United States
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
☑ |
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2019 |
☐ |
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD OF _________ TO _________. |
Commission File Number: 001-33905
UR-ENERGY INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Canada |
Not Applicable |
State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
10758 West Centennial Road, Suite 200
Littleton, Colorado 80127
R(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 720-981-4588
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class: |
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Trading Symbol |
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Name of each exchange on which registered: |
Common stock |
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URG (NYSE American); URE (TSX) |
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NYSE American; TSX |
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.
Yes ☑No ☐
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).
Yes ☑ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.:
Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☑ Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐
Emerging growth company ☐
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 ☐No ☑
As of July 31, 2019, there were 159,947,625 shares of the registrant’s no par value Common Shares (“Common Shares”), the registrant’s only outstanding class of voting securities, outstanding.
UR-ENERGY INC.
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Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
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When we use the terms “Ur-Energy,” “we,” “us,” or “our,” or the “Company” we are referring to Ur-Energy Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires. Throughout this document we make statements that are classified as “forward-looking.” Please refer to the “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section below for an explanation of these types of assertions.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This report on Form 10-Q contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable United States (“U.S.”) and Canadian securities laws, and these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "may," "potential," "intends," "plans" and other similar expressions or statements that an action, event or result "may," "could" or "should" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative thereof or other similar statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the ability to maintain controlled, steady-state operations at Lost Creek; (ii) the outcome of our forecasts and production projections, including the anticipated production of Lost Creek for 2019; (iii) the timing and outcome of permitting and regulatory approvals of the amendment for uranium recovery at the LC East project; (iv) the ability to complete additional favorable uranium sales agreements including spot sales if the market warrants and production inventory is available; (v) the timing and outcome of applications for regulatory approval to build and operate an in situ recovery mine at Shirley Basin; (vi) resolution of the continuing challenges within the uranium market, including supply and demand projections; (vii) the impact of the President’s July 12, 2019 announcement to not take any action to adjust trade to preserve the domestic uranium mining industry; (viii) what recommendations will be made by the United States Nuclear Fuel Working Group for the revival and expansion of domestic nuclear fuel production and the impact of those recommendations, if any; (ix) whether the cost-savings measures which have been and will be implemented will be sufficient; and (x) the ability and timing to ramp up when market conditions warrant. Additional factors include, among others, the following: future estimates for production; capital expenditures; operating costs; mineral resources; recovery rates; grades; market prices; business strategies and measures to implement such strategies; competitive strengths; estimates of goals for expansion and growth of the business and operations; plans and references to our future successes; our history of operating losses and uncertainty of future profitability; status as an exploration stage company; the lack of mineral reserves; risks associated with obtaining permits and other authorizations in the U.S.; risks associated with current variable economic conditions; challenges presented by current inventories and largely unrestricted imports of uranium products into the U.S.; our ability to service our debt and maintain compliance with all restrictive covenants related to the debt facility and security documents; the possible impact of future debt or equity financings; the hazards associated with mining production; compliance with environmental laws and regulations; uncertainty regarding the pricing and collection of accounts; the possibility for adverse results in potential litigation; uncertainties associated with changes in law, government policy and regulation; uncertainties associated with a Canada Revenue Agency or U.S. Internal Revenue Service audit of any of our cross border transactions; adverse changes in general business conditions in any of the countries in which we do business; changes in size and structure; the effectiveness of management and our strategic relationships; ability to attract and retain key personnel; uncertainties regarding the need for additional capital; sufficiency of insurance coverages; uncertainty regarding the fluctuations of quarterly results; foreign currency exchange risks; ability to enforce civil liabilities under U.S. securities laws outside the U.S.; ability to maintain our listing on the NYSE American and Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”); risks associated with the expected classification as a "passive foreign investment company" under the applicable provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; risks associated with our investments and other risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, dated March 1, 2019.
1
Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors Concerning Disclosure of Mineral Resources
Unless otherwise indicated, all resource estimates included in this Form 10-Q have been prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (“CIM Definition Standards”). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects.
Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and resource information contained in this Form 10-Q may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, the term “resource” does not equate to the term “reserves.” Under SEC Industry Guide 7, mineralization may not be classified as a “reserve” unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. SEC Industry Guide 7 does not define and the SEC’s disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning “measured mineral resources,” “indicated mineral resources” or “inferred mineral resources” or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute “reserves” by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors should also understand that “inferred mineral resources” have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an “inferred mineral resource” will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimated “inferred mineral resources” may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an “inferred mineral resource” exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of “contained ounces” in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute “reserves” by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable to information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.
NI 43-101 Review of Technical Information: James A. Bonner, Ur-Energy Vice President Geology, P.Geo. and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this Form 10-Q.
2
Unaudited Interim Consolidated Balance Sheets
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars)
|
June 30, |
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December 31, |
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2019 |
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2018 |
Assets |
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Current assets |
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Cash and cash equivalents (note 4) |
6,536 |
|
6,372 |
Accounts receivable |
27 |
|
31 |
Inventory (note 5) |
7,092 |
|
1,840 |
Prepaid expenses |
1,054 |
|
847 |
|
14,709 |
|
9,090 |
Long-term inventory (note 5) |
2,035 |
|
12,852 |
Restricted cash (note 6) |
7,461 |
|
7,458 |
Mineral properties (note 7) |
44,512 |
|
45,805 |
Capital assets (note 8) |
24,396 |
|
25,158 |
|
78,404 |
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91,273 |
|
93,113 |
|
100,363 |
Liabilities and shareholders' equity |
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Current liabilities |
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Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (note 9) |
2,453 |
|
2,343 |
Current portion of long term debt (note 10) |
5,214 |
|
5,062 |
Environmental remediation accrual |
75 |
|
77 |
|
7,742 |
|
7,482 |
Notes payable (note 10) |
6,957 |
|
9,600 |
Lease liability (note 8) |
10 |
|
- |
Asset retirement obligations (note 11) |
30,671 |
|
30,384 |
Other liabilities - warrants (note 12) |
1,745 |
|
1,050 |
|
39,383 |
|
41,034 |
|
47,125 |
|
48,516 |
Shareholders' equity (note 13) |
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Share Capital |
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Class A preferred shares, without par value, unlimited shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding |
- |
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- |
Common shares, without par value, unlimited shares authorized; shares issued and outstanding: 159,935,563 at June 30, 2019 and 159,729,403 at December 31, 2018 |
185,411 |
|
185,221 |
Contributed surplus |
20,237 |
|
19,930 |
Accumulated other comprehensive income |
3,647 |
|
3,670 |
Deficit |
(163,307) |
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(156,974) |
|
45,988 |
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51,847 |
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93,113 |
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100,363 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these interim consolidated financial statements.
Approved by the Board of Directors
/s/ Jeffrey T. Klenda, Chairman of the Board /s/ Thomas Parker, Director
3
Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars except for share data)
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Three months ended June 30, |
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Six months ended June 30, |
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2019 |
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2018 |
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2019 |
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2018 |
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Sales (note 14) |
11,479 |
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3,807 |
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16,291 |
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23,479 |
Cost of sales |
(11,163) |
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(2,225) |
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(16,309) |
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(11,983) |
Gross profit (loss) |
316 |
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1,582 |
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(18) |
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11,496 |
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Operating Expenses |
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Exploration and evaluation |
(490) |
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(606) |
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(1,264) |
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(1,372) |
Development |
(292) |
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(440) |
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(458) |
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(872) |
General and administrative |
(1,153) |
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(1,098) |
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(3,291) |
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(3,020) |
Accretion of asset retirement obligations (note 11) |
(144) |
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(126) |
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(287) |
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(252) |
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Income (loss) from operations |
(1,763) |
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(688) |
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(5,318) |
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5,980 |
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Net interest expense |
(168) |
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(261) |
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(364) |
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(549) |
Warrant mark to market adjustment |
(105) |
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- |
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(638) |
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- |
Loss on equity investment |
- |
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(4) |
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- |
|
(5) |
Foreign exchange gain (loss) |
(10) |
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4 |
|
(28) |
|
10 |
Other income |
15 |
|
3,540 |
|
15 |
|
3,573 |
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Net income (loss) for the period |
(2,031) |
|
2,591 |
|
(6,333) |
|
9,009 |
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Income (loss) per common share |
|
|
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|
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Basic |
(0.01) |
|
0.02 |
|
(0.04) |
|
0.06 |
Diluted |
(0.01) |
|
0.02 |
|
(0.04) |
|
0.06 |
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding |
|
|
|
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|
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Basic |
159,820,583 |
|
146,699,582 |
|
159,775,245 |
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146,634,457 |
Diluted |
159,820,583 |
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148,495,249 |
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159,775,245 |
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148,430,124 |
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COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) |
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Net income (loss) for the period |
(2,031) |
|
2,591 |
|
(6,333) |
|
9,009 |
Other Comprehensive income (loss), net of tax |
|
|
|
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|
|
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Translation adjustment on foreign operations |
(24) |
|
(12) |
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(23) |
|
(33) |
Comprehensive income (loss) for the period |
(2,055) |
|
2,579 |
|
(6,356) |
|
8,976 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these interim consolidated financial statements.
4
Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statement of Shareholders’ Equity
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars except for share data)
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Accumulated |
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Other |
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||||||||||||
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Capital Stock |
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Contributed |
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Comprehensive |
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Shareholders' |
||||||||||||||
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Shares |
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Amount |
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Surplus |
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Income |
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Deficit |
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Equity |
||||||||||||
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# |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
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$ |
||||||||||||
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||||||||||||
Balance, December 31, 2018 |
159,729,403 |
|
185,221 |
|
19,930 |
|
3,670 |
|
(156,974) |
|
51,847 |
||||||||||||
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|
|
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|
|
|
||||||||||||
Exercise of stock options |
206,160 |
|
190 |
|
(56) |
|
- |
|
- |
|
134 |
||||||||||||
Redemption of vested RSUs |
- |
|
- |
|
(7) |
|
- |
|
- |
|
(7) |
||||||||||||
Non-cash stock compensation |
- |
|
- |
|
370 |
|
- |
|
- |
|
370 |
||||||||||||
Net income and comprehensive income |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
(23) |
|
(6,333) |
|
(6,356) |
||||||||||||
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
Balance, June 30, 2019 |
159,935,563 |
|
185,411 |
|
20,237 |
|
3,647 |
|
(163,307) |
|
45,988 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these interim consolidated financial statements.
5
Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars)
|
Six months ended June 30, |
||
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
Cash provided by |
|
|
|
Operating activities |
|
|
|
Net income (loss) for the period |
(6,333) |
|
9,009 |
Items not affecting cash: |
|
|
|
Stock based expense |
370 |
|
566 |
Loss from net realizable value adjustments to inventory |
4,103 |
|
98 |
Depreciation and amortization |
2,201 |
|
1,805 |
Accretion of asset retirement obligations |
287 |
|
252 |
Amortization of deferred loan costs |
60 |
|
60 |
Warrants mark to market loss |
638 |
|
- |
Gain on assignment of contract |
- |
|
(3,540) |
Gain on foreign exchange |
(28) |
|
(11) |
Other loss |
(2) |
|
3 |
Change in non-cash working capital items: |
|
|
|
Accounts receivable |
4 |
|
(4) |
Inventory |
1,462 |
|
(5,387) |
Prepaid expenses |
(174) |
|
(186) |
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities |
76 |
|
(252) |
|
2,664 |
|
2,413 |
|
|
|
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Investing activities |
|
|
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Mineral property costs |
(8) |
|
(15) |
Proceeds from assignment of contract |
- |
|
3,540 |
Funding of equity investment |
- |
|
(4) |
Purchase of capital assets |
(125) |
|
(44) |
|
(133) |
|
3,477 |
|
|
|
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Financing activities |
|
|
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Share issue costs |
- |
|
(4) |
Proceeds from exercise of stock options |
134 |
|
113 |
RSUs redeemed to pay withholding or paid in cash |
(7) |
|
(13) |
Repayment of debt |
(2,555) |
|
(2,413) |
|
(2,428) |
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(2,317) |
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|
|
|
Effects of foreign exchange rate changes on cash |
64 |
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(21) |
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|
|
|
Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
167 |
|
3,552 |
Beginning cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
13,830 |
|
11,437 |
Ending cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (note 15) |
13,997 |
|
14,989 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these interim consolidated financial statements.
6
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
Ur-Energy Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated on March 22, 2004 under the laws of the Province of Ontario. The Company was continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act on August 8, 2006. Headquartered in Littleton, Colorado, the Company is an exploration stage mining company, as defined by U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Industry Guide 7. The Company is engaged in uranium mining and recovery operations, with activities including the acquisition, exploration, development and production of uranium mineral resources located in Wyoming. As of August 2013, the Company commenced uranium production at its Lost Creek Project in Wyoming.
Due to the nature of the uranium mining methods used by the Company on the Lost Creek Property, and the definition of “mineral reserves” under National Instrument 43-101 (“NI 43-101”), which uses the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (“CIM”) Definition Standards, the Company has not determined whether the property contains mineral reserves. However, the Company’s “Amended Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Lost Creek Property, Sweetwater County, Wyoming,” February 8, 2016 (“Lost Creek PEA”), outlines the potential viability of the Lost Creek Property. The recoverability of amounts recorded for mineral properties is dependent upon the discovery of economic resources, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary financing to develop the properties and upon attaining future profitable production from the properties or sufficient proceeds from disposition of the properties.
Our operations are based on a small number of large sales. As a result, our cash flow and therefore our current assets and working capital may vary widely during the year based on the timing of those sales. Virtually all of our sales are under contracts which specify delivery quantities, sales prices and payment dates. The only exceptions are spot sales which we are currently only making when advantageous. As a result, we are able to perform cash management functions over the course of an entire year and are less reliant on current commodity prices and market conditions. We monitor our cash projections on a weekly basis and have used various techniques to manage our cash flows including the assignment of deliveries, negotiating changes in delivery dates, purchasing inventory at favorable prices and raising capital.
As at June 30, 2019, the Company’s financial liabilities consisted of trade accounts payable and accrued trade and payroll liabilities of $0.8 million which are due within normal trade terms of generally 30 to 60 days, a note payable of $12.4 million of which $5.3 million is due within one year, and asset retirement obligations with estimated completion dates until 2033.
In addition, most of our current assets except for prepaid expenses are immediately realizable, if necessary, while our current liabilities include a substantial portion that is not due for three months or more which, given the existence of our contracts and set prices, allows us to plan for those payments well in advance and address shortfalls, if any.
7
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
3.Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of presentation
These unaudited interim consolidated financial statements do not conform in all respects to the requirements of United States generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”) for annual financial statements. The unaudited interim financial statements reflect all normal adjustments which in the opinion of management are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the periods presented. These unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018. We apply the same accounting policies as in the prior year other than as noted below. The year-end balance sheet data were derived from the audited financial statements and certain information and footnote disclosures required by US GAAP have been condensed or omitted.
New accounting pronouncements which were implemented this year
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize all leases on the balance sheet, including operating leases, unless the lease is a short-term lease. ASU 2016-02 also requires additional disclosures regarding leasing arrangements. ASU 2016-02 became effective for the Company as of January 1, 2019. At January 1, 2019, we had two office equipment leases, and the office lease in Casper which expired in July 2019 and was renewed for only five months. As a result of adoption of ASC 2016-02, we recognized a liability of $83.9 with a corresponding Right-Of-Use (“ROU”) assets of the same amount based on present value of the minimum rental payments of the leases which are included in non-current assets, current portion of long-term liabilities and long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet. The discount rates used for leases are based on either the Company’s borrowing rate or the imputed interest rate based on the price of the equipment and the lease terms.
The Company’s cash and cash equivalents consist of the following:
|
As at |
||
|
June 30, 2019 |
|
December 31, 2018 |
|
$ |
|
$ |
Cash on deposit at banks |
1,645 |
|
1,936 |
Money market funds |
4,891 |
|
4,436 |
|
|
|
|
|
6,536 |
|
6,372 |
8
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
The Company’s inventory consists of the following:
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As at |
||
|
June 30, 2019 |
|
December 31, 2018 |
|
$ |
|
$ |
In-process inventory |
- |
|
160 |
Plant inventory |
1,638 |
|
345 |
Conversion facility inventory |
7,489 |
|
14,187 |
|
9,127 |
|
14,692 |
Inventory to be sold within 12 months |
7,092 |
|
1,840 |
Long term inventory |
2,035 |
|
12,852 |
In conjunction with our lower of cost or net realizable value (“NRV”) calculations, the Company reduced the inventory valuation by $2,138 and $4,103 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively.
The Company’s restricted cash consists of money market accounts and short-term government bonds.
The bonding requirements for reclamation obligations on various properties have been agreed to by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (“WDEQ”), the Wyoming Uranium Recovery Program (“URP”) and the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) as applicable. The restricted money market accounts are pledged as collateral against performance surety bonds which are used to secure the potential costs of reclamation related to those properties. Surety bonds providing $29.9 million of coverage towards specific reclamation obligations are collateralized by $7.4 million of the restricted cash at June 30, 2019.
9
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
The Company’s mineral properties consist of the following:
|
Lost Creek |
|
Pathfinder |
|
Other U.S. |
|
|
|
Property |
|
Mines |
|
Properties |
|
Total |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance, December 31, 2018 |
12,644 |
|
19,964 |
|
13,197 |
|
45,805 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Acquisition costs |
- |
|
- |
|
8 |
|
8 |
Amortization |
(1,301) |
|
- |
|
- |
|
(1,301) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance, June 30, 2019 |
11,343 |
|
19,964 |
|
13,205 |
|
44,512 |
Lost Creek Property
The Company acquired certain Wyoming properties in 2005 when Ur-Energy USA Inc. purchased 100% of NFU Wyoming, LLC. Assets acquired in this transaction include the Lost Creek Project, other Wyoming properties and development databases. NFU Wyoming, LLC was acquired for aggregate consideration of $20 million plus interest. Since 2005, the Company has increased its holdings adjacent to the initial Lost Creek acquisition through staking additional claims and additional property purchases and leases.
There is a royalty on each of the State of Wyoming sections under lease at the Lost Creek, LC West and EN Projects, as required by law. Other royalties exist on certain mining claims at the LC South, LC East and EN Projects. Currently, there are no royalties on the mining claims in the Lost Creek, LC North or LC West Projects.
Pathfinder Mines
The Company acquired additional Wyoming properties when Ur-Energy USA Inc. closed a Share Purchase Agreement (“SPA”) with an AREVA Mining affiliate in December 2013. Under the terms of the SPA, the Company purchased Pathfinder Mines Corporation (“Pathfinder”) to acquire additional mineral properties. Assets acquired in this transaction include the Shirley Basin mine, portions of the Lucky Mc mine, machinery and equipment, vehicles, office equipment and development databases. Pathfinder was acquired for aggregate consideration of $6.7 million, the assumption of $5.7 million in estimated asset reclamation obligations and other consideration.
10
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
The Company’s capital assets consist of the following:
|
As of |
|
As of |
||||||||
|
June 30, 2019 |
|
December 31, 2018 |
||||||||
|
|
|
Accumulated |
|
Net Book |
|
|
|
Accumulated |
|
Net Book |
|
Cost |
|
Depreciation |
|
Value |
|
Cost |
|
Depreciation |
|
Value |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rolling stock |
3,438 |
|
3,315 |
|
123 |
|
3,432 |
|
3,290 |
|
142 |
Enclosures |
32,991 |
|
9,355 |
|
23,636 |
|
32,991 |
|
8,530 |
|
24,461 |
Machinery and equipment |
1,341 |
|
765 |
|
576 |
|
1,237 |
|
728 |
|
509 |
Furniture, fixtures and leasehold improvements |
119 |
|
112 |
|
7 |
|
119 |
|
110 |
|
9 |
Information technology |
1,142 |
|
1,102 |
|
40 |
|
1,127 |
|
1,090 |
|
37 |
ROU Assets |
83 |
|
69 |
|
14 |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
39,114 |
|
14,718 |
|
24,396 |
|
38,906 |
|
13,748 |
|
25,158 |
As disclosed in note 3, the Company applied ASU 2016-02 to our existing leases. As of June 30, 2019, we currently include equipment leases of $14 in assets and liabilities. Of the $14 liability, $10 is included in long-term liabilities and the balance in the current portion of long term liabilities.
9.Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities consist of the following:
|
|
|
|
|
As at |
||
|
June 30, 2019 |
|
December 31, 2018 |
|
$ |
|
$ |
Accounts payable |
580 |
|
620 |
Payroll and other taxes |
1,540 |
|
1,218 |
Severance and ad valorem tax payable |
333 |
|
505 |
|
|
|
|
|
2,453 |
|
2,343 |
On October 15, 2013, the Sweetwater County Commissioners approved the issuance of a $34.0 million Sweetwater County, State of Wyoming, Taxable Industrial Development Revenue Bond (Lost Creek
11
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
Project), Series 2013 (the “Sweetwater IDR Bond”) to the State of Wyoming, acting by and through the Wyoming State Treasurer, as purchaser. On October 23, 2013, the Sweetwater IDR Bond was issued and the proceeds were in turn loaned by Sweetwater County to Lost Creek ISR, LLC pursuant to a financing agreement dated October 23, 2013 (the “State Bond Loan”). The State Bond Loan calls for payments of interest at a fixed rate of 5.75% per annum on a quarterly basis commencing January 1, 2014. The principal is payable in 28 quarterly installments commencing January 1, 2015 and continuing through October 1, 2021.
Deferred loan fees include legal fees, commissions, commitment fees and other costs associated with obtaining the financing. Those fees amortizable within 12 months of June 30, 2019 are considered current.
The following table lists the current (within 12 months) and long term portion of the Company’s debt instrument:
|
As at |
||
|
June 30, 2019 |
|
December 31, 2018 |
|
$ |
|
$ |
Current debt |
|
|
|
Lease liabilities (note 8) |
4 |
|
- |
Sweetwater County Loan |
5,332 |
|
5,183 |
Less deferred financing costs |
(122) |
|
(121) |
|
5,214 |
|
5,062 |
|
|
|
|
Long term debt |
|
|
|
Sweetwater County Loan |
7,109 |
|
9,813 |
Less deferred financing costs |
(152) |
|
(213) |
|
6,957 |
|
9,600 |
Schedule of payments on outstanding debt as of June 30, 2019:
Debt |
Total |
|
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
Maturity |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
$ |
|
|
Sweetwater County Loan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Principal |
12,441 |
|
2,628 |
|
5,487 |
|
4,326 |
|
01-Oct-21 |
Interest |
911 |
|
339 |
|
447 |
|
125 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
13,352 |
|
2,967 |
|
5,934 |
|
4,451 |
|
|
11.Asset Retirement and Reclamation Obligations
Asset retirement obligations ("ARO") relate to the Lost Creek mine and Pathfinder projects and are equal to the present value of all estimated future costs required to remediate any environmental disturbances that exist as of the end of the period discounted at a risk-free rate. Included in this liability are the costs of
12
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
closure, reclamation, demolition and stabilization of the mines, processing plants, infrastructure, aquifer restoration, waste dumps and ongoing post-closure environmental monitoring and maintenance costs.
At June 30, 2019, the total undiscounted amount of the future cash needs was estimated to be $29.8 million. The schedule of payments required to settle the ARO liability extends through 2033.
The restricted cash as discussed in note 6 is related to the surety bonds which provide security to the governmental agencies on these obligations.
|
For the period ended |
||
|
June 30, 2019 |
|
December 31, 2018 |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
$ |
Beginning of period |
30,384 |
|
27,036 |
Change in estimated liability |
- |
|
2,840 |
Accretion expense |
287 |
|
508 |
|
|
|
|
End of period |
30,671 |
|
30,384 |
As a part of the September 2018 public offering, we sold 13,062,878 warrants priced at $0.01 per warrant. Two warrants are redeemable for one Common Share of the Company’s stock at a price of $1.00 per full share. As the warrants are priced in US$ and the functional currency of Ur-Energy Inc. is Cdn$, this created a derivative financial liability. The liability created and adjusted quarterly is a calculated fair value using the Black-Scholes technique described below as there is no active market for the warrants. Any income or loss is reflected in net income for the period. The revaluation as of June 30, 2019 resulted in losses of $105 and $638 for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2019 which are reflected on the statement of operations.
13.Shareholders’ Equity and Capital Stock
Stock options
In 2005, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the adoption of the Company's stock option plan (the “Option Plan”). The Option Plan was most recently approved by the shareholders on May 18, 2017. Eligible participants under the Option Plan include directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company. Under the terms of the Option Plan grants of options will vest over a three-year period: 33.3% on the first anniversary, 33.3% on the second anniversary, and 33.4% on the third anniversary of the grant. The term of options remains five years.
13
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
Activity with respect to stock options is summarized as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted- |
|
|
|
|
|
average |
|
|
|
Options |
|
exercise price |
|
|
|
# |
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance, December 31, 2018 |
|
|
9,731,612 |
|
0.64 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercised |
|
|
(206,160) |
|
0.65 |
Expired |
|
|
(100,000) |
|
1.26 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outstanding, June 30, 2019 |
|
|
9,425,452 |
|
0.66 |
The exercise price of a new grant is set at the closing price for the shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) on the trading day immediately preceding the grant date so there is no intrinsic value as of the date of grant. The fair value of options vested during the six months ended June 30, 2019 was less than $0.1 million.
As of June 30, 2019, outstanding stock options are as follows:
|
|
Options outstanding |
|
Options exercisable |
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
Weighted- |
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
average |
|
|
|
|
|
average |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
remaining |
|
Aggregate |
|
|
|
remaining |
|
Aggregate |
|
|
Exercise |
|
Number |
|
contractual |
|
intrinsic |
|
Number |
|
contractual |
|
intrinsic |
|
|
price |
|
of options |
|
life (years) |
|
value |
|
of options |
|
life (years) |
|
value |
|
Expiry |
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.75 |
|
724,274 |
|
0.5 |
|
100 |
|
724,274 |
|
0.5 |
|
100 |
|
12-Dec-19 |
0.84 |
|
200,000 |
|
0.9 |
|
12 |
|
200,000 |
|
0.9 |
|
12 |
|
29-May-20 |
0.63 |
|
538,912 |
|
1.1 |
|
130 |
|
538,912 |
|
1.1 |
|
130 |
|
17-Aug-20 |
0.59 |
|
928,408 |
|
1.5 |
|
255 |
|
928,408 |
|
1.5 |
|
255 |
|
11-Dec-20 |
0.54 |
|
2,411,930 |
|
2.5 |
|
767 |
|
2,411,930 |
|
2.5 |
|
767 |
|
16-Dec-21 |
0.75 |
|
300,000 |
|
2.7 |
|
41 |
|
300,000 |
|
2.7 |
|
41 |
|
02-Mar-22 |
0.54 |
|
200,000 |
|
3.2 |
|
64 |
|
66,000 |
|
3.2 |
|
21 |
|
07-Sep-22 |
0.66 |
|
1,944,916 |
|
3.5 |
|
418 |
|
654,608 |
|
3.5 |
|
141 |
|
15-Dec-22 |
0.56 |
|
200,000 |
|
3.7 |
|
60 |
|
66,000 |
|
3.7 |
|
20 |
|
30-Mar-23 |
0.68 |
|
1,057,654 |
|
4.1 |
|
209 |
|
8,852 |
|
4.1 |
|
2 |
|
20-Aug-23 |
0.67 |
|
919,358 |
|
4.5 |
|
190 |
|
8,277 |
|
4.5 |
|
2 |
|
14-Dec-23 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0.66 |
|
9,425,452 |
|
2.7 |
|
2,246 |
|
5,907,261 |
|
2.0 |
|
1,491 |
|
|
The aggregate intrinsic value of the options in the preceding table represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value for stock options with an exercise price less than the Company’s TSX closing stock price of Cdn$1.24 as
14
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
of the last trading day in the period ended June 30, 2019, that would have been received by the option holders had they exercised their options as of that date. The total number of in-the-money stock options outstanding as of June 30, 2019 was 9,425,452. The total number of in-the-money stock options exercisable as of June 30, 2019 was 5,907,261.
We elect to estimate the number of awards expected to vest in lieu of accounting for forfeitures when they occur.
Restricted share units
On June 24, 2010, the Company’s shareholders approved the adoption of the Company’s restricted share unit plan (the “RSU Plan”). The RSU Plan was approved by our shareholders most recently on May 2, 2019.
Eligible participants under the RSU Plan include directors and employees of the Company. RSUs in a grant redeem on the second anniversary of the grant. Upon RSU vesting, the holder of an RSU will receive one common share, for no additional consideration, for each RSU held.
Activity with respect to RSUs is summarized as follows:
|
|
|
Number |
|
Weighted |
|
|
|
of |
|
average grant |
|
|
|
RSUs |
|
date fair value |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unvested, December 31, 2018 |
|
|
955,496 |
|
0.67 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vested |
|
|
(9,053) |
|
0.68 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unvested, June 30, 2019 |
|
|
946,443 |
|
0.70 |
As of June 30, 2019, outstanding RSUs are as follows:
|
|
Number of |
|
Remaining |
|
Aggregate |
|
|
unvested |
|
life |
|
intrinsic |
Grant date |
|
RSUs |
|
(years) |
|
value |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
December 15, 2017 |
|
481,456 |
|
0.46 |
|
438 |
August 20, 2018 |
|
237,210 |
|
1.15 |
|
216 |
December 14, 2018 |
|
227,777 |
|
1.46 |
|
207 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
946,443 |
|
0.86 |
|
861 |
As of March 30, 2018, one of our directors retired. Under the terms of our RSU Plan, his 62,000 outstanding RSUs automatically vested. On December 17, 2018, 32,000 RSUs were redeemed for Common
15
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
Shares. The balance will be redeemed for cash or stock at the compensation committee’s discretion when the RSUs in that grant vest on December 15, 2019.
Warrants
On September 25, 2018, the Company issued 13,062,878 warrants to purchase 6,531,439 of our Common Shares at $1.00 per full share (see note 12). The following represents warrant activity during the period ended June 30, 2019:
|
|
Number |
Number of |
|
|
|
|
of |
shares to be issued |
|
Per share |
|
|
warrants |
upon exercise |
|
exercise price |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
Outstanding, December 31, 2018 |
|
13,062,878 |
6,531,439 |
|
1.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Outstanding, June 30, 2019 |
|
13,062,878 |
6,531,439 |
|
1.00 |
As of June 30, 2019, outstanding warrants are as follows:
|
|
|
|
Remaining |
|
Aggregate |
|
|
Exercise |
|
Number |
|
contractual |
|
Intrinsic |
|
|
price |
|
of warrants |
|
life (years) |
|
Value |
|
Expiry |
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
1.00 |
|
13,062,878 |
|
2.2 |
|
- |
|
25-Sep-21 |
Share-based compensation expense
Share-based compensation expense was $0.2 million and $0.4 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 and $0.4 million and $0.6 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively.
As of June 30, 2019, there was approximately $0.9 million of total unrecognized compensation expense (net of estimated pre-vesting forfeitures) related to unvested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the Option Plan and $0.4 million under the RSU Plan. The expenses are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.9 years and 1.1 years, respectively.
We received $0.1 million cash from the exercise of stock options for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 and $0.1 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018.
16
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
Fair value calculations
The initial fair value of options and RSUs granted is determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model for options and the intrinsic pricing model for RSUs. There were no RSUs granted in either the six months ended June 30, 2019 or the six months ended June 30, 2018. There were no options granted during the six months ended June 30, 2019. The assumptions used for the options granted during the six months ended June 30, 2018 were as follows:
|
Six months ended June 30, |
|
2018 |
Expected option life (years) |
3.74 |
Expected volatility |
54.59% |
Risk-free interest rate |
1.90% |
Expected dividend rate |
0% |
Forfeiture rate |
6.0% |
The Company estimates expected volatility using daily historical trading data of the Company’s Common Shares, because this is recognized as a valid method used to predict future volatility. The risk-free interest rates are determined by reference to Canadian Treasury Note constant maturities that approximate the expected option term. The Company has never paid dividends and currently has no plans to do so.
Share-based compensation expense is recognized net of estimated pre-vesting forfeitures, which results in recognition of expense on options that are ultimately expected to vest over the expected option term. Forfeitures were estimated using actual historical forfeiture experience.
Sales have been derived from U3O8 being sold to domestic utilities, primarily under term contracts, as well as to a trader through spot sales.
17
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
Disaggregation of Revenues
The following table presents our revenues disaggregated by revenue source and type of revenue for each revenue source:
|
Six months ended June 30, |
||||||
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
||||
|
$ |
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
Sale of produced inventory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Company A |
2,406 |
|
14.8% |
|
- |
|
0.0% |
Company B |
7,482 |
|
45.9% |
|
- |
|
0.0% |
Company C |
- |
|
0.0% |
|
237 |
|
1.0% |
|
9,888 |
|
60.7% |
|
237 |
|
1.0% |
Sales of purchased inventory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Company A |
2,406 |
|
14.8% |
|
- |
|
0.0% |
Company D |
3,995 |
|
24.5% |
|
7,580 |
|
32.3% |
Company E |
- |
|
0.0% |
|
15,636 |
|
66.6% |
|
6,401 |
|
39.3% |
|
23,216 |
|
99.0% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total sales |
16,289 |
|
100.0% |
|
23,453 |
|
99.9% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disposal fee income |
2 |
|
0.0% |
|
26 |
|
0.1% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16,291 |
|
100.0% |
|
23,479 |
|
100.0% |
The names of the individual companies have not been disclosed for reasons of confidentiality.
15.Supplemental Information for Statement of Cash Flows
Cash per the Statement of Cash Flows consists of the following:
|
As at |
||
|
June 30, 2019 |
|
June 30, 2018 |
|
$ |
|
$ |
Cash and cash equivalents |
6,536 |
|
7,530 |
Restricted cash |
7,461 |
|
7,459 |
|
|
|
|
|
13,997 |
|
14,989 |
18
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, restricted cash, deposits, accounts payable and accrued liabilities and notes payable. The Company is exposed to risks related to changes in interest rates and management of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments.
Credit risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash. These assets include Canadian dollar and U.S. dollar denominated certificates of deposit, money market accounts and demand deposits. These instruments are maintained at financial institutions in Canada and the U.S. Of the amount held on deposit, approximately $0.8 million is covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation or the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, leaving approximately $13.2 million at risk at June 30, 2019 should the financial institutions with which these amounts are invested be rendered insolvent. The Company does not consider any of its financial assets to be impaired as of June 30, 2019.
All of the Company’s customers have Moody’s Baa or greater ratings and purchase from the Company under contracts with set prices and payment terms.
Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Company will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they come due.
As at June 30, 2019, the Company’s financial liabilities consisted of trade accounts payable and accrued trade and payroll liabilities of $0.8 million which are due within normal trade terms of generally 30 to 60 days and a note payable which will be payable over a period of approximately two years.
We entered into an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement with MLV & Co. LLC and B Riley FBR, Inc. (May 2016, as amended August 2017) under which we may, from time to time, issue and sell Common Shares at market prices on the NYSE American or other U.S. market through the distribution agents for aggregate sales proceeds of up to $10,000,000. We have not used the facility in 2019.
We expect that any major capital projects will be funded by operating cash flow, cash on hand or additional financing as required. If these cash sources are not sufficient, certain capital projects could be delayed, or alternatively we may need to pursue additional debt or equity financing to which there is no assurance that such financing will be available at all or on terms acceptable to us.
19
Ur-Energy Inc.
Condensed Notes to Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements
June 30, 2019
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated)
Sensitivity analysis
The Company has completed a sensitivity analysis to estimate the impact that a change in interest rates would have on the net loss of the Company. This sensitivity analysis shows that a change of +/- 100 basis points in interest rate would have a negligible effect on either the six months ended June 30, 2019 or the comparable six months in 2018. The financial position of the Company may vary at the time that a change in interest rates occurs causing the impact on the Company’s results to differ from that shown above.
20
Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATION
Business Overview
The following discussion is designed to provide information that we believe is necessary for an understanding of our financial condition, changes in financial condition and results of our operations. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the MD&A contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.
Incorporated on March 22, 2004, Ur-Energy is an exploration stage mining company, as that term is defined in SEC Industry Guide 7. We are engaged in uranium mining, recovery and processing activities, including the acquisition, exploration, development and operation of uranium mineral properties in the U.S. We are operating our first in situ recovery uranium mine at our Lost Creek Project in Wyoming. Ur-Energy is a corporation continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act on August 8, 2006. Our Common Shares are listed on the TSX under the symbol “URE” and on the NYSE American under the symbol “URG.”
Ur-Energy has one wholly-owned subsidiary: Ur-Energy USA Inc., incorporated under the laws of the State of Colorado. Ur-Energy USA Inc. has three wholly-owned subsidiaries: NFU Wyoming, LLC, a limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of Wyoming which acts as our land holding and exploration entity; Lost Creek ISR, LLC, a limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of Wyoming to operate our Lost Creek Project and hold our Lost Creek properties and assets; and Pathfinder Mines Corporation (“Pathfinder”), incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, which holds, among other assets, the Shirley Basin and Lucky Mc properties in Wyoming. Our material U.S. subsidiaries remain unchanged since the filing of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, dated March 1, 2019. As previously disclosed, we now own 100% of The Bootheel Project, LLC.
We utilize in situ recovery (“ISR”) of the uranium at our flagship project, Lost Creek, and will do so at other projects where possible. The ISR technique is employed in uranium extraction because it allows for an effective recovery of roll front uranium mineralization at a lower cost. At Lost Creek, we extract and process U3O8,for shipping to a third-party conversion facility to be weighed, assayed and stored until sold.
Our Lost Creek processing facility, which includes all circuits for the production, drying and packaging of uranium for delivery into sales, is designed and anticipated under current licensing to process up to one million pounds of U3O8 annually from the Lost Creek mine. The processing facility has the physical design capacity to process two million pounds of U3O8 annually, which provides additional capacity to process material from other sources. We expect that the Lost Creek processing facility may be utilized to process captured U3O8 from our Shirley Basin Project. However, the Shirley Basin permit application contemplates the construction of a full processing facility, providing greater construction and operating flexibility as may be dictated by market conditions.
We have multiple U3O8 sales agreements in place into 2021 with various U.S. utilities for the sale of U3O8 at term contract pricing. Historically, the multi-year sales agreements represented a portion of our planned production. Individually, term sales agreements do not represent a substantial portion of our operational budget, and our business is therefore not substantially dependent upon any one of the agreements. In recent years, we have purchased U3O8 and delivered the product into our sales contracts. With commitments in place to purchase product for delivery into our 2019 sales contracts, our Lost Creek production inventory is expected to increase unless market or other conditions warrant sales at spot pricing or we reach agreement for additional term agreements.
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Trade Action
As previously disclosed, in January 2018 Ur-Energy USA Inc. and Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc. (Energy Fuels) initiated a trade action with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act with the filing of a petition for relief. We chose this statutory framework for relief because we recognized that the current imbalance in the U.S. uranium market has created a very real threat to our national security.
DOC announced the commencement of its investigation in July 2018 into “whether the present quantity and circumstances of uranium ore and product imports into the United States threaten to impair national security,” and, on April 14, 2019, the DOC submitted its report to the President with its findings and recommendations. Following receipt of the Secretary’s report, the President then had 90 days to act on the Secretary’s recommendations and if necessary take action to “adjust the imports of an article and its derivatives” and/or pursue other lawful non-trade related actions necessary to address the threat.
On July 12, 2019, the White House issued a “Memorandum on the Effect of Uranium Imports on the National Security and Establishment of the United States Nuclear Fuel Working Group” (the “President’s Memorandum”).
The President’s Memorandum states that the Secretary of Commerce found that “…uranium is being imported in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States....” The President found that “…the United States uranium industry faces significant challenges in producing uranium domestically and that this is an issue of national security [and that] a fuller analysis of national security considerations with respect to the entire nuclear fuel supply chain is necessary at this time.”
Through the President’s Memorandum, he has established the United States Nuclear Fuel Working Group (the “Working Group”) to develop recommendations for reviving and expanding domestic uranium production. The Working Group must report its recommendations back to the President within 90 days. As the Trump Administration broadens its review of ways to revive and expand domestic uranium production, we will continue our work alongside the Administration and with our customers to find solutions to correct the dysfunctional market. We will continue to examine all alternatives and possible remedies.
There can be no certainty of the outcome of the Working Group’s findings and recommendations, if any, or the impact of actions taken in response to those findings and recommendation or the President’s Memorandum, and therefore the outcome of this continuing process and its effects on the U.S. uranium market is uncertain.
In the meantime, due to the continued uncertainty of obtaining any relief from the depressed market, we will implement even further cost reductions, including additional deep labor reductions, primarily at Lost Creek.
Mineral Rights and Properties
Eleven of our thirteen U.S. uranium properties are located in the Great Divide Basin, Wyoming, including Lost Creek. Currently, we control nearly 1,900 unpatented mining claims and three State of Wyoming mineral leases for a total of approximately 37,500 acr