Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

On January 10, 2023, Plaintiff Travus Pope (“Plaintiff”) filed a complaint (the “Complaint”) in the Delaware Chancery Court (the “Court”) against the Company. The Complaint included two claims: (i) breach of contract; and (ii) declaratory relief. Plaintiff challenges the method by which the Company calculated mechanical adjustments to his 16 expired warrants. The Company believes Plaintiff’s Complaint is without merit. On January 30, 2023, the Company filed its Motion to Dismiss the Complaint. On February 14, 2023, Plaintiff filed an Amended Complaint, wherein Plaintiff listed additional alleged facts, but did not add additional claims for relief, maintaining the breach of contract and declaratory claims for relief. The Company believes Plaintiff’s amended Complaint is without merit. On February 28, 2023, the Company filed its Motion to Dismiss the Amended Complaint. Currently, the Company is awaiting the Court’s briefing schedule to be issued in order that the Company’s Motion to Dismiss can be fully briefed.

The Company expenses legal fees and other costs associated with legal proceedings as incurred. The Company assessed, in conjunction with its legal counsel, the need to record a liability related to the Complaint and determined that a loss was not probable nor reasonably estimable. Litigation accruals are recorded when, and if, it is determined that a loss related matter is both probable and reasonably estimable. Material loss contingencies that are reasonably possible of occurrence, if any, are subject to disclosure. No losses have been recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2023, or 2022 with respect to litigation or loss contingencies.

Insurance

The Company has deductible-based insurance policies for certain losses related to general liability, workers’ compensation, and automobile coverage. The Company records accruals for contingencies related to its insurance policies when it is probable

that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. These accruals are adjusted periodically as assessments change or additional information becomes available. Insurance losses for claims filed and claims incurred but not reported are accrued based upon estimates of the aggregate liability for uninsured claims using historical loss development factors and actuarial assumptions followed in the insurance industry.

Financial commitments and contingencies not recorded in the Financial Statements

As of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company’s off-balance sheet arrangements consisted of a net smelter royalty arrangement and a net profit royalty arrangement.

Crofoot Royalty

A portion of the Hycroft Mine is subject to a 4% net profit royalty be paid to the previous owner of certain patented and unpatented mining claims (“Crofoot Royalty”). The mining lease also requires an annual advance payment of $120,000 every year mining occurs on the leased claims. All advance annual payments are credited against the future payments due under the 4% net profit royalty. An additional payment of $120,000 is required for each year total tons mined on the leased claims exceeds 5.0 million tons. As the Company ceased mining operations in November 2021, the Company was not required to pay the annual advance payment of $120,000 in 2022 or 2023. The total payments due under the mining lease are capped at $7.6 million, of which the Company has paid or accrued $3.1 million and included $0.6 million in Prepaids in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2023.

Net smelter royalty

Pursuant to the Sprott Royalty Agreement in which the Company received cash consideration in the amount of $30.0 million, the Company granted a perpetual royalty equal to 1.5% of the Net Smelter Returns from the Hycroft Mine, payable monthly. Net Smelter Returns for any given month are calculated as Monthly Production multiplied by the Monthly Average Gold Price and the Monthly Average Silver Price, minus Allowable Deductions, as such terms are defined in the Sprott Royalty Agreement. The Company is required to remit royalty payments to the payee free and clear and without any present or future deduction, withholding, charge or levy on account of taxes, except Excluded Taxes as such term is defined in the Sprott Royalty Agreement.

At both March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the estimated net present value of the Company’s net smelter royalty was $146.7 million. The net present value of the Company’s net smelter royalty was modeled using the following level 3 inputs: (i) market consensus inputs for future gold and silver prices; (ii) a precious metals industry consensus discount rate of 5.0%; and (iii) estimates of the Hycroft Mine’s life-of-mine gold and silver production volumes and timing.