INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD - Quarter Report: 2019 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

For the transition period from       to        

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes x  No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Yes x  No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.     ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x

As of October 30, 2019, the registrant had 187,573,671 common shares outstanding.

Table of Contents

CAUTIONARY NOTE TO U.S. INVESTORS REGARDING ESTIMATES OF MEASURED, INDICATED AND INFERRED RESOURCES AND PROVEN AND PROBABLE RESERVES

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (“we”, “us”, “our,” “ITH” or the “Company”) is a mineral exploration company engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. As used in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the terms “mineral reserve”, “proven mineral reserve” and “probable mineral reserve” are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101—Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the “CIM”)—CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended. These definitions differ from the definitions in the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Industry Guide 7 (“SEC Industry Guide 7”). Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a “final” or “bankable” feasibility study is required to report reserves, the three-year historical average price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis to designate reserves, and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority. In addition, the terms “mineral resource”, “measured mineral resource”, “indicated mineral resource” and “inferred mineral resource” are defined in and required to be disclosed by NI 43-101; however, these terms are not defined terms under SEC Industry Guide 7 and are normally not permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a mineral deposit in these categories will ever be converted into reserves.

“Inferred mineral resources” have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable.

Disclosure of “contained ounces” in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations if such disclosure includes the grade or quality and the quantity for each category of mineral resource and mineral reserve; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute “reserves” by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Accordingly, information contained in this report and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain descriptions of our mineral deposits that may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

The term “mineralized material” as used in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, although permissible under SEC Industry Guide 7, does not indicate “reserves” by SEC Industry Guide 7 standards. We cannot be certain that any part of the mineralized material will ever be confirmed or converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant “reserves”. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of the mineralized material will ever be confirmed or converted into reserves or that mineralized material can be economically or legally extracted.

CAUTIONARY NOTE TO ALL INVESTORS CONCERNING ECONOMIC ASSESSMENTS THAT INCLUDE INFERRED RESOURCES

The Company currently holds or has the right to acquire interests in an advanced stage exploration project in Alaska referred to as the Livengood Gold Project (the “Livengood Gold Project” or the “Project”). Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves have no demonstrated economic viability. The preliminary assessments on the Project are preliminary in nature and include “inferred mineral resources” that have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies. There is no certainty that such inferred mineral resources at the Project will ever be realized. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning anticipated results and developments in the operations of the Company in future periods, planned exploration activities, the adequacy of the Company’s financial resources and other events or conditions that may occur in the future. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “potential,” “possible”, “plans” and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results “will,” “may,” “could” or “should” (or the negative and grammatical variations of any of these terms) occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements concerning:

Such forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others:

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company’s forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including without limitation those discussed in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which are incorporated herein by reference, as well as other factors described elsewhere in this report and the Company’s other reports filed with the SEC.

The Company’s forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are based on the beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this report. The Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management’s beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not attribute undue certainty to or place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

PART 1

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM BALANCE SHEETS

As at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018

(Expressed in US Dollars - Unaudited)

General Information and Nature of Operations (Note 1)

Commitments (Note 8)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements.

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

For the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in US Dollars - Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements.

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
For the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018
(Expressed in US Dollars - Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements.

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in US Dollars - Unaudited)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements.

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in US dollars – Unaudited)

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (“ITH” or the “Company”) is incorporated under the laws of British Columbia, Canada. The Company’s head office address is 2300-1177 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. consists of ITH and its wholly-owned subsidiaries Tower Hill Mines, Inc. (“TH Alaska”) (an Alaska corporation), Tower Hill Mines (US) LLC (“TH US”) (a Colorado limited liability company), and Livengood Placers, Inc. (“LPI”) (a Nevada corporation). The Company is in the business of acquiring, exploring and evaluating mineral properties, and either joint venturing or developing these properties further or disposing of them when the evaluation is completed. At September 30, 2019, the Company has a 100% interest in its Livengood Gold Project, an exploration-stage project in Alaska, U.S.A.

These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared on a going-concern basis, which presumes the realization of assets and discharge of liabilities in the normal course of business for the foreseeable future.

As at September 30, 2019, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $7,528,833 compared to $10,228,964 at December 31, 2018. The Company has no revenue generating operations from which it can internally generate funds.

The Company will require significant additional financing to continue its operations (including general and administrative expenses) in connection with advancing activities at the Livengood Gold Project and the development of any mine that may be determined to be built at the Livengood Gold Project. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain the additional financing required on acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, any significant delays in the issuance of required permits for the ongoing work at the Livengood Gold Project, or unexpected results in connection with the ongoing work, could result in the Company being required to raise additional funds to advance permitting efforts. The Company’s review of its financing options includes pursuing a future strategic alliance to assist in further development, permitting and future construction costs, although there can be no assurance that any such strategic alliance will, in fact, be realized.

Despite the Company’s success to date in raising significant equity financing to fund its operations, there is significant uncertainty that the Company will be able to secure any additional financing in the current or future equity markets. The amount of funds to be raised and the terms of any proposed equity financing that may be undertaken will be negotiated by management as opportunities to raise funds arise. Specific plans related to the use of proceeds will be devised once financing has been completed and management knows what funds will be available for these purposes.

These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for annual financial statements. These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018 as filed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the opinion of the Company’s management, these financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position at September 30, 2019 and the results of its operations for the nine months then ended. Operating results for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2019.

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in US dollars – Unaudited)

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. These judgments, estimates and assumptions are continuously evaluated and are based on management’s experience and knowledge of the relevant facts and circumstances. While management believes the estimates to be reasonable, actual results could differ from those estimates and could impact future results of operations and cash flows.

On November 6, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) approved these condensed consolidated interim financial statements.

Basis of consolidation

These condensed consolidated interim financial statements include the accounts of ITH and its wholly-owned subsidiaries TH Alaska, TH US, and LPI. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair values due to the short-term maturity of these financial instruments.

Financial instruments measured at fair value are classified into one of three levels in the fair value hierarchy according to the significance of the inputs used in making the measurement. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are as follows:

The Company had the following activity related to capitalized acquisition costs:

The following table presents costs incurred for exploration and evaluation activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018:

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in US dollars – Unaudited)

Livengood Gold Project Property

The Livengood property is located in the Tintina gold belt approximately 70 miles (113 kilometers) northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska. The property consists of land leased from the Alaska Mental Health Trust, a number of smaller private mineral leases, Alaska state mining claims purchased or located by the Company and patented ground held by the Company.

Details of the leases are as follows:

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in US dollars – Unaudited)

Title to mineral properties

The acquisition of title to mineral properties is a detailed and time-consuming process. The Company has taken steps to verify title to mineral properties in which it has an interest. Although the Company has taken every reasonable precaution to ensure that legal title to its properties is properly recorded in the name of the Company, there can be no assurance that such title will ultimately be secured.

The following table presents the accrued liabilities balances at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018.

Accrued liabilities at September 30, 2019 include accruals for general corporate costs and project costs of $39,167 and $37,735, respectively. Accrued liabilities at December 31, 2018 include accruals for general corporate costs and project costs of $35,176 and $136,971, respectively.

Authorized

The Company’s authorized share capital consists of 500,000,000 common shares without par value. At December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2019, there were 186,990,683 and 187,573,671 shares issued and outstanding, respectively.

Share issuances

During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company issued 121,174 common shares pursuant to the exercise of stock options for total proceeds of $64,254 and transferred related contributed surplus of $51,283 to share capital.

At the Company’s 2019 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on May 30, 2019, Messrs. John Ellis and Thomas Irwin did not stand for re-election as director. On June 5, 2019, in accordance with the Company’s Deferred Share Unit Plan, the Company issued 230,907 common shares to each of the two past directors for a total of 461,814 common shares and transferred related contributed surplus of $245,592 to share capital.

Stock options

The Company adopted an incentive stock option plan in 2006, as amended September 19, 2012 and reapproved by the Company’s shareholders on May 28, 2015 and May 30, 2018 (the “2006 Plan”). The essential elements of the 2006 Plan provide that the aggregate number of common shares of the Company that may be issued pursuant to options granted under the 2006 Plan may not exceed 10% of the number of issued shares of the Company at the time of the granting of the options. Options granted under the 2006 Plan will have a maximum term of ten years. The exercise price of options granted under the 2006 Plan shall be fixed in compliance with the applicable provisions of the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) Company Manual in force at the time of grant and, in any event, shall not be less than the closing price of the Company’s common shares on the TSX on the trading day immediately preceding the day on which the option is granted, or such other price as may be agreed to by the Company and accepted by the TSX. Options granted under the 2006 Plan vest immediately, unless otherwise determined by the directors at the date of grant.

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in US dollars – Unaudited)

A summary of the options granted under the 2006 Plan as of September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018 is presented below:

The weighted average remaining life of options outstanding at September 30, 2019 was 3.6 years.

Stock options outstanding are as follows:

A summary of the non-vested options as of September 30, 2019 and changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 is as follows:

At September 30, 2019, there was no unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested options outstanding.

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in US dollars – Unaudited)

Deferred Share Unit Incentive Plan

On April 4, 2017, the Company adopted a Deferred Share Unit Plan (the “DSU Plan”). On May 24, 2017, at the Company’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, the DSU Plan was approved. The maximum aggregate number of common shares that may be issued under the DSU Plan and the 2006 Plan is 10% of the number of issued and outstanding common shares (on a non-diluted basis).

On August 8, 2019, the Company granted each of the members of the Board of Directors (other than those directors nominated for election by Paulson & Co., Inc.) 97,647 DSUs with a grant date fair value (defined as the weighted average of the prices at which the common shares traded on the exchange with the most volume for the five days immediately preceding the grant) of C$0.85 per DSU representing C$83,000 per director or C$415,000 in the aggregate. The DSUs entitle the holders to receive common shares of the Company without the payment of any consideration. The DSUs vested immediately upon being granted but the common shares underlying the DSUs are not deliverable to the grantee until the grantee is no longer serving on the Company’s Board of Directors.

DSUs outstanding are as follows:

Share-based payments

During the nine month period ended September 30, 2019, the Company granted 187,232 stock options and 488,235 DSUs for common shares of the Company. Share-based payment compensation for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 totaled $405,857 ($89,140 related to stock options and $316,717 related to DSUs). Of the total expense for the period ended September 30, 2019, $316,717 was included in consulting fees and $89,140 was included in wages and benefits in the statement of operations and comprehensive loss.

During the nine month period ended September 30, 2018, there were 420,085 stock options granted by the Company. Share-based payment charges for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 totaled $184,356.

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in US dollars – Unaudited)

The Company operates in a single reportable segment, being the exploration and development of mineral properties. The following tables present selected financial information by geographic location:

INTERNATIONAL TOWER HILL MINES LTD.

NOTES TO THE CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in US dollars – Unaudited)

The following table discloses the Company’s contractual obligations as of September 30, 2019, including anticipated mineral property payments. Under the terms of the Company’s mineral property purchase agreements, mineral leases and the terms of the unpatented mineral claims held by it, the Company is required to make certain scheduled acquisition payments, incur certain levels of expenditures, make lease or advance royalty payments, make payments to government authorities and incur assessment work expenditures as summarized in the table below in order to maintain and preserve the Company’s interests in the related mineral properties. If the Company is unable or unwilling to make any such payments or incur any such expenditure, it is likely that the Company would lose or forfeit its rights to acquire or hold the related mineral properties. The following table assumes that the Company retains the rights to all of its current mineral properties, but does not exercise any lease purchase or royalty buyout options:

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. All currency amounts are stated in U.S. dollars unless noted otherwise.

Current Business Activities

General

During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and to the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Company advanced the work plan associated with the approved 2019 budget of $3.7 million. Metallurgical studies are underway at SGS Vancouver in an effort to continue to define and refine the Livengood Gold Project’s flowsheet. Approximately 2,000 kg of samples will be processed in 2019 to evaluate optimum grind size and to determine whether different recovery parameters should be applied to different areas of the orebody. The engineering firm of BBA Inc. (“BBA”) has been retained to continue to guide the metallurgical program. Work has advanced on the environmental baseline efforts needed to support future permitting.

The Company believes it has sufficient funds to complete the test programs and engineering work currently underway.

On August 8, 2019, the Company granted each of the members of the Board of Directors (other than those directors nominated for election by Paulson & Co., Inc.) 97,647 DSUs with a grant date fair value of C$0.85 per DSU representing C$83,000 per director or C$415,000 in the aggregate. The DSUs entitle the holders to receive common shares of the Company without the payment of any consideration. The DSUs vested immediately upon being granted but the common shares underlying the DSUs are not deliverable to the grantee until the grantee is no longer serving on the Company’s Board of Directors.

In accordance with the Company’s 2006 Incentive Stock Option Plan, on August 8, 2019 the Company granted a total of 187,232 incentive stock options to employees of the Company to purchase common shares in the capital stock of the Company at an issue price of C$0.85 per share. Of the total 187,232 stock options granted, 150,000 were granted to Mr. Karl Hanneman, Chief Executive Officer. All of the options vest 100% on the grant date of August 8, 2019 and expire on August 8, 2025.

Results of Operations

Summary of Quarterly Results

Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 compared to Three Months Ended September 30, 2018

The Company incurred a net loss of $858,406 for the three month period ended September 30, 2019, compared to a net loss of $1,269,636 for the three month period ended September 30, 2018.

Consulting costs were $353,478 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $30,679 for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase of $322,799 is primarily due to share-based payment charges of $316,717 during the period as a result of the DSUs issued on August 8, 2019 to certain members of the Board of Directors being fully vested upon issuance.

Mineral property expenditures were $179,692 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $394,736 for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The decrease of $215,044 is primarily due to the differences in the scope of technical and baseline environmental work completed during the periods.

Professional fees were $54,720 for the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $33,889 for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase of $20,831 is primarily due to timing variance of audit/tax services.

Excluding share-based payment charges of $87,454 and $5,091 for the 2019 and 2018 periods, respectively, wages and benefits for the three months ended September 30, 2019 decreased to $169,825 from $454,516 for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The decrease of $284,691 is due to staffing and compensation reductions.

Share-based payment charges

Share-based payment charges for the three month periods ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 were allocated as follows:

Share-based payment charges were $404,171 during the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $5,091 during the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase of $399,080 in share-based payment charges during the period was mainly the result of the most recent options issued on August 8, 2019 being exercisable upon grant and the DSUs issued on August 8, 2019 being fully vested upon issuance.

Other items amounted to a gain of $134,506 during the three month period ended September 30, 2019 compared to a loss of $201,947 during the three month period ended September 30, 2018. The Company had a foreign exchange gain of $82,426 during the three month period ended September 30, 2019 compared to a loss of $219,327 during the three month period ended September 30, 2018 as a result of the impact of exchange rates on certain of the Company’s U.S. dollar cash balances. The average exchange rate during the three month period ended September 30, 2019 was C$1 to US$0.7574 compared to C$1 to US$0.7652 during the three month period ended September 30, 2018.

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 compared to Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018

The Company incurred a net loss of $3,066,372 for the nine month period ended September 30, 2019, compared to a net loss of $3,290,271 for the nine month period ended September 30, 2018.

Consulting costs were $440,986 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $110,589 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase of $330,397 is primarily due to share-based payment charges of $316,717 during the period as a result of the DSUs issued on August 8, 2019 to certain members of the Board of Directors being fully vested upon issuance.

Insurance costs were $92,007 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $138,526 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The decrease of $46,519 resulted after the Company completed a review of current coverage requirements.

Mineral property expenditures were $1,342,230 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $1,305,063 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase of $37,167 is primarily due to the differences in the scope of technical work completed during the periods.

Travel costs were $25,359 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $49,011 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The decrease of $23,652 is due to the Company’s continued efforts to reduce spending.

Excluding share-based payment charges of $89,140 and $178,388 for the 2019 and 2018 periods, respectively, wages and benefits for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 decreased $658,662 to $500,667 from $1,159,329 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 primarily due to staffing and compensation reductions.

Share-based payment charges

Share-based payment charges for the nine month periods ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 were allocated as follows:

Share-based payment charges were $405,857 during the nine months ended September 30, 2019 compared to $184,356 during the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The increase of $221,501 in share-based payment charges during the period was mainly the result of the most recent options issued on August 8, 2019 being exercisable upon grant and the DSUs issued on August 8, 2019 being fully vested upon issuance.

Other items amounted to a loss of $123,776 during the nine month period ended September 30, 2019 compared to a gain of $107,546 during the nine month period ended September 30, 2018. The Company had a foreign exchange loss of $280,820 during the nine month period ended September 30, 2019 compared to a loss of $7,048 during the nine month period ended September 30, 2018 as a result of the impact of exchange rates on certain of the Company’s U.S. dollar cash balances. The average exchange rate during the nine month period ended September 30, 2019 was C$1 to US$0.7524 compared to C$1 to US$0.7769 for the nine month period ended September 30, 2018.

Liquidity Risk and Capital Resources

The Company has no revenue generating operations from which it can internally generate funds. To date, the Company’s ongoing operations have been predominantly financed through sale of its equity securities by way of private placements and the subsequent exercise of share purchase and broker warrants and options issued in connection with such private placements. However, the exercise of warrants/options is dependent primarily on the market price and overall market liquidity of the Company’s securities at or near the expiry date of such warrants/options (over which the Company has no control) and therefore there can be no guarantee that any existing warrants/options will be exercised. There are currently no warrants outstanding.

As at September 30, 2019, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $7,528,833 compared to $10,228,964 at December 31, 2018. The decrease of approximately $2.7 million resulted mainly from expenditures on operating activity of approximately $2.5 million and a negative foreign currency transaction impact of approximately $0.3 million partially offset by interest income of $0.1 million.

Financing activities during the nine month period ended September 30, 2019 included the exercise of stock options. Proceeds of $64,254 were received on the issuance of 121,174 common shares.

Financing activities during the nine month period ended September 30, 2018 included completion of a non-brokered private placement in March 2018 pursuant to which the Company issued 24,000,000 common shares at $0.50 per share for gross proceeds of $12.0 million. Share issuance costs included $111,379 related to the private placement. Following the resignation of director Mark Hamilton on November 6, 2017, the Company recognized an obligation to issue 129,687 common shares, with a value of $63,593. On March 27, 2018, the Company issued the common shares in full satisfaction of the obligation. As a result of the exercise of stock options, $114,358 in proceeds was received on the issuance of 294,000 common shares during the nine month period ended September 30, 2018.

Investing activities of $101,692 during the nine month period ended September 30, 2019 was comprised of the capitalized acquisition costs for land acquisitions of $31,189 that closed in the second quarter and $70,503 that closed in the third quarter.

Investing activities during the nine month period ended September 30, 2018 was comprised of the capitalized acquisition costs for land acquisitions of $69,391 that closed in the third quarter and proceeds of $14,431 from the sale of marketable securities.

As at September 30, 2019, the Company had working capital of $7,453,912 compared to working capital of $9,884,979 at December 31, 2018. The Company expects that it will operate at a loss for the foreseeable future, but believes the current cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient for it to complete its anticipated 2019 work plan at the Livengood Gold Project and satisfy its currently anticipated general and administrative costs through the 2020 fiscal year.

The Company will require significant additional financing to continue its operations (including general and administrative expenses) in connection with advancing activities at the Livengood Gold Project and the development of any mine that may be determined to be built at the Livengood Gold Project, and there is no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain the additional financing required on acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, any significant delays in the issuance of required permits for the ongoing work at the Livengood Gold Project, or unexpected results in connection with the ongoing work, could result in the Company being required to raise additional funds to advance permitting efforts. The Company’s review of its financing options includes pursuing a future strategic alliance to assist in further development, permitting and future construction costs, although there can be no assurance that any such strategic alliance will, in fact, be realized.

Despite the Company’s success to date in raising significant equity financing to fund its operations, there is significant uncertainty that the Company will be able to secure any additional financing in the current or future equity markets. See “Risk Factors – We will require additional financing to fund exploration and, if warranted, development and production. Failure to obtain additional financing could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operation and could cast uncertainty on our ability to continue as a going concern” included in Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Other than cash held by its subsidiaries for their immediate operating needs in the United States, all of the Company’s cash reserves are on deposit with a major Canadian chartered bank. The Company does not believe that the credit, liquidity or market risks with respect thereto have increased as a result of the current market conditions.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

The following table discloses the Company’s contractual obligations as of September 30, 2019, including anticipated mineral property payments and work commitments. Under the terms of the Company’s mineral property purchase agreements, mineral leases and the terms of the unpatented mineral claims held by it, the Company is required to make certain scheduled acquisition payments, incur certain levels of expenditures, make lease or advance royalty payments, make payments to government authorities and incur assessment work expenditures as summarized in the table below in order to maintain and preserve the Company’s interests in the related mineral properties. If the Company is unable or unwilling to make any such payments or incur any such expenditure, it is likely that the Company would lose or forfeit its rights to acquire or hold the related mineral properties. The following table assumes that the Company retains the rights to all of its current mineral properties, but does not exercise any lease purchase or royalty buyout options:

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Company does not have any off balance sheet arrangements.

Environmental Regulations

The operations of the Company may in the future be affected from time to time in varying degrees by changes in environmental regulations, including those for future removal and site restoration costs. Both the likelihood of new regulations and their overall effect upon the Company vary greatly and are not predictable. The Company’s policy is to meet or, if possible, surpass standards set by relevant legislation by application of technically proven and economically feasible measures.

Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders

 
The Company has been a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes in recent years and expects to continue to be a PFIC in the future. Current and prospective U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisors as to the tax consequences of PFIC classification and the U.S. federal tax treatment of PFICs. Additional information on this matter is included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, under “Part II. Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities - Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for U.S. Holders.”

ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Not applicable.

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

As of September 30, 2019, an evaluation was carried out under the supervision of and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act). Based on the evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of September 30, 2019, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed in reports filed or submitted to the SEC under the Exchange Act: (i) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in applicable rules and forms and (ii) accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, in a manner that allows for timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

The effectiveness of our or any system of disclosure controls and procedures, however well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance that the objectives of the system will be met and is subject to certain limitations, including the exercise of judgement in designing, implementing and evaluating controls and procedures and the assumptions used in identifying the likelihood of future events.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended September 30, 2019 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Not applicable.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

There have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed in Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 under the heading “Risk Factors.”

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

Not applicable.

ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES

Not applicable.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Pursuant to Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Act, issuers that are operators, or that have a subsidiary that is an operator, of a coal or other mine in the United States are required to disclose specified information about mine health and safety in their periodic reports. These reporting requirement are based on the safety and health requirements applicable to mines under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (the “Mine Act”) which is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (“MSHA”). During the three month period ended September 30, 2019, the Company and its subsidiaries were not subject to regulation by MSHA under the Mine Act and thus no disclosure is required under Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Act.

ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION

Not applicable.

ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd.