UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
| QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended |
or
| TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from _____ to _____ |
Commission File Number:
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation of organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
( | ||
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) | ||
1030 West Georgia Street, Suite 1830, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, V6E 2Y3 | ||
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
| | |
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.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
☒ | ☐ Accelerated filer |
☐ Non-accelerated filer | |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date:
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION | 4 | |
Item 1. | Financial Statements | 4 |
Item 2. | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | 25 |
Item 3. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk | 33 |
Item 4. | Controls and Procedures | 34 |
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION | 35 | |
Item 1. | Legal Proceedings | 35 |
Item 1A. | Risk Factors | 36 |
Item 2. | Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds | 47 |
Item 3. | Defaults Upon Senior Securities | 48 |
Item 4. | Mine Safety Disclosures | 48 |
Item 5. | Other Information | 48 |
Item 6. | Exhibits | 48 |
SIGNATURES | 49 |
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED OCTOBER 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. Dollars unless otherwise stated)
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars)
Notes | October 31, 2022 | July 31, 2022 | ||||||||||
CURRENT ASSETS | ||||||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | ||||||||||
Inventories | 5 | |||||||||||
Prepaid expenses and deposits | ||||||||||||
Other current assets | ||||||||||||
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS | ||||||||||||
MINERAL RIGHTS AND PROPERTIES | 6 | |||||||||||
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT | 7 | |||||||||||
RESTRICTED CASH | 8 | |||||||||||
EQUITY-ACCOUNTED INVESTMENTS | 9 | |||||||||||
INVESTMENT IN EQUITY SECURITIES | 10 | |||||||||||
OTHER NON-CURRENT ASSETS | 3 | |||||||||||
TOTAL ASSETS | $ | $ | ||||||||||
CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||||||||||||
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $ | $ | ||||||||||
Asset retirement obligations - current | 11 | |||||||||||
Derivative liabilities | 12 | |||||||||||
Other current liabilities | ||||||||||||
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||||||||||||
ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS | 11 | |||||||||||
OTHER NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||||||||||||
DERIVATIVE LIABILITY | 12 | |||||||||||
DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES | 3,4 | |||||||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES | ||||||||||||
STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | ||||||||||||
Capital stock | ||||||||||||
Common stock $ par value: shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding (July 31, 2022 - ) | 13 | |||||||||||
Additional paid-in capital | ||||||||||||
Accumulated deficit | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
TOTAL EQUITY | ||||||||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | $ | $ | ||||||||||
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS | 5,10,13 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(Expressed in thousands, except per share data)
Three Months Ended October 31, | ||||||||||||
Notes | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
SALES AND SERVICE REVENUE | 14 | $ | $ | |||||||||
COST OF SALES AND SERVICES | 14 | ( | ) | |||||||||
GROSS PROFIT | ||||||||||||
OPERATING COSTS | ||||||||||||
Mineral property expenditures | ||||||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||||||
Depreciation, amortization and accretion | 6,7,11 | |||||||||||
TOTAL OPERATING COSTS | ||||||||||||
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS | ( | ) | ||||||||||
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES) | ||||||||||||
Interest expenses and finance costs | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Income from equity-accounted investments | 9 | |||||||||||
Change in fair value of derivative liability | 12 | ( | ) | |||||||||
Change in fair value of equity securities | 10 | ( | ) | |||||||||
Other income (expenses) | ( | ) | ||||||||||
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES) | ( | ) | ||||||||||
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
DEFERRED TAX BENEFIT | ||||||||||||
NET LOSS FOR THE PERIOD | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME | ||||||||||||
Translation (loss) gain | 9 | ( | ) | |||||||||
TOTAL OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME | ( | ) | ||||||||||
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE LOSS FOR THE PERIOD | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||||
NET LOSS PER SHARE | ||||||||||||
Basic and Diluted | 15 | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | |||||
WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING, | ||||||||||||
Basic and Diluted |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Expressed in thousands)
Three Months Ended October 31 | ||||||||||||
Notes | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||
NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN): | ||||||||||||
OPERATING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||||||
Net loss for the period | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||||||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash flows in operating activities | ||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 13 | |||||||||||
Depreciation, amortization and accretion | 6,7,11 | |||||||||||
Amortization of long-term debt discount | ||||||||||||
Income from equity-accounted investment | 9 | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||
Change in fair value of equity securities | 10 | ( | ) | |||||||||
Change in fair value of derivative liability | 12 | |||||||||||
Deferred tax benefits | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities | ||||||||||||
Inventories | ( | ) | ||||||||||
Prepaid expenses and deposits | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Other current assets | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Other liabilities | ( | ) | ||||||||||
NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES | ( | ) | ||||||||||
FINANCING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||||||
Proceeds from share issuances, net of issuance costs | 13 | |||||||||||
Repayments of other loans | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Cash paid for withholding amounts on option exercise | ( | ) | ||||||||||
NET CASH PROVIDED BY FINANCING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||||||
INVESTING ACTIVITIES | ||||||||||||
Acquisition of UEX, net of cash acquired | 3 | |||||||||||
Acquisition of Roughrider | 4 | ( | ) | |||||||||
Investment in mineral rights and properties | 6 | ( | ) | |||||||||
Purchase of property, plant and equipment | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||
Prepaid transaction costs | ( | ) | ||||||||||
Investment in equity securities | ( | ) | ||||||||||
Proceeds from sale of equity securities | ||||||||||||
NET CASH (USED IN) PROVIDED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES | ( | ) | ||||||||||
NET CHANGE IN CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH | ( | ) | ||||||||||
FOREIGN EXCHANGE DIFFERENCE ON CASH | ( | ) | ||||||||||
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH, BEGINNING | ||||||||||||
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH, END | 8 | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
FROM MAY 16, 2003 (INCEPTION) TO OCTOBER 31, 2022
(Expressed in thousands)
Common Stock |
Additional Paid- |
Accumulated |
Accumulated Other Comprehensive |
Stockholders' |
||||||||||||||||||||
Shares |
Amount |
in Capital | Deficit | Loss | Equity | |||||||||||||||||||
Balance, July 31, 2022 |
$ | $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
) | $ | |||||||||||||||
Common stock |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issued for acquistion of UEX and Roughrider |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issued under ATM offering, net of issuance costs |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issued upon exercise of stock options |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issued upon exercise of warrants |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common stock issued for consulting services |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common stock issued under Stock Incentive Plan |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amortization of stock-based compensation |
- | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Replacement options issued for acquisition of UEX |
- | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss for the period |
- | ( |
) | ( |
) | |||||||||||||||||||
Other comprehensive loss |
- | ( |
) | ( |
) | |||||||||||||||||||
Balance, October 31, 2022 |
$ | $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
) | $ |
Common Stock |
Additional Paid- |
Share Issuance |
Accumulated |
Accumulated Other Comprehensive |
Stockholders' |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Shares |
Amount |
in Capital |
Obligation |
Deficit |
Income | Equity |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, July 31, 2021 |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||||||||
Common stock |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issued under ATM offering, net of issuance costs |
- | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issued upon exercise of stock options |
- | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issued upon exercise of warrants |
- | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issued for acquisition of mineral properties |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common stock issued for consulting services |
- | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Common stock issued under Stock Incentive Plan |
- | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amortization of stock-based compensation |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss for the period |
- | ( |
) | ( |
) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Other comprehensive income |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, October 31, 2021 |
$ | $ | $ | $ | ( |
) | $ | $ |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
NOTE 1: | NATURE OF OPERATIONS |
Uranium Energy Corp. was incorporated in the State of Nevada on May 16, 2003. Uranium Energy Corp. and its subsidiary companies and a controlled partnership (collectively, the “Company” or “we”) are engaged in uranium and titanium mining and related activities, including exploration, pre-extraction, extraction and processing of uranium concentrates and titanium minerals, on projects located in the United States, Canada and the Republic of Paraguay.
As at October 31, 2022, we had working capital of $
Historically, we have been reliant primarily on equity financings from the sale of our common stock and on debt financing in order to fund our operations, and this reliance is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Our continued operations, including the recoverability of the carrying values of our assets, are dependent ultimately on our ability to achieve and maintain profitability and positive cash flow from our operations.
NOTE 2: | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT POLICIES |
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and are presented in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required under U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 31, 2022 (“Fiscal 2022”). In the opinion of management, all adjustments of a normal recurring nature and considered necessary for a fair presentation have been made. Operating results for the three months ended October 31, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2023 (“Fiscal 2023”).
Certain comparative figures have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation.
Exploration Stage
We have established the existence of mineralized materials for certain uranium projects, including our Palangana and Christensen Ranch Mines (collectively, the “ISR Mines”). We have not established proven or probable reserves, as defined by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K (“S-K 1300”), through the completion of a “final” or “bankable” feasibility study for any of our uranium projects, including our ISR Mines. Furthermore, we have no plans to establish proven or probable reserves for any of our uranium projects for which we plan on utilizing in-situ recovery (“ISR”) mining, such as our ISR Mines. As a result, and despite the fact that we commenced extraction of mineralized materials at our ISR Mines, we remain an Exploration Stage company, as defined by the SEC, and will continue to remain as an Exploration Stage company until such time proven or probable reserves have been established.
Beginning with our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended July 31, 2022, we report our mineral holdings in accordance with the SEC’s S-K 1300.
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
Since we commenced extraction of mineralized materials at our ISR Mines without having established proven or probable reserves, any mineralized materials established or extracted from our ISR Mines should not in any way be associated with having established or produced from proven or probable reserves.
In accordance with U.S. GAAP, expenditures relating to the acquisition of mineral rights are initially capitalized as incurred while exploration and pre-extraction expenditures are expensed as incurred until such time as we exit the Exploration Stage by establishing proven or probable reserves. Expenditures relating to exploration activities, such as drill programs to establish mineralized materials, are expensed as incurred. Expenditures relating to pre-extraction activities, such as the construction of mine wellfields, ion exchange facilities and disposal wells, are expensed as incurred until such time proven or probable reserves are established for that project, after which expenditures relating to mine development activities for that particular project are capitalized as incurred.
Companies in the Production Stage, as defined by the SEC, having established proven and probable reserves and exited the Exploration Stage, typically capitalize expenditures relating to ongoing development activities, with corresponding depletion calculated over proven and probable reserves using the units-of-production method and allocated to future reporting periods to inventory and, as that inventory is sold, to cost of goods sold. We are in the Exploration Stage which has resulted in our Company reporting larger losses than if it had been in the Production Stage due to the expensing, instead of capitalization, of expenditures relating to ongoing mine development activities. Additionally, there would be no corresponding depletion allocated to future reporting periods of our Company since those costs would have been expensed previously, resulting in both lower inventory costs and cost of goods sold and results of operations with higher gross profits and lower losses than if we had been in the Production Stage. Any capitalized costs, such as expenditures relating to the acquisition of mineral rights, are depleted over the estimated extraction life using the straight-line method. As a result, our consolidated financial statements may not be directly comparable to the financial statements of companies in the Production Stage.
NOTE 3: | ACQUISITION OF UEX CORPORATION |
During Fiscal 2022, on June 13, 2022, we entered into a definitive agreement with UEX Corporation (“UEX”, the “UEX Agreement”) pursuant to which we would acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of UEX in an all-share transaction (the “UEX Acquisition”). On June 21, 2022, in accordance with the UEX Agreement, we completed a private placement in UEX, whereby we acquired
On August 19, 2022, we acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of UEX that we did not already own pursuant to the completion of the UEX Acquisition. Pursuant to the terms of the UEX Acquisition, UEX shareholders received
UEX owns a portfolio of uranium projects in the eastern, western and northern perimeters of the Athabasca Basin in Canada. In connection with the UEX Acquisition, we also issued
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
The estimated fair value of the Replacement Options in the amount of $
Exercise Price in USD | $ | to | |||
Exercise Price in CAD | to |
| |||
Expected Risk Free Interest Rate | to | ||||
Expected Volatility | to | ||||
Expected Life in Years | to | ||||
Expected Dividend Yield |
The estimated fair value of the Replacement Warrants in the amount of $
Exercise Price in USD | $ | to | |||
Exercise Price in CAD | to | ||||
Expected Risk Free Interest Rate | to | ||||
Expected Volatility | to | ||||
Expected Life in Years | to | ||||
Expected Dividend Yield |
The UEX Acquisition is accounted for as an acquisition of assets rather than a business because UEX does not meet the definition of a business in accordance with ASC 805 Business Combinations.
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
The following table summarizes the fair value of the consideration paid, and the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, on the closing date of the UEX Acquisition:
Consideration paid | ||||
UEC share issued | ||||
Fair value UEX shares acquired by UEC before acquisition | $ | |||
Replacement options issued | ||||
Replacement warrants issued | ||||
Acquisition related costs | ||||
Total consideration paid | $ | |||
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed | ||||
Cash & cash equivalents | $ | |||
Prepaid expenses and deposits | ||||
Accounts receivable | ||||
Mineral rights and properties | ||||
Equity accounted investment | ||||
Investment in equity securities | ||||
Other non-current assets | ||||
Total assets | ||||
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | ||||
Other liabilities | ||||
Asset retirement obligations | ||||
Deferred tax liabilities | ||||
Total liabilities | ||||
Total net assets | $ |
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
NOTE 4: | ACQUISITION OF THE ROUGHRIDER PROJECT |
On October 14, 2022, we completed the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Roughrider Mineral Holdings Inc. (“Roughrider”) which owns the Roughrider uranium development project (the “Roughrider Project”) located in the Athabasca Basin, in Saskatchewan, Canada, from a subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc (the “Roughrider Acquisition”). The Roughrider Acquisition is accounted for as an acquisition of assets rather than a business as the Roughrider Project does not meet the definition of a business in accordance with ASC 805 Business Combinations.
The following table summarizes the fair value of the consideration paid, and the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, on the closing date of the Roughrider Acquisition:
Consideration paid | ||||
Cash | $ | |||
Fair value of UEC shares issued at $ per share | ||||
Acquisition related costs | ||||
Total consideration paid | $ | |||
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed | ||||
Mineral rights and properties | ||||
Total assets | ||||
Asset retirement obligations | ||||
Deferred tax liabilities | ||||
Total liabilities | ||||
Total net assets | $ |
NOTE 5: | INVENTORIES |
As at October 31, 2022, we held
October 31, 2022 | July 31, 2022 | |||||||
Material and supplies | $ | $ | ||||||
Uranium concentrates from production | ||||||||
Purchased uranium inventories | ||||||||
$ | $ |
As of October 31, 2022, our uranium inventory purchase commitments for the next five fiscal years are as the follows:
Purchase Commitments in Pounds | Total Purchase Price | |||||||
Fiscal 2023 | $ | |||||||
Fiscal 2024 | ||||||||
Fiscal 2025 | ||||||||
Fiscal 2026 | ||||||||
Total | $ |
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
Subsequent to October 31, 2022, we received
NOTE 6: | MINERAL RIGHTS AND PROPERTIES |
Mineral Rights
As at October 31, 2022, we had mineral rights in the States of Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming and Texas, in Canada and in the Republic of Paraguay. These mineral rights were acquired through staking, purchase or lease or option agreements and are subject to varying royalty interests, some of which are indexed to the sale price of uranium and titanium. As of October 31, 2022, annual maintenance payments of approximately $
As at October 31, 2022, the carrying value of our mineral rights and properties were as follows:
| Uranium Mines/Projects | Titanium Project | ||||||||||||||||||
Cost | ISR Mines and Projects | Conventional Projects | Conventional Project | Databases and Land Use Agreements | Total | |||||||||||||||
Balance, July 31, 2022 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||
Additions | ||||||||||||||||||||
Impact of foreign currency translation | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Balance, October 31, 2022 |
Accumulated Depletion and Amortization | ISR Mines and Projects | Conventional Projects | Conventional Project | Databases and Land Use Agreements | Total | |||||||||||||||
Balance, July 31, 2022 | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Additions | ||||||||||||||||||||
Balance, October 31, 2022 | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
$ | $ | $ | $ | $ |
We have not established proven or probable reserves, as defined by the SEC under the S-K 1300, for any of our mineral projects. We have established the existence of mineralized materials for certain uranium projects, including our ISR Mines. Since we commenced uranium extraction at our ISR Mines without having established proven or probable reserves, there may be greater inherent uncertainty as to whether or not any mineralized material can be economically extracted as originally planned and anticipated
NOTE 7: | PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT |
Property, plant and equipment consists of the following:
October 31, 2022 | July 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Cost | Accumulated | Net Book | Cost | Accumulated | Net Book | |||||||||||||||||||
Plant and Processing Facilities | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||||||||||||
Mining Equipment | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Logging Equipment and Vehicles | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Computer Equipment | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Furniture and Fixtures | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Buildings | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Land | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ |
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
NOTE 8: | RESTRICTED CASH |
Restricted cash includes cash and cash equivalents and money market funds as collateral for various bonds posted in favor of applicable state regulatory agencies in Arizona, Texas and Wyoming, and for estimated reclamation costs associated with our plants, processing facilities and various projects. Restricted cash will be released upon completion of reclamation of a mineral property or restructuring of a surety and collateral arrangement.
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash are included in the following accounts as of October 31, 2022 and October 31, 2021:
October 31, 2022 | October 31, 2021 | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | ||||||
Restricted cash | ||||||||
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | $ | $ |
NOTE 9: | EQUITY-ACCOUNTED INVESTMENTS |
As at October 31, 2022, we owned
As at October 31, 2022, we owned
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we incurred $
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, the change in carrying value of our equity-accounted investments is summarized as follows:
In USD$ | ||||
Balance, July 31, 2022 | $ | |||
Investment in JCU (Note 3) | ||||
Share of loss from JCU | ( | ) | ||
Share of income from URC | ||||
Gain on dilution of ownership interest in URC | ||||
Foreign exchange difference | ( | ) | ||
Balance, October 31, 2022 | $ |
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
For the three months ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, income (loss) from our equity-accounted investment consisted of the following:
Three Months Ended October 31 | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Share of income (loss) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||
Gain on dilution of ownership interest in URC | ||||||||
Total | $ | $ |
NOTE 10: | INVESTMENTS IN EQUITY SECURITIES |
As of October 31, 2022, our investment in equity securities included our investments in Anfield Energy Inc. (“Anfield”) shares in the amount of $
On August 19, 2022, we completed the UEX Acquisition (Note 3), and our investment in UEX shares in the amount of $
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, the changes in our investments in equity securities is summarized as follows:
Balance, July 31, 2022 | $ | |||
Adjustment to consideration of UEX Acquisition (Note 3) | ( | ) | ||
Investment acquired from UEX Acquisition (Note 3) | ||||
Fair value adjustment | ( | ) | ||
Foreign exchange difference | ( | ) | ||
Balance, October 31, 2022 | $ |
Subsequent to October 31, 2022, we invested a total of $
NOTE 11: | ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATIONS |
Asset retirement obligations (“ARO”s) relate to future remediation and decommissioning activities with our plants, processing facilities and various projects, and are summarized as follows:
October 31, 2022 | July 31, 2022 | |||||||
Balance, beginning of period | $ | $ | ||||||
Accretion | ||||||||
Assumed from U1A Acquisition | ||||||||
Assumed from Roughrider Acquisition (Note 4) | ||||||||
Assumed from UEX Acquisition (Note 3) | ||||||||
Rehabilitation expenditures | ( | ) | ||||||
Foreign exchange adjustment | ( | ) | ||||||
Balance, end of period | ||||||||
Asset retirement obligations, current | ||||||||
Asset retirement obligations, non-current | $ | $ |
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
The estimated amounts and timing of cash flows and assumptions used for ARO estimates are as follows:
October 31, 2022 | July 31, 2022 | |||||||||
Undiscounted amount of estimated cash flows | $ | $ | ||||||||
Payable in years | to | to | ||||||||
Inflation rate | to | to | ||||||||
Discount rate | to | to |
Our undiscounted amounts of estimated cash flows for the next five fiscal years and beyond are as follows:
Fiscal 2023 | $ | |||
Fiscal 2024 | ||||
Fiscal 2025 | ||||
Fiscal 2026 | ||||
Fiscal 2027 | ||||
Remaining balance | ||||
$ |
NOTE 12: | DERIVATIVE LIABILITIES |
On August 19, 2022, the Company issued Replacement Warrants (Note 3) in connection with the closing of the UEX Acquisition. The Replacement Warrants are accounted for as derivative liabilities because the exercise prices of the warrants are denominated in Canadian dollars which differs from our functional currency. As at October 31, 2022, the fair value of the Replacement Warrants was estimated using the Black-Scholes model with the following assumptions, which is level 3 of the fair value measurement hierarchy:
Exercise Price in USD | $ | to | $ | ||
Exercise Price in CAD | to |
| |||
Expected Risk Free Interest Rate | to | ||||
Expected Volatility | to | ||||
Expected Life in Years | to | ||||
Expected Dividend Yield |
The movement in derivative liabilities during the period is as follows:
Balance, July 31, 2022 | $ | |||
Fair value of derivative liability assumed from UEX Acquisition (Note 3) | ||||
Change in fair value during the period | ||||
Balance, October 31, 2022 | ||||
Derivative liabilities, current | ||||
Derivative liabilities, non-current | $ |
NOTE 13: | CAPITAL STOCK |
Equity Financing
On May 17, 2021, we filed a Form S-3 shelf registration statement under the Securities Act, which was declared effective by the SEC on June 1, 2021, providing for the public offer and sale of certain securities of the Company from time to time, at our discretion, of up to an aggregate offering amount of $
On May 14, 2021, we entered into an at-the-market offering agreement (the “2021 ATM Offering Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC and certain co-managers (collectively, the “2021 ATM Managers”) as set forth in the 2021 ATM Offering Agreement under which we may, from time to time, sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
On November 26, 2021, we filed a prospectus supplement to our 2021 Shelf with respect to the continuation of the May 2021 ATM Offering Agreement with the 2021 ATM Managers under which we may, if eligible, from time to time, sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to an additional $
On November 16, 2022, we filed a Form S-3 automatic shelf registration statement under the Securities Act, which became effective upon filing, providing for the public offer and sale of certain securities of the Company from time to time, at our discretion, of an undetermined dollar value of common stock, debt securities, warrants to purchase common stock or debt securities, subscription receipts for and units which include common stock, debt securities, warrants or any combination thereof (the “2022 Shelf”), which included an at-the-market offering agreement prospectus (the “2022 ATM Offering”; and, collectively, with the 2021 ATM Offering, the “ATM Offerings”) covering the offering, issuance and sale of up to a maximum offering of $
On November 16, 2022, we entered into an at-the-market offering agreement (the “2022 ATM Offering Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC and certain co-managers (collectively, the “2022 ATM Managers”) as set forth in the 2022 ATM Offering Agreement under which we may, from time to time, sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we issued
Subsequent to October 31, 2022, we issued
Share Purchase Warrants
A continuity schedule of our outstanding share purchase warrants for the three months ended October 31, 2022, is as follows:
Number of | Weighted Average | |||||||
Balance, July 31, 2022 | $ | |||||||
Issuance of Replacement Warrants (Note 3,12) | ||||||||
Exercised | ( | ) | ||||||
Expired | ( | ) | ||||||
Balance, October 31, 2022 | $ |
A summary of our share purchase warrants outstanding and exercisable as of October 31, 2022, is as follows:
Weighted Average | Number of Warrants | Weighted Average Remaining Contractual | Expiry Date | ||||||||
$ | | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
$ |
As at October 31, 2022, outstanding Replacement Warrants issued in connection with UEX Acquisition, which are dominated in CAD, were
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we received cash proceeds totaling $
Stock Options
As of October 31, 2022, we had one stock option plan, our 2022 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”), which superseded and replaced the Company’s 2021 Stock Incentive Plan (collectively the “Stock Incentive Plan”), such that no further shares are issuable under the prior plan.
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
A continuity schedule of our outstanding stock options for the three months ended October 31, 2022, is as follows:
Number of Stock Options | Weighted Average Exercise Price | |||||||
Balance, July 31, 2022 | $ | |||||||
Issuance of Replacement Options (Note 3) | ||||||||
Granted | ||||||||
Exercised | ( | ) | ||||||
Balance, October 31, 2022 | $ |
The table below sets forth the number of shares issued and cash received upon exercise of our stock options:
Three Months Ended October 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Number of Options Exercised on Cash Basis | ||||||||
Number of Options Exercised on Forfeiture Basis | ||||||||
Total Number of Options Exercised | ||||||||
Number of Shares Issued on Cash Exercise | ||||||||
Number of Shares Issued on Forfeiture Basis | ||||||||
Total Number of Shares Issued Upon Exercise of Options | ||||||||
Cash Received from Exercise of Stock Options | $ | $ | ||||||
Total Intrinsic Value of Options Exercised | $ | $ |
A continuity schedule of our outstanding unvested stock options as of October 31, 2022, and the changes during the period, is as follows:
Number of Unvested Stock Options | Weighted Average Grant-Date Fair Value | |||||||
Balance, July 31, 2022 | $ | |||||||
Issuance of Replacement Options (Note 3) | ||||||||
Granted | ||||||||
Vested | ( | ) | ||||||
Balance, October 31, 2022 | $ |
As at October 31, 2022, the aggregate intrinsic value of all of our outstanding stock options was estimated at $
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
A summary of our stock options outstanding and exercisable as at October 31, 2022, is as follows:
| Options Outstanding | Options Exercisable | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Range of Exercise Prices | Outstanding at October 31, 2022 | Weighted Average Exercise Price | Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) | Exercisable at | Weighted Average Exercise Price | Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years) | ||||||||||||||||||||
$0.80 | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
$1.00 | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
$2.00 | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
$3.00 | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
$4.00 | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
$ | $ |
Restricted Stock Units
A summary of our outstanding and unvested restricted stock units (“RSU”s) as of October 31, 2022, is as follows:
Grant Date | Number of Restricted Stock Units | Grant Date Fair Value | Remaining Life (Years) | Aggregate Intrinsic Value | ||||||||||||
July 16, 2020 | $ | $ | ||||||||||||||
July 21, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
May 01, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
July 29, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
$ | $ |
During the three months ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, our stock-based compensation related to RSUs were $
Performance Based Restricted Stock Units
During the three months ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, our stock-based compensation relating to amortization of target performance based restricted stock units (“PRSU”s) totaled $
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
Stock-Based Compensation
A summary of our stock-based compensation expense is as follows:
Three Months Ended October 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Stock-Based Compensation for Consultants | ||||||||
Common stock issued to consultants | $ | $ | ||||||
Amortization of stock option expenses | ||||||||
Stock-Based Compensation for Management | ||||||||
Amortization of stock option expenses | ||||||||
Amortization of RSU and PRSU expenses | ||||||||
Stock-Based Compensation for Employees | ||||||||
Common stock issued to employees | ||||||||
Amortization of stock option expenses | ||||||||
Amortization of RSU expenses | ||||||||
$ | $ |
NOTE 14: | SALES AND SERVICE REVENUE AND COST OF SALES AND SERVICES |
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we recorded sales of $
The table below provides a breakdown of our sales and service revenue and cost of sales and service revenue:
Three Months Ended October 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Sales of purchased uranium inventory | $ | $ | ||||||
Revenue from toll processing services | ||||||||
Total sales and service revenue | $ | $ | ||||||
Cost of purchased uranium inventory | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||
Cost of toll processing services | ( | ) | ||||||
Total cost of sales and services | $ | ( | ) | $ | ||||
Gross Profit | $ | $ |
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
NOTE 15: | LOSS PER SHARE |
The following table reconciles the weighted average number of shares used in the calculation of our basic and diluted loss per share:
Three Months Ended October 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Numerator | ||||||||
Net Loss for the Period | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | ||
Denominator | ||||||||
Basic Weighted Average Number of Shares | ||||||||
Dilutive Stock Options, RSUs, PRSUs and Warrants | ||||||||
Diluted Weighted Average Number of Shares | ||||||||
Net Loss per Share, Basic and Diluted | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) |
For the three months ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, all of our outstanding stock options, RSUs, PRSUs and share purchase warrants were excluded from the calculation of our diluted loss per share since their effects would be anti-dilutive.
NOTE 16: | SEGMENTED INFORMATION |
We currently operate in
The tables below provide a breakdown of the long-term assets by geographic segments:
October 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance Sheet Items | United States | Canada | Paraguay | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas | Arizona | Wyoming | Other States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mineral Rights and Properties | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Property, Plant and Equipment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Restricted Cash | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Equity-Accounted Investments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Investment in Equity Securities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other Non-Current Assets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Long-Term Assets | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ |
July 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balance Sheet Items | United States |
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas | Arizona | Wyoming | Other States | Canada | Paraguay | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Mineral Rights and Properties | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Property, Plant and Equipment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Restricted Cash | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Equity-Accounted Investment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Investment in Equity Securities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other Non-Current Assets | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total Long-Term Assets | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ |
URANIUM ENERGY CORP.
NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
October 31, 2022
(Unaudited – Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)
The tables below provide a breakdown of our operating results by geographic segments for the three months ended October 31, 2022 and 2021. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated.
Three months ended October 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States |
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Statement of Operations
| Texas | Arizona | Wyoming | Other States | Canada | Paraguay | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||
Sales and service revenue | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Cost of sales and services | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Gross profit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating Costs: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mineral property expenditures | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Depreciation, amortization and accretion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total operating costs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Income (loss) from operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
Other income (expenses) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Income (loss) before income taxes | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) |
Three months ended October 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States |
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Statement of Operations
| Texas | Arizona | Wyoming | Other States | Canada | Paraguay | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||
Operating Costs: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mineral property expenditures | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||||||||||||||
General and administrative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Depreciation, amortization and accretion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total operating costs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Loss from operations | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||
Other income (expenses) | ( | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Loss before income taxes | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) | $ | $ | ( | ) | $ | ( | ) |
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
(Expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts)
The following management’s discussion and analysis of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations (the “MD&A”) contain forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions including, among others, statements regarding our capital needs, business plans and expectations. In evaluating these statements you should consider various factors, including the risks, uncertainties and assumptions set forth in reports and other documents we have filed with or furnished to the SEC and, including, without limitation, this Form 10-Q Quarterly Report for the three months ended October 31, 2022, and our Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2022, including the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained therein. These factors, or any one of them, may cause our actual results or actions in the future to differ materially from any forward-looking statement made in this Quarterly Report. Refer to “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements” as disclosed in our Form 10-K Annual Report for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2022, and Item 1A, Risk Factors, under Part II - Other Information, of this Quarterly Report.
Introduction
This MD&A is focused on material changes in our financial condition from July 31, 2022, our most recently completed year end, to October 31, 2022, and our results of operations for the three months ended October 31, 2022, and should be read in conjunction with Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, as contained in our Form 10-K Annual Report for Fiscal 2022.
Business
We are predominantly engaged in uranium mining and related activities, including exploration, pre-extraction, extraction and processing, on uranium projects located in the United States, Canada and the Republic of Paraguay, as more fully described in our Form 10-K Annual Report for Fiscal 2022.
We utilize in-situ recovery (“ISR”) mining where possible which we believe, when compared to conventional open pit or underground mining, requires lower capital and operating expenditures with a shorter lead time to extraction and a reduced impact on the environment. We have two ISR Mines which utilize ISR mining to extract yellowcake (“U3O8”). We have two uranium processing facilities located in the vicinity of our IRS Mines, which process material from our ISR Mines into drums of U3O8 for shipping to a third-party storage and sales facility. At October 31, 2022, we had no uranium supply or off-take agreements in place.
We utilize a “hub-and-spoke” strategy whereby our processing facilities act as the central processing sites (the “hubs”) for our ISR Mines and future satellite uranium mining activities, such as our Burke Hollow Project, located within the South Texas Uranium Belt, and our Moore Ranch Project, located in the State of Wyoming (the “spokes”). In Texas our fully-licensed and 100% owned Hobson Processing Facility forms the basis for our regional operating strategy, specifically the South Texas Uranium Belt, which is licensed to process up to four million pounds of U3O8 annually. In Wyoming, our fully-licensed and 100% owned Irigaray Processing Facility forms the basis for our regional operating strategy in the Powder River Basin and Great Divide Basin, which is licensed to process up to one million pounds of U3O8 annually.
On August 19, 2022, we completed the UEX Acquisition. UEX is a Canadian uranium and cobalt exploration and development company involved with a portfolio of uranium projects. UEX’s directly-owned portfolio of projects is located in the eastern, western and northern perimeters of the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada.
On October 14, 2022, we completed the acquisition of the Roughrider Project located in the Athabasca Basin from a subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc. The Roughrider Project unlocks value from the recently acquired UEX portfolio in the eastern Athabasca Basin as we now have critical mass to advance our production plans.
We also hold certain mineral rights in various stages of development in the States of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming, in Canada and in the Republic of Paraguay, many of which are located in historically successful mining areas and have been the subject of past exploration and pre-extraction activities by other mining companies. We do not expect, however, to utilize ISR mining for all of the uranium mineral rights in which case we would expect to rely on conventional open pit and/or underground mining techniques.
Our operating and strategic framework is based on expanding our uranium and titanium extraction activities, which include advancing certain projects with established mineralized materials towards extraction and establishing additional mineralized materials on our existing uranium and titanium projects or through the acquisition of additional projects.
Uranium Market Developments
Over the past few years, global uranium market fundamentals have been improving as the market transitions from an inventory driven to more of a production driven market. The spot market bottomed in November 2016 at about $17.75 per pound U3O8 and stood at $52.30 per pound on October 31, 2022 (UxC U3O8 Daily Spot Price). Production dropped to a multi-year low in 2020 at about 122 million pounds but began to recover in 2021 and is on track to reach about 132 million pounds in 2022, although still well below reactor requirements. Global supply and demand projections show a structural deficit between production and utility requirements averaging about 36 million pounds a year over the next 10 years and increasing thereafter (UxC 2022 Q3 Uranium Market Outlook). The current gap is being filled with secondary market sources, including finite inventory that is projected to decline in coming years. As secondary supplies diminish, new production will be needed to meet utility demand and will require higher prices to stimulate new mining activity with market prices still below incentive prices for many producers. Uranium supply has become more complicated due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as Russia is a significant supplier of nuclear fuel around the globe. Economic sanctions, transportation restrictions, pending legislation and buyer avoidance of Russian fuel is causing a fundamental change to the nuclear fuel markets. We believe this is likely to result in a bifurcation of the uranium market, increasing an already notable supply gap for western utilities. Secondary supply is also likely to be further reduced with western enrichers reversing operations from underfeeding to overfeeding that requires more uranium to increase the production of enrichment services. While these situations are still unfolding, new trends appear to be pointing towards at least the U.S. utilities beginning to shift more focus to security of supply with production in areas of low geopolitical risk.
On the demand side of the equation, the global nuclear energy industry continues robust growth, with 65 new reactors connected to the grid since 2013 and another 60 reactors under construction as of November 2022 (PRIS and WNA November 2022 data). In October 2022, World Nuclear News reported that: “The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects more than a doubling of nuclear generation by 2050 with at least 30 countries increasing their use of nuclear power, in the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 scenario of its latest World Energy Outlook (WEO)”. Additional upside market pressure is also emerging as utilities return to a longer-term contracting cycle to replace expiring contracts; something the market has not experienced for several years. Increasing demand has also occurred with financial entities and various producers, including our Company, purchasing significant quantities of drummed uranium inventory, further removing excess near term supplies.
As at October 31, 2022, we had no uranium supply or off-take agreements in place. Future sales of U3O8 are therefore expected to generally occur through the uranium spot market, with any fluctuations in the market price continuing to have a direct impact on our revenues and cash flows.
Results of Operations
For the three months ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, we recorded a net loss of $3,756 ($0.01per share) and $2,074 ($0.01 per share), and income (losses) from operations of $3,593 and ($4,872), respectively.
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we continued with our strategic plan for reduced operations at our ISR Mines to capture residual pounds of U3O8 only.
While we remain in a state of operational readiness, uranium extraction expenditures incurred at our ISR Mines, which are directly related to regulatory/mine permit compliance, lease maintenance obligations and maintaining a necessary labor force, are being charged to our consolidated statement of operations. As a result, no uranium concentrate was extracted at our ISR Mines and processed at our Hobson and the Irigaray Processing Facilities,
We established a physical uranium program (the “Physical Uranium Program”) in Fiscal 2021. As of the date of this Quarterly Report, we entered into agreements to purchase 5.8 million pounds of U.S. warehoused uranium concentrates inventory with various delivery dates through December 2025 at the ConverDyn conversion facility located in Metropolis, Illinois, at a volume weighted average price of approximately $38.03 per pound.
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, as part of our Physical Uranium Program, we purchased 116,000 pounds of uranium concentrates with a total cost of $5,800 and sold 1,150,000 pounds of uranium concentrate for $57,209. As of October 31, 2022, the carrying value of our uranium concentrates inventories was $28,769 (July 31, 2022: $66,161).
Sales and Service Revenue
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we recorded sales of $57,209 from the sale of 1,150,000 pounds of uranium concentrates inventory at a volume weighted average price of approximately $49.75 per pound. In addition, we recorded revenue from toll processing services of $83, which was generated from processing uranium resins.
The table below provides a breakdown of our sales and service revenue and cost of sales and services:
Three Months Ended October 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Sales of purchased uranium inventory |
$ | 57,209 | $ | - | ||||
Revenue from toll processing services |
83 | - | ||||||
Total sales and service revenue |
$ | 57,292 | $ | - | ||||
Cost of purchased uranium inventory |
$ | (43,365 | ) | $ | - | |||
Cost of toll processing services |
(69 | ) | - | |||||
Total cost of sales and services |
$ | (43,434 | ) | $ | - | |||
Gross Profit |
$ | 13,858 | $ | - |
Operating Costs
Mineral Property Expenditures
Mineral property expenditures primarily consisted of costs relating to permitting, property maintenance, exploration and pre-extraction activities and other non-extraction related activities on our projects.
The following table provides mineral property expenditures by cost category for the periods indicated:
Three Months Ended October 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Permitting and compliance |
$ | 53 | $ | 91 | ||||
Property maintenance |
839 | 418 | ||||||
Exploration |
2,002 | 814 | ||||||
Plant development |
17 | 16 | ||||||
Wellfield development |
343 | 78 | ||||||
Production readiness |
797 | 240 | ||||||
Total |
$ | 4,051 | $ | 1,657 |
During the three months ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, mineral property expenditures in the amount of $797 and $240, respectively, were directly related to maintaining operational readiness and permitting compliance for our Palangana Mine and Hobson Processing Facility and our Christensen Mine and Irigary Processing Facility.
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we continued the drilling campaign commenced in March 2021 and spent $557 (October 31, 2021: $542) on exploration drilling costs on 41 exploration holes and $343 (October 31, 2021: $78) on wellfield development costs on five wells totaling 1,990 feet at our Burke Hollow Project.
General and Administrative
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, general and administrative expenses totaled $5,722, an increase compared to $3,117 for the three months ended October 31, 2021. The increase primarily resulted from increases in salaries and management fees and an overall increase in corporate expenses due to the expansion of our corporate structure and activities.
The following summary provides a discussion of the major expense categories including analyses of the factors that caused significant variances compared to the same period last year:
● |
for the three months ended October 31, 2022, salaries and management fees totaled $1,132, which increased compared to $476 for the three months ended October 31, 2021, primarily as a result of an increase in salaries and management fees and the acquisitions of U1A and UEX; |
● |
for the three months ended October 31, 2022, office, insurance, filing and listing fees, investor relations, corporate development and travel expenses totaled $2,305, which increased compared to $1,182 for the three months ended October 31, 2021, primarily as a result of increases in corporate development expenses and an overall increase in corporate activities due to expansion by the Company; |
● |
for the three months ended October 31, 2022, professional fees totaled $501, which increased compared to $115 for the three months ended October 31, 2021. Professional fees are primarily comprised of legal services related to certain transactional activities and regulatory compliance, in addition to audit and tax services; and |
● |
for the three months ended October 31, 2021, stock-based compensation totaled $1,784, which increased compared to $1,344 for the three months ended October 31, 2021. The stock-based compensation expenses included the fair value of compensation shares at the time of issuance and the amortization of the fair value of various stock awards granted in prior fiscal years using the graded vesting method. |
Other Income and Expenses
Interest and Finance Costs
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, interest and finance costs totaled $196, which decreased compared to $530 for the three months ended October 31, 2021 due to the repayments of long-term debt in the prior years.
Income from Equity-Accounted Investments
Income from equity-accounted investments was comprised of the following:
Three Months Ended October 31 |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Share of income (loss) |
$ | (195 | ) | $ | 835 | |||
Gain on dilution of ownership interest in URC |
226 | 1,918 | ||||||
Total |
$ | 31 | $ | 2,753 |
During the three months ended October 31, 2022 and October 31, 2021, we recorded a gain on dilution of ownership interest in URC of $226 and $1,918, respectively, as a result of URC issuing more shares from its equity financings, which decreased our ownership interest in URC to $15.4% at October 31, 2022 from at 15.5% at July 31, 2022.
Change in fair value of derivative liability
In connection with the UEX Acquisition, we issued Replacement Warrants, which are accounted for as derivative liabilities due to the exercise prices of the UEX warrants being denominated in Canadian dollars which differs from the functional currency of the Company. As at October 31, 2022, the Replacement Warrants were revalued, which resulted in a loss of $2,625 due to the increase in fair value of derivative liabilities primarily due to an increase in our share price. No such loss was recorded for the three months ended October 31, 2021.
Unrealized Loss on Equity Securities
As at October 31, 2022, our investments in certain equity securities were revalued using the market values at period end, which resulted in a loss on fair value of equity securities totaling $2,382. No such loss was recorded for the three months ended October 31, 2021.
Realized Loss on Equity Securities
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we recorded a loss of $1,084 as a result of the revaluation of UEX shares we acquired prior to the completion of UEX Acquisition which were included in acquisition consideration. No such loss was recorded for the three months ended October 31, 2021.
Other expenses
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we entered into an amendment to sales agreements with a third party whereby a uranium sales agreement and a uranium purchase agreement with this same party offset each other. We paid a net amount of $1,186 to this party for the differences between the gross purchase price and gross sales price, which was recorded as other expenses on our condensed consolidated financial statements.
Summary of Quarterly Results
For the Quarters Ended |
||||||||||||||||
October 31, 2022 |
July 31, 2022 |
April 30, 2022 |
January 31, 2022 |
|||||||||||||
Sales and service revenue |
$ | 57,292 | $ | 78 | $ | 9,892 | $ | 13,191 | ||||||||
Gross profit |
13,858 | 13 | 3,337 | 3,943 | ||||||||||||
Net income (loss) |
(3,756 | ) | 5,455 | 7,345 | (5,474 | ) | ||||||||||
Total comprehensive income (loss) |
(14,524 | ) | 5,390 | 7,206 | (6,092 | ) | ||||||||||
Basic and diluted income (loss) per share |
(0.01 | ) | 0.02 | 0.03 | (0.02 | ) | ||||||||||
Total assets |
695,487 | 354,247 | 330,793 | 302,217 |
For the Quarters Ended |
||||||||||||||||
October 31, 2021 |
July 31, 2021 |
April 30, 2021 |
January 31, 2021 |
|||||||||||||
Sales and service revenue |
$ | - | $ | - | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||
Gross profit |
- | - | - | - | ||||||||||||
Net loss |
(2,074 | ) | (1,798 | ) | (4,590 | ) | (3,461 | ) | ||||||||
Total comprehensive loss |
(1,931 | ) | (2,226 | ) | (4,097 | ) | (2,975 | ) | ||||||||
Basic and diluited loss per share |
(0.01 | ) | (0.01 | ) | (0.02 | ) | (0.02 | ) | ||||||||
Total assets |
232,719 | 169,541 | 163,575 | 100,143 |
Liquidity and Capital Resources
October 31, 2022 |
July 31, 2022 |
|||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 20,965 | $ | 32,536 | ||||
Current assets |
54,895 | 102,191 | ||||||
Current liabilities |
17,608 | 8,498 | ||||||
Working capital |
37,287 | 93,693 |
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we received net proceeds of $21,714 from the 2021 ATM Offering. As at October 31, 2022, we had working capital of $37,287, which decreased by $56,406 from the working capital of $93,693 as at July 31, 2022. Subsequent to October 31, 2022, we received cash proceeds of $13,505 from the ATM Offerings and sold 500,000 pounds of uranium inventories for total proceeds of $25,185. We believe our existing cash resources, if necessary, and the cash generated from the sale of the Company’s uranium inventories, will provide sufficient funds to carry out our planned operations for the next 12 months from the date that this Quarterly Report is issued.
Although our planned principal operations commenced in Fiscal 2012, from which significant revenues from U3O8 sales were realized, our revenues generated from sales of produced U3O8 have been inconsistent and we have yet to achieve profitability. We have a history of operating losses resulting in an accumulated deficit balance since inception. Although we recorded net income totaling $5,252 in Fiscal 2022, we recorded net losses in the current quarter and all prior years and we had an accumulated deficit balance of $290,129 as at October 31, 2022. Furthermore, we may not achieve and maintain profitability or develop positive cash flow from our operations in the near term although we recorded positive cash flows from operating activities totaling $40,655 for the three months ended October 31, 2022.
Historically we have been reliant primarily on equity financings from the sale of our common stock and on debt financings in order to fund our operations. We have also relied, to a limited extent, on cash flows generated from our mining activities during the years ended July 31, 2015 (“Fiscal 2015), 2013 (“Fiscal 2013) and 2012 (“Fiscal 2012”). However, we have yet to achieve profitability or develop consistent positive cash flow from operations. In the future we may also rely on cash flows generated from the sales of our uranium concentrates to fund our operations. Our reliance on equity and debt financings is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, and their availability whenever such additional financing is required, will be dependent on many factors beyond our control including, but not limited to, the market price of uranium, the continuing public support of nuclear power as a viable source of electrical generation, the volatility in the global financial markets affecting our stock price and the status of the worldwide economy, any one of which may cause significant challenges in our ability to access additional financing, including access to the equity and credit markets. We may also be required to seek other forms of financing, such as asset divestitures or joint venture arrangements, to continue advancing our uranium projects which would depend entirely on finding a suitable third party willing to enter into such an arrangement, typically involving an assignment of a percentage interest in the mineral project. However, there is no assurance that we will be successful in securing any form of additional financing when required and on terms favorable to us.
Our operations are capital intensive and future capital expenditures are expected to be substantial. We will require significant additional financing to fund our operations, including continuing with our exploration and pre-extraction activities and acquiring additional mineral projects. In the absence of such additional financing, we would not be able to fund our operations, including continuing with our exploration and pre-extraction activities, which may result in delays, curtailment or abandonment of any one or all of our mineral projects.
Our anticipated operations, including exploration and pre-extraction activities, however, will be dependent on and may change as a result of our financial position, the market price of uranium and other considerations, and such change may include accelerating the pace or broadening the scope of reducing our operations. Our ability to secure adequate funding for these activities will be impacted by our operating performance, other uses of cash, the market price of commodities, the market price of our common stock and other factors which may be beyond our control. Specific examples of such factors include, but are not limited to:
● |
if the market price of uranium weakens; |
● |
if the market price of our common stock weakens; |
● |
if the COVID-19 pandemic worsens or continues over an extended period and causes further financial market uncertainty; and |
● |
if a nuclear incident, such as the events that occurred at Fukushima in March 2011, occurs, continuing public support of nuclear power as a viable source of electrical generation may be adversely affected, which may result in significant and adverse effects on both the nuclear and uranium industries. |
Our continuation as a going concern beyond 12 months from the date of this Quarterly Report will be dependent upon our ability to achieve consistent positive cash flow from the sale of our uranium concentrates and obtain adequate additional financing, as our operations are capital intensive and future capital expenditures are expected to be substantial.
Our long-term success, including the recoverability of the carrying values of our assets, our ability to acquire additional mineral projects and to continue with exploration and pre-extraction activities and mining activities on our existing mineral projects, will depend ultimately on our ability to achieve and maintain profitability and positive cash flow from our operations by establishing ore bodies that contain commercially recoverable minerals and to develop these into profitable mining activities.
Equity Financings
On May 17, 2021, we filed a Form S-3 shelf registration statement under the Securities Act, which was declared effective by the SEC on June 1, 2021, providing for the public offer and sale of certain securities of the Company from time to time, at our discretion, of up to an aggregate offering amount of $200 million (the “2021 Shelf”), which included an at-the-market offering agreement prospectus (the “May 2021 ATM Offering”) covering the offering, issuance and sale of up to a maximum offering of $100 million as part of the $200 million under the 2021 Shelf.
On May 14, 2021, we entered into an at-the-market offering agreement (the “2021 ATM Offering Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC and certain co-managers (collectively, the “2021 ATM Managers”) as set forth in the 2021 ATM Offering Agreement under which we may, from time to time, sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $100 million through the 2021 ATM Managers selected by us.
On November 26, 2021, we filed a prospectus supplement to our 2021 Shelf with respect to the continuation of the May 2021 ATM Offering Agreement with the 2021 ATM Managers under which we may, if eligible, from time to time, sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to an additional $100 million for a total of $200 million through the 2021 ATM Managers selected by us (the “November 2021 ATM Offering”; and, collectively with the May 2021 ATM Offering, the “2021 ATM Offering”).
On November 16, 2022, we filed a Form S-3 automatic shelf registration statement under the Securities Act, which became effective upon filing, providing for the public offer and sale of certain securities of the Company from time to time, at our discretion, of an undetermined dollar value of common stock, debt securities, warrants to purchase common stock or debt securities, subscription receipts for and units which include common stock, debt securities, warrants or any combination thereof (the “2022 Shelf”), which included an at-the-market offering agreement prospectus (the “2022 ATM Offering”; and, collectively, with the 2021 ATM Offering, the “ATM Offerings”) covering the offering, issuance and sale of up to a maximum offering of $300 million under the 2022 Shelf.
On November 16, 2022, we entered into an at-the-market offering agreement (the “2022 ATM Offering Agreement”) with H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC and certain co-managers (collectively, the “2022 ATM Managers”) as set forth in the 2022 ATM Offering Agreement under which we may, from time to time, sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $300 million through the 2022 ATM Managers selected by us.
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we issued 5,218,890 shares of the Company’s common stock under our 2021 ATM Offering for net cash proceeds of $21,714
Subsequent to October 31, 2022, we issued 3,687,663 shares of the Company’s common stock under our ATM Offerings for net cash proceeds of $13,505.
Operating Activities
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, net cash provided by operating activities was $36,531, of which $37,405 was from sales of our uranium concentrate inventory, net of uranium inventory purchases. Other significant operating expenditures included mineral property expenditures, general and administrative expenses and interest payments for a promissory note.
Financing Activities
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities totaled $27,864, comprised of net proceeds of $21,714 from the 2021 ATM Offering and net proceeds of $6,346 from the exercise of stock options and share purchase warrants, offset by $147 for cash paid for withholding amounts on option exercises and $49 in payments for a promissory note. During the three months ended October 31, 2021, net cash provided by financing activities totaled $63,918, comprised of net proceeds of $62,671 from the 2021 ATM Offering and net proceeds of $1,294 from the exercise of stock options and share purchase warrants, offset by $47 in payments for a promissory note.
Investing Activities
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, net cash used in investing activities totaled $75,783, comprised of net cash of $4,369 received from the UEX Acquisition, offset by cash used in the Roughrider Acquisition of $80,000, and cash used for the purchase of property, plant and equipment of $152. During the three months ended October 31, 2021, net cash provided by investing activities totaled $358, comprised of cash proceeds of $9,980 from sales of equity securities, offset by cash of $9,433 used in investment in equity securities, cash of $176 used in prepaid transaction costs and cash of $13 used for investment in mineral rights and properties and purchase of property, plant and equipment.
Stock Options and Warrants
As of October 31, 2022, we had stock options outstanding representing 8,856,055 shares at a weighted-average exercise price of $1.65 per share, and share purchase warrants outstanding representing 4,837,586 shares at a weighted-average exercise price of $2.85 per share. As of October 31, 2022, outstanding stock options and warrants represented a total 13,693,641 shares issuable for gross proceeds of approximately $28.4 million should these stock options and warrants be exercised in full on a cash basis. As of October 31, 2022, all outstanding share purchase warrants and stock options are in-the-money. The exercise of stock options and warrants is at the discretion of their respective holders and, accordingly, there is no assurance that any of the stock options or warrants will be exercised in the future.
Transactions with Related Parties
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we incurred $394 primarily on recoverable exploration expenditures with JCU. As at October 31, 2022, amount owing from JCU totaled $577 (July 31, 2022: $Nil)
During the three months ended October 31, 2022 and 2021, we incurred $78 and $2, respectively, in general and administrative costs, paid to Blender Media Inc, a company controlled by Arash Adnani, a direct family member of our President and Chief Executive Officer, for various services, including information technology, financial subscriptions, corporate branding, media, website design, maintenance and hosting, provided by Blender to the Company.
As at October 31, 2022, the amount owing to Blender was $17 (July 31, 2022: $3).
Material Commitments
As at October 31, 2022, significant payment obligations of the Company over the next five years and beyond are as follows:
Payment Due by Period |
||||||||||||||||||||
Contractual Obligations |
Total |
Less Than 1 Year |
1-3 Years |
3-5 Years |
More Than 5 Years |
|||||||||||||||
Asset Retirement Obligations |
$ | 29,212 | $ | 362 | $ | 2,772 | $ | 4,998 | $ | 21,080 | ||||||||||
Operating Lease Obligations |
1,649 | 264 | 240 | 170 | 975 | |||||||||||||||
Uranium Inventory Purchase Obligations |
118,787 | 53,134 | 62,033 | 3,620 | - | |||||||||||||||
Total |
$ | 149,648 | $ | 53,760 | $ | 65,045 | $ | 8,788 | $ | 22,055 |
As at October 31, 2022, we were renting or leasing office premises in Texas, Arizona and Wyoming, U.S.A., Vancouver, British Columbia, and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada, and Paraguay for total monthly payments of $29. Office lease agreements for the U.S. and Canada expire between July 2023 and March 2027.
Commitments for Management Services
As at October 31, 2022, we were committed to paying our key executives a total of $879 per year for management services.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.
Critical Accounting Policies
For a complete summary of all of our significant accounting policies refer to Note 2: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to the consolidated financial statements as presented under Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2022.
Refer to “Critical Accounting Policies” under Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2022.
Subsequent Events
Subsequent to October 31, 2022, we issued 3,687,663 shares of the Company’s common stock under our ATM Offerings for net cash proceeds of $13,505.
Subsequent to October 31, 2022, we received 600,000 pounds of uranium inventories for a total purchase price of $21,510 and sold 500,000 pounds of uranium inventories for total proceeds of $25,185.
Subsequent to October 31, 2021, we invested a total of $18,413 to acquire equity securities.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Refer to Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2022.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures (as such terms are defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1933, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) and, as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report, our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
It should be noted that any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions designed to obtain reasonable (and not absolute) assurance as to its effectiveness, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals.
Changes in Internal Controls
There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during our fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2022, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
PART II – OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
As of the date of this Quarterly Report, other than as disclosed below, there are no material pending legal proceedings, other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to our business, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their property is subject, and no director, officer, affiliate or record or beneficial owner of more than 5% of our common stock, or any associate or any such director, officer, affiliate or security holder is: (i) a party adverse to us or any of our subsidiaries in any legal proceeding; or (ii) has an adverse interest to us or any of our subsidiaries in any legal proceeding. Other than as disclosed below, management is not aware of any other material legal proceedings pending or that have been threatened against us or our properties.
On or about March 9, 2011, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (the “TCEQ”) granted the Company’s applications for a Class III Injection Well Permit, Production Area Authorization and Aquifer Exemption for its Goliad Project. On or about December 4, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) concurred with the TCEQ issuance of the Aquifer Exemption permit (the “AE”). With the receipt of this concurrence, the final authorization required for uranium extraction, the Goliad Project achieved fully-permitted status. On or about May 24, 2011, a group of petitioners, inclusive of Goliad County, appealed the TCEQ action to the 250th District Court in Travis County, Texas. A motion filed by the Company to intervene in this matter was granted. The petitioners’ appeal lay dormant until on or about June 14, 2013, when the petitioners filed their initial brief in support of their position. On or about January 18, 2013, a different group of petitioners, exclusive of Goliad County, filed a petition for review with the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in the United States (the “Fifth Circuit”) to appeal the EPA’s decision. On or about March 5, 2013, a motion filed by the Company to intervene in this matter was granted. The parties attempted to resolve both appeals, to facilitate discussions and avoid further legal costs. The parties jointly agreed, through mediation initially conducted through the Fifth Circuit on or about August 8, 2013, to abate the proceedings in the State District Court. On or about August 21, 2013, the State District Court agreed to abate the proceedings. The EPA subsequently filed a motion to remand without vacatur with the Fifth Circuit wherein the EPA’s stated purpose was to elicit additional public input and further explain its rationale for the approval. In requesting the remand without vacatur, which would allow the AE to remain in place during the review period, the EPA denied the existence of legal error and stated that it was unaware of any additional information that would merit reversal of the AE. The Company and the TCEQ filed a request to the Fifth Circuit for the motion to remand without vacatur, and if granted, to be limited to a 60-day review period. On December 9, 2013, by way of a procedural order from a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit, the Court granted the remand without vacatur and initially limited the review period to 60 days. In March of 2014, at the EPA’s request, the Fifth Circuit extended the EPA’s time period for review and additionally, during that same period, the Company conducted a joint groundwater survey of the site, the result of which reaffirmed the Company’s previously filed groundwater direction studies. On or about June 17, 2014, the EPA reaffirmed its earlier decision to uphold the granting of the Company’s existing AE, with the exception of a northwestern portion containing less than 10% of the uranium resource which was withdrawn, but not denied, from the AE area until additional information is provided in the normal course of mine development. On or about September 9, 2014, the petitioners filed a status report with the State District Court which included a request to remove the stay agreed to in August 2013 and to set a briefing schedule (the “Status Report”). In that Status Report the petitioners also stated that they had decided not to pursue their appeal at the Fifth Circuit. The Company continues to believe that the pending appeal is without merit and is continuing as planned towards uranium extraction at its fully-permitted Goliad Project.
The Company has had communications and filings with the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (the “MOPC”), the mining regulator in Paraguay, whereby the MOPC is taking the position that certain concessions forming part of the Company’s Yuty Project and Alto Parana Project are not eligible for extension as to exploration or continuation to exploitation in their current stages. While we remain fully committed to its development path forward in Paraguay, we have filed certain applications and appeals in Paraguay to reverse the MOPC’s position in order to protect the Company’s continuing rights in those concessions.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
In addition to the information contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2022, and this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we have identified the following material risks and uncertainties which reflect our outlook and conditions known to us as of the date of this Quarterly Report. These material risks and uncertainties should be carefully reviewed by our stockholders and any potential investors in evaluating the Company, our business and the market value of our common stock. Furthermore, any one of these material risks and uncertainties has the potential to cause actual results, performance, achievements or events to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements or events implied, suggested or expressed by any forward-looking statements made by us or by persons acting on our behalf. Refer to “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements” as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2022.
There is no assurance that we will be successful in preventing the material adverse effects that any one or more of the following material risks and uncertainties may cause on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results, which may result in a significant decrease in the market price of our common stock. Furthermore, there is no assurance that these material risks and uncertainties represent a complete list of the material risks and uncertainties facing us. There may be additional risks and uncertainties of a material nature that, as of the date of this Quarterly Report, we are unaware of or that we consider immaterial that may become material in the future, any one or more of which may result in a material adverse effect on us. You could lose all or a significant portion of your investment due to any one of these material risks and uncertainties.
Risks Related to Our Company and Business
Evaluating our future performance may be difficult since we have a limited financial and operating history, with significant negative operating cash flow and an accumulated deficit to date. Our long-term success will depend ultimately on our ability to achieve and maintain profitability and to develop positive cash flow from our mining activities.
As more fully described under Item 1, Business, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2022, we were incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on May 16, 2003 and, since 2004, we have been engaged in uranium mining and related activities, including exploration, pre-extraction, extraction and processing, on projects located in the United States, Canada and the Republic of Paraguay. In November 2010, we commenced uranium extraction for the first time at our Palangana Mine utilizing ISR methods and processed those materials at our Hobson Processing Facility into drums of U3O8. We also hold uranium projects in various stages of exploration and pre-extraction in the States of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming, in Canada and the Republic of Paraguay. Since we completed the acquisition of our Alto Paraná Project located in the Republic of Paraguay in July 2017, we are also involved in mining and related activities, including exploration, pre-extraction, extraction and processing, of titanium minerals.
As more fully described under “Liquidity and Capital Resources” of Item 2, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Result of Operations, herein, we have a history of significant negative cash flow and net losses, with an accumulated deficit balance of $290.1 million as of October 31, 2022. Historically, we have been reliant primarily on equity financings from the sale of our common stock and on debt financing in order to fund our operations. Although we generated revenues from sales of U3O8 during Fiscal 2015, Fiscal 2013 and Fiscal 2012 of $3.1 million, $9.0 million and $13.8 million, respectively, and generated revenues from sales of purchased uranium inventory and toll processing services totaling $12.7 million during the three months ended October 31, 2022 and $23.2 million in Fiscal 2022, respectively, we have yet to achieve profitability or develop consistent positive cash flow from our operations, and we do not expect to achieve profitability or develop positive cash flow from operations in the near term. As a result of our limited financial and operating history, including our significant net losses to date, it may be difficult to evaluate our future performance.
As of October 31, 2022, we had working capital of $37.3 million including cash and cash equivalents of $21.0 million and uranium inventory holdings of $28.8 million. Subsequent to October 31, 2022, we received further cash proceeds of $13.5 million under the ATM Offerings and sold 500,000 pounds of uranium inventories for total proceeds of $25.2 million. We believe our existing cash resources and, if necessary, cash generated from the sale of the Company’s uranium inventories, will provide sufficient funds to carry out our planned operations for 12 months from the date of this Quarterly Report. Our continuation as a going concern beyond those 12 months will be dependent upon our ability to achieve consistent positive cash flow from the sale of our uranium concentrates and to obtain adequate additional financing as our operations are capital intensive and future capital expenditures are expected to be substantial. Our continued operations, including the recoverability of the carrying values of our assets, are dependent ultimately on our ability to achieve and maintain profitability and positive cash flow from our operations.
Our reliance on equity and debt financings is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, and their availability, whenever such additional financing is required, will be dependent on many factors beyond our control including, but not limited to, the market price of uranium, the continuing public support of nuclear power as a viable source of electrical generation, the volatility in the global financial markets affecting our stock price and the status of the worldwide economy, any one of which may cause significant challenges in our ability to access additional financing, including access to the equity and credit markets. We may also be required to seek other forms of financing, such as asset divestitures or joint venture arrangements, to continue advancing our projects which would depend entirely on finding a suitable third party willing to enter into such an arrangement, typically involving an assignment of a percentage interest in the mineral project.
Our long-term success, including the recoverability of the carrying values of our assets and our ability to acquire additional uranium projects and continue with exploration and pre-extraction activities and mining activities on our existing uranium projects, will depend ultimately on our ability to achieve and maintain profitability and positive cash flow from our operations by establishing ore bodies that contain commercially recoverable uranium and to develop these into profitable mining activities. The economic viability of our mining activities, including the expected duration and profitability of our ISR Mines and of any future satellite ISR mines, such as our Burke Hollow and Goliad Projects, located within the South Texas Uranium Belt, our Christensen Ranch Mine and Reno Creek Project, located in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, and our projects in Canada and in the Republic of Paraguay, have many risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to: (i) a significant, prolonged decrease in the market price of uranium and titanium minerals; (ii) difficulty in marketing and/or selling uranium concentrates; (iii) significantly higher than expected capital costs to construct a mine and/or processing plant; (iv) significantly higher than expected extraction costs; (v) significantly lower than expected mineral extraction; (vi) significant delays, reductions or stoppages of uranium extraction activities; and (vii) the introduction of significantly more stringent regulatory laws and regulations. Our mining activities may change as a result of any one or more of these risks and uncertainties and there is no assurance that any ore body that we extract mineralized materials from will result in achieving and maintaining profitability and developing positive cash flow.
Our operations are capital intensive and we will require significant additional financing to acquire additional mineral projects and continue with our exploration and pre-extraction activities on our existing projects.
Our operations are capital intensive and future capital expenditures are expected to be substantial. We will require significant additional financing to fund our operations, including acquiring additional mineral projects and continuing with our exploration and pre-extraction activities which include assaying, drilling, geological and geochemical analysis and mine construction costs. In the absence of such additional financing we would not be able to fund our operations or continue with our exploration and pre-extraction activities, which may result in delays, curtailment or abandonment of any one or all of our projects.
Our uranium extraction and sales history is limited, with our uranium extraction to date originating from a single uranium mine. Our ability to continue generating revenue is subject to a number of factors, any one or more of which may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
We have a limited history of uranium extraction and generating revenue. In November 2010 we commenced uranium extraction at our Palangana Mine, which has been our sole source of revenues from the sales of produced U3O8 during Fiscal 2015, Fiscal 2013 and Fiscal 2012, with no revenues from sales of produced U3O8 during the three months ended October 31, 2022, and any other fiscal years.
During the three months ended October 31, 2022, we continued to operate our ISR Mines at a reduced pace to align our operations to a weak uranium commodity market in a challenging post-Fukushima environment. This strategy has included the deferral of major pre-extraction expenditures and remaining in a state of operational readiness in anticipation of a recovery in uranium prices. Our ability to continue generating revenue from our ISR Mines is subject to a number of factors which include, but are not limited to: (i) a significant, prolonged decrease in the market price of uranium; (ii) difficulty in marketing and/or selling uranium concentrates; (iii) significantly higher than expected capital costs to construct the mine and/or processing plant; (iv) significantly higher than expected extraction costs; (v) significantly lower than expected uranium extraction; (vi) significant delays, reductions or stoppages of uranium extraction activities; and (vii) the introduction of significantly more stringent regulatory laws and regulations. Furthermore, continued mining activities at our ISR Mines will eventually deplete the mines or cause such activities to become uneconomical, and if we are unable to directly acquire new uranium projects or develop existing uranium projects, such as our Roughrider, Hidden Bay, Christie Lake, Moore Ranch, Reno Creek, Burke Hollow and Goliad Projects, into additional uranium mines from which we can commence uranium extraction, it will negatively impact our ability to generate revenues. Any one or more of these occurrences may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
Exploration and pre-extraction programs and mining activities are inherently subject to numerous significant risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ significantly from expectations or anticipated amounts. Furthermore, exploration programs conducted on our projects may not result in the establishment of ore bodies that contain commercially recoverable uranium.
Exploration and pre-extraction programs and mining activities are inherently subject to numerous significant risks and uncertainties, with many beyond our control and including, but not limited to: (i) unanticipated ground and water conditions and adverse claims to water rights; (ii) unusual or unexpected geological formations; (iii) metallurgical and other processing problems; (iv) the occurrence of unusual weather or operating conditions and other force majeure events; (v) lower than expected ore grades; (vi) industrial accidents; (vii) delays in the receipt of or failure to receive necessary government permits; (viii) delays in transportation; (ix) availability of contractors and labor; (x) government permit restrictions and regulation restrictions; (xi) the unavailability of materials and equipment; and (xii) the failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations. These risks and uncertainties could result in: (i) delays, reductions or stoppages in our mining activities; (ii) increased capital and/or extraction costs; (iii) damage to, or destruction of, our mineral projects, extraction facilities or other properties; (iv) personal injuries; (v) environmental damage; (vi) monetary losses; and (vii) legal claims.
Success in mineral exploration is dependent on many factors, including, without limitation, the experience and capabilities of a company’s management, the availability of geological expertise and the availability of sufficient funds to conduct the exploration program. Even if an exploration program is successful and commercially recoverable material is established, it may take a number of years from the initial phases of drilling and identification of the mineralization until extraction is possible, during which time the economic feasibility of extraction may change such that the material ceases to be economically recoverable. Exploration is frequently non-productive due, for example, to poor exploration results or the inability to establish ore bodies that contain commercially recoverable material, in which case the project may be abandoned and written-off. Furthermore, we will not be able to benefit from our exploration efforts and recover the expenditures that we incur on our exploration programs if we do not establish ore bodies that contain commercially recoverable material and develop these projects into profitable mining activities, and there is no assurance that we will be successful in doing so for any of our projects.
Whether an ore body contains commercially recoverable material depends on many factors including, without limitation: (i) the particular attributes, including material changes to those attributes, of the ore body such as size, grade, recovery rates and proximity to infrastructure; (ii) the market price of uranium, which may be volatile; and (iii) government regulations and regulatory requirements including, without limitation, those relating to environmental protection, permitting and land use, taxes, land tenure and transportation.
We have not established proven or probable reserves through the completion of a “final” or “bankable” feasibility study for any of our projects, including our ISR Mines. Furthermore, we have no plans to establish proven or probable reserves for any of our uranium projects for which we plan on utilizing ISR mining, such as our ISR Mines. Since we commenced extraction of mineralized materials from our ISR Mines without having established proven or probable reserves, it may result in our mining activities at our ISR Mines, and at any future projects for which proven or probable reserves are not established, being inherently riskier than other mining activities for which proven or probable reserves have been established.
We have established the existence of mineralized materials for certain of our projects, including our ISR Mines. We have not established proven or probable reserves, as defined by the SEC under S-K 1300, through the completion of a “final” or “bankable” feasibility study for any of our projects, including our ISR Mines. Furthermore, we have no plans to establish proven or probable reserves for any of our projects for which we plan on utilizing ISR mining, such as our ISR Mines. Since we commenced uranium extraction of mineralized materials at our ISR Mines without having established proven or probable reserves, there may be greater inherent uncertainty as to whether or not any mineralized material can be economically extracted as originally planned and anticipated. Any mineralized materials established or extracted from our ISR Mines should not in any way be associated with having established or produced from proven or probable reserves.
On October 31, 2018, the SEC adopted the Modernization of Property Disclosures for Mining Registrants (the “New Rule”), introducing significant changes to the existing mining disclosure framework to better align it with international industry and regulatory practice, including Canadian National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The New Rule became effective as of February 25, 2019, and issuers are required to comply with the New Rule as of the annual report for their first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021, and earlier in certain circumstances. The Company believes that it is presently in compliance with the New Rule.
Since we are in the Exploration Stage, pre-production expenditures, including those related to pre-extraction activities, are expensed as incurred, the effects of which may result in our consolidated financial statements not being directly comparable to the financial statements of companies in the Production Stage.
Despite the fact that we commenced uranium extraction at our ISR Mines, we remain in the Exploration Stage (as defined by the SEC) and will continue to remain in the Exploration Stage until such time as proven or probable reserves have been established, which may never occur. We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) under which acquisition costs of mineral rights are initially capitalized as incurred while pre-production expenditures are expensed as incurred until such time as we exit the Exploration Stage. Expenditures relating to exploration activities are expensed as incurred and expenditures relating to pre-extraction activities are expensed as incurred until such time as proven or probable reserves are established for that uranium project, after which subsequent expenditures relating to mine development activities for that particular project are capitalized as incurred.
We have neither established nor have any plans to establish proven or probable reserves for our uranium projects for which we plan on utilizing ISR mining. Companies in the Production Stage (as defined by the SEC), having established proven and probable reserves and exited the Exploration Stage, typically capitalize expenditures relating to ongoing development activities, with corresponding depletion calculated over proven and probable reserves using the units-of-production method and allocated to inventory and, as that inventory is sold, to cost of goods sold. As we are in the Exploration Stage, it has resulted in us reporting larger losses than if we had been in the Production Stage due to the expensing, instead of capitalization, of expenditures relating to ongoing processing facility and mine pre-extraction activities. Additionally, there would be no corresponding amortization allocated to our future reporting periods since those costs would have been expensed previously, resulting in both lower inventory costs and cost of goods sold and results of operations with higher gross profits and lower losses than if we had been in the Production Stage. Any capitalized costs, such as acquisition costs of mineral rights, are depleted over the estimated extraction life using the straight-line method. As a result, our consolidated financial statements may not be directly comparable to the financial statements of companies in the Production Stage.
Estimated costs of future reclamation obligations may be significantly exceeded by actual costs incurred in the future. Furthermore, only a portion of the financial assurance required for the future reclamation obligations has been funded.
We are responsible for certain remediation and decommissioning activities in the future, primarily for our Hobson and Irigaray Processing Facilities and our ISR Mines, and our recently acquired Roughrider and Horse-Raven Projects, and have recorded a liability of $18.0 million on our balance sheet at October 31, 2022, to recognize the present value of the estimated costs of such reclamation obligations. Should the actual costs to fulfill these future reclamation obligations materially exceed these estimated costs, it may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and operating results, including not having the financial resources required to fulfill such obligations when required to do so.
During Fiscal 2015, we secured $5.6 million of surety bonds as an alternate source of financial assurance for the estimated costs of the reclamation obligations of our Hobson Processing Facility and Palangana Mine, of which we have $1.7 million funded and held as restricted cash for collateral purposes as required by the surety. In connection with the U1A Acquisition, we assumed $13.7 million of restricted cash as surety bond collateral for total estimated reclamation costs of $18.6 million for the Christensen Ranch Mine and Irigaray Processing Facility. During Fiscal 2022 $8.6 million of surety bond collateral related to the Christensen Ranch Mine and Irigaray Processing Facility was released. We may be required at any time to fund the remaining $17.4 million or any portion thereof for a number of reasons including, but not limited to, the following: (i) the terms of the surety bonds are amended, such as an increase in collateral requirements; (ii) we are in default with the terms of the surety bonds; (iii) the surety bonds are no longer acceptable as an alternate source of financial assurance by the regulatory authorities; or (iv) the surety encounters financial difficulties. Should any one or more of these events occur in the future, we may not have the financial resources to fund the remaining amount or any portion thereof when required to do so.
We cannot provide any assurance that our Physical Uranium Initiative Program involving the strategic acquisition of physical uranium will be successful, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
We have used or allocated a large portion of our cash on hand in order to fund the acquisition of drummed uranium pursuant to our physical uranium initiative program (the “Physical Uranium Initiative Program”). This strategy will be subject to a number of risks and there is no assurance that the strategy will be successful. Future deliveries are subject to performance by other parties and there is a possibility of default by those parties, thus depriving us of potential benefits.
Due to the fluctuation of uranium prices, the price of uranium will fluctuate and we will be subject to losses should we ultimately determine to sell the uranium at prices lower than the acquisition cost. The primary risks associated with physical uranium will be the normal risks associated with supply and demand fundamentals affecting price movements.
We may be required to sell a portion or all of the physical uranium accumulated to fund our operations should other forms of financing not be available to meet our capital requirements.
Since there is no public market for uranium, selling the uranium may take extended periods of time and suitable purchasers may be difficult to find, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and may have a material adverse effect on our securities.
There is no public market for the sale of uranium, although there are several trading and brokerage houses that serve the industry with bid and ask data as well as locations and quantities. The uranium futures market on the New York Mercantile Exchange does not provide for physical delivery of uranium, only cash on settlement, and that trading forum does not offer a formal market but rather facilitates the introduction of buyers to sellers.
The pool of potential purchasers and sellers is limited, and each transaction may require the negotiation of specific provisions. Accordingly, a sale may take several weeks or months to complete. If we determine to sell any physical uranium that we have acquired, we may likewise experience difficulties in finding purchasers that are able to accept a material quantity of physical uranium at a price and at a location that is compatible with our interests. The inability to sell on a timely basis in sufficient quantities and at a desired price and location could have a material adverse effect on our securities.
As part of our Physical Uranium Initiative Program, we have entered into commitments to purchase U3O8 and may purchase additional quantities. There is no certainty that any future purchases contemplated by us will be completed.
Storage arrangements, including the extension of storage arrangements, along with credit and operational risks of uranium storage facilities may result in the loss or damage of our physical uranium which may not be covered by insurance or indemnity provisions and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
Currently, the uranium we purchased will be stored at the licensed uranium conversion facility of ConverDyn owned by Honeywell. There can be no assurance that storage arrangements that have been negotiated will be extended indefinitely, forcing actions or costs not currently contemplated. Failure to negotiate commercially reasonable storage terms for a subsequent storage period with ConverDyn may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
By holding our uranium inventories at the ConverDyn conversion facility we are exposed to the credit and operational risks of the facility. There is no guarantee that we can fully recover all of our investment in uranium held with the facility in the event of a disruptive event. Failure to recover all uranium holdings could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. Any loss or damage of the uranium may not be fully covered or absolved by contractual arrangements with ConverDyn or our insurance arrangements, and we may be financially and legally responsible for losses and/or damages not covered by indemnity provisions or insurance. Such responsibility could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
The uranium industry is subject to influential political and regulatory factors which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
The international uranium industry, including the supply of uranium concentrates, is relatively small, competitive and heavily regulated. Worldwide demand for uranium is directly tied to the demand for electricity produced by the nuclear power industry, which is also subject to extensive government regulation and policies. In addition, the international marketing and trade of uranium is subject to political changes in governmental policies, regulatory requirements and international trade restrictions (including trade agreements, customs, duties and/or taxes). International agreements, governmental policies and trade restrictions are beyond our control. Changes in regulatory requirements, customs, duties or taxes may affect the availability of uranium, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We do not insure against all of the risks we face in our operations.
In general, where coverage is available and not prohibitively expensive relative to the perceived risk, we will maintain insurance against such risk, subject to exclusions and limitations. We currently maintain insurance against certain risks, including securities and general commercial liability claims and certain physical assets used in our operations, subject to exclusions and limitations, however, we do not maintain insurance to cover all of the potential risks and hazards associated with our operations. We may be subject to liability for environmental, pollution or other hazards associated with our exploration, pre-extraction and extraction activities, which we may not be insured against, which may exceed the limits of our insurance coverage or which we may elect not to insure against because of high premiums or other reasons. Furthermore, we cannot provide assurance that any insurance coverage we currently have will continue to be available at reasonable premiums or that such insurance will adequately cover any resulting liability.
Acquisitions that we may make from time to time could have an adverse impact on us.
From time to time we examine opportunities to acquire additional mining assets and businesses. Any acquisition that we may choose to complete may be of a significant size, may change the scale of our business and operations, and may expose us to new geographic, political, operating, financial and geological risks. Our success in our acquisition activities depends on our ability to identify suitable acquisition candidates, negotiate acceptable terms for any such acquisition, and integrate the acquired operations successfully with those of our Company. Any acquisitions would be accompanied by risks which could have a material adverse effect on our business. For example: (i) there may be a significant change in commodity prices after we have committed to complete the transaction and established the purchase price or exchange ratio; (ii) a material ore body may prove to be below expectations; (iii) we may have difficulty integrating and assimilating the operations and personnel of any acquired companies, realizing anticipated synergies and maximizing the financial and strategic position of the combined enterprise, and maintaining uniform standards, policies and controls across the organization; (iv) the integration of the acquired business or assets may disrupt our ongoing business and our relationships with employees, customers, suppliers and contractors; and (v) the acquired business or assets may have unknown liabilities which may be significant. In the event that we choose to raise debt capital to finance any such acquisition, our leverage will be increased. If we choose to use equity as consideration for such acquisition, existing shareholders may suffer dilution. Alternatively, we may choose to finance any such acquisition with our existing resources. There can be no assurance that we would be successful in overcoming these risks or any other problems encountered in connection with such acquisitions.
The uranium and titanium industries are subject to numerous stringent laws, regulations and standards, including environmental protection laws and regulations. If any changes occur that would make these laws, regulations and standards more stringent, it may require capital outlays in excess of those anticipated or cause substantial delays, which would have a material adverse effect on our operations.
Uranium and titanium exploration and pre-extraction programs and mining activities are subject to numerous stringent laws, regulations and standards at the federal, state and local levels governing permitting, pre-extraction, extraction, exports, taxes, labor standards, occupational health, waste disposal, protection and reclamation of the environment, protection of endangered and protected species, mine safety, hazardous substances and other matters. Our compliance with these requirements requires significant financial and personnel resources.
The laws, regulations, policies or current administrative practices of any government body, organization or regulatory agency in the United States, or any other applicable jurisdiction, may change or be applied or interpreted in a manner which may also have a material adverse effect on our operations. The actions, policies or regulations, or changes thereto, of any government body or regulatory agency or special interest group, may also have a material adverse effect on our operations.
Uranium and titanium exploration and pre-extraction programs and mining activities are subject to stringent environmental protection laws and regulations at the federal, state and local levels. These laws and regulations include permitting and reclamation requirements, regulate emissions, water storage and discharges and disposal of hazardous wastes. Uranium mining activities are also subject to laws and regulations which seek to maintain health and safety standards by regulating the design and use of mining methods. Various permits from governmental and regulatory bodies are required for mining to commence or continue, and no assurance can be provided that required permits will be received in a timely manner.
Our compliance costs, including the posting of surety bonds associated with environmental protection laws and regulations and health and safety standards, have been significant to date and are expected to increase in scale and scope as we expand our operations in the future. Furthermore, environmental protection laws and regulations may become more stringent in the future, and compliance with such changes may require capital outlays in excess of those anticipated or cause substantial delays, which would have a material adverse effect on our operations.
While the very heart of our business – uranium extraction, which is the fuel for carbon-free, emission-free baseload nuclear power – and our recycling programs, help address global climate change and reduce air pollution, the world’s focus on addressing climate change will require our Company to continue to conduct all of its operations in a manner that minimizes the use of resources, including the unnecessary use of energy resources, in order to continue to minimize air emissions at our facilities, which can also increase mine and facility, construction, development and operating costs. Regulatory and environmental standards may also change over time to address global climate change, which could further increase these costs.
To the best of our knowledge, our operations are in compliance, in all material respects, with all applicable laws, regulations and standards. If we become subject to liability for any violations, we may not be able or may elect not to insure against such risk due to high insurance premiums or other reasons. Where coverage is available and not prohibitively expensive relative to the perceived risk, we will maintain insurance against such risk, subject to exclusions and limitations. However, we cannot provide any assurance that such insurance will continue to be available at reasonable premiums or that such insurance will be adequate to cover any resulting liability.
We may not be able to obtain, maintain or amend rights, authorizations, licenses, permits or consents required for our operations.
Our exploration and mining activities are dependent upon the grant of appropriate rights, authorizations, licences, permits and consents, as well as continuation and amendment of these rights, authorizations, licences, permits and consents already granted, which may be granted for a defined period of time, or may not be granted or may be withdrawn or made subject to limitations. There can be no assurance that all necessary rights, authorizations, licences, permits and consents will be granted to us, or that authorizations, licences, permits and consents already granted will not be withdrawn or made subject to limitations.
Major nuclear and global market incidents may have adverse effects on the nuclear and uranium industries.
The nuclear incident that occurred in Japan in March 2011 had significant and adverse effects on both the nuclear and uranium industries. If another nuclear incident were to occur, it may have further adverse effects for both industries. Public opinion of nuclear power as a source of electrical generation may be adversely affected, which may cause governments of certain countries to further increase regulation for the nuclear industry, reduce or abandon current reliance on nuclear power or reduce or abandon existing plans for nuclear power expansion. Any one of these occurrences has the potential to reduce current and/or future demand for nuclear power, resulting in lower demand for uranium and lower market prices for uranium, adversely affecting the operations and prospects of our Company. Furthermore, the growth of the nuclear and uranium industries is dependent on continuing and growing public support of nuclear power as a viable source of electrical generation.
In March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a black swan event impacting about 50% of the world’s uranium production and has accelerated the market rebalancing. In 2020 significant production cuts were announced in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, including uranium facilities in Canada, Kazakhstan, and Namibia. In 2021, although most production impacted by COVID-19 has returned to an operating status, some production has continued to be affected. It is unknown at this time exactly how long all the impacts will last or how much uranium production will ultimately be removed from the market as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company also believes that a large degree of uncertainty exists in the market, primarily due to the size of mobile uranium inventories, transportation issues, premature reactor shutdowns in the U.S. and the length of time of any uranium mine, conversion or enrichment facility shutdowns.
The marketability of uranium concentrates will be affected by numerous factors beyond our control which may result in our inability to receive an adequate return on our invested capital.
The marketability of uranium concentrates extracted by us will be affected by numerous factors beyond our control. These factors include: (i) macroeconomic factors; (ii) fluctuations in the market price of uranium; (iii) governmental regulations; (iv) land tenure and use; (v) regulations concerning the importing and exporting of uranium; and (vi) environmental protection regulations. The future effects of these factors cannot be accurately predicted, but any one or a combination of these factors may result in our inability to receive an adequate return on our invested capital.
The titanium industry is affected by global economic factors, including risks associated with volatile economic conditions, and the market for many titanium products is cyclical and volatile, and we may experience depressed market conditions for such products.
Titanium is used in many "quality of life" products for which demand historically has been linked to global, regional and local GDP and discretionary spending, which can be negatively impacted by regional and world events or economic conditions. Such events are likely to cause a decrease in demand for products and, as a result, may have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. The timing and extent of any changes to currently prevailing market conditions is uncertain, and supply and demand may be unbalanced at any time. Uncertain economic conditions and market instability make it particularly difficult for us to forecast demand trends. As a consequence, we may not be able to accurately predict future economic conditions or the effect of such conditions on our financial condition or results of operations. We can give no assurances as to the timing, extent or duration of the current or future economic cycles impacting the industries in which we operate.
Historically, the market for large volume titanium applications, including coatings, paper and plastics, has experienced alternating periods of tight supply, causing prices and margins to increase, followed by periods of lower capacity utilization resulting in declining prices and margins. The volatility this market experiences occurs as a result of significant changes in the demand for products as a consequence of global economic activity and changes in customers’ requirements. The supply-demand balance is also impacted by capacity additions or reductions that result in changes of utilization rates. In addition, titanium margins are impacted by significant changes in major input costs such as energy and feedstock. Demand for titanium depends in part on the housing and construction industries. These industries are cyclical in nature and have historically been impacted by downturns in the economy. In addition, pricing may affect customer inventory levels as customers may from time to time accelerate purchases of titanium in advance of anticipated price increases or defer purchases of titanium in advance of anticipated price decreases. The cyclicality and volatility of the titanium industry results in significant fluctuations in profits and cash flow from period to period and over the business cycle.
The uranium industry is highly competitive and we may not be successful in acquiring additional projects.
The uranium industry is highly competitive, and our competition includes larger, more established companies with longer operating histories that not only explore for and produce uranium, but also market uranium and other products on a regional, national or worldwide basis. Due to their greater financial and technical resources, we may not be able to acquire additional uranium projects in a competitive bidding process involving such companies. Additionally, these larger companies have greater resources to continue with their operations during periods of depressed market conditions.
The titanium industry is concentrated and highly competitive, and we may not be able to compete effectively with our competitors that have greater financial resources or those that are vertically integrated, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The global titanium market is highly competitive, with the top six producers accounting for approximately 60% of the world’s production capacity. Competition is based on a number of factors, such as price, product quality and service. Among our competitors are companies that are vertically-integrated (those that have their own raw material resources). Changes in the competitive landscape could make it difficult for us to retain our competitive position in various products and markets throughout the world. Our competitors with their own raw material resources may have a competitive advantage during periods of higher raw material prices. In addition, some of the companies with whom we compete may be able to produce products more economically than we can. Furthermore, some of our competitors have greater financial resources, which may enable them to invest significant capital into their businesses, including expenditures for research and development.
We hold mineral rights in foreign jurisdictions which could be subject to additional risks due to political, taxation, economic and cultural factors.
We hold certain mineral rights located in the Republic of Paraguay through Piedra Rica Mining S.A., Transandes Paraguay S.A., Trier S.A. and Metalicos Y No Metalicos S.R.L., which are incorporated in Paraguay. Operations in foreign jurisdictions outside of the United States and Canada, especially in developing countries, may be subject to additional risks as they may have different political, regulatory, taxation, economic and cultural environments that may adversely affect the value or continued viability of our rights. These additional risks include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in governments or senior government officials; (ii) changes to existing laws or policies on foreign investments, environmental protection, mining and ownership of mineral interests; (iii) renegotiation, cancellation, expropriation and nationalization of existing permits or contracts; (iv) foreign currency controls and fluctuations; and (v) civil disturbances, terrorism and war.
In the event of a dispute arising at our foreign operations in Paraguay, we may be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of foreign courts or may not be successful in subjecting foreign persons to the jurisdiction of the courts in the United States or Canada. We may also be hindered or prevented from enforcing our rights with respect to a government entity or instrumentality because of the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Any adverse or arbitrary decision of a foreign court may have a material and adverse impact on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
The title to our mineral property interests may be challenged.
Although we have taken reasonable measures to ensure proper title to our interests in mineral properties and other assets, there is no guarantee that the title to any of such interests will not be challenged. No assurance can be given that we will be able to secure the grant or the renewal of existing mineral rights and tenures on terms satisfactory to us, or that governments in the jurisdictions in which we operate will not revoke or significantly alter such rights or tenures or that such rights or tenures will not be challenged or impugned by third parties, including local governments, aboriginal peoples or other claimants.
The Company has had communications and filings with the MOPC, whereby the MOPC is taking the position that certain concessions forming part of the Company’s Yuty and Alto Paraná Projects are not eligible for extension as to exploration or continuation to exploitation in their current stages. While we remain fully committed to our development path forward in Paraguay, we have filed certain applications and appeals in Paraguay to reverse the MOPC’s position in order to protect the Company’s continuing rights in those concessions.
Our mineral properties may be subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers or claims, and title may be affected by, among other things, undetected defects. A successful challenge to the precise area and location of our claims could result in us being unable to operate on our properties as permitted or being unable to enforce our rights with respect to our properties.
Due to the nature of our business, we may be subject to legal proceedings which may divert management’s time and attention from our business and result in substantial damage awards.
Due to the nature of our business, we may be subject to numerous regulatory investigations, securities claims, civil claims, lawsuits and other proceedings in the ordinary course of our business including those described under Item 1, Legal Proceedings, herein. The outcome of these lawsuits is uncertain and subject to inherent uncertainties, and the actual costs to be incurred will depend upon many unknown factors. We may be forced to expend significant resources in the defense of these suits, and we may not prevail. Defending against these and other lawsuits in the future may not only require us to incur significant legal fees and expenses, but may become time-consuming for us and detract from our ability to fully focus our internal resources on our business activities. The results of any legal proceeding cannot be predicted with certainty due to the uncertainty inherent in litigation, the difficulty of predicting decisions of regulators, judges and juries and the possibility that decisions may be reversed on appeal. There can be no assurances that these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position or operating results.
We depend on certain key personnel, and our success will depend on our continued ability to retain and attract such qualified personnel.
Our success is dependent on the efforts, abilities and continued service of certain senior officers and key employees and consultants. A number of our key employees and consultants have significant experience in the uranium industry. A loss of service from any one of these individuals may adversely affect our operations, and we may have difficulty or may not be able to locate and hire a suitable replacement.
Certain directors and officers may be subject to conflicts of interest.
The majority of our directors and officers are involved in other business ventures including similar capacities with other private or publicly-traded companies. Such individuals may have significant responsibilities to these other business ventures, including consulting relationships, which may require significant amounts of their available time. Conflicts of interest may include decisions on how much time to devote to our business affairs and what business opportunities should be presented to us. Our Code of Conduct and Ethics provides for guidance on conflicts of interest.
The laws of the State of Nevada and our Articles of Incorporation may protect our directors and officers from certain types of lawsuits.
The laws of the State of Nevada provide that our directors and officers will not be liable to our Company or to our stockholders for monetary damages for all but certain types of conduct as directors and officers. Our Bylaws provide for broad indemnification powers to all persons against all damages incurred in connection with our business to the fullest extent provided or allowed by law. These indemnification provisions may require us to use our limited assets to defend our directors and officers against claims, and may have the effect of preventing stockholders from recovering damages against our directors and officers caused by their negligence, poor judgment or other circumstances.
Several of our directors and officers are residents outside of the United States, and it may be difficult for stockholders to enforce within the United States any judgments obtained against such directors or officers.
Several of our directors and officers are nationals and/or residents of countries other than the United States, and all or a substantial portion of such persons’ assets are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process on such directors and officers, or enforce within the United States any judgments obtained against such directors and officers, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state thereof. Consequently, stockholders may be effectively prevented from pursuing remedies against such directors and officers under United States federal securities laws. In addition, stockholders may not be able to commence an action in a Canadian court predicated upon the civil liability provisions under United States federal securities laws. The foregoing risks also apply to those experts identified in this document that are not residents of the United States.
Disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, no matter how well designed and operated, are designed to obtain reasonable, and not absolute, assurance as to its reliability and effectiveness.
Management’s evaluation on the effectiveness of disclosure controls and procedures is designed to ensure that information required for disclosure in our public filings is recorded, processed, summarized and reported on a timely basis to our senior management, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance that transactions are properly authorized, assets are safeguarded against unauthorized or improper use and transactions are properly recorded and reported. However, any system of controls, no matter how well designed and operated, is based in part upon certain assumptions designed to obtain reasonable, and not absolute, assurance as to its reliability and effectiveness. Any failure to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures in the future may result in our inability to continue meeting our reporting obligations in a timely manner, qualified audit opinions or restatements of our financial reports, any one of which may affect the market price for our common stock and our ability to access the capital markets.
Proposed and new legislation in the U.S. Congress, including changes in U.S. tax law, may adversely impact the Company and the value of shares of our common stock.
Changes to U.S. tax laws (which changes may have retroactive application) could adversely affect the Company or holders of shares of our common stock. In recent years, many changes to U.S. federal income tax laws have been proposed and made, and additional changes to U.S. federal income tax laws are likely to continue to occur in the future.
The U.S. Congress has recently passed and is currently considering numerous items of legislation which may be enacted prospectively or with retroactive effect, and which legislation could adversely impact the Company’s financial performance and the value of shares of our common stock. In particular, we understand that new legislation known as the “Build Back Better Act” has been passed by both houses of the U.S. Congress. The legislation includes, without limitation, new corporate minimum income taxes. We understand that the proposals would be effective for 2022 or later years.
In addition, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was recently signed into law and includes provisions that will impact the U.S. federal income taxation of corporations. Among other items, this legislation includes provisions that will impose a minimum tax on the book income of certain large corporations and an excise tax on certain corporate stock repurchases that would be imposed on the corporation repurchasing such stock. It is unclear how this legislation will be implemented by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Company cannot predict how this legislation or any future changes in tax laws might affect the Company or purchasers of our common stock.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
Historically, the market price of our common stock has been and may continue to fluctuate significantly.
On September 28, 2007, our common stock commenced trading on the NYSE American (formerly known as the American Stock Exchange, the NYSE Amex Equities Exchange and the NYSE MKT) and prior to that, traded on the OTC Bulletin Board.
The global markets have experienced significant and increased volatility in the past, and have been impacted by the effects of mass sub-prime mortgage defaults and liquidity problems of the asset-backed commercial paper market, resulting in a number of large financial institutions requiring government bailouts or filing for bankruptcy. The effects of these past events and any similar events in the future may continue to or further affect the global markets, which may directly affect the market price of our common stock and our accessibility for additional financing. Although this volatility may be unrelated to specific company performance, it can have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares which, historically, has fluctuated significantly and may continue to do so in the future.
In addition to the volatility associated with general economic trends and market conditions, the market price of our common stock could decline significantly due to the impact of any one or more events including, but not limited to, the following: (i) volatility in the uranium market; (ii) occurrence of a major nuclear incident such as the events in Japan in March 2011; (iii) changes in the outlook for the nuclear power and uranium industries; (iv) failure to meet market expectations on our exploration, pre-extraction or extraction activities, including abandonment of key uranium projects; (v) sales of a large number of our shares held by certain stockholders including institutions and insiders; (vi) downward revisions to previous estimates on us by analysts; (vii) removal from market indices; (viii) legal claims brought forth against us; and (ix) introduction of technological innovations by competitors or in competing technologies.
A prolonged decline in the market price of our common stock could affect our ability to obtain additional financing which would adversely affect our operations.
Historically, we have relied on equity financing and, more recently, on debt financing, as primary sources of financing. A prolonged decline in the market price of our common stock or a reduction in our accessibility to the global markets may result in our inability to secure additional financing which would have an adverse effect on our operations.
Additional issuances of our common stock may result in significant dilution to our existing shareholders and reduce the market value of their investment.
We are authorized to issue 750,000,000 shares of common stock of which 366,075,053 shares were issued and outstanding as of October 31, 2022. Future issuances for financings, mergers and acquisitions, exercise of stock options and share purchase warrants and for other reasons may result in significant dilution to and be issued at prices substantially below the price paid for our shares held by our existing stockholders. Significant dilution would reduce the proportionate ownership and voting power held by our existing stockholders and may result in a decrease in the market price of our shares.
We are subject to the Continued Listing Criteria of the NYSE American and our failure to satisfy these criteria may result in delisting of our common stock.
Our common stock is currently listed on the NYSE American. In order to maintain this listing, we must maintain certain share prices, financial and share distribution targets, including maintaining a minimum amount of shareholders’ equity and a minimum number of public shareholders. In addition to these objective standards, the NYSE American may delist the securities of any issuer: (i) if in its opinion, the issuer’s financial condition and/or operating results appear unsatisfactory; (ii) if it appears that the extent of public distribution or the aggregate market value of the security has become so reduced as to make continued listing on the NYSE American inadvisable; (iii) if the issuer sells or disposes of principal operating assets or ceases to be an operating company; (iv) if an issuer fails to comply with the NYSE American’s listing requirements; (v) if an issuer’s common stock sells at what the NYSE American considers a “low selling price” and the issuer fails to correct this via a reverse split of shares after notification by the NYSE American; or (vi) if any other event occurs or any condition exists which makes continued listing on the NYSE American, in its opinion, inadvisable.
If the NYSE American delists our common stock, investors may face material adverse consequences including, but not limited to, a lack of trading market for our securities, reduced liquidity, decreased analyst coverage of our securities, and an inability for us to obtain additional financing to fund our operations.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
During our fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2022, we issued the following securities that were not registered under the Securities Act:
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On August 2, 2022, we issued an aggregate of 4,179 shares of common stock to a consultant in consideration for services under a consulting agreement at a deemed issuance price of $3.23 per share. We relied on the exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act provided by Rule 903 of Regulation S with respect to the issuance of these shares; |
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On August 19, 2022, in accordance with the closing of the UEX Acquisition, we issued an aggregate of 48,518,745 shares of common stock pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement, dated June 13, 2022, as amended, at an issuance price of $3.53 per share. We relied on the exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act provided by Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act with respect to the issuance of these shares; |
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On August 19, 2022, in accordance with the closing of the UEX Acquisition, we issued an aggregate of 2,301,750 replacement stock options pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement, dated June 13, 2022, as amended, having exercises prices ranging from C$1.39 to C$5.12. We relied on the exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act provided by Section 3(a)(10) of the Securities Act with respect to the issuance of these replacement stock options; |
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On August 29, 2022, we issued 2,812 shares of common stock pursuant to the exercise of warrants at a price of C$2.33 per share. We relied on the exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act provided by Rule 506(b) of Regulation D and/or Section 4(a)(2) under the Securities Act with respect to the issuance of these shares; |
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On September 13, 2022, we issued 27,000 shares of common stock pursuant to the exercise of warrants at a price of C$2.33 per share. We relied on the exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act provided by Rule 903 of Regulation S with respect to the issuance of these shares; and |
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On October 14, 2022, in accordance with the closing of the Roughrider Acquisition, we issued an aggregate of 17,805,815 shares pursuant to the Share Purchase and Sale Agreement dated October 11, 2022, at a deemed issuance price of $3.9313 per share. We relied on the exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act provided by Rule 903 of Regulation S with respect to the issuance of these shares. |
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Pursuant to Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, issuers that are operators, or that have a subsidiary that is an operator, of a coal or other mine in the United States, and that is subject to regulation by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration under the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (“Mine Safety Act”), are required to disclose in their periodic reports filed with the SEC information regarding specified health and safety violations, orders and citations, related assessments and legal actions and mining-related fatalities. During the quarter ended October 31, 2022, our ISR Mines were not subject to regulation by the Mine Safety Act.
Item 5. Other Information
None.
Item 6. Exhibits
The following exhibits are included with this Quarterly Report:
Exhibit |
Description of Exhibit |
31.1 |
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31.2 |
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32.1 |
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101.1NS |
Inline XBRL Instance Document |
101.SCH | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document |
101.CAL | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document |
101.DEF | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definitions Linkbase Document |
101.LAB | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document |
101.PRE | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document |
104 |
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101) |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Quarterly Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
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URANIUM ENERGY CORP. |
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By: |
/s/ Amir Adnani |
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Amir Adnani |
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President, Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) and director |
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Date: December 16, 2022 |
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By: |
/s/ Pat Obara |
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Pat Obara |
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Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
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Date: December 16, 2022 |