SUMMARY OF MATERIAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

ii.	Functional and presentation currency

The functional and presentation currency of the Company and its subsidiaries is the United States dollar.

Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are translated into the United States dollar as follows:

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Monetary assets and liabilities are translated at the rates of exchange on the consolidated balance sheet date;

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Non-monetary assets and liabilities are translated at historical exchange rates prevailing at each transaction date;

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Revenue and expenses are translated at the exchange rate at the date of the transaction, except depreciation, depletion and amortization, which are translated at the rates of exchange applicable to the related assets, and share-based compensation expense, which is translated at the rates of exchange applicable on the date of grant of the share-based compensation; and

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Exchange gains and losses on translation are included in earnings.

When the gain or loss on certain non-monetary items, such as long-term investments classified as and measured at FVOCI, is recognized in other comprehensive income (“OCI”), the related translation differences are also recognized in OCI.

Long-term investments

iv.	Long-term investments

Investments in entities that are not subsidiaries, joint operations, joint ventures or investments in associates are designated as financial assets at FVOCI. These equity investments are measured at fair value on acquisition and at each reporting date, with all realized and unrealized gains and losses recorded permanently in AOCI.

Borrowing costs

vi.	Borrowing costs

Borrowing costs are generally expensed as incurred except where they relate to the financing of qualifying assets that require a substantial period of time to get ready for their intended use. Qualifying assets include the cost of developing mining properties and constructing new facilities. Borrowing costs related to qualifying assets are capitalized up to the date when the asset is ready for its intended use.

Where funds are borrowed specifically to finance a project, the amount capitalized represents the actual borrowing costs incurred net of any investment income earned on the investment of those borrowings. Where the funds used to finance a project form part of general borrowings, the amount capitalized is calculated using a weighted average of rates applicable to relevant general borrowings of the Company during the period.

Exploration and evaluation ("E&E") costs

viii.

Exploration and evaluation (“E&E”) costs

E&E costs are those costs required to find a mineral property and determine its commercial viability. E&E costs include costs to establish an initial mineral resource and determine whether inferred mineral resources can be upgraded to measured and indicated mineral resources and whether measured and indicated mineral resources can be converted to proven and probable reserves.

E&E costs consist of:

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gathering exploration data through topographical and geological studies;

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exploratory drilling, trenching and sampling;

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determining the volume and grade of the resource;

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test work on geology, metallurgy, mining, geotechnical and environmental; and

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conducting engineering, marketing and financial studies.

Project costs in relation to these activities are expensed as incurred until such time as the Company expects that mineral resources will be converted to mineral reserves within a reasonable period. Thereafter, costs for the project are capitalized prospectively as capitalized E&E costs in property, plant and equipment.

Interest expense attributable to E&E qualifying assets is capitalized until the project demonstrates technical feasibility and commercial viability.

The Company also recognizes E&E costs as assets when acquired as part of a business combination, or asset purchase. These assets are recognized at acquisition cost. Acquired E&E costs consist of the price paid for:

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estimated potential ounces, and

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exploration properties.

Acquired or capitalized E&E costs for a project are classified as such until the project demonstrates technical feasibility and commercial viability. Upon demonstrating technical feasibility and commercial viability, and subject to an impairment analysis, capitalized E&E costs are transferred to capitalized development costs within property, plant and equipment. Technical feasibility and commercial viability generally coincides with the establishment of proven and probable mineral reserves; however, this determination may be impacted by management’s assessment of certain modifying factors including: legal, environmental, social and governmental factors.

Valuation of Goodwill and Long-lived Assets

x.	Valuation of Long-lived Assets

The carrying value of property, plant and equipment is reviewed each reporting period to determine whether there is any indication of impairment or reversal of impairment. If any such indication exists, then the asset’s recoverable amount is estimated. In addition, capitalized E&E costs are assessed for impairment upon demonstrating the technical feasibility and commercial viability of a project. For such non-current assets, the recoverable amount is determined for an individual asset unless the asset does not generate cash inflows that are independent of those generated from other assets or groups of assets, in which case, the individual assets are grouped together into cash generating units (“CGUs”) for impairment testing purposes.

If the carrying amount of the CGU or asset exceeds its recoverable amount, an impairment is considered to exist and an impairment loss is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations to reduce the CGU or asset’s carrying value to its recoverable amount.

For property, plant and equipment and other long-lived assets, a previously recognized impairment loss is reversed if there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the asset’s recoverable amount since the last impairment loss was recognized. The reversal is limited to the carrying value that would have been determined, net of any applicable depreciation, had no impairment charge been recognized previously.

The recoverable amount of a CGU or asset is the higher of its fair value less cost of disposal and its value in use.

Fair value is determined as the amount that would be obtained from the sale of the asset in an arm’s length transaction between knowledgeable and willing parties. Fair value for mineral assets is generally determined as the present value of the estimated future cash flows expected to arise from the continued use of the asset, including any expansion prospects, and its eventual disposal, using assumptions that an independent market participant may take into account. These cash flows are discounted by an appropriate discount rate to arrive at a net present value or net asset value (“NAV”) of the asset.

Value in use is determined as the present value of the estimated future cash flows expected to arise from the continued use of the asset in its present form and its eventual disposal. Value in use is determined by applying assumptions specific to the Company’s continued use of the asset and does not take into account assumptions of significant future enhancements of an asset’s performance or capacity to which the Company is not committed.

Estimates of expected future cash flows reflect estimates of future revenues, cash costs of production and capital expenditures contained in the Company’s long-term life of mine (“LOM”) plans, which are updated for each CGU on an annual basis.

Financial instruments and hedging activity

xii.	Financial instruments and hedging activity

(a)	Financial instrument classification and measurement

Financial assets are classified according to their contractual cash flow characteristics and the business models under which they are held. On initial recognition, a financial asset is classified as: amortized cost, fair value through profit and loss (“FVPL”) or FVOCI.

A financial asset is measured at amortized cost if it meets both of the following conditions and is not designated as FVPL:

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it is held with the objective of collecting contractual cash flows; and

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its contractual terms give rise on specified dates to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest on the principal amount outstanding.

On initial recognition of an equity investment that is not held for trading, the Company may irrevocably elect to measure the investment at FVOCI whereby changes in the investment’s fair value (realized and unrealized) will be recognized permanently in OCI with no reclassification to profit or loss. The election is made on an investment-by-investment basis.

All financial assets not classified as amortized cost or FVOCI are classified as and measured at FVPL. This includes all derivative assets. On initial recognition, a financial asset that otherwise meets the requirements to be measured at amortized cost or FVOCI may be irrevocably designated as FVPL if doing so eliminates or significantly reduces an accounting mismatch that would otherwise arise.

Financial instruments are measured on initial recognition at fair value, plus, in the case of financial instruments other than those classified as FVPL, directly attributable transaction costs. Measurement of financial assets in subsequent periods depends on whether the financial asset has been classified as amortized cost, FVPL or FVOCI. Measurement of financial liabilities subsequent to initial recognition depends on whether they are classified as amortized cost or FVPL. Financial assets and financial liabilities classified as amortized cost are measured subsequent to initial recognition using the effective interest method.

Loss allowances for ‘expected credit losses’ are recognized on financial assets measured at amortized cost, contract assets and investments in debt instruments measured at FVOCI, but not to equity investments. A loss event is not required to have occurred before a credit loss is recognized.

The Company completes an assessment at each reporting period to determine whether there has been a significant increase in credit risk for financial assets such that an expected credit loss (“ECL”) should be recognized. For financial assets in which the credit risk has not increased significantly since initial recognition, the ECL is measured at an amount equal to the twelve-month expected credit loss. If the credit risk has increased significantly since initial recognition, the ECL is measured at an amount equal to the expected credit losses over the lifetime of the financial asset.

ECLs are calculated using a probability-weighted estimate of credit losses. Credit losses are measured as the present value of the difference between the cash flows due to the entity in accordance with the contract and the cash flows that the Company expects to receive.

The Company has classified and measured its financial instruments as described below:

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Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are classified as and measured at amortized cost.

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Accounts receivables and certain other assets are classified as and measured at amortized cost.

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Long-term investments in equity securities, where the Company cannot exert significant influence, are classified as and measured at FVOCI.

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Accounts payable and accrued liabilities and long-term debt are classified as and measured at amortized cost.

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Derivative assets and liabilities including derivative financial instruments that do not qualify as hedges, or are not designated as hedges, are classified as and measured at FVPL.

(b)

Hedges

The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking hedge transactions. This process includes linking all derivatives to specific assets and liabilities on the balance sheet or to specific firm commitments or forecasted transactions. Hedge effectiveness is assessed based on the degree to which the cash flows from the derivative contracts are expected to offset the cash flows of the underlying position or transaction being hedged. At the time of inception of the hedge and on an ongoing basis, the Company assesses whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in fair values or cash flows of hedged items.

Derivative contracts that have been designated as cash flow hedges have been entered into in order to effectively establish prices for future production of metals, to hedge exposure to exchange rate fluctuations of foreign currency denominated settlement of capital and operating expenditures, to establish prices for future purchases of energy or to hedge exposure to interest rate fluctuations. Unrealized gains or losses arising from changes in the fair value of these contracts are recorded in OCI, net of tax, and are included in earnings when the underlying hedged transaction, identified at the contract inception, is completed, unless such hedged transaction results in the recognition of a non-financial asset. Any ineffective portion of a hedge relationship is recognized immediately in earnings. The Company matches the realized gains or losses on contracts designated as cash flow hedges with the hedged expenditures at the maturity of the contracts.

When derivative contracts designated as cash flow hedges have been terminated or cease to be effective prior to maturity and no longer qualify for hedge accounting, any gains or losses recorded in OCI up until the time the contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting, remain in OCI. These amounts recorded in OCI are recognized in earnings in the period in which the underlying hedged transaction is completed. Gains or losses arising subsequent to the derivative contracts not qualifying for hedge accounting are recognized in earnings in the period in which they occur.

For hedges that do not qualify for hedge accounting, gains or losses are recognized in earnings in the current period.

Metal sales

xiv.	Metal sales

Metal sales includes sales of refined gold and silver and doré, which are generally physically delivered to customers in the period in which they are produced, with their sales price based on prevailing spot market metal prices. In order to manage short-term metal price risk, the Company may enter into derivative contracts in relation to metal sales that it believes are highly likely to occur within a given quarter. No such contracts were outstanding as at December 31, 2023 or December 31, 2022.

Revenue from metal sales is recognized when control over the metal is transferred to the customer. Transfer of control generally occurs when the refined gold, silver or doré has been accepted by the customer. Once the customer has accepted the metals, the significant risks and rewards of ownership have typically been transferred and the customer is able to direct the use of and obtain substantially all of the remaining benefits from the metals. On transfer of control, revenue and related costs can be measured reliably and it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the Company as payment is received on the date of or within a few days of transfer of control.

The Company manages and reviews its operations by geographical location and managerial structure. For detailed information about reportable segments and disaggregated revenue, see Note 18. All reportable segments principally generate revenue from metal sales.

Income tax

xvi.	Income tax

The income tax expense or benefit for the period consists of two components: current and deferred. Income tax expense is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations except to the extent it relates to a business combination or items recognized directly in equity.

Current tax is the expected tax payable or receivable on the taxable profit or loss for the year. Current tax is calculated using tax rates and laws that were enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet date in each of the jurisdictions and includes any adjustments for taxes payable or recovery in respect of prior periods.

Deferred tax is recognized in respect of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable profit. Deferred tax is calculated based on the expected manner of realization or settlement of the carrying amount of assets and liabilities, using tax rates that are expected to apply in the year of realization or settlement based on tax rates and laws enacted or substantively enacted at the balance sheet date.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognized for all taxable temporary differences. Deferred tax liabilities are recognized for taxable temporary differences arising on investments in subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures except where the reversal of the temporary difference can be controlled and it is probable that the difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

Deferred tax assets are recognized for all deductible temporary differences, carryforward of unused tax credits and unused tax losses to the extent it is probable future taxable profits will be available against which they can be utilized. The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each balance sheet date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset where they relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation authority and the Company has the legal right and intent to offset.