Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

NATURE OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 1 - NATURE OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Business

Augusta Gold Corp. (the “Company”) is a junior exploration company engaged in the acquisition and exploration of properties that may contain gold, silver, and other metals in the United States. The Company’s target properties are those that have been the subject of historical exploration. The Company owns, controls or has acquired mineral rights on Federal patented and unpatented mining claims in the state of Nevada for the purpose of exploration and potential development of gold, silver, and other metals. The Company plans to review opportunities and acquire additional mineral properties with current or historic precious and base metal mineralization with meaningful exploration potential.

The Company’s properties do not have any reserves. The Company plans to conduct exploration and engineering evaluation programs on these properties with the objective of ascertaining whether any of its properties contain economic concentrations of precious and base metals that are prospective for mining.

Basis of Presentation and Statement of Compliance

The accompanying consolidated financial statements (the “consolidated financial statements”), have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

Basis of Measurement

These consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the going concern basis, under the historical cost convention, except for certain financial instruments that are measured at fair value as described herein.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Augusta Gold Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Standard Gold Corp. (“Standard Gold”), Bullfrog Mines LLC (“Bullfrog Mines”), CR Reward, LLC (“CR Reward” or “Reward”) and Rocky Mountain Minerals Corp. (“Rocky Mountain Minerals” or “RMM”). All significant inter-entity balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Going Concern and Management’s Plans

As at December 31, 2022, the Company has a working capital deficiency of approximately $26,100,000. The ability of the Company to meet its obligations and continue operations is dependent on its ability to obtain additional debt or equity financing. These circumstances raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Concentration

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when acquired to be cash equivalents. The Company places its cash with high credit quality financial institutions in the United States and Canada. On December 31, 2022, the Company’s cash balance was $332,813. To reduce its risk associated with the failure of such financial institution, the Company will evaluate, as needed, the rating of the financial institution in which it holds deposits.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates have been made for stock-based compensation, asset retirement obligation, warrant liability and whether acquisitions of Bullfrog Mines and CR Reward constituted an asset acquisition or business combination and the related determination of the fair value of purchase consideration and acquired assets and liabilities.

Foreign Currency Translation

The Company is exposed to currency risk on transactions and balances in currencies other than the functional currency. The Company has not entered any contracts to manage foreign exchange risk.

The functional currency of the Company and its subsidiaries is the US dollar; therefore, the Company is exposed to currency risk from financial assets and liabilities denominated in Canadian dollars.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range from 5 to 15 years. Additions, renewals, and betterments that significantly extend the life of the asset are capitalized. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. For assets sold or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation and amortization are removed from the accounts, and any related gain or loss is reflected in income for the period.

Leases

The Company has adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), for reporting leases. Leases of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases. For leases with a lease term greater than one year, the Company recognizes a lease asset for its right to use the underlying leased asset and a lease liability for the corresponding lease obligation.

Mineral Property Acquisition and Exploration Costs

Mineral property exploration costs are expensed as incurred until economic reserves are quantified. To date, the Company has not established any proven or probable reserves on its mineral properties. Costs of lease, exploration, carrying and retaining unproven mineral lease properties are expensed as incurred. The Company has chosen to expense all mineral exploration costs as incurred given that it is still in the exploration stage. Once the Company has identified proven and probable reserves in its investigation of its properties and upon development of a plan for operating a mine, it would enter the development stage and capitalize future costs until production is established. When a property reaches the production stage, the related capitalized costs will be amortized over the estimated life of the probable-proven reserves. When the Company has capitalized mineral properties, these properties will be periodically assessed for impairment of value and any diminution in value. To date, the Company has not established the commercial feasibility of any exploration prospects; therefore, all exploration costs are being expensed. Costs of property and equipment acquisitions are being capitalized.

The Company is required to reclaim the property at the Bullfrog Project and Reward Project at the end of their useful lives. In accordance with FASB ASC 410-20, Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations, the Company recognized the fair value of a liability for an ARO in the amount of $1,774,193 at the Bullfrog Project and $1,040,242 at the Reward Project. During the period ended December 31, 2022, we incurred certain costs related to the ARO estimate that has an effect on the accretion and estimated costs.

	2022			2021
Balance, January 1	$	1,868,265		$	1,135,700
Accretion		77,941			24,749
Costs applied to ARO balance		(132,629	)		(158,822	)
Acquisition of CR Reward ARO		1,100,434			0
Change in estimates		(99,576	)		866,638
Balance, December 31 (current)	$	1,009,496		$	968,000
Balance, December 31 (long term)	$	1,804,939		$	900,265
Life of mine		2028			2028
Discount rate		4.0	%		1.5	%
Inflation rate (average)		2.2	%		2.0	%

Although the ultimate amounts for future site reclamation and remediation are uncertain, the best estimate of these obligations was based on information available, including current legislation, third-party estimates, and management estimates. The amounts and timing of the mine closure obligations will vary depending on several factors including future operations and the ultimate life of the mine, future economic conditions, and changes in applicable environmental regulations.

At December 31, 2022, the estimated future cash flows have been determined using real cash flows and discounted using a rate of 4.0% and a total undiscounted amount for the estimated future cash flows is $1,868,708 at the Bullfrog Project and $1,313,204 at the Reward Project.

The Bullfrog and CR Reward projects have surety bonding in place with the Bureau of Land Management for $1,765,661 and $1,161,725 respectively.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. There are three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1 - Valuation based on quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.

Level 2 - Valuation based on quoted market prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets.

Level 3 - Valuation based on unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity, therefore requiring management’s best estimate of what market participants would use as fair value.

The fair value of cash, deposits, accounts payable and notes payable approximates their carrying values due to their short term to maturity. The warrant liabilities are measured using level 3 inputs (Note 4).

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method in accordance with ASC 740, “Income Taxes”. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases as well as operating loss and tax credit carry forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the periods in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent that the recoverability of the asset is unlikely to be recognized.

The Company reports a liability, if any, for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken, or expected to be taken, in an income tax return. The Company has elected to classify interest and penalties related to unrecognized income tax benefits, if and when required, as part of income tax expense in the statement of operations. No liability has been recorded for uncertain income tax positions, or related interest or penalties as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021. The periods ended December 31, 2022, 2020, 2019 and 2018 are open to examination by taxing authorities.

Long Lived Assets

The Company assesses the impairment of long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. When the Company determines that the carrying value of long-lived assets may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more indicators of impairment and the carrying value of the asset cannot be recovered from projected undiscounted cash flows, the Company records an impairment charge. The Company measures any impairment based on a projected discounted cash flow method using a discount rate determined by management to be commensurate with the risk inherent in the current business model. Significant management judgment is required in determining whether an indicator of impairment exists and in projecting cash flows.

Preferred Stock

The Company accounts for its preferred stock under the provisions of the ASC on Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, which sets forth the standards for how an issuer classifies and measures certain financial instruments with characteristics of both liabilities and equity. This standard requires an issuer to classify a financial instrument that is within the scope of the standard as a liability if such financial instrument embodies an unconditional obligation to redeem the instrument at a specified date and/or upon an event certain to occur. The Company has determined that its preferred stock does not meet the criteria requiring liability classification as its obligation to redeem these instruments is not based on an event certain to occur. Future changes in the certainty of the Company’s obligation to redeem these instruments could result in a change in classification.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation is accounted for based on the requirements of the Share-Based Payment Topic of ASC 718 which requires recognition in the consolidated financial statements of the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments over the period the employee or director is required to perform the services in exchange for the award (presumptively, the vesting period). This ASC also requires measurement of the cost of employee and director services received in exchange for an award based on the grant-date fair value of the award.

The estimated fair value of each stock option as of the date of grant was calculated using the Black-Scholes pricing model. The Company estimates the volatility of its common stock at the date of grant based on Company stock price history. The Company determines the expected life based on the simplified method given that its own historical share option exercise experience does not provide a reasonable basis for estimating expected term. The Company uses the risk-free interest rate on the implied yield currently available on U.S. Treasury issues with an equivalent remaining term approximately equal to the expected life of the award. The Company has never paid any cash dividends on its common stock and does not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The shares of common stock subject to the stock-based compensation plan shall consist of unissued shares, treasury shares or previously issued shares held by any subsidiary of the Company, and such number of shares of common stock are reserved for such purpose.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company accounts for derivative instruments in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”), which requires additional disclosures about the Company’s objectives and strategies for using derivative instruments, how the derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for, and how the derivative instruments and related hedging items affect the financial statements. The Company does not use derivative instruments to hedge exposures to cash flow, market, or foreign currency risk. Terms of convertible debt and equity instruments are reviewed to determine whether or not they contain embedded derivative instruments that are required under ASC 815 to be accounted for separately from the host contract and recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. The fair value of derivative liabilities, if any, is required to be revalued at each reporting date, with corresponding changes in fair value recorded in current period operating results. Pursuant to ASC 815, an evaluation of specifically identified conditions is made to determine whether the fair value of warrants issued is required to be classified as equity or as a derivative liability.

Certain warrants are treated as derivative financial liabilities. The estimated fair value, based on the Black-Scholes model, is adjusted on a quarterly basis with gains or losses recognized in the statement of loss and comprehensive loss. The Black-Scholes model is based on significant assumptions such as volatility, dividend yield, expected term and liquidity discounts

Earnings (Loss) per Common Share

The following table shows basic and diluted earnings per share:

	Twelve Months Ended
	12/31/2022			12/31/2021
Basic and Diluted Earnings (Loss) per Common Share
Earnings (loss)	$	(19,720,212	)	$	3,452,032
Basic weighted average shares outstanding		75,373,892			68,251,261
Assumed conversion of dilutive shares		0			818,752
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding, assuming conversion of common stock equivalents		75,373,892			69,070,013
Basic Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share	$	(0.26	)	$	0.05
Diluted Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share	$	(0.26	)	$	0.05

Certain options and warrants and all preferred shares were included in the computation of diluted shares outstanding for the twelve months ended December 31, 2021. The options and warrants that were not included in the diluted weighted average shares calculation because they were “out-of-the money”. In periods where the Company has a net loss, all common stock equivalents are excluded as they would be anti-dilutive. The following details the dilutive and anti-dilutive shares:

	Dilutive shares		Anti-dilutive shares
	In the money		Out of the money		Total
Options		141,668		4,658,334		4,800,002
Warrants		0		31,427,195		31,427,195
Preferred shares		677,084		0		677,084
Total		818,752		36,085,529		36,904,281

Risks and Uncertainties

Since the formation of the Company, it has not generated any revenues. As an early-stage company, the Company is subject to all the risks inherent in the initial organization, financing, expenditures, complications and delays inherent in a new business. Our business is dependent upon the implementation of our business plan. There can be no assurance that our efforts will be successful or that we will ultimately be able to generate revenue or attain profitability.

Natural resource exploration, and exploring for gold, is a business that by its nature is very speculative. There is a strong possibility that we will not discover gold or any other mineralization which can be mined or extracted at a profit. Even if we do discover gold or other deposits, the deposit may not be of the quality or size necessary for us or a potential purchaser of the property to make a profit from mining it. Few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines. Unusual or unexpected geological formations, geological formation pressures, fires, power outages, labor disruptions, flooding, explosions, cave-ins, landslides and the inability to obtain suitable or adequate machinery, equipment or labor are just some of the many risks involved in mineral exploration programs and the subsequent development of gold deposits.

The Company business is exploring for gold and other minerals. If the Company discovers commercially exploitable gold or other deposits, revenue from such discoveries will not be generated unless the gold or other minerals are actually mined.

Mining operations in the United States are subject to many different federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including stringent environmental, health and safety laws. In the event operational responsibility is assumed for mining our properties, the Company may be unable to comply with current or future laws and regulations, which can change at any time. Changes to these laws may adversely affect any of the Company potential mining operations. Moreover, compliance with such laws may cause substantial delays and require capital outlays greater than those the Company anticipate, adversely affecting any potential mining operations. Future mining operations, if any, may also be subject to liability for pollution or other environmental damage. The Company may choose to not be insured against this risk because of high insurance costs or other reasons.

The Company’s exploration and development activities may be affected by existing or threatened medical pandemics, such as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). A government may impose strict emergency measures in response to the threat or existence of an infectious disease, such as the emergency measures imposed by governments of many countries and states in response to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. As such, there are potentially significant economic and social impacts of infectious diseases, including but not limited to the inability of the Company to develop and operate as intended, shortage of skilled employees or labor unrest, inability to access sufficient healthcare, significant social upheavals or unrest, disruption to operations, supply chain shortages or delays, travel and trade restrictions, government or regulatory actions or inactions (including but not limited to, changes in taxation or policies, or delays in permitting or approvals, or mandated shut downs), declines in the price of precious metals, capital markets volatility, availability of credit, loss of investor confidence and impact on economic activity in affected countries or regions. In addition, such pandemics or diseases represent a serious threat to maintaining a skilled workforce in the mining industry and could be a major health-care challenge for the Company. There can be no assurance that the Company or the Company’s personnel will not be impacted by these pandemic diseases and the Company may ultimately see its workforce productivity reduced or incur increased medical costs/insurance premiums as a result of these health risks. COVID-19 is rapidly evolving and the effects on the mining industry and the Company are uncertain. The Company may not be able to accurately predict the impact of infectious disease, including COVID-19, or the quantum of such risks. There can be no assurance that the Company will not be impacted by adverse consequences that may be brought about by pandemics on global financial markets, which may reduce resources, share prices and financial liquidity and may severely limit the financing capital available to the Company.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The FASB issued the following Accounting Standards Updates, which have not had, and are not expected to have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or related disclosures upon adoption:

● Equity Instruments: ASU 2021-04, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260), Debt – Modifications and Extinguishments (Subtopic 470-50), Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718), and Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40) Issuer’s Accounting for Certain Modifications or Exchanges of Freestanding Equity – Classified Written Call Options). This update was effective for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2022.

● Leases: ASU 2021-05, Leases – Certain Lease Payments with Variable Lease Payments (ASC 842). This update was effective for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2022.