McEwen Mining Inc. - Annual Report: 2015 (Form 10-K)

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10‑K

Commission file number 001‑33190

MCEWEN MINING INC.

(Name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(866) 441‑0690

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐  No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files). Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☐

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

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

As of June 30, 2015 (the last business day of the registrant’s second fiscal quarter), the aggregate market value of the registrant’s voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $215,796,907 based on the closing price of $0.96 per share as reported on the NYSE.  There were 276,855,799 shares of common stock outstanding (and 21,219,942 exchangeable shares exchangeable into McEwen Mining Inc. common stock on a one-for-one basis) on March 8, 2016

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:  Portions of the Proxy Statement for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated into Part III, Items 10 through 14 of this report.

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Descriptions of agreements or other documents in this report are intended as summaries and are not necessarily complete. Please refer to the agreements or other documents filed or incorporated herein by reference as exhibits. Please see the Exhibit Index at the end of this report for a complete list of those exhibits.

 

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD‑LOOKING STATEMENTS

Please see the note under “ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS,” for a description of special factors potentially affecting forward‑looking statements included in this report.

CAUTIONARY NOTE TO UNITED STATES INVESTORS—INFORMATION CONCERNING

PREPARATION OF RESOURCE AND RESERVE ESTIMATES

McEwen Mining Inc. (“McEwen Mining,” “we”, “our”, “us” or the “Company”) is required to prepare reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Canadian Securities Administrators’ National Instrument 43‑101 “Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects” (“NI 43‑101”), under the Canadian securities laws because we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) and subject to Canadian securities laws. Standards under NI 43-101 are materially different than the standards generally permitted in reports filed with the United States (“U.S.”) Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

Definitions of terms under NI 43‑101 differ materially from the definitions of those and related terms in Industry Guide 7 (“Industry Guide 7”) promulgated by the SEC. Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a “reserve” unless a determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. Under Industry Guide 7 standards, a “Final” or “Bankable” feasibility study or other report is required to report reserves, the three-year historical average precious metals prices are used in any reserve or cash flow analysis to designate reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate government authority.

One consequence of these differences is that “reserves” calculated in accordance with Canadian standards may not be “reserves” under Industry Guide 7 standards. U.S. investors should be aware that McEwen Mining’s properties located in Argentina (with the exception of the San José mine), Mexico and the United States do not have “reserves” as defined by Industry Guide 7 and are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the disclosed mineralized material will be confirmed or converted into Industry Guide 7 compliant “reserves”.

Further, since we have no reserves on some of our properties as defined in Industry Guide 7, we have in the past and will continue to expense substantially all design, construction and development costs with regard to those properties, even though these expenditures are expected to have a future economic benefit in excess of one year. Only certain types of property and equipment which have alternative uses or significant salvage value may be capitalized without proven and probable reserves. We also expense our asset retirement obligations on those properties. Companies that have reserves under Industry Guide 7 typically capitalize these costs, and subsequently depreciate or amortize them on a units‑of‑production basis as reserves are mined. Unlike these other companies, we depreciate or amortize any capitalized costs on a straight‑line basis based on the estimated useful life of the mine, as determined by our internal mine plans. As a result of these and other differences, our financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of mining companies that have established reserves.

Under NI 43‑101, we report measured, indicated and inferred resources, which are measurements that are generally not permitted in filings made with the SEC. The estimation of measured resources and indicated resources involve greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic feasibility than the estimation of proven and probable reserves under Industry Guide 7. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part of measured or indicated resources will ever be converted into economically mineable reserves. The estimation of inferred resources involves far greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic viability than the estimation of other categories of resources. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of inferred resources will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore, U.S. investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist, or that they can be mined legally or economically.

Canadian regulations permit the disclosure of resources in terms of “contained ounces” provided that the tonnes and grade for each resource are also disclosed; however, the SEC only permits issuers to report “mineralized material” in tonnage and average grade without reference to contained ounces. Under U.S. regulations, the tonnage and average grade described herein and other information disseminated to you would be characterized as mineralized material. We provide such disclosure about our properties to allow a means of comparing our projects to those of other companies in the mining industry, many of which are Canadian and report pursuant to NI 43‑101, and to comply with applicable disclosure requirements.

We also note that drill results are not indicative of mineralized material in other areas where we have mining interests. Furthermore, mineralized material identified on our properties does not and may never have demonstrated economic or legal viability.

RELIABILITY OF INFORMATION

Minera Santa Cruz S.A.(“MSC”), the owner of the San José mine, is responsible for and has supplied to us all reported results from the San José mine. The technical information contained herein with regard to the San José mine is, with few exceptions as noted, based entirely on information provided to us by MSC. Our joint venture partner, a subsidiary of Hochschild Mining plc, and its affiliates other than MSC do not accept responsibility for the use of project data or the adequacy or accuracy of this information.

 

 

PART I

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS

History and Organization

We are a mining and minerals production and exploration company focused on precious and base metals in Argentina, Mexico and the United States. We were organized under the laws of the State of Colorado on July 24, 1979 under the name Silver State Mining Corporation. On June 21, 1988, we changed our name to U.S. Gold Corporation and on March 16, 2007, we changed our name to US Gold Corporation. On January 24, 2012, we changed our name to McEwen Mining Inc. after the completion of the acquisition of Minera Andes Inc. (“Minera Andes”) by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada.

We own 100% of the El Gallo 1 gold mine in Sinaloa, Mexico and a 49% interest in Minera Santa Cruz S.A. (“MSC”), owner and operator of the producing San José mine in Santa Cruz, Argentina, which is controlled by the majority owner of the joint venture, Hochschild Mining plc (“Hochschild”). In addition to our operating properties, we also hold interests in exploration stage properties and projects in Argentina, Mexico and the United States, including the Gold Bar (“Gold Bar”) and Los Azules (“Los Azules”) projects.

Our objective is to increase the value of our shares through the exploration, advancement, and extraction of gold, silver and other valuable minerals. Other than the San José mine in Argentina, we generally conduct our exploration activities as sole operator, but we may enter into arrangements with other companies through joint venture or similar agreements in an effort to achieve our strategic objectives. We hold our mineral interests and property and operate our business through various subsidiary companies, each of which is owned entirely, directly, or indirectly, by us.

Our principal executive office is located at 150 King Street West, Suite 2800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 1J9 and our telephone number is (866) 441-0690. We also maintain offices in San Juan, Argentina; Guamuchil, Mexico; Elko and Reno, Nevada (U.S.). Our website is www.mcewenmining.com. We make available our periodic reports and news releases and certain of our corporate governance documents, including our Code of Ethics, on our website. Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”), in each case under the symbol “MUX”. Exchangeable shares of our subsidiary McEwen Mining—Minera Andes Acquisition Corp. organized in connection with the acquisition of Minera Andes, are listed on the TSX under the symbol “MAQ”.

In this report, “McEwen Mining”, the “Company”, “our” and “we” refer to McEwen Mining Inc. together with our subsidiaries, unless otherwise noted. “Au” represents gold; “Ag” represents silver; “oz” represents troy ounce; “gpt” represents grams per metric tonne; “ft.” represents feet; “m” represents meter; “km” represents kilometer; and “sq.” represents square, and C$ refers to Canadian dollars. All of our financial information is reported in United States (U.S.) dollars, unless otherwise noted.

Segment Information

Our operating segments include Mexico, Argentina and the United States. Sales and long-lived assets originated from our wholly-owned subsidiaries are geographically distributed as follows:

Products

The end product at our gold and silver operations is either in the form of doré or concentrate. Production from the El Gallo 1 mine primarily consists of doré. Doré is an alloy consisting primarily of gold and silver but also containing other metals.

Doré is sent to refiners to produce bullion that meets the required market standard of 99.95% gold and 99.9% silver. Under the terms of our refining agreements, the doré bars are refined for a fee, and our share of the refined gold and silver is credited to our account with the refinery. Ore concentrate, or simply concentrate, is raw ore that has been ground finely to a powdery product from which gangue (waste) is removed, thus concentrating the metal component. Production from the San José mine generally consists of approximately 45% doré production and 55% of concentrate production.  Concentrates from the San José mine are shipped to third‑party smelters and refineries for further processing to produce useful metals.

During 2015, we reported consolidated production attributable to us of 110,320 gold ounces and 3,315,668 silver ounces, for a total of 154,529 gold equivalent ounces (using a silver to gold ratio of 75:1). Of our consolidated gold and silver production, approximately 57% and 1%, respectively, came from our El Gallo 1 mine in Mexico and 43% and 99%, respectively, came from the San José mine in Argentina

Gold and silver doré produced in Mexico is generally sold at the prevailing spot market price.

Gold and silver doré produced from the San José mine is sold at the prevailing spot market price based on the London A.M. fix, while concentrates are sold at the prevailing spot market price based on either the London P.M. fix or average of the London A.M. and London P.M fix depending on the sales contract. Concentrates are provisionally priced, whereby the selling price is subject to final adjustments at the end of a period ranging from 30 to 90 days after delivery to the customer. The final price is based on the market price at the relevant quotation point stipulated in the contract. Due to the time elapsed between shipment and the final settlement with the buyer, MSC must estimate the prices at which sales of metals will be settled. At the end of each financial reporting period, previously recorded provisional sales are adjusted to estimated settlement metals prices based on relevant forward market prices until final settlement with the buyer.

During 2015, total gold and silver sales for the El Gallo 1 mine were $73.0 million and for the San José mine were $186.1 million. However, since we account for the San Jose mine using the equity method of accounting, our share of earnings or losses under the equity method for the year ended December 31, 2015 was a gain of $2.4 million from the San José mine. See Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for additional information regarding production and operating results for our properties, and Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies—Investments, for additional information regarding the equity method of accounting.

Like all metal producers, our operations are affected by fluctuations in metal prices. The following table presents the annual high, low and average daily London P.M. fix prices per ounce for gold and silver over the past three years and 2016 to the most recent practical date on the London Bullion Market:

On March 8, 2016, the London P.M. fix for gold was $1,267 per ounce and silver was $15.66 per ounce.

Gold and Silver Processing Methods

Gold and silver are extracted from mineralized material, by either milling or heap leaching, depending on, among other things, the amount of gold and silver contained in the material, whether the material is naturally oxidized or not oxidized, the accessibility of the mineralized material, the amenability of the material to treatment and related capital and operating costs. The mineralized material is extracted by underground (San José mine) and open pit (El Gallo 1 mine) mining methods.

At the El Gallo 1 mine, mineralized material is processed using heap leaching. Heap leaching consists of stacking crushed material on impermeable pads, where a weak cyanide solution is applied to the surface of the heap to leach the gold and silver. The gold and silver‑bearing solution is then collected and pumped to an Adsorption‑Desorption‑Recovery (“ADR”) processing plant consisting of carbon columns, stripping circuits and a precious metal refinery to process gold and silver into doré bars. Doré bars are then shipped from the mine to a third party refiner to obtain bullion.

The processing plant at the San José mine is composed of conventional crushing, grinding and flotation circuits. Approximately half of the silver‑gold flotation concentrate is processed in an intensive cyanide leaching circuit with the dissolved gold and silver recovered by electrowinning of a clarified solution followed by smelting to produce doré. The doré is then sent to refiners to produce a purer product. The balance of the flotation concentrate is filtered and shipped to a smelter. Flotation and leached tailings are stored in side‑by‑side engineered, zero discharge facilities. Starting in 2015, we began storing flotation tailings in a newly constructed pond, after the original pond reached the end of its useful life at the end of the year 2014. A Merrill Crowe circuit recovers small amounts of gold and silver from the electro-winning discharge solution.

Gold and Silver Reserves

There are no proven and probable reserves within the meaning of SEC Industry Guide 7, at El Gallo 1 mine or any of our other properties, except for the San José mine. The portion of proven and probable gold and silver reserves attributable to McEwen Mining from our 49% equity interest in the San José mine, as of December 31, 2015, are presented in the following table. The reserves as presented are in‑place and include mining dilution and mining losses, but do not include allowances for mill or smelter recoveries.

For additional information about our reserves on this property, including tonnage and grade, see Item 2. Properties—San José Mine, Argentina, on page 30.

Competitive Business Conditions

We compete with many companies in the mining and mineral exploration and production industry, including large, established mining companies with substantial capabilities, personnel, and financial resources. There is a limited supply of desirable mineral lands available for claim‑staking, lease, or acquisition in Mexico, Argentina or the United States, and other areas where we may conduct our mining or exploration activities. We may be at a competitive disadvantage in acquiring mineral properties, since we compete with these individuals and companies, many of which have greater financial resources and larger technical staffs than we do. From time to time, specific properties or areas which would otherwise be attractive to us for exploration or acquisition may be unavailable due to their previous acquisition by other companies or our lack of financial resources.

Competition in the industry is not limited to the acquisition of mineral properties, but also extends to the technical expertise to find, advance, and operate such properties; the labor to operate the properties; and the capital for the purpose of funding such exploration and development. Many competitors not only explore for and mine precious and base metals, but conduct refining and marketing operations on a world‑wide basis. Such competition may result in not only our company being unable to acquire desired properties, but to recruit or retain qualified employees or to acquire the capital necessary to fund our operation and advance our properties. Our inability to compete with other companies for these resources would have a material adverse effect on our results of operation, financial condition and cash flows.

 

General Government Regulations

We believe that all of our properties are operated in compliance with all applicable governmental laws and regulations.  A summary of applicable laws and regulations is set forth below.

Mexico

Mining in Mexico is subject to numerous federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances governing mineral rights, operations and environmental protection.

Mineral Concession Rights.  Exploration and exploitation of minerals in Mexico may be carried out through Mexican companies incorporated under Mexican law by means of obtaining mining concessions. Mining concessions are granted by the Mexican government for a period of fifty years from the date of their recording in the Public Registry of Mining and are renewable for a further period of fifty years upon application within five years prior to the expiration of such concession in accordance with the Mining Law and its regulations.

Mining concessions are subject to annual work requirements and payment of annual surface taxes which are assessed and levied on a semi‑annual basis. Such concessions may be transferred or assigned by their holders, but such transfers or assignments must be registered with the Public Registry of Mining in order to be valid against third parties.

The holder of a concession must pay semi‑annual duties in January and July of each year on a per hectare basis and in accordance with the amounts provided by the Federal Fees Law.

During the month of May of each year, the concessionaire must file with the General Bureau of Mines, the work assessment reports made on each concession or group of concessions for the preceding calendar year. The regulations of the Mining Law provide tables containing the minimum investment amounts that must be made on a concession. This amount is updated annually in accordance with the changes in the Consumer Price Index.

Surface Rights.  In Mexico, while mineral rights are administered by the federal government through federally issued mining concession, in addition to private owners, ejidos (communal owners of land recognized by the Agrarian Law in Mexico) and recognized agrarian communities control surface access rights to the land. An ejido may sell or lease lands directly to a private entity (provided that all formalities and procedures in the Agrarian Law are completed). While the Company has agreements or is in the process of negotiating agreements with the ejidos and recognized agrarian communities that impact all of its projects in Mexico, some of these agreements may be subject to renegotiations in order to comply with such provisions.

Water Rights.  Water rights are managed by the Comisión Nacional del Agua (“CONAGUA”). According to the Mexican water rights legislation, industrial users such as mining companies must pay for the right to use as well as consumption of national waters regardless of how their rights were obtained, with the rates being determined by the availability of water and the method of extraction. We are not required to obtain water rights. According to CONAGUA, the El Gallo Complex is located in the Sinaloa River Aquifer and is termed Zona de Libre Alumbramiento, meaning a free zone because of excess capacity. As of the filing of this report, water usage costs approximately $1.10 per cubic meter consumed.

Mining Royalties.  In October 2013, the Mexican lower house passed a bill levying a tax‑deductible mining royalty of 7.5% on earnings before the deduction of interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, along with an additional 0.5% surcharge on precious metals revenue for mining companies. The effective date of the law was January 1, 2014. Although there are a number of uncertainties surrounding the scope, calculation and enforcement of the royalty, based on the Company’s current interpretation of the bill, the royalty or surcharge has been estimated in $0.4 million for 2015 and $0.2 million for 2014; therefore, an accrual of $0.6 million has been recorded by the Company as of December 31, 2015.

Further, the Company filed an Amparo, a legal recourse seeking remedy for the protection of constitutional rights. In November 2014, the Company received an unfavourable decision from the District Court in respect of this Amparo. The Company appealed the decision by submitting a Revision Recourse (Recurso de Revisión) to the Supreme Court of the Nation (Suprema Corte de la Nación). On October 23, 2015 the Company was notified that the appeal had been accepted by the Supreme Court of the Nation. This legal proceeding is still ongoing as of the filing of this report.

Environmental Law.  The Environmental Law in Mexico, called the “General Law of Ecological Balance and Protection to the Environment” (“General Law”), provides for general environmental policies, with specific requirements for certain activities such as exploration set forth in regulations called “Mexican official norms”. Responsibility for enforcement of the General Law, the regulations and the Mexican official norms is with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, which regulate all environmental matters with the assistance of Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente (“PROFEPA”).

The primary laws and regulations used by the State of Sinaloa where our El Gallo property is located which govern environmental protection for mining and exploration are: the General Law, Forestry Law, Residues Law, as well as their specific regulations on air, water and residues, and the Mexican official norms (“NOM‑120”). In order to comply with the environmental regulations, a concessionaire must obtain a series of permits during the exploitation and exploration stage. The time required to obtain the required permits is dependent on a number of factors including the type of vegetation and trees impacted by proposed activities.

Mining Permits.  The Secretariat of Environmental and Natural Resources, the Mexican Government environmental authority (“SEMARNAT”), is responsible for issuing environmental permits associated with mining. Three main permits required before construction can begin are: Environmental Impact Statement (known in Mexico as Manifesto Impacto Ambiental) (“MIA”), Land Use Change (known in Mexico as Estudio Justificativo Para Cambio Uso Sueldo) (“ETJ”), and Risk Analysis (known in Mexico as Analisis de Riesgo) (“RA”). A construction permit is required from the local municipality and an archaeological release letter is required from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (“INAH”). An explosives permit is required from the ministry of defense before construction can begin. The MIA is required to be prepared by a third‑party contractor and submitted to SEMARNAT and must include a detailed analysis of climate, air quality, water, soil, vegetation, wildlife, cultural resources and socio‑economic impacts. The RA study (which is included with the MIA and submitted as one complete document) identifies potential environmental releases of hazardous substances and evaluates the risks in order to establish methods to prevent, respond to, and control environmental emergencies. The ETJ requires that an evaluation be made of the existing conditions of the land, including a plant and wildlife study, an evaluation of the current and proposed use of the land, impacts to naturally occurring resources, and an evaluation of reclamation/re‑vegetation plans.

Argentina

Mining in Argentina is subject to numerous federal, provincial and local laws, regulations and ordinances governing mineral rights, operations and environmental protection.

Mineral Concession Rights.  Under Argentine Law, mining concessions are real property, which can be transferred freely and can also be pledged. Concessions are granted by provincial governments for unlimited periods of time, subject to the following conditions:

Failure to comply with these conditions may result in the termination of the concession.

Surface Rights.  A mining concession alone is not sufficient to permit mining operations. An agreement for access and occupation of the surface land is also required from the surface owner and occupier before mining may commence. Surface rights in Argentina are not automatically granted with title to either a mining lease or a concession and must be negotiated with the landowner.

Water Rights.  Water rights are granted for the land or industry they have been applied for. Water rights cannot be separately seized or expropriated from the land or mining concession for which the use of water has been granted as long as the use for the mining concession is required and the obligations by the title holder are complied with.

Mining Royalties.  As legal owners of the mineral resources, provinces are entitled to request royalties from mine operators. Regulations vary from province to province. Under a Mining Tax Stability Agreement between the Province of Santa Cruz, where the San José mine is located, and MSC, the mining royalty was fixed at 1.85% of the mine‑site value per year when the final product is doré and 2.55% when the final products are concentrates or precipitates. Starting in November 2012, MSC increased its royalty payments to the Province to the legal maximum of 3% for all products. Royalties are paid monthly.

Reserve Tax Law.  In June 2013, the Province of Santa Cruz passed amendments to the Provincial Tax Code and Provincial Tax Law, which imposed a new tax on mining reserves in the Province. The law came into effect on July 5, 2013. The tax amounted to 1% of the value of mine reserves reported in feasibility studies and financial statements inclusive of variations resulting from ongoing operations. Regulations require that the tax be calculated on “measured” reserves, and MSC has interpreted this to mean “proven” reserves. The Province has not disputed this interpretation but has not provided further clarification on the definition of “measured” reserves, and the outcome is not clear at the time. MSC has filed a legal claim disputing the legality of the new tax and has paid the initial installments under protest.

Further, the Reserve Tax Law was recently voided by the new elected Congress of Santa Cruz through law 3,462, which was published in the official gazette on December 30, 2015.  This law was enforced by the newly elected executive branch through decree 0144/15, and although not specified, it  is applied prospectively. Subsequent to December 31, 2015, MSC negotiated an agreement with the government of Santa Cruz by which the government resigns to claim any unpaid balance from the aforementioned tax, prior to 2015, whereas MSC resigns to claim the restitution of the amount of the 2013 tax already paid.  However, despite an agreement being reached, this document needs the approval of the Supreme Court of Santa Cruz to be valid.  As of the filing of this report, this approval had not been received. 

Environmental Law.  The Environmental Protection Section of the National Mining Code of Argentina, enacted in 1995, requires that each Provincial government monitor and enforce the laws pertaining to prescribed development and protection of the environment. The Argentine Constitution establishes that the Federal Government is required to set the minimum standards. In 2002, the National Congress established such minimum standards for the sustainable management and protection of the environment and biodiversity, which are applicable throughout Argentina. Provinces are entitled to strengthen those standards. Further, the Argentine Constitution, as amended in 1994, allows any individual who believes a third party may be damaging the environment to initiate an action against such party. Existing and proposed legislation at both the federal and state levels in Argentina governing the protection of glaciers and the management of natural resources, including mining activity, in the vicinity of glaciers, may impact the Company’s ability to develop its projects.

Mining Permits.  Prior to conducting mining operations, companies must submit an Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) to the provincial government. The EIR must describe the proposed operation and the methods that will be used to prevent undue environmental damage and must be updated biennially. Mine operators are liable for environmental damage and violators of environmental standards may be required to shut down mining operations. An EIR must be submitted every two years in accordance with Argentine Law.

United States

Mining in the United States is subject to numerous federal, state and local laws. Three types of laws are of particular importance to our U.S. mineral properties: those affecting land ownership and mining rights; those regulating mining operations; and those dealing with the environment.

Land Ownership and Mining Rights.  Our Nevada properties are primarily located on lands owned by the United States (Federal Lands) and are governed by the General Mining Law of 1872 (“General Mining Law”) as amended. The General Mining Law allows the location of mining claims on certain Federal Lands upon the discovery of a valuable mineral deposit and proper compliance with claim location requirements. A valid mining claim provides the holder with the right to conduct mining operations for the removal of minerals, subject to compliance with the General Mining Law and state law governing the staking and registration of mining claims, as well as compliance with various federal, state and local operating and environmental laws, regulations and ordinances. As the owner or lessee of the unpatented mining claims, we have the right to conduct mining operations on the lands subject to the prior procurement of required operating permits and approvals, compliance with the terms and conditions of any applicable mining lease, and compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and ordinances.

Mining Operations.  The exploration of mining properties and development and operation of mines are governed by federal, state and local laws. Our Nevada properties are primarily administered by the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, which we refer to as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”). In general, the federal laws that govern mining claim location and maintenance and mining operations on Federal Lands are administered by the BLM. Additional federal laws, such as those governing the purchase, transport or storage of explosives, and those governing mine safety and health, also apply.

The State of Nevada likewise requires various permits and approvals before mining operations can begin, although the state and federal regulatory agencies usually cooperate to minimize duplication of permitting efforts. Among other things, a detailed reclamation plan must be prepared and approved, with bonding in the amount of projected reclamation costs. The bond is used to ensure that proper reclamation takes place, and the bond will not be released until reclamation  is completed. The Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (“NDEP”) is the state agency that administers the reclamation permits, mine permits and related closure plans on our Nevada properties. Local jurisdictions (such as county governments) may also impose permitting requirements (such as conditional use permits or zoning approvals).

Environmental Law.  The development, operation, closure, and reclamation of mining projects in the United States requires numerous notifications, permits, authorizations, and public agency decisions. Compliance with environmental and related laws and regulations requires us to obtain permits from regulatory agencies, and to file various reports and keep records of our operations. Certain of these permits require periodic renewal or review of their conditions and may be subject to a public review process during which opposition to our proposed operations may be encountered. We are currently operating under various permits for activities connected to mineral exploration, reclamation, and environmental requirements.

Proposed mineral processing at our Gold Bar property will require additional permitting prior to production. Various federal agencies and departments within the State of Nevada and local governments will be cooperating to review applications for any mining development and process facilities at the site. Although not expected, potential external events such as public or cooperating agency opposition could lengthen the schedule for permit acquisition. Because of previously permitted mining activity at the site, we currently have no reason to believe that permits to mine the mineral resources at Gold Bar could not be obtained from local, state and Federal regulatory agencies without unreasonable effort and expense. Production water for the Gold Bar property can be appropriated pursuant to regulations implemented by the State of Nevada. Permits have been acquired to appropriate water necessary for commercial production at the future Gold Bar operation.

 

Customers

 

Production from our El Gallo 1 mine is either sold as refined metal on the spot market, or doré under the terms set out in a doré purchase agreement between us and the Bank of Nova Scotia (“Scotia”), a Canadian financial institution. Under the terms of that agreement, dated in July 2012, we have the option to sell approximately 90% of the gold and silver contained in doré bars produced at the El Gallo 1 mine prior to the completion of refining by the third party refiner, which normally takes approximately 15 business days. During the year ended December 31, 2015,  approximately 42% our sales from El Gallo 1 in Mexico were made through this doré purchase agreement. We also have an agreement to sell refined metal with a second Canadian financial institution.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2015, 76% of total sales from the San José mine were made to Republic Metals Corporation and LS Nikko Copper Inc. Republic Metals, a Florida corporation, is a purchaser of doré and accounted for 47% of total sales. LS Nikko Copper Inc., a South Korean company, is a purchaser of concentrate, which accounted for 29% of total sales. MSC has sales agreement with each of these purchasers.

 

In the event that our relationship with Scotia or MSC’s relationship with either Republic Metals or LS Nikko Copper Inc. were interrupted for any reasons, we believe that we or MSC could locate other purchasers for the products, however any interruption would temporarily disrupt the sale of our products and adversely affect our operating results.

 

Employees

As of March 11, 2016, we had 282 employees including 250 employees based in Mexico, 5 in Argentina, 9 in the United States, and 18 in Canada. All of our employees based in Canada work in an executive, technical or administrative position,

while our employees in Mexico, Argentina and the United States include laborers, engineers, geologists, permitting specialists, information technologists, and office administrators. Some of our employees in Mexico are covered by union labor contracts and we believe we have good relations with our employees and their unions. We also frequently engage independent contractors in connection with certain administrative matters and the exploration of our properties, such as drillers, geophysicists, geologists, and other technical disciplines. As of March 11, 2016, MSC had 1,077 employees in Argentina.

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

This report, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, contains forward‑looking statements that may be affected by several risk factors. The following information summarizes all material risks known to us as of the date of filing this report:

Risks Relating to Our Company

We have incurred substantial losses on an annual basis since our inception in 1979 and may never be profitable.

Since our inception in 1979, we have never been profitable, on an annual basis. As of December 31, 2015, our accumulated deficit, which includes non‑cash impairment charges, was $940.0 million, including net loss of $20.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. In the future, our ability to become profitable will depend on the profitability of the El Gallo 1 and San José mines, our ability to bring the Gold Bar and El Gallo 2 projects into production and generate revenue sufficient to cover our costs and expenses, and our ability to advance, sell or otherwise monetize our other properties, including the Los Azules copper project. In pursuit of that objective, we will seek to identify additional mineralization that can be extracted economically at operating and exploration properties. For our non‑operating properties that we believe demonstrate economic potential, we need to either develop our properties, locate and enter into agreements with third party operators, or sell the properties. We may suffer significant additional losses in the future and may never be profitable. Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis.

Our business requires substantial capital investment and we may be unable to raise additional funding on favorable terms to develop additional mining operations.

We will need to obtain additional financing, either in the form of debt or equity financing, to fund development of additional mining operations such as the Gold Bar or El Gallo 2 projects and to continue our exploration activities. Our working capital balance, along with expected cash generated from mining operations at El Gallo 1 mine and any dividends received from MSC, is not expected to be sufficient to allow us to develop Gold Bar or to continue our operations indefinitely. Our ability to obtain necessary funding, in turn, depends upon a number of factors, including the state of the economy and applicable commodity prices. We may not be successful in obtaining the required financing for Gold Bar or other purposes, on terms that are favorable to us or at all, in which case, our ability to continue operating would be adversely affected. Failure to obtain such additional financing could result in delay or indefinite postponement of further exploration or potential development and the possible partial or total loss of our interest in certain properties.

The feasibility of mining at our Gold Bar and El Gallo properties has not been established in accordance with SEC Industry Guide 7, and any funds spent by us on exploration and the advancement of our mineral properties could be lost.

A “reserve,” as defined by Industry Guide 7 of the SEC, is that part of a mineral deposit which could be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time of the reserve determination. A reserve requires a SEC‑compliant feasibility study or other report demonstrating with reasonable certainty that the deposit can be economically extracted and produced. Since we have not received a SEC‑compliant report on any of our properties, we currently have no reserves as defined by SEC Industry Guide 7, except for our 49% interest in the San José mine, and there are no assurances that we will be able to prove that there are reserves on our properties.

Substantial expenditures are required to establish reserves through drilling and additional study and there is no assurance that reserves will be established. Whether a mineral deposit can be commercially viable depends upon a number of factors,

including the particular attributes of the deposit, including size, grade, metallurgical recoveries and proximity to infrastructure; metal prices, which can be highly variable; and government regulations, including environmental and reclamation obligations. If we are unable to establish some or all of our mineralized material as proven or probable reserves in sufficient quantities to justify commercial operations, our investment in that property may be lost, and the market value of our securities may suffer.

We are required to prepare and file with the Canadian securities regulators estimates of mineralized material in accordance with NI 43‑101. These standards are substantially different from the standards generally permitted to report reserve and other estimates in reports and other materials filed with the SEC. Under NI 43‑101, we report measured, indicated and inferred resources, measurements which are generally not permitted in filings made with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated resources reported in our Canadian filings will ever be converted into Industry Guide 7 compliant reserves.

There are significant risks and uncertainties associated with construction, commencing or expanding production or changing production plans without a current feasibility, pre‑feasibility or scoping study. As such, the El Gallo Complex and Gold Bar properties may ultimately be determined to lack one or more geological, engineering, legal, operating, economic, social, environmental, and other relevant factors reasonably required to serve as the basis for a final decision to successfully complete all or part of these projects.

Fluctuating precious metals and copper prices have and could continue to negatively impact our business.

The potential for profitability of our gold and silver mining operations and the value of our mining properties are directly related to the market price of gold, silver and copper. The price of gold, silver and copper may also have a significant influence on the market price of our common stock. The market price of gold and silver historically has fluctuated significantly, including a significant downward trend that has continued through 2015, and is affected by numerous factors beyond our control. These factors include supply and demand fundamentals, expectations with respect to the rate of inflation, the relative strength of the U.S. dollar and other currencies, interest rates, gold and silver sales and loans by central banks, forward sales by metal producers, accumulation and divestiture by exchange traded funds, global or regional political, economic or banking crises, and a number of other factors. The market price of silver is also affected by industrial demand. The selection of a property for exploration or development, the determination to construct a mine and place it into production, and the dedication of funds necessary to achieve such purposes are decisions that must be made long before the first revenues, if any, from production will be received. Price fluctuations between the time that such decisions are made and the commencement of production can have a material adverse effect on the economics of a mine.

The volatility of mineral prices represents a substantial risk which no amount of planning or technical expertise can fully eliminate. In the event mineral prices decline and remain low for prolonged periods of time, we might be unable to develop our properties, which may adversely affect our results of operations, financial performance and cash flows. Our results of operations have been and could continue to be materially and adversely affected by the impairment of assets. An asset impairment charge may result from the occurrence of unexpected adverse events that impact our estimates of expected cash flows generated from our producing properties or the market value of our non-producing properties. The deteriorating economic outlook for companies in the mineral exploration and extraction sector and declines in commodity prices are likely to reduce the recoverable amount of our investment in MSC, El Gallo 1 mine, and other, non-producing mineral property interests including the Los Azules project, and therefore may increase our impairment charges in the future.

The volatility in gold, silver and copper prices is illustrated by the following table, which sets forth, for the periods indicated, the average market prices in U.S. dollars per ounce of gold and silver, based on the average daily London P.M. fix, and per pound of copper based on the London Metal Exchange Grade A copper settlement price.

As at March 8, 2016, gold, silver and copper prices were $1,267 per ounce, $15.66 per ounce, and $2.22 per pound, respectively.

The figures for our estimated mineralized material are based on interpretation and assumptions and may yield less mineral production under actual conditions than is currently estimated.

Unless otherwise indicated, mineralization figures presented in our filings with securities regulatory authorities including the SEC, news releases and other public statements that may be made from time to time are based upon estimates made by independent geologists and our internal geologists. When making determinations about whether to advance any of our projects to development, we must rely upon such estimated calculations as to the mineralized material and grades of mineralization on our properties. Until ore is actually mined and processed, mineralized material and grades of mineralization must be considered as estimates only.

These estimates are imprecise and depend upon geological interpretation and statistical inferences drawn from drilling and sampling analysis, which may prove to be unreliable. We cannot ensure that:

Any material changes in mineral estimates and grades of mineralization may affect the economic viability of placing a property into production and such property’s return on capital. There can be no assurance that minerals recovered in small scale tests will be recovered in large‑scale tests under on‑site conditions or in production scale. The estimates contained in our public filings have been determined and valued based on assumed future prices, cut‑off grades and operating costs that may prove to be inaccurate. Extended declines in market prices for gold and/or silver may render portions of our mineralization estimates uneconomic and result in reduced reported mineralization or adversely affect the commercial viability of one or more of our properties. Any material reductions in estimates of mineralization, or of our ability to extract this mineralization, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

We own our 49% interest in the San José mine, under the terms of an option and joint venture agreement (“OJVA”), and therefore we are unable to control all aspects of the exploration and development of and production from this property.

Our interest in the San José mine is subject to the risks normally associated with the conduct of joint ventures. A disagreement between joint venture partners on how to conduct business efficiently, the inability of joint venture partners to meet their obligations to the joint venture or third parties, or litigation arising between joint venture partners regarding joint venture matters could have a material adverse effect on the viability of our interests held through the joint venture.

Our operations in Argentina and Mexico are subject to changes in political conditions, regulations and crime.

Although all of our operations are subject to changes in political conditions, regulations and crime, the Company has substantial investments in Argentina and Mexico and is therefore subject to risks normally associated with the conduct of business in foreign countries. Further, both Argentina and Mexico have undergone significant government regulations with respect to, but not limited to, restrictions on production, price controls, export controls, currency remittance, importation

of parts and supplies, income and other taxes, expropriation of property, foreign investment, maintenance of claims, environmental legislation, land use, land claims of local people, water use and mine safety. Changes, if any, in mining or investment policies or shifts in political attitude in any of the jurisdictions in which the Company operates may adversely affect the Company’s operations or profitability. There also is the risk of political violence and increased social tension in both Mexico and Argentina as these countries have experienced periods of crime, and civil and labor unrest. Certain political and economic events such as acts, or failures to act, by government authorities in Argentina and Mexico, and acts of political violence could have a material adverse effect on our ability to operate in the country.

With respect to our San José mine, there are risks relating to an uncertain or unpredictable political and economic environment in Argentina. For instance, Argentina defaulted on foreign debt repayments and on the repayment on a number of official loans to multinational organizations in 2002 and 2003, and defaulted again on its bonds in 2014 after failing to reach an agreement with certain of its bondholders, which are currently under negotiation. In 2008, the Argentine government also reassessed its policy and practice in respect of export duties and began levying export duties on mining companies operating in the country. In 2012, Argentina’s President announced the nationalization of the majority stake of Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF), Argentina’s largest oil company. In 2013, Argentina’s federal Income Tax Statute was amended to include a 10% income tax withholding on dividend distributions by Argentine corporations, and the capital gains exception for non‑resident taxpayers was repealed.

With respect to our El Gallo 1 mine in Mexico, in recent years, there has been a marked increase in the level of violence and crime relating to drug cartels in Sinaloa state, where we operate, and in other regions of Mexico. This may disrupt our ability to carry out exploration and mining activities and affect the safety and security of our employees and contractors. Our exploration and mining activities may be adversely affected in varying degrees by changing government regulations relating to the mining industry or shifts in political conditions, including as a result of periodic elections, that could increase the costs related to our activities or maintaining our properties.

Legislation has been enacted that significantly and adversely affects the mining industry.

In Argentina, the Province of Santa Cruz passed amendments to the Provincial Tax Code and Provincial Tax Law, which imposes a new tax on mining reserves in the Province (“Reserve Tax Law”). The law came into effect on July 5, 2013. The tax would amount to 1% of the value of mine reserves reported in feasibility studies and financial statements inclusive of variations resulting from ongoing operations. This tax is subject to on-going clarifications, litigation and legislation.

In Mexico, in October 2013, the Mexican lower house passed a bill proposing a tax‑deductible mining royalty of 7.5% on earnings before the deduction of interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, along with an additional 0.5% on precious metals revenue for precious metals mining companies. In addition the long term corporate tax rate is expected to remain at 30% rather than being reduced to 28% as originally planned. The Mexican Senate approved the provisions of the Tax Reform on October 31, 2013. The effective date of the law was effective January 1, 2014.

Periodically, members of the U.S. Congress have introduced bills which would supplant or alter the provisions of the General Mining Law of 1872, which governs the unpatented claims that we control with respect to our U.S. properties. One such amendment has become law and has imposed a moratorium on the patenting of mining claims, which reduced the security of title provided by unpatented claims such as those on our U.S. properties. If additional legislation is enacted, it could substantially increase the cost of holding unpatented mining claims by requiring payment of royalties, and could significantly impair our ability to develop mineral estimates on unpatented mining claims. Such bills have proposed, among other things, to make permanent the patent moratorium, to impose a federal royalty on production from unpatented mining claims and to declare certain lands as unsuitable for mining. Although it is impossible to predict at this time what royalties may be imposed in the future, the imposition of such royalties could adversely affect the potential for development of such mining claims, and the economics of existing operating mines on federal unpatented mining claims. Passage of such legislation could adversely affect our business.

Our business is subject to U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar worldwide anti‑bribery laws, a breach or violation of which could lead to civil and criminal fines and penalties, loss of licenses or permits and reputational harm.

We operate in certain jurisdictions that have experienced governmental and private sector corruption to some degree, and, in certain circumstances, strict compliance with anti‑bribery laws may conflict with certain local customs and practices. For example, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and anti‑bribery laws in other jurisdictions, generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business or other commercial advantage, and often carry substantial penalties. There can be no assurance that our internal control policies and procedures always will protect it from recklessness, fraudulent behavior, dishonesty or other inappropriate acts committed by the Company’s affiliates, employees or agents. As such, our corporate policies and processes may not prevent all potential breaches of law or other governance practices. Violations of these laws, or allegations of such violations, could lead to civil and criminal fines and penalties, litigation, and loss of operating licenses or permits, and may damage the Company’s reputation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations or cause the market value of our common stock to decline.

We are subject to foreign currency risk.

While we transact most of our business in U.S. dollars, expenses, such as labor, operating supplies, and property and equipment, are denominated in Canadian dollars, Mexican pesos or Argentine pesos. As a result, currency exchange fluctuations may impact our operating costs. The appreciation of non‑U.S. dollar currencies against the U.S. dollar increases costs and the cost of purchasing property and equipment in U.S. dollar terms in Mexico, Argentina and Canada, which can adversely impact our operating results and cash flows. Conversely, a depreciation of non‑U.S. dollar currencies usually decreases operating costs and property and equipment purchases in U.S. dollar terms in foreign countries.

The value of cash and cash equivalents denominated in foreign currencies also fluctuates with changes in currency exchange rates. Appreciation of non‑U.S. dollar currencies results in a foreign currency gain on such investments and a depreciation in non‑U.S. dollar currencies results in a loss. We have not utilized market risk sensitive instruments to manage our exposure to foreign currency exchange rates but may in the future actively manage our exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk. We also hold portions of our cash reserves in Canadian, Mexican and Argentine currency.

Increased operating and capital costs could affect our profitability.

Costs at any particular mining location are subject to variation due to a number of factors, such as variable ore grade, changing metallurgy and revisions to mine plans in response to the physical shape and location of the ore body, as well as the age and utilization rates for the mining and processing‑related facilities and equipment. In addition, costs are affected by the price and availability of input commodities, such as fuel, electricity, labor, chemical reagents, explosives, steel and concrete and mining and processing‑related equipment and facilities. Reported costs may also be affected by changes in accounting standards. A material increase in costs at any significant location could have a significant effect on our profitability and operating cash flow.

We could have significant increases in capital and operating costs over the next several years in connection with the development of new projects in challenging jurisdictions and in the sustaining and/or expansion of existing mining and processing operations. Costs associated with capital expenditures have escalated on an industry‑wide basis over the last several years, as a result of factors beyond our control, including the prices of oil, steel and other commodities and labor, as well as the demand for certain mining and processing equipment. Increased capital expenditures may have an adverse effect on the profitability of and cash flow generated from existing operations, as well as the economic returns anticipated from new projects.

Our estimated timetables to achieve production for the El Gallo 2 and Gold Bar properties may not be accurate.

Based on estimates by state and federal agencies and included in a feasibility study completed in 2015, we expect to begin operation of our Gold Bar project in 2018.  However, there is no certainty that the economics estimated in the feasibility study will be realized or that we will be able to begin production within the timelines estimated, if at all.

In regard to El Gallo 2, the final decision to proceed with the construction of our El Gallo 2 project has not been made. The Company plans to complete its cost savings studies and review financing alternatives. Any decision to proceed would be based on silver prices and securing financing on terms that we believe are more favorable to us than those that were available to us at the time of filing this report.

Further, we may also be unable to obtain the necessary permits in a timely manner, on reasonable terms or on terms that provide us sufficient resources to develop our properties. These and other factors may cause us to delay production at El Gallo 2 and our Gold Bar properties beyond our current expectations, or cancel our plans entirely.

Development at Los Azules presents development challenges that may negatively affect, if not completely negate, the feasibility of development of the property.

The Los Azules property is located in a remote location that is accessed by 75 miles (120 kilometers) of unimproved dirt road with eight river crossings and two mountain passes both above 13,451 feet (4,100 meters). Even assuming that technical difficulties associated with this remote location can be overcome, the capital costs may make the project uneconomical. According to the NI 43‑101 Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) filed on November 7, 2013 with an effective date of August 1, 2013, capital costs were estimated to be $3.9 billion initially and $5.5 billion over the life of the mine with an accuracy target of plus or minus 35%. In order for Los Azules to be economically feasible for development, the price of copper would have to achieve and remain at a level high enough to justify the high capital costs estimated for the project. There can be no assurance that these capital cost estimates are accurate, given the inflationary pressure in the mining industry and in Argentina in particular. If the long term price of copper were to remain low or decrease significantly below the current price or capital cost estimates increase significantly, Los Azules may not be feasible for development, and we may have to write‑off the remaining carrying value of the asset. Furthermore, the project’s economic feasibility has not yet been demonstrated through a full feasibility study. The PEA is preliminary in nature, includes NI 43‑101 mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would allow them to be categorized as mineral reserves either under Industry Guide 7 or NI 43‑101, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Finally, we may not be able to raise sufficient capital to develop the property; we may not receive the required permits or environmental approvals; we may not be able to construct the necessary power and infrastructure assets; and, we may not be able to attract qualified workers to build such a project, any of which could result in the delay or indefinite postponement of development at the property. Such a result would have a material adverse effect on our Company.

We may acquire additional exploration stage properties and we may face negative reactions if reserves are not located on acquired properties.

We have in the past and may in the future acquire additional exploration stage properties. There can be no assurance that we have or will be able to complete the acquisition of such properties at reasonable prices or on favorable terms and that reserves will be identified on any properties that we acquire. We may also experience negative reactions from the financial markets if we are unable to successfully complete acquisitions of additional properties or if reserves are not located on acquired properties. These factors may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock or our financial condition or results of operations.

The nature of mineral exploration and production activities involves a high degree of risk and the possibility of uninsured losses that could materially and adversely affect our operations.

Exploration for and production of minerals is highly speculative and involves greater risk than many other businesses. Many exploration programs do not result in the discovery of mineralization, and any mineralization discovered may not be of sufficient quantity or quality to be profitably mined. Few properties that are explored are ultimately advanced to production. Our current exploration efforts are, and future development and mining operations we conduct will be, subject to all of the operating hazards and risks normally incident to exploring for and developing mineral properties, such as, but not limited to:

Any of these risks can materially and adversely affect, among other things, the development of properties, production quantities and rates, costs and expenditures, potential revenues and production dates. We currently have no insurance to guard against any of these risks, except in very limited circumstances. If we determine that capitalized costs associated with any of our mineral interests are not likely to be recovered, we would incur a write‑down of our investment in these interests. All of these factors may result in losses in relation to amounts spent which are not recoverable.

We do not insure against all risks to which we may be subject in our operations.

While we currently maintain insurance to insure against general commercial liability claims and physical assets at our properties in Argentina, Mexico, and the United States, we do not maintain insurance to cover all of the potential risks associated with our operations. Our other exploration projects have no existing infrastructure for which we insure. We may also be unable to obtain insurance to cover other risks at economically feasible premiums or at all. Insurance coverage may not continue to be available, or may not be adequate to cover liabilities. We might also become subject to liability for environmental, pollution or other hazards associated with mineral exploration and production which may not be insured against, which may exceed the limits of our insurance coverage or which we may elect not to insure against because of premium costs or other reasons. Losses from these events may cause us to incur significant costs that could materially adversely affect our financial condition and our ability to fund activities on our property. A significant loss could force us to reduce or terminate our operations.

Shortages of critical parts and equipment may adversely affect our operations and development projects.

The mining industry has been impacted, from time to time, by increased demand for critical resources such as input commodities, drilling equipment, trucks, shovels and tires. These shortages have, at times, impacted the efficiency of our operations, and resulted in cost increases and delays in construction of projects; thereby impacting operating costs, capital expenditures and production and construction schedules.

Our operations are subject to permitting requirements which could require us to delay, suspend or terminate our operations on our mining properties.

Our mining operations, including ongoing exploration drilling programs, require permits from the state and federal governments, including permits for the use of water and for drilling wells for water. We may be unable to obtain these permits in a timely manner, on reasonable terms or on terms that provide us sufficient resources to develop our properties, or at all. Even if we are able to obtain such permits, the time required by the permitting process can be significant. If we cannot obtain or maintain the necessary permits, or if there is a delay in receiving these permits, our timetable and business plan for exploration of our properties will be adversely affected, which may in turn adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and market price of our securities.

Title to mineral properties can be uncertain, and we are at risk of loss of ownership of one or more of our properties.

Our ability to explore and operate our properties depends on the validity of our title to that property. Our U.S. mineral properties include leases of unpatented mining claims, as well as unpatented mining and millsite claims, which we control directly. Unpatented mining claims provide only possessory title and their validity is often subject to contest by third parties or the federal government, which makes the validity of unpatented mining claims uncertain and generally more risky. Our concessions in Mexico are subject to continuing government regulation and failure to adhere to such regulations will result in termination of the concession. Similarly, under Argentine Law, failure to comply with applicable conditions may result in the termination of the concession. Uncertainties inherent in mineral properties relate to such things as the sufficiency of mineral discovery, proper posting and marking of boundaries, assessment work and possible conflicts with other claims not determinable from public record. We have not obtained title opinions covering our entire property, with the attendant risk that title to some claims, particularly title to undeveloped property, may be defective. There may be valid challenges to the title to our property which, if successful, could impair development and/or operations.

We cannot ensure that we will have an adequate supply of water to complete desired exploration or development of our mining properties.

Our mining operations require significant quantities of water for mining, ore processing and related support facilities. Our operations in Argentina, Mexico and the United States are in areas where water is scarce and competition among users for continuing access to water is significant. Continuous production at our mines is dependent on our ability to maintain our water rights and claims and to defeat claims adverse to our current water uses in legal proceedings. Although each of our operations currently has sufficient water rights and claims to cover its operational demands, we cannot predict the potential outcome of pending or future legal proceedings relating to our water rights, claims and uses. Water shortages may also result from weather or environmental and climate impacts out of the Company’s control.

Our continuing reclamation obligations at Tonkin, El Gallo and other properties could require significant additional expenditures.

We are responsible for the reclamation obligations related to disturbances located on all of our properties, including the Tonkin Complex. On February 10, 2014 we submitted to the BLM an amendment to the original mine closure plan for the Tonkin Complex, which was approved by the BLM on September 21, 2015, including our $3.6 million estimate of anticipated reclamation requirements, for which a financial guarantee has been put in place. In regards to the El Gallo Complex, we have not posted a bond in Mexico as none is required by the current legislation; however we have recorded a liability based on the estimated amount of our reclamation obligations. There is a risk that any surety bond or recorded liability, even if increased based on the analysis and work performed to update the reclamation obligations, could be inadequate to cover the actual costs of reclamation when carried out. The satisfaction of bonding requirements and continuing reclamation obligations will require a significant amount of capital. Further, it is possible that the BLM may request that the Company provides additional long term financing supported by a long-term trust for an amount that cannot be determined at this point. There is a risk that we will be unable to fund any additional bonding requirements, that the surety bonds may no longer be accepted by the governmental agencies as satisfactory reclamation coverage, in which case we would be required to replace the surety bonding with cash, and further, that the regulatory authorities may increase reclamation and bonding requirements to such a degree that it would not be commercially reasonable to continue exploration activities, which may adversely affect our results of operations, financial performance and cash flows.

Our ongoing operations and past mining activities are subject to environmental risks, which could expose us to significant liability and delay, suspension or termination of our operations.

All phases of our operations are subject to Argentine, Mexican and American federal, state and local environmental regulation. These regulations mandate, among other things, the maintenance of air and water quality standards and land reclamation. They also set forth limitations on the generation, transportation, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous waste, including cyanide. Environmental legislation is evolving in a manner which will require stricter standards and enforcement, increased fines and penalties for non‑compliance, more stringent environmental assessments of proposed projects, and a heightened degree of responsibility for us and our officers, directors and employees. Future changes in environmental regulation, if any, may adversely affect our operations, make our operations prohibitively expensive, or prohibit them altogether. Environmental hazards may exist on our properties that are unknown to us at the present and that have been caused by us, or previous owners or operators, or that may have occurred naturally. We utilize explosives in our business, which could cause injury to our personnel, and damage to our equipment or assets. Mining properties from the companies we have acquired may cause us to be liable for remediating any damage that those companies may have caused. The liability could include response costs for removing or remediating the release and damage to natural resources, including ground water, as well as the payment of fines and penalties. Failure to comply with applicable environmental laws, regulations and permitting requirements may also result in enforcement actions thereunder, including orders issued by regulatory or judicial authorities, causing operations to cease or be curtailed, and may include corrective measures requiring capital expenditures, installation of additional equipment, or remedial actions.

We have transferred our interest in several mining properties over past years, some of which are now being operated by third parties. Under applicable U.S. federal and state environmental laws, as prior owner of these properties, we may be liable for remediating any damage that we may have caused. The liability could include response costs for removing or remediating the release and damage to natural resources, including ground water, as well as the payment of fines and penalties.

Due to an increased level of non‑governmental organization activity targeting the mining industry, the potential for the government to delay the issuance of permits or impose new requirements or conditions upon mining operations may be increased. Any changes in government policies may be costly to comply with and may delay mining operations. Future changes in such laws and regulations, if any, may adversely affect our operations, make our operations prohibitively expensive, or prohibit them altogether. If our interests are materially adversely affected as a result of a violation of applicable laws, regulations, or permitting requirements or a change in applicable law or regulations, it would have a significant negative impact on the value of our company and could have a significant impact on our stock price.

Global climate change is an international concern, and could impact our ability to conduct future operations.

Global climate change is an international issue and receives a substantial amount of publicity. We would expect that the imposition of international treaties or Argentina, Mexican, and American federal, state, provincial or local laws or regulations pertaining to mandatory reductions in energy consumption or emissions of greenhouse gasses could affect the feasibility of our mining projects and increase our operating costs.

Our industry is highly competitive, attractive mineral lands are scarce, and we may not be able to obtain quality properties.

We compete with many companies in the mining industry, including large, established mining companies with substantial capabilities, personnel and financial resources. There is a limited supply of desirable mineral lands available for claim staking, lease or acquisition in Argentina, Mexico and the United States, and other areas where we may conduct exploration activities. We may be at a competitive disadvantage in acquiring mineral properties, since we compete with these individuals and companies, many of which have greater financial resources and larger technical staffs than we do. From time to time, specific properties or areas which would otherwise be attractive to us for exploration or acquisition may be unavailable to us due to their previous acquisition by other companies or our lack of financial resources. Competition in the industry is not limited to the acquisition of mineral properties but also extends to the technical expertise to find, advance, and operate such properties; the labor to operate the properties; and the capital for the purpose of funding such properties. Many competitors not only explore for and mine precious metals, but conduct refining and marketing operations

on a world‑wide basis. Such competition may result in our Company being unable not only to acquire desired properties, but to recruit or retain qualified employees or to acquire the capital necessary to fund our operation and advance our properties. Our inability to compete with other companies for these resources would have a material adverse effect on our results of operation, financial condition and cash flows.

Our lack of operating experience may cause us difficulty in managing our growth.

Our management team, as a whole, has limited experience in developing and operating a mine. We are currently working towards the development of El Gallo 2 in Mexico and Gold Bar project in Nevada. If we are unable to successfully finance and place these projects into production, our stock price may suffer and you may lose some or all of your investment. Our ability to manage the anticipated growth that we expect will accompany placing one or more of those properties into production will require us to improve and expand our management and our operational systems and controls. If our management is unable to manage growth effectively, our business and financial condition would be materially harmed. In addition, if rapid growth occurs, it may strain our operational, managerial and financial resources.

To the extent that we seek to expand our operations and increase our reserves through acquisitions, we may experience issues in executing acquisitions or integrating acquired operations.

From time to time, we examine opportunities to make selective acquisitions in order to provide increased returns to our shareholders and to expand our operations and reported reserves and, potentially, generate synergies. The success of any acquisition would depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to:

There can be no assurance that we will be able to conclude any acquisitions successfully, or that any acquisition will achieve the anticipated synergies or other positive results. Any material problems that we encounter in connection with such an acquisition could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial position.

We rely on contractors to conduct a significant portion of our operations and construction projects.

A significant portion of our operations and construction projects are currently conducted in whole or in part by contractors, including specifically our mining contractor at the El Gallo 1 mine. As a result, our operations are subject to a number of risks, some of which are outside our control, including:

In addition, we may incur liability to third parties as a result of the actions of our contractors. The occurrence of one or more of these risks could adversely affect our results of operations and financial position.

If our employees or contractors engage in a strike, work stoppage or other slowdown, we could experience business disruptions or increased costs.

 

As of December 31, 2015, a number of our employees were represented by different trade unions and work councils which subject us to employment arrangements very similar to collective bargaining agreements. Further, most of our employees are based in foreign locations. The laws of certain foreign countries may place restrictions on our ability to take certain employee-related actions or require that we conduct additional negotiations with trade unions, works councils or other governmental authorities before we can take such actions.

 

If the employees or contractors at the San José mine or the El Gallo 1 mine were to engage in a strike, work stoppage, or other slowdown in the future, we could experience a significant disruption of our operations. Such disruption could interfere with our business operations and could lead to decreased productivity, increased labor costs, and lost revenue. We may not be successful in negotiating new collective bargaining agreements or other employment arrangements when the current ones expire. Furthermore, future labor negotiations could result in significant increases in our labor costs. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We depend on a limited number of personnel and the loss of any of these individuals could adversely affect our business.

Our company is dependent on key management, namely our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; our President; our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; our Chief Operating Officer; our Managing Director; our Vice President, Projects; our Vice President, Finance and our General Counsel. Robert R. McEwen (Mr. McEwen), our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is responsible for the strategic direction and the oversight of our business. Colin Sutherland, our President, Nathan Stubina, our Managing Director; William Faust, our Chief Operating Officer; and Simon Quick, our Vice President, Projects oversee project development in Mexico, Nevada and Argentina. Carmen Diges, our General Counsel, Andrew Elinesky, our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Andrew Iaboni, our Vice President, Finance are responsible for our public reporting and administrative functions. We rely heavily on these individuals for the conduct of our business. The loss of any of these officers may significantly and adversely affect our business. In that event, we would be forced to identify and retain an individual to replace the departed officer. We may not be able to replace one or more of these individuals on terms acceptable to us. We have no life insurance on the life of any officer, where the Company is the beneficiary.

Some of our directors or officers may have conflicts of interest as a result of their involvement with other natural resource companies.

Some of our directors and officers are directors or officers of other natural resource or mining‑related companies, or may be involved in related pursuits that could present conflicts of interest with their roles at our Company. These associations may give rise to conflicts of interest from time to time. In the event that any such conflict of interest arises, a director who has such a conflict is required to disclose the conflict to the other directors and may be required to abstain from voting on the matter.

The laws of the State of Colorado, our Articles of Incorporation and agreements with certain officers and directors may protect our directors from certain types of lawsuits.

The laws of the State of Colorado provide that our directors will not be liable to us or our shareholders for monetary damages for all but certain types of conduct as directors of the Company. Our Articles of Incorporation permit us to indemnify our directors and officers against all damages incurred in connection with our business to the fullest extent provided or allowed by law, including through stand‑alone indemnity agreements. We have also entered into indemnification agreements with our executive officers and directors which require that we indemnify them against certain liabilities incurred by them in their capacity as such. The exculpation provisions may have the effect of preventing shareholders from recovering damages against our directors caused by their negligence, poor judgment or other circumstances. The indemnification provisions may require us to use our limited assets to defend our directors and officers against claims, including claims arising out of their negligence, poor judgment, or other circumstances.

We are subject to litigation risks.

All industries, including the mining industry, are subject to legal claims, with and without merit. Defense and settlement costs can be substantial, even with respect to claims that have no merit. Due to the inherent uncertainty of the litigation process, the resolution of any particular legal proceeding, including regulatory proceedings, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Our Common Stock

A small number of existing shareholders own a significant portion of McEwen Mining common stock, which could limit your ability to influence the outcome of any shareholder vote.

As of March 8, 2016, Mr. McEwen beneficially owned approximately 25%, or 75.8 million shares, of the 298.1 million shares of McEwen Mining common stock (assuming all outstanding Exchangeable shares not held by McEwen Mining or its subsidiaries are exchanged for an equivalent amount of McEwen Mining common stock). Under our Articles of Incorporation and the laws of the State of Colorado, the vote of the holders of a majority of the shares voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present is generally required to approve most shareholder action. As a result, Mr. McEwen will be able to significantly influence the outcome of shareholder votes for the foreseeable future, including votes concerning the election of directors, amendments to our Articles of Incorporation or proposed mergers, acquisitions or other significant corporate transactions.

Our stock price may be volatile, and as a result you could lose all or part of your investment.

In addition to other risk factors identified herein and to volatility associated with equity securities in general, the value of your investment could decline due to the impact of any of the following factors upon the market price of our common stock:

During the 2015 calendar year, the price of our stock has ranged from a low of $0.68 to a high of $1.35. In addition, stock markets in general have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations and the market prices of securities have been highly volatile. These fluctuations are often unrelated to operating performance and may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Adverse price fluctuations may lead to threatened or actual delisting of our common stock from the NYSE. As a result, you may be unable to resell your shares at a desired price.

There is no guarantee that the Company will continue to declare return of capital or buy shares under the repurchase program.

On June 18, 2015, the Board of Directors declared an annual return of capital of $0.01 per share of common stock, payable semi-annually.  The first semi-annual return of capital installment of $0.005 was paid on August 17, 2015 and the second on February 18, 2016.  On October 1, 2015 the Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program authorizing the Company to purchase up to 15,000,000 shares of its common stock over a twelve month period, with an authorized maximum of $15.0 million to be spent in the repurchases. Under the program, purchases of common stock may be made from time-to-time in the open market, subject to compliance with applicable U.S. and Canadian laws. Any determination to continue to declare return of capital on our common stock or to repurchase our common stock will be based primarily upon our financial condition, results of operations and capital requirements, including for capital expenditures and acquisitions, the price of our common stock in the case of the repurchase program, and our Board of Directors determination that the repurchase program and the declaration of the return of capital are in the best interests of our stockholders and are in compliance with all laws and agreements applicable to the Company.   

 

Gains recognized by non‑U.S. holders and non‑U.S. persons holding any interest in the Company other than solely as a creditor (including, for example, interests in the form of our convertible debt, if any) on the sale or other disposition of our securities may be subject to U.S. federal income tax.

We believe that we currently are a “United States real property holding corporation” under section 897(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), or USRPHC, and that there is a substantial likelihood that we will continue to be a USRPHC in the future. Subject to certain exceptions, securities (other than securities that provide no interest in a corporation other than solely as a creditor) issued by a corporation that has been a USRPHC at any time during the preceding five years (or the non‑U.S. holder’s holding period for such securities, if shorter) are treated as U.S. real property interests, or USRPIs, and a gain recognized by a non‑U.S. holder on the sale or other disposition of a USRPI is subject to regular U.S. federal income tax, on a net basis at graduated rates, as if such gain were effectively connected with the conduct by such holder of a U.S. trade or business. If  a gain recognized by a non‑U.S. holder from the sale or other disposition of our common stock or other securities is subject to regular net basis income tax under these rules, the transferee of such common stock or other securities may be required to deduct and withhold a tax equal to 10% of the gross amount paid to the non‑U.S. holder with respect to the sale or other disposition, unless certain exceptions apply. Any tax withheld may be credited against the U.S. federal income tax owed by the non‑U.S. holder for the year in which the sale or other disposition occurs.

The exercise of options and the future issuances of our common stock will dilute current shareholders and may reduce the market price of our common stock.

Under certain circumstances, our board of directors (the “McEwen Mining Board”) has the authority to authorize the offer and sale of additional securities without the vote of or notice to existing shareholders. We may issue equity in the future in connection with acquisitions, strategic transactions or for other purposes. Based on the need for additional capital to fund expected growth, it is likely that we will issue additional securities to provide such capital and that such additional issuances may involve a significant number of shares of our common stock. Issuance of additional securities in the future will dilute the percentage interest of existing shareholders and may reduce the market price of our common stock and any other outstanding securities. Furthermore, the sale of a significant amount of our common stock by any selling security holders, including Mr. McEwen, may depress the price of our common stock. As a result, you may lose all or a portion of your investment.

 

ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES

We classify our mineral properties into: “Production Properties”, “Advanced-Stage Properties” and “Exploration Properties”.  Advanced-stage properties consist of properties for which a feasibility study has been completed indicating the presence of mineralized material, and that have obtained or are in the process of obtaining the required permitting. Our designation of certain properties as “Production Properties” or “Advanced-stage Properties” should not suggest that we have proven or probable reserves at those properties as defined by the SEC Industry Guide 7.

In addition, as described under the Critical Accounting Policies section below, we define “Mine Development Costs” as the costs incurred to design and construct mining and processing facilities, including engineering and metallurgical studies, drilling, and other related costs to delineate an ore body, and the removal of overburden to initially expose an ore body at open pit surface mines.  Since no proven and probable reserves have been established on any of our properties except for our 49% interest in the San José mine, mine development costs are not capitalized at any of the our properties, but rather are expensed as incurred, and allocated within “Mine Development Costs” in the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Loss.

Our significant production, advanced-stage and exploration properties are described below.

Production Properties

El Gallo 1 mine,  México (100%)

For detailed information on the El Gallo 1 mine production statistics and financial results, refer to Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Overview and History

The Company,  through its Mexican subsidiary Compañia Minera Pangea S.A. de C.V. (“Minera Pangea”) owns 100% of the El Gallo 1 mine.  El Gallo 1 mine refers to the open‑pit mine, heap leach operation formerly known as the Magistral mine. We completed the first gold pour in September 2012, with commercial production commencing January 1, 2013.  During the year ended December 31, 2015, El Gallo 1 mine produced a total of 62,967 ounces of gold and 29,917 ounces of silver, and a cumulative total of 145,044 ounces of gold and 85,204 ounces of silver since commencement of commercial production.

An annual lease agreement for surface access to the El Gallo 1 mine is currently in place between Minera Pangea and certain of our employees who hold the surface rights. These lease agreements provide for access and site preparation to accommodate exploration activities and drilling. The employees who hold the surface rights have commenced the required legal process to convert the land into private ownership so it can be transferred to us. We are not required to make any additional payments, as the purchase price was agreed to and paid at the time of the lease agreements. Although the agreements cover a large area around the project, there can be no assurances that additional surface rights will not be required.

Various environmental permits are required in order to perform exploration drilling in Sinaloa State. Permitting requirements are dependent upon the level of disturbance. Exemptions can generally be obtained if drilling occurs in areas where no new disturbance will occur and vegetation will not be removed (agricultural areas, dirt roads, previously mined sites). If drilling occurs on previously undisturbed land and vegetation will be removed, an Environmental Impact Study and Land Use Change are required. Each of the areas where we are currently conducting exploration drilling has the required permit or exemption.

As of the date of filing this report, the El Gallo 1 mine has all of the necessary permits for current operations, which must be renewed in June 2022. Further permits are or may be required for the satellite deposits. Specific permit‑required conditions must be followed during operations including, but not limited to: environmental impact study, change in land use, and risk analysis plan.

Location and Access

The El Gallo 1 mine and El Gallo 2 project are part of the El Gallo Complex, which is located in northwestern Mexico, within Sinaloa State, Mocorito Municipality. It is situated approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) by air northwest of the Sinaloa state capital city of Culiacan in the western foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. The concessions are located approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 kilometers) by road from the village of Mocorito, approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the town of Guamuchil. Access is either by paved or well maintained, two‑way, dirt roads.

The following map depicts the location of the El Gallo Complex:

Geology and Mineralization

 

Gold mineralization in the El Gallo 1 mine area occurs in six deposits along two distinct structural trends, northwest and northeast. A northwest trending structural zone hosts the Samaniego and San Rafael deposits. San Dimas also is hosted by a northwest‑striking structure. The second structural trend is northeast‑striking and includes the Sagrado Corazón, Lupita and Central deposits. Along these structural trends the mineralization is located within numerous sub‑structures that may be parallel, oblique or even perpendicular to the principal trends. Mineralization among the various deposits of the El Gallo 1 area is generally similar, with the individual structural zones consisting of quartz stockwork, breccia, and local quartz vein mineralization occurring within propylitically altered andesitic volcanic rocks. The Samaniego, San Rafael, Lupita, Sagrado Corazon and Central deposits are characterized by gold accompanied by iron oxide and variable copper; the San Dimas deposit is polymetallic containing gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc.

 

Facilities and Infrastructure

The El Gallo property has well‑developed infrastructure including electricity and well developed roads. At the El Gallo 1 mine, significant mining has occurred in the past and most recent operations included open pit mining in two pits, with gold and silver ores processed in a heap leaching facility. There is a truck shop, a warehouse, two core logging facilities, heap leach pad, process ponds, laboratory, three stage crushing plant, an ADR process plant and an administrative office. The laboratory is equipped to process all assays (blasthole samples from the mine, core, chips and soil) and incorporates fire assaying and atomic absorption equipment. Also included is a metallurgical lab capable of processing bottle rolls and columns to determine gold and silver recoveries of ores amenable to cyanide leaching.

In 2014, we undertook an expansion to the plant, which increased the processing capacity of the plant from a nominal 3,000 to 4,500 tonnes per day, at a cost of approximately of $2.8 million. Commissioning commenced during the second quarter of 2014, and was fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2014.

There is also access to a local work force that is familiar with mining operations. Mining operations and site security are performed by contractors and the Company has its own workforce in the administrative and processing areas.

The primary water supply for the El Gallo 1 mine comes from two currently operating water wells located 0.9 miles (1.5 km) from the process facility. Wells are powered by a generator that pumps water into a raw water pond, which is then used for operations. The well field combined with local annual precipitation of 32 inches (~830 mm) provide sufficient supply for El Gallo 1 mine production.

No Proven or Probable Reserves

We have not yet demonstrated the existence of proven or probable reserves at the El Gallo Complex as defined by SEC Industry Guide 7.

Royalties

Coeur Mining Inc. a NYSE listed company, holds a sliding scale net smelter return royalty (“NSR”) on gold or gold equivalent material recovered from the El Gallo 1 mine and the El Gallo mineralized material area. The royalty is calculated at a rate of 1% of NSR on the initial 30,000 ounces of gold equivalent production, at a rate of 3.5% of NSR on the next 350,000 ounces of gold equivalent production, and thereafter, at a rate of 1% of NSR on gold recovered from the areas, in perpetuity. Cumulatively, on a life‑of‑mine basis through to December 31, 2015, approximately 212,200 gold and gold equivalent ounces have been produced from mineralized material within the scope of the NSR agreement.

For Palmarito, a 2% NSR exists on certain mineral claims around the area that were optioned from a third party. The NSR affects strike extensions and down‑dip portions of the in‑situ mineralized material and the majority of historic tailings.

San José Mine, Argentina (49%)

For detailed information on the San José mine production statistics and financial results, refer to Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Overview and History

The San José mine is an underground mine located in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, and operated by a subsidiary of Hochschild, MSC. The San José mine is part of a larger property, which covers a total area of approximately 730 sq. miles. (1,892 sq. km) and consists of 146 mining concessions (consisting of 71 Minas or approved mining claims; 54 Manifestaciones de Descubrimiento, or claims that are in the application process for mining claim status; and 21  Cateos, or claims that are for exploration only). This includes mineral rights that were transferred to MSC pursuant to two separate vend‑in agreements between MSC, the Company and Hochschild (described in further detail in Item 2—Properties,  Other Argentina Properties, below), which were completed in October 2013 and October 2015. Under the agreements, we agreed to contribute to MSC the mining rights to a certain number of our Santa Cruz exploration properties, totaling approximately 563 sq. miles (1,460 sq. km), with Hochschild also contributing to MSC certain of its mineral properties located in the same region, totaling approximately 440 sq. miles (1,140 sq. km).  

We acquired our interest in the San José mine in connection with our acquisition of Minera Andes in January 2012. The property was acquired by Minera Andes in 1997, following the completion of a regional geological study. Minera Andes embarked on an exploration program from 1997 to 2001, which led to the discovery of the silver and gold bearing Huevos Verdes and Saavedra West Zones. In March 2001 (and subsequently amended by agreements dated May 14, 2002, August 27, 2002, September 10, 2004, and September 17, 2010), an option and joint venture agreement was signed between Minera Andes (49%) and Hochschild (51%) covering the San José property. Under the terms of the OJVA, a subsidiary of Hochschild acquired a majority interest in the property and title to the San José property and the San José

mine is held by MSC, the holding and operating company set up under the terms of the OJVA. MSC has purchased the land and corresponding occupation rights that are necessary to conduct its operations. All of the known mineralized zones, mineral resources and mineral reserves and active mine workings, existing tailing ponds and waste are within MSC’s concessions.

Location and Access

The San José property is located in the District of Perito Moreno, in Santa Cruz, Argentina, lying approximately between latitude 46°41’S and 46°47’S and longitude 70°17’W and 70°00’W. The mine is 1,087 miles (1,750 kilometers) south‑southwest of Buenos Aires and 217 miles (350 kilometers) southwest of the Atlantic port of Comodoro Rivadavia. The principal access route to the San José property is an unsealed dirt road section of 20 miles (32 kilometers) and then tarmac road to the port of Comodoro Rivadavia, a total distance of 217 miles (350 kilometers). Comodoro Rivadavia has scheduled national air services to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, with international air connections. The nearest town is Perito Moreno, which is approximately 19 miles (30 kilometers) west of the San José property. 

 

The following map depicts the location of the San José property.

 

 

The San José property is within an arid to semi‑arid area of Argentina, with short, warm summers reaching temperatures above 70°F (21°C) and winters with temperatures commonly below 32°F (0°C). Strong and persistent winds are common especially during the warmer months (October to May). Average rainfall at the site is estimated to be 5.7 inches (144 millimeters) and snowfall amounts to 1.3 inches (32.5 millimeters). Annual average temperature is 48°F (8.9°C). MSC has maintained a weather station at the property since January 2005. Mining and exploration continue year round in this part of Argentina.

 

Vegetation is comprised of low scrub bushes and grass, typical of harsh climate and poor soils. Fauna consists of birds, small mammals and reptiles. Most of the property area is uninhabited; however, it is used by local farmers for sheep and cattle grazing.

Geology and Mineralization

The San José property is approximately located in the northwest corner of the 23,166 sq. mile (60,000 sq. km) Deseado Massif of the Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. The Deseado Massif consists of Paleozoic metamorphic basement rocks unconformably overlain by Middle to Upper Jurassic bimodal andesitic and rhyolitic volcanics and volcaniclastics. Cretaceous sediments and Tertiary to Quaternary basalts overlie the Jurassic volcanics. The Jurassic Bajo Pobre Formation is the main host of gold and silver vein mineralization at the mine as well as many regional prospects. The Formation also hosts some of the mineralization at Saavedra West Zone. The formation is comprised of a lower andesite volcaniclastic unit and an upper andesite lava flow and has a maximum thickness of 394 ft. (120 m). Mineralization in the San José area occurs as low sulfidation epithermal quartz veins, breccias and stockwork systems accompanying normal‑sinistral faults striking 330° to 340°. The main structural trend of fault and vein systems on the property is west‑northwest to north‑northwest.

Facilities and Infrastructure

Infrastructure of the property consists of camp facilities that can accommodate up to approximately 1,100 personnel, a medical clinic, a security building, a maintenance shop, a laboratory, processing facilities, a mine and process facility warehouse, a surface tailings impoundment, support buildings and mine portals, a change house, a core warehouse, an administration building and offices. The laboratory is equipped to process all assays (core, chips and soil) and incorporates fire assaying and atomic absorption equipment. MSC has installed a satellite‑based telephone/data/internet communication system.

The San José mine is a ramp access underground mining operation. The San José veins are accessed from three main portals: the Tehuelche Portal, the Kospi Portal and the Güer Aike Portal. The main ramps are located about 164 ft. (50 m) from the vein, depending on the dip of the ore. Cross‑cuts to the ramp are centrally positioned on the vein and usually have an ore pass and a waste/backfill pass.

Electricity is provided by an 81‑mile (130 km) 132 kV electric transmission line, which was constructed in 2009 and connects the San José mine processing facility to the national power grid.

The processing plant at the San José mine is composed of conventional crushing, grinding and flotation circuits. Approximately one‑half of the silver‑gold flotation concentrate is processed in an intensive cyanide leaching circuit with the dissolved gold and silver recovered by electrowinning of a clarified solution followed by smelting to produce doré. The balance of the flotation concentrate is filtered and shipped to a smelter. Flotation and leached tailings are stored in side‑by‑side engineered, zero discharge facilities. A Merrill Crowe circuit recovers small amounts of gold and silver from the electrowinning discharge solution. In 2012, modifications were undertaken to modify the crushing circuit, in order to increase the mill throughput capacity by 10%, from a nominal 1,500 tonnes per day to 1,650 tonnes per day. The modifications were completed in 2013. In 2013, the capacity of the flotation tailing dam was also increased, followed by the construction of a new tailing dam in 2014. Construction was completed in the fourth quarter of 2014, and operational in the first quarter 2015.

Exploration Activities

Exploration by Minera Andes on the San José property from 1997 to 2001 was concentrated over the northern part of the property and consisted of geological mapping, sampling, trenching, geophysics, alteration and metallurgical studies and reverse circulation (“RC”) and diamond drilling. In 2001, an extensive exploration program was undertaken which included detailed topographic surveying of the property, induced polarization (“IP”) geophysics and drilling. Exploration during 2003‑2004 consisted of underground exploration/development, environmental and metallurgical studies and the construction and commissioning of a pilot plant at the Huevos Verdes Vein. Surveying of the topography, planned access and infrastructure in the Huevos Verdes and Frea areas was carried out during 2005 to 2007. From 2007 to 2008, a total

of 193 diamond drill holes totaling 155,108 ft. (47,277 m) and focused on regional prospects as well as strike extensions of known veins with most of the drilling concentrated on the Ayelén, Frea and Odin veins. From 2009 to 2015, a total of approximately 968,760 ft. (295,280 m) of diamond core drilling was completed. During 2015 a total of 70,140 ft. (21,380 m) of drilling were completed, from which 56,910 ft. (17,345 m) related to a combined infill and geologic management program around the Kospi targets located on the south side of the San Jose area. The remaining 13,230 ft (4,035 m) of drilling related to the potential development program, which targeted the Maite/Matilde, Ria, and Juanita areas and the Huevos Verdes vein.

Reserves

The following is the reserve information calculated by Hochschild for the San José mine as at December 31, 2015.   These figures, reported on a 100% basis, were prepared by Hochschild and audited by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. whose report dated February 25, 2016, concluded that the reserve estimates for the San José mine prepared by Hochschild at December 31, 2015 provide a reliable estimation of reserves in accordance with the standards of the Joint Ore Reserve Committee of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (“JORC”), NI 43‑101, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (“CIM”) best practices and Industry Guide 7. The mineral reserves were estimated using metal prices of $1,200 per ounce of gold and $20 per ounce of silver with a marginal revenue cut‑off value of $83.81 per tonne. The reserves as presented are in‑ place and include mining dilution and mining losses, but do not include allowances for mill or smelter recoveries.

San José Reserves and Resources—100%

 

Advanced-stage Properties

Gold Bar Project, Nevada (100%)

Overview and History

The Gold Bar Project is a proposed mine project which, if constructed, would consist of a conventional open pit mine with an oxide gold heap leach recovery circuit. The property is located within the Battle Mountain‑Eureka‑Cortez gold trend in Eureka County, central Nevada, and covers an area of 8.2 sq. miles (21.3 sq.  km) consisting of 310 unpatented lode mining claims and 10 patented mining claims within one parcel of private land. The property was previously mined from 1987 to 1994 by Atlas Precious Metals Inc. The Gold Bar project is currently in the permitting phase. The timeline to obtain permits is uncertain, but similar projects on public lands in Nevada have required between 36 and 60 months. The formal permitting process began in 2012.

On October 27, 2015 the Company filed a Feasibility Study (“FS”) completed by SRK Consulting with a report date of December 3, 2015 and effective date of September 19, 2015.  The FS included a NI 43‑101 resource estimate of 22.1 million tonnes of measured and indicated mineralized material at a grade of 0.95 gpt gold. Based on the FS, initial capital expenditures for the project are estimated at $60.4 million including an allocation of $4.8 million for contingencies. The full FS report is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company’s profile, and is subject to the assumptions and conditions set forth therein. Although the FS report is compliant with NI 43-101, the reserves do not comply with SEC Industry Guide 7.

 

Location and Access

The Gold Bar Complex is in the Roberts Creek Mountains, in Eureka County, Nevada, approximately 30 miles (48 km) northwest of the town of Eureka, Nevada, primarily in Township 22 North; Range 50 East (N39°48’16.5” W116°21’09.65”).

The project site is accessed by traveling 25 miles (40 km) west on US Highway 50 from Eureka, NV, the nearest town, or 45 miles (72 km) east on US Highway 50 from Austin, NV to the Three Bars Road. Travel is then 16 miles (26 km) north on the Three Bars Road, a gravel, all weather road maintained by Eureka County. The project area is approximately 15 miles (24 km) from the Three Bars Road, and is accessed through unimproved dirt roads that are not maintained by the county.

The following map depicts the location of the Gold Bar Complex:

Geology and Mineralization

 

The Gold Pick‑Gold Ridge area occurs on the Battle Mountain‑Eureka mineral belt in a large window of lower‑plate carbonate rocks surrounded by upper‑plate rocks. The lower‑plate carbonates at Gold Pick‑Gold Ridge consist of an east‑dipping section of Silurian Lone Mountain Dolomite, Devonian McColley Canyon Formation, Devonian Denay Formation, and Devonian Devils Gate Limestone (from oldest to youngest). Northwest‑trending and northeast‑trending structures cut the area; the Gold Pick mineralization is localized in an apparent northwest‑trending horst of McColley Canyon Formation which is cut by a series of northeast‑trending structures.

 

Gold mineralization is hosted primarily in the Bartine Member of the McColley Canyon Formation, which consists of carbonate wackestones and packstones approximately 250 to 380 feet thick. Minor amounts of mineralization are found in the underlying dolomitic limestone Kobeh Member of the McColley Canyon Formation when it is adjacent to apparent feeder structures. Gold Pick‑Gold Ridge is “Carlin‑Type” sediment‑hosted gold mineralization with typical associated alteration (decalcification, silicification) and trace elements (antimony, arsenic, mercury, and barium). Carlin‑Type deposits are deposits that are restricted to a small part of the North American Cordillera in northern Nevada and northwest Utah.

Three‑dimensional modeling by our geologists has led to the identification of an unconformity (erosional surface) between the basement and gold host rocks at the Gold Bar Project. Channels in this unconformity were filled with porous limestone, which then acted as preferred pathways for gold mineralization. Much of the gold mineralization in the Gold Pick‑Gold Ridge area occurs in the porous limestone above these channels.

Exploration Activities

Since 2012, we have continued to advance the permitting process for construction and production. Since the formal permitting process began, we may not perform any drilling activities within the production area subject to the Plan Of Operations (“POO”). During this time, we have continued to advance the Gold Bar project by completing baseline studies in support of the BLM and State of Nevada permitting required for mine development and construction. We also drilled and pump‑tested one potential water well location for future mining operations.

We submitted our POO permit application in 2013. The POO was determined complete and the BLM has determined that an Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) is necessary to fulfill the requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). Upon completion of the EIS, the BLM will be able to proceed with the approval determination of the POO. A third‑party consulting firm has been contracted to assist the BLM in the preparation of an EIS for the Gold Bar project. Final permit approval is scheduled for the first quarter of 2017.

No Proven or Probable Reserves

We have not yet demonstrated the existence of proven or probable reserves at the Gold Bar Complex as defined by SEC Industry Guide 7.

El Gallo 2 Project, Mexico (100%)

Overview and History

The El Gallo 2 is an advanced-stage project with 34.3 million tonnes of contained mineralized material at an average grade of 58 gpt of silver and 0.18 gpt of gold.  The project is located 3.0 miles (4.8 km) north west of our El Gallo mine in Sinaloa State, Mocorito Municipality. It is also 100% owned by our subsidiary Minera Pangea and subject to the environmental permitting requirements applicable to the Sinaloa State previously described.

 

Geology and Mineralization

Silver mineralization at El Gallo 2 is hosted in siliceous breccia zones and quartz stockwork zones within the predominantly andesitic rock package. These zones often occur at lithologic contacts, particularly contacts of Tertiary porphyry intrusions. Multi‑lithologic breccias zones are often adjacent to these contacts and these breccias are locally mineralized. Mineral zones commonly have gently‑dipping tabular geometry. Often, these zones reflect control by sill contacts of the Tertiary intrusives.

Silver mineralization at Palmarito occurs along or near the contact of andesitic‑dacitic volcanic country rocks and a Tertiary rhyolite intrusive forming a horseshoe‑shaped zone which wraps around the margin of the intrusive. The strongest mineralization in the main Palmarito ore body occurs along a northeast‑trending zone which appears to represent the intersection of two contact structures. Generally, mineralization occurs in a breccia zone and is associated with strong silicification in the form of siliceous breccia, stockwork veining and silica flooding.

Facilities and Infraestructure

The primary water supply for El Gallo 2 is expected to come from three locally drilled water wells. Sufficient water yields required for the El Gallo 2 project were confirmed through several long‑term pumping tests during the 2013 hydraulic aquifer investigation. Each well is located within 1.2 miles (2 km) of the proposed El Gallo 2  process facility. Wells will be powered by electricity and pump water into a raw water storage tank for mine usage.

No Proven or Probable Reserves

We have not yet demonstrated the existence of proven or probable reserves at the El Gallo 2 project as defined by SEC Industry Guide 7.

Exploration Properties

Los Azules Copper Project, Argentina (100%)

The Los Azules copper project is a 100% owned advanced‑stage porphyry copper exploration project located in the cordilleran region of San Juan Province, Argentina near the border with Chile. We acquired this property, along with other Argentina exploration properties and our interest in the San José mine, in connection with the acquisition of Minera Andes in January 2012. Located at approximately 31o 13’30” south latitude and 70o 13’50” west longitude, Los Azules is 4 miles (6 km) east of the Chilean‑Argentine border. It is accessible by unimproved dirt roads except for seasonal closures in winter. The elevation at site ranges between 11,500 feet ‑ 14,750 feet (3,500 m ‑ 4,500 m) above sea level.

The following map illustrates the location of the Los Azules Copper Project as well as our other properties in the Province of San Juan: 

The deposit is located within a copper porphyry belt that is host to some of the world’s largest copper mines. The upper part of the system consists of a barren leached cap, which is underlain by a high‑grade secondary enrichment blanket. Primary mineralization below the secondary enrichment zone has been intersected in drilling up to a depth of more than 3,280 ft. (1,000 mt.) below surface. The property encompasses 127 sq. miles (328 sq. km) and surrounds a large alteration zone that is approximately 5 miles (8 km) long by 1.2 miles (2 km) wide.

Drilling programs have been undertaken at Los Azules between 1998 and 2014 by four different mineral exploration companies: Battle Mountain Gold (now Newmont Mining Inc.), Mount Isa Mines S.A. (now Xstrata Copper Plc.), Minera Andes and McEwen Mining. Drilling, including early reverse circulation programs, focused initially on gold exploration and subsequently on diamond drilling for porphyry style copper mineralization. Drilling conditions are difficult, especially in highly faulted zones and in areas of unconsolidated surface scree or talus. Due to snow conditions on two mountain passes on the access road to the site, seasonal exploration typically commences in December and extends into late April or early May. From 1998 until the end of 2015, a total of 195,210 ft. (59,500 mt.) were drilled on the property. No significant drilling took place during the 2013-2014 and 2014‑2015 seasons, as we focused on baseline studies regarding flora, fauna, water quality and other environmental compliance matters.

In November 2013, we filed a NI 43‑101 Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) prepared by Samuel Engineering Inc. The PEA was expanded to include an updated mineralized material estimate, which we released in May 2013, indicating a mineralized material base of 0.4 billion tonnes of mineralized material with a weighted average grade of 0.63 percent copper. Note this mineralized material includes indicated resources only, and does not include estimates of inferred resources.

The PEA also considers new metallurgical processes and an increased production profile. The updated PEA contemplates the construction of a mine and process plant operating over a 35‑year mine life at a throughput of 120,000 tonnes per day. The proposed mine is projected to produce copper cathode via a pressure oxidative leach process, in addition to heap leaching the lower grade mineralized material. The advantages of being able to produce copper cathode rather than copper concentrate would be to eliminate the capital intensive concentrate pipeline through Chile and remove the treatment and refining charges from the smelting process. The complete technical report was filed on November 7, 2013. It is available on SEDAR under the Company’s profile, and is subject to the assumptions and conditions set forth therein.

In October 2014, the Company terminated the option held by TNR Gold Corp (“TNR”) to acquire a minority ownership position in Los Azules (the “Back‑In Right Option”). The Back‑In Right Option gave TNR the option of owning up to 25% in the northern portion of Los Azules. Based on the estimated resources for those northern claims, this would represent approximately 13% of the total deposit. In exchange for the termination of the Back‑In Right Option, the Company issued 850,000 shares of the Company’s common stock to TNR, and granted a 0.4% net smelter royalty on Los Azules. Further, if the Company sells all of its interest in the project within thirty six months of closing the transaction on October 16, 2014, the Company will grant a bonus payment equal to 1% of the gross proceeds of such transaction to TNR.

As previously reported, the staff of the SEC had commenced an investigation into what we believe were certain accounting matters related to the Los Azules project in Argentina. On August 7, 2015, we were notified by the SEC, that the SEC had concluded its investigation over the accounting for our Los Azules project and, based on the information it had, it did not intend to recommend any enforcement action by the SEC against us.

 

 

Other Exploration Properties in Argentina

The following map depicts the location of our exploration properties in the Province of San Juan:

 

No significant drilling took place during 2015. As of the date of this report, we have made the decision to rationalize our mineral property interests in this area in an effort to focus our exploration efforts on more prospective areas, and as a result, do not intend to pursue the exploration of the San Juan properties.

In October 2013, we and Hochschild entered into a vend-in agreement with MSC pursuant to which we agreed to contribute to MSC the mining rights to a certain number of our Santa Cruz exploration properties. The properties transferred, totaling approximately 188 sq. miles (489 sq. km), included amongst others the Telken, Piramides, Tobias, and Este tenements, and are in close proximity to or abutting the properties comprising the San José mine. Hochschild also contributed to MSC certain of its mineral properties located in the same region, totaling approximately 319 sq. miles (827 sq. km). The agreement also contains a 2% net smelter return royalty payable to us or Hochschild based on any of MSC’s production from the respective mineral properties contributed by each party. Registration of title changes with the Argentine government were finalized in the second quarter of 2014.

On October 22, 2015 we and Hochschild entered into a second vend-in agreement with MSC pursuant to which we agreed to vend-in our remaining Santa Cruz exploration properties, which did not have assigned any carrying value.  The properties transferred totaled approximately 376 sq. miles (976 sq. km), and were located in the province of Santa Cruz. Hochschild also contributed to MSC certain of its mineral properties located in the same region, totaling approximately 122 sq. miles (316 sq. km).  The agreement also contains a 2% net smelter return royalty payable to us or Hochschild based on any of MSC’s production from the respective mineral properties contributed by each party. 

 

The following map illustrates the location of the respective Santa Cruz exploration properties transferred to MSC pursuant to the vend‑in agreement:

 

Nevada Exploration Properties

The following table summarizes the Nevada land position of our Company as of December 31, 2015:

Of all the Nevada properties held by the Company, only Gold Bar, previously discussed in more detail, is considered to be of significance to the Company’s development plans at the time of filing this report. No significant drilling or exploration activities took place during the year 2015. As of the date of this report, the Company has made the decision to rationalize its mineral property interests in an effort to focus its exploration efforts on more prospective areas, and as a result, does not intend to pursue the exploration of its Nevada properties, with the exception of the Gold Bar, Tonkin and North Battle Mountain properties.

We generally hold mineral interests in Nevada through patented and unpatented lode mining and mill site claims, leases of unpatented mining claims, and joint venture and other agreements. Unpatented mining claims are held subject to paramount title in the United States. In order to retain these claims, we must pay annual maintenance fees to the BLM, and to the counties within which the claims are located. Rates for these jurisdictions vary and may change over time. Other obligations which must be met include continuing assessment work, obtaining and maintaining necessary regulatory permits, and lease and option payments to claim owners.

The following map illustrates the general location of the trends and our properties in Nevada:

Tonkin Complex

The Tonkin Complex represents our largest holding in the State of Nevada at approximately 59 sq. miles (154 sq. km). The Tonkin Project is a gold mining property located within the Battle Mountain‑Eureka Trend in Eureka County, Nevada. From 1985 through 1989, Tonkin produced approximately 30,000 ounces of gold utilizing an oxide heap leach and a separate ball mill involving bioxidation to treat the problematic sulphide ore. Due to cost escalation and recovery issues associated with the refractory and preg‑robbing carbonaceous mineralogy, the operation was shut down.

 

ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, and to the best of our knowledge, no such proceeding is threatened, the results of which would have a material impact on our properties, results of operations, or financial condition. Nor, to the best of our knowledge, are any of our officers or directors involved in any legal proceedings in which we are an adverse party.

 

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

As we have no mines located in the U.S. or any of its territories, the disclosure required by this Item is not applicable.

PART II

ITEM 5.  MARKET FOR COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

On January 24, 2012, our common stock commenced trading on the NYSE and TSX under the symbol “MUX”, subsequent to the completion of the acquisition of Minera Andes. Prior to that, our common stock traded on the NYSE and TSX under the symbol “UXG”. Exchangeable shares of McEwen Mining—Minera Andes Canadian Acquisition Corp. (“Exchange Co.“) are traded on the TSX, under the symbol “MAQ”.

The table below sets forth the high and low sales prices for our common stock on a quarterly basis as reported by the NYSE and TSX from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015.

As of March 8, 2016, there were outstanding 276,855,799 shares of our common stock, which were held by approximately 5,269 stockholders of record. As of March 8, 2016, there were outstanding 21,219,942 exchangeable shares, which were held by approximately 68 holders of record. The exchangeable shares are exchangeable at the option of the holders into our common stock on a one‑for‑one basis.

Transfer Agent

Computershare Investor Services Inc. is the transfer agent for our common stock. The principal office of Computershare is 250 Royall Street, Canton, Massachusetts, 02021 and its telephone number is (303) 262‑0600. The transfer agent in Canada and transfer agent for exchangeable shares is Computershare Investor Services at 100 University Ave., 9th Floor, Toronto ON, M5J 2Y1 and its telephone number is 1‑800‑564‑6253.

Dividend Policy

On June 18, 2015, our Board of Directors and the board of our subsidiary Exchange Co., declared a dividend, which is defined as a return of capital since we have accumulated losses and cannot distribute from retained earnings.  The annual return of capital was determined as $0.01 per share of common stock and exchangeable shares, payable semi-annually.  The first semi-annual return of capital installment of $0.005 was paid on August 17, 2015 and the second on February 12, 2016. This was the first distribution or return of capital since our inception. Whether future returns of capital distributions will be declared depends upon our future growth and earnings, of which there can be no assurance, as well as our future cash flow needs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Company

 

The following table provides information regarding repurchases made by us during the quarter ended December 31, 2015 of our common stock that is registered pursuant to the Exchange Act:

 

(2)The maximum amount remaining under the publicly-announced repurchase plan is approximately $13.2 million or 13,103,558 shares, whichever is less. 

 

 

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

Set out below is information as of December 31, 2015 with respect to compensation plans (including individual compensation arrangements) under which our equity securities are authorized for issuance. This information relates to our Equity Incentive Plan.

The options that we assumed in connection with the 2007 acquisitions were not approved by our security holders. These options are exercisable at prices ranging from C$4.30 to C$6.70 and expire on dates between 2016 and 2017. We are not authorized to issue any additional options under any of these plans.

On May 28, 2015, shareholders approved an amendment to our Equity Incentive Plan to, among other things, increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance thereunder from 13,500,000 to 17,500,000 shares. The number of securities shown in the table above as remaining available for future issuance is net of securities previously issued and exercised.

Performance Graph

The following graph compares our cumulative total shareholder return for the five years ended December 31, 2015 with (i) the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index, which is an index of companies involved in the gold industry and (ii) the NYSE Composite Index, which is a performance indicator of the overall stock market. The graph assumes a $100 investment on December 31, 2010 in our common stock and the two other stock market indices, and assumes the reinvestment of dividends, if any.

 

 

 

ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table summarizes certain selected historical financial data about our Company for the last five years. The data has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements for the years indicated. The data for 2012 reflects the acquisition of Minera Andes effective January 24, 2012. You should read this data in conjunction with the MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS and our audited consolidated financial statements contained herein. All amounts are stated in thousands of U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

 

 

ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Introduction

The following discussion updates our plan of operation as of March 11, 2016 for the foreseeable future. It also discusses our results of operations for three fiscal years ended December 31, 2015 and our financial condition at December 31, 2015 and 2014, with a particular emphasis on the year ended December 31, 2015. With regard to properties or projects that are not in production, we provide some details of our plan of operation.

The discussion also presents certain non‑GAAP financial performance measures, such as earnings from mining operations, adjusted net loss, total cash costs, total cash cost per ounce, all‑in sustaining costs, all‑in sustaining cost per ounce, all‑in costs, all‑in cost per ounce, and average realized price per ounce, that are important to management in its evaluation of our operating results and which are used by management to compare our performance to what we perceive to be peer group mining companies and relied on as part of management’s decision‑making process. Management believes these measures may also be important to investors in evaluating our performance. For a detailed description of each of the non‑GAAP financial performance measures and certain limitations inherent in such measures, please see the discussion under “Non‑GAAP Financial Performance Measures” below, on page 61.

The information in this section should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in this annual report.

Reliability of Information: MSC, the owner of the San José mine, is responsible for and has supplied to us all reported results from the San José mine. The technical information contained herein is, with few exceptions as noted, based entirely on information provided to us by MSC. Our joint venture partner, a subsidiary of Hochschild Mining plc, and its affiliates other than MSC do not accept responsibility for the use of project data or the adequacy or accuracy of this document.

Selected Financial and Operating Results