Casino copper-gold project, which results were first reported by the Company in a news release dated June 28, 2022.
Metallurgical and Drill Program results
On January 17, 2023, the Company announced results from a metallurgical program and a drill program in 2022 for its wholly owned Casino Copper-Gold Project ("Casino").
Test work consisted of detailed mineralogy, heap leach testing, comminution testing, flotation testing and detailed analysis of flotation concentrates. Sample selection and composite sample generation followed the expected mining plan, as outlined in the 2022 feasibility study. Heap leach test work within the Metallurgical Program was completed at SGS Mineral Services of Burnaby, B.C., while all other test work was completed at ALS Metallurgy of Kamloops, B.C.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
COMMINUTION TEST RESULTS
Comminution test work expanded the database of results available to support the project. There were no significant new comminution results that altered the expected grinding characteristics of the Casino materials from previous test work. Sag Media Competency testing and JKTech Drop Weight tests were completed and used in grinding simulations, indicating a SAG mill power requirement of 7.6 to 10.6 kWh/t. Bond Ball mill work index results ranged from 11.0 to 16.1 kWh/t, which is considered as "soft to average" hardness in terms of ball milling energy requirements.
FLOTATION TEST RESULTS
The Casino Project proposes using flotation to produce saleable copper-gold and molybdenum concentrates using an industry standard process flowsheet. Gold values are expected to be recovered within a copper concentrate and be payable under typical copper concentrate smelting terms. Table 2 shows metallurgical recoveries obtained for SUP and HYP composites using locked cycle testing and reflecting the selected samples.
Summary of locked cycle flotation results for selected samples.
Composite No. | Copper Concentrate Grade | Metal Recoveries | |||
Cu (%) | Au (g/t) | Cu (%) | Au (%) | Mo (%) | |
7 | 26.5 | 35.7 | 75.7 | 66.9 | 81.9 |
8 | 26.3 | 39.6 | 80.0 | 59.6 | 55.8 |
9 | 28.0 | 29.5 | 91.7 | 82.8 | 76.5 |
10 | 30.1 | 25.9 | 91.9 | 67.6 | 77.4 |
11 | 29.5 | 29.5 | 90.9 | 67.6 | 84.1 |
These results show the impact of weathering and oxidation of copper minerals on the copper recovery for composites 7 and 8 and is typical of Casino material. HYP materials demonstrate consistently high copper recoveries and very good quality copper concentrates. Copper concentrate quality does not appear to be significantly impacted when processing SUP weathered materials, and minor reductions in copper content appear to be offset by increases in gold grades produced from these weathered zones. For the SUP samples that contain a component of copper as copper oxide minerals, the expected reduction in overall copper recovery in flotation is approximately equal to the copper oxide content. Gold recovery to copper concentrates is not expected to be significantly impacted when processing SUP materials in the Casino flotation plant.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
COPPER CONCENTRATE QUALITY
The flotation concentrates produced from the Casino project continue to demonstrate very good grades in terms of copper and gold, as well as low levels of potential penalty elements. Shown below is a summary table of the concentrates produced from the recent test work from selected samples, including key penalty elements relevant to smelter terms.
Casino concentrate analysis - key elements for smelter terms.
Composite No. | Copper Concentrate Grades | Smelter Sensitive Elements | |||||
Cu (%) | Au (g/t) | S (%) | As (%) | Sb (%) | Hg (g/t) | F (%) | |
7 | 26.5 | 35.7 | 30.5 | 0.148 | 0.108 | 1.19 | na |
8 | 26.3 | 39.6 | 31.8 | 0.086 | na | 0.49 | na |
9 | 28.0 | 29.5 | 33.4 | 0.011 | 0.005 | 0.03 | 0.013 |
10 | 30.1 | 25.9 | 32.8 | 0.158 | 0.076 | 0.36 | 0.016 |
11 | 29.5 | 29.5 | 31.2 | 0.406 | 0.168 | 0.81 | 0.025 |
COLUMN TEST RESULTS
Column testing was carried out in 20-foot high by 4-inch diameter PVC columns irrigated at 10 L/h/m2 with a solution containing 1.0 g/L NaCN and 300 mg/L Cu to approximate the buildup of copper in the expected operating circuit, at a pH between 11 and 11.5 for 96 days. The samples were crushed to 100 percent passing ¾ inch which is consistent with the design criteria from the Feasibility Study.
Gold and silver recovery and cyanide and lime consumption for column tests after rinsing.
Sample | Gold Recovery (%) | Silver Recovery (%) | NaCN Consumption (kg/t) | Lime Consumption (kg/t) |
Comp 1 | 82.7 | 19.1 | 1.47 | 3.36 |
Comp 12 | 83.8 | 7.4 | 1.48 | 4.57 |
Comp 14 | 78.0 | 15.1 | 1.55 | 3.58 |
IX Comp | 85.8 | 21.8 | 1.37 | 3.36 |
PP Comp | 88.3 | 25.2 | 1.87 | 3.50 |
WR Comp | 85.1 | 24.9 | 1.23 | 3.70 |
Gold recoveries for the 6 samples tested ranged from 78.0 to 88.3 percent, which compares favorably to the 80 percent gold recovery used in the Feasibility Study and suggests that some of the material designated for the heap leach pad may produce gold recoveries in excess of what is carried in the Feasibility Study. Lime and cyanide consumption are also consistent with previous testing.
Drill Program
The Drill Program included a diamond drill hole (DDH22-01) targeting a deep-seated magnetotelluric ("MT") geophysical anomaly indicating potential for a conical mineralized zone directly southeast of the Casino Deposit core zone. Additionally, 23 short diamond drill holes totaling 853.71 m, and 9 combined sonic/diamond drill holes totaling 364.43 m, were completed on various targets for geotechnical and water-monitoring purposes. The program also included 34,387 m of drill core scanning utilizing the GeologicAI scanning device built by Enersoft Inc.
DDH22-01 was collared along the Casino deposit's southeastern limit (UTM NAD 83, Zone 7V coordinates: 611160E, 6958125N, elev. 1,236 m) and drilled at an azimuth of 170° and dip of -80° to a depth of 1,008 m. Downhole measurements were made at regular intervals to verify that the hole was on target and successfully intersected the projected MT feature. The top of the anomaly was encountered at approximately 800 m total depth.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
The lithology of the entire drill hole was dominated by Dawson Range granodioritic intrusive rocks, crosscut by only a few dykes, interpreted as members of the younger Patton Porphyry intrusion. Intrusive Breccias, the principal host rock of the Casino deposit, were not intersected. Phyllic and argillic alteration was logged at shallow depths along the deposit margin, and propylitic alteration dominated within and directly overlying the anomaly. Elevated copper, gold, and silver values were exclusively hosted by thin pyritiferous structural zones throughout the drill hole. The top of the sulphide zone was encountered at approximately 100 m depth; the percentage of sulphides decreased with depth, apart from those hosted by the thin structures. Select intervals are shown below:
Select Intervals of DDH22-01.
Interval From (m) | Interval To (m) | Width1 (m) | Au (g/t) | Ag (g/t) | Cu (%) | Mo (g/t) |
950.20 | 953.20 | 3.00 | 4.85 | 10.1 | 0.85 | 1.1 |
989.20 | 992.20 | 3.00 | 1.76 | 2.9 | 0.43 | 0.5 |
992.20 | 995.20 | 3.00 | 2.92 | 7.0 | 0.91 | 1.1 |
1Widths are core length, not true width of mineralized intersection
Permitting
On October 31, 2022, Casino was informed by the Executive Committee of the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board ("YESAB") that it is necessary to revise the Environmental and Socio-Economic Statement Guidelines (the "Guidelines"), which were issued June 20, 2016 following the Casino Copper-Gold Project's (the "Project") referral to a Panel of the Board (the "Panel Review").
The need to revise the Guidelines is the result of discussions between the Company and YESAB on how to address changes in assessment methods, environmental best practices, and enhancements to the Project that have occurred since the issuance of the original Guidelines in 2016. The Company will update the schedule for submission of the Environmental and Socio-economic Effects Statement ("ESE Statement") on its Casino Project upon receipt of the Guidelines.
The ESE Statement submission is an important next step in the Panel Review process. Since 2016, when the Casino project was referred to Panel Review by the YESAB's Executive Committee, Casino has continued to advance the Project by engaging with potentially affected First Nations, completing a variety of Traditional Knowledge and environmental studies, conducting a number of drill campaigns, and finalizing a PEA on the Project. On February 24, 2022, the Company announced leading Canadian environmental consultancy firm, Hemmera, will lead preparation of the ESE Statement for the Casino Project.
Infrastructure
In 2017, the Federal and Yukon Governments announced commitments to fund the upgrade for a portion of the existing access road to standards required for the Casino Project, as well as to fund a section of the additional 126 km of new access road to the Casino site.
The first project agreement on the Freegold Road was reached in April 2019 on the initial segment of the Freegold Road - the Carmacks Bypass. On February 24, 2022, the Company announced the Yukon Government had commenced construction of the Carmacks Bypass Project, required for Casino's construction and operation, following award of the contract in November 2021. The Carmacks Bypass will allow industrial vehicles to circumvent the Village of Carmacks; reducing heavy traffic and increasing community safety, while improving access to the Casino Project site located approximately 200 km from the community.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
Exploration and evaluation expenditures
Capitalized expenditures for the periods presented were as follows:
For the three months ended March 31, | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
$ | $ | |||||
Claims maintenance | 25,010 | 26,038 | ||||
Engineering | 215,851 | 1,005,711 | ||||
Exploration and camp support | (237,854 | ) | 121,382 | |||
Permitting | 2,492,762 | 913,203 | ||||
Salary and wages | 322,500 | 239,543 | ||||
Share-based payments | 164,765 | 208,989 | ||||
TOTAL | 2,983,034 | 2,514,866 |
During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company's activity focused on permitting and environmental activities associated with its planned ESE Statement submission.
During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company's activity focused on working toward the completion of its feasibility study. Concurrently the Company began initial permitting and environmental activities associated with its ESE Statement.
Royalty payments
The Casino Property is subject to a 2.75% NSR on the claims comprising the Casino project in favour of Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd. ("Osisko Gold") pursuant to the Royalty Assignment and Assumption Agreement dated July 31, 2017 when 8248567 Canada Limited assigned to Osisko Gold all of its rights, title and interest in the 2.75% NSR.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The following quarterly information has been extracted from the Company's unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements.
As at and for the quarter ended | 31-Mar-23 | 31-Dec-22 | 30-Sep-22 | 30-Jun-22 | ||||||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Loss and comprehensive loss | 1,110,606 | 1,387,251 | 706,626 | 1,276,212 | ||||||||
Loss per share - basic and diluted | $ | 0.01 | $ | 0.01 | 0.00 | $ | 0.01 | |||||
Cash and short-term investments | 19,598,387 | 22,709,722 | 29,222,609 | 38,634,795 | ||||||||
Exploration and evaluation assets | 92,144,912 | 89,161,878 | 84,785,069 | 74,338,172 | ||||||||
Total assets | 113,657,532 | 114,382,545 | 116,205,020 | 114,671,589 |
As at and for the quarter ended | 31-Mar-22 | 31-Dec-21 | 30-Sep-21 | 30-Jun-21 | ||||||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
Loss and comprehensive loss | 1,617,087 | 525,833 | 909,863 | 1,176,295 | ||||||||
Loss per share - basic and diluted | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.01 | ||||||||
Cash and short-term investments | 43,259,683 | 46,761,849 | 51,790,157 | 49,710,381 | ||||||||
Exploration and evaluation assets | 68,862,927 | 66,348,061 | 63,222,969 | 56,785,349 | ||||||||
Total assets | 113,980,260 | 115,487,886 | 116,499,708 | 108,157,055 |
Items that resulted in significant differences in the quarterly figures presented above are explained in the following narrative.
Loss and comprehensive loss
The scale and nature of the Company's corporate and administrative activity have remained relatively consistent over the periods presented above. Quarterly fluctuations in loss and comprehensive loss figures have mainly been driven by gains and losses related to marketable securities, flow-through premium recovery and variances in stock-based compensation expense.
During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company recognized interest income of $169,798 due to lower interest bearing balances compared to the three months ended December 31, 2022
During the three months ended December 31, 2022, share-based payments totaled $287,328 due to timing, valuation, and recognition differences relating to the underlying stock option grants as well the recognition and amortization related to RSU's. The Company also recognized an unrealized loss on marketable securities of $90,020 which was partially offset by interest income of $181,488.
During the three months ended September 30, 2022, share-based payments totaled $309,770 due to timing, valuation, and recognition differences relating to the underlying stock option grants as well the recognition and amortization related to RSUs which was partially offset by the $252,194 related to flow-through premium recovery.
During the three months ended June 30, 2022, share-based payments totaled $380,869 due to timing, valuation, and recognition differences relating to the underlying stock option grants as well the recognition and amortization related to RSUs. The Company also recognized an unrealized loss of $462,600 on marketable securities which was partially offset by the flow-through premium recovery.
During the three months ended March 31, 2022, share-based payments totaled $569,736 due to timing, valuation, and recognition differences relating to the underlying stock option grants as well the recognition and amortization related to RSU's and DSUs. The Company also recognized higher costs associated with wages and benefits as it increased its head count and provided raises to certain employees.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
During the three months ended June 30, 2021, the Company incurred higher filing and legal fees associated with its stock option plan renewal and restricted share unit and deferred share unit plans. Wages and benefits also increased as the Company recognized an expense for a $300,000 payment related to the retirement of the Company's former Executive Chairman.
Exploration and evaluation assets
Expenditures incurred by the Company relating to its mineral properties are capitalized. As a result, the carrying value of exploration and evaluation assets generally increases from period to period.
During the three months ended March 31, 2023, exploration and evaluation assets increased as the Company continued work on its ESE Statement.
During the three months ended December 31, 2022, exploration and evaluation assets increased as the Company completed its drilling and exploration program as well continued on-going work on its ESE Statement.
During the three months ended September 30, 2022, exploration and evaluation assets increased as the Company incurred $8,173,126 in expenditures related to its drilling and exploration program. The Company also incurred expenditures associated with on-going work on its ESE statement and completing its Feasibility Study which totaled $5,316,223 and $3,344,636 respectively.
During the three months ended June 30, 2022, exploration and evaluation assets increased as the Company incurred $2,022,528 in expenditures related to its drilling and exploration program. The Company also incurred expenditures associated with on-going work on its ESE statement and Feasibility Study which totaled $1,681,215 and $1,249,707, respectively.
During the three months ended December 31, 2021, and the three months ended September 30, 2021, exploration and evaluation assets increased as the Company completed field work related to its 2021 exploration and drilling program as well as incurred engineering expenditures related to work on its Feasibility Study.
Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments
Cash is used to fund ongoing operations. Unless there is a significant financing transaction, total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments are expected to decrease from one period to the next.
During the three months ended September 30, 2021, the Company completed a brokered private placement of flow through common shares for aggregate proceeds of $8.0M.
During the three months ended June 30, 2021, the Company received $25.6M as part of a strategic investment from Rio Tinto.
During the three months ended December 31, 2020, the Company raised $28.7M through an equity offering which resulted in a significant increase to cash and cash equivalents.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
For the three months ended March 31, | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
$ | $ | |||||
Depreciation | 51,725 | 38,723 | ||||
Filing and regulatory fees | 229,360 | 206,945 | ||||
Office and administration | 115,888 | 163,476 | ||||
Professional fees | 75,252 | 55,479 | ||||
Share-based payments | 207,011 | 569,736 | ||||
Shareholder communication and travel | 183,222 | 164,182 | ||||
Wages and benefits | 459,001 | 492,590 | ||||
CORPORATE EXPENSES | 1,321,459 | 1,691,131 | ||||
Foreign exchange gain | (195 | ) | (2,447 | ) | ||
Interest income | (169,798 | ) | (66,109 | ) | ||
Flow-through premium recovery | - | (108,008 | ) | |||
Unrealized loss (gain) on marketable securities | (40,860 | ) | 102,520 | |||
LOSS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS | 1,110,606 | 1,617,087 |
THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2023
Western incurred a loss of $1,110,606 ($0.01 per common share) for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to a loss of $1,617,087 ($0.01 per common share) over the same period in 2022. The scale and nature of the Company's administrative activity have remained generally consistent throughout these periods, but a few items led to differences in the comparative figures, as follows:
Office and administration decreased by $47,588 during the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022 largely due to a decrease in corporate development activity.
Share-based payments decreased by $362,725 during the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022 due to timing, valuation, and recognition differences relating to the underlying stock option grants, restricted share unit grants and deferred share unit grants.
Interest income increased by $103,689 during the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022 due to an increase in interest rates.
During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company recorded a flow-through premium recovery of $nil compared to a flow-through premium recovery of $108,008 during the three months ended March 31, 2022.
The Company recorded an unrealized gain on marketable securities of $40,860 during the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to an unrealized loss of $102,520 during the same period in 2022 as a result of changes in the share price of the marketable securities held by Western at each period end date.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
For the three months ended March 31, | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
$ | $ | |||||
CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) | ||||||
Operating activities | (1,378,136 | ) | (1,229,119 | ) | ||
Financing activities | 1,378,982 | 37,104 | ||||
Investing activities | 1,803,627 | (7,350,424 | ) | |||
CHANGE IN CASH AND EQUIVALENTS | 1,804,473 | (8,542,439 | ) | |||
Cash and cash equivalents - beginning | 1,341,267 | 30,688,210 | ||||
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS - ENDING | 3,145,740 | 22,145,771 |
Cash and cash equivalents totaled $3,145,740 as at March 31, 2023 (December 31, 2022 - $1,341,267). Cash and short-term investments totaled $19,598,387 as at March 31, 2023 (December 31, 2022 - $22,709,722). Western's net working capital as at March 31, 2023 totaled $17,838,411 (December 31, 2022 - $20,093,597).
Western is an exploration stage company. As at the date of this report, the Company has not earned any production revenue. It depends heavily on its working capital balance and its ability to raise funds through capital markets to finance its operations. Although the Company expects that the current cash and short-term investments on hand will be sufficient to fund anticipated operating activities in the next twelve months, it will require significant additional funding to complete the development and construction of the Casino mine.
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company's ability to continue as a going concern is substantially dependent on its ability to raise funds necessary to acquire assets, perform exploration and development activities, and conduct its corporate affairs primarily through the issuance of its common shares.
Operating activities
The significant components of operating activities are discussed in the Results of Operations section above.
Financing activities
During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company received $1,440,000 from the exercise of stock options and expended $61,018 on lease payments.
During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company received $77,833 from the exercise of stock options and expended $40,729 on lease payments.
Investing activities
Investing activities include both mineral property expenditures, and purchases and redemptions of short-term investments. Investments with an original maturity of greater than three months are considered short-term investments for accounting purposes. Purchases and redemptions of short-term investments are mainly driven by cash requirements and available interest rates.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company redeemed $5,000,000 in short term investments and spent $3,196,373 on exploration and evaluation assets.
During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company purchased $5,000,000 in short term investments and spent $2,350,424 on exploration and evaluation expenditures. A summary of activities relating to the Casino Project is available under the Casino Project Update section at the beginning of this report.
OUTSTANDING SHARE DATA
As at the date of this report, the Company has 161,827,796 common shares outstanding. The Company also has 6,924,334 stock options outstanding with exercise prices ranging from $0.75 to $2.22 and 1,500,000 warrants with an exercise price of $0.85. In addition, there are 459,017 restricted share units and 305,400 deferred share units to be settled by way of common shares issued from treasury.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
The Company leases office space in Vancouver, British Columbia and Whitehorse, Yukon. The future minimum lease payments by calendar year are approximately as follows:
Year | $ | ||
2023 | 184,655 | ||
2024 | 185,515 | ||
2025 | 20,400 | ||
TOTAL | 390,570 |
The Company has no off-balance sheet arrangements and no long-term obligations other than those described throughout this document, or in the description of exploration and evaluation assets contained in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
KEY MANAGEMENT COMPENSATION
The Company's related parties also include its directors and officers, who are the key management of the Company. The remuneration of directors and officers during the periods presented was follows:
For the three months ended March 31, | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
$ | $ | |||||
Salaries and director fees | 443,611 | 516,573 | ||||
Share-based payments | 338,569 | 710,569 | ||||
KEY MANAGEMENT COMPENSATION | 782,180 | 1,227,142 |
Share-based payments represent the fair value of stock options, RSUs and DSUs previously granted to directors and officers during the periods presented above. Salaries and share-based payments for certain officers are capitalized in exploration and evaluation assets and the balance is recognized in the statement of loss and comprehensive loss.
SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Use of estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires to exercise judgement in the process of applying its accounting policies and to make estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Differences may be material.
Exploration and evaluation assets
The carrying amount of the Company's exploration and evaluation assets represents costs net of write-downs and recoveries to date and does not necessarily reflect present or future values. Recovery of capitalized costs is dependent on successful development of economic mining operations or the disposition of the related mineral properties.
The Company's assets are reviewed for indication of impairment at each balance sheet date. If indication of impairment exists, the assets' recoverable amount is estimated. If the assets' carrying amount exceeds the recoverable amount, then an impairment loss is recognized in the statement of loss. The Company's review did not identify any indication of impairment.
Environmental site reclamation
As at March 31, 2023, the Company had not recognized an amount for environmental site reclamation, however, minimum standards for site reclamation have been established by various governmental agencies that affect certain operations of the Company. The determination of reclamation costs requires assumptions with respect to future expected costs and legislation in effect at that time. Changes in these assumptions could have a material effect on the amount required to be recognized as an environmental reclamation provision.
DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Management is responsible for designing, establishing, and maintaining a system of disclosure controls and procedures. Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that material information relating to the Company is made known to management, particularly during the period in which the annual filings are being prepared and that information required to be disclosed by the Company in its annual filings, interim filings or other reports filed or submitted by it under securities legislation is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in securities legislation.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
The Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2022. As a result of the material weakness identified during the assessment of internal control over financial reporting, as described below, management also concluded that its disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as at December 31, 2022.
MANAGEMENT'S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Management is responsible for designing, establishing, and maintaining a system of internal control over financial reporting ("ICFR") to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in Canada.
In making this assessment, the Company's management used the criteria established by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in its 2013 Internal Control-Integrated Framework.
The Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer assessed the design and the operating effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022.
Based on that assessment, management concluded that, as at December 31, 2022, the Company's internal control over financial reporting was not effective due to the existence of a material weakness. A material weakness existed in the design of internal control over financial reporting caused by a lack of adequate segregation of duties in the financial close process. The Chief Financial Officer is responsible for preparing, authorizing, and reviewing information that is key to the preparation of financial reports. He is also responsible for preparing and reviewing the resulting financial reports. This weakness has the potential to result in material misstatements in the Company's financial statements, and should also be considered a material weakness in its disclosure controls and procedures.
Management has concluded, and the audit committee has agreed that taking into account the present stage of Western's development, the Company does not have sufficient size and scale to warrant the hiring of additional staff to correct the weakness at this time.
There has been no significant change in internal control over financial reporting or in disclosure controls and procedures from January 1 to March 31, 2023, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting or its disclosure controls and procedures.
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT RISK
The Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the establishment and oversight of the Company's risk management framework. The Company has exposure to liquidity, credit, and market risk from the use of financial instruments. Financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, marketable securities, certain other assets, and accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Company will be unable to meet its financial obligations as they come due. The Company uses cash forecasts to ensure that there is sufficient cash on hand to meet short-term business requirements. Cash equivalents are invested in highly liquid investments which are available to discharge obligations when they come due. The Company does not maintain a line of credit.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
Credit risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments. These financial instruments are at risk to the extent that the institutions issuing or holding them cannot redeem amounts when they are due or requested. To limit its credit risk, the Company uses a restrictive investment policy. Cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments are held with high quality financial institutions. Substantially all cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments held with financial institutions exceeds government-insured limits. We have established credit policies that seek to minimize our credit risk by entering into transactions with investment grade credit worthy and reputable financial institutions. The carrying amount of financial assets recorded in the financial statements represents Western’s maximum exposure to credit risk.
Market risk
The Company is exposed to market risk because of the fluctuating values of its publicly traded marketable securities. The Company has no control over these fluctuations and does not hedge its investments. Marketable securities are adjusted to fair value at each balance sheet date.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This MD&A and certain information incorporated by reference in this MD&A contain certain forward-looking statements concerning Western's strategy, projects, plans or future financial or operating performance. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" as that term is defined in National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations ("NI 51-102") of the Canadian Securities Administrators (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Certain forward-looking information may also be considered future-oriented financial information ("FOFI") as that term is defined in NI 51-102. The purpose of disclosing FOFI is to provide a general overview of management's expectations regarding prospective financial performance, financial position or cash flows and readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may provide to be imprecise or inaccurate and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on FOFI. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" or "may not", "could", "would" or "would not", "might" or "will be", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation of such terms. Such forward-looking statements are set forth, among other places, under the heading "Casino Project Update" and elsewhere in this MD&A and may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding perceived merit of properties; mineral reserve and resource estimates; exploration and evaluation expenditures; results of the Study (including projected economic returns, operating costs, capital costs and other financial results in connection with the Casino Project); cash flow forecasts; exploration results at the Company's property; budgets; work programs; permitting timelines and regulatory timelines; the Company's engagement with local communities; the Company's ability to manage the short-term and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; estimated timing for construction of, and production from, any new projects; strategic plans, including without limitation Western's strategy and plans in respect of environmental and social governance issues; market price of precious and base metals; expectations regarding future price assumptions, financial performance and other outlook or guidance or other statements that are not statements of historical fact.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions, including material estimates and assumptions related to the factors set forth below that, while considered reasonable by the Company as at the date of this MD&A in light of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The material assumptions used to develop the forward-looking statements herein include assumptions that (1) political and legal developments in jurisdictions where Western operations, or may in the future operate, being consistent with Western's current expectations, (2) prevailing and projected market prices and foreign exchange rates, exploitation and exploration estimates will not change in a materially adverse manner, (3) requisite capital and financing will be available on acceptable terms, (4) equipment and personnel required for permitting, construction and operations will be available on a continual basis, (5) no unforeseen disruptions or delays, unexpected geological or other effects, equipment failures, or permitting including any disruptions caused by COVID-19 or any future pandemics or any other unforeseen disruptions or delays that would have an adverse effect on Western's operations, (6) equipment, labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Western's current expectations, and (7) general economic, market or business conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner and as more specifically disclosed throughout this document, and in the AIF and Form 40-F.
Forward-looking statements are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual results, performance or achievements of Western and its subsidiaries may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other known or unknown factors. Such risks and other factors include, among others, history of losses; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and licenses and other governmental approvals; title risks; price fluctuations of the Common Shares; risks surrounding statutory and regulatory compliance; risks surrounding environmental laws and regulations; risks surrounding land reclamation costs; operational risks surrounding the location of assets; risks surrounding Western's ability to maintain its infrastructure; risks involved in fluctuations in gold, copper and other commodity prices; uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, recovery rates, production estimates, and estimated economic return; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks related to the cooperation of government agencies and Indigenous peoples in the exploration and development of Western's property; climate change risks; risks related to fluctuations in currency exchange rates; risks surrounding dilution of the Common Shares; dependence on members of management and key personnel; competition risks; inflation risks; risks related to macro-economic factors including global financial volatility; risks related to the need to obtain additional financing to develop the Company's property and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs or in construction projects and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; risks related to the integration of acquisitions; risks related to operations; risks related to the feasibility study and the possibility that future exploration and development will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to joint venture operations; conclusions of economic evaluations; possible variations in mineral reserves, grade or recovery rates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; risks related to information technology and cybersecurity; impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or other global pandemics and the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in Western's AIF and Form 40-F, and other information released by Western and filed with the applicable regulatory agencies. All of the forward-looking statements made in this MD&A are qualified by these cautionary statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Form 40-F and Annual Information Form on file with the SEC and Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a more detailed discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements and the risks that may affect the Company's ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this MD&A.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
All of the forward-looking statements made in this MD&A are qualified by these cautionary statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Form 40-F and Annual Information Form on file with the SEC and Canadian securities regulatory authorities for a more detailed discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements and the risks that may affect the Company's ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this MD&A.
Although Western has attempted to identify important factors that could affect it and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements may prove to be inaccurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Western does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events unless required by applicable securities law.
Non-GAAP Measures and Other Financial Measures
Alternative performance measures in this MD&A, such as "cash cost" and "free cash flow", are used to provide additional information. These non-GAAP performance measures are included in this MD&A because these statistics are used as key performance measures that management uses to monitor and assess performance of the Company's property and to plan and assess the overall effectiveness and efficiency of mining operations. These performance measures do not have a standard meaning within IFRS and, therefore, amounts presented may not be comparable to similar data presented by other mining companies. These performance measures should not be considered in isolation as a substitute for measures of performance in accordance with IFRS.
WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION | MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS |
Three months ended March 31, 2023 | |
(Expressed in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated) |
CAUTIONARY NOTE TO U.S. INVESTORS
The MD&A has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada as of the date of this MD&A, which differ in certain material respects from the disclosure requirements of United States securities laws. The terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve" and "probable mineral reserve" are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") - CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. The definitions of these terms and other mining terms, such as "inferred mineral resource," differ from the definitions of such terms, if any, for purposes of the disclosure requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").
Accordingly, information contained and incorporated by reference into this MD&A that describes the Company's mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by issuers subject to the SEC's reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to domestic United States issuers.