Bunker Hill Mining Corp. 10-Q

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition or Plan of Operation SPECIAL NOTE OF CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements in this report, including statements in the following discussion, are what are known as “forward looking statements”, which are basically statements about the future. For that reason, these statements involve risk and uncertainty since no one can accurately predict the future. Words such as “plans,” “intends,” “will,” “hopes,” “seeks,” “anticipates,” “expects “and the like often identify such forward looking statements, but are not the only indication that a statement is a forward-looking statement. Such forward looking statements include statements concerning the company’s plans and objectives with respect to the present and future operations of the company, and statements which express or imply that such present and future operations will or may produce revenues, income or profits. Numerous factors and future events could cause the company to change such plans and objectives or fail to successfully implement such plans or achieve such objectives, or cause such present and future operations to fail to produce revenues, income or profits. Therefore, the reader is advised that the following discussion should be considered in light of the discussion of risks and other factors contained in this report and in the company’s other filings with the sec. No statements contained in the following discussion should be construed as a guarantee or assurance of future performance or future results. COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Response and Impact Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus global pandemic (“COVID-19”) in early 2020, in March 2020 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued guidelines to mitigate the spread and health consequences of COVID-19. The Company implemented changes to its operations and business practices to follow the guidelines and minimize physical interaction, including using technology to allow employees to work from home when possible. As long as they are required, the operational practices implemented could have an adverse impact on our results. The negative impact of COVID-19 remains uncertain, including on overall business and market conditions. There is uncertainty related to the potential additional impacts COVID-19 could have on our operations and financial results for the year. The Russia/Ukraine Crisis: The Company’s operations could be adversely affected by the effects of the escalating Russia/Ukraine crisis and the effects of sanctions imposed against Russia or that country’s retributions against those sanctions, embargos or further-reaching impacts upon energy prices, food prices and market disruptions. The Company cannot accurately predict the impact the crisis will have on its operations and the ability of contractors to meet their obligations with the Company, including uncertainties relating the severity of its effects, the duration of the conflict, and the length and magnitude of energy bans, embargos and restrictions imposed by governments. In addition, the crisis could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of the United States in general, resulting in an economic downturn that could further affect the Company’s operations and ability to finance its operations. Additionally, the Company cannot predict changes in precious metals pricing or changes in commodities pricing which may alternately affect the Company either positively or negatively. Description of Business Corporate Information The Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada, U.S.A on February 20, 2007 under the name Lincoln Mining Corp. On February 11, 2010, the Company changed its name to Liberty Silver Corp and subsequently, on September 29, 2017, the Company changed its name to Bunker Hill Mining Corp. The Company’s registered office is located at 1802 N. Carson Street, Suite 212, Carson City Nevada 89701, and its head office is located at 82 Richmond Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5C 1P1, and its telephone number is 416-477-7771. The Company’s website is www.bunkerhillmining.com. Information appearing on the website is not incorporated by reference into this report. Current Operations Overview The Company’s sole focus is the development and restart of its 100% owned flagship asset, the Bunker Hill mine (the “Mine”). The Mine remains the largest single producing mine by tonnage in the Silver Valley region of northwest Idaho, producing over 165 million ounces of silver and 5 million tons of base metals between 1885 and 1981. The Bunker Hill Mine is located within Operable Unit 2 of the Bunker Hill Superfund site (EPA National Priorities Listing IDD048340921), where cleanup activities have been completed. 25 In early 2020, a new management team comprised of former executives from Barrick Gold Corp. assumed leadership of the Company. Since that time, the Company has conducted multiple exploration campaigns, published multiple economic studies, purchased the Bunker Hill Mine, purchased a process plant, and advanced the rehabilitation and development of the Mine. The Company is focused on completing the financing for, and execution of, a potential restart of operations at the Mine. Lease and Purchase of the Bunker Hill Mine The Company purchased the Bunker Hill Mine in January 2022, as described below. Prior to purchasing the Mine, the Company had entered into a series of agreements with Placer Mining Corporation (“Placer Mining”), the prior owner, for the lease and option to purchase the Mine. The first of these agreements was announced on August 28, 2017, with subsequent amendments and/or extensions announced on November 1, 2019, July 7, 2020, and November 20, 2020. Under the terms of the November 20, 2020 amended agreement (the “Amended Agreement”), a purchase price of $7,700,000 was agreed, with $5,700,000 payable in cash (with an aggregate of $300,000 to be credited toward the purchase price of the Mine as having been previously paid by the Company) and $2,000,000 in Common Shares of the Company. The Company agreed to make an advance payment of $2,000,000, credited toward the purchase price of the Mine, which had the effect of decreasing the remaining amount payable to purchase the Mine to an aggregate of $3,400,000 payable in cash and $2,000,000 in Common Shares of the Company. The Amended Agreement also required payments pursuant to an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) whereby for so long as the Company leases, owns and/or occupies the Mine, the Company would make payments to the EPA on behalf of Placer Mining in satisfaction of the EPA’s claim for historical water treatment cost recovery in accordance with the Settlement Agreement reached with the EPA in 2018. Immediately prior to the purchase of the Mine, the Company’s liability to EPA in this regard totaled $11,000,000. The Company completed the purchase of the Bunker Hill Mine on January 7, 2022. The terms of the purchase price were modified to $5,400,000 in cash, from $3,400,000 of cash and $2,000,000 of Common Shares. Concurrent with the purchase of the Mine, the Company assumed incremental liabilities of $8,000,000 to the EPA, consistent with the terms of the amended Settlement Agreement with the EPA that was executed in December 2021 (see “EPA 2018 Settlement Agreement & 2021 Amended Settlement Agreement” section below). EPA 2018 Settlement Agreement & 2021 Amended Settlement Agreement Bunker Hill entered into a Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent with the EPA on May 15, 2018. This agreement limits the Company’s exposure to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) liability for past environmental damage to the mine site and surrounding area to obligations that include: ● Payment of $20,000,000 for historical water treatment cost recovery for amounts paid by the EPA from 1995 to 2017 ● Payment of for water treatment services provided by the EPA at the Central Treatment Plant (“CTP”) in Kellogg, Idaho until such time that Bunker Hill either purchases or leases the CTP or builds a separate EPA-approved water treatment facility ● Conducting a work program as described in the Ongoing Environmental Activities section of this study In December 2021, in conjunction with its intention to purchase the mine complex, the Company entered into an amended Settlement Agreement (the “Amendment”) between the Company, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, US Department of Justice and the EPA modifying the payment schedule and payment terms for recovery of historical environmental response costs at Bunker Hill Mine incurred by the EPA. With the purchase of the mine subsequent to the end of the period, the remaining payments of the EPA cost recovery liability would be assumed by the Company, resulting in a total of $19,000,000 liability to the Company, an increase of $8,000,000. The new payment schedule included a $2,000,000 payment to the EPA within 30 days of execution of this amendment, which was made. The remaining $17,000,000 will be paid on the following dates: Date Amount November 1, 2024 $ 3,000,000 November 1, 2025 $ 3,000,000 November 1, 2026 $ 3,000,000 November 1, 2027 $ 3,000,000 November 1, 2028 $ 3,000,000 November 1, 2029 $2,000,000 plus accrued interest 26 The resumption of payments in 2024 were agreed in order to allow the Company to generate sufficient revenue from mining activities at the Bunker Hill Mine to address remaining payment obligations from free cash flow. The changes in payment terms and schedule were contingent upon the Company securing financial assurance in the form of performance bonds or letters of credit deemed acceptable to the EPA totaling $17,000,000, corresponding to the Company’s cost recovery obligations to be paid in 2024 through 2029 as outlined above. Should the Company fail to make its scheduled payment, the EPA can draw against this financial assurance. The amount of the bonds or letters of credit will decrease over time as individual payments are made. If the Company failed to post the final financial assurance within 180 days of the execution of the Amendment, the terms of the original agreement would be reinstated. During the quarter ended June 30, 2022, the Company was successful in obtaining the financial assurance. Specifically, a $9,999,000 payment bond and a $7,001,000 letter of credit were secured and provided to the EPA. This milestone provides for the Company to recognize the effects of the change in terms of the EPA liability as outlined in the December 19, 2021, agreement. Once the financial assurance was put into place, the restructuring of the payment stream under the Amendment occurred with the entire $17,000,000 liability being recognized as long-term in nature. The aforementioned payment bond and letter of credit are secured by $2,475,000 and $7,001,000 of cash deposits, respectively. Project Finance Package with Sprott Private Resource Streaming & Royalty Corp. On December 20, 2021, the Company executed a non-binding term sheet outlining a $50,000,000 project finance package with Sprott Private Resource Streaming and Royalty Corp. (“SRSR”). The non-binding term sheet with SRSR outlined a $50,000,000 project financing package that the Company expects to fulfill the majority of its funding requirements to restart the Mine. The term sheet consisted of an $8,000,000 royalty convertible debenture (the “RCD”), a $5,000,000 convertible debenture (the “CD1”), and a multi-metals stream of up to $37,000,000 (the “Stream”). The CD1 was subsequently increased to $6,000,000, increasing the project financing package to $51,000,000. On June 17, 2022, the Company consummated a new $15,000,000 convertible debenture (the “CD2”). As a result, total potential funding from SRSR was further increased to $66,000,000 including the RCD, CD1, CD2 and the Stream (together, the “Project Financing Package”). The Company closed the $8,000,000 RCD on January 7, 2022. The RCD bears interest at an annual rate of 9.0%, payable in cash or Common Shares at the Company’s option, until such time that SRSR elects to convert a royalty, with such conversion option expiring at the earlier of advancement of the Stream or July 7, 2023 (subsequently amended as described below). In the event of conversion, the RCD will cease to exist and the Company will grant a royalty for 1.85% of life-of-mine gross revenue from mining claims considered to be historically worked, contiguous to current accessible underground development, and covered by the Company’s 2021 ground geophysical survey (the “SRSR Royalty”). A 1.35% rate will apply to claims outside of these areas. The RCD was initially secured by a share pledge of the Company’s operating subsidiary, Silver Valley, until a full security package was put in place concurrent with the consummation of the CD1. In the event of non-conversion, the principal of the RCD will be repayable in cash. Concurrent with the funding of the CD2 in June 2022, the Company and SRSR agreed to a number of amendments to the terms of the RCD, including an amendment of the maturity date from July 7, 2023, to March 31, 2025. The parties also agreed to enter into a Royalty Put Option such that in the event the RCD is converted into a royalty as described above, the holder of the royalty will be entitled to resell the royalty to the Company for $8,000,000 upon default under the CD1 or CD2 until such time that the CD1 and CD2 are paid in full. 27 The Company closed the $6,000,000 CD1 on January 28, 2022, which was increased from the previously announced $5,000,000. The CD1 bears interest at an annual rate of 7.5%, payable in cash or shares at the Company’s option, and matures on July 7, 2023 (subsequently amended, as described below). The CD1 is secured by a pledge of the Company’s properties and assets. Until the closing of the Stream, the CD1 was to be convertible into Common Shares at a price of C$0.30 per Common Share, subject to stock exchange approval (subsequently amended, as described below). Alternatively, SRSR may elect to retire the CD1 with the cash proceeds from the Stream. The Company may elect to repay the CD1 early; if SRSR elects not to exercise its conversion option at such time, a minimum of 12 months of interest would apply. Concurrent with the funding of the CD2 in June 2022, the Company and SRSR agreed to a number of amendments to the terms of the CD1, including that the maturity date would be amended from July 7, 2023, to March 31, 2025, and that the CD1 would remain outstanding until the new maturity date regardless of whether the Stream is advanced, unless the Company elects to exercise its option of early repayment. The Company closed the $15,000,000 CD2 on June 17, 2022. The CD2 bears interest at an annual rate of 10.5%, payable in cash or shares at the Company’s option, and matures on March 31, 2025. The CD2 is secured by a pledge of the Company’s properties and assets. The repayment terms include 3 quarterly payments of $2,000,000 each beginning June 30, 2024, and $9,000,000 on the maturity date. In light of the Series 2 Convertible Debenture financing, the previously permitted additional senior secured indebtedness of up to $15 million for project finance has been removed. A minimum of $27,000,000 and a maximum of $37,000,000 (the “Stream Amount”) will be made available under the Stream, at the Company’s option, once the conditions of availability of the Stream have been satisfied including confirmation of full project funding by an independent engineer appointed by SRSR. If the Company draws the maximum funding of $37,000,000, the Stream would apply to 10% of payable metals sold until a minimum quantity of metal is delivered consisting of, individually, 55 million pounds of zinc, 35 million pounds of lead, and 1 million ounces of silver (subsequently amended, as described below). Thereafter, the Stream would apply to 2% of payable metals sold. If the Company elects to draw less than $37,000,000 under the Stream, the percentage and quantities of payable metals streamed will adjust pro-rata. The delivery price of streamed metals will be 20% of the applicable spot price. The Company may buy back 50% of the Stream Amount at a 1.40x multiple of the Stream Amount between the second and third anniversary of the date of funding, and at a 1.65x multiple of the Stream Amount between the third and fourth anniversary of the date of funding. As of June 30, 2022, the Stream had not been advanced. Concurrent with the funding of the CD2 in June 2022, the Company and SRSR agreed that the minimum quantity of metal delivered under the Stream, if advanced, will increase by 10% relative to the amounts noted above. Process Plant On January 25, 2022, the Company announced that it had entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Teck Resources Limited (“Teck”) for the purchase of a comprehensive package of equipment and parts inventory from its Pend Oreille site (the “Process Plant”) in eastern Washington State, approximately 145 miles from the Bunker Hill Mine by road. The package comprises substantially all processing equipment of value located at the site, including complete crushing, grinding and flotation circuits suitable for a planned ~1,500 ton-per-day operation at Bunker Hill, and total inventory of nearly 10,000 components and parts for mill, assay lab, conveyer, field instruments, and electrical spares. The Company paid a $500,000 non-refundable deposit in January 2022. On March 31, 2022, the Company announced that it had reached an agreement with a subsidiary of Teck to satisfy the remaining purchase price for the Process Plant by way of an equity issuance of the Company. Teck will receive 10,416,667 units of the Company (the “Teck Units”) at a deemed issue price of C$0.30 per unit. Each Teck Unit consists of one Common Share and one Common Share purchase warrant (the “Teck Warrants”). Each whole Teck Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of C$0.37 per Common Share for a period of three years. The equity issuance and purchase of the Process Plant occurred on May 13, 2022. Results of Operations The following discussion and analysis provide information that is believed to be relevant to an assessment and understanding of the results of operation and financial condition of the Company for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and June 30, 2021. Unless otherwise stated, all figures herein are expressed in U.S. dollars, which is the Company’s functional currency. 28 Comparison of the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 Revenue During the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, the Company generated no revenue. Expenses During the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company reported total operating expenses of $3,979,862 and $9,466,536, respectively. Compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company reported total operating expenses of $5,295,557 and $9,919,531, respectively. The decrease in total operating expenses is primarily due to a decrease in exploration costs and operation and administration costs when compared to the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2021. The Company was engaged in an active exploration campaign during the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2021, whereas the Company’s primary focus during the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2022 was on advancing mine restart efforts, which was accomplished with a lower level of expenditure. The significant increase in consulting fees reflects the engagement of numerous legal, accounting, engineering and other professional firms to assist the Company in consummating several complex debt and equity financings, the purchases of the Mine, the EPA financial assurance requirements, fair value measurements of complex instruments, and advancement of project activities. These fees were somewhat offset by a decrease in operational and administration expenses. For financial accounting purposes, the Company reports all direct exploration expenses under the exploration expense line item of the condensed interim consolidated statements of income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss). Management determined that costs of the mine in the most recent quarter constituted mine preparation costs rather than exploration costs, since it was not focused on expanding the mineral resources, but was invested to execute on the tasks and projects required to get the mine into shape for production activities. Certain indirect expenses may be reported as operation and administration expense or consulting expense on the unaudited condensed interim consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income. Liquidity and Capital Resources Going Concern These unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The Company has incurred losses since inception resulting in an accumulated deficit of $63,317,255 and further losses are anticipated in the development of its business. Additionally, the Company owes a total of $7,072,410 net of discount to the EPA (see Note 6) that is classified as long-term debt. The Company does not have sufficient cash to fund normal operations and meet debt obligations for the next 12 months without deferring payment on certain current liabilities and/or raising additional funds. In order to continue to meet its fiscal obligations in the current fiscal year and beyond, the Company must seek additional financing. This raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Its ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the ability of the Company to generate profitable operations in the future and/or to obtain the necessary financing to meet its obligations and repay its liabilities arising from normal business operations when they come due. The accompanying condensed interim consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. Management is considering various financing alternatives including, but not limited to, raising capital through the capital markets, debt and multi-metals stream financings. These unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded assets, or the amounts of and classification of liabilities that might be necessary in the event the Company cannot continue in existence. The ability of the Company to emerge from the exploration stage is dependent upon, among other things, closing on the multi-metals stram transaction (see note 7), obtaining additional financing to continue operations, explore and developing the mineral properties and the discovery, development, and sale of reserves. Debt and Equity Financings, EPA obligations, and Mine Purchase As described above, during the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company closed on three convertible debentures totaling $29,000,000 and equity financings (net of issuance costs) totaling $7,769,745 and used the proceeds to purchase the Bunker Hill Mine, as well as satisfy short-term obligations to the EPA including satisfaction of its financial assurance commitments, cost recovery and water treatment payments, advancement of mine restart activities and the funding of working capital requirements. 29 Current Assets and Total Assets As of June 30, 2022, the Company’s balance sheet reflects that the Company had: i) total current assets of $16,858,234, compared to total current assets of $3,622,548 at December 31, 2021 – an increase of $13,235,686; and ii) total assets of assets of $36,662,582, compared to total current assets of $4,071,796 at December 31, 2021 – an increase of $32,590,786. The increase in current assets was primarily due to an increase in available cash as a result of the proceeds from the convertible debentures and equity financings. Total assets increased principally due to the increase in cash from financings and the purchase of the Bunker Hill Mine. Current Liabilities and Total Liabilities As of June 30, 2022, the Company’s balance sheet reflects that the Company had total current liabilities of $10,333,772 and total liabilities of $56,110,157, compared to total current liabilities of $22,795,277 and total liabilities of $38,314,164 at December 31, 2021. The decrease in the current liabilities is primarily reflective of the EPA cost recovery liability being moved from current to long term liabilities. Total liabilities increased as a result of the closing of the three convertible debentures, offset by the decrease in the long-term derivative warrant liability, promissory note. Working Capital and Shareholders’ Deficit On June 30, 2022, the Company had working capital of $6,524,462 and a shareholders’ deficit of $19,447,575 compared to negative working capital of $19,172,729 and a shareholders’ deficit of $34,242,368 for the year ended December 31, 2021. Working capital increased during the six months ended June 30, 2022 primarily due to funding from debt and equity financings, and the reclassification of cost recovery liabilities from current to long-term. Shareholders’ equity increased due to net income of $12,054,781 and $9,173,895 for the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2022, driven by decreases in the fair value of the derivative warrant liability. Cash Flow During the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company had a net cash increase of $5,115,610, which represents cash provided from convertible debentures and equity financings, with proceeds used to satisfy short-term obligations with the EPA, purchase of the Bunker Hill Mine and a processing plant, partial repayment of the outstanding promissory note, advancement of mine restart activities, and funding of working capital requirements. During the six months ended June 30, 2022, cash of $23,070,946 was used in operating activities, primarily due to the usage of $9,476,000 to secure the Company’s financial assurance obligations with the EPA, $3,000,000 of payments against EPA cost recovery and water treatment payables, funding of mine restart activities, and other working capital requirements. This compares with cash used in operating activities of $7,040,266 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. During the quarter ended June 30, 2022, cash of $7,518,361 was used in investing activities for the purchase of the Bunker Hill Mine, a process plant, equipment, and real estate, compared with $94,693 used for investing activities in the six months ended June 30, 2021 During the six months ended June 30, 2022, cash of $35,704,917 was provided by financing activities by the three convertible debentures and the equity financings, offset by cash used for lease payments, compared with cash of $5,943,687 provided by financing activities in the six months ended June 30, 2021 Subsequent Events In July 2022, the Company issued 1,975,482 common shares in connection with its election to satisfy interest payments under the outstanding convertible debentures for the three months ending June 30, 2022. On July 29, 2022, the Company held its Annual General Meeting during which all director nominations and other proposals were approved. This included the re-appointment of Dr. Mark Cruise, whose initial appointment was announced on June 30, 2022, replacing Mr. Wayne Parsons. The following notable proposals were approved: (i) an increase in the authorized common share capital of the Company to 1,500,000,000 common shares, (ii) authorization for a share consolidation of up to 50:1 if enacted within the following two years, and (iii) an increase in the maximum RSUs issuable under the Company’s Restricted Share Unit plan. Critical accounting estimates The preparation of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Estimates and judgments are continuously evaluated and are based on management’s experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual outcomes can differ from these estimates. The key sources of estimation uncertainty that have a significant risk of causing material adjustment to the amounts recognized in the financial statements are: 30 Share-based payments Management determines costs for share-based payments using market-based valuation techniques. The fair value of the share awards and warrant liabilities are determined at the date of grant using generally accepted valuation techniques and for warrant liabilities at each balance sheet date thereafter. Assumptions are made and judgment used in applying valuation techniques. These assumptions and judgments include estimating the future volatility of the stock price and expected dividend yield. Such judgments and assumptions are inherently uncertain. Changes in these assumptions affect the fair value estimates. Warrants and accrued liabilities Estimating the fair value of derivative warrant liability requires determining the most appropriate valuation model, which is dependent on the terms and conditions of the issuance. This estimate also requires determining the most appropriate inputs to the valuation model including the expected life of the warrants and conversion feature derivative liability, volatility and dividend yield and making assumptions about them. The Company has to make estimates to accrue for certain expenditures due to delay in receipt of third-party vendor invoices. These accruals are made based on trends, history and knowledge of activities. Actual results may be different. The Company makes monthly estimates of its water treatment costs, with a true-up to the annual invoice received from the IDEQ. Using the actual costs in the annual invoice, the Company will then reassess its estimate for future periods. Complex Financing Transactions The Company has engaged in a series of complex financing transactions, which involve the issuance of certain conversion features embedded in the debt, including options to receive interest payments in the form of the Company’s shares and to purchase a gross revenue royalty in the Bunker Hill Mine. These instruments require evaluation to determine fair values of the debt and the embedded conversion features, which require complex calculations of many appropriate inputs to the valuation model variables, including but not limited to the expected life of the debt instrument and conversion feature derivative liability, volatility of the Company’s shares, effective discount rates, probabilities of operational assumptions as related to an anticipated royalty revenue stream, the Company’s own credit risk and other inputs. The Company has to make estimates of each of these inputs in applying a valuation model to account for the derivative values, the presentation of these values, the periodic changes to the fair values and the recognition of these changes. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements The Company has no off-balance sheet arrangements. Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk Not applicable.