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Note 8 - Sales Transaction With KG Mining
12 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
Notes to Financial Statements  
Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Disclosure [Text Block]

8. Sales Transaction with KG Mining

 

On  September 29, 2020, the Company, CORE Alaska, LLC and KG Mining, entered into the CORE Purchase Agreement pursuant to which CORE Alaska sold a 30.0% membership interest in the Peak Gold JV, to KG Mining. The CORE Transactions closed on  September 30, 2020.  In consideration for the CORE JV Interest, the Company received $32.4 million in cash and 809,744 shares of Common Stock. The 809,744 shares of Common Stock were prevously acquired by KG Mining from Royal Gold, as part of the Royal Gold Transactions and were subsequently canceled by the Company. Of the $32.4 million cash consideration, $1.2 million constituted a reimbursement prepayment to the Company relating to its proportionate share of silver royalty payments that the Peak Gold JV  may be obligated to pay to Royal Gold, with the understanding that KG Mining will bear the entire economic impact of those royalty payments due from the Peak Gold JV.

 

Concurrently with the Purchase Agreement, KG Mining, in a separate transaction, acquired from Royal Gold (i) 100% of the equity of Royal Alaska, LLC , which held a 40.0% membership interest in the Peak Gold JV and (ii) 809,744 shares of Common Stock held by Royal Gold.  After the consummation of the Kinross Transactions, CORE Alaska retains a 30.0% membership interest in the Peak Gold JV. KG Mining now holds a 70.0% membership interest in the Peak Gold JV and serves as the manager and operator of the Peak Gold JV. KG Mining and CORE Alaska entered into the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Peak Gold JV (“A&R JV LLCA”) on  October 1, 2020 to address the new ownership arrangements and to incorporate additional terms that will permit the Peak Gold JV to further develop and produce from its properties.

 

The Company recorded the $32.4 million cash proceeds and the 809,744 shares of Common Stock, received from the CORE Transactions, at fair value and recognized a gain on sale of $39.6 million.   The Company valued the Common Stock consideration from the CORE Transactions consistent with the accounting guidance for non-monetary exchanges.  The stock consideration was valued based on the implied fair value of the CORE Transactions in total less the cash proceeds.  The total value of the CORE Transactions was equated to the value of the Company’s 30.0% ownership in the Peak Gold JV, post the 30.0% membership interest transferred to KG Mining.  The Common Stock consideration received in the CORE Transactions is classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy referenced in Note 4 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.  As of the date of the CORE Transactions, the Company’s investment in the Peak Gold JV had a zero balance, therefore the $39.6 million gain approximates the full fair value of the JV Interest surrendered in the CORE Transactions.    

 

The Company recorded a non-current liability totaling $1.2 million associated with the cash received for the reimbursement prepayment to the Company of its proportionate share of certain silver royalty payments that the Peak Gold JV  may be obligated to pay Royal Gold.  The liability arises, because pursuant to Article IV of the A&R JV LLCA, if the Peak Gold JV terminates, or the Company’s membership interest falls below 5% prior to when the prepaid royalty is paid out, the $1.2 million (less any portion already paid out) is refundable to KG Mining.

 

Prior to the Kinross Transactions, the Peak Gold JV, Contango Minerals, the Company, CORE Alaska, Royal Gold and Royal Alaska entered into a Separation  and Distribution Agreement, dated as of  September 29, 2020 (the “Separation Agreement”). Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, the Peak Gold JV completed the formation of Contango Minerals, and contributed approximately 167,000 acres of Alaska State mining claims to it, subject to the Option Agreement (described below), and retained an additional 1.0% net smelter returns royalty interest on certain of the contributed Alaska state mining claims that were contributed. After the formation and contribution to Contango Minerals, the Peak Gold JV made simultaneous distributions to Royal Alaska and CORE Alaska by (i) granting to Royal Gold a new 28.0% net smelter returns silver royalty on all silver produced from a defined area within the Tetlin Lease and also transferring the additional 1.0% net smelter returns royalty described above on the contributed Alaska state mining claims to Royal Gold (bringing the total net smelter royalty due to Royal Gold to 3%) and (ii) assigning one hundred percent (100%) of the membership interests in Contango Minerals to CORE Alaska, which were in turn distributed to the Company, resulting in Contango Minerals becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The Separation Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants.

 

The distribution of the Alaska state mining claims to Contango Minerals meets the definition of a non-reciprocal nonmonetary transfer as defined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 845 and would generally be recorded at fair value to the extent fair value is determinable. However, to date, the Peak Gold JV’s gold exploration has concentrated on the Tetlin Lease (which was retained by the Peak Gold JV), with only a limited amount of work performed on the State of Alaska mining claims. The Company has concluded that the fair value of the state claims is not determinable within reasonable limits, and therefore has recorded the distribution at historical book value.  The Peak Gold JV’s historical book value associated with the Alaska state mining claims is zero as of the date of the CORE Transactions because the costs associated with exploration performed on these claims were expensed when incurred.  Therefore, the Company’s balance sheet has a net book value of zero for these claims as of the date of the CORE Transactions.

 

In connection with the Separation Agreement, the Peak Gold JV and Contango Minerals entered into the Option Agreement. Under the Option Agreement, Contango Minerals granted the Peak Gold JV an option, subject to certain conditions contained in the Option Agreement, to purchase approximately 13,000 acres of the Alaska state mining claims which were contributed to Contango Minerals pursuant to the Separation Agreement, together with all extralateral rights, water and water rights, and easements and rights of way in connection therewith, that are held by Contango Minerals.  The signing of the Option Agreement did not result in any accounting implications for the Company.  Peak Gold subsequently exercised the Option Agreement in  June 2021, and now owns the 13,000 acres of the Alaska state mining claims previously subject to the Option Agreement.

 

On  October 1, 2020, CORE Alaska and KG Mining entered into the A&R JV LLCA. The A&R JV LLCA supersedes and replaces in its entirety the JV LLCA, as amended. The A&R JV LLCA is the operating agreement for the Peak Gold JV and provides for understandings between the members with respect to matters regarding percentage ownership interests, governance, transfers of ownership interests and other operational matters.  CORE Alaska and KG Mining will be required, subject to the terms of the A&R JV LLCA, to make additional capital contributions to the Peak Gold JV for any approved programs budgets in accordance with their respective percentage membership interests.  

 

After the consummation of the Kinross Transactions, Kinross, through KG Mining, replaced Royal Gold as the Company’s joint venture partner and as manager of the Peak Gold JV. After consummation of the Kinross Transactions, CORE Alaska holds a 30.0%  membership interest in the Peak Gold JV and KG Mining holds a 70.0% membership interest in the Peak Gold JV. The A&R JV LLCA established the Management Committee to determine the overall policies, objectives, procedures, methods and actions of the Peak Gold JV. The Management Committee currently consists of one representative designated by CORE Alaska and two representatives designated by KG Mining (each a “Representative”). The Representatives designated by each member of the Peak Gold JV vote as a group, and in accordance with their respective membership interests in the Peak Gold JV. Except in the case of certain  actions that require approval by unanimous vote of the Representatives, the affirmative vote of a majority of the membership interests in the Peak Gold JV constitutes the action of the Management Committee.

 

Prior to the CORE Transactions, the Peak Gold JV was a variable interest entity as defined by FASB ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis. The Company was not the primary beneficiary since it did not have the power to direct the activities of the Peak Gold JV. The Company’s ownership interest in the Peak Gold JV has therefore historically applied the equity method of accounting for its investment.  After the Kinross Transactions, the Company retained a 30.0% membership interest in the Peak Gold JV.  The Company continues to have significant influence in the Peak Gold JV pursuant to its right to designate one of the three seats on the Management Committee.  Therefore, the Company will continue to account for its investment in the Peak Gold JV under the equity method.