Contango Silver & Gold Inc. 10-Q

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes and other information included elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and in our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, previously filed with the SEC. 18 Cautionary Statement about Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements made in this report may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The words and phrases “should be”, “will be”, “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “goal” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements and express our expectations about future events. Any statement that is not historical fact is a forward -looking statement. These include such matters as: • The Company’s financial position; • Business strategy, including outsourcing; • Meeting Company forecasts and budgets; • Anticipated capital expenditures; • Prices of gold and associated minerals; • Timing and amount of future discoveries (if any) and production of natural resources on our Peak Gold Joint Venture Property; • Operating costs and other expenses; • Cash flow and anticipated liquidity; • The Company’s ability to fund its business with current cash reserves based on currently planned activities; • Prospect development; • Operating and legal risks; and • New governmental laws and regulations. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such expectations may not occur. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In addition to the risk factors described in Part I, Item 2. Risk Factors, of this report and Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2020, and Part I, Item 2. Risk Factors, in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, these factors include among others: • Ability to raise capital to fund capital expenditures; • Ability to retain or maintain our relative ownership interest in the Joint Venture Company; • Ability to influence management of the Joint Venture Company; • Ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Kinross Transactions; • Disruption from the Kinross Transactions and transition of the Joint Venture Company’s management to Kinross, including as it relates to maintenance of business and operational relationships potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; • Operational constraints and delays; • The risks associated with exploring in the mining industry; • The timing and successful discovery of natural resources; • Availability of capital and the ability to repay indebtedness when due; • Declines and variations in the price of gold and associated minerals; • Price volatility for natural resources; • Availability of operating equipment; • Operating hazards attendant to the mining industry; • Weather; • The ability to find and retain skilled personnel; • Restrictions on mining activities; • Legislation that may regulate mining activities; • Changes in applicable tax rates and other regulatory changes, including as a result of the recent presidential and congressional elections in the U.S.; • Impact of new and potential legislative and regulatory changes on mining operating and safety standards, including as a result of the recent presidential and congressional elections in the U.S.; • Uncertainties of any estimates and projections relating to any future production, costs and expenses; • Timely and full receipt of sale proceeds from the sale of any of our mined products (if any); • Stock price and interest rate volatility; • Federal and state regulatory developments and approvals; • Availability and cost of material and equipment; • Actions or inactions of third-parties; • Potential mechanical failure or under-performance of facilities and equipment; • Environmental risks; • Strength and financial resources of competitors; • Worldwide economic conditions; • Impact of pandemics, such as the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, which could impact the Joint Venture Company’s exploration schedule; • Expanded rigorous monitoring and testing requirements; • Ability to obtain insurance coverage on commercially reasonable terms; • Competition generally and the increasing competitive nature of our industry; • Risks related to title to properties; and • Ability to consummate strategic transactions. 19 You should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements in this report, as they speak only as of the date of this report. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this report or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. All forward-looking statements included herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Overview The Company engages in exploration for gold ore and associated minerals in Alaska through a 30.0% membership interest in Peak Gold, LLC (the “Joint Venture Company”), which leases approximately 675,000 acres for exploration and development and through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Contango Minerals Alaska, LLC (“Contango Minerals”), which separately leases approximately 167,000 acres for exploration. On September 29, 2020, the Company, CORE Alaska, LLC (“CORE Alaska”) and KG Mining (Alaska), Inc. (“KG Mining”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corporation, a corporation formed under the laws of Ontario, Canada (“Kinross”), entered into a Purchase Agreement (the “CORE Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which CORE Alaska sold a 30.0% membership interest (the “CORE JV Interest”) in the Joint Venture Company, to KG Mining (the “CORE Transactions”). The CORE Transactions closed on September 30, 2020. In consideration for the CORE JV Interest, the Company received $32.4 million in cash and 809,744 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”). The 809,744 shares of Common Stock were acquired by KG Mining from Royal Gold, as part of the Royal Gold Transactions (described below) and were subsequently canceled by the Company. Of the $32.4 million cash consideration, $1.2 million constituted a reimbursement prepayment to the Company by KG Mining relating to its CORE Alaska’s proportionate share of silver royalty payments that the Joint Venture Company may be obligated to pay to Royal Gold, with the understanding that as a result of such reimbursements, KG Mining would bear the entire economic impact of those silver royalty payments due from the Joint Venture Company. Concurrently with the CORE Purchase Agreement, KG Mining, in a separate transaction, acquired from Royal Gold (i) 100% of the equity of Royal Alaska, LLC (“Royal Alaska”), which held a 40.0% membership interest in the Joint Venture Company. Therefore, as of December 31, 2020, the Company held a 30.0% membership interest in the Joint Venture Company, and KG Mining held a 70.0% membership interest in the Joint Venture Company. Prior to the Kinross Transactions (described below), the Joint Venture Company, the Company, Contango Minerals, CORE Alaska, Royal Gold and Royal Alaska entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2020 (the “Separation Agreement”). Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, the Joint Venture Company completed the formation of Contango Minerals and contributed approximately 167,000 acres of Alaska State mining claims to it, subject to an Option Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2020 (the “Option Agreement”). Under the Option Agreement, Contango Minerals granted the Joint Venture Company an option, subject to certain conditions contained in the Option Agreement, to purchase approximately 13,000 acres of the Alaska state mining claims which were contributed to Contango Minerals pursuant to the Separation Agreement., together with all extralateral rights, water and water rights, and easements and rights of way in connection therewith, that are held by Contango Minerals. As a result, the Company controls approximately 167,000 acres, subject to the Option Agreement, and the Joint Venture Company leases an estimated 675,000 acres for the exploration of gold ore and associated minerals as of December 31, 2020. Kinross is a large gold producer with a diverse global portfolio and extensive operating experience in Alaska. The Joint Venture Company plans to mine ore from the Peak and North Peak deposits and then process ore at the existing Fort Knox mining and milling complex located approximately 250 miles away. The use of the Fort Knox mill is expected to accelerate the development of the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property and result in significantly reduced upfront capital development costs, smaller environmental footprint, a shorter permitting and development timeline and less overall risk for Peak Gold Joint Venture Property. Background On January 8, 2015, the Company and a subsidiary of Royal Gold, Inc. (“Royal Gold”) formed the Joint Venture Company. The Company contributed a 100% leasehold interest in an estimated 675,000 acres (the “Tetlin Lease”) from the Tetlin Tribal Council, the council formed by the governing body for the Native Village of Tetlin, an Alaska Native Tribe (the “Tetlin Tribal Council”); and State of Alaska mining claims near Tok, Alaska (together with other property, the “Peak Gold Joint Venture Property”), and Royal Gold made an initial investment into the Joint Venture Company of $5.0 million. By September 29, 2020, Royal Gold had contributed approximately $37.1 million to the Joint Venture Company and earned a cumulative economic interest of 40.0%. The proceeds from the investments were used for exploration of the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property. Royal Gold served as the manager of the Joint Venture Company and managed, directed, and controlled operations of the Joint Venture Company until the Kinross Transactions. The CORE Transactions with KG Mining closed on September 30, 2020. In consideration for the CORE JV Interest, the Company received $32.4 million in cash and 809,744 shares of the Company’s Common Stock. The 809,744 shares of Common Stock were acquired by KG Mining from Royal Gold, as part of the Royal Gold Transactions and were subsequently canceled by the Company. Of the $32.4 million cash consideration, $1.2 million constituted a reimbursement prepayment to the Company of its proportionate share of certain silver royalty payments that the Joint Venture Company may be obligated to pay to Royal Gold, with the understanding that KG Mining will bear the entire impact of those royalty payments due from the Joint Venture Company. 20 Concurrently with the closing of the CORE Transactions, KG Mining, in a separate transaction, acquired from Royal Gold (i) 100% of the equity of Royal Alaska, which held a 40.0% membership interest in the Joint Venture Company and (ii) 809,744 shares of Common Stock held by Royal Gold (the “Royal Gold Transactions” and, together with the CORE Transactions, the “Kinross Transactions”). After the consummation of the Kinross Transactions, CORE Alaska retained a 30.0% membership interest in the Joint Venture Company. KG Mining now holds a 70.0% membership interest in the Joint Venture Company and serves as the manager and operator of the Joint Venture Company. KG Mining and CORE Alaska entered into the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of the Joint Venture Company (the “A&R JV LLCA”) on October 1, 2020 to address the new ownership arrangements and to incorporate additional terms that will permit the Joint Venture Company to further develop and produce from its properties. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had approximately $31.9 million of cash. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had funded a total of $2.4 million to the Joint Venture Company for its portion of the calendar year 2020 budget. During the last calendar quarter of 2020, the Joint Venture Company engaged in drilling and testing, environmental work, engineering studies, and other items. On December 10, 2020, the Management Committee approved a total budget of $18.0 million for the calendar year 2021 to undertake in-fill drilling, engineering and environmental studies necessary to complete a feasibility-level study, additional exploration, community relations, and to prepare the project for formal permitting. The Company’s proportionate share of the approved budget is approximately $5.4 million. In addition, the Company plans to fund a roughly $3.0 million exploration program to explore for additional resources on 100%-owned Triple Z prospect in late 2021, focused on the areas immediately adjacent to the known Joint Venture Company resources. The Company also plans to continue its exploration efforts on its earlier stage Eagle and Hona projects located immediately north of the Peak Gold project area appro Properties Since 2009, the Company’s primary focus has been the exploration of a mineral lease with the Native Village of Tetlin whose governmental entity is the Tetlin Tribal Council (“Tetlin Tribal Council”) for the exploration of minerals near Tok, Alaska on a currently estimated 675,000 acres (the “Tetlin Lease”) and almost all of the Company’s resources have been directed to that end. All significant work presently conducted by the Company has been directed at exploration of the Tetlin Lease and increasing understanding of the characteristics of, and economics of, any mineralization. There are no known quantifiable mineral reserves on the Tetlin Lease or any of the Company’s other properties as defined by the SEC Industry Guide 7. 21 The Tetlin Lease originally had a ten-year term beginning July 2008, which was extended for an additional ten years to July 15, 2028. If the properties under the Tetlin Lease are placed into commercial production, the Tetlin Lease will be held throughout production and the Company would be obligated to pay a production royalty to the Tetlin Tribal Council, which varies from 3.0% to 5.0%, depending on the type of metal produced and the year of production. In June 2011, the Company paid the Tetlin Tribal Council $75,000 in exchange for reducing the production royalty payable to them by 0.25%. In July 2011, the Company paid the Tetlin Tribal Council an additional $150,000 in exchange for further reducing the production royalty by 0.50%. These payments lowered the production royalty to a range of 2.25% to 4.25%, depending on the type of metal produced and the year of production. On or before December 31, 2020, the Tetlin Tribal Council had the option to increase its production royalty by (i) 0.25% by payment to the Joint Venture Company of $150,000, (ii) 0.50% by payment to the Joint Venture Company of $300,000, or (iii) 0.75% by payment to the Joint Venture Company of $450,000. The Tetlin Tribal Council exercised this option on December 30, 2020. In lieu of a cash payment, the $450,000 will be credited against future production royalty and advance minimum royalty payments due by the Joint Venture Company to the Tetlin Tribal Council under the lease once production begins. The Joint Venture Company has also historically held certain State of Alaska unpatented mining claims for the exploration of gold ore and associated minerals. Prior to the Kinross Transactions, the Joint Venture Company, Contango Minerals Alaska, LLC, an Alaska limited liability company formed by the Joint Venture Company (“Contango Minerals”), the Company, CORE Alaska, Royal Gold and Royal Alaska entered into a Separation and Distribution Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2020 (the “Separation Agreement”). Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, the Joint Venture Company formed Contango Minerals, contributed approximately 167,000 acres of Alaska State mining claims to it, subject to the Option Agreement (described below), and retained an additional 1.0% net smelter returns royalty interest on certain of the Alaska state mining claims that were contributed. After the formation and contribution to Contango Minerals, the Joint Venture Company made simultaneous distributions to Royal Alaska and CORE Alaska by (i) granting a new 28.0% net smelter returns silver royalty on all silver produced from a defined area within the Tetlin Lease and transferring the additional 1.0% net smelter returns royalty described above to Royal Gold and (ii) assigning 100.0% of the membership interests in Contango Minerals to CORE Alaska, which were in turn distributed to the Company, resulting in Contango Minerals becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The Separation Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants. In connection with the Separation Agreement, the Joint Venture Company and Contango Minerals entered into an Option Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2020 (the “Option Agreement”). Under the Option Agreement, Contango Minerals granted to the Joint Venture Company the option, subject to certain conditions contained in the Option Agreement, to purchase approximately 13,000 acres of the Alaska state mining claims, together with all extralateral rights, water and water rights, and easements and rights of way in connection therewith, that are held by Contango Minerals, and which were transferred to Contango Minerals pursuant to the Separation Agreement. Subject to the conditions in the Option Agreement, the Joint Venture Company may exercise the option to purchase the Alaska state mining claims, in whole or in part, at an exercise price of $50,000. The Joint Venture Company’s option to purchase the Alaska state mining claims from Contango Minerals expires and is of no further force and effect upon the earlier of (i) eighteen months after the date of the Option Agreement, or (ii) the termination of the Option Agreement pursuant to its terms. The Option Agreement may be terminated (i) by the Joint Venture Company at any time upon written notice to Contango Minerals, (ii) if the Joint Venture Company fails to timely pay certain fees, including taxes and certain other fees necessary to maintain the Alaska state mining claims in good standing under applicable laws, or (iii) in the event the Alaska state mining claims are subject to a condemnation under eminent domain. The Company believes that it and the Joint Venture Company hold good title to their properties, in accordance with standards generally accepted in the mineral industry. As is customary in the mineral industry, the Company conducted only a preliminary title examination at the time it acquired the Tetlin Lease. The Joint Venture Company conducted a title examination prior to the assignment of the Tetlin Lease to the Joint Venture Company and performed certain curative title work. Before the Joint Venture Company begins any mine development work, however, the Joint Venture Company is expected to again conduct a full title review and perform curative work on any defects that it deems significant. A significant amount of additional work is likely required in the exploration of the properties before any determination as to the economic feasibility of a mining venture can be made. The following table summarizes the Tetlin Lease and unpatented mining claims held by the Joint Venture Company and the Company (collectively, the “Peak Gold Joint Venture Property”) as of December 31, 2020 : Property Location Commodities Claims Estimated Acres Type Contango Minerals: Tetlin-Tok Eastern Interior Gold, Copper, Silver 129 10,430 State Mining Claims Eagle Eastern Interior Gold, Copper, Silver 426 67,350 State Mining Claims Triple Z Eastern Interior Gold, Copper, Silver 95 14,810 State Mining Claims Noah Eastern Interior Gold, Copper, Silver 482 74,330 State Mining Claims 1,132 166,920 Joint Venture Company: Tetlin-Village Eastern Interior Gold, Copper, Silver - 675,000 Lease TOTALS: 1,132 841,920 22 Strategy Retaining Proven Executive Leadership . Effective as of January 6, 2020, Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse was appointed to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Van Nieuwenhuyse will perform the functions of the Company’s principal executive officer. Also effective on January 6, 2020, the size of the Board was increased from four to five directors with Mr. Van Nieuwenhuyse appointed to the Board to fill the vacancy created by the increase. Mr. Van Nieuwenhuyse, 65, previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Trilogy Metals Inc. from January 2012 until December 2019. Between May 1999 and January of 2012, he served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of NOVAGOLD Resources, Inc. Partnering with strategic industry participants to expand future exploration work. In January 2015, the Company formed the Joint Venture Company pursuant to the JV LLCA with Royal Gold. Under the JV LLCA, Royal Gold was appointed as the manager of the Joint Venture Company, initially, with overall management responsibility for operations of the Joint Venture Company. As of October 1, 2020, in conjunction with the Kinross Transactions and the signing of the A&R JV LLCA, KG Mining became the manager of the Joint Venture Company (the “Manager”). KG Mining may resign as Manager and can be removed as Manager for a material breach of the A&R JV LLCA, a material failure to perform its obligations as the Manager, a failure to conduct the Joint Venture Company operations in accordance with industry standards and applicable laws, and other limited circumstances. The Manager will manage and direct the operation of the Joint Venture Company, and will discharge its duties, in accordance with approved programs and budgets. The Manager will implement the decisions of the Management Committee and will carry out the day-to-day operations of the Joint Venture Company. Except as expressly delegated to the Manager, the A&R JV LLCA provides that the Management Committee has exclusive authority to determine all management matters related to the Company. The Management Committee currently consists of one appointee designated by the Company and two appointees designated by KG Mining. The Representatives designated by each member of the Joint Venture Company vote as a group, and in accordance with their respective membership interests in the Joint Venture Company. Except in the case of certain actions that require approval by unanimous vote of the Representatives, the affirmative vote of a majority of the membership interests in the Joint Venture Company constitutes the action of the Management Committee. Structuring Incentives to Drive Behavior . The Company believes that equity ownership aligns the interests of the Company’s executives and directors with those of its stockholders. As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s directors and executives beneficially own approximately 25.1% of the Company’s Common Stock. An additional 12.7% of the Company’s Common Stock is beneficially owned by the Marital Trust of Mr. Kenneth R. Peak, the Company’s former Chairman, who passed away on April 19, 2013. 23 Exploration and Mining Property Exploration and mining rights in Alaska may be acquired in the following manner: public lands, private fee lands, unpatented Federal or State of Alaska mining claims, patented mining claims, and tribal lands. The primary sources for acquisition of these lands are the United States government, through the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service, the Alaskan state government, tribal governments, and individuals or entities who currently hold title to or lease government and private lands. Tribal lands are those lands that are under control by sovereign Native American tribes. Areas that show promise for exploration and mining can be leased from or joint ventured with the tribe controlling the land, including land constituting the Tetlin Lease. The State of Alaska government owns public lands. Mineral resource exploration, development and production are administered primarily by the State Department of Natural Resources. Ownership of the subsurface mineral estate, including alluvial and lode mineral rights, can be acquired by staking a 40 -acre or 160 -acre mining claim, which right is granted under Alaska Statute Sec. 38.05.185 to 38.05.275, as amended. The State of Alaska government continues to own the surface estate, subject to certain rights of ingress and egress owned by the claimant, even though the subsurface can be controlled by a claimant with a right to extract through claim staking. A mining claim is subject to annual assessment work requirements, the payment of annual rental fees and royalties due to the State of Alaska after commencement of commercial production. Both private fee-land and unpatented mining claims and related rights, including rights to use the surface, are subject to permitting requirements of federal, state, tribal and local governments. Gold, Silver, and Copper Exploration The Company controls approximately 167,000 acres of State of Alaska mining claims and the Joint Venture Company leases the Tetlin Lease (an estimated 675,000 acres) for the exploration of gold and associated minerals. The State of Alaska mining claims controlled by the Company are subject to the Option Agreement described above. To date, our exploration has concentrated on the Tetlin Lease, with only a limited amount of exploration work performed on the Tok, Eagle, Bush, West Fork, Triple Z, and Noah claims. The Management Committee decided to release the Bush and West Fork claims in September 2020. The Management Committee of the Joint Venture Company approved an exploration budget for calendar 2019 of $6.9 million, of which the Company’s share was approximately $4.1 million. The program was completed in October 2019 below the budgeted amount. The program included ground geophysics utilizing IP and soil samples within the greater Chief Danny area. A further program of reconnaissance work, drilling and airborne Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetics (“VTEM”) survey was completed in the Hona and Eagle claims blocks to follow up stream sediment sampling work completed in 2017. Also included was soil sampling and ground geophysics work on the Triple Z target. The program drill tested targets adjacent to the Main Peak deposit, on the Hona claims and a target in the North Saddle area. The budget also included funding to initiate a program of surface and groundwater characterization to support future permitting efforts. The Company funded a total of $4.1 million to the Joint Venture Company during calendar year 2019, which related to both the 2019 and 2018 exploration programs. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had funded a total of $2.4 million to the Joint Venture Company for its portion of the calendar year 2020 budget. During the last calendar quarter of 2020 after the consummation of the Kinross Transactions, the Management Committee approved a budget of approximately $5.7 million for drilling and testing, environmental work, engineering studies, and other items. However, due to weather delays and COVID-19 related delays, the Joint Venture Company only spent approximately $3.0 million during the last calendar quarter of 2020. The additional work that couldn't be completed in 2020 is included in the calendar 2021 budget. On December 10, 2020, the Management Committee approved a total budget of $18.0 million for the calendar year 2021 to undertake in-fill drilling, engineering and environmental studies necessary to complete a feasibility-level study, additional exploration, community relations, and to prepare the project for formal permitting. The Company’s proportionate share of the approved budget is approximately $5.4 million. In addition, the Company plans to fund a roughly $3.0 million exploration program to explore for additional resources on 100%-owned Triple Z, Hona, and Eagle prospects in 2021, located immediately north and northwest of the Peak Gold project area. 24 From inception to December 31, 2020, the Joint Venture Company has incurred $50.6 million in exploration program expenditures. As of December 31, 2020, the Company has contributed approximately $11.8 million in cash to the Joint Venture Company. After the consummation of the Kinross Transactions, the Company has a 30.0% membership interest in the Joint Venture Company, with KG Mining holding the other 70.0%. Kinross is a large gold producer with a diverse global portfolio and extensive operating experience in Alaska. The Joint Venture Company plans to mine ore from the Peak and North Peak deposits and then transport the ore to the Kinross owned Fort Knox operation located 250 highway miles where the ore will be processed at the existing Fort Knox mining and milling complex. The use of the Fort Knox mill is expected to accelerate the development of Peak Gold Joint Venture Property and result in significantly reduced upfront capital development costs, smaller environmental footprint, a shorter permitting and development timeline and less overall execution risk for the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property. 100% Owned State of Alaska Mining Claims Triple Z Prospect. The Triple Z claims were originally staked in 2009 and the claim block expanded in 2011, and again in 2019, with the claim block now covering an area of 14,810 acres immediately adjacent to the Alaska Hwy to the south and west, and the Taylor Hwy to the north and east. The area was identified as prospective for porphyry copper-gold-silver-molybdenum mineralization based on regional government sponsored stream sediment sampling. Surface rock (82 samples) and soil samples (115 samples) were collected in 2009. Follow up auger soil sampling completed between 2009 and 2011 identified a large-scale copper-gold-silver-molybdenum anomaly centered along a low-profile ridge with little to no outcrop. An airborne magnetic and resistivity survey conducted over the area in 2011 showed a coincident magnetic low and resistivity high (classic porphyry signatures) over the geochemically anomalous area. A follow up Induced Polarization (“IP”) survey conducted in 2019 across four orthogonal lines and outlined multiple IP anomalies broadly coincident with the soil and mag/resistivity anomalies. To date, the main targets have not yet been drilled because the Company is waiting for a land transfer to be completed between the Bureau of Land Management and the State of Alaska. The Company has been working with the State and Federal agencies to prioritize this transfer because of the highly prospective drill-ready target. Drilling was completed in 2012 (before the IP survey) with six core holes drilled to depths ranging from 230 meters (755 ft.) to 380 meters (1246 ft.). Holes 1202 and 1204 encountered several zones of anomalous copper, gold and silver. Once the land transfer is completed, the Company plans to drill this well-defined porphyry copper-gold-silver-molybdenum target, potentially in late 2021. Hona Prospect . The Hona Prospect area is located on Alaska state mining claims approximately 25 kilometers northwest of the Main Peak deposit. These state mining claims are owned 100% by the Company. A reconnaissance program was carried out on the Hona claim block in 2017, which consisted of 363 pan concentrate and 364 stream sediment samples. Anomalous gold and copper values were found during the 2017 program. In 2019 follow-up reconnaissance work was completed. This effort consisted of taking 615 rock chip samples and surface mapping. The two programs identified three target areas Hona 1, Hona 2 and Hona 3. Exploration drilling in 2019, consisting of two core holes, totaling 1,301 meters, tested a portion of the Hona 2 target. As part of the 2019 program, 1,006 line-km of helicopter-borne magnetic and VTEM survey was completed over a portion of the Hona Prospect. The map below depicts the location of the two core holes drilled at the Hona 2 target along with rock chip sampling results and surface geology. 25 Significant Drill Intercepts from the 2019 Program. Sample intervals are calculated using 0.5 grams per tonne (gpt) lower cut off for gold with no internal waste less than cutoff grade that is greater than 3 meters in thickness. Intercepts shown are drill intercept lengths. True width of mineralization is unknown. The grade cutoff for gold (Au) is 0.5 gpt; for silver (Ag) is 10 gpt; and for copper (Cu) is 0.1%. The following table summarizes the significant drilling results obtained for the complete 2019 Program: DrillHole Zone From (meters) To (meters) Interval (meters) Au_gpt Au_opt Ag_gpt Cu % HN19001 Hona 2 32.00 35.05 3.05 1.01 0.029 1.4 0.027 HN19001 Hona 2 436.17 440.89 4.72 0.80 0.023 - 0.025 HN19001 Hona 2 452.78 460.71 7.93 0.88 0.026 0.4 0.034 HN19002 Hona 2 224.33 227.38 3.05 0.59 0.017 - 0.012 HN19002 Hona 2 339.09 342.29 3.20 1.23 0.036 1.3 0.046 HN19002 Hona 2 369.27 373.56 4.29 0.55 0.016 - 0.028 HN19002 Hona 2 396.85 399.04 2.19 0.93 0.027 1.7 0.024 HN19002 Hona 2 445.24 446.53 1.29 3.05 0.089 0.8 0.029 HN19002 Hona 2 612.65 629.67 17.02 0.41 0.012 5.4 0.333 Joint Venture Company Chief Danny Prospect Area . The Chief Danny Prospect Area currently is the most advanced exploration target on the Tetlin Lease and is comprised of several distinct mineralized areas: Main Peak Zone, Discovery Zone, West Peak Zone, North Peak Zone, Saddle Zone a nd the 7 O’clock area. The Tetlin Lease is owned by the Joint Venture Company, of which the Company has a 30.0% interest. The Chief Danny prospect was discovered during rock, stream sediment and pan concentrate sampling in 2009 and since then has been explored using top of bedrock soil auger sampling, trenching, ground IP geophysics, airborne magnetic and resistivity surveys and core drilling. Results from this work indicate the presence of a zoned metal-bearing system consisting of a gold-copper-iron enriched core covering six square miles at Chief Danny South (includes Main Peak, Discovery, West Peak, and North Peak) and a fault-offset arsenic-gold enriched zone to the north covering three square miles at the Saddle Zone. The Joint Venture Company has conducted extensive drilling on the Main Peak, North Peak, and West Peak Zones. The Joint Venture Company has also conducted some environmental base line studies on the areas surrounding the Chief Danny prospect, as well as airborne magnetic and resistivity programs. From 2009 through December 31, 2020, the Joint Venture Company conducted field-related exploration work at the Chief Danny Prospect, including collecting the following samples: Year Program Core Samples Rock Samples Soil Samples Pan Con Samples Stream Silt Samples Core (feet) IP/Geophysics (kilometers) Trenching (feet) 2009 Chief Danny — 958 33 94 11 — — 2,330 2010 Chief Danny — 613 760 668 795 — 14 — 2011 Chief Danny 1,267 20 688 — — 8,057 3,957 — 2012 Chief Danny 5,223 82 1,029 — — 36,006 — — 2013 Chief Danny 8,970 14 1,406 85 278 47,081 2,414 — 2014 Chief Danny — — — — — — — — 2015 Chief Danny 8,352 133 — — — 46,128 — — 2016 Chief Danny 10,450 21 694 — — 67,336 24 — 2017 Chief Danny 11,864 112 975 408 408 59,347 48 — 2018 Chief Danny 2,973 402 63 45 9 20,307 80 — 2019 Chief Danny 1,575 839 1,563 18 — 10,079 1,049 — 2020 Chief Danny — — — — — 4,600 — — Total 50,674 3,194 7,211 1,318 1,501 298,941 7,586 2,330 26 The map below depicts the location of the core holes drilled in the East Peak and North Saddle zones. The image below shows the Peak Gold project and surrounding targets: 27 The image below shows the approximate location of planned in-fill, geotechnical, hydrological and metallurgical drill holes during the $18 million 2021 Peak Gold LLC program. The objective of the program is to advance the feasibility study and permitting for the Peak and North Peak deposits. 28 During the quarter ended December 31, 2020, the Joint Venture Company spent approximately $3.0 million on drilling, metallurgical testing, environmental and permitting work, engineering studies, and other related work. The Joint Venture Company commenced drilling on November 22, 2020 and continued through December 19, 2020. The Joint Venture Company completed 10 core holes for metallurgical testing with a total drill length of approximately 2,800 ft. Three geotechnical holes were completed with total drill length of approximately 1,800 ft. An additional 8 geotechnical holes will be completed in 2021. The geotechnical information collected will be incorporated into the overall pit design and mine plan. No exploration drilling was performed by the Joint Venture Company during the quarter, however a plan is being developed to perform exploration drilling during 2021. 2019 Exploration Program. During the quarter ended December 31, 2019, the Joint Venture Company spent an estimated $1.6 million on program activities, including metallurgical testing, geochemical data analyses, geophysical surveys landholding fees and other related expenses. During the quarter ended September 30, 2019, the Joint Venture Company spent an estimated $2.8 million on program activities, including 7.6 line kilometers of IP geophysical surveys and 125 soil auger sampling and 146 rock chip samples within the Chief Danny area. Exploration drilling consisted of 1,771 meters in four holes, which included three holes for 1,117 meters in the East Peak area and one hole of 654 meters at the North Saddle. Significant Drill Intercepts from the 2019 Program. Sample intervals are calculated using 0.5 grams per tonne (gpt) lower cut off for gold with no internal waste less than cutoff grade that is greater than 3 meters in thickness. Intercepts shown are drill intercept lengths. True width of mineralization is unknown. The grade cutoff for gold (Au) is 0.5 gpt; for silver (Ag) is 10 gpt; and for copper (Cu) is 0.1%. The following table summarizes the significant drilling results obtained for the complete 2019 Program: DrillHole Zone From (meters) To (meters) Interval (meters) Au_gpt Au_opt Ag_gpt Cu % TET19446 East Peak 213.52 215.00 1.48 1.11 0.032 64.8 0.046 TET19447 East Peak 148.44 151.49 3.05 0.99 0.029 31.0 0.022 TET19447 East Peak 303.70 306.29 2.59 1.70 0.050 61.8 0.116 TET19447 East Peak 326.04 327.17 1.13 1.70 0.050 5.1 0.076 TET19447 East Peak 339.85 342.14 2.29 1.79 0.052 3.1 0.108 TET19447 East Peak 407.21 408.52 1.31 9.18 0.268 1.9 0.049 TET19448 East Peak 326.77 329.34 2.57 2.37 0.069 1.3 0.015 2019 Exploration Program – continued. During the quarter ended June 30, 2019, the Joint Venture Company spent an estimated $1.7 million on program activities, including 23.3 line kilometers of IP geophysical surveys and 1,363 soil auger sampling within the Chief Danny area. Drill targets were assessed and initial drilling to test East Peak and North Saddle started in mid-August. In addition, seven monitor wells were installed in and around the deposit area to initiate groundwater characterized to support baseline date collection. During the quarter ended March 31, 2019, the Joint Venture Company spent an estimated $0.3 million on program activities, including metallurgical testing, geochemical data analyses, landholding fees and other related expenses. 29 Consulting Services provided by Avalon Development Corporation Until January 8, 2015, the Company was a party to a Professional Services Agreement (“PSA”) with Avalon Development Corporation (“Avalon”) to provide certain geological consulting services and exploration activities with respect to the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property. Pursuant to the PSA, Avalon provided geological consulting services and exploration activities, including all field work at the Tetlin Lease. In connection with the formation of the Joint Venture Company, the Company terminated the PSA with Avalon. Avalon continued to provide services to the Joint Venture Company until February 28, 2020, when its owner, Curtis J. Freeman, retired. The Joint Venture Company has retained certain key administrative, geology, and database management personnel from Avalon on a contract basis. The Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, who has extensive experience in the mining industry, and personnel previously employed by Avalon are assisting the Joint Venture Company in place of Avalon. In addition, the Company hired two of Avalon's former employees in December 2020. Services Provided by Tetlin Village Members Since the start of the term of the Tetlin Lease, the Company has worked closely with the Tetlin Tribal Council to train and employ Tetlin Tribal members and their family members during the Joint Venture Company’s project exploration programs. During the Joint Venture Company’s exploration programs, there were typically 10 to 15 Tetlin residents working on the Joint Venture Company’s project employed on a seasonal basis through Avalon. Their duties included reconnaissance soil, stream sediment and pan concentrate sampling, diamond drill core processing, drill pad construction and related tasks, expediting services, food services, database management, vehicle transportation and maintenance services, reclamation activities, and project management tasks. Community Affairs In April 2015, the Joint Venture Company entered into a Community Support Agreement (as amended, the “Support Agreement”) with the Tetlin Village for a one-year period, which was extended for two additional two-year periods under the same terms. Under the extended Support Agreement, the Joint Venture Company provided payments to the Tetlin Village four times during the year for an aggregate amount of $110,000 through January 1, 2017, and an additional $100,000 each year through January 1, 2020. The Support Agreement has been extended for two additional one-year periods under the same terms. Under the latest extension, the Joint Venture Company will provide payments to the Tetlin Village four times during the year for an aggregate amount of $100,000 through January 1, 2022. The Support Agreement defines agreed uses for the funds and auditing rights regarding use of funds. In addition, the Joint Venture Company supports the Tetlin Village in maintenance of the village access road, which is used by the Joint Venture Company. Adverse Climate Conditions Weather conditions affect the Joint Venture Company’s ability to conduct exploration activities and mine any ore from the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property in Alaska. While the Company believes exploration, development work and any subsequent mining may be conducted year-round, the arctic climate limits many exploration and mining activities during certain seasons. 30 Competition The Company currently faces strong competition for the acquisition of any new exploration-stage properties as well as extraction of any minerals in Alaska. Numerous larger mining companies actively seek out and bid for mining prospects as well as for the services of third party providers and supplies, such as mining equipment and transportation equipment. The Company’s competitors in the exploration, development, acquisition and mining business will include major integrated mining companies as well as numerous smaller mining companies, almost all of which have significantly greater financial resources and in-house technical expertise. In addition, the Company will compete with others in efforts to obtain financing to explore our mineral properties. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements None. Contractual Obligations The Tetlin Lease had an initial ten year term beginning July 2008 which was extended for an additional ten years to July 15, 2028, or so long as the Joint Venture Company initiates and continues to conduct mining operations on the Tetlin Lease. The Joint Venture Company was required to spend $350,000 per year annually until July 15, 2018 in exploration costs pursuant to the Tetlin Lease. Exploration expenditures to date under the Tetlin Lease have satisfied this work commitment requirement for the full lease term, through 2028, because exploration funds spent in any year in excess of $350,000 are credited toward future years’ exploration cost requirements. The Tetlin Lease also provides that the Joint Venture Company will pay the Tetlin Tribal Council a production royalty ranging from 3.0% to 5.0% should the Joint Venture Company deliver to a purchaser on a commercial basis precious or non-precious metals derived from the properties under the Tetlin Lease. The Company had previously paid the Tetlin Tribal Council $225,000 in exchange for reducing the production royalty payable to them by 0.75%. These payments lowered the production royalty to a range of 2.25% to 4.25%. On or before December 31, 2020, the Tetlin Tribal Council had the option to increase its production royalty by (i) 0.25% by payment to the Joint Venture Company of $150,000, (ii) 0.50% by payment to the Joint Venture Company of $300,000, or (iii) 0.75% by payment to the Joint Venture Company of $450,000. The Tetlin Tribal Council exercised the option to increase its production royalty by 0.75% by payment to the Joint Venture Company of $450,000 on December 30, 2020. In lieu of a cash payment, the $450,000 will be credited against future production royalty and advance minimum royalty payments due by the Joint Venture Company to the Tetlin Tribal Council under the lease once production begins. On January 8, 2015, the Company assigned the Tetlin Lease to the Joint Venture Company in connection with the formation of the Joint Venture Company. Until such time as production royalties begin, the Joint Venture Company will pay the Tetlin Tribal Council an advance minimum royalty of approximately $75,000 per year, plus an inflation adjustment. Additionally, the Joint Venture Company will pay Royal Gold an overriding royalty of 3.0% should it deliver to a purchaser on a commercial basis gold or associated minerals derived from the Tetlin Lease, and a 28.0% net smelter returns silver royalty on all silver produced from a defined area within the Tetlin Lease. The Company will pay Royal Gold an overriding royalty of 3.0% on certain State of Alaska mining claims should it deliver to a purchaser on a commercial basis precious metals, non-precious metals or hydrocarbons. The Company pays claim rentals on State of Alaska mining claims which vary based on the ages of the claims. For the 2020–2021 assessment year, claims rentals totaled $294,435. Also, if the minimum work requirement is not performed on the property, additional minimum labor payments are due on certain state of Alaska acreage. In February 2019, the Company entered into Retention Agreements with its then-Chief Executive Officer, Brad Juneau, its Chief Financial Officer, Leah Gaines, and one other employee providing for payments in an aggregate amount of $1,500,000 upon the occurrence of certain conditions. The Retention Agreements, as amended, are triggered upon a change of control (as defined in the applicable Retention Agreement), that takes place prior to August 6, 2025, provided that the recipient is employed by the Company when the change of control occurs. Mr. Juneau and Ms. Gaines will receive a payment of $1,000,000 and $250,000, respectively, upon a change of control. On June 10, 2020, the Company entered into a Retention Payment Agreement with Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, providing for a payment in an amount of $350,000 upon the occurrence of certain conditions. The Retention Payment Agreement is triggered upon a change of control (as defined in the Retention Payment Agreement) which occurs on or prior to August 6, 2025, provided that Mr. Van Nieuwenhuyse is employed by the Company when the change of control occurs. The Company received $32.4 million in cash consideration in conjunction with the Kinross Transactions. Of the $32.4 million, $1.2 million constituted a reimbursement prepayment to the Company relating to its proportionate share of silver royalty payments that the Joint Venture Company may be obligated to pay to Royal Gold, with the understanding that KG Mining will bear the entire economic impact of those royalty payments due from the Joint Venture Company. Pursuant to Article IV of the A&R JV LLCA, if the Joint Venture Company terminates, or the Company’s membership interest falls below 5% prior to when the prepaid royalty is paid out, the $1.2 million (less any portion already paid out) is refundable to KG Mining. Application of Critical Accounting Policies and Management ’s Estimates The discussion and analysis of the Company ’s financial condition and results of operations is based upon the consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. The Company has identified below the policies that are of particular importance to the portrayal of our financial position and results of operations and which require the application of significant judgment by management. The Company analyzes its estimates, including those related to its mineral reserve estimates, on a periodic basis and bases its estimates on historical experience, independent third party engineers and various other assumptions that management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The Company believes the following critical accounting policies affect its more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements: Stock-Based Compensation. The Company applies the fair value method of accounting for stock-based compensation. Under this method, the Company measures and recognizes compensation expense for all stock-based payments at fair value at the date of grant and amortize the amount over the employee’s service period. Management is required to make assumptions including stock price volatility and employee turnover that are utilized to measure compensation expense. 31 Investment in the Joint Venture Company. The Company’s consolidated financial statements include the investment in the Joint Venture Company, which is accounted for under the equity method. The Company has designated one of the three members of the Management Committee and on December 31, 2020 held a 30.0% ownership interest in the Joint Venture Company. KG Mining serves as the manager of the Joint Venture Company and manages, directs, and controls operations of the Joint Venture Company. The Company recorded its investment at the historical cost of the assets contributed. The cumulative losses of the Joint Venture Company exceed the historical cost of the assets contributed to the Joint Venture Company; therefore, the Company’s investment in the Joint Venture Company as of December 31, 2020 is zero. The portion of the cumulative loss that exceeds the Company’s investment will be suspended and recognized against earnings, if any, from the investment in the Joint Venture Company in future periods. Results of Operations Neither the Company nor the Joint Venture Company has commenced mining or producing commercially marketable minerals. To date, neither the Company nor the Joint Venture Company has generated any revenue from mineral sales or operations. Neither the Company nor the Joint Venture Company has any recurring source of revenue other than contributions by the Company and KG Mining to the Joint Venture Company, and, in addition to the consideration received in the Kinross Transactions, the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is dependent on the Company’s ability to raise capital to fund its future exploration and working capital requirements. In the future, the Joint Venture Company may generate revenue from a combination of mineral sales and other payments resulting from any commercially recoverable minerals from the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property. The Company does not expect the Joint Venture Company to generate revenue from mineral sales in the foreseeable future. If the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property fails to contain any proven reserves, our ability to generate future revenue, and our results of operations and financial position, would be materially adversely affected. Other potential sources of cash, or relief of demand for cash, include external debt, the sale of shares of our stock, joint ventures, or alternative methods such as mergers or sale of our assets. No assurances can be given, however, that the Company will be able to obtain any of these potential sources of cash. The Company will need to generate significant revenues to achieve profitability and it may never do so. Three Months Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expense for the three months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $2,602,591 and $1,150,944, respectively. The Company’s general and administrative expense primarily relates to audit fees, legal fees, management fees, payroll and stock-based compensation expense. The current year increase is the result of increased payroll related fees. The Company added three new employees during 2020, and in December 2020, the Company’s executives that previously provided services to the Company via the Management Services Agreement with JEX, began receiving compensation directly from the Company, and the management fee under the Management Services Agreement with JEX was reduced. The Company also paid its executives bonuses totaling $0.5 million. There were no payroll related fees in December 2019. General and administrative expense for the period ended December 31, 2019, primarily related to stock based compensation expense of $882,881 related to restricted stock granted to our officers and directors in November 2019, November 2018, November 2017, November 2016, August 2016, September 2015, and November 2014, all pursuant to the Equity Plan. Loss from Equity Investment in the Joint Venture Company . The loss from the Company’s equity investment in the Joint Venture Company for the three months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $1,123,452 and $1,800,000, respectively. Pursuant to the terms of the A&R JV LLCA, the Company and KG Mining are required to jointly fund the joint venture operations in proportion to their membership interests in the Joint Venture Company to avoid dilution. The Company invested $1,123,452 in the Joint Venture Company during the three months ended December 31, 2020, and $1,800,000 during the three months ended December 31, 2019. The portion of the cumulative loss that exceeds the Company’s cumulative investment will be suspended and recognized against earnings, if any, from the Company’s investment in the Joint Venture Company in future periods. The suspended losses for the period from inception to December 31, 2020 are $ 21.8 million. 32 Six Months Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Six Months Ended December 31, 2019 General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expense for the six months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $6,127,582 and $2,141,935, respectivel y. The Company’s general and administrative expense primarily relates to audit fees, legal fees, management fees, payroll, and stock-based compensation expense. The current year increase is the result of non-recurring legal and transaction related fees associated with the CORE Transactions of approximately $2.9 million and payroll related fees. The Company also paid its executives bonuses totaling $0.5 million. There were no payroll related fees in December 2019. General and administrative expense for the period ended December 31, 2019 primarily related to stock based compensation expense of $1,623,323 related to restricted stock granted to our officers and directors in November 2019, November 2018, November 2017, November 2016, August 2016, September 2015, and November 2014, all pursuant to the Equity Plan. Loss from Equity Investment in the Joint Venture Company . The loss from the Company’s equity investment in the Joint Venture Company for the six months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $1,371,252 and $2,700,000, respectively. Pursuant to the terms of the A&R JV LLCA, the Company and KG Mining are required to jointly fund the joint venture operations in proportion to their membership interests in the Joint Venture Company to avoid dilution. The Company invested $1,371,252 in the Joint Venture Company during the six months ended December 31, 2020, and $2,700,000 during the six months ended December 31, 2019. The portion of the cumulative loss that exceeds the Company’s cumulative investment will be susp ended and recognized against earnings, if any, from the Company’s investment in the Joint Venture Company in future periods. The suspended losses for the period from inception to December 31, 2020 are $21.8 million. Gain on Sale of a Portion of the Investment in the Joint Venture Company. The Company recorded the $32.4 million cash proceeds and the 809,744 shares of Common Stock, received from the CORE Transactions, at fair value and recognized a gain on sale of $39.6 million. The Company valued the Common Stock consideration from the CORE Transactions consistent with the accounting guidance for non-monetary exchanges. The stock consideration was valued based on the implied fair value of the CORE Transactions in total less the cash proceeds. The total value of the CORE Transactions was equated to the value of the Company's 30.0% ownership in the Joint Venture Company, post the 30.0% membership interest transferred to KG Mining. As of the date of the CORE Transaction, the Company's investment in the Joint Venture Company had a zero balance, therefore the $39.6 million gain approximates the full fair value of the CORE JV Interest surrendered in the CORE Transactions. Liquidity and Capital Resources Prior to the formation of the Joint Venture Company, the Company’s primary cash requirements were for exploration-related expenses. Since the formation of the Joint Venture Company, the Company’s primary cash requirements have been for general and administrative expenses and capital calls from the Joint Venture Company. Prior to the Kinross Transactions, the Company’s sources of cash have been from Common Stock offerings. In conjunction with the Kinross Transactions, the Company received $32.4 million and 809,744 shares of the Company’s Common Stock. The 809,744 shares of Common Stock were acquired by KG Mining from Royal Gold, as part of the Royal Gold Transactions and were subsequently canceled by the Company. Of the $32.4 million cash consideration, $1.2 million constituted a reimbursement prepayment to the Company of its proportionate share of certain silver royalty payments that the Joint Venture Company may be obligated to pay to Royal Gold, with the understanding that KG Mining will bear the entire impact of those royalty payments due from the Joint Venture Company. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had approximately $31.9 million of cash. On December 10, 2020, the Management Committee approved a total budget of $18.0 million for the calendar year 2021 to undertake in-fill drilling, engineering and environmental studies necessary to complete a feasibility-level study, additional exploration, community relations, and to prepare the project for formal permitting. The Company’s proportionate share of the approved budget is approximately $5.4 million. In addition, the Company plans to fund a roughly $3.0 million exploration program to explore for additional resources on 100%-owned Triple Z prospect in late 2021, focused on the areas immediately adjacent to the known Joint Venture Company resources. The Company also plans to continue its exploration efforts on its earlier stage Eagle and Hona projects located immediately north of the Peak Gold project area. Due to cash received in the Kinross Transaction and the capital raise completed in September 2020, the Company believes that it has sufficient liquidity to meet its working capital requirements for the next twelve months. The Company’s cash needs going forward will primarily relate to capital calls from the Joint Venture Company and general and administrative expenses of the Company. If a large budget is undertaken, and no additional financing is obtained, the Company can elect not to fund its portion of the approved budget, in which case the Company would maintain sufficient liquidity to meet its working capital requirements for the next twelve months. On September 23, 2020, the Company completed the issuance and sale of an aggregate of 247,172 shares of the Company’s Common Stock in a private placement (the “2020 Private Placement”) to certain purchasers who are accredited investors. The shares of the Common Stock were sold at a price of $13.25 per share, resulting in gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $3.3 million and net proceeds to the Company of approximately $3.2 million. The Company will use the net proceeds from the 2020 Private Placement for working capital purposes and for funding future obligations to the Joint Venture Company and Contango Minerals. Petrie Partners Securities, LLC (“Petrie”) acted as the sole placement agent in connection with the 2020 Private Placement and received a placement agent fee equal to 3.25% of the gross proceeds raised from the subscribers whom they solicited, or a total of approximately $50,000 in placement agent fees. Petrie has provided to the Company in the past and may provide from time to time in the future certain securities offering, financial advisory, investment banking and other services for which it has received and may continue to receive customary fees and commissions. The shares sold in the 2020 Private Placement were issued in reliance on an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) thereof. The bases for the availability of this exemption include the facts that the issuance was a private transaction, which did not involve a public offering and the shares were offered and sold to a limited number of purchasers. The Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse, purchased 75,472 of shares of Common Stock in the 2020 Private Placement, for total consideration of $1.0 million, on the same terms and conditions as all other Purchasers. The Audit Committee of the Company has reviewed and approved all agreements and arrangements relating to Mr. Van Nieuwenhuyse’s participation in the 2020 Private Placement. KG Mining became the Manager of the Joint Venture Company in conjunction with the Kinross Transactions and the signing of the A&R JV LLCA. Pursuant to the terms of the A&R JV LLCA , the Company and KG Mining are required to jointly fund the joint venture operations in proportion to their membership interests in the Joint Venture Company. If a member elects not to contribute to an approved program and budget or contributes less than its proportionate membership interest, its percentage membership interest will be reduced. The Company’s ability to contribute funds sufficient to retain its membership interests in the Joint Venture Company may be limited. To date, neither the Company nor the Joint Venture Company has generated any revenue from mineral sales or operations. In the future, the Joint Venture Company may generate revenue from a combination of mineral sales and other payments resulting from any commercially recoverable minerals from the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property. The Company currently does not have any recurring source of revenue. The Joint Venture Company currently does not have any recurring source of revenue, and its only source of cash inflows are contributions received from KG Mining and the Company. As a result, the Company’s ability to contribute funds to the Joint Venture Company and retain its membership interest will depend on its ability to raise capital. The Company has limited financial resources and the ability of the Company to arrange additional financing in the future will depend, in part, on the prevailing capital market conditions, the exploration results achieved at the Peak Gold Joint Venture Property, as well as the market price of metals. The Company cannot be certain that financing will be available to the Company on acceptable terms, if at all. If the Company were unable to fund its contributions to the approved programs and budgets for the Joint Venture Company, its membership interest in the Joint Venture Company would be diluted. Further financing by the Company may include issuances of equity, instruments convertible into equity (such as warrants) or various forms of debt. The Company believes that it is likely that it will raise capital through the issuance of additional equity securities in the next six months for purposes of funding its proportionate share of future Joint Venture Company exploration and for the Company’s operating costs. The Company has issued Common Stock and other instruments convertible into equity in the past and cannot pre dict the size or price of any future issuances of Common Stock or other instruments convertible into equity, and the effect, if any, that such future issuances and sales will have on the market price of the Company’s securities. Any additional issuances of Common Stock or securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, Common Stock may ultimately result in dilution to the holders of Common Stock, dilution in any future earnings per share of the Company and may have a material adverse effect upon the market price of the Common Stock of the Company. 33 Risk Factors In addition to the risk factor set forth below and the other information set forth elsewhere in this Form 10-Q, you should carefully consider the risks discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2020, under the headings “Item 1. Business — Adverse Climate Conditions,” “—Competition,” “— Government Regulation” and “— Environmental Regulation,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” which risks could materially affect our business, financial condition or future results. There have been no material changes in our risk factors from those described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2020 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, other than updating the risk factors below. The risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2020, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and below are not the only risks the Company faces. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or future results. An investment in the Company is subject to risks inherent in our business and involves a high degree of risk. The trading price of the shares of the Company is affected by the performance of our business relative to, among other things, competition, market conditions and general economic and industry conditions. The value of an investment in the Company may decrease, resulting in a loss. The updated risk factors are as follows: 34 The Company’s Common Stock is thinly traded. As of December 31, 2020, there were approximately 6.2 million shares of the Company’s Common Stock outstanding, with directors and officers beneficially owning approximately 25.1% of the Common Stock and the Marital Trust of Mr. Kenneth R. Peak, the Company’s former Chairman, beneficially owning approximately 12.7% of the Company's Common Stock . The Company's Common Stock is quoted on the OTCQB tier of the OTC Markets Group Inc. under the symbol “CTGO”. Although the Company's Common Stock is quoted on the OTCQB, trading has been irregular and with low volumes and therefore the market price of its Common Stock may be difficult to ascertain. Since the Company's Common Stock is thinly traded (average trading volume of 523 shares of Common Stock per day for fiscal year 2021 to date), the purchase or sale of relatively small Common Stock positions may result in disproportionately large increases or decreases in the price of the Company's Common Stock . A change in tax laws in key jurisdictions could materially increase the Company’s tax expense. The Company is subject to income taxes in the United States and the State of Alaska, and changes to income tax laws and regulations, or the interpretation of such laws, in any of the jurisdictions in which the Company operates could significantly increase its effective tax rate and ultimately reduce its cash flows from operating activities and otherwise have a material adverse effect on its financial condition. Additionally, various levels of government are increasingly focused on tax reform and other legislative actions to increase tax revenue and/or no longer provide certain advantageous tax write-offs to certain natural resource oriented industries, and President Biden’s campaign proposals included increasing the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 21% to 28%. If implemented by taxing authorities, such changes in U.S. federal and state tax laws or in taxing jurisdictions’ administrative interpretations, decisions, policies, and positions, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, or financial condition. 35 Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk As a “smaller reporting company”, the Company is not required to provide this information.