Entree Resources Ltd 6-K, filed Aug 9, 2021
Entree Resources Ltd. (ERLFF)
About this 6-K
Entree Resources Ltd filed this 6-K on August 9, 2021.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of August 2021
Commission File Number 001-32570
ENTRÉE RESOURCES LTD
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
Suite 1650 – 1066 West Hastings Street,
Vancouver, BC, V6E 3X1, Canada
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F x Form 40-F ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ¨
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ¨
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant’s “home country”), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant’s securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant’s security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission fling on EDGAR.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes ¨ No x
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-__________.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| ENTRÉE RESOURCES LTD | |||
| (Registrant) | |||
| Date: August 9, 2021 | By: | /s/ Duane Lo | |
| Duane Lo | |||
| Chief Financial Officer | |||
EXHIBIT LIST
| Exhibit | Description | |
| 99.1 | CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | |
| 99.2 | MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS | |
| 99.3 | PRESS RELEASE |
Exhibit 99.1
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited - Expressed in United States dollars)
Three and six month periods ended June 30, 2021
MANAGEMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL REPORTING
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL REPORTING
The accompanying condensed consolidated interim financial statements of Entrée Resources Ltd. (the “Company”) have been prepared by management in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). Management acknowledges responsibility for the preparation and presentation of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements, including responsibility for significant accounting estimates and the choice of accounting principles and methods that are appropriate to the Company’s circumstances.
NOTICE OF NO AUDITOR REVIEW OF CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The Company’s independent auditor has not performed a review of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements in accordance with standards established by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants for a review of interim financial statements by a company’s auditor.
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Financial Position
As at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 (Unaudited)
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except where indicated)
| Note | June 30, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | |||||||||
| Assets | |||||||||||
| Current assets | |||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 7,355 | $ | 7,260 | |||||||
| Receivables and prepaid expenses | 69 | 130 | |||||||||
| Prepaid licence fees | 65 | 162 | |||||||||
| 7,489 | 7,552 | ||||||||||
| Non-current assets | |||||||||||
| Property and equipment | 194 | 220 | |||||||||
| Oyu Tolgoi assets | 3 | 213 | 177 | ||||||||
| Deposits and other | 14 | 12 | |||||||||
| 421 | 409 | ||||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 7,910 | $ | 7,961 | |||||||
| Liabilities | |||||||||||
| Current liabilities | |||||||||||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | 10 | $ | 320 | $ | 124 | ||||||
| Current portion of lease liabilities | 4 | 114 | 108 | ||||||||
| 434 | 232 | ||||||||||
| Non-current liabilities | |||||||||||
| Lease liabilities | 4 | 46 | 100 | ||||||||
| Loan payable to Oyu Tolgoi LLC | 5 | 9,787 | 9,615 | ||||||||
| Deferred revenue | 6 | 51,538 | 48,222 | ||||||||
| 61,371 | 57,937 | ||||||||||
| Total liabilities | 61,805 | 58,169 | |||||||||
| Shareholders’ deficiency | |||||||||||
| Share capital | 7 | 177,569 | 176,221 | ||||||||
| Reserves | 22,672 | 23,205 | |||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (2,927 | ) | (1,521 | ) | |||||||
| Deficit | (251,209 | ) | (248,113 | ) | |||||||
| Total shareholders’ deficiency | (53,895 | ) | (50,208 | ) | |||||||
| Total liabilities and shareholders’ deficiency | $ | 7,910 | $ | 7,961 | |||||||
Nature of operations (Note 1)
Commitments and contingencies (Note 9)
Subsequent events (Note 11)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements.
| 3 |
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Comprehensive Loss
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (Unaudited)
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except where indicated)
| Three months ended June 30 | Six months ended June 30 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Note | 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||||
| Expenses | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Project expenditures | $ | 158 | $ | 80 | $ | 245 | $ | 114 | ||||||||||||
| General and administrative | 444 | 387 | 783 | 707 | ||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation | 27 | 25 | 57 | 51 | ||||||||||||||||
| Operating loss | 629 | 492 | 1,085 | 872 | ||||||||||||||||
| Foreign exchange (gain) loss | (101 | ) | (315 | ) | (194 | ) | 317 | |||||||||||||
| Interest income | (10 | ) | (21 | ) | (18 | ) | (45 | ) | ||||||||||||
| Interest expense | 5 | 86 | 82 | 171 | 169 | |||||||||||||||
| Loss from equity investee | 3 | 36 | 35 | 71 | 89 | |||||||||||||||
| Finance costs | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
| Deferred revenue finance costs | 6 | 1,006 | 861 | 1,974 | 1,694 | |||||||||||||||
| Loss for the period | 1,649 | 1,139 | 3,096 | 3,106 | ||||||||||||||||
| Other comprehensive loss (income) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation | 768 | 1,838 | 1,406 | (2,212 | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Total comprehensive loss | $ | 2,417 | $ | 2,977 | $ | 4,502 | $ | 894 | ||||||||||||
| Net loss per common share | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Basic and fully diluted | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.02 | ) | $ | (0.02 | ) | ||||||||
| Weighted average number of common shares outstanding | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Basic and fully diluted (000’s) | 187,670 | 175,470 | 187,209 | 175,470 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total common shares issued and outstanding (000’s) | 7 | 189,100 | 175,470 | 189,100 | 175,470 | |||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements.
| 4 |
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficiency
For the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (Unaudited)
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except where indicated)
| Note | Number of Shares (000’s) | Share capital | Reserves | Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income | Deficit | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2020 | 186,530 | $ | 176,221 | $ | 23,205 | $ | (1,521 | ) | $ | (248,113 | ) | $ | (50,208 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Net loss and comprehensive loss | — | — | — | (1,406 | ) | (3,096 | ) | (4,502 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of share capital - share options exercised | 7 | 816 | 270 | (236 | ) | — | — | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of share capital - warrants exercised | 7 | 1,754 | 1,078 | (297 | ) | — | — | 781 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at June 30, 2021 | 189,100 | $ | 177,569 | $ | 22,672 | $ | (2,927 | ) | $ | (251,209 | ) | $ | (53,895 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Balance at December 31, 2019 | 175,470 | $ | 173,095 | $ | 22,445 | $ | (407 | ) | $ | (242,113 | ) | $ | (46,980 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Net loss and comprehensive income | — | — | — | 2,212 | (3,106 | ) | (894 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance at June 30, 2020 | 175,470 | $ | 173,095 | $ | 22,445 | $ | 1,805 | $ | (245,219 | ) | $ | (47,874 | ) | |||||||||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements.
| 5 |
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows
For the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (Unaudited)
(expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except where indicated)
| Note | June 30, 2021 | June 30, 2020 | ||||||||||
| Cash flows used in operating activities | ||||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | (3,096 | ) | $ | (3,106 | ) | ||||||
| Items not affecting cash: | ||||||||||||
| Depreciation | 57 | 51 | ||||||||||
| Loss from equity investee | 3 | 71 | 89 | |||||||||
| Interest expense | 5 | 171 | 169 | |||||||||
| Finance cost, net | 7 | 10 | ||||||||||
| Unrealized foreign exchange (gains) losses | (208 | ) | 232 | |||||||||
| Deferred revenue finance costs | 6 | 1,974 | 1,694 | |||||||||
| (1,024 | ) | (861 | ) | |||||||||
| Changes in non-cash operating working capital: | ||||||||||||
| Decrease in receivables and prepaids | 61 | 68 | ||||||||||
| Decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities | 195 | 1 | ||||||||||
| (768 | ) | (792 | ) | |||||||||
| Cash flows used in investing activities | ||||||||||||
| Purchase of equipment | (32 | ) | — | |||||||||
| (32 | ) | — | ||||||||||
| Cash flows from (used in) financing activities | ||||||||||||
| Repayment of lease liability | 4 | (59 | ) | (45 | ) | |||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of common shares - share options | 7 | 34 | — | |||||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of common shares - warrants | 7 | 781 | — | |||||||||
| 756 | (45 | ) | ||||||||||
| Decrease in cash and cash equivalents | (43 | ) | (837 | ) | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period | 7,260 | 5,380 | ||||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | 139 | (85 | ) | |||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents - end of period | $ | 7,355 | $ | 4,458 | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents is represented by: | ||||||||||||
| Cash | $ | 7,321 | $ | 4,424 | ||||||||
| Cash equivalents | 34 | 34 | ||||||||||
| Total cash and cash equivalents | $ | 7,355 | $ | 4,458 | ||||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated interim financial statements.
| 6 |
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (Unaudited)
(tabular amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts and where indicated)
| 1 | Nature of operations |
Entrée Resources Ltd., together with its subsidiaries (collectively referred to as the “Company” or “Entrée”), is focused on the development and exploration of mineral property interests. The Company is principally focused on its Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property in Mongolia (Note 3).
The Company has its primary listing in Canada on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) and its common shares also trade in the United States on the Over-the-Counter OTCQB Venture Market (“OTCQB”) under the symbol “ERLFF”.
The Company’s registered office is at Suite 2900, 550 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 0A3, Canada.
All amounts are expressed in United States dollars, except for certain amounts denoted in Canadian dollars (“C$”).
These condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared on the basis of accounting principles applicable to a going concern which assumes that the Company will be able to continue for the foreseeable future and will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company estimates it has adequate financial resources to satisfy its obligations over the next 12 month period and beyond.
| 2 | Basis of presentation |
The Company prepares its condensed consolidated interim financial statements in accordance with International Accounting Standards 34, Interim Financial Reporting (“IAS 34”), under International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and interpretation of the International Reporting Interpretations Committee (“IFRIC”). These should be read in conjunction with the Company’s annual audited consolidated financial statements as at and for the year ended December 31, 2020 (“annual financial statements”). The accounting policies and critical estimates applied by the Company in these condensed consolidated interim financial statements are the same as those applied in the Company’s annual financial statements, unless otherwise stated.
The condensed consolidated interim financial statements were approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors on August 6, 2021.
| 3 | Oyu Tolgoi assets |
Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property
The Company has a carried 20% participating joint venture interest in two of the Oyu Tolgoi project deposits, and a carried 20% or 30% participating joint venture interest (depending on the depth of mineralization) in the surrounding land package located in the South Gobi region of Mongolia (the “Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property”). The Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property is comprised of the eastern portion of the Shivee Tolgoi mining licence, which hosts the Hugo North Extension copper-gold deposit, and all of the Javhlant mining licence, which hosts the majority of the Heruga copper-gold-molybdenum deposit. The Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences were granted by the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia in October 2009. Title to the two licences is held by the Company.
In October 2004, the Company entered into an arm’s-length Equity Participation and Earn-In Agreement (the “Earn-In Agreement”) with Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. (“Turquoise Hill”). Under the Earn-In Agreement, Turquoise Hill agreed to purchase equity securities of the Company and was granted the right to earn an interest in what is now the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. Most of Turquoise Hill’s rights and obligations under the Earn-In Agreement were subsequently assigned by Turquoise Hill to what was then its wholly-owned subsidiary, Oyu Tolgoi LLC (“OTLLC”). The Government of Mongolia subsequently acquired a 34% interest in OTLLC from Turquoise Hill.
On June 30, 2008, OTLLC gave notice that it had completed its earn-in obligations by expending a total of $35 million on exploration of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. OTLLC earned an 80% interest in all minerals extracted below a sub-surface depth of 560 metres from the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property and a 70% interest in all minerals extracted from surface to a depth of 560 metres from the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. In accordance with the Earn-In Agreement, the Company and OTLLC formed a joint venture (the “Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV”) on terms annexed to the Earn-In Agreement (the “JVA”).
| 7 |
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (Unaudited)
(tabular amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts and where indicated)
The portion of the Shivee Tolgoi mining licence outside of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, Shivee West, is 100% owned by the Company, but is subject to a right of first refusal by OTLLC. In October 2015, the Company entered into a License Fees Agreement with OTLLC, pursuant to which the parties agreed to negotiate in good faith to amend the JVA to include Shivee West in the definition of Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. The parties also agreed that the annual licence fees for Shivee West would be for the account of each joint venture participant in proportion to their respective interests, with OTLLC contributing the Company’s 20% share charging interest at prime plus 2% (Note 5).
The conversion of the original Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant exploration licences into mining licences was a condition precedent to the Investment Agreement (the “Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement”) between Turquoise Hill, OTLLC, the Government of Mongolia and Rio Tinto International Holdings Limited. The licences are part of the contract area covered by the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement, although the Company is not a party to the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement. The Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences were each issued for a 30 year term and have rights of renewal for two further 20 year terms.
As of June 30, 2021, the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV had expended approximately $34.2 million (December 31, 2020 - $34.2 million) to advance the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. Under the terms of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV, OTLLC contributed on behalf of the Company its required participation amount charging interest at prime plus 2% (Note 5).
Investment - Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property
For accounting purposes, the Company treats its interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV as a 20% equity investment. Historically, all Company expenditures related to its interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV have been expensed as incurred through the statement of comprehensive loss or recognized as part of the Company’s share of the loss of the joint venture.
The Company’s share of the loss of the joint venture was $0.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021 (2020 - $0.1 million). The joint venture has nominal current assets and liabilities, approximately $0.3 million of non-current assets and approximately $34.2 million of non-current liabilities. The loss for the joint venture for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was approximately $0.0 million (2020 - approximately $0.1 million).
The Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV investment carrying value at June 30, 2021 was $0.2 million (December 31, 2020 - $0.2 million) and was recorded in Oyu Tolgoi assets in the statement of financial position.
| 4 | Leases |
Lease liability
| June 30, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | |||||||
| Lease liability | $ | 160 | $ | 208 | ||||
| Less: current portion | (114 | ) | (108 | ) | ||||
| Long-term portion | $ | 46 | $ | 100 | ||||
Undiscounted lease payments
| June 30, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | |||||||
| Less than one year | $ | 152 | $ | 124 | ||||
| One to five years | 49 | 97 | ||||||
| $ | 201 | $ | 221 | |||||
Interest expense on the lease liability amounted to $0.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021 (2020 - $0.0 million). During the six months ended June 30, 2021, lease payments made amounted to $0.1 million (2020 - $0.1 million).
| 8 |
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (Unaudited)
(tabular amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts and where indicated)
| 5 | Loan payable to Oyu Tolgoi LLC |
Under the terms of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV (Note 3), Entrée has elected to have OTLLC contribute funds to approved joint venture programs and budgets on the Company’s behalf. Interest on each loan advance shall accrue at an annual rate equal to OTLLC’s actual cost of capital or the prime rate of the Royal Bank of Canada, plus two percent (2%) per annum, whichever is less, as at the date of the advance. The loan is non-recourse and will be repayable by the Company monthly from ninety percent (90%) of the Company’s share of available cash flow from the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV. In the absence of available cash flow, the loan will not be repayable. The loan is not expected to be repaid within one year.
During the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company recorded interest expense of $0.2 million in connection with the loan (2020 - $0.2 million).
| 6 | Deferred revenue |
The Company has an agreement to use future payments that it receives from its mineral property interests to purchase and deliver gold, silver and copper credits to Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (“Sandstorm”) (the “Sandstorm Agreement”).
Under the terms of the Sandstorm Agreement, Sandstorm provided the Company with a net deposit of C$30.9 million (the “Deposit”) in exchange for the future delivery of gold, silver and copper credits equivalent to:
| • | 28.1% of Entrée’s share of gold and silver, and 2.1% of Entrée’s share of copper, produced from the Shivee Tolgoi mining licence (excluding Shivee West); and |
| • | 21.3% of Entrée’s share of gold and silver, and 2.1% of Entrée’s share of copper, produced from the Javhlant mining licence. |
Upon the delivery of metal credits, Sandstorm will make a cash payment to the Company equal to the lesser of the prevailing market price and $220 per ounce of gold, $5 per ounce of silver and $0.50 per pound of copper (subject to inflation adjustments). After approximately 8.6 million ounces of gold, 40.3 million ounces of silver and 9.1 billion pounds of copper have been produced from the entire current Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, the cash payment will be increased to the lesser of the prevailing market price and $500 per ounce of gold, $10 per ounce of silver and $1.10 per pound of copper (subject to inflation adjustments). To the extent that the prevailing market price is greater than the amount of the cash payment, the difference between the two will be credited against the Deposit.
The Deposit has been accounted for as deferred revenue on the statement of financial position and is subject to foreign currency fluctuations upon conversion to US dollars at each reporting period. The Deposit contains a significant financing component and, as such, the Company recognizes a financing charge at each reporting period and grosses up the deferred revenue balance to recognize the significant financing element that is part of this contract at a discount rate of 8%.
This arrangement does not require the delivery of actual metal, and the Company may use revenue from any of its assets to purchase the requisite amount of metal credits.
| 7 | Share capital |
| a) | Common shares |
The Company’s authorized share capital consists of unlimited common shares without par value. At June 30, 2021, the Company had 189,099,610 (December 31, 2020 - 186,530,002) shares issued and outstanding.
| b) | Share options |
The Company provides share-based compensation to its directors, officers, employees, and consultants through grants of share options.
The Company has adopted a Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”) to grant options to directors, officers, employees and consultants. Under the Plan, the maximum number of shares issuable pursuant to options awarded under the Plan and outstanding from time to time, combined with the number of shares issuable under all other security based compensation agreements of the Company, shall not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company from time to time. Options granted can have a term of up to ten years and an exercise price typically not less than the Company's closing share price on the TSX on the last trading day before the date of grant. Vesting is determined at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
| 9 |
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (Unaudited)
(tabular amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts and where indicated)
Under the Plan, an option holder may elect to transform an option, in whole or in part and, in lieu of receiving shares to which the terminated option relates (the “Designated Shares”), receive the number of shares, disregarding fractions, which, when multiplied by the weighted average trading price of the shares on the TSX during the five trading days immediately preceding the day of termination (the “Fair Value” per share) of the Designated Shares, has a total dollar value equal to the number of Designated Shares multiplied by the difference between the Fair Value and the exercise price per share of the Designated Shares.
The Company uses historical data to estimate option exercise, forfeiture and employee termination within the valuation model. The risk-free interest rate is based on a treasury instrument whose term is consistent with the expected term of the share options. Since the Company has not paid and does not anticipate paying dividends on its common shares, the expected dividend yield is assumed to be zero. Companies are required to utilize an estimated forfeiture rate when calculating the expense for the reporting period. Based on the best estimate, management applied the estimated forfeiture rate of nil in determining the expense recorded in the accompanying statements of comprehensive loss.
Share option transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2021 are summarized as follows:
| Number of share options (000’s) | Weighted
average exercise | |||||||||
| Outstanding - December 31, 2020 | 10,550 | 0.46 | ||||||||
| Exercised | (816 | ) | 0.36 | |||||||
| Cancelled | (419 | ) | 0.36 | |||||||
| Outstanding - June 30, 2021 | 9,315 | 0.47 | ||||||||
At June 30, 2021, the following share options were outstanding and exercisable:
| Number of share options (000`s) |
Exercise price per share option C$ |
Expiry date |
| 1,100 | 0.36 | Nov 2021 |
| 1,850 | 0.52 - 0.62 | May - Oct 2022 |
| 2,225 | 0.55 - 0.63 | Feb - Dec 2023 |
| 2,255 | 0.365 | Dec 2024 |
| 1,885 | 0.51 | Dec 2025 |
| 9,315 |
| June 30, 2021 | ||||
| Weighted average exercise price for exercisable options | C$0.47 | |||
| Weighted average share price for options exercised | C$0.90 | |||
| Weighted average years to expiry for exercisable share options | 2.61 years |
| 10 |
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (Unaudited)
(tabular amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts and where indicated)
| c) | Share purchase warrants |
Share purchase warrant transactions for the six months ended June 30, 2021 are summarized as follows:
| Number of share purchase warrants (000’s) |
Weighted average exercise price C$ | |
| Outstanding - December 31, 2020 | 14,404 | 0.57 |
| Exercised | (1,754) | 0.55 |
| Outstanding - June 30, 2021 | 12,650 | 0.57 |
At June 30, 2021, the following common share purchase warrants were outstanding:
| Number of share purchase warrants (000’s) |
Exercise price per share purchase warrant C$ |
Expiry date |
| 6,901 | 0.55 | January 10, 2022 |
| 610 | 0.55 | January 12, 2022 |
| 5,139 | 0.60 | September 13, 2023 |
| 12,650 |
| d) | Deferred share units |
Deferred share units (“DSUs”) are granted to the Company’s directors and executives as a part of compensation under the terms of the Company’s Deferred Share Unit Plan (the “DSU Plan”). Typically, DSUs vest when certain conditions as stated in the DSU Plan are met, except in the event of an earlier change of control, in which case, the DSUs will vest fully upon such change of control.
As at June 30, 2021, the Company has granted a total of 450,000 DSUs to the Company’s directors and executives, which were all granted in 2020 (the “2020 Grants”). Each vested DSU entitles the holder to receive one common share of the Company or a cash payment equivalent to the closing price of one common share of the Company on the TSX on the last trading day preceding the DSU’s redemption date. Subsequent to shareholder approval of the DSU Plan and ratification of the 2020 Grants at the Company’s annual general meeting on June 10, 2021, the TSX’s final acceptance of the DSU Plan was received on June 18, 2021, which is the date the 2020 Grants are considered to be fully vested.
As at June 30, 2021, no DSUs have been redeemed.
| 8 | Financial instruments |
| a) | Fair value classification of financial instruments |
The fair value hierarchy establishes three levels to classify the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs are other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (prices) or indirectly (derived from prices). Level 3 inputs are for the assets or liabilities that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).
The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, deposits, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, loan payable and lease liabilities.
The carrying values of receivables and accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair value due to their short terms to maturity. Cash and cash equivalents are measured at fair value using Level 1 inputs.
| 11 |
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (Unaudited)
(tabular amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts and where indicated)
The following table summarizes the classification and carrying values of the Company’s financial instruments at June 30, 2021:
| June 30, 2021 | FVTPL | Amortized cost (financial assets) | Amortized cost (financial liabilities) | Total | ||||||||||||
| Financial assets | ||||||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 7,355 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 7,355 | ||||||||
| Receivables | — | 20 | — | 20 | ||||||||||||
| Deposits | — | 14 | — | 14 | ||||||||||||
| Total financial assets | $ | 7,355 | $ | 34 | $ | — | $ | 7,389 | ||||||||
| Financial liabilities | ||||||||||||||||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 320 | $ | 320 | ||||||||
| Lease liabilities | — | — | 160 | 160 | ||||||||||||
| Loan payable | — | — | 9,787 | 9,787 | ||||||||||||
| Total financial liabilities | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 10,267 | $ | 10,267 | ||||||||
| 9 | Commitments and contingencies |
As at June 30, 2021, the Company had the following commitments:
| Total | Less than 1 year | 1 - 3 years | 3-5 years | More than 5 years | ||||||||||||||||
| Lease commitments | $ | 201 | $ | 152 | $ | 49 | $ | — | $ | — | ||||||||||
Under the terms of the Amended Sandstorm Agreement, the Company may be subject to a contingent liability if certain events occur (Note 6).
| 10 | Related party transactions |
The Company’s related parties include key management personnel and directors. Direct remuneration paid to the Company’s directors and key management personnel during the six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 are as follows:
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Directors’ fees | $ | 85 | $ | 76 | ||||
| Salaries and benefits | 378 | 349 | ||||||
As of June 30, 2021, included in the accounts payable and accrued liabilities balance on the condensed consolidated interim statement of financial position is $0.0 million (December 31, 2020 - $0.0 million) due to the Company’s directors and key management personnel.
Upon a change of control of the Company, amounts totaling $1.2 million (December 31, 2020 - $1.1 million) may become payable to certain officers and management personnel of the Company.
| 12 |
Entrée Resources Ltd.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 (Unaudited)
(tabular amounts expressed in thousands of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts and where indicated)
| 11 | Subsequent events |
Subsequent to June 30, 2021, the following transactions occurred:
| • | stock options to purchase 35,000 common shares with an exercise price of C$0.365 were exercised and the Company received gross proceeds of C$12,775. |
| • | share purchase warrants to purchase an aggregate of 86,000 common shares with an exercise price of C$0.55 were exercised and the Company received gross proceeds of C$47,300. |
| 13 |
Exhibit 99.2
|
|
|
Management’s Discussion and Analysis Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2021 (Expressed in United States dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
August 9, 2021
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the period ended June 30, 2021 and related notes thereto which have been prepared in accordance with IFRS 34, Interim Financial Reporting of the International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, as well as the annual audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, which are in accordance with IFRS, and the related MD&A. References to "Entrée" and the "Company" are to Entrée Resources Ltd. and/or one or more of its wholly-owned subsidiaries. For further information on the Company, reference should be made to its continuous disclosure (including its most recently filed annual information form ("AIF")), which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Information is also available on the Company’s website at www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com. Information on risks associated with investing in the Company’s securities is contained in the Company’s most recently filed AIF. Technical and scientific information under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") concerning the Company’s material property, including information about mineral resources and reserves, is contained in the Company’s most recently filed AIF and in its technical report titled "Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi Joint Venture Project, Mongolia, NI 43-101 Technical Report" with an effective date of May 17, 2021 prepared by Wood Canada Limited ("Wood").
Q2 2021 HIGHLIGHTS
Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property
| • | On June 15, 2021, the Company reported the results of an updated Technical Report titled "Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi Joint Venture Project, Mongolia, NI 43-101 Technical Report" (the "2021 Technical Report") that was completed by Wood Canada Limited on the Company’s interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture property in Mongolia (the "Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property"). The 2021 Technical Report discusses an updated reserve case (the "2021 Reserve Case") based on mineral reserves attributable to the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture (the "Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV") from the first lift ("Lift 1") of the Hugo North Extension deposit and a Preliminary Economic Assessment on a conceptual second lift ("Lift 2") of the Hugo North Extension deposit ("2021 PEA"). |
| o | Lift 1 of Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) is currently in development by Oyu Tolgoi project operator Rio Tinto as an underground block cave with first development production from the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property expected in 2022. |
| o | The 2021 Reserve Case aligns the Company’s disclosure with that of other Oyu Tolgoi project stakeholders with respect to the 2020 Oyu Tolgoi Feasibility Study ("OTFS20") completed by the Company’s joint venture partner Oyu Tolgoi LLC ("OTLLC") on Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) Lift 1. |
| o | The 2021 PEA is based on Indicated and Inferred mineral resources from Lift 2, as the second potential phase of development and mining on the Hugo North Extension deposit. Lift 2 is directly below and extends north beyond Lift 1. |
| o | Life-of-mine ("LOM") financial highlights attributable to Entrée from the 2021 Reserve Case and the 2021 PEA include: |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
| 2021 Reserve Case | 2021 PEA | ||
| HNE Lift 1 | HNE Lift 2 | ||
| LOM cash flow, pre-tax | $ M | $381 | $1,982 |
|
Net present value, after tax • 5% • 8% |
$ M $ M |
$160 $114 |
$541 $306 |
| Mine life | Years | 17 | 22 |
|
LOM Metal recovered • Copper • Gold • Silver |
Mlb Koz Koz |
1,249 549 3,836 |
4,564 2,025 15,067 |
Notes:
| 1. | Long term metal prices used in the net present value ("NPV") economic analyses are: copper $3.25/lb, gold $1,591.00/oz and silver $21.08/oz. |
| 2. | The mineral reserves that form the basis of the 2021 Reserve Case are from a separate portion of the Hugo North Extension deposit than the mineral resources in the 2021 PEA. The 2021 Reserve Case and the 2021 PEA are therefore exclusive of each other. |
| 3. | The economic analysis in the 2021 PEA does not have as high a level of certainty as the 2021 Reserve Case. The 2021 PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the 2021 PEA will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. |
| 4. | 2021 Reserve Case cash flows are discounted to the beginning of 2021. |
| 5. | 2021 PEA cash flows are discounted to the beginning of 2027, the beginning of Hugo North Lift 2 development. Attributable Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV production begins in 2031 and ramps up to stable production in 2043. Final Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV attributable production concludes in 2056. |
| 6. | Entrée has a 20% attributable interest in the recovered metal. |
| 7. | 2021 Reserve Case mine life includes 4-years development production followed by 13-years block cave production. 2021 PEA mine life includes 4-years development production followed by 18-years block cave production. |
| • | On July 21, 2021, the Company filed the 2021 Technical Report on SEDAR and on the Company’s website. |
| • | The Lift 1 mine design presented in OTFS20 and the 2021 Reserve Case are subject to future refinements and updates. Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) Lift 1 surface and underground drilling programs are ongoing to support the evaluation by OTLLC of different design and sequencing options for Panels 1 and 2 as part of OTLLC’s planned Pre-Feasibility and Feasibility level work. The Hugo North Extension deposit is located at the northern portion of Panel 1. |
| • | Neither OTFS20 nor the results of the 2021 Reserve Case and 2021 PEA reflect the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are ongoing and continue to be assessed by OTLLC. In particular, progress on Shafts 3 and 4 has been impacted by travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, which reduced OTLLC’s ability to mobilize required personnel to site. Further delays to Shafts 3 and 4 could impact the production ramp up for Panels 1 and 2, although Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. ("Turquoise Hill") has reported that ongoing optimization activities are focused on minimizing any departure from the planned schedule. Shafts 3 and 4 are required to support production from Panels 1 and 2 during ramp up to 95,000 tonnes per day ("tpd"). |
Oyu Tolgoi Underground Development Update
The Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia includes two separate land holdings: the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence, which is held by Entrée’s joint venture partner OTLLC and the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, which is a partnership between Entrée and OTLLC (see "Overview of Business" below). On July 29, 2021, OTLLC’s 66% shareholder Turquoise Hill provided an update on Oyu Tolgoi underground development:
| • | COVID-19 impacts are ongoing. Over 98% of OTLLC’s workforce is now fully vaccinated and health and safety remain a high priority with appropriate measures being maintained to protect OTLLC’s employees, contractors and the community. |
| • | During the second quarter 2021, COVID-19 cases increased significantly in Mongolia, causing a series of lockdowns in the country and South Gobi region which limited the ability of OTLLC to maintain normal roster changes for its workers. Limitations on the movement of international expertise also significantly impacted progress on the Oyu Tolgoi underground project. |
| • | The scheduled mid-2021 commencement of the undercut on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence has been delayed as a result of the delayed resolution of certain non-technical criteria. Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto continue to engage with the Government of Mongolia with a view to resolving these issues. In addition, the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on rosters require careful management by OTLLC to ensure that the appropriate personnel are available for undercutting activities. |
| Page 2 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
| • | At the end of the second quarter 2021, cumulative underground development progress was 57,928 equivalent metres with cumulative conveyor to surface advancement of 14,532 equivalent metres. Turquoise Hill anticipates that development rates will continue to be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and controls into the third quarter 2021. |
| • | Specialized personnel arrived on site on June 25 to complete Shaft 4 readiness activities prior to Shaft 3 construction activities. The Shaft 4 sinking team arrived in Mongolia on June 28. |
Corporate
| • | Q2 2021 operating loss was $0.6 million compared to an operating loss of $0.5 million in Q2 2020. |
| • | Q2 2021 operating cash outflow before working capital was $0.6 million compared to $0.4 million in Q2 2020. |
| • | As at June 30, 2021, the cash balance was $7.4 million and the working capital balance was $7.1 million. |
| • | The Company recognizes the unprecedented situation surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and is closely monitoring the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on its business and operations and will continue to update the market on the impacts to the Company’s business and operations in relation to these extraordinary circumstances. |
OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS
Entrée is a mineral resource company with interests in development and exploration properties in Mongolia, Peru and Australia.
The Company’s principal asset is its interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property - a carried 20% participating interest in two of the Oyu Tolgoi project deposits, and a carried 20% or 30% interest (depending on the depth of mineralization) in the surrounding large, underexplored, highly prospective land package located in the South Gobi region of Mongolia. Entrée’s joint venture partner, OTLLC, holds the remaining interest.
The Oyu Tolgoi project includes two separate land holdings: the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence, which is held by OTLLC (66% Turquoise Hill and 34% the Government of Mongolia), and the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, which is a partnership between Entrée and OTLLC. The Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property comprises the eastern portion of the Shivee Tolgoi mining licence, and all of the Javhlant mining licence, which mostly surround the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence (Figure 1). Both the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences are held by Entrée. The terms of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV state that Entrée has a 20% participating interest with respect to mineralization extracted from deeper than 560 metres below surface and a 30% participating interest with respect to mineralization extracted from above 560 metres depth.
The Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property includes the Hugo North Extension copper-gold deposit (also referred to as "HNE") and the majority of the Heruga copper-gold-molybdenum deposit. The resources at Hugo North Extension include a Probable reserve, which is part of Lift 1 of the Oyu Tolgoi underground block cave mining operation. Lift 1 is in development by project operator Rio Tinto, with first development production from the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property expected in 2022. By 2030, Oyu Tolgoi is expected to be the fourth largest copper mine in the world.
In addition to the Hugo North Extension copper-gold deposit, the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property includes approximately 93% of the resource tonnes outlined at the Heruga copper-gold-molybdenum deposit and a large exploration land package, which together form a significant component of the overall Oyu Tolgoi project.
The Company also has the following assets:
| • | Blue Rose JV - a 56.53% interest in the Blue Rose joint venture ("Blue Rose JV") on minerals other than iron ore on Exploration Licence 6006 ("EL 6006") in the Olary Region of South Australia. The Blue Rose JV partners also have certain rights and royalties with respect to iron ore outlined or extracted from the area covered by EL 6006. |
| • | The right to Cañariaco Project Royalty Pass-Through Payments (see "Investments" section below). |
The Company’s corporate headquarters are located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Field operations are conducted out of local offices in Mongolia.
| Page 3 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
As at June 30, 2021 and the date of this MD&A, Rio Tinto Rio Tinto beneficially owns 31,981,129 common shares (including 14,539,333 common shares held by Turquoise Hill), or 16.9% of the outstanding shares of the Company. As at June 30, 2021 and the date of this MD&A, Sandstorm Gold Ltd. ("Sandstorm") owned 46,005,240 common shares, or 24.3% of the outstanding shares of the Company.
Effective October 1, 2019, the Company voluntarily withdrew its common shares from listing on NYSE American and its common shares commenced trading on the OTCQB under the trading symbol "ERLFF". On April 24, 2006, the Company’s common shares began trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") and discontinued trading on the TSX Venture Exchange. The trading symbol remained "ETG".
OUTLOOK AND STRATEGY
The Company’s primary objective for the 2021 year is to work with other Oyu Tolgoi stakeholders to advance potential amendments to the joint venture agreement (the "Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA") that currently governs the relationship between Entrée and OTLLC and upon finalization, transfer the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences to OTLLC as manager of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV. The form of Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA was agreed between the parties in 2004, prior to the execution of the 2009 Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement among the Government of Mongolia, OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill (the "Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement") and commencement of underground development. The Company currently is registered in Mongolia as the 100% ultimate holder of the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences.
The Company believes that amendments that align the interests of all stakeholders as they are now understood, would be in the best interests of all stakeholders, provided there is no net erosion of value to Entrée. No agreements have been finalized and there are no assurances agreements may be finalized in the future.
| Page 4 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
ENTRÉE/OYU TOLGOI JV PROPERTY AND SHIVEE WEST PROPERTY - MONGOLIA
2021 Technical Report Highlights
On June 15, 2021, the Company announced the results of the 2021 Technical Report completed on its interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. The 2021 Technical Report discusses the 2021 Reserve Case based on mineral reserves attributable to the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Lift 1 of the Hugo North Extension deposit. Lift 1 of Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) is currently in development by project operator Rio Tinto as an underground block cave with first development production from Hugo North Extension expected in 2022. The 2021 Reserve Case aligns the Company’s disclosure with that of other Oyu Tolgoi project stakeholders with respect to OTLLC’s OTFS20 completed on Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) Lift 1 (see Turquoise Hill’s press release dated July 2, 2020).
The 2021 Technical Report also discusses a 2021 PEA on a conceptual Lift 2 of the Hugo North Extension deposit. The 2021 PEA is based on Indicated and Inferred mineral resources from Lift 2, as the second potential phase of development and mining on the Hugo North Extension deposit. Lift 2 is directly below Lift 1 and continues further to the north (see Figure 2 below). There is no overlap in the mineral reserves from the 2021 Reserve Case and the mineral resources from the 2021 PEA. Development and capital decisions will be required for the eventual development of Lift 2 once production commences at Hugo North Extension Lift 1.
LOM highlights of the production and financial results from the 2021 Reserve Case and the 2021 PEA are summarized as follows:
| Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property | Units | 2021 Reserve Case (Lift 1) | 2021 PEA (Lift 2) |
| Attributable Financial Results | |||
| Cash Flow, pre-tax | US$M | 381 | 1,982 |
| NPV(5%), after-tax | US$M | 160 | 541 |
| NPV(8%), after-tax | US$M | 114 | 306 |
| NPV(10%), after-tax | US$M | 91 | 213 |
| LOM Recovered Metal | |||
| Copper Recovered | Mlb | 1,249 | 4,564 |
| Gold Recovered | koz | 549 | 2,025 |
| Silver Recovered | koz | 3,836 | 15,067 |
| LOM Processed Material | |||
| Probable Reserve Feed | 40 Mt @ 1.53% Cu, 0.53 g/t Au, 3.6 g/t Ag | - - | |
| Indicated Resource Feed | - - | 77.9 Mt @ 1.35% Cu, 0.49 g/t Au, 3.6 g/t Ag (1.64% CuEq) | |
| Inferred Resource Feed | - - | 87.8 Mt @ 1.35% Cu, 0.49 g/t Au, 3.6 g/t Ag (1.64% CuEq) |
Notes:
| 1. | Long term metal prices used in the NPV economic analyses for the 2021 Reserve Case and the 2021 PEA are: copper $3.25/lb, gold $1,591.00/oz, silver $21.08/oz. |
| 2. | Mineral reserves in the 2021 Reserve Case, and mineral resources in the 2021 PEA mine plan are reported on a 100% basis. |
| 3. | Entrée has a 20% interest in the above processed material and recovered metal. |
| 4. | The Mineral reserves that form the basis of the 2021 Reserve Case are from a separate portion of the Hugo North Extension deposit than the mineral resources in the 2021 PEA. |
| Page 5 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
| 5. | Copper equivalent ("CuEq") is calculated as shown in the notes to the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property Mineral Resources table below. |
| 6. | 2021 Reserve Case cash flows are discounted to the beginning of 2021. |
| 7. | 2021 PEA cash flows are discounted to the beginning of 2027, the beginning of Hugo North Lift 2 development. Attributable Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV production begins in 2031 and ramps up to stable production in 2043. Final Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV attributable production concludes in 2056. |
| 8. | The 2021 Reserve Case and 2021 PEA are exclusive of each other. |
| 9. | Indicated and Inferred resource average expected run-of-mine feed grade of 1.35% copper, 0.49 g/t gold, and 3.6 g/t silver (1.64% CuEq) includes dilution and mine losses. |
The economic analysis in the 2021 PEA is based on a conceptual mine plan and does not have as high a level of certainty as the 2021 Reserve Case. The 2021 PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the 2021 PEA will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
In both the 2021 Reserve Case and the 2021 PEA, Entrée is only reporting the production and cash flows attributable to the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, not production and cash flows for other Oyu Tolgoi project areas owned 100% by OTLLC. The production and cash flows from the 2021 Reserve Case and the 2021 PEA are from separate parts of the Hugo North Extension deposit and there is no overlap of the mineralization.
Both the 2021 Reserve Case and the 2021 PEA are based on information supplied by OTLLC or reported within OTFS20. OTFS20 discusses the mine plan for Lift 1 of the Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) underground block cave on both the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence and the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. Rio Tinto is managing the construction and eventual operation of Lift 1, as well as any future development of Lift 2 or other deposits on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property.
The Lift 1 mine design presented in OTFS20 and the 2021 Reserve Case are subject to future refinements and updates. Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) Lift 1 surface and underground drilling programs are ongoing to support the evaluation by OTLLC of different design and sequencing options for Panels 1 and 2 as part of OTLLC’s planned Pre-Feasibility and Feasibility level work. The Hugo North Extension deposit is located at the northern portion of Panel 1.
Neither OTFS20 nor the results of the 2021 Reserve Case and 2021 PEA reflect the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are ongoing and continue to be assessed by OTLLC. In particular, progress on Shafts 3 and 4 has been impacted by travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, which reduced OTLLC’s ability to mobilize required personnel to site. Further delays to Shafts 3 and 4 could impact the production ramp up for Panels 1 and 2, although Turquoise Hill has reported that ongoing optimization activities are focused on minimizing any departure from the planned schedule. Shafts 3 and 4 are required to support production from Panels 1 and 2 during ramp up to 95,000 tpd.
On December 18, 2020, Turquoise Hill announced that a Definitive Estimate that refines the analysis in OTFS20 and broadly confirms the economics and assumptions presented therein has been completed and delivered to OTLLC by Rio Tinto. The Company has not received a copy of the Definitive Estimate and it was not reviewed or relied upon in the preparation of the 2021 Reserve Case or the 2021 PEA. According to Turquoise Hill, the Definitive Estimate assumes COVID-19 related restrictions in 2021 that are no more stringent than those experienced in September 2020. On July 29, 2021 Turquoise Hill reported that a reassessment is underway to consider potential impacts on the underground development capital estimate and overall project schedule. This is due to actual and expected ongoing 2021 COVID-19 restrictions which are more stringent than those assumed in the Definitive Estimate, outstanding non-technical criteria that must be resolved before the undercut can commence on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence, and delayed commitments pending OTLLC board approval of the Definitive Estimate (including the resulting increase to the budget). In the event of a significant delay in commencement of the undercut, which was scheduled for mid-2021, the development costs and schedule in OTFS20 and the 2021 Reserve Case and 2021 PEA could be materially impacted.
Below are some of the key financial assumptions and outputs from the 2021 Reserve Case and the 2021 PEA. All figures shown for both cases are reported on a 100% Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV basis, unless otherwise noted. Both cases assume long term metal prices.
Key items per the 2021 Reserve Case outputs are as follows:
| • | Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property development production from Hugo North Extension Lift 1 scheduled to start in 2022 with the first draw bell in 2026, peak production in 2034, and final production in 2038. |
| • | 17-year Lift 1 LOM production (includes 4-years development production followed by 13-years block cave production). |
| Page 6 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
| • | Maximum production rate of approximately 25,000 tpd, which is blended with production from OTLLC’s Oyut open pit deposit and Hugo North deposit to supply a maximum mill throughput rate of 125,000 tpd. |
| • | Total recovered metal over the LOM of Hugo North Extension Lift 1: 1,249,000 lbs copper, 549,000 oz gold, 3,836,000 oz silver. |
| • | Total direct development and sustaining capital expenditures of approximately $275.7 million ($55.1 million attributable to Entrée). |
| • | Entrée LOM average cash cost $1.74/lb payable copper. |
| • | Entrée LOM average cash costs after credits ("C1") $0.85/lb payable copper. |
| • | Entrée LOM average all-in sustaining costs ("AISC") $1.36/lb payable copper. |
Key items per the 2021 PEA outputs are as follows:
| • | Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property development production from Hugo North Extension Lift 2 scheduled to start in approximately 2034 with the first draw bell in 2038, peak production in 2047 and final production in 2055. |
| • | 22-year Lift 2 mine life (4-years development production and 18-years block cave production). |
| • | Maximum production rate of approximately 40,500 tpd, which is blended with production from OTLLC’s Oyut open pit deposit and Hugo North deposit to supply a maximum mill throughput rate of 125,000 tpd. |
| • | Total metal production over the LOM of Hugo North Extension Lift 2: 4,564,000 lbs copper, 2,025,000 oz gold, 15,067,000 oz silver. |
| • | Total direct development and sustaining capital expenditures of approximately $1,589.6 million ($319.7 million attributable to Entrée). |
| • | Entrée LOM average cash cost $1.10/lb payable copper. |
| • | Entrée LOM average C1 $0.30/lb payable copper. |
| • | Entrée LOM average AISC $0.92/lb payable copper. |
The 2021 Reserve Case and the 2021 PEA are mutually exclusive. If the 2021 Reserve Case is developed and brought into production, the mineralization from Hugo North Extension Lift 2 is not sterilized or reduced in tonnage or grades. In addition, the Heruga deposit, which is not included in either the 2021 Reserve Case or the 2021 PEA, provides a great deal of future potential and with further exploration and development could become a completely standalone underground operation, independent of other Oyu Tolgoi project underground development, and provide considerable flexibility for mine planning and development.
The 2021 Technical Report has been filed on SEDAR and is available for review under the Company’s profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) or on www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com.
Summary and Location of Project
The "Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Project" (shown on Figure 1) comprises the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property and the Shivee West Property (see "Shivee West Property Summary" below). The Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Project completely surrounds OTLLC’s Oyu Tolgoi mining licence and forms a significant portion of the overall Oyu Tolgoi project area. Figure 1 also shows the main mineral deposits that form the Oyu Tolgoi trend of porphyry deposits and several priority exploration targets, including Airstrip, Bumbat Ulaan, Mag West, Gravity Ridge and Southwest IP.
The Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Project is located within the Aimag (province) of Ömnögovi in the South Gobi region of Mongolia, about 570 kilometres ("km") south of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar and 80 km north of the border with China.
The Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property comprises the eastern portion of the Shivee Tolgoi mining licence and all of the Javhlant mining licence, and hosts:
| • | The Hugo North Extension copper-gold porphyry deposit (Lift 1 and Lift 2): |
| - | Lift 1 is the upper portion of the Hugo North Extension copper-gold porphyry deposit and forms the basis of the 2021 Reserve Case. It is the northern portion of the Hugo North Lift 1 underground block cave mine plan that is currently in development on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence. Starting in 2022, initial development production is scheduled to start on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. Hugo North Extension Lift 1 Probable reserves include 40 million tonnes ("Mt") grading 1.53% copper, 0.53 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold, and 3.6 g/t silver. |
| Page 7 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
| - | Lift 2 is directly below and extends north beyond Lift 1 and is the next potential phase of underground mining on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, once Lift 1 mining is complete. Mineral resources from Lift 2 form the basis of the 2021 PEA mine plan, which include 78 Mt (Indicated) and 88 Mt (Inferred). The average expected run-of-mine feed grade of 1.35% copper, 0.49 g/t gold, and 3.6 g/t silver (1.64% CuEq; see the notes to the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property Mineral Resources table below) includes dilution and mine loss. |
| • | The Heruga copper-gold-molybdenum porphyry deposit is at the south end of the Oyu Tolgoi trend of porphyry deposits. Approximately 93% of the Heruga deposit occurs on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property where Inferred mineral resources include: 1,448 Mt grading 0.41% copper, 0.40 g/t gold, 1.5 g/t silver and 120 parts per million ("ppm") molybdenum (0.68% CuEq; see the notes to the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property Mineral Resources table below). While Heruga is not included in the 2021 PEA, it provides opportunity for future exploration and potential development. |
| • | A large prospective land package. |
Entrée has a 20% or 30% (depending on the depth of mineralization) participating interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV with OTLLC holding the remaining 80% (or 70%) interest. OTLLC has a 100% interest in other Oyu Tolgoi project areas, including the Oyut open pit, which is currently in production, and the Hugo North and Hugo South deposits on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence.
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Figure 1 - Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Project
Notes:
| 1. | *The Shivee West Property is subject to a License Fees Agreement between Entrée and OTLLC and may ultimately be included in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. |
| 2. | ** Outline of mineralization projected to surface. |
| 3. | Entrée has a 20% participating interest in the Hugo North Extension and Heruga resources and reserves. |
Figure 1 shows the location of a north-northeast oriented, west-looking cross section (A-A’) through the 12.4 km-long trend of porphyry deposits that comprise the Oyu Tolgoi project. The cross section is shown on Figure 2 with the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property to the right (north) and left (south) of the central portion, the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence, held 100% by OTLLC.
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Figure 2 - Cross Section Through the Oyu Tolgoi Trend of Porphyry Deposits
The 2021 Technical Report forms the basis for the scientific and technical information in this MD&A regarding the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Project. Portions of the information are based on assumptions, qualifications and procedures which are not fully described herein. Reference should be made to the Company’s AIF dated March 31, 2021 and to the full text of the 2021 Technical Report, which are available on the Company’s website (www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com) or on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).
Capital and Operating Costs
Under the terms of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV, OTLLC is responsible for 80% of all costs incurred on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property for the benefit of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV, including capital expenditures, and Entrée is responsible for the remaining 20%. In accordance with the terms of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA, Entrée has elected to have OTLLC debt finance Entrée’s share of costs for approved programs and budgets, with interest accruing at OTLLC’s actual cost of capital or prime +2%, whichever is less, at the date of the advance. Debt repayment may be made in whole or in part from (and only from) 90% of monthly available cash flow arising from the sale of Entrée’s share of products. Available cash flow means all net proceeds of sale of Entrée’s share of products in a month less Entrée’s share of costs of Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV activities for the month that are operating costs under Canadian generally-accepted accounting principles.
The following is a description of how Entrée recognizes its share of Oyu Tolgoi project capital costs, specifically, the timing of recognition under the terms of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA and generally accepted accounting principles.
Under the terms of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA, any mill, smelter and other processing facilities and related infrastructure will be owned exclusively by OTLLC and not by Entrée. Mill feed from the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property will be transported to the concentrator and processed at cost (using industry standards for calculation of cost including an amortization of capital costs). Underground infrastructure on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence is also owned exclusively by OTLLC, although the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV will eventually share usage once underground development crosses onto the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. As a result of this, Entrée recognizes those capital costs incurred by OTLLC on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence as an amortization charge for capital costs that will be calculated in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles determined yearly based on the estimated tonnes of concentrate produced for Entrée’s account during that year relative to the estimated total life-of-mine concentrate to be produced (for processing facilities and related infrastructure), or the estimated total life-of-mine tonnes to be milled from the relevant deposit(s) (in the case of underground infrastructure). The charge is made to Entrée’s operating account when the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV mine production is actually milled.
For direct capital cost expenditures on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, Entrée will recognize its proportionate share of costs at the time of actual expenditure.
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The capital and operating costs in the 2021 Reserve Case are based on estimates prepared for OTFS20. Capital cost and sustaining cost estimates in the 2021 PEA were prepared as separate and independent estimates by OTLLC. Wood reviewed the estimates and accepts them as reasonable.
The cash flows in the 2021 Reserve Case and 2021 PEA are based on information provided by OTLLC, including mining schedules and annual capital and operating cost estimates, as well as Entrée’s interpretation of the commercial terms applicable to the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV, and certain assumptions regarding taxes and royalties. The cash flows have not been reviewed or endorsed by OTLLC. There can be no assurance that OTLLC or its shareholders will not interpret certain terms or conditions, or attempt to renegotiate some or all of the material terms governing the joint venture relationship, in a manner which could have an adverse effect on Entrée’s future cash flow and financial condition.
The cash flows also assume that Entrée will ultimately have the benefit of the standard royalty rate of 5% of sales value, payable by OTLLC under the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement. Unless and until Entrée finalizes agreements with the Government of Mongolia or other Oyu Tolgoi stakeholders, there can be no assurance that the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV will not be subject to additional taxes and royalties, such as the surtax royalty which came into effect in Mongolia on January 1, 2011, which could have an adverse effect on Entrée’s future cash flow and financial condition. In the course of finalizing such agreements, Entrée may have to make certain concessions, including with respect to the economic benefit of Entrée’s interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, Entrée’s direct or indirect participating interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV or the application of a special royalty (not to exceed 5%) to Entrée’s share of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property mineralization or otherwise.
Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves - Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property
The following Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property mineral resource estimates reported in the 2021 Technical Report for the Hugo North Extension and Heruga deposits have an effective date of March 31, 2021. Mineral resources for the Hugo North Extension deposit are reported inclusive of those mineral resources that were converted to mineral reserves. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
| Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property - Mineral Resources | ||||||||||
| Classification |
Tonnage (Mt) |
Cu (%) |
Au (g/t) |
Ag (g/t) |
Mo (ppm) |
CuEq (%) |
Contained Metal | |||
|
Cu (Mlb) |
Au (Koz) |
Ag (Koz) |
Mo (Mlb) | |||||||
| Hugo North Extension (>0.41% CuEq Cut-Off) | ||||||||||
| Indicated | 120 | 1.70 | 0.58 | 4.3 | n/a | 2.04 | 4,500 | 2,200 | 16,000 | n/a |
| Inferred | 167 | 1.02 | 0.36 | 2.8 | n/a | 1.23 | 3,800 | 1,900 | 15,000 | n/a |
| Heruga (>0.41% CuEq Cut-Off) | ||||||||||
| Inferred | 1,400 | 0.41 | 0.40 | 1.5 | 120 | 0.68 | 13,000 | 18,000 | 66,000 | 370 |
Notes:
| 1. | Mineral resources have an effective date of March 31, 2021. |
| 2. | Metal prices used for CuEq and cut-off grade calculation for both Hugo North Extension and Heruga are: $3.08/lb copper, $1,292.00/oz gold and $19.00/oz silver. Metallurgical recoveries used for CuEq and cut-off grade calculation at Hugo North Extension are 93% for copper, 80% for gold and 81% for silver. Metallurgical recoveries used for CuEq and cut-off grade calculation at Heruga are 82% for copper, 73% for gold, 78% for silver and 60% for molybdenum. |
| 3. | Mineral resources at Hugo North Extension are constrained within a conceptual mining shape constructed at a nominal 0.50% CuEq grade and above a CuEq grade of 0.41% CuEq. The CuEq formula is CuEq = Cu + ((Au * 35.7175) + (Ag * 0.5773)) / 67.9023 taking into account differentials between metallurgical performance and price for copper, gold and silver. |
| 4. | The overall geometry and depth of the Heruga deposit make it amenable to underground mass mining methods. Mineral resources are stated above a CuEq grade. The CuEq formula is CuEq = Cu + ((Au * 37.0952) + (Ag * 0.5810) + (Mo * 0.0161)) / 67.9023 taking into account differentials between metallurgical performance and price for copper, gold, silver and molybdenum. |
| 5. | A CuEq break-even cut-off grade of 0.41% CuEq for Hugo North Extension mineralization and covers mining, processing and G&A operating cost and the cost of primary and secondary block cave mine development. |
| 6. | A CuEq break-even cut-off grade of 0.41% CuEq is used for the Heruga mineralization and covers mining, processing and G&A operating cost and the cost of primary and secondary block cave mine development. |
| 7. | Mineral resources are stated as in situ with no consideration for planned or unplanned external mining dilution. |
| 8. | Mineral resources are reported on a 100% basis. OTLLC has a participating interest of 80%, and Entrée has a participating interest of 20%. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in respect of products extracted from the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property pursuant to mining carried out at depths from surface to 560 metres below surface, the participating interest of OTLLC is 70% and the participating interest of Entrée is 30%. |
| 9. | Numbers have been rounded as required by reporting guidelines and may result in apparent summation differences. |
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Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi Mineral Reserves
Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property mineral reserves are contained within the Hugo North Extension Lift 1 block cave mining plan. The mine design work on Hugo North Lift 1, including the Hugo North Extension, was prepared by OTLLC and was used as the basis for OTFS20. The mineral reserve estimate is based on what is deemed minable when considering factors such as the footprint cut-off grade, the draw column shut-off grade, maximum height of draw, consideration of planned dilution and internal waste rock.
The mineral reserve estimate only considers mineral resources in the Indicated category and engineering that has been carried out to a Feasibility level or better to state the underground mineral reserve. There is no Measured mineral resource currently estimated within the Hugo North Extension deposit. Copper and gold grades for the Inferred mineral resources within the block cave shell were set to zero and such material was assumed to be dilution. The block cave shell was defined by a $17.84/t NSR. Future mine planning studies may examine lower shut-offs.
The following Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property Hugo North Extension Lift 1 mineral reserve estimate has an effective date of May 15, 2021:
|
Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property - Mineral Reserve Hugo North Extension Lift 1 | ||||||||
| Classification | Tonnage | NSR | Cu | Au | Ag | Contained Metal | ||
| (Mt) | ($/t) | (%) | (g/t) | (g/t) | Cu (Mlb) | Au (Koz) | Ag (Koz) | |
| Probable | 40 | 96.97 | 1.5 | 0.53 | 3.6 | 1,340 | 676 | 4,613 |
Notes:
| 1. | Mineral reserves have an effective date of May 15, 2021. |
| 2. | For the underground block cave, all Indicated mineral resources within the cave outline were converted to Probable mineral reserves. No Proven mineral reserves have been estimated. The estimation includes low-grade Indicated mineral resources and Inferred mineral resource assigned zero grade that is treated as dilution. |
| 3. | A column height shut-off NSR of $17.84/t was used to define the footprint and column heights. The NSR calculation assumed metal prices of $3.08/lb Cu, $1,292.00/oz Au, and $19.00/oz Ag. The NSR was calculated with assumptions for smelter refining and treatment charges, deductions and payment terms, concentrate transport, metallurgical recoveries, and royalties using OTLLC’s Base Data Template 38. Mineral reserves are reported on a 100% basis. OTLLC has a participating interest of 80%, and Entrée has a participating interest of 20%. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in respect of products extracted from the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property pursuant to mining carried out at depths from surface to 560 metres below surface, the participating interest of OTLLC is 70% and the participating interest of Entrée is 30%. |
| 4. | Numbers have been rounded as required by reporting guidelines and may result in apparent summation differences. |
Shivee West Property Summary
The Shivee West Property comprises the northwest portion of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Project and adjoins the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property and OTLLC’s Oyu Tolgoi mining licence (Figure 1).
To date, no economic zones of precious or base metals mineralization have been outlined on the Shivee West Property. However, zones of gold and copper mineralization have previously been identified at Zone III/Argo Zone and Khoyor Mod. There has been no drilling on the ground since 2011, and no exploration work has been completed since 2012. In 2015, in light of the ongoing requirement to pay approximately $350,000 annually in licence fees for the Shivee West Property and a determination that no further exploration work would likely be undertaken in the near future, Entrée began to examine options to reduce expenditures in Mongolia. These options included reducing the area of the mining licence, looking for a purchaser or partner for the Shivee West Property, and rolling the ground into the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV. Management determined that it was in the best interests of Entrée to roll the Shivee West Property into the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV, and Entrée entered into a License Fees Agreement with OTLLC on October 1, 2015. The License Fees Agreement provides the parties will use their best efforts to amend the terms of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA to include the Shivee West Property in the definition of Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. Entrée determined that rolling the Shivee West Property into the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV would provide the joint venture partners with continued security of tenure; Entrée shareholders would continue to benefit from any exploration or development that the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV management committee approves on the Shivee West Property; and Entrée would no longer have to pay licence fees, as the parties agreed that the licence fees would be for the account of each joint venture participant in proportion to their respective interests, with OTLLC contributing Entrée’s 20% share charging interest at prime plus 2%. To date, no amended Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA has been entered into and Entrée retains a 100% interest in the Shivee West Property.
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Underground Development Progress
Oyu Tolgoi Project
On July 29, 2021, Turquoise Hill provided an update regarding the Oyu Tolgoi project.
COVID-19 impacts in Mongolia are ongoing. Over 98% of OTLLC’s workforce is now fully vaccinated and health and safety remain a high priority with appropriate measures being maintained to protect OTLLC’s employees, contractors and the community.
During the second quarter 2021, COVID-19 cases increased significantly in Mongolia, causing a series of lockdowns in the country and South Gobi region which limited the ability of OTLLC to maintain normal roster changes for its workers. Limitations on the movement of international expertise also significantly impacted progress on the Oyu Tolgoi underground project.
In the first quarter 2020, OTLLC submitted a resources and reserves update for registration as required pursuant to local regulatory requirements in Mongolia. On July 2, 2020, Turquoise Hill announced the completion of OTFS20, which incorporates a new block cave mine design for Hugo North Lift 1 Panel 0 previously announced by Turquoise Hill on May 13, 2020. The expert review of the resources and reserves update has concluded and is awaiting discussion by the Mongolian Minerals Council. OTFS20 is expected to be considered for endorsement by the Mongolian Minerals Council following registration of the resources and reserves update.
The Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) Lift 1 mine plan incorporates the development of three panels, and in order to reach the full sustainable production rate of 95,000 tpd from the underground operations all three panels need to be in production. The Hugo North Extension deposit on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property is located at the northern portion of Panel 1.
The new block cave design incorporated in OTFS20 varies from the previous design through:
| • | 120 metre structural pillars included to the north and south of Panel 0, protecting ore handling infrastructure and increasing the optionality of sequencing Panel 1 and Panel 2; |
| • | Ore handling facilities moved into the structural pillars, improving excavation stability; |
| • | Drawpoint spacing updated from 28 metres x 15 metres to 31 metres x 18 metres, improving extraction level stability; and |
| • | Modified panel initiation approach for Panel 0, minimizing stress damage to the extraction level. |
Turquoise Hill believes the existing Feasibility Study designs for Panel 1 and Panel 2 remain executable based on the current orebody understanding. However, with the introduction of structural pillars, Panels 1 and 2 become independent, allowing for much greater operational flexibility. According to Turquoise Hill this provides opportunities to:
| • | Optimize the extraction level elevation for each panel independently; |
| • | Evaluate the potential to convert Measured and Indicated mineral resources below the current Lift 1 extraction level to Probable mineral reserves; |
| • | Complete additional confirmatory drilling and data collection in support of potential Panel 1 and Panel 2 design refinements; and |
| • | Include structural pillar recovery level(s) in the integrated Hugo North Lift 1 mine design. |
Turquoise Hill has advised that several mining studies are in progress, which are focused on the evaluation of different design and sequencing options for Panels 1 and 2 as part of OTLLC’s planned Pre-Feasibility and Feasibility Study level work. These studies are underpinned by additional geology and geotechnical data that is being collected from underground and surface drilling. The drilling programs continued during the second quarter 2021, although drilling rates were slower than planned due to the reduction of personnel on site.
Commencement of the undercut on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence, which had been scheduled for mid-2021, has been delayed as a result of the delayed resolution of certain non-technical criteria. Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto continue to engage with the Government of Mongolia with a view to resolving these issues. All lateral development and drilling to initiate the undercut is complete and supporting infrastructure for Panel 0 production is on track for completion under current site conditions. Material Handling System 1 is >90% complete and Primary Crusher 1 is expected to be completed in the third quarter 2021. The ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on rosters require careful management by OTLLC to ensure that the appropriate personnel are available for undercutting activities.
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Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
Development activities pertaining to ramp-up post-Panel 0 continue to be impacted by COVID-19 constraints. Conveyor to surface progress slowed during the second quarter 2021 but remains broadly in line with the schedule. Progress on Shafts 3 and 4 has been impacted by travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, which reduced OTLLC’s ability to mobilize required personnel to site. Further delays to Shafts 3 and 4 could impact the production ramp up for Panels 1 and 2, although ongoing optimization activities are focused on minimizing any departure from the planned schedule. Specialized personnel arrived on site on June 25, 2021 to complete Shaft 4 readiness activities prior to Shaft 3 construction activities. The Shaft 4 sinking team arrived in Mongolia on June 28, 2021. Shafts 3 and 4 are required to support production from Panels 1 and 2 during ramp up to 95,000 tpd.
At the end of the second quarter 2021, cumulative underground development progress was 57,928 equivalent metres with cumulative conveyor to surface advancement of 14,532 equivalent metres. Turquoise Hill anticipates that development rates will continue to be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and controls into the third quarter 2021.
On December 18, 2020, Turquoise Hill announced the completion and delivery by Rio Tinto of the Definitive Estimate, which refines the analysis contained in OTFS20. The results of the Definitive Estimate include a revised base case development capital cost of $6.75 billion for the new design, confirmation that sustainable first production from the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence is forecast to occur in October 2022, and verification that all surface infrastructure required for sustainable first production from Panel 0 on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence is complete. The Definitive Estimate assumes COVID-19 related restrictions in 2021 that are no more stringent than those experienced in September 2020. On July 29, 2021, Turquoise Hill reported that the additional 2021 development cost impact of the known COVID-19 delays is estimated to be $100 million up to June 30, 2021. According to Turquoise Hill, in light of the actual and expected ongoing 2021 COVID-19 restrictions which are more stringent than those assumed in the Definitive Estimate, outstanding non-technical criteria that must be resolved before the undercut can commence on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence, and delayed commitments pending OTLLC board approval of the Definitive Estimate (including the resulting increase to the budget), a reassessment is underway to consider potential impacts on the underground development capital estimate and overall project schedule. In the event of a significant delay in commencement of the undercut, the development costs and schedule in OTFS20 and the 2021 Reserve Case and 2021 PEA could be materially impacted.
On January 11, 2021, Turquoise Hill announced the Government of Mongolia has advised Rio Tinto that it is dissatisfied with the results of the Definitive Estimate, and the Government of Mongolia is concerned that the significant increase in the development costs of the Oyu Tolgoi project has eroded the economic benefits it anticipated to receive. The Government of Mongolia has stressed the importance of achieving a comprehensive solution that addresses both financial issues between OTLLC shareholders as well as economic and social issues of importance to Mongolia, such as water usage, tax payments, and social issues related to employees, in order to implement the Oyu Tolgoi project successfully. In particular, the Government of Mongolia has expressed its intention to initiate discussions with respect to the termination and replacement of the 2015 Oyu Tolgoi Underground Mine Development and Financing Plan (the "Mine Plan"). While acknowledging Oyu Tolgoi’s significant contributions to Mongolia, Turquoise Hill reported it continues to engage with the Government of Mongolia and remains open to improving the Mine Plan to deliver even greater benefits from Oyu Tolgoi to all stakeholders.
On April 9, 2021, Turquoise Hill announced that it has reached a binding Heads of Agreement with Rio Tinto on a funding plan to complete the construction of Lift 1 of the Oyu Tolgoi underground project, including Lift 1 of the Hugo North Extension deposit on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. Successful implementation of the Heads of Agreement is subject to achieving alignment with the relevant stakeholders in addition to Rio Tinto (including existing lenders, any potential new lenders and the Government of Mongolia), market conditions and other factors. The Heads of Agreement addresses the then estimated remaining funding required of approximately $2.3 billion. Under the Heads of Agreement, the parties will pursue re-profiling of existing project debt to better align with the revised mine plan, project timing and cash flows to reduce the currently projected funding requirements of OTLLC by up to $1.4 billion. In addition, they will seek to raise up to $500 million in senior supplemental debt under the existing project financing arrangements from selected international financial institutions. Rio Tinto has agreed to address any potential shortfalls from the re-profiling and additional senior supplemental debt of up to $750 million by providing a senior co-lending facility on the same terms as OTLLC’s project financing. Turquoise Hill has also agreed to compete an equity offering of common shares for up to $500 million in the form of, and at Turquoise Hill’s discretion, either (i) a rights offering of common shares or (ii) a public offering or private placement of common shares, in either case sufficient to satisfy any remaining funding shortfall of up to $500 million within six months of the senior co-lending facility becoming available.
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Turquoise Hill currently estimates its base case incremental funding requirement to be $2.4 billion. A significant delay to the initiation of the undercut on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence would materially adversely impact the timing of expected cash flows from Panel 0 thereby increasing the amount of Turquoise Hill’s incremental funding requirement.
Oyu Tolgoi Power Supply
OTLLC currently sources power for the Oyu Tolgoi mine from China’s Inner Mongolian Western grid, via overhead power line, pursuant to back-to-back power purchase agreements with Mongolia’s National Power Transmission Grid JSC, the relevant Mongolian power authority, and Inner Mongolia Power International Cooperation Co., Ltd ("IMPIC"), the Chinese power generation company.
OTLLC is obliged under the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement to secure a long-term domestic power source for the Oyu Tolgoi mine. The Power Source Framework Agreement ("PSFA") entered into between OTLLC and the Government of Mongolia on December 31, 2018 provides a binding framework and pathway for long-term power supply to the Oyu Tolgoi mine. The PSFA originally contemplated the construction of a coal-fired power plant at Tavan Tolgoi, which would be majority-owned by OTLLC and situated close to the Tavan Tolgoi coal mining district located approximately 150 km from the Oyu Tolgoi mine.
According to Turquoise Hill, on April 14, 2020, the Minister of Energy notified OTLLC of the Government’s decision to develop and fund a State-Owned Power Plant ("SOPP") to be located at the Tavan Tolgoi coal fields instead of an OTLLC led plant, which would supply power to the Oyu Tolgoi mine and potentially other regional mines.
On June 28, 2020, Turquoise Hill announced that the Government of Mongolia and OTLLC reached an agreement to prioritize SOPP in order to support the Government’s decision. The PSFA has been amended to reflect joint prioritization and progression of SOPP in accordance with and subject to agreed milestones. The agreed milestones in the amended PFSA include signing a power purchase agreement by March 31, 2021, commencement of construction by no later than July 1, 2021 and commissioning of SOPP within four years thereafter, and, negotiating an extension to the existing power import agreement by March 1, 2021, to ensure that there is no disruption to the power supply required to safeguard Oyu Tolgoi’s ongoing operations and development.
If the milestones are not met as provided for in the amendment, then OTLLC will be entitled to select from and implement the alternative power solutions specified in the PSFA (as amended), including an OTLLC-led coal-fired power plant and a primary renewables solution, and the Government of Mongolia would be obliged to support such decision.
The first three PSFA amendment milestones (execution of the extension of the existing power import agreement, execution of the SOPP power purchase agreement and commencement of construction) were not met by the original dates of March 1, 2021, March 31, 2021 and July 1, 2021, respectively.
The Ministry of Energy has formally notified Rio Tinto on February 25, 2021 that the Tavan Tolgoi thermal power station project will be implemented and will be connected to the Central Energy System and operated with integrated dispatch control in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. A separate letter was sent from the Ministry of Energy to OTLLC on the same date, and it stated that an agreement on the long-term power supply to OTLLC is related to the extension of the power import arrangements with IMPIC. In recognizing the linkage of the extension of IMPIC supply arrangements with the progress on resolving the issue of domestic power supply, the Ministry of Energy proposed that milestones under the PSFA amendment be extended pending further discussions at the sub-working group.
Discussions to extend the power import agreement with IMPIC in a way that satisfies both the Government of Mongolia’s and OTLLC’s requirements, as well as agreement on the long-term power supply for OTLLC remain ongoing. OTLLC is engaging with the sub-working group to agree to a standstill period following the lapsing of the PSFA amendment milestones and to discuss the long-term power solution that would enable reliable supply from the Mongolian grid (Central Energy System). During the standstill period, OTLLC would not exercise its rights to select and proceed with an alternative power solution but would not waive its right to do so in the future. Preserving these rights remains critical considering that historical and ongoing assessments by the Government of Mongolia of the Central Energy System indicate it being unable to reliably supply power to Oyu Tolgoi until supplementary generation (in addition to SOPP) and transmission capacity are added.
OTLLC continues to collaborate with the Government of Mongolia to ensure a secure, stable and reliable long-term power solution is implemented with an immediate focus on extending the IMPIC supply arrangements prior to the commencement of the undercut.
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Oyu Tolgoi Tax Assessment
On February 20, 2020, Turquoise Hill announced that OTLLC has been unable to reach a resolution of its previously announced dispute with the Mongolian Tax Authority with respect to a tax assessment for approximately $155 million relating to an audit on taxes imposed and paid by OTLLC between 2013 and 2015. OTLLC will be proceeding with the initiation of a formal international arbitration proceeding in accordance with the dispute resolution provisions in the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement. Turquoise Hill remains of the opinion that OTLLC has paid all taxes and charges required to be paid under the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement, the 2011 Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Agreement (the "Shareholders’ Agreement"), the Mine Plan and Mongolian law.
On December 23, 2020, Turquoise Hill announced that OTLLC has received, and is evaluating, a tax assessment for approximately $228 million cash tax from the Mongolian Tax Authority relating to an audit on taxes imposed and paid by OTLLC between 2016 and 2018. On January 11, 2021, Turquoise Hill announced that OTLLC has given notice of its intention to apply to the Tribunal in the arbitration for leave to amend its statement of claim to include the issues raised in the 2016-2018 tax assessment, as many of the matters raised are of a similar nature to the matters raised in the 2013-2015 tax assessment.
In February 2021, OTLLC received notices of payment from the Capital City tax department for the amounts disputed under the 2016-2018 tax assessment. In March 2021, OTLLC received notices of payment totalling $126 million relating to amounts disputed under the 2013-2015 tax assessment. Under Article 43.3 of the Mongolian General Tax Law, the amounts were due and paid by OTLLC within 10 business days from the date of the notices of payment. Under the same legislation, OTLLC is entitled to recover the amounts in the event of a favourable decision from the relevant dispute resolution authorities.
On May 3, 2021, Turquoise Hill announced that the Government of Mongolia filed its statement of defence together with a counterclaim seeking the rejection of OTLLC’s tax claims in their entirety. In the event OTLLC’s tax claims are not dismissed in their entirety, the Government of Mongolia is seeking in the counterclaim an alternative declaration that the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement is void.
Mongolian Parliamentary Working Group
As reported by Turquoise Hill, in March 2018, the Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament appointed a Parliamentary Working Group ("Working Group") that consisted of 13 Members of Parliament to review certain contractual agreements with the Government of Mongolia that underpin the Oyu Tolgoi project, including the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement and the Mine Plan. Upon completion of the Working Group’s review, a resolution was submitted to the Economic Standing Committee of the Parliament and subsequently passed in a plenary session of the Parliament of Mongolia on November 21, 2019. Resolution 92 was published on December 6, 2019 and includes measures to improve the implementation of the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement and the Shareholders’ Agreement, improve the Mine Plan and explore and resolve options to have a product sharing arrangement or swap Mongolia’s equity holding of 34% for a special royalty. Representatives from Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto have engaged in discussions with representatives of the relevant newly appointed Cabinet members of the Government of Mongolia to work together and resolve the issues raised in Resolution 92.
A new Working Group led by the Deputy Speaker was established in February 2021 to monitor the implementation of Resolution 92. The Working Group is comprised of 20 members across seven sub-committees that will monitor and provide support to the government working group in discussions with Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto.
On May 12, 2021, Turquoise Hill reported that it was in Ulaanbaatar with Rio Tinto in March and April 2021 to discuss a path forward to address outstanding concerns that the Government of Mongolia has with respect to the Oyu Tolgoi underground development project including in relation to Parliamentary Resolution 92. Turquoise Hill remains committed to its presence in Mongolia and, in all discussions with Rio Tinto and the Government of Mongolia, is focused on maximizing value for all stakeholders. On July 29, 2021, Turquoise Hill reported that constructive engagement has been ongoing with the Working Group and Turquoise Hill has remobilized its negotiations team in anticipation of the resumption of discussions in country in August 2021.
Q2 2021 Review
For the six months ended June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2020, Entrée expenses related to Mongolian operations consisted of costs in relation to the 2021 Technical Report and in-country administration expenses which were not significant.
| Page 16 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
BLUE ROSE JV - AUSTRALIA
Summary
Entrée has a 56.53% interest in the Blue Rose JV to explore for minerals other than iron ore on EL 6006, with Giralia Resources Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Atlas Iron Pty Ltd (part of the Hancock Group of Companies), retaining a 43.47% interest. EL 6006, totalling 257 square kilometres, is located in the Olary Region of South Australia, 300 kilometres northeast of Adelaide and 130 kilometres west-southwest of Broken Hill.
The rights to explore for and develop iron ore on EL 6006 are held by Lodestone Mines Pty Ltd ("Lodestone"), which is also the licence holder. The Blue Rose JV partners were granted (a) the right to receive an additional payment(s) upon completion of an initial or subsequent iron ore resource estimate on EL 6006, to a maximum of A$2 million in aggregate; and (b) a royalty equal to 0.65% of the free on board value of iron ore product extracted and recovered from EL 6006. An additional A$285,000 must also be paid to the Blue Rose JV partners upon the commencement of commercial production.
The Braemar Iron Formation is the host rock to magnetite mineralisation on EL 6006. The Braemar Iron Formation is a meta-sedimentary iron siltstone, which is inherently soft. The mineralization within the Braemar Iron Formation forms a simple dipping tabular body with only minor faulting, folding and intrusives. Grades, thickness, dip, and outcropping geometry remain very consistent over kilometres of strike.
Q2 2021 Review
Expenditures in Q2 2021 were minimal and related to administrative costs in Australia.
| Page 17 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
SUMMARY OF CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL OPERATING RESULTS
Operating Results
The Company’s operating results for the three and six months ended June 30 were:
| Three months ended June 30 | Six months ended June 30 | |||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Expenses | ||||||||||||||||
| Project expenditures | $ | 158 | $ | 80 | $ | 245 | $ | 114 | ||||||||
| General and administrative | 444 | 387 | 783 | 707 | ||||||||||||
| Depreciation | 27 | 25 | 57 | 51 | ||||||||||||
| Operating loss | 629 | 492 | 1,085 | 872 | ||||||||||||
| Foreign exchange (gain) loss | (101 | ) | (315 | ) | (194 | ) | 317 | |||||||||
| Interest income | (10 | ) | (21 | ) | (18 | ) | (45 | ) | ||||||||
| Interest expense | 86 | 82 | 171 | 169 | ||||||||||||
| Loss from equity investee | 36 | 35 | 71 | 89 | ||||||||||||
| Finance costs | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| Deferred revenue finance costs | 1,006 | 861 | 1,974 | 1,694 | ||||||||||||
| Loss for the period | 1,649 | 1,139 | 3,096 | 3,106 | ||||||||||||
| Other comprehensive loss (income) | ||||||||||||||||
| Foreign currency translation | 768 | 1,838 | 1,406 | (2,212 | ) | |||||||||||
| Total comprehensive loss | $ | 2,417 | $ | 2,977 | $ | 4,502 | $ | 894 | ||||||||
| Net loss per common share | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic and fully diluted | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.02 | ) | $ | (0.02 | ) | ||||
| Total assets | $ | 7,910 | $ | 4,980 | $ | 7,910 | $ | 4,980 | ||||||||
| Total non-current liabilities | $ | 61,371 | $ | 52,678 | $ | 61,371 | $ | 52,678 | ||||||||
Operating Loss:
During the three months ended June 30, 2021, the Company’s operating loss was $0.6 million compared to an operating loss of $0.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020.
Project expenditures in Q2 2021 were higher than Q2 2020 due to costs in relation to the 2021 Technical Report.
General and administration expenditures in Q2 2021 were higher than Q2 2020 due to cost impacts in relation to the strengthening of the C$ against the US dollar.
Depreciation costs were consistent in Q2 2021 compared to Q2 2020.
Holding costs on all other properties were insignificant.
Non-operating Items:
The foreign exchange gain in Q2 2021 was primarily the result of movements between the C$ and US dollar as the Company holds its cash in both currencies and the loan payable is denominated in US dollars.
| Page 18 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
Interest expense was primarily related to the loan payable to OTLLC pursuant to the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA and is subject to a variable interest rate.
The amount recognized as a loss from equity investee is related to exploration costs on the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property.
Deferred revenue finance costs are related to recording the non-cash finance costs associated with the deferred revenue balance, specifically the Sandstorm stream.
The total assets as at June 30, 2021 were higher than at June 30, 2020 due to funds received from the private placement completed during Q3 2020 and warrant exercises in Q2 2021. See "Shareholder’s Deficiency" section below. Total non-current liabilities have increased since June 30, 2020 due to recording the non-cash deferred revenue finance costs each quarter.
Quarterly Financial Data - 2 year historic trend
| Q2 21 | Q1 21 | Q4 20 | Q3 20 | Q2 20 | Q1 20 | Q4 19 | Q3 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Project expenditures | $ | 158 | $ | 87 | $ | 41 | $ | 59 | $ | 80 | $ | 34 | $ | 39 | $ | 63 | ||||||||||||||||
| General and administrative | 444 | 339 | 437 | 286 | 387 | 320 | 402 | 326 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Share-based compensation | – | – | 538 | – | – | – | 339 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation | 27 | 30 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating loss | 629 | 456 | 1,038 | 370 | 492 | 380 | 805 | 416 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign exchange (gain) loss | (101 | ) | (93 | ) | (358 | ) | (155 | ) | (315 | ) | 632 | (137 | ) | 84 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 76 | 77 | 65 | 69 | 61 | 63 | 50 | 44 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Loss from equity investee | 36 | 35 | 60 | 37 | 35 | 54 | 96 | 77 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deferred revenue finance costs | 1,006 | 968 | 890 | 869 | 861 | 833 | 837 | 820 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finance costs | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net loss | $ | 1,649 | $ | 1,447 | $ | 1,699 | $ | 1,195 | $ | 1,139 | $ | 1,967 | $ | 1,657 | $ | 1,447 | ||||||||||||||||
| Basic/diluted loss per share | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | ||||||||
| USD:CAD FX Rate(1) | 1.2394 | 1.2575 | 1.2732 | 1.3339 | 1.3628 | 1.4187 | 1.2988 | 1.3243 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. | USD:CAD foreign exchange rate was the quarter ended rate per the Bank of Canada. |
Project expenditures had been higher in Q2 2021 due to costs in relation to the 2021 Technical Report. Also, in both Q1 2021 and Q2 2020, the Company’s professional and advisory fees increased relating to advancing potential amendments to the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA.
General and administrative expenses had been higher in Q2 2021 due to cost impacts in relation to the strengthening of the C$ against the US dollar. Also, in both Q4 2020 and Q4 2019, the expenses were higher due mainly to compensation costs.
Share-based compensation expenditures in Q4 2020 included option and deferred share unit ("DSU") grants and Q4 2019 included option grants.
Interest expense, net, consists of accrued interest on the OTLLC loan payable, partially offset by interest income earned on invested cash. Interest expense was consistent quarter on quarter.
The loss from equity investee was related to the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property and fluctuations are due to exploration activity and foreign exchange changes.
| Page 19 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
| Three months ended June 30 | Six months ended June 30 | |||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Cash flows used in operating activities | ||||||||||||||||
| - Before changes in non-cash working capital items | $ | (604 | ) | $ | (439 | ) | $ | (1,002 | ) | $ | (861 | ) | ||||
| - After changes in non-cash working capital items | (336 | ) | (407 | ) | (768 | ) | (792 | ) | ||||||||
| Cash flows from (used in) financing activities | 747 | (23 | ) | 756 | (45 | ) | ||||||||||
| Cash flows used in investing activities | (7 | ) | – | (32 | ) | – | ||||||||||
| Net cash inflows (outflows) | 404 | (430 | ) | (44 | ) | (837 | ) | |||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash | 70 | 118 | 139 | (85 | ) | |||||||||||
| Cash balance | $ | 7,355 | $ | 4,458 | $ | 7,355 | $ | 4,458 | ||||||||
| Cash flows used in operating activities per share | ||||||||||||||||
| - Before changes in non-cash working capital items | $ | (0.00 | ) | $ | (0.00 | ) | $ | (0.00 | ) | $ | (0.00 | ) | ||||
| - After changes in non-cash working capital items | $ | (0.00 | ) | $ | (0.00 | ) | $ | (0.00 | ) | $ | (0.00 | ) | ||||
Cash flows before changes in non-cash working capital items in Q2 2021 were comparable to the same period in 2020.
Cash flows from (used in) financing activities in Q2 2021 were due to funds received from warrant exercises.
Cash flows used in investing activities were immaterial in both Q2 2021 and Q2 2020.
The Company is an exploration stage company and has not generated positive cash flows from its operations. As a result, the Company has been dependent on equity and production-based financings for additional funding. Working capital on hand at June 30, 2021 was approximately $7.1 million. Management believes it has adequate financial resources to satisfy its obligations over the next 12-month period and beyond. The Company does not currently anticipate the need for additional funding during this time.
Loan Payable to Oyu Tolgoi LLC
Under the terms of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA, the Company has elected to have OTLLC contribute funds to approved joint venture programs and budgets on the Company’s behalf, each such contribution to be treated as a non-recourse loan. Interest on each loan advance shall accrue at an annual rate equal to OTLLC’s actual cost of capital or the prime rate of the Royal Bank of Canada, plus two percent (2%) per annum, whichever is less, as at the date of the advance. The loan will be repayable by the Company monthly from ninety percent (90%) of the Company’s share of available cash flow from the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV. In the absence of available cash flow, the loan will not be repayable. The loan is not expected to be repaid within one year.
Contractual Obligations
As at June 30, 2021, the Company had the following contractual obligations outstanding:
| Total | Less than 1 year | 1 - 3 years | 3-5 years | More than 5 years | |
| Lease commitments | $ 201 | $ 152 | $ 49 | $ - | $ - |
| Page 20 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIENCY
The Company’s authorized share capital consists of unlimited common shares without par value.
At June 30, 2021, the Company had 189,099,610 shares issued and outstanding and at the date of this MD&A, the Company had 189,220,610 shares issued and outstanding.
Share Purchase Warrants
As at June 30, 2021, the Company had 12,649,869 share purchase warrants outstanding.
The following share purchase warrants were outstanding as at the date of this report:
| Number of share purchase warrants (000’s) |
Exercise price per share purchase warrant C$ |
Expiry date |
| 6,815 | 0.55 | January 10, 2022 |
| 610 | 0.55 | January 12, 2022 |
| 5,139 | 0.60 | September 14, 2023 |
| 12,564 |
Stock Option Plan
As at June 30, 2021, the Company had 9,315,000 stock options outstanding and exercisable.
The following is a summary of stock options outstanding as at the date of this report:
| Number of share options (000`s) |
Exercise price per share C$ |
Expiry date |
| 1,100 | 0.36 | Nov 2021 |
| 1,850 | 0.52 - 0.62 | May - Oct 2022 |
| 2,225 | 0.55 - 0.63 | Feb - Dec 2023 |
| 2,220 | 0.365 | Dec 2024 |
| 1,885 | 0.51 | Dec 2025 |
| 9,280 |
Deferred share units (DSU)
DSUs are granted to the Company’s directors and executives as a part of compensation under the terms of the Company’s Deferred Share Unit Plan (the "DSU Plan"). Typically, DSUs vest when certain conditions as stated in the DSU Plan are met, except in the event of an earlier change of control, in which case, the DSUs will vest fully upon such change of control.
As at June 30, 2021, the Company has granted a total of 450,000 DSUs to the Company’s directors and executives, which were all granted in 2020 (the “2020 Grants”). Each vested DSU entitles the holder to receive one common share of the Company or a cash payment equivalent to the closing price of one common share of the Company on the TSX on the last trading day preceding the DSU’s redemption date. Subsequent to shareholder approval of the DSU Plan and ratification of the 2020 Grants at the Company’s annual general meeting on June 10, 2021, the TSX’s final acceptance of the DSU Plan was received on June 18, 2021, which is the date the 2020 Grants are considered to be fully vested.
As at June 30, 2021, no DSUs have been redeemed
| Page 21 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
DEFERRED REVENUE - SANDSTORM
The Company has an agreement to use future payments that it receives from its mineral property interests to purchase and deliver gold, silver and copper credits to Sandstorm (the "Sandstorm Agreement").
Under the terms of the Sandstorm Agreement, Sandstorm provided the Company with a net deposit of C$30.9 million (the "Deposit") in exchange for the future delivery of gold, silver and copper credits equivalent to:
| • | 28.1% of Entrée’s share of gold and silver, and 2.1% of Entrée’s share of copper, produced from the Shivee Tolgoi mining licence (excluding the Shivee West Property); and |
| • | 21.3% of Entrée’s share of gold and silver, and 2.1% of Entrée’s share of copper, produced from the Javhlant mining licence. |
Upon the delivery of metal credits, Sandstorm will make a cash payment to the Company equal to the lesser of the prevailing market price and $220 per ounce of gold, $5 per ounce of silver and $0.50 per pound of copper (subject to inflation adjustments). After approximately 8.6 million ounces of gold, 40.3 million ounces of silver and 9.1 billion pounds of copper have been produced from the entire Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property (as currently defined) the cash payment will be increased to the lesser of the prevailing market price and $500 per ounce of gold, $10 per ounce of silver and $1.10 per pound of copper (subject to inflation adjustments). To the extent that the prevailing market price is greater than the amount of the cash payment, the difference between the two will be credited against the Deposit.
The Deposit has been accounted for as deferred revenue on the statement of financial position and is subject to foreign currency fluctuations upon conversion to US dollars at each reporting period. The Deposit contains a significant financing component and, as such, the Company recognizes a financing charge at each reporting period and grosses up the deferred revenue balance to recognize the significant financing element that is part of this contract at a discount rate of 8%.
This arrangement does not require the delivery of actual metal, and the Company may use revenue from any of its assets to purchase the requisite amount of metal credits.
Further information in relation to the Sandstorm Agreement is available in the Company’s AIF dated March 31, 2021.
OTHER DISCLOSURES
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Entrée has no off-balance sheet arrangements except for the contractual obligation noted above.
Related Party Transactions
The Company’s related parties include key management personnel and directors. Direct remuneration paid to the Company’s directors and key management personnel during the three and six months ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 are as follows:
| Three months ended June 30 | Six months ended June 30 | |||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Directors’ fees | $ | 43 | $ | 38 | $ | 85 | $ | 76 | ||||||||
| Salaries and benefits | $ | 196 | $ | 170 | $ | 377 | $ | 349 | ||||||||
As of June 30, 2021, included in the accounts payable and accrued liabilities balance on the condensed consolidated interim statement of financial position is $0.0 million (December 31, 2020 - $0.0 million) due to the Company’s directors and key management personnel.
Upon a change of control of the Company, amounts totaling $1.2 million (December 31, 2020 - $1.1 million) may become payable to certain officers and management personnel of the Company.
Financial Instruments
| a) | Fair value classification of financial instruments |
The fair value hierarchy establishes three levels to classify the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs are other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (prices) or indirectly (derived from prices). Level 3 inputs are for the assets or liabilities that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).
| Page 22 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, deposits, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, loan payable and lease liabilities.
The carrying values of receivables and accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair value due to their short terms to maturity. Cash and cash equivalents are measured at fair value using Level 1 inputs.
The following table summarizes the classification and carrying values of the Company’s financial instruments at June 30, 2021:
| June 30, 2021 | FVTPL | Amortized cost (financial assets) | Amortized cost (financial liabilities) | Total | ||||||||||||
| Financial assets | ||||||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 7,355 | $ | – | $ | – | $ | 7,355 | ||||||||
| Receivables | – | 20 | – | 20 | ||||||||||||
| Deposits | – | 14 | – | 14 | ||||||||||||
| Total financial assets | $ | 7,355 | $ | 34 | $ | – | $ | 7,389 | ||||||||
| Financial liabilities | ||||||||||||||||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $ | – | $ | – | $ | 320 | $ | 320 | ||||||||
| Lease liabilities | – | – | 160 | 160 | ||||||||||||
| Loan payable | – | – | 9,787 | 9,787 | ||||||||||||
| Total financial liabilities | $ | – | $ | – | $ | 10,267 | $ | 10,267 | ||||||||
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES, RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES
The preparation of condensed consolidated interim financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated interim financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Measurement of the Company’s assets and liabilities is subject to risks and uncertainties, including those related to reserve and resource estimates; title to mineral properties; future commodity prices; costs of future production; future costs of restoration provisions; changes in government legislation and regulations; future income tax amounts; the availability of financing; and various operational factors. The Company’s estimates identified as being critical are substantially unchanged from those disclosed in the MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Entrée is a mineral exploration and development company and is exposed to a number of risks and uncertainties due to the nature of the industry in which it operates and the present state of development of its business and the foreign jurisdictions in which it carries on business. The material risks and uncertainties affecting Entrée, their potential impact, and the Company`s principal risk-management strategies are substantially unchanged from those disclosed in its MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2020 and in its AIF dated March 31, 2021 in respect of such period, both of which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, EDGAR at www.sec.gov and on the Company’s website at www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com.
INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Management is responsible for designing internal control over financial reporting, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with IFRS. No change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting occurred during the period beginning on April 1, 2021 and ended on June 30, 2021 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
| Page 23 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
NON-IFRS PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT
Non-IFRS Performance Measurement: “Cash costs after credits” (C1) and all-in sustaining cost (ASIC) are non-IFRS performance measurements. These performance measurements are included because these statistics are widely accepted as the standard of reporting cash costs of production in North America. These performance measurements do not have a meaning within IFRS and, therefore, amounts presented may not be comparable to similar data presented by other mining companies. These performance measurements should not be considered in isolation as a substitute for measures of performance in accordance with IFRS.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This MD&A contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws.
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to corporate strategies and plans; requirements for additional capital; uses of funds and projected expenditures; the expectations set out in OTFS20 and the 2021 Technical Report on the Company’s interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property; timing and status of Oyu Tolgoi underground development; the mine design for Hugo North Lift 1 Panel 0 and the related cost and production schedule implications; the re-design studies for Panels 1 and 2 of Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) Lift 1 and the possible outcomes, content and timing thereof; timing and amount of production from Lift 1 of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, potential production delays and the impact of any delays on the Company’s cash flows, expected copper and gold grades, liquidity, funding requirements and planning; future commodity prices; the potential impact of COVID-19 on Oyu Tolgoi underground development and the Company’s business, operations and financial condition; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; projected mining and process recovery rates; estimates of capital and operating costs, mill throughput, cash flows and mine life; capital, financing and project development risk; mining dilution; discussions with the Government of Mongolia, Rio Tinto, OTLLC and Turquoise Hill on a range of issues including Entrée’s interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences and certain material agreements; potential actions by the Government of Mongolia with respect to the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences and Entrée’s interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property; the potential for Entrée to be included in or otherwise receive the benefits of the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement or another similar agreement; the potential for the Government of Mongolia to seek to directly or indirectly invest in Entrée’s interest in the Hugo North Extension and Heruga deposits; the potential application of the Government of Mongolia’s Resolution 81, Resolution 140 and Resolution 175 to the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant licences; potential size of a mineralized zone; potential expansion of mineralization; potential discovery of new mineralized zones; potential metallurgical recoveries and grades; plans for future exploration and/or development programs and budgets; permitting time lines; anticipated business activities; proposed acquisitions and dispositions of assets; and future financial performance.
In certain cases, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budgeted", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on its expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee of Entrée’s future performance and are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies, the correct interpretation of agreements, laws and regulations, local and global economic conditions and negotiations and the environment in which Entrée will operate in the future, including commodity prices, projected grades, projected dilution, anticipated capital and operating costs, anticipated future production and cash flows, the anticipated location of certain infrastructure and sequence of mining within and across panel boundaries, the construction and continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine and the status of Entrée’s relationship and interaction with the Government of Mongolia, OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill. With respect to the construction and continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine, important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, the timing and cost of the construction and expansion of mining and processing facilities; the timing and availability of a long term domestic power source for Oyu Tolgoi (or the availability of financing for OTLLC or the Government of Mongolia to construct such a source); the willingness of third parties to extend existing power arrangements; the potential impact of COVID-19, including any restrictions imposed by health and governmental authorities relating thereto; the implementation and successful execution of the funding plan that is the subject of the Heads of Agreement and the amount of any additional future funding gap to complete the Oyu Tolgoi underground project as well as the amount and potential sources of additional funding required therefor, all as contemplated by the Heads of Agreement; the impact of changes in, changes in interpretation to or changes in enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practises in Mongolia; delays, and the costs which would result from delays, in the development of the underground mine; the status of the relationship and interactions and discussions between OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill with the Government of Mongolia on the continued operation and development of Oyu Tolgoi and OTLLC internal governance (including the outcome of any such interactions or discussions); the willingness and ability of the parties to the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement and the Mine Plan to amend or replace either such agreement; the nature and quantum of the current and projected economic benefits to Mongolia resulting from the continued operation of Oyu Tolgoi; the anticipated location of certain infrastructure and sequence of mining within and across panel boundaries; projected commodity prices and their market demand; and production estimates and the anticipated yearly production of copper, gold and silver at the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine.
| Page 24 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
The 2021 PEA is based on a conceptual mine plan that includes Inferred resources. Numerous assumptions were made in the preparation of the 2021 PEA, including with respect to mineability, capital and operating costs, production schedules, the timing of construction and expansion of mining and processing facilities, and recoveries, that may change materially once production commences at Hugo North Extension Lift 1 and additional development and capital decisions are required. Any changes to the assumptions underlying the 2021 PEA could cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements and information relating to the 2021 PEA.
Other risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results, performance or achievements of Entrée to differ materially from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, unanticipated costs, expenses or liabilities; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; development plans for processing resources; matters relating to proposed exploration or expansion; mining operational and development risks, including geotechnical risks and ground conditions; regulatory restrictions (including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability); risks related to international operations, including legal and political risk in Mongolia; risks related to the potential impact of global or national health concerns, including the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic; risks associated with changes in the attitudes of governments to foreign investment; risks associated with the conduct of joint ventures; inability to upgrade Inferred mineral resources to Indicated or Measured mineral resources; inability to convert mineral resources to mineral reserves; conclusions of economic evaluations; fluctuations in commodity prices and demand; changing foreign exchange rates; the speculative nature of mineral exploration; the global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; activities, actions or assessments by Rio Tinto, Turquoise Hill or OTLLC and by government authorities including the Government of Mongolia; the availability of funding on reasonable terms; the impact of changes in interpretation to or changes in enforcement of laws, regulations and government practices, including laws, regulations and government practices with respect to mining, foreign investment, royalties and taxation; the terms and timing of obtaining necessary environmental and other government approvals, consents and permits; the availability and cost of necessary items such as water, skilled labour, transportation and appropriate smelting and refining arrangements; unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes to assumptions as to the availability of electrical power, and the power rates used in operating cost estimates and financial analyses; changes to assumptions as to salvage values; ability to maintain the social licence to operate; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; global climate change; title disputes; limitations on insurance coverage; competition; loss of key employees; cyber security incidents; misjudgements in the course of preparing forward-looking statements; and those factors discussed in the section entitled "Critical Accounting Estimates, Risks and Uncertainties" in this MD&A and in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the AIF. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
| Page 25 |
Q2 2021 MD&A (table amounts expressed in thousands of US Dollars, except per share amounts and where otherwise noted) |
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Robert Cinits, P.Geo., formerly Entrée’s Vice-President, Corporate Development and currently a consultant to the Company, has approved the technical disclosure in this MD&A. Mr. Cinits is a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by NI 43-101.
Cautionary Note to United States Investors - Canadian Disclosure Standards in Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves
The terms "mineral reserve", "Proven mineral reserve" and "Probable mineral reserve" are Canadian mining terms as defined in accordance with NI 43-101 under the guidelines set out in the CIM Definition Standards - For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council on May 10, 2014, as may be amended from time to time by the CIM.
The definitions of Proven and Probable reserves used in NI 43-101 differ from the definitions in the SEC Industry Guide 7. Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a "final" or "bankable" Feasibility Study is required to report reserves, the three year history average price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis to designate reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority.
In addition, the terms "mineral resource", "Measured mineral resource", "Indicated mineral resource" and "Inferred mineral resource" are defined in and required to be disclosed by NI 43-101; however, these terms are not defined terms under SEC Industry Guide 7 and have historically not been permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of Feasibility or Pre-Feasibility studies, except in rare cases.
Accordingly, information contained in this MD&A containing descriptions of our mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by US companies pursuant to SEC Industry Guide 7.
| Page 26 |
Exhibit 99.3
Entree Resources Announces Second Quarter 2021 Results
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 9, 2021 /CNW/ - Entree Resources Ltd. (TSX: ETG) (OTCQB: ERLFF) - the "Company" or "Entree") has today filed its interim financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021. All numbers are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.
Q2 2021 HIGHLIGHTS
Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property
On June 15, 2021, Entree reported an updated Feasibility Study for its interest in the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property. A National Instrument
43-101 Technical Report was filed on July 21, 2021 ("2021 Technical Report").
| • | 2021 Technical Report highlights include: |
| • | Hugo North Extension Lift 1 updated Feasibility Study ("2021 Reserve Case") after- tax NPV(8%) of $114 million attributable to Entree(1). |
| • | Hugo North Extension Lift 2 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("2021 PEA") after-tax NPV(8%) of $306 million attributable to Entree(1)(2). |
| • | First development production from Hugo North Extension Lift 1 expected in 2022. |
| • | Significant leverage to copper price as 2021 Reserve Case and 2021 PEA use $3.25/lb copper. |
Oyu Tolgoi Underground Development Update
The Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia includes two separate land holdings: the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence, which is held by Entree's joint
venture partner Oyu Tolgoi LLC ("OTLLC") and the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture property (the "Entree/Oyu Tolgoi
JV Property"), which is a partnership between Entree and OTLLC. On July 29, 2021, OTLLC's 66% shareholder Turquoise Hill Resources
Ltd. ("Turquoise Hill") provided an update on underground development on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence:
| • | COVID-19 impacts are ongoing. Over 98% of OTLLC's workforce is now fully vaccinated and health and safety remain a high priority with appropriate measures being maintained to protect OTLLC's employees, contractors and the community. |
| • | During the second quarter 2021, COVID-19 cases increased significantly in Mongolia, causing a series of lockdowns in the country and South Gobi region which limited the ability of OTLLC to maintain normal roster changes for its workers. Limitations on the movement of international expertise also significantly impacted progress on the Oyu Tolgoi underground project. |
| • | The scheduled mid-2021 commencement of the undercut on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence has been delayed as a result of the delayed resolution of certain non-technical criteria. Turquoise Hill and project operator Rio Tinto continue to engage with the Government of Mongolia with a view to resolving these issues. In addition, the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on rosters require careful management by OTLLC to ensure that the appropriate personnel are available for undercutting activities. |
| • | At the end of the second quarter 2021, cumulative underground development progress was 57,928 equivalent metres with cumulative conveyor to surface advancement of 14,532 equivalent metres. Turquoise Hill anticipates that development rates will continue to be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and controls into the third quarter 2021. |
| • | Specialized personnel arrived on site on June 25, 2021 to complete Shaft 4 readiness activities prior to Shaft 3 construction activities. The Shaft 4 sinking team arrived in Mongolia on June 28, 2021. |
| • | Progress on Shafts 3 and 4 has been impacted by travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, which reduced OTLLC's ability to mobilize required personnel to site. Further delays to Shafts 3 and 4 could impact the production ramp up for Panels 1 and 2, although Turquoise Hill has reported that ongoing optimization activities are focused on minimizing any departure from the planned schedule. Shafts 3 and 4 are required to support production from Panels 1 and 2 during ramp up to 95,000 tonnes per day. The Hugo North Extension deposit on the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property is located at the northern portion of Panel 1. |
Corporate
| • | Q2 2021 operating loss was $0.6 million compared to an operating loss of $0.5 million in Q2 2020. |
| • | Q2 2021 operating cash outflow before working capital was $0.6 million compared to an operating cash outflow before working capital of $0.4 million in Q2 2020. |
| • | As at June 30, 2021, the cash balance was $7.4 million and the working capital balance was $7.1 million. The Company holds the majority of its cash in Canadian currency. |
| • | The Company recognizes the unprecedented situation surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and is closely monitoring the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on its business and operations and will continue to update the market on the impacts to the Company's business and operations in relation to these extraordinary circumstances. |
| (1) | Long term metal prices used in the net present value economic analysis are: copper US$3.25/lb, gold US$1,591.00/oz and silver US$21.08/oz. |
| (2) | The 2021 PEA is based on Indicated and Inferred mineral resources from Lift 2 as the second potential phase of development and mining on the Hugo North Extension deposit. The economic analysis in the 2021 PEA is based on a conceptual mine plan and does not have as high a level of certainty as the 2021 Reserve Case. The 2021 PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the 2021 PEA will be realized. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. |
| (3) | The 2021 Reserve Case and the 2021 PEA are based on information in OTLLC's 2020 Oyu Tolgoi Feasibility Study ("OTFS20") or otherwise provided by OTLLC. Neither OTFS20 nor the results of the 2021 Reserve Case and 2021 PEA reflect the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are ongoing and continue to be assessed by OTLLC. |
OUTLOOK AND STRATEGY
The Company's primary objective for the 2021 year is to work with other Oyu Tolgoi stakeholders to advance potential amendments to the joint venture agreement (the "Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JVA") that currently governs the relationship between Entree and OTLLC and upon finalization, transfer the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences to OTLLC as manager of the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture (the "Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV"). The form of Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JVA was agreed between the parties in 2004, prior to the execution of the 2009 Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement among the Government of Mongolia, OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill and commencement of underground development. The Company currently is registered in Mongolia as the 100% ultimate holder of the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences.
The Company believes that amendments that align the interests of all stakeholders as they are now understood, would be in the best interests of all stakeholders, provided there is no net erosion of value to Entree. No agreements have been finalized and there are no assurances agreements may be finalized in the future.
The Company's interim financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021 are available on the Company's website at www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
QUALIFIED PERSON
Robert Cinits, P.Geo., consultant to Entree and the Company's former Vice President, Corporate Development, and a Qualified Person
as defined by NI 43-101, has approved the technical information in this release. For further information on the Entree/Oyu
Tolgoi JV Property, see the 2021 Technical Report titled "Entree/Oyu Tolgoi Joint Venture Project, Mongolia, NI 43-101 Technical
Report", with an effective date of May 17, 2021, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
ABOUT ENTREE RESOURCES LTD.
Entree Resources Ltd. is a Canadian mining company with a unique carried joint venture interest on a significant portion of one of
the world's largest copper-gold projects - the Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia. Entree has a 20% or 30% carried participating interest
in the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV, depending on the depth of mineralization. Sandstorm Gold Ltd., Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill are major shareholders
of Entree, holding approximately 24%, 9% and 8% of the shares of the Company, respectively. More information about Entree can be
found at www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com.
This News Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws with respect to corporate strategies and plans; the value and potential value of assets and the ability of Entree to maximize returns to shareholders; timing and status of Oyu Tolgoi underground development; the expected timing of first development production from Lift 1 of the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property; the future prices of copper, gold and silver; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the realization of mineral reserve and resource estimates; projected mining and process recovery rates; estimates of capital and operating costs, mill throughput, cash flows and mine life; anticipated business activities; and future financial performance.
In certain cases, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budgeted", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on its expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee of Entree's future performance and are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies; the correct interpretation of agreements, laws and regulations; local and global economic conditions and negotiations and the environment in which Entree will operate in the future, including commodity prices, projected grades, projected dilution, anticipated capital and operating costs, anticipated future production and cash flows, and the anticipated location of certain infrastructure and sequence of mining within and across panel boundaries; the construction and continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine; and the status of Entree's relationship and interaction with the Government of Mongolia, OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill.
| • | With respect to the construction and continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine, important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, the timing and cost of the construction and expansion of mining and processing facilities; the timing and availability of a long term domestic power source for Oyu Tolgoi (or the availability of financing for OTLLC or the Government of Mongolia to construct such a source); the willingness of third parties to extend existing power arrangements; the potential impact of COVID-19, including any restrictions imposed by health and governmental authorities relating thereto; the implementation and successful execution of the funding plan that is the subject of a Heads of Agreement between Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill and the amount of any additional future funding gap to complete the Oyu Tolgoi underground project as well as the amount and potential sources of additional funding required therefor, all as contemplated by the Heads of Agreement; the impact of changes in, changes in interpretation to or changes in enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practices in Mongolia; delays, and the costs which would result from delays, in the development of the underground mine; the status of the relationship and interactions and discussions between OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill with the Government of Mongolia on the continued operation and development of Oyu Tolgoi and OTLLC internal governance (including the outcome of any such interactions or discussions); the willingness and ability of the parties to the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement and the 2015 Oyu Tolgoi Underground Mine Development and Financing Plan to amend or replace either such agreement; the nature and quantum of the current and projected economic benefits to Mongolia resulting from the continued operation of Oyu Tolgoi; the anticipated location of certain infrastructure and sequence of mining within and across panel boundaries; projected commodity prices and their market demand; and production estimates and the anticipated yearly production of copper, gold and silver at the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine. |
| • | The 2021 PEA is based on a conceptual mine plan that includes Inferred resources. Numerous assumptions were made in the preparation of the 2021 PEA, including with respect to mineability, capital and operating costs, production schedules, the timing of construction and expansion of mining and processing facilities, and recoveries, that may change materially once production commences at Hugo North Extension Lift 1 and additional development and capital decisions are required. Any changes to the assumptions underlying the 2021 PEA could cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements and information relating to the 2021 PEA. |
Other risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results, performance or achievements of Entree to differ materially from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, unanticipated costs, expenses or liabilities; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; development plans for processing resources; matters relating to proposed exploration or expansion; mining operational and development risks, including geotechnical risks and ground conditions; regulatory restrictions (including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability); risks related to international operations, including legal and political risk in Mongolia; risks related to the potential impact of global or national health concerns, including the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic; risks associated with changes in the attitudes of governments to foreign investment; risks associated with the conduct of joint ventures; inability to upgrade Inferred mineral resources to Indicated or Measured mineral resources; inability to convert mineral resources to mineral reserves; conclusions of economic evaluations; fluctuations in commodity prices and demand; changing foreign exchange rates; the speculative nature of mineral exploration; the global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; activities, actions or assessments by Rio Tinto, Turquoise Hill or OTLLC and by government authorities including the Government of Mongolia; the availability of funding on reasonable terms; the impact of changes in interpretation to or changes in enforcement of laws, regulations and government practices, including laws, regulations and government practices with respect to mining, foreign investment, royalties and taxation; the terms and timing of obtaining necessary environmental and other government approvals, consents and permits; the availability and cost of necessary items such as water, skilled labor, transportation and appropriate smelting and refining arrangements; unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes to assumptions as to the availability of electrical power, and the power rates used in operating cost estimates and financial analyses; changes to assumptions as to salvage values; ability to maintain the social license to operate; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; global climate change; title disputes; limitations on insurance coverage; competition; loss of key employees; cyber security incidents; misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking statements; and those factors discussed in the section entitled "Critical Accounting Estimates, Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's most recently filed Management's Discussion & Analysis and in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
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SOURCE Entree Resources
View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2021/09/c0292.html
%CIK: 0001271554
For further information: David Jan, Investor Relations, Entree Resources Ltd., Tel: 604-687-4777 | Toll Free: 1-866-368-7330, E-mail: djan@EntreeResourcesLtd.com
CO: Entree Resources
CNW 08:30e 09-AUG-21