Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Investing in our common shares involves a high degree of risk. An investment in our securities is speculative and involves a high degree of risk due to the nature of our business and the present stage of exploration and development of our mineral properties. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information in this Annual Report, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and Part II, Item 7. entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and in any documents incorporated in this Annual Report by reference, before deciding whether to invest in our common shares. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects and could cause them to differ materially from the estimates described in forward-looking statements in this Annual Report. In such an event, the market price of our common shares could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Although we have discussed all known material risks, the risks described below are not the only ones that we may face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. Certain statements below are forward-looking statements. See also “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this Annual Report.
Risks Related to Our Business
We have no history of commercially producing precious metals from our mineral properties and there can be no assurance that we will successfully establish mining operations or profitably produce precious metals.
The Project is not in production or currently under construction, and we have no ongoing mining operations or revenue from mining operations. Mineral exploration and development has a high degree of risk and few properties that are explored are ultimately
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developed into producing mines. The future development of the Project will require obtaining federal and state permits and financing and the construction and operation of mines, processing plants and related infrastructure. As a result, we are subject to all of the risks associated with establishing new mining operations and business enterprises, including, among others:
● The need to obtain necessary environmental and other governmental approvals and permits, and the timing and conditions of those approvals and permits;
● The potential that future exploration and development of mineral claims on or near the Project site may be impacted by litigation and/or consent decrees entered into by previous owners of mineral rights;
● The availability and cost of funds to finance construction and development activities;
● The timing and cost, which can be considerable, of the construction of mining and processing facilities as well as other related infrastructure;
● Potential opposition from Native American tribes, non-governmental organizations, environmental groups or local groups which may delay or prevent development activities;
● Potential increases in construction and operating costs due to changes in the cost of labor, fuel, power, materials and supplies, services, and foreign exchange rates;
● The availability and cost of skilled labor and mining equipment; and
● The availability and cost of appropriate smelting and/or refining arrangements.
The costs, timing and complexities of mine construction and development are increased by the remote location of the Project, with additional challenges related thereto, including access, water and power supply, and other support infrastructure. Cost estimates may increase significantly as more detailed engineering work and studies are completed. New mining operations commonly experience unexpected costs, problems and delays during development, construction, and mine start-up. In addition, delays in the commencement of mineral production often occur. Accordingly, there are no assurances that our activities will result in profitable mining operations, that we will successfully establish mining operations, or that we will profitably produce precious metals at the Project.
In addition, there is no assurance that our mineral exploration activities will result in any discoveries of new ore bodies. If further mineralization is discovered there is also no assurance that the mineralized material would be economical for commercial production. Discovery of mineral deposits is dependent upon a number of factors and significantly influenced by the technical skill of the exploration personnel involved. The commercial viability of a mineral deposit is also dependent upon a number of factors which are beyond our control, including the attributes of the deposit, commodity prices, government policies and regulation, and environmental protection requirements.
Perpetua Resources’ future exploration and development efforts may be unsuccessful.
Mineral resource exploration and, if warranted, development, is a speculative business, characterized by a number of significant risks, including, among other things, unprofitable efforts resulting not only from the failure to discover mineral deposits but also from finding mineral deposits, which, though present, are insufficient in volume and/or grade to return a profit from production. There is no certainty that the expenditures that have been made and may be made in the future by the Corporation related to the exploration of its properties will result in discoveries of mineralized material in commercially viable quantities.
Most exploration projects do not result in the discovery of commercially viable mineral deposits and no assurance can be given that any particular level of recovery or Mineral Reserves will in fact be realized or that any identified mineral deposit will ever qualify as a commercially viable deposit which can be legally and economically exploited.
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Perpetua Resources’ mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates may not be indicative of the actual gold that can be mined.
Assay results from core drilling or reverse circulation drilling can be subject to errors at the laboratory analyzing the drill samples. In addition, reverse circulation or core drilling may lead to samples which may not be representative of the gold or other metals in the entire deposit. Mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates are based on interpretation of available facts and extrapolation or interpolation of data and may not be representative of the actual deposit. In the context of mineral exploration and future development, there is inherent variability between duplicate samples taken adjacent to each other and between sampling points that cannot be reasonably eliminated. There may also be unknown geologic details that have not been identified or correctly appreciated at the current level of delineation in these types of investigations. This results in uncertainties that cannot be reasonably eliminated from the estimation process. Some of the resulting variances can have a positive effect and others can have a negative effect on mining and processing operations. The calculations of amounts of mineralized material within Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves are estimates only. Actual recoveries of gold and other potential by-products from Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves may be lower than those indicated by test work. Any material change in the quantity of mineralization, grade, tonnage or stripping ratio, or the price of gold and other potential by-products, may affect the economic viability of a mineral property. In addition, there can be no assurance that the recoveries of gold and other potential by-products in small-scale laboratory tests will be duplicated in larger scale pilot plant tests under on-site conditions or during production. Notwithstanding the results of any metallurgical testing or pilot plant tests for metallurgy and other factors, there remains the possibility that the ore may not react in commercial production in the same manner as it did in testing.
Mining and metallurgy are an inexact science and, accordingly, there always remains an element of risk that a mine may not prove to be commercially viable. Until a deposit is actually mined and processed, the quantity of Mineral Reserves, Mineral Resources and grades must be considered as estimates only. In addition, the determination and valuation of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources is based on, among other things, assumed metal prices. Market fluctuations and metal prices may render Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves uneconomic. Any material change in quantity of Mineral Reserves, Mineral Resources, grade, tonnage, percent extraction of those mineral reserves recoverable by underground mining techniques or stripping ratio for those Mineral Reserves recoverable by open pit mining techniques may affect the economic viability of a mining project, including the Project and any future operations in which the Corporation has a direct or indirect interest. Any or all of these factors may lead to mineral resource and/or mineral reserve estimates being overstated, the mineable gold that can be received from the Project being less than the mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, and the Project not being a viable project.
If the Corporation’s mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates for the Project are not indicative of actual grades of gold and other potential by-products, Perpetua Resources will have to continue to explore for a viable deposit or cease operations.
Perpetua Resources faces numerous uncertainties in estimating economically recoverable mineral reserves and mineral resources, and inaccuracies in estimates could result in lower than expected revenues, higher than expected costs and decreased profitability.
Information concerning our mining properties in Item 2, Properties has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of S-K 1300. A mineral is economically recoverable when the price at which it can be sold exceeds the costs and expenses of mining, processing and selling the mineral. Mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates of the gold, silver and antimony in our mining properties are based on many factors, including engineering, economic and geological data assembled and analyzed by internal staff and third parties, which includes various engineers and geologists, the area and volume covered by mining rights, assumptions regarding extraction rates and duration of mining operations, and the quality of in-place mineral reserves and mineral resources. The mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates as to both quantity and quality are updated from time to time to reflect, among other matters, new data received.
There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities and qualities of minerals and costs to mine recoverable mineral reserves and mineral resources, including many factors beyond the Corporation’s control. Estimates of mineral reserves and mineral resources necessarily depend upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, any one of which may, if incorrect, result in an estimate that varies considerably from actual results. These factors and assumptions include, among others:
● Geologic and mining conditions, including the Corporation’s ability to access certain mineral deposits as a result of the nature of the geologic formations of the deposits or other factors, which may not be fully identified by available exploration data;
● Demand for the Corporation’s minerals;
● Contractual arrangements, operating costs and capital expenditures;
● Development and reclamation costs;
● Mining technology and processing improvements;
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● The effects of regulation by governmental agencies and adverse judicial decisions;
● The ability to obtain, maintain and renew all required permits;
● Employee health and safety; and
● The Corporation’s ability to convert all or any part of mineral resources to economically extractable mineral reserves.
As a result, actual tonnage recovered from identified mining properties and estimated revenues, expenditures and cash flows with respect to mineral reserves and mineral resources may vary materially from estimates. Thus, these estimates may not accurately reflect the Corporation’s actual mineral reserves and mineral resources. Any material inaccuracy in estimates related to the Corporation’s mineral reserves or mineral resources could result in lower than expected revenues, higher than expected costs or decreased profitability and changes in future cash flow, which could materially and adversely affect the Corporation’s business, results of operations, financial position and cash flows. Additionally, reserve and resource estimates may be adversely affected in the future by interpretations of, or changes to, the SEC’s property disclosure requirements for mining companies.
Perpetua Resources has a history of net losses and expects losses to continue for the foreseeable future.
We have a history of net losses and we expect to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. The Project has not advanced to the commercial production stage and we have no history of earnings or cash flow from operations. We expect to continue to incur net losses unless and until such time the Project commences commercial production and generates sufficient revenues to fund continuing operations. The development of our mineral properties to achieve production will require the commitment of substantial financial resources. The amount and timing of expenditures will depend on a number of factors, including the progress of ongoing exploration and development, the results of consultants’ analyses and recommendations, the rate at which operating losses are incurred, the process of obtaining required government permits and approvals, responding to opposition to the Project, including potential litigation, the availability and cost of financing, the participation of our partners, and the execution of any sale or joint venture agreements with strategic partners. These factors, and others, are beyond our control. There is no assurance that we will be profitable in the future.
We have a limited property portfolio.
At present, our only material mineral property is the interest that we hold through our subsidiary in the Project. Unless we acquire or develop additional mineral properties, we will be solely dependent upon this property. If no additional mineral properties are acquired by us, any adverse development affecting our operations and further development at the Project may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our ability to continue the exploration, permitting, development, and construction of the Project, and to continue as a going concern, will depend in part on our ability to obtain suitable financing.
We have limited financial resources. We will need external financing to develop and construct the Project and to complete the permitting process. Perpetua Resources expects that current cash resources, combined with the full DPA funding under the TIA, provide the Company with sufficient liquidity to complete permitting and early restoration activities on the current timeline as well as additional liquidity to begin advancing construction readiness into 2024. However, the Corporation expects to require additional financing to complete pre-construction and construction activities.
In addition, according to the TRS, the total initial capital cost estimate for the Project is approximately $1,263 million. These cost estimates may change materially and our failure to obtain sufficient financing could result in the delay or indefinite postponement of exploration, permitting, development, construction, or production at the Project. The cost and terms of such financing may significantly reduce the expected benefits from development of the Project and/or render such development uneconomic. There can be no assurance that additional capital or other types of financing will be available when needed or that, if available, the terms of such financing will be favorable. Our failure to obtain financing could have a material adverse effect on our growth strategy and results of operations and financial condition.
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Our funding under the TIA is subject to certain conditions, limitations and ongoing obligations. If we fail to satisfy these conditions, we may be unable to obtain all of the funding allocated to Perpetua Resources or may be required to disgorge such funds.
In December 2022, Perpetua Resources was awarded a TIA of up to $24.8 million under Title III of the DPA. The TIA is subject to negotiation of a definitized agreement with the DOD. Until the agreement is definitized, the maximum funding available under the TIA is capped at $18,600,000, 75% of the not-to-exceed amount. Perpetua Resources expects to enter into a definitized agreement in the first half of 2023. However, there is no assurance that Perpetua Resources will be able to finalize the definitized agreement on the expected timeline or at all. The TIA also contains customary terms and conditions for technology investment agreements, including ongoing reporting obligations. If we fail to satisfy these conditions, we will be unable to obtain remaining funds available under the TIA and, under certain circumstances, could be required to disgorge funds already paid.
Under the funding agreement, Perpetua Resources may request reimbursement for certain costs incurred over 24 months related to environmental baseline data monitoring, environmental and technical studies and other activities related to advancing Perpetua’s construction readiness and permitting process for the Stibnite Gold Project. The funds may be used only for the purposes specified in the TIA and are not available to the Corporation for general corporate purposes other than those specified. Furthermore, the TIA contains limitations on the Corporation’s ability to share or sell certain assets, interests or technology to foreign counterparties, which may limit the Corporation’s ability to raise funding from foreign sources or capitalize on business opportunities with foreign companies.
We are subject to NEPA review and may be unable to obtain or retain necessary permits which could adversely affect our operations.
Our mining and exploration development activities are subject to extensive permitting requirements which can be costly to comply with and involve extended timelines. Specifically, we are subject to NEPA review, a federal process which is presently ongoing. Formal review under NEPA is extensive and involves several actions, including public scoping, coordination with cooperating agencies, the release of environmental impact statements followed by public comment, potential administrative objections, and the issuance of a final record of decision. Delays in the NEPA process, such as we are unable to timely obtain a record of decision from the United States Forest Service or fail to obtain requisite ancillary permits, may adversely impact our operations. Additionally, to the extent that we are granted necessary permits, we may be subject to a number of Project requirements or conditions including the installation or undertaking of programs to safeguard protected species and their habitat, sites, or otherwise limit the impacts of our operations. Previously obtained permits may be suspended or revoked for a variety of reasons. While we strive to comply with and conclude the NEPA review process, and obtain and comply with all necessary permits and approvals, any failure to do so may have negative impacts upon our business or financial condition, such as increased delays, curtailment of our operations, increased costs, implementation of mitigation or remediation requirements, the potential for litigation or regulatory action, and damage to our reputation.
We are subject to extensive environmental laws and regulations, where compliance failure may impact our operations.
Our mining, exploration, and development operations are subject to extensive environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate and include those relating to the discharge and remediation of materials in the environment, waste management, and natural resource protection and preservation. Numerous governmental authorities, such as the U.S. EPA, and analogous state agencies, have the authority to enforce compliance with these laws and regulations and the permits issued thereunder, oftentimes requiring difficult and costly response actions. Certain environmental laws, such as CERCLA, impose strict, joint and several liability for costs required to remediate and restore sites where hazardous substances have been stored or released, including sites subject to legacy contamination. We may be required to remediate contaminated properties currently owned and operated by us regardless of whether such contamination resulted from our actions or from the conduct of others. Additionally, claims for damages to persons or property, including damages to natural resources, may result from the environmental, health, and safety impacts of our operations.
We may incur substantial costs to maintain compliance with environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations and such costs could increase if existing laws and regulations are revised or reinterpreted or if new laws or regulations become applicable to our operations. Failure to comply with these environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations may result in the imposition of restrictions on our operations, administrative civil or criminal liabilities, injunctions, third-party property damage or personal injury claims, investigatory cleanup or other remedial obligations, or other adverse effects on our business, financial condition, or operations. Current and future legislative, regulatory, and judicial action could result in changes to operating permits, material changes in operations, and increased capital and operating expenditures, among others.
Our operations are also subject to extensive laws and regulations governing worker health and safety and require us to ensure our employees receive adequate training and guidance to follow applicable environmental, health, and safety policies, procedures, and programs. Failure to comply with applicable legal requirements may cause us to incur significant legal liability, penalties, or fines, result
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in reputational damage, and negatively impact our employee retention. Our mines will be inspected on a regular basis by government regulators who may issue orders and citations if they believe a violation of applicable mining health and safety laws has occurred. In such cases, we may be subject to fines, penalties, or sanctions, and our operations temporarily shut down. Additionally, future changes in applicable laws and regulations, including more rigorous enforcement, could have an adverse impact on operations and result in increased material expenditures to achieve compliance.
Our operations, including permitting, may be subject to legal challenges which could result in adverse impacts to our business and financial condition.
Our mining, exploration, and development operations, and the permits required for such activities, may be subject to legal challenges at the international, federal, state, and local level by various parties. Such legal challenges may allege non-compliance with laws and regulations. For example, in August 2019, the Nez Perce Tribe filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Idaho alleging our operations violated the CWA and seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. Following the execution of the voluntary ASAOC with the U.S. EPA and the United States Department of Agriculture, the Corporation and the Nez Perce Tribe agreed to stay the litigation and explore alternative dispute resolution through court-ordered mediation. Legal challenges such as this may result in adverse impacts to our planned operations such as increased defense costs, the performance of additional mitigation, or remedial activities, or significant delays to our Project. We may also be subject to more localized opposition, including efforts by environmental groups, which could attract negative publicity or have an adverse impact on our reputation.
Additionally, our Project is located in a district with significant impacts from legacy mining operations prior to our acquisition of and tenure at the sites. Pursuant to CERCLA, we may be subject to liability and remediation responsibilities as current owners of certain areas of the sites under applicable law, consent decrees or similar agreements.
The implementation of the Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent may be costly, time and resource intensive, and result in adverse impacts on our planned operations.
The ASAOC with the U.S. EPA and the United States Department of Agriculture requires us to undertake numerous actions over the next several years and pay associated costs for future response activities pursuant to CERCLA. Such actions include site characterization reports, the development of health and safety plans, removal projects, bank stabilization, investigations of underlying baseline conditions, and feasibility evaluations, to name only a few. These actions require us to implement stringent schedules including meetings and approvals from key stakeholders, such as the U.S. EPA and the Forest Service, as well as requiring contractor procurement, site preparation, and construction. The implementation of the ASAOC, and the potential for significant deviations and changes to our projected schedules and plans, may result in increased costs and expenditures, thus affecting the feasibility of our Project moving forward. Additionally, compliance with the ASAOC will be time intensive and resource intensive and may lead to adverse impacts upon on our operations, our financial condition, and our business overall.
Our operations are subject to climate change risks.
Climate change may result in various and presently unknown physical risks, such as the increased frequency or intensity of extreme weather events or changes in meteorological and hydrological patterns that could adversely impact our business. Such physical risks may result in damage to our facilities causing our operations to temporarily slow down or come to a stop. Moreover, the physical risks associated with climate change could have financial implications for our business, such as increased capital or operating costs, and additional expenditures to maintain or increase the resiliency of our facilities and implement contingency measures.
Increasing attention to ESG matters and conservation measures may adversely impact our business.
Increasing attention to, and societal expectations on companies to address, climate change and other environmental and social impacts and investor and societal expectations regarding voluntary ESG disclosures may result in increased costs and reduced access to capital. While we may announce various voluntary ESG targets in the future, due to our status as a development stage company, such targets are aspirational. Also, we may not be able to meet such targets in the manner or on such a timeline as initially contemplated, including, but not limited to, as a result of unforeseen costs or technical difficulties associated with achieving such results.
In addition, organizations that provide information to investors on corporate governance and related matters have developed ratings processes for evaluating companies on their approach to ESG matters. Unfavorable ESG ratings could lead to increased negative investor sentiment toward us and could impact our access to and costs of capital. Additionally, to the extent ESG matters negatively impact our reputation, we may not be able to compete as effectively to recruit or retain employees, which may adversely impact our business.
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Furthermore, public statements with respect to ESG matters—for example, emission reduction goals, other environmental targets, or other commitments addressing certain social issues—are becoming increasingly subject to heightened scrutiny from public and governmental authorities related to the risk of potential “greenwashing,” i.e. , misleading information or false claims overstating potential ESG benefits. We may face increased litigation risk from private parties and governmental authorities related to our ESG efforts. Additionally, any such alleged claims of greenwashing against us or others in our industry could lead to negative sentiment and the diversion of investment.
Perpetua Resources’ title to its mineral properties and its validity may be disputed in the future by others claiming title to all or part of such properties.
The validity of mining rights may, in certain cases, be uncertain and subject to being contested. The Corporation’s mining rights, claims and other land titles, particularly title to undeveloped properties, may be defective and open to being challenged by governmental authorities and local communities.
Perpetua Resources’ properties consist of various mining concessions in the United States. Under U.S. law, the concessions may be subject to prior unregistered agreements or transfers, which may affect the validity of the Corporation’s ownership of such concessions. A claim by a third party asserting prior unregistered agreements or transfer on any of Perpetua Resources’ mineral properties, especially where commercially viable Mineral Reserves have been located, could adversely result in Perpetua Resources losing commercially viable Mineral Reserves. Even if a claim is unsuccessful, it may potentially affect Perpetua Resources’ current activities due to the high costs of defending against such claims and its impact on senior management’s time. If the Corporation loses a commercially viable Mineral Reserve, such a loss could lower Perpetua Resources’ revenues or cause it to cease operations if this Mineral Reserve represented all or a significant portion of Perpetua Resources’ operations at the time of the loss.
Certain of Perpetua Resources’ properties may be subject to the rights or the asserted rights of various community stakeholders, including federally-recognized tribes. The presence of community stakeholders may also impact on the Corporation’s ability to explore, develop or, in potentially the future, operate its mining properties. In certain circumstances, consultation with such stakeholders may be required and the outcome may affect the Corporation’s ability to explore, develop or operate its mining properties.
Certain of the Corporation’s mineral rights consist of unpatented mining claims. Unpatented mining claims present unique title risks due to the rules for validity and the opportunities for third-party challenge. These claims are also subject to legal uncertainty.
Perpetua Resources faces substantial competition within the mining industry from other mineral companies with much greater financial and technical resources and Perpetua Resources may not be able to effectively compete.
The mineral resource industry is intensively competitive in all of its phases, and Perpetua Resources competes with many companies possessing much greater financial and technical research resources. Competition is particularly intense with respect to the acquisition of desirable undeveloped gold properties. The principal competitive factors in the acquisition of such undeveloped properties include the staff and data necessary to identify, investigate and purchase such properties, and the financial resources necessary to acquire and develop such properties. Competition could adversely affect the Corporation’s ability to advance the Project or to acquire suitable prospects for exploration in the future on terms it considers acceptable. Increased competition could adversely affect the Corporation’s ability to attract necessary capital funding or acquire an interest in additional properties.
Perpetua Resources depends on key personnel for critical management decisions and industry contacts but does not maintain key person insurance.
Perpetua Resources is dependent on a relatively small number of key personnel, the loss of any of whom could have an adverse effect on the operations of Perpetua Resources. The Corporation’s success is dependent to a great degree on its ability to attract and retain highly qualified management personnel. The loss of any such key personnel, through incapacity or otherwise, would require Perpetua Resources to seek and retain other qualified personnel and could compromise the pace and success of its exploration and permitting activities. Perpetua Resources does not maintain key person insurance in the event of a loss of any such key personnel.
Perpetua Resources does not have a full staff of technical people and relies upon outside consultants to provide critical services.
Perpetua Resources has a relatively small staff and depends upon its ability to hire consultants with the appropriate background and expertise. Perpetua Resources’ inability to hire the appropriate consultants at the appropriate time could adversely impact Perpetua Resources’ ability to advance its exploration and permitting activities. See section Item 1A, Risk Factors - Perpetua Resources faces
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substantial competition within the mining industry from other mineral companies with much greater financial and technical resources and Perpetua Resources may not be able to effectively compete.
Certain Perpetua Resources directors and officers also serve as officers and/or directors of other mining companies, which may give rise to conflicts.
Certain Perpetua Resources directors and officers are also directors, officers or shareholders of other companies that are similarly engaged in the business of acquiring, developing and exploiting natural resource properties. Such associations may give rise to conflicts of interest from time to time. Directors and officers of the Corporation with conflicts of interest are subject to and are required to follow the procedures set out in applicable corporate and securities legislation, regulations, rules and the Corporation’s policies.
Perpetua Resources’ business involves risks for which Perpetua Resources may not be adequately insured, if it is insured at all.
In the course of exploration and development of, and production from, mineral properties, certain risks, and in particular, unexpected or unusual geological operating conditions including landslides, ground failures, fires, flooding and earthquakes may occur. It is not always possible to fully insure against such risks. Perpetua Resources does not currently have insurance against all such risks and may decide not to take out insurance against all such risks as a result of high premiums or other reasons. Should such liabilities arise, they could reduce or eliminate any future profitability and result in increasing costs and a decline in the value of the securities of Perpetua Resources.
Additionally, the Corporation is not insured against most environmental risks. Insurance against all environmental risks (including potential liability for pollution or other hazards as a result of the disposal of waste products by third parties occurring as part of historic exploration and production) has not been generally available to companies within the industry. The Corporation periodically evaluates the cost and coverage of the insurance that is available against certain environmental risks to determine if it would be appropriate to obtain such insurance. Without such insurance, or with limited amounts of such insurance, and should the Corporation become subject to environmental liabilities, the payment of such liabilities would reduce or eliminate its available funds or could exceed the funds the Corporation has to pay such liabilities and could result in bankruptcy. Should the Corporation be unable to fully fund the remedial cost of an environmental problem, it might be required to enter into costly interim compliance measures pending completion of the required remedy.
A shortage of supplies and equipment, or the inability to obtain such supplies and equipment when needed and at expected prices, could adversely affect Perpetua Resources’ ability to operate its business.
Perpetua Resources is dependent on various supplies and equipment to carry out its activities. The shortage of such supplies, equipment and parts, or the inability to obtain such supplies and equipment when needed, whether as a result of inflated costs, supply chain disruptions or other reasons, could have a material adverse effect on Perpetua Resources’ ability to carry out its activities and therefore have a material adverse effect on the cost of doing business.
Risks Related to Our Industry
Resource exploration and development is a high risk, speculative business.
Resource exploration and development is a speculative business, characterized by a high number of failures. Substantial expenditures are required to discover new deposits and to develop the infrastructure, mining and processing facilities at any site chosen for mining. Resource exploration and development also involves a high degree of risk, which even a combination of experience, knowledge and careful evaluation may not be able to adequately mitigate. Few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines, and there is no assurance that commercial quantities of ore will be discovered on any of the Corporation’s exploration properties. There is also no assurance that, even if commercial quantities of ore are discovered, a mineral property will be brought into commercial production, or if brought into production, that it will be profitable. The discovery of mineral deposits is dependent upon a number of factors, including the technical skill of the exploration personnel involved. The commercial viability of a mineral deposit is also dependent upon, among a number of other factors, its size, grade, proximity to infrastructure, current metal prices, and government regulations, including regulations relating to required permits, royalties, allowable production, importing and exporting of minerals and environmental protection. The exact effect of these factors cannot be accurately predicted, but any one of these factors, or the combination of any of these factors, may prevent Perpetua Resources from receiving an adequate return on invested capital. In addition, depending on the type of mining operation involved, several years can elapse from the initial phase of drilling until commercial operations are commenced. Some ore reserves may become unprofitable to develop if there are unfavourable long-term market price fluctuations in gold or other metals, or if there are significant increases in operating or capital costs. Most of the above factors are beyond
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the Corporation’s control, and it is difficult to ensure that the exploration or development programs proposed by Perpetua Resources will result in a profitable commercial mining operation. Please also see, among other things, the risk factor found under the subheading “Perpetua Resources’ future exploration and development efforts may be unsuccessful” below.
Mineral exploration and development is subject to numerous industry operating hazards and risks, many of which are beyond Perpetua Resources’ control and any one of which may have an adverse effect on its financial condition and operations.
The Project, and any future operations in which Perpetua Resources has a direct or indirect interest, will be subject to all the hazards and risks normally incidental to resource companies and mining in general. Environmental hazards, unusual or unexpected geological operating conditions, such as rock bursts, structural cave-ins and landslides, fires, earthquakes and flooding, power outages, labor disruptions, industrial accidents such as explosions, unexpected mining dilution, metallurgical and other processing issues, metal losses and periodic interruptions due to inclement or hazardous weather conditions, and the inability to obtain suitable or adequate machinery, equipment or labor, are some of the industry operating risks involved in the conduct of exploration programs and the operation of mines. If any of these events were to occur, they could cause injury or loss of life, environmental damage, operational delays, monetary losses and/or severe damage to or destruction of mineral properties, production facilities or other properties. As a result, Perpetua Resources could be the subject of a regulatory investigation, potentially leading to penalties and suspension of operations. In addition, Perpetua Resources may have to make expensive repairs and could be subject to legal liability as an outcome of regulatory enforcement. The occurrence of any of these operating risks and hazards may have an adverse effect on Perpetua Resources’ financial condition and operations, and correspondingly on the value and price of Perpetua Resources’ common shares.
Perpetua Resources may not be able to obtain insurance to cover these risks at affordable premiums or at all. Insurance against certain environmental risks, including potential liability for pollution or other hazards as a result of operations or other mining activities, is not generally available to Perpetua Resources or to other companies within the mining industry. Perpetua Resources may suffer a materially adverse effect on its business if it incurs losses related to any significant events that are not covered by its insurance policies. Please also see, among other things, the risk factor found under the subheading “Perpetua Resources’ business involves risks for which Perpetua Resources may not be adequately insured, if it is insured at all” above.
Metal prices have fluctuated widely in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future, which may adversely affect the amount of revenues derived from the future commercial production.
The commercial feasibility of the Project and Perpetua Resources’ ability to arrange funding to conduct its planned exploration projects is dependent on, among other things, the price of gold, silver, antimony and other potential by-products. Depending on the price to be received for any minerals produced, Perpetua Resources may determine that it is impractical to commence or continue commercial production. A reduction in the price of gold, silver, antimony or other potential by-products may prevent the Project from being economically mined or result in the write-off of assets whose value is impaired as a result of low precious metals prices.
Future revenues, if any, are expected to be in large part derived from the future mining and sale of gold and other potential by-products or interests related thereto. The prices of these commodities fluctuate and are affected by numerous factors beyond Perpetua Resources’ control, including, among others:
● International economic and political conditions;
● Central bank purchases and sales;
● Expectations of inflation or deflation;
● International currency exchange rates;
● Interest rates;
● Global or regional consumptive patterns;
● Speculative activities;
● Levels of supply and demand;
● Increased production due to new mine developments;
● Decreased production due to mine closures;
● Improved mining and production methods;
● Availability and costs of metal substitutes;
● Metal stock levels maintained by producers and others; and
● Inventory carrying costs.
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The effect of these factors on the price of gold, silver, antimony and other potential by-products cannot be accurately predicted. If the price of gold and other potential by-products decreases, the value of Perpetua Resources’ assets would be adversely affected, thereby adversely impacting the value and price of Perpetua Resources’ common shares.
While the price of gold has recently been strong, there can be no assurance that gold prices will remain at such levels or be such that the Project, and any future operations in which Perpetua Resources has a direct or indirect interest, will be mined at a profit. Some credible industry experts are predicting that gold will continue to increase in price during 2023 and the next several years. However, other credible industry experts expect that the price of gold has generally peaked during the recent pandemic and resulting economic crisis, and that as economies slowly recover over the next few years, the price of gold will decrease and be worth much less per ounce than it is today.
Rising metal prices encourage mining exploration, development, and construction activity, which in the past has increased demand for and cost of contract mining services and equipment.
Increases in metal prices tend to encourage increases in mining exploration, development, and construction activities. During past expansions, demand for and the cost of contract exploration, development and construction services and equipment have increased as well. Increased demand for and cost of services and equipment could cause project costs to increase materially, resulting in delays if services or equipment cannot be obtained in a timely manner due to inadequate availability, and increased potential for scheduling difficulties and cost increases due to the need to coordinate the availability of services or equipment, any of which could materially increase project exploration, development, or construction costs, result in project delays, or both. There can be no assurance that increased costs may not adversely affect the exploration and/or development of our mineral properties in the future.
Global financial markets can have a profound impact on the global economy in general and on the mining industry in particular.
Many industries, including the precious metal mining industry, are impacted by global market conditions. Some of the key impacts of financial market turmoil can include contraction in credit markets resulting in a widening of credit risk, devaluations and high volatility in global and specifically mining equity markets, commodity, foreign exchange and precious metal markets, and a lack of market liquidity. A slowdown in the financial markets or other economic conditions, including but not limited to, reduced consumer spending, increased unemployment rates, deteriorating business conditions, inflation, deflation, volatile fuel and energy costs, increased consumer debt levels, lack of available credit, lack of future financing, changes in interest rates and tax rates may adversely affect the Corporation’s growth and profitability potential. Specifically:
● A global credit/liquidity crisis could impact the cost and availability of financing and Perpetua Resources’ overall liquidity;
● The volatility of gold and other potential by-product prices may impact Perpetua Resources’ future revenues, profits and cash flow;
● Volatile energy prices, commodity and consumables prices and currency exchange rates impact potential production costs; and
● The devaluation and volatility of global stock markets impacts the valuation of the Corporation’s equity securities, which may impact its ability to raise funds through the issuance of equity.
Longstanding legal certainty about aspects of the 1872 Mining Law is being challenged in Federal Court.
A changing legal environment and court rulings related to the use of unpatented lode mining claims now being reviewed in federal courts may cause the Corporation to make modifications to its current claims management program and strategy.
On July 31, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona issued a decision vacating the Forest Service’s approval of the plan of operations for the proposed Rosemont Mine. See Center for Biological Diversity et al. v. United States Fish and Wildlife Service et al . The court found that the Forest Service erred when it applied its surface management regulations to approve the proposed mine’s tailings storage facility and waste rock dumps on National Forest lands. According to the District Court, the agency should have considered those facilities under its special use permit regulations. The Forest Service made that error, according to the court, because it did not confirm under the Mining Law that the unpatented mining claims under the ancillary facilities were “valid,” as defined by the court. According to the District Court’s reasoning, only activities on “valid” claims are regulated under the Forest Service mining regulations and ancillary facilities require a special use permit.
The decision was appealed and on May 12, 2022, the Ninth Circuit remanded the case back to the Forest Service for such further proceedings as it deems appropriate, including application of 36 CFR 228 subpart A to Rosemont’s plan of operation, guided by the Court’s ruling that Section 612 of the Surface Resources and Multiple Use Act of 1955 grants no rights beyond those granted by the
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1872 Mining Law. The majority opinion expressly refrained from further interpretation regarding application of the 36 CFR 228A, 36 CFR 251 or other Forest Service regulations in advance of the Forest Service further considering and developing the project record regarding the specifics of the Rosemont plan of operations. In December 2022, the Rosemont defendant announced it would not appeal the Ninth Circuit’s decision.
The Corporation has closely followed the Rosemont Mine legal proceedings. During the judicial proceedings, the Corporation directed a thorough analysis of its claims management program to support the Project Plan of Restoration and Operations. Notwithstanding that neither the validity of the 36 CFR 228 subpart A regulations was challenged in the Rosemont case nor their application to approval of the Rosemont plan of operations was determined by the federal courts, the Corporation’s claims management program and strategy was adjusted during the reporting period relinquishing 53 of the Corporation’s unpatented lode mining claims and re-staking with 203 unpatented mill sites over areas non-mineral in character and suitable for mill sites should a development decision be made.
Risks Related to Our Common Shares
The requirements of being a public company in the United States and Canada and maintaining a dual listing on both Nasdaq and the TSX, including compliance with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”) and applicable securities laws of Canada, may strain our resources, increase our costs, and require significant management time and resources.
As a public company in the United States, we need to comply with federal and state laws, regulations and requirements, certain corporate governance provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley, related regulations of the SEC and the requirements of Nasdaq, with which we are not otherwise required to comply as a public company in Canada listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”). These additional requirements may strain our resources, increase our costs and require significant management time and resources. Specifically, we may incur significant additional accounting, legal, reporting and other expenses in order to maintain a dual listing on both Nasdaq and the TSX, including the costs of listing on two exchanges. Complying with these statutes, regulations and requirements, as well as any applicable securities laws of Canada, occupies a significant amount of time of our Board of Directors (the “Board”) and management and increases our costs and expenses, including an increased reliance on outside counsel and accountants. We also prepare and distribute periodic public reports in compliance with our obligations under the U.S. federal securities laws, in addition to applicable securities laws of Canada.
Shareholder activism, the current political environment and the current high level of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations, which could then result in additional compliance costs and affect the manner in which we operate our business. Moreover, any new regulations or disclosure obligations may increase our legal and financial compliance costs and may make some activities more time-consuming and costly.
Furthermore, while we generally must comply with Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley for our fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, we are not required to have our independent registered public accounting firm attest to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting until our first annual report subsequent to our ceasing to be an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Exchange Act. Once it is required to do so, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event the independent registered public accounting firm concludes that there is one or more material weaknesses in the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Compliance with these requirements may strain our resources, increase our costs and use significant management time and resources, and we may be unable to comply with these requirements in a timely or cost-effective manner.
For as long as we are an “emerging growth company,” or a “smaller reporting company” we will not be required to comply with certain reporting requirements that apply to some other public companies, and such reduced disclosures requirement may make our Common Shares less attractive.
As an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, we may take advantage of exemptions from certain disclosure requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. We are an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year during which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.24 billion or more; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the first sale of common equity securities pursuant to an effective registration
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statement under the Securities Act; (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under the rules of the SEC.
For so long as we remain an “emerging growth company,” we will not be required to, among others:
● Have an auditor report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Sarbanes-Oxley;
● Comply with any new requirements adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about our audit and our financial statements;
● Include detailed compensation discussion and analysis in our filings under the Exchange Act and instead may provide a reduced level of disclosure concerning executive compensation; and
● Hold a non-binding stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any “golden parachute” payments not previously approved.
Notwithstanding the above, we are also currently a “smaller reporting company,” meaning that we are not an investment company, an asset-backed issuer, or a majority-owned subsidiary of a parent company that is not a smaller reporting company and have either: (i) a public float of less than $250 million, or (ii) annual revenues of less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and: (A) no public float, or (B) a public float of less than $700 million. In the event that we are still considered a “smaller reporting company,” at such time we cease being an “emerging growth company,” the disclosure we will be required to provide in our SEC filings will increase but will still be less than it would be if we were not considered either an “emerging growth company” or a “smaller reporting company”. Specifically, similar to “emerging growth companies,” “smaller reporting companies” are able to provide simplified executive compensation disclosures in their filings; are exempt from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting; and have certain other decreased disclosure obligations in their SEC filings, including, among other things, only being required to provide two years of audited financial statements in annual reports. Decreased disclosures in our SEC filings due to our status as an “emerging growth company” or “smaller reporting company” may make it harder for investors to analyze the Company’s results of operations and financial prospects.
Because of these disclosure exemptions, some investors may find our common shares less attractive, which may result in a less active trading market for our common shares, and our share price may be more volatile.
Provisions in the Company’s corporate charter documents and Canadian law could make an acquisition of the Company, which may be beneficial to its shareholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by the shareholders to replace or remove the Company’s current management and/or limit the market price of the Common Shares.
We are governed by the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (“BCBCA”) and other relevant laws. Provisions in Perpetua Resources’ articles, as well as certain provisions under the BCBCA and Competition Act (Canada) may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of Perpetua Resources that shareholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which they might otherwise receive a premium for their Common Shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for Perpetua Resources’ Common Shares, thereby depressing the market price of Perpetua Resources’ Common Shares.
The Competition Act (Canada) permits the Commissioner of Competition of Canada, (the “Commissioner”), to review any acquisition of a significant interest in Perpetua Resources. This legislation grants the Commissioner jurisdiction to challenge such an acquisition before the Canadian Competition Tribunal if the Commissioner believes that it would, or would be likely to, result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition in any market in Canada. The Investment Canada Act subjects an acquisition of control of a company by a non-Canadian to government review if the value of the Corporation’s assets, as calculated pursuant to the legislation, exceeds a threshold amount. A reviewable acquisition may not proceed unless the relevant minister is satisfied that the investment is likely to result in a net benefit to Canada. Any of the foregoing could prevent or delay a change of control and may deprive or limit strategic opportunities for our shareholders to sell their shares.
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In addition, because the Board is responsible for appointing the members of the Corporation’s management team, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by Perpetua Resources’ shareholders to replace or remove current management by making it more difficult for shareholders to replace members of the Board. Among other things, these provisions include the following:
● Shareholders cannot amend Perpetua Resources’ articles unless such amendment is approved by shareholders holding at least two-thirds of the votes cast on the proposal;
● The Board may, without shareholder approval, issue first preferred shares and/or second preferred shares having any terms, conditions, rights, preferences and privileges as the Board may determine; and
● Shareholders must give advance notice to nominate directors in accordance with the Company’s advance notice policy.
Because we are a corporation incorporated in British Columbia and some of our directors and officers may reside, now or in the future, in Canada, it may be difficult for investors in the United States to enforce civil liabilities against us based solely upon the federal securities laws of the United States. Similarly, it may be difficult for Canadian investors to enforce civil liabilities against our directors and officers that reside outside of Canada.
The Corporation is a corporation existing under the BCBCA. Some of the directors and officers named in this Annual Report may reside, now or in the future, in Canada or otherwise reside outside the United States, and all or a substantial portion of their assets may be located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for United States investors to effect service of process within the United States upon the Corporation or experts who are not residents of the United States or to enforce judgments of courts of the United States predicated upon the Corporation’s civil liability and the civil liability of its experts under the United States federal securities laws.
Similarly, some of our experts, directors and officers reside outside of Canada or, in the case of companies, are incorporated, continued or otherwise organized under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction. Purchasers are advised that it may not be possible for investors to enforce judgments obtained in Canada against any person or company that is incorporated, continued or otherwise organized under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction, or resides outside of Canada, even if the party has appointed an agent for service of process.
Perpetua Resources has no history of paying dividends, does not expect to pay dividends in the immediate future and may never pay dividends.
Since incorporation, neither Perpetua Resources nor any of its subsidiaries have paid any cash or other dividends on its common shares, and the Corporation does not expect to pay such dividends in the foreseeable future, as all available funds will be invested primarily to finance its mineral exploration programs.
Perpetua Resources will need to raise additional capital through the sale of its securities or other interests, resulting in potential for significant dilution to the existing shareholders and, if such funding is not available, Perpetua Resources’ operations would be adversely affected.
Perpetua Resources has limited financial resources and has financed its activities primarily through the sale of Perpetua Resources’ securities, such as common shares and convertible notes. Perpetua Resources expects that it will need to continue its reliance on the sale of its securities for future financing, including that required to complete the permitting process or begin construction, resulting in dilution to existing shareholders.
Future sales of Perpetua Resources’ common shares into the public market by holders of Perpetua Resources options and warrants may lower the market price, which may result in losses to Perpetua Resources’ shareholders.
Sales of substantial amounts of Perpetua Resources’ common shares into the public market by shareholders, Perpetua Resources’ officers or directors or pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants, or even the perception by the market that such sales may occur, may lower the market price of the Corporation’s common shares.
Our largest shareholder has significant influence on us and may also affect the market price and liquidity of our securities.
Paulson & Co. Inc. (“Paulson”) holds in the aggregate 39.3% of the outstanding shares in Perpetua as of March 7, 2023. Accordingly, Paulson will have significant influence in determining the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted to the shareholders for approval, including mergers, consolidations, and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets and other significant corporate actions. Unless full participation of all shareholders takes place in such shareholder meetings, Paulson may be able to approve such matters itself. The concentration of ownership of the common shares by Paulson may: (i) delay or deter a change of
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control of the Corporation; (ii) deprive shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their common shares as part of a sale of the Corporation; and (iii) affect the market price and liquidity of the common shares. Pursuant to the terms of the investor rights agreement dated March 17, 2016, as amended and restated on March 17, 2020, Paulson has the right to designate two Board members so long as Paulson holds not less than 20% of our common shares and the right to designate one Board member so long as Paulson holds not less than 10% of our common shares. Christopher Papagianis and Marcelo Kim are Paulson’s nominees to the Board and Marcelo Kim was appointed Chairman of our Board in March of 2020.
As long as Paulson maintains its shareholdings in the Corporation, Paulson will have significant influence in determining the members of the Board. Without the consent of Paulson, we could be prevented from entering into transactions that are otherwise beneficial to us. The interests of Paulson may differ from or be adverse to the interests of our other shareholders. The effect of these rights and Paulson’s influence may impact the price that investors are willing to pay for our shares. If Paulson or its affiliates sell a substantial number of our common shares in the public market, the market price of the common shares could fall. The perception among the public that these sales will occur could also contribute to a decline in the market price of our common shares.
We are subject to taxation both in Canada and the United States, and shareholders may be subject to Canadian and U.S. withholding and certain other taxes.
We are treated as a Canadian resident company (as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) subject to Canadian income tax. We are also treated as a U.S. corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax on our worldwide income pursuant to Section 7874 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As a result, we are subject to taxation both in Canada and the United States, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
It is unlikely that we will pay any dividends on our common shares in the foreseeable future. However, if we decide to pay any dividends, dividends received by shareholders who are not “United States persons” (within the meaning of the Code) will be subject to U.S. withholding tax. Shareholders who are residents of Canada (for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) may not qualify for a reduced rate of withholding tax under the United States-Canada income tax treaty. In addition, a foreign tax credit or a deduction in respect of any U.S. federal withholding tax may not be available under Canadian law.
Dividends received by shareholders who are not residents of Canada will be subject to Canadian withholding tax. Shareholders who are United States persons may not qualify for a reduced rate of withholding tax under the United States-Canada income tax treaty. Dividends paid by us will be characterized as U.S.-source income for purposes of the foreign tax credit rules under the Code. Accordingly, United States persons generally will not be able to claim a credit for any Canadian tax withheld on dividends unless, depending on the circumstances, they have an excess foreign tax credit limitation due to other foreign-source income of the same category that is subject to a low or zero rate of foreign tax.
Dividends received by shareholders who are neither United States persons nor residents of Canada will be subject to U.S. and Canadian withholding taxes. These dividends may not qualify for a reduced rate of withholding tax under any income tax treaty.
We believe we currently are, and anticipate remaining, a “United States real property holding corporation” (within the meaning of the Code) on account of owning substantial U.S. real property interests. As a result, a shareholder who is not a United States person generally will be subject to U.S. tax on any gain recognized on a sale or other disposition of our common shares if that shareholder owned (or is treated as having owned) more than 5% of our common shares within five years of the date of the sale or other disposition, or our common shares are not treated as “regularly traded on an established securities market” (within the meaning of U.S. Treasury regulations). In addition, if our common shares are not treated as regularly traded on an established securities market, a 15% U.S. withholding tax generally would apply to the gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our common shares by any shareholder who is not a United States person, which withholding can be credited against the applicable tax liability (described in the preceding sentence) on any gain recognized.
Because our common shares are treated as shares of a U.S. corporation, the U.S. gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax rules may be relevant to shareholders who are not United States persons.
Each shareholder should seek tax advice, based on the shareholder’s particular circumstances, from an independent tax advisor.
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General Risk Factors
We are required to develop and maintain proper and effective internal controls over financial reporting. We may not complete our analysis of our internal controls over financial reporting in a timely manner, or these internal controls may not be determined to be effective, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
We are required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022. This assessment will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal controls over financial reporting. Additionally, we are required to disclose changes made in our internal controls and procedures on a quarterly basis.
However, for as long as we are an emerging growth company, or a smaller reporting company that is a non-accelerated filer, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b). At such time this attestation will be required, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event the independent registered public accounting firm concludes that there is one or more material weaknesses in the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Our remediation efforts may not enable us to avoid a material weakness in the future. We may need to undertake various actions, such as implementing new internal controls and procedures and hiring additional accounting or internal audit staff.
If we are unable to assert that our internal controls over financial reporting are effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls to the extent required, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which could cause the price of our common stock to decline, and we may be subject to investigation or sanctions by the SEC.
If securities or industry analysts do not continue to publish research or reports about our business, or if they issue an adverse or misleading opinion regarding our stock, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock is influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business model or our stock performance, or if our results of operations fail to meet the expectations of analysts, the price of our common stock would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn might cause the price of our common stock and trading volume to decline.
System security vulnerabilities, data breaches, and cyber-attacks could compromise proprietary or otherwise sensitive information or disrupt operations, which could adversely affect Perpetua Resources’ business, reputation, and stock price.
Information systems and other technologies, including those related to the Corporation’s financial and operational management, and its technical and environmental data, are an integral part of the Corporation’s business activities. Network and information systems related events, such as phishing attacks, computer hacking, cyber-attacks, computer viruses, worms or other destructive or disruptive software, process breakdowns, denial of service attacks, lost or misplaced data, programming errors, scams, burglary, human error, misdirected wire transfers, other malicious activities or any combination of the foregoing. We may also be adversely affected by power outages, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or other similar events which could result in damages to the Corporation’s property, equipment and data. These events also could result in significant expenditures to repair or replace damaged property or information systems and/or to protect them from similar events in the future.
We have experienced cybersecurity incidents but have not suffered any material adverse impacts to our business and operations as a result of such incidents. No security measure is infallible. Our facilities and systems, and those of our third-party service providers, have been and are vulnerable to adverse events. We may also identify previously undiscovered instances of security breaches or bad actors with present access to our systems.
Furthermore, any security breaches such as misappropriation, misuse, leakage, falsification, accidental release or loss of information contained in the Corporation’s information technology systems including personnel and other data that could damage its reputation, trigger reporting or other requirements under material contracts and require the Corporation to expend significant capital and other resources to remedy any such security breach. Insurance held by the Corporation may mitigate losses, however, in any such events or security breaches may not be sufficient to cover any consequent losses or otherwise adequately compensate the Corporation for any disruptions to its business that may result, including loss or disruption of a material contract resulting from such breach. Insurance coverage may also be entirely unavailable. The occurrence of any such events or security breaches could have a material adverse effect
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on the business of the Corporation. In particular, a cybersecurity incident resulting in a security breach or failure to identify a security threat could disrupt our business and could result in the loss of sensitive, confidential information or other assets, as well as litigation including individual claims or class actions, regulatory enforcement, violation of privacy or securities laws and regulations, and remediation costs, all of which could materially impact our reputation, operations, or financial performance.
There can be no assurance that these events and/or security breaches will not occur in the future or not have an adverse effect of the business of the Corporation.
The COVID-19 pandemic may affect our operations.
The Corporation faces risks related to health epidemics/pandemics, and other outbreaks of communicable diseases, which could significantly disrupt its operations and may materially and adversely affect its business and financial conditions.
The Corporation’s business could be adversely impacted by the effects of COVID-19 or other epidemics/pandemics. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts the Corporation’s business, including its operations and the market for its securities, will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time. In particular, the spread of COVID-19 or any other pandemic could materially and negatively impact the Corporation’s business including without limitation, employee health, workforce productivity, insurance premiums, ability to travel, the availability of industry experts and personnel, restrictions or delays to future drill and work programs and/or the timing to process drill and other metallurgical testing, and other factors that will depend on future developments beyond the Corporation’s control, which may have a material and adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.
There can be no assurance that the Corporation’s personnel will not be impacted by these epidemic/pandemic diseases and ultimately see its workforce productivity reduced and incur increased medical costs or insurance premiums due to these health risks. The extent to which COVID-19 and any other pandemic or public health crisis impacts the Corporation’s business, affairs, operations, financial condition (including the Corporation’s ability to raise funds), liquidity, availability of credit and results of operations will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted.
Inflation could adversely impact our ability to control our costs, including our operating expenses and capital costs.
The U.S. inflation rate has been steadily increasing since 2021 and throughout much of 2022. Such inflationary pressures have resulted from supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID pandemic, increased demand, labor shortages and other factors, including the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine which began in late February 2022. Similar to other companies in our industry, we have experienced inflationary pressures on our operating costs - namely inflationary pressures have resulted in increases to the costs of our goods, services and personnel, which in turn, have caused our expenditures to rise. Although inflation rates started to stabilize in late 2022 and even decrease from the levels experienced earlier in the year, we are unable to accurately predict if such inflationary pressures and contributing factors will continue into 2023. To the extent elevated inflation remains, we may experience further cost increases for our operations, as well as increased labor costs. We cannot predict any future trends in the rate of inflation and a significant increase in inflation, to the extent we are unable to recover higher costs through higher commodity prices and revenues, would negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operation.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.