UR-ENERGY INC - Quarter Report: 2016 March (Form 10-Q)

United States

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

(Mark One)

 

 

 

 

Commission File Number: 333-193316

 

UR-ENERGY INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

10758 West Centennial Road, Suite 200
Littleton, Colorado 80127
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 720-981-4588

 

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 whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or smaller reporting company:

 

Large accelerated filer ☐                     Accelerated filer ☑               Non-accelerated filer ☐             Smaller reporting company ☐

 

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 May 5, 2016, there were 143,440,573 shares of the registrant’s no par value Common Shares (“Common Shares”), the registrant’s only outstanding class of voting securities, outstanding.

 

 

UR-ENERGY INC.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we use the terms “Ur-Energy,” “we,” “us,” or “our,” or the “Company” we are referring to Ur-Energy Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires. Throughout this document we make statements that are classified as “forward-looking.” Please refer to the “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section of this document for an explanation of these types of assertions.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

 

This report on Form 10-Q contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable United States and Canadian securities laws, and these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expect," "anticipate,” "estimate," "believe," "may," "potential," "intends," "plans" and other similar expressions or statements that an action, event or result "may," "could" or "should" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative thereof or other similar statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to: (i) the ability to maintain steady state operations at Lost Creek; (ii) the technical and economic viability of Lost Creek; (iii) the timing and outcome of permitting and regulatory approvals of the amendment for recovery from LC East and the KM horizon; (iv) the outcome and impact of ongoing regulatory rulemaking and other changes in regulation and/or legislation; (v) the ability to complete additional favorable uranium sales agreements including spot sales if production is available and the market warrants; (vi) the production rates and life of the Lost Creek Project and subsequent production from adjoining properties, including LC East; (vii) the potential of our other exploration and development projects, including Shirley Basin, as well as the technical and economic viability of Shirley Basin; (viii) the timing and outcome of applications for regulatory approval to build and operate an ISR mine at Shirley Basin; (ix) the outcome of our forecasts and production projections; and (x) the continuing and long-term effects on the uranium market of events in Japan in 2011 including supply and demand projections. These other factors include, among others, the following: future estimates for production, production ramp-up and operations, capital expenditures, operating costs, mineral resources, recovery rates, grades and market prices; business strategies and measures to implement such strategies; competitive strengths; estimates of goals for expansion and growth of the business and operations; plans and references to our future successes; our history of operating losses and uncertainty of future profitability; status as an exploration stage company; the lack of mineral reserves; risks associated with obtaining permits and other authorizations in the United States; risks associated with current variable economic conditions; our ability to service our debt and maintain compliance with all restrictive covenants related to the debt facilities and security documents; the possible impact of future financings; the hazards associated with mining production; compliance with environmental laws and regulations; uncertainty regarding the pricing and collection of accounts; the possibility for adverse results in potential litigation; uncertainties associated with changes in government policy and regulation; uncertainties associated with a Canada Revenue Agency or U.S. Internal Revenue Service audit of any of our cross border transactions; adverse changes in general business conditions in any of the countries in which we do business; changes in size and structure; effectiveness of management and our strategic relationships; ability to attract and retain key personnel; uncertainties regarding the need for additional capital; uncertainty regarding the fluctuations of quarterly results; foreign currency exchange risks; ability to enforce civil liabilities under U.S. securities laws outside the United States; ability to maintain our listing on the NYSE MKT LLC (“NYSE MKT”) and Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”); risks associated with the expected classification as a "passive foreign investment company" under the applicable provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; risks associated with our investments and other risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” and under the heading of “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, dated February 26, 2016.

 

Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors Concerning Disclosure of Mineral Resources

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all resource estimates included in this Form 10-Q have been prepared in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (“CIM Definition Standards”). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. NI 43-101 permits the disclosure of an historical estimate made prior to the adoption of NI 43-101 that does not comply with NI 43-101 to be disclosed using the historical terminology if the disclosure: (a) identifies the source and date of the historical estimate; (b) comments on the relevance and reliability of the historical estimate; (c) to the extent known, provides the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to prepare the historical estimate; (d) states whether the historical estimate uses categories other than those prescribed by NI 43-101; and (e) includes any more recent estimates or data available. 

 

Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and resource information contained in this Form 10-K may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, the term “resource” does not equate to the term “‘reserves,” Under SEC Industry Guide 7, mineralization may not be classified as a “reserve” unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. SEC Industry Guide 7 does not define and the SEC’s disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning “measured mineral resources,” “indicated mineral resources” or “inferred mineral resources” or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute “reserves” by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors should also understand that “inferred mineral resources” have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an “inferred mineral resource” will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimated “inferred mineral resources” may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an “inferred mineral resource” exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of “contained ounces” in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute “reserves” by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable to information made public by companies that report in accordance with United States standards.

 

NI 43-101 Review of Technical Information: James A. Bonner, Ur-Energy Vice President Geology, P.Geo. and SME Registered Member, and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this Annual Report.

 

 

PART I

Item 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

Ur-Energy Inc.

Unaudited Interim Consolidated Balance Sheets

 

(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars)

 

 

 

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

 

Approved by the Board of Directors

 

/s/ Jeffrey T. Klenda, Chairman of the Board/s/ Thomas Parker, Director

Ur-Energy Inc.

Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss

 

(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars except for share data)

 

 

 

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

 

 

Ur-Energy Inc.

Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statement of Shareholders’ Equity

 

(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars except for share data)

 

 

 

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

 

Ur-Energy Inc.

Unaudited Interim Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow

(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars)

 

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

 

1.Nature of Operations

 

Ur-Energy Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated on March 22, 2004 under the laws of the Province of Ontario. The Company was continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act on August 8, 2006. The Company is an exploration stage mining company, as defined by United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Industry Guide 7, headquartered in Littleton, Colorado.  The Company is engaged in uranium mining and recovery operations, with activities including the acquisition, exploration, development and production of uranium mineral resources located primarily in Wyoming. As of August 2013, the Company commenced uranium production at its Lost Creek Project in Wyoming.

 

Due to the nature of the uranium mining methods used by the Company on the Lost Creek Property, and the definition of “mineral reserves” under National Instrument 43-101 (“NI 43-101”), which uses the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (“CIM”) Definition Standards, the Company has not determined whether the properties contain mineral reserves. However, the Company’s January 19, 2016 NI 43-101 Technical Report on Lost Creek, “Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Lost Creek Property, Sweetwater County, Wyoming,” as amended in non-substantive ways, February 8, 2016 (“Lost Creek PEA”) outlines the potential viability of the Lost Creek Property. The recoverability of amounts recorded for mineral properties is dependent upon the discovery of economic resources, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary financing to develop the properties and upon attaining future profitable production from the properties or sufficient proceeds from disposition of the properties.

 

 

 

 

2.Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Basis of presentation

 

These unaudited interim consolidated financial statements do not conform in all respects to the requirements of generally accepted accounting principles for annual financial statements. The unaudited interim financial statements reflect all normal adjustments which in the opinion of management are necessary for a fair statement of the results for the periods presented. These unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015. The year-end balance sheet data was derived from the audited financial statements and certain information and footnote disclosures required by United States generally accepted accounting principles (US GAAP) have been condensed or omitted.

 

 New accounting pronouncements

 

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU”) 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. The update requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability instead of being presented as an asset. Debt disclosures will include the face amount of the debt liability and the effective interest rate. The update requires retrospective application and represents a change in accounting principle. The update is effective for fiscal periods beginning after

December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued.  We elected early adoption of this standard effective the second quarter of 2015. 

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).”  The amendments in ASU 2014-09 affect any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (e.g., insurance contracts or lease contracts). This ASU will supersede the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance, and creates a Topic 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers.  The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of the promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.  The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017.  Early application is not permitted.  We are assessing the impact this pronouncement may have on our financial reporting.

 

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-1, Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (Topic 825). The amendments in this Update supersede the guidance to classify equity securities with readily determinable fair values into different categories (that is, trading or available-for-sale) and require equity securities (including other ownership interests, such as partnerships, unincorporated joint ventures, and limited liability companies) to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through net income. The amendments allow equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values to be remeasured at fair value either upon the occurrence of an observable price change or upon identification of an impairment. The amendments also require enhanced disclosures about those investments. The amendments improve financial reporting by providing relevant information about an entity’s equity investments and reducing the number of items that are recognized in other comprehensive income. This guidance is effective for annual reporting beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within the year of adoption, and calls for prospective application, with early application permitted. Accordingly, the standard is effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which requires lessees to recognize all leases, including operating leases, unless the lease is a short-term lease. ASU 2016-02 also requires additional disclosures regarding leasing arrangements. ASU 2016-02 is effective for interim periods and fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and early application is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that this standard update will have on our consolidated financial statements.

 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09,  Compensation-Stock Compensation- Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (Topic 718), which involves several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows.  Under the new standard, income tax benefits and deficiencies are to be recognized as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement and the tax effects of exercised or vested awards should be treated as discrete items in the reporting period in which they occur.  An entity should also recognize excess tax benefits regardless of whether the benefit reduces taxes payable in the current period.  Excess tax benefits should be classified along with other income tax cash flows as an operating activity.  In regards to forfeitures, the entity may make an entity-wide accounting policy election to either estimate the number of awards that are expected to vest or account for forfeitures when they occur. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016

including interim periods within that reporting period, however early adoption is permitted.  We are currently evaluating the guidance to determine the Company's adoption method and the effect it will have on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.  

3.Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents consist of the following:

 

 

 

4.Inventory

 

The Company’s inventory consists of the following:

 

 

 

As of March 31, 2016, there was no inventory on hand with costs in excess of net realizable value.

 

5.Restricted Cash

 

The Company’s restricted cash consists of the following:

 

 

 

(a) The bonding requirements for reclamation obligations on various properties have been agreed to by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (“WDEQ”), the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) as applicable.  The restricted money market accounts are pledged as collateral against performance surety bonds which are used to secure the potential costs of reclamation related to those properties. Surety bonds providing $27.8 million of coverage towards specific reclamation obligations are collateralized by $7.5 million of the restricted cash at March 31, 2016. 

 

6.  Mineral Properties

 

The Company’s mineral properties consist of the following:

 

 

 

 

Lost Creek Property

 

The Company acquired certain Wyoming properties in 2005 when Ur-Energy USA Inc. purchased 100% of NFU Wyoming, LLC.  Assets acquired in this transaction include the Lost Creek Project, other Wyoming properties and development databases.  NFU Wyoming, LLC was acquired for aggregate consideration of $20 million plus interest.

Since 2005, the Company has increased its holdings adjacent to the initial Lost Creek acquisition through staking additional claims and additional property purchases and leases. 

 

There is a royalty on each of the State of Wyoming sections under lease at the Lost Creek, LC West and EN Projects, as required by law. Other royalties exist on certain mining claims at the LC South, LC East and EN Projects. Currently, there are no royalties on the mining claims in the Lost Creek, LC North or LC West Projects.

 

Pathfinder Mines

 

The Company acquired additional Wyoming properties when Ur-Energy USA Inc. closed a Share Purchase Agreement (“SPA”) with an AREVA Mining affiliate in December 2013. Under the terms of the SPA, the Company purchased Pathfinder Mines Corporation (“Pathfinder”) to acquire additional mineral properties. Assets acquired in this transaction include the Shirley Basin mine, portions of the Lucky Mc mine, machinery and equipment, vehicles, office equipment and development databases. Pathfinder was acquired for aggregate consideration of $6.7 million, a 5% production royalty under certain circumstances and the assumption of $5.7 million in estimated asset reclamation obligations.  

 

7.Capital Assets

 

The Company’s capital assets consist of the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.Equity Investment

 

Following its earn-in to the Bootheel Project in 2009, Jet Metals Corp was required to fund 75% of the project’s expenditures and the Company the remaining 25%. The project has been accounted for using the equity accounting method with the Company’s pro rata share of the project’s loss included in the Statement of Operations since the date of earn-in and the Company’s net investment reflected on the Balance Sheet. Under the terms of the operating agreement, the Company elected not to participate financially for the year ended September 30, 2012 which reduced

the Company’s ownership percentage to approximately 19%. The equity accounting method has been continued because the Company has an equal number of members on the management committee as the other member and can directly influence the budget, expenditures and operations of the project.

 

In March 2016, the Company performed an impairment analysis based on the mineralization at the Bootheel property and the current spot price.  It determined that an impairment reflecting the then current spot price was warranted which is reflected as a $189 thousand decrease in the investment.

 

9.Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities consist of the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.Notes Payable

 

On October 15, 2013, the Sweetwater County Commissioners approved the issuance of a $34.0 million Sweetwater County, State of Wyoming, Taxable Industrial Development Revenue Bond (Lost Creek Project), Series 2013 (the “Sweetwater IDR Bond”) to the State of Wyoming, acting by and through the Wyoming State Treasurer, as purchaser. On October 23, 2013, the Sweetwater IDR Bond was issued and the proceeds were in turn loaned by Sweetwater County to Lost Creek ISR, LLC pursuant to a financing agreement dated October 23, 2013 (the “State Bond Loan”). The State Bond Loan calls for payments of interest at a fixed rate of 5.75% per annum on a quarterly basis commencing January 1, 2014. The principal is payable in 28 quarterly installments commencing January 1, 2015 and continuing through October 1, 2021.

 

On March 14, 2014, the Company modified a loan facility with RMB to include a $3.5 million line of credit. On October 15, 2015, the loan was amended to extend the maturity date of the $3.5 million line of credit to December 31, 2016 and spread the $3.5 million balance originally due March 31, 2016 over four quarterly payments commencing March 31, 2016 and concluding December 31, 2016, plus interest at a rate of approximately 8.75%.  This was considered a modification for accounting purposes.

 

Deferred loan fees include legal fees, commissions, commitment fees and other costs associated with obtaining the various financings. Those fees amortizable within 12 months of March 31, 2016 are considered current.

 

The following table lists the current (within 12 months) and long term portion of each of the Company’s debt instruments:

 

 

 

Schedule of payments on outstanding debt as of March 31, 2016:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.Deferred Revenue

In March 2016, the Company assigned its contractual delivery obligations under two of its sales contracts which are scheduled for later in 2016 to a natural resources trading company in exchange for a cash payment of $5.1 million.  The remainder of the Company’s contractual obligations under the two contracts remain in place.  The Company will reflect the payment as revenue when the related deliveries under the contracts are settled.  As of March 31, 2016, the deliveries were not due and had not been made.

12.Asset Retirement and Reclamation Obligations

 

Asset retirement obligations ("ARO") relate to the Lost Creek mine and Pathfinder project and are equal to the present value of all estimated future costs required to remediate any environmental disturbances that exist as of the end of the period discounted at a risk-free rate. Included in this liability are the costs of closure, reclamation, demolition and stabilization of the mines, processing plants, infrastructure, aquifer restoration, waste dumps and ongoing post-closure environmental monitoring and maintenance costs.

 

At March 31, 2016, the total undiscounted amount of the future cash needs was estimated to be $27.2 million. The schedule of payments required to settle the ARO liability extends through 2033.

 

The restricted cash as discussed in note 5 is related to the surety bonds which provide security to the related governmental agencies on these obligations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13.Shareholders’ Equity and Capital Stock

 

Stock options

 

In 2005, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the adoption of the Company's stock option plan (the “Option Plan”). Eligible participants under the Option Plan include directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company. Under the terms of the Option Plan, stock options generally vest with Option Plan participants as follows: 10% at the date of grant; 22% four and one-half months after grant; 22% nine months after grant; 22% thirteen and one-half months after grant; and the balance of 24% eighteen months after the date of grant.

 

Activity with respect to stock options is summarized as follows:

 

 

The exercise price of a new grant is set at the closing price for the shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) on the trading day immediately preceding the grant date so there is no intrinsic value as of the date of grant. The fair value of options vested during the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $0.2 million.

 

As of March 31, 2016, outstanding stock options are as follows:

 

 

 

The aggregate intrinsic value of the options in the preceding table represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value for stock options with an exercise price less than the Company’s TSX closing stock price of Cdn$0.66 as of the last trading day in the period ended March 31, 2016, that would have been received by the option holders had they exercised their options as of that date.  None were in-the-money as of March 31, 2016.

 

Restricted share units

 

On June 24, 2010, the Company’s shareholders approved the adoption of the Company’s restricted share unit plan (the “RSU Plan”).  The plan was approved most recently on April 29, 2013, and amendments to the plan were approved by the shareholders on May 28, 2015. 

 

Eligible participants under the RSU Plan include directors and employees of the Company. Under the terms of the original RSU Plan, RSUs vested with participants as follows: 50% on the first anniversary of the date of the grant and 50% on the second anniversary of the date of the grant.  In March 2015, the Board approved amendments to the plan that (a) extend the redemption period so that, going forward, all RSUs in a grant are not redeemed until the second anniversary of the grant; (b) provide for redemption, instead of cancellation, of outstanding RSUs at the date of redemption for retiring directors and executive officers, which is defined as a threshold of combined service and age of 65 years, and a minimum of five years of service to the Company; and (c) update the RSU Plan for compliance with applicable laws.  The amendments were approved and ratified by shareholder vote on May 28, 2015.  Grants made subsequent to May 28, 2015 have been made pursuant to the amendments described.

 

Activity with respect to RSUs is summarized as follows:

 

 

 

As of March 31, 2016, outstanding RSUs are as follows:

 

 

 

Upon RSU vesting, the holder of an RSU will receive one common share, for no additional consideration, for each RSU held.

 

Warrants

 

The following represents warrant activity during the period ended March 31, 2016.

 

 

 

As of March 31, 2016, outstanding warrants are as follows:

 

 

 

Share-based compensation expense

 

Share-based compensation expense was $0.2 million and $0.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and the three months ended March 31, 2015, respectively.

 

As of March 31, 2016, there was approximately $0.5 million of total unrecognized compensation expense (net of estimated pre-vesting forfeitures) related to unvested share-based compensation arrangements granted under the Option Plan and $0.5 million under the RSU Plan. The expenses are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.0 years and 1.3 years, respectively.

 

Cash received from stock options exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2016 was less than $0.1 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015.

 

Fair value calculations

 

The initial fair value of options and RSUs granted is determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model for options and the intrinsic pricing model for RSUs.  There were no options or RSUs granted in the three months ended March 31, 2016 or the same period in 2015.

 

 

The Company estimates expected volatility using daily historical trading data of the Company’s common shares, because this is recognized as a valid method used to predict future volatility. The risk-free interest rates are determined by reference to Canadian Treasury Note constant maturities that approximate the expected option term. The Company has never paid dividends and currently has no plans to do so.

 

Share-based compensation expense is recognized net of estimated pre-vesting forfeitures, which results in recognition of expense on options that are ultimately expected to vest over the expected option term. Forfeitures were estimated using actual historical forfeiture experience.

 

14.  Sales

 

Sales have been derived from U₃O₈ being sold to domestic utilities, primarily under term contracts as well as a trader through spot sales.

 

Sales consist of:

 

 

 

The names of the individual companies have not been disclosed for confidentiality reasons.

 

 

 

15.Financial Instruments

 

The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, restricted cash, deposits, accounts payable and accrued liabilities and notes payable. The Company is exposed to risks related to changes in interest rates and management of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments.

 

Credit risk

 

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash. These assets include Canadian dollar and U.S. dollar denominated certificates of deposits, money market accounts and demand deposits. These instruments are maintained at financial institutions in Canada and the United States. Of the amount held on deposit, approximately $0.6 million is covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation or the United States Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, leaving approximately $14.2 million at risk at March 31, 2016 should the financial institutions with which these amounts are invested be rendered insolvent. The Company does not consider any of its financial assets to be impaired as of March 31, 2016.

 

All of the Company’s customers have Moody’s Baa or greater ratings and purchase from the Company under contracts for set prices and payment terms.

 

Liquidity risk

 

Liquidity risk is the risk that the Company will not be able to meet its financial obligations as they come due.

 

As at March 31, 2016, the Company’s financial liabilities consisted of trade accounts payable and accrued trade and payroll liabilities of $3.3 million which are due within normal trade terms of generally 30 to 60 days, notes payable which will be payable over periods of 0 to 6.0 years, and asset retirement obligations with estimated completion dates until 2033.

 

In February 2016, the Company raised $5.9 million (net of costs of $766 thousand) from the issuance of 12.9 million shares priced at $0.50 per share pursuant to a bought-deal financing.  The rationale for raising funds was due to a change in the timing of contracted deliveries and payment commitments in 2016.  The Company has relied primarily on cash flow from operations since deliveries from production commenced on a regular basis in 2014.

 

We do not anticipate the need for additional funding in 2016 unless it is advantageous to do so.  Although the Company has been successful in raising debt and equity financing in the past, there can be no guarantee that such funding will be available in the future.

 

Sensitivity analysis

 

The Company has completed a sensitivity analysis to estimate the impact that a change in interest rates would have on the net loss of the Company. This sensitivity analysis shows that a change of +/- 100 basis points in interest rate would have a nominal effect on either the three months ended March 31, 2016 or the comparable three months in 2015. The financial position of the Company may vary at the time that a change in interest rates occurs causing the impact on the Company’s results to differ from that shown above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Item 2.  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATION

 

Business Overview

The following discussion is designed to provide information that we believe is necessary for an understanding of our financial condition, changes in financial condition and results of our operations. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the MD&A contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Incorporated on March 22, 2004, Ur-Energy is an exploration stage mining company, as that term is defined in SEC Industry Guide 7. We are engaged in uranium mining, recovery and processing activities, including the acquisition, exploration, development and operation of uranium mineral properties in the United States. We are operating our first in situ recovery (“ISR”) uranium mine at our Lost Creek Project in Wyoming. Ur-Energy is a corporation continued under the Canada Business Corporations Act on August 8, 2006. Our Common Shares are listed on the TSX under the symbol “URE” and on the NYSE MKT under the symbol “URG.”

Ur-Energy has one wholly-owned subsidiary: Ur-Energy USA Inc, incorporated under the laws of the State of Colorado. Ur-Energy USA has three wholly-owned subsidiaries: NFU Wyoming, LLC, a limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of Wyoming which acts as our land holding and exploration entity; Lost Creek ISR, LLC, a limited liability company formed under the laws of the State of Wyoming to operate our Lost Creek Project and hold our Lost Creek properties and assets; and Pathfinder, incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, which holds, among other assets, the Shirley Basin and Lucky Mc properties in Wyoming. Our U.S. subsidiaries remain unchanged since the filing of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, dated February 26, 2016.

We utilize in situ recovery of the uranium at our flagship project, Lost Creek, and will do so at other projects where possible. The ISR technique is employed in uranium extraction because it allows for an effective recovery of roll front uranium mineralization at a lower cost. At Lost Creek, we extract and process U₃O_8, for shipping to a third-party facility for storage and sales.

Our Lost Creek processing facility, which includes all circuits for the production, drying and packaging of uranium for delivery into sales, is designed and anticipated to process up to one million pounds of U₃O₈ annually from the Lost Creek mine. The processing facility has the physical design capacity to process two million pounds of U₃O₈ annually, which provides additional capacity to process material from other sources. We expect that the Lost Creek processing facility may be utilized to process captured U₃O₈ from our Shirley Basin Project.

However, the Shirley Basin permit application contemplates the construction of a full processing facility, providing greater construction and operating flexibility as may be dictated by market conditions.

We have multiple U₃O₈  sales agreements in place with various U.S. utilities for the sale of U₃O₈ at mid- and long-term contract pricing. The multi-year sales agreements represent a portion of our anticipated production through 2021. These agreements individually do not represent a substantial portion of our annual projected production, and our business is therefore not substantially dependent upon any one of the agreements. The balance of our Lost Creek production will be sold through spot sales and through additional multi-year agreements.

Mineral Rights and Properties

 

Ten of our U.S. properties are located in the Great Divide Basin, Wyoming, including Lost Creek. Currently we control a total of more than 2,100 unpatented mining claims and four State of Wyoming mineral leases for

a total of approximately 42,000 acres (16,997 hectares) in the area of the Lost Creek Property, including the Lost Creek permit area (the “Lost Creek Project” or “Project”), and certain adjoining properties which we refer to as LC East, LC West, LC North, LC South and EN Project areas (collectively, with the Lost Creek Project, the “Lost Creek Property”).  Additionally, in the Shirley Basin, Wyoming, our Shirley Basin Project comprises more than 3,500 Company-controlled acres. 

The following is a summary of significant activities for the quarter ended March 31, 2016:

 

Lost Creek Property

 

For the quarter, together, contract and spot sales from U₃O₈ produced at Lost Creek totaled 75,000 pounds at an average price of $36.12 per pound for sales revenues of $2.7 million.  The Results of Operations are detailed further below.

 

Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment

 

In January 2016, we issued an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Lost Creek Property Sweetwater County Wyoming (January 19, 2016 (TREC, Inc.)), which was then amended February 8, 2016 to include two additional tables to supplement the Cash Flow and OPEX tables as set forth in the prior document (as amended, the “Lost Creek PEA”). The Lost Creek PEA was prepared for the Company and its subsidiary, Lost Creek ISR, LLC, by Douglass H. Graves, P.E., TREC, Inc. (“TREC”) and James A. Bonner, C.P.G., Vice President Geology of the Company in accordance with NI 43-101.

 

The Lost Creek PEA discloses changes for the Lost Creek Property which come in the form of an updated mineral resource estimate prompted by 2015 drilling within Lost Creek’s Mine Unit 2 (“MU2”), exploratory drilling at the Lost Creek and LC East Projects, and the re-estimation of all previously-identified resources for the Property at a revised 0.20 grade-thickness (GT) cut-off. The economic analyses within the Lost Creek PEA have been revised to evaluate the impact of additional identified resources with information and data acquired through two years of ISR operations at Lost Creek. The Lost Creek PEA therefore serves to replace the last economic analyses for the Lost Creek Property from December 2013 and the most recent NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Lost Creek Property, dated June 17, 2015. The Lost Creek PEA covers production through September 30, 2015 and drilling and other exploration and operational activities conducted through October 15, 2015.  Since the June 17, 2015 Technical Report, our activities have resulted in a cumulative increase of mineral resources at the Lost Creek Property of 31% in the Measured and Indicated categories and 28% in the Inferred category, net of production.

On June 17, 2015, the Company published an independent Technical Report for the Lost Creek Property to report increased resources for its operating Mine Unit 1 (“MU1”) and from exploration drilling conducted early in 2015. In order to reconcile higher-than-expected uranium recoveries from production operations in this mine unit, the grade thickness (“GT”) cutoff for uranium intercepts used in resource estimation was lowered from 0.30 to 0.20. Employing these revised guidelines, resources for MU1 were re-mapped and re-evaluated, increasing the MU1 Measured Resources by 55% (after subtraction of MU1 production). Through the monitoring of continued production from MU1, the authors believe the 0.20 GT better represents the in-situ uranium resources for the Lost Creek Property. Accordingly, for the Lost Creek PEA, all resource estimations for Lost Creek Property have used the new 0.20 GT cutoff, again, following re-mapping and re-evaluation.

 

Development and Operations at Lost Creek

 

During the quarter, well completion and construction activities continued, although winter weather slowed certain operational aspects slightly.  We are continuing work on header house 1-13, the last of the originally-planned header houses in Mine Unit 1.  Header house 1-13 is expected to become operational during Q2.

 

Regulatory Update

 

Applications for amendment to the Lost Creek licenses and permits were submitted in 2014. The amendments are intended to include recovery from the KM horizon and to include recovery of the uranium resource in the LC East project immediately adjacent to the Lost Creek project. Reviews by both the NRC and WDEQ were commenced and, in September 2015, the BLM issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the amendments.  All agencies continue to advance the applications and review process.

 

A WDEQ permit for Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class V wells has been completed for Lost Creek. We continue to await all final approvals from regulators, currently anticipated to be received in second quarter 2016. These approvals will allow for the onsite disposal of fresh permeate (i.e., clean water) into relatively shallow Class V wells. Site operators will use the reverse osmosis (RO) circuits, which were installed during initial construction of the plant, to treat process waste water into brine and permeate streams. The brine stream will continue to be disposed of in the UIC Class I deep wells while the clean, permeate stream will be injected into the UIC Class V wells. With the expanded time for receipt of regulatory approvals, and orders for certain components necessary to commission the systems, we expect that the wells and RO system will be fully operational in third quarter 2016. We anticipate that this new disposal system will significantly enhance waste water disposal capacity at the site. 

 

Following a public comment period, the EPA continues with its rulemaking on changes to Part 192, which sets forth groundwater restoration and stabilization requirements for ISR uranium projects.

 

Shirley Basin Project

In December 2015, we submitted to the WDEQ the application for permit to mine for Shirley Basin. Preparation of the application for source material license is nearing completion.

 

Results of Operations

 

U₃O₈ Production and Sales

 

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, 159,331 pounds of U₃O₈ were captured within the Lost Creek plant. 173,844 pounds were packaged in drums and 182,150 pounds of the drummed inventory were shipped to the conversion facility. We sold 75,000 pounds of U₃O₈  during the quarter. Inventory, production and sales figures for the Lost Creek Project are presented in the following tables. We are presenting the data in the tables for the last four quarters because the nature of our operations is not regularly based on the calendar year.  We therefore feel that presenting the last four quarters is a more meaningful representation of operations than comparing comparable periods in the previous year and enables the reader to better interpret trend analysis. 

 

 

Notes:

 

Production costs have remained relatively consistent over the past four quarters. Production was lower in the current quarter as no new header houses were brought on line and because of severe winter weather in Wyoming, which slowed production. Because of these production decreases, our production costs per pound generally increased during the quarter. 

 

Our wellfield cash costs remained consistent with the fourth quarter of 2015, despite including  the 2015 bonuses (paid in 2016) applicable to wellfield personnel. Because of winter weather and the timing of header house construction, our pounds captured decreased during the quarter.  As a result, the wellfield cash cost per pound captured increased to $6.36 per pound.