By:
/s/ |
A. David
Long A. David Long, Corporate Secretary |
|
March 31, 2007 (unaudited) |
|
December 31, 2006 |
|||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Assets |
||||||||||
Current
assets: |
||||||||||
Cash and cash
equivalents |
$ | 145,090 | $ | 145,800 | ||||||
Short term
investments |
| 3,957 | ||||||||
Accounts
receivables |
1,283 | 1,781 | ||||||||
Inventory |
5,075 | 5,243 | ||||||||
Power
credits |
389 | 389 | ||||||||
Prepaid expenses |
831 | 322 | ||||||||
152,668 | 157,492 | |||||||||
Power
credits |
683 | 780 | ||||||||
Property, plant
and equipment (note 4) |
7,108 | 6,547 | ||||||||
Mineral
properties (note 5) |
210,065 | 204,892 | ||||||||
Cash collateral
deposits |
15,363 | 15,263 | ||||||||
Investment in
Northern Orion Explorations Ltd. |
6,305 | 6,305 | ||||||||
Investments
(note 6) |
10,351 | 969 | ||||||||
Other assets |
1,888 | 1,647 | ||||||||
$ | 404,431 | $ | 393,895 | |||||||
Liabilities and
Shareholders Equity |
||||||||||
Current
liabilities |
||||||||||
Accounts
payable and accrued liabilities |
$ | 5,629 | $ | 4,976 | ||||||
Current
portion of site reclamation and closure costs (note 7) |
8,671 | 8,473 | ||||||||
Current portion of deferred gain |
389 | 389 | ||||||||
14,689 | 13,838 | |||||||||
Deferred
gain |
683 | 780 | ||||||||
Provision for
site reclamation and closure costs (note 7) |
10,195 | 11,002 | ||||||||
Future income tax liability |
35,027 | 25,981 | ||||||||
60,594 | 51,601 | |||||||||
Shareholders equity: |
||||||||||
Share capital
(note 8) |
543,490 | 551,480 | ||||||||
Contributed
surplus |
4,691 | 5,213 | ||||||||
Deficit |
(213,597 | ) | (214,399 | ) | ||||||
Accumulated other comprehensive income (note 3) |
9,253 | | ||||||||
343,837 | 342,294 | |||||||||
$ | 404,431 | $ | 393,895 |
Three months ended March 31, |
||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2007 (unaudited) |
|
2006 (unaudited) |
|||||||
Expenses: |
||||||||||
Depreciation,
depletion and accretion |
$ | 274 | $ | 135 | ||||||
General and
administration |
504 | 442 | ||||||||
Salaries |
299 | 433 | ||||||||
Stock-based
compensation (note 8(c)) |
| 1,427 | ||||||||
Professional
services |
411 | 228 | ||||||||
Investor
relations |
78 | 132 | ||||||||
Interest |
203 | 118 | ||||||||
Foreign
exchange |
7 | 40 | ||||||||
Severances and closure |
267 | 720 | ||||||||
2,043 | 3,675 | |||||||||
Loss before
undernoted |
(2,043 | ) | (3,675 | ) | ||||||
Other
income: |
||||||||||
Interest
income |
1,722 | 697 | ||||||||
Other income |
701 | 1,531 | ||||||||
2,423 | 2,228 | |||||||||
Earnings (loss)
before income taxes |
380 | (1,447 | ) | |||||||
Income tax
recovery (expense): |
||||||||||
Current |
| (70 | ) | |||||||
Future |
422 | 434 | ||||||||
422 | 364 | |||||||||
Earnings (loss)
for the period |
802 | (1,083 | ) | |||||||
Deficit, beginning of the period |
(214,399 | ) | (212,428 | ) | ||||||
Deficit, end of the period |
$ | (213,597 | ) | $ | (213,511 | ) | ||||
Basic and
diluted loss per share |
$ | 0.00 | $ | (0.01 | ) | |||||
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding |
217,395,018 | 187,024,599 |
|
|
2007 (unaudited) |
||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Net earnings for
the period before comprehensive income |
$ | 802 | ||||||||
Unrealized gains
on available for sale investments |
1,002 | |||||||||
Reclassification of net realized gain on investment |
(701 | ) | ||||||||
Comprehensive earnings |
$ | 1,103 |
Three months ended March 31, |
|||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2007 (unaudited) |
|
2006 (unaudited) |
||||||||
Cash provided by
(used in): |
|||||||||||
Operations: |
|||||||||||
Earnings
(loss) for the period |
$ | 802 | $ | (1,083 | ) | ||||||
Items not
involving cash: |
|||||||||||
Depreciation,
depletion and accretion |
274 | 135 | |||||||||
Stock-based
compensation |
| 1,427 | |||||||||
Realized gain
on investments and other |
(701 | ) | (1,531 | ) | |||||||
Future income
taxes |
(422 | ) | (434 | ) | |||||||
Other |
126 | | |||||||||
Changes in
non-cash working capital: |
|||||||||||
Accounts
receivable |
498 | (179 | ) | ||||||||
Inventory |
168 | (237 | ) | ||||||||
Prepaid
expenses |
(509 | ) | (640 | ) | |||||||
Accounts
payable and accrued liabilities |
908 | 2,204 | |||||||||
Payments made on site reclamation (note 7) |
(846 | ) | (1,066 | ) | |||||||
301 | (1,404 | ) | |||||||||
Financing: |
|||||||||||
Issue of common shares for cash |
956 | 1,874 | |||||||||
956 | 1,874 | ||||||||||
Investments: |
|||||||||||
Expenditures
on plant, equipment and deferred exploration |
(5,914 | ) | (4,186 | ) | |||||||
Proceeds from
(purchase of) short-term investments |
3,957 | (7,126 | ) | ||||||||
Proceeds on
sale of assets |
90 | 1,808 | |||||||||
Purchase of collateral deposits, net |
(100 | ) | (4 | ) | |||||||
(1,967 | ) | (9,508 | ) | ||||||||
Decrease in cash
and cash equivalents |
(710 | ) | (9,038 | ) | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period |
145,800 | 48,723 | |||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period |
$ | 145,090 | $ | 39,685 | |||||||
Supplementary
information: |
|||||||||||
Income taxes
paid |
$ | | $ | 70 | |||||||
Interest
received |
1,306 | 697 | |||||||||
Non-cash
investing and financing activities: |
|||||||||||
Fair value of
stock options allocated to shares issued on exercise |
522 | 762 | |||||||||
Stock-based
compensation included in deferred exploration |
| 863 | |||||||||
Recognition
of future income tax liabilities to mineral properties |
| 1,460 | |||||||||
Common shares received on option agreement (note 4) |
143 | |
1. |
Interim Financial Statements: |
2. |
Changes in accounting policies: |
(a) |
Comprehensive Income (Section 1530): |
CICA Section 1530 introduces the term Comprehensive Income, which consists of net earnings and other comprehensive income (OCI). Comprehensive income represents changes in Shareholders equity during the period arising from transactions and other events with non-owner sources. OCI includes certain gains or losses, such as unrealized holding gains and losses from available for sale assets, that are excluded from net earnings in accordance with GAAP. As a result of adopting this standard, a Statement of Comprehensive Income now forms part of the Companys consolidated financial statements. Cumulative changes in OCI are included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which is presented as a new category of Shareholders Equity in the balance sheet and is reconciled in note 3. |
2. |
Changes in accounting policies (continued): |
(b) |
Financial Instruments Recognition and Measurement (Section 3855): |
2. |
Changes in accounting policies (continued): |
(b) |
Financial Instruments Recognition and Measurement (Section 3855) (continued): |
(c) |
Financial Instruments Disclosure and Presentation (Section 3861): |
(d) |
Hedging (Section 3865): |
2. |
Changes in accounting policies (continued): |
(e) |
Accounting Changes (Section 1506): |
3. |
Accumulated other comprehensive income: |
2007 | ||||||
Balance,
beginning of the period |
$ | | ||||
Adjustment to
opening balance change in accounting policy (note 2) |
8,952 | |||||
Unrealized
gains on available for sale investments |
1,002 | |||||
Reclassification of net realized gain on available sale investment |
(701 | ) | ||||
Balance, end of the period |
$ | 9,253 |
4. |
Property, plant and equipment: |
|
|
|
March 31,2007 |
|
December 31,2006 |
|||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cost |
|
Accumulated depreciation and depletion |
|
Net book value |
|
Net book value |
|||||||||||
Mine plant and
equipment |
$ | 118,017 | $ | 115,923 | $ | 2,094 | $ | 2,094 | ||||||||||
Exploration
equipment |
3,460 | 774 | 2,686 | 2,720 | ||||||||||||||
Construction in
progress |
1,806 | | 1,806 | 1,177 | ||||||||||||||
Computer
equipment |
1,423 | 1,055 | 368 | 379 | ||||||||||||||
Leasehold and office |
587 | 433 | 154 | 177 | ||||||||||||||
Total |
$ | 125,293 | $ | 118,185 | $ | 7,108 | $ | 6,547 |
5. |
Mineral properties: |
Three months ended March 31, |
|||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2007 |
|
2006 |
||||||||
Balance,
beginning of period |
$ | 204,892 | $ | 170,817 | |||||||
Additions: |
|||||||||||
Drilling |
369 | 731 | |||||||||
Sample
analysis |
217 | 25 | |||||||||
Personnel and
contracts |
1,028 | 747 | |||||||||
Stock-based
compensation |
| 863 | |||||||||
Supplies and
equipment |
230 | 173 | |||||||||
Other
exploration costs |
404 | 345 | |||||||||
Title and
claim management |
60 | 10 | |||||||||
Transportation and freight |
997 | 778 | |||||||||
Camp and
infrastructure |
734 | 267 | |||||||||
Environmental
and permitting |
446 | 575 | |||||||||
Feasibility
and studies |
830 | 396 | |||||||||
Future income taxes related to the above |
| 1,460 | |||||||||
5,315 | 6,371 | ||||||||||
Disposition of mineral property |
(142 | ) | | ||||||||
Balance, end of period |
$ | 210,065 | $ | 177,188 |
6. |
Investments: |
|
March 31, 2007 Cost basis |
|
Accumulated unrealized holding gains |
|
March 31, 2007 Carrying value |
|||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Available for
sale |
||||||||||||||
Sherwood
Copper Corp. |
$ | 174 | $ | 8,909 | $ | 9,083 | ||||||||
Maximus |
887 | 253 | 1,140 | |||||||||||
Other |
37 | 91 | 128 | |||||||||||
Total |
$ | 1,098 | $ | 9,253 | $ | 10,351 |
7. |
Site reclamation and closure: |
2007 | ||||||
Balance,
beginning of the period |
$ | 19,475 | ||||
Site closure
and reclamation costs incurred |
(846 | ) | ||||
Accretion expense |
237 | |||||
Balance, end of the period |
$ | 18,866 | ||||
Allocated
between: |
||||||
Current
portion |
$ | 8,671 | ||||
Non-current portion |
10,195 | |||||
$ | 18,866 |
8. |
Share capital: |
(a) |
Authorized: 500,000,000 common shares without par value |
(b) |
Issued: |
Common Shares |
|||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Number of shares |
|
Amount |
||||||||
Balance,
December 31, 2006: |
217,125,038 | $ | 551,480 | ||||||||
Issued: |
|||||||||||
Future income
tax effect of flow-through shares |
| (9,468 | ) | ||||||||
On exercise of stock options |
509,765 | 1,478 | |||||||||
Balance, March 31, 2007 |
217,634,803 | $ | 543,490 |
8. |
Share capital (continued): |
(c) |
Stock options: |
|
Share options |
|
Average exercise price |
|||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beginning of the
period |
5,058,638 | $ | 2.67 | |||||||
Granted |
3,037,500 | 4.93 | ||||||||
Exercised |
(509,765 | ) | 1.89 | |||||||
End of the period |
7,586,373 | $ | 3.62 | |||||||
Exercisable |
3,039,795 | $ | 2.59 |
Year |
|
Number |
|
Exercise price |
||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 |
436,676 | $ | 1.89 | |||||||
2009 |
1,198,982 | 3.22 | ||||||||
2010 |
581,206 | 1.30 | ||||||||
2011 |
822,931 | 2.97 |
(d) |
Warrants and brokers compensation options: |
9. |
Related parties: |
10. |
Commitments and contingencies: |
(a) |
In 1995, the Company entered into a joint exploration transaction with an investor that resulted in a renunciation of certain resource expenses being made to the investor. The amount of the renunciation was based upon an independent valuation prepared for the Company relating to the Con Mine assets. In 2000, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) issued a reassessment notice challenging the valuation that formed the basis for this transaction. The reassessment does not give rise to any taxes payable by the Company. However, as part of the original transaction, the Company agreed to compensate the investor for any shortfall in the renunciation made by the Company to a maximum of $2.7 million plus accrued interest. On March 29, 2007, the Company and the CRA reached a settlement regarding the reassessment which adjusts certain tax pools of the Company and preserves the amount of the renunciation originally made to the investor. Accordingly, the Company no longer has a contingent liability with respect to possible payments to the investor. The settlement does not result in any income payable by the Company. |
(b) |
In January 2007, the Company entered into a purchase commitment of approximately $5.7 million to acquire a 118 person camp facility from a manufacturer. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company will pay for the construction costs prior to its shipment to the Hope Bay site, which is expected to be in July 2007. The Company has the right to transfer its obligations under the purchase agreement to a third party. |
|
Phase 1: Short-term: Develop a small scale, high return gold mine at Doris North with the objective of generating significant cash flow, after capital payback, to advance the subsequent phases while minimizing equity dilution. A feasibility study on the Doris North deposit prepared in early 2003 concluded a two year mine at Doris North which could produce approximately 155,000 ounces of gold per year (the Doris North Project) was feasible. |
|
Phase 2: Medium-term: Extend and expand production levels to a targeted production level of either approximately 300,000 ounces per year or 600,000 ounces per year. The potential mining alternatives which are under consideration in technical and economic studies are: a) an underground operation with a targeted production of approximately 6,000 tonnes per day and focused on developing the higher grade, more accessible upper portions of the Boston, Doris Central and Madrid deposits, and b) a larger scale (Large Pit Concept) operation with a targeted |
production of approximately 16,000 tonnes per day, based upon open pit mining at Madrid and underground mining at the Boston and Doris deposits. |
|
Phase 3: Longer-term: Continue exploration efforts at Hope Bay with the objective of discovering new deposits and expanding the current known resources in order to provide additional resources to extend mine production. |
|
Hope Bay exploration and project development budget for 2007 was approved totaling $39.6 million, which includes $31.4 million for drilling and exploration activities with the objective of completing approximately 72,000 meters of drilling targeted to continue to expand and extend existing deposits and explore for new deposits. Additionally, $8.2 million has been budgeted to advance Phase 2 engineering and environmental studies. |
|
Hope Bay mine construction budget for 2007 was also approved totaling $17.9 million; the budget includes the cost of the acquisition of a 118 person camp for the Doris North Mine, some initial site preparation and small equipment purchases along with the expected costs to complete the permitting and licensing process. |
|
Exploration drilling commenced on March 17, 2007 and a total of 2,355 meters were completed during the first quarter in the Madrid area. |
|
Subsequent to the quarter, on April 4, 2007, the Company released its updated resources for Hope Bay as at December 31, 2006 of 5.2 million ounces of gold in the indicated resource category and 5.5 million ounces of gold in the inferred resource category. Total resources increased by 22% after incorporating the affect of the 2006 drilling programs. |
|
Also subsequent to the quarter, on April 26, 2007, the Company reported significant results from the drilling completed in March 2007, including hole 07PMD500 which encountered 8.44 g/t over 60.2 meters at the Suluk deposit within the Madrid area. Initial drilling has encountered wider intercepts of gold mineralization at higher grade than expected. |
|
The Companys net earnings for the three month period ended March 31, 2006 was $0.8 million or $0.00 per share. |
2007 Q1 |
2006 Q4 |
2006 Q3 |
2006 Q2 |
|||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Revenue/other
income |
$ | 2,423 | $ | 3,988 | $ | 1,762 | $ | 1,109 | ||||||||||
Earnings/(loss) |
$ | 802 | $ | (3,151 | ) | $ | 357 | $ | 1,906 | |||||||||
Per
share |
$ | 0.00 | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | 0.00 | $ | 0.01 |
2006 Q1 |
2005 Q4 |
2005 Q3 |
2005 Q2 |
|||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Revenue/other
income |
$ | 2,228 | $ | 247 | $ | 171 | $ | 614 | ||||||||||
Earnings/(loss) |
$ | (1,083 | ) | $ | (8,348 | ) | $ | (1,025 | ) | $ | (481 | ) | ||||||
Per
share |
$ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.05 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | 0.00 |
Indicated |
||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Area/Deposit/Zone |
|
Tonnes |
|
g Au/t |
|
Cutoff g Au/t |
|
Contained Ounces Au(1) |
||||||||||
Madrid
Deposit Area |
||||||||||||||||||
Naartok
East |
11,353,900 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 1,350,727 | ||||||||||||||
Naartok
West |
6,794,400 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 797,672 | ||||||||||||||
Rand |
2,957,000 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 239,910 | ||||||||||||||
Suluk |
11,427,700 | 3.6 | 1.5 | 1,313,989 | ||||||||||||||
South
Patch |
0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
Subtotal
Madrid |
32,533,000 | 3.5 | 3,702,298 | |||||||||||||||
Doris
Deposit |
||||||||||||||||||
Doris
Hinge(2) |
345,000 | 34.7 | 8 | 385,000 | ||||||||||||||
Doris
North/Connector |
N/A | |||||||||||||||||
Doris
Central |
824,000 | 12.9 | 5 | 341,000 | ||||||||||||||
Doris
Pillars |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||||||||||||
Subtotal
Doris |
1,169,000 | 19.3 | 726,000 | |||||||||||||||
Boston
Deposit |
||||||||||||||||||
Boston
B2 |
1,949,000 | 11.4 | 4 | 713,000 | ||||||||||||||
Boston
B3/B4 |
363,000 | 7.3 | 4 | 85,000 | ||||||||||||||
Subtotal
Boston |
2,312,000 | 10.7 | 798,000 | |||||||||||||||
Total Indicated(3) |
36,014,000 | 4.51 | 5,226,298 |
(1) |
Disclosure of contained ounces is permitted under Canadian regulations; however, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission generally permits mineralization that does not constitute reserves to be reported only as in place tonnage and grade. See discussion under the heading Cautionary Note |
for U.S. Investors for a description of differences between Canadian and U.S. requirements for estimates of mineralization. |
(2) |
Includes the undiluted, unrecovered Probable Mineral Reserve for Doris Hinge referred to below. |
(3) |
Numbers may not add up exactly due to rounding. |
Inferred |
||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Area/Deposit/Zone |
|
Tonnes |
|
g Au/t |
|
Cutoff g Au/t |
|
Contained Ounces Au(1) |
||||||||||
Madrid
Deposit Area |
||||||||||||||||||
Naartok
East |
14,368,900 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 1,274,903 | ||||||||||||||
Naartok
West |
5,228,100 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 565,276 | ||||||||||||||
Rand |
5,373,600 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 403,284 | ||||||||||||||
Suluk |
17,342,000 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 1,546,437 | ||||||||||||||
South
Patch |
227,000 | 22.5 | 7 | 164,202 | ||||||||||||||
Subtotal
Madrid |
42,539,600 | 2.9 | 3,954,102 | |||||||||||||||
Doris
Deposit |
||||||||||||||||||
Doris
Hinge |
28,000 | 10.0 | 8 | 9,000 | ||||||||||||||
Doris
North/Connector |
1,270,000 | 13.9 | 5 | 569,000 | ||||||||||||||
Doris
Central |
73,000 | 12.8 | 5 | 30,000 | ||||||||||||||
Doris
Pillars |
263,000 | 18.6 | 5-7 | 158,000 | ||||||||||||||
Subtotal
Doris |
1,634,000 | 14.5 | 766,000 | |||||||||||||||
Boston
Deposit |
||||||||||||||||||
Boston
B2 |
995,000 | 9.1 | 4 | 292,000 | ||||||||||||||
Boston
B3/B4 |
1,437,000 | 9.7 | 4 | 449,000 | ||||||||||||||
Subtotal
Boston |
2,431,000 | 9.5 | 741,000 | |||||||||||||||
Total Inferred(2)(3) |
46,604,600 | 3.64 | 5,461,102 |
(1) |
Disclosure of contained ounces is permitted under Canadian regulations; however, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission generally permits mineralization that does not constitute reserves to be reported only as in place tonnage and grade. See discussion under the heading Cautionary Note for U.S. Investors for a description of differences between Canadian and U.S. requirements for estimates of mineralization. |
(2) |
Inferred Mineral Resources are reported in addition to Indicated Mineral Resources. |
(3) |
Numbers may not add up exactly due to rounding. |
2007 |
|
2008 |
|
2009 |
|
2010 |
|
2011 |
|
Thereafter |
||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oxygen
plant |
$ | 600 | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | ||||||||||||||
Office lease
costs |
$ | 336 | $ | 336 | $ | 344 | $ | 260 | $ | 260 | $ | 245 | ||||||||||||||
Exploration
equipment |
$ | 611 | $ | 95 | | | | | ||||||||||||||||||
Site
reclamation(1) |
$ | 8,473 | $ | 4,098 | $ | 2,715 | $ | 1,328 | $ | 369 | $ | 5,096 |
(1) |
The Company is obligated to fund closure and reclamation costs for its mining and exploration operations as a condition of associated water licenses. However, the timing of the payments has not been determined with certainty and may change depending upon future events. Reclamation of exploration sites will be deferred to the extent that the Company continues to be engaged in actively exploring them. |
|
The Company will require external financing and production revenue to conduct further exploration on and development of its mineral resource properties and to develop the Doris North deposit. |
|
The Company has had no revenue from operations and no ongoing mining operations of any kind. |
|
Changes in the market price of gold and other metals, which in the past have fluctuated widely, will significantly affect the potential of the Companys properties. |
|
The Company has no history of producing gold from the Hope Bay Project and there can be no assurance that it will successfully establish mining operations or profitably produce gold. |
|
There can be no assurance that the Companys exploration programs will result in the establishment of mineral reserves or the expansion of such reserves with new mineral reserves. |
|
The Company has a history of losses and expects to incur losses for the foreseeable future. |
|
The figures for the Companys mineral reserves and mineral resources are estimates based on interpretation and assumptions and the Companys mineral deposits may yield less mineral production under actual conditions than the Companys estimates indicate. |
|
The Company requires various permits in order to conduct its current and anticipated future operations and delays or a failure to obtain such permits, or a failure to comply with the terms of any such permits that the Company has obtained, could have a material adverse impact on the Company. |
|
The Companys permits, licences and mineral rights to the Hope Bay Project may be subject to challenges by the Inuit based on the duty of the Canadian Federal Government to consult. |
|
The Hope Bay properties are subject to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and ongoing operations are affected by working relationships with Inuit organizations. |
|
The Company is subject to significant governmental regulations. |
|
The Companys activities are subject to environmental laws and regulations that may increase its costs of doing business and restrict its operations. |
|
Mining is inherently dangerous and subject to conditions or events beyond the Companys control, which could have a material adverse effect on its business. |
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Changes in the factors underlying the Doris North feasibility study since its preparation may make the financial calculations no longer applicable; actual capital costs, operating costs, production and economic returns from the Doris North deposit may differ significantly from those the Company has anticipated; and there are no assurances that any future development activities will result in profitable mining operations. |
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Because the Hope Bay Project is located in Canada and will have production costs incurred in Canadian dollars, while gold is generally sold in United States dollars, the Hope Bay Project results could be materially adversely affected by appreciation of the Canadian dollar. |
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Increased competition could adversely affect the Companys ability to attract necessary capital funding or acquire suitable producing properties or prospects for mineral exploration in the future. |
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Title to the Companys mineral properties cannot be guaranteed and may be subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers or claims and other defects. |
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The Company may experience difficulty attracting and retaining qualified management and operations personnel to meet the needs of its anticipated growth, and the failure to manage the Companys growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on its business and financial condition. |
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The Company has ongoing reclamation on the Con Mine and the Company may be required to contribute more funds towards the abandonment and reclamation of the Con Mine site which could have a material adverse effect on its financial position. |
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The Company does not currently have any ongoing reclamation on the Golden Eagle Mine but it is possible that there may be a future obligation to conduct reclamation on the Golden Eagle Mine site, which could have a material adverse effect on the Companys financial position. |
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The Company or its subsidiaries are from time to time a party to litigation which could have a material effect on the Company. |
Suite 300889 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver, B.C. V7P 3S1 Canada Tel: (604) 985-2572 Fax: (604) 980-0731 Toll Free: 1-800-663-8780 |
May 14,
2007 |
NEWS RELEASE 07-09 |
MAE TSX MNG-AMEX |
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The Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) recommending that the Doris North Project proceed and the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs accepting the recommendation; |
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Miramar completing 65,775m of drilling in 233 drill holes on the
Hope Bay property; |
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Drilling in the Madrid area, which hosts two-thirds of the Hope Bay resource, was successful in defining mineralization in the gaps between the Suluk, Rand, Naartok East and West deposits, and also expanding Suluk to the south and Naartok East to the north; |
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A preliminary assessment for Phase II being started to determine whether Phase II should be an underground or open-pit operation; and |
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The BN zone at Boston was discovered. |
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Proceed with Doris North permitting revised materials have been filed with the Nunavut Water Board and the remaining required permits are in progress; |
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Update the Doris North feasibility study by mid year; |
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Complete engineering studies to determine whether Phase II will be an open pit or underground operation; |
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Initiate infill and expansion drilling to support resource conversion from inferred to the indicated category for inclusion in the Phase 2 feasibility at Madridpositive results from the first drilling at the Suluk deposit have been recently announced; |
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Continue an aggressive resource expansion program at Madrid where a number of the deposits are open; |
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Initiate limited broad spaced exploration drilling at Madrid to define the overall size of the Madrid system, both at depth and along strike; |
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Initiate an aggressive exploration program that will test high potential targets along the 21 km long Madrid trend utilizing improved understanding of the Madrid system geology and mineralization as well as comparative traits that Madrid has with the Timmins and Larder Lake camps in Ontario; |
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Initiate resource expansion drilling at the newly defined BN zone at Boston as well as complete a sampling program on historical drilling the Boston B2 resource area; and |
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Complete sufficient regional exploration to meet assessment requirements and thereby maintain entire Hope Bay belt. |