26
June 2024
Lexington
Gold Ltd
("Lexington Gold" or the "Company")
Final Results for the year
ended 31 December 2023
and availability of Annual
Report and Financial Statements
Lexington Gold (AIM: LEX), the gold
exploration and development company with projects in South Africa
and the USA, is pleased to announce its
audited results for the year ended 31 December
2023.
Copies of the Company's full Annual
Report and Financial Statements for the financial year to
31 December 2023 will be made available to download from the
Company's website at www.lexingtongold.co.uk and will be posted to
shareholders by 28 June 2024.
Financial Summary
Net
loss for the year from continuing
operations was US$0.1 million (2022: US$0.9 million).
Total assets were US$18.2
million (2022: US$5.1 million) at the year end.
Net cash position of US$2.6 million (2022:
US$0.42 million) as at the year end.
Total liabilities of US$1.1
million (2022: US$0.1 million) as at the year end.
Corporate Summary
In March 2023, the Company entered
into a US$150,000 unsecured loan facility with Lexington Gold's
Chairman, Edward Nealon, to support the group's ongoing working
capital requirements and the costs associated with evaluating
potential additional new gold projects/opportunities.
In May 2023, the Company announced a
substantial development in the form of the proposed acquisition of
WRE, an exploration and development company with significant gold
assets in the Witwatersrand gold fields in South Africa, which
historically was the largest single gold producing district in the
world. The aggregate amount payable by the Company under the
associated WRE Acquisition and Loan Agreements is £0.3 million, by
way of the provision of a subordinated loan to WRE, and up to £6.4
million to be settled by way of the issue of new common shares in
Lexington Gold based on certain pre-determined milestones being
satisfied, with such shares being subject to a 12-month lock-up
arrangement followed by a 12-month orderly market arrangement from
the date of their issue.
WRE's tenement interests have been
estimated by WRE's former management to contain non-code compliant
potential resources of over 37 million ounces of gold. WRE has
focussed its exploration efforts on shallow (200 to 1,200m depth)
deposits close to well-established infrastructure. Its tenement
interests comprised 10 prospecting rights (six granted licences and
four renewal applications - of which one has recently been
successfully renewed), grouped into five projects. Most
significantly, WRE holds 65 per cent. of Jelani Resources with
the Harmony Group holding the remaining 35 per cent. Jelani
Resources has a non-code compliant independently estimated resource
of 6.02 million ounces of gold at an average grade of
6.47 g/t.
WRE was established by well-known
Australian explorer, Mark Creasy, in 2002, with whom, on
12 May 2023, the Company entered into a one year unsecured
loan agreement for a principal amount of £300,000. As announced on
10 July 2023, the Company subsequently raised, in aggregate, gross
proceeds of £2,516,300 (the "Fundraising") at a price of six pence
(the "Fundraising Price")
per common share of US$0.003 each in the capital of the Company
("Common Shares") from the
issue of, in aggregate, 41,938,334 new Common Shares (the
"Fundraising Shares"). The
Fundraising comprised a placing of 17,188,334 new Common Shares
(the "Placing Shares") to
raise £1,031,300 at the Fundraising Price (the "Placing"), via the Company's joint
brokers, Peterhouse Capital Limited and WH Ireland Limited, and
share subscriptions for, in aggregate, 24,750,000 new Common Shares
at the Fundraising Price to raise £1,485,000 (the "Share Subscriptions"). The Share
Subscriptions included a subscription of £100,000 by Edward Nealon,
Lexington Gold's Chairman, for 1,666,667 Fundraising
Shares.
The Company also issued warrants to
the Fundraising participants to subscribe for up to a further
41,938,334 new Common Shares which are exercisable at 10 pence per
share until expiry on 20 July 2026
(the "Fundraising
Warrants").
In addition, the Company agreed to
settle, in aggregate, £423,518 of outstanding loans including
accrued interest on the same terms as the Fundraising by way of the
issue of 7,058,639 new Common Shares and 7,058,639 warrants with
the same terms as the Fundraising Warrants. £120,061 of this
amount was due to Edward Nealon, the Company's Chairman, in
relation to his US$150,000 loan to the Company announced on 14
March 2023 which was settled by the issue of 2,001,024 new Common
Shares and 2,001,024 warrants with the same terms as the
Fundraising Warrants. The remaining £303,457 was due to Mark Creasy
in relation to his £300,000 loan to the Company announced on 15 May
2023 which was settled by the issue of 5,057,615 new Common Shares
and 5,057,615 warrants with the same terms as the Fundraising
Warrants.
On 7 September 2023, the Company
announced the completion of its acquisition of WRE and on
17 October 2023 completion of the associated Broad-Based Black
Economic Empowerment ("BBBEE") arrangements such that the
Company is now the ultimate beneficial owner of 74 per cent. of WRE
with 26 per cent. held by Lexington Gold's BBBEE partners Letsema
Holdings Proprietary Limited ("Letsema").
In accordance with the terms of the
acquisition, in September 2023 Lexington Gold issued 36,129,032 new
common shares (the "Initial
Consideration Shares") to settle £2.24 million, representing
35 per cent. of the maximum Lexington Gold Equity of up to £6.4
million to be paid as consideration under the WRE Acquisition and
Loan Agreements.
The Initial Consideration Shares
were issued at a price of 6.20 pence per new common share (the
"Issue Price") based on the
30-day VWAP to Tuesday, 5 September 2023 being 2 business days
prior to the announcement of 7 September 2023.
In May 2024, further to the renewal
of the Jelani Resources Prospecting Right, a further tranche of
25,806,451 new common shares (the "Initial Deferred Consideration Shares")
were issued at the Issue Price in respect of the aforementioned
Lexington Gold Equity.
The balance of the consideration due
under the WRE Acquisition and Loan Agreements is to be settled by
way of the issue of further new common shares in Lexington Gold at
the Issue Price based on certain milestones being achieved,
namely:
Lexington Gold Equity
|
|
%
|
No. of common shares
|
Milestone event
|
20%
|
20,645,162
|
Later of 30 November 2023 and the
date of renewal of three of the Prospecting Rights split, 10%, 8%
and 2% respectively between the three Prospecting Rights
concerned.
|
20%
|
20,645,161
|
Receipt of Ministerial
Consent.
|
In September 2023, Mark Creasy also
invested an amount of £100,000 by way of a subscription for
1,666,666 new common shares (the "Creasy Subscription Shares") and
1,666,666 associated Fundraising Warrants on the same commercial
terms as the Company's approximate £2.5 million equity fundraising
announced on 10 July 2023.
Table 1 below shows the current
status of WRE's Prospecting licences and Prospecting Right
applications.
Table 1:
WRE's Prospecting Licences and
Prospecting Right Applications
Project
|
Tenement
|
Area (hectares
"ha")
|
Status
|
Expiry date
|
Jelani Resources
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10350(10627)
PR
|
956.76
|
Renewal Granted
|
26-May-261
|
Kroonstad
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/889(10637)
PR
|
13,845.77
|
Renewal under
appeal
|
2
|
Kroonstad
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10520(10643)
PR
|
12,429.45
|
Renewal under appeal
|
2
|
Kroonstad
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10519(10684)
PR
|
22,193.1
|
Renewal Granted
|
29-May-27
|
New
Kroonstad North
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10696 PR
|
18,340.46
|
New Application Accepted
|
3
|
Bothaville
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10273(10578)
PR
|
9,510
|
Withdrawn (See FS10695
PR)
|
03-Mar-24
|
Bothaville
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10274(10579)
PR
|
9,119.58
|
Withdrawn (See FS10695
PR)
|
17-Mar-24
|
New
Bothaville Cons
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10695 PR
|
18,627.20
|
New Application Accepted
|
4
|
Ventersburg
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/888(10686)
PR
|
8,418.7
|
Renewal Granted
|
16-April-27 1
|
Ventersburg
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10489(10687)
PR
|
8,965.9
|
Renewal Granted
|
16-April-27 1
|
Ventersburg
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10528(10701)
PR
|
2,248.6
|
Executed (Renewal Lodged and
pending)
|
21-Aug-24
|
Oribi
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10486 PR
|
6,795
|
Executed
|
18-Dec-24
|
Klerksdorp
|
NW 30/5/1/1/2/11335(13484)
PR
|
1,816.9
|
Renewal under appeal
|
2
|
Active licences total (ha):*
|
|
114,637.84
|
|
|
Notes:
* - excluding the two withdrawn
Bothaville applications detailed above.
1 In South Africa renewals are for 3 years from granting of
renewal rights.
2 Renewals under appeal by WRE following an initial refusal due
to technical non-compliance of original renewals previously
submitted by WRE. New applications by Reef Exploration, a
subsidiary of Lexington Gold South Africa have also been submitted
over the same areas.
- In respect of Kroonstad
(FS 889 PR), Reef Exploration lodged an application under DMRE
reference FS 30/5/1/1/10677 PR to secure the area pending the
appeal process.
- In respect of Kroonstad
(FS 10520 PR), Reef Exploration lodged an application under DMRE
reference FS 30/5/1/1/10681 PR to secure the area pending the
appeal process.
- In respect of Klerksdorp
(NW 11335 PR), Reef Exploration lodged an application under DMRE
reference NW 30/5/1/1/13963 PR to secure the area pending the
appeal process.
3 New areas adjacent to the existing Kroonstad Rights have been
identified to be of interest for additional exploration. An
application for a prospecting right was lodged by WRE. The
application was accepted and is being processed.
4 To re-secure the two Bothaville prospecting areas which
expired after their 3-year period, Reef Exploration, a subsidiary
of Lexington Gold South Africa, lodged a consolidated application
for a prospecting right in respect of both areas. The application
was accepted and is being processed.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Further to Lexington Gold South Africa's receipt of its interest in WRE,
the procedural application for Ministerial Consent in respect of
the transaction was made and the parties to the
WRE Acquisition and Loan Agreements agreed an extension to the
deadline for obtaining such consent to 31 August 2024 or such later
date as may be further agreed between the
parties.
The Initial Consideration Shares,
the Initial Deferred Consideration Shares and future issues of
Lexington Gold Equity are subject to a 12 month lock-up from their
date of issue and thereafter to a further 12-month orderly market
arrangement via Lexington Gold's brokers.
In October 2023, warrants to
subscribe for a total of 3,268,485 new common shares were exercised
by their holder at a price of 2.75 pence per share with the Company
receiving approximately £90k.
Operational Highlights
USA
Drilling Operations
Both the Jennings-Pioneer and Argo
projects in the Carolinas, USA, made good progress during 2023,
especially Jennings-Pioneer where drilling has yielded potentially
significant results. Drilling at Jennings-Pioneer intersected
several new gold zones, thereby confirming the high-grade potential
adjacent to the historic Barite Hill Main Pit. These latest results
will help refine our geological models and guide future exploration
efforts.
Jennings-Pioneer Project ("Jennings-Pioneer")
In February 2023, the Company
announced the competition of a soil and surface sampling programme
at Jennings-Pioneer targeting gold, silver and base metals through
multi-element assaying to verify and supplement historical sampling
conducted on the deposit. Selected highlights included:
·
505 soil samples on a 30m by 123m grid spacing
with a tighter 15m x 123m grid spacing on the Barite Hill
Trend
·
17 surface samples collected concurrent with the
surface mapping campaign
·
A total of 522 samples were submitted to ALS
Geochemistry in Nevada
The results of the 505 soil and 17
rock grab samples were announced in April 2023 and findings
included:
·
The identification of 13 gossans (targets at
surface) within three separate mineralisation trends: the Barite
Hill Trend, the Jennings Trend and the Self Trend
·
The Barite Hill Trend represents the north east
extension of the historic Barite Hill Mine, which continues 600m
along strike onto Lexington Gold's tenured property
·
Identification of a 350 metre surface extent of
the Red Hill mineralisation extending from the historic Barite Hill
pit
·
United States critical mineral by-product
potential including barite and tellurium with diverse industrial
applications
Argo Project ("Argo")
In February 2023, the Company also
completed its surface trenching and sampling campaign, involving a
total of 13 trench lines, with a total combined length of
approximately 844m, with 409 composite channel samples of 2m each
collected. An additional 30 rock samples were taken at surface and
as point samples in trenches. The, in aggregate, 439 samples were
shipped to ALS in Nevada for assaying. The trenching, sampling and
mapping activity sought to better define the grade distribution and
structure of the mineralised zones in order to facilitate the
design of a potential Phase I drilling campaign for the project in
due course.
In late July 2023, the Company
received the results of the aforementioned campaign which were a
promising first set of assays for Argo showing high-grade surface
mineralisation at both the Northeast and Southern workings. Other
key findings included:
·
The trench assay results confirming that gold is
present at surface at the project:
o Trench AT-04: 24m @ 1.10 g/t Au from 14m to 38m,
including:
§ 2m @ 7.50
g/t Au from 14m to 16m
§ 2m @ 2.51
g/t Au from 26m to 28m
o Trench AT-07: 8m @ 0.61 g/t Au from 16m to 24m,
including:
§ 2m @ 1.24
g/t Au from 22m to 24m
o Trench AT-13: 8m @ 0.34 g/t Au from 24m to 32m
·
Rock samples from trenches and outcrops showed
local high grade ore shoots:
o ARRK-016: 12.65 g/t Au from trench wall of
AT-07
o ARRK-017: 2.89 g/t Au from trench wall of AT-07
o ARRK-011: 2.70 g/t Au from trench wall of AT-06
o ARRK-014: 1.21 g/t Au from historic waste dump
o ARRK-024: 43.30 g/t Ag from surface outcrop
South African Operations
The acquisition of WRE, completed in
early September 2023, has greatly enhanced our resource inventory,
particularly with respect to the Bothaville Project where our
recent drill campaign has confirmed the presence of gold-bearing
formations. This project alone represents a significant step
towards benefiting from the vast potential of the Witwatersrand
Basin.
In December 2023, the Company
commenced its planned initial drill campaign, comprising of four
mother holes plus wedging at the Bothaville Project. The campaign
involved:
·
Confirming and expanding the area of gold
mineralisation intersected in historic third-party drilling, with
half of the drilling penetrating the Karoo Supergroup (the "Karoo
cover"); and
·
The main exploration targets were the gold-bearing
conglomerates of the Kimberley Formation (including A-Reef) which
subcrops beneath the Karoo cover starting at a depth of 250m, where
diamond drilling was to be utilised.
In May 2024, the Company announced
that a total of four drillholes had been completed
at Bothaville, amounting to 2,355m of drilling. Three of the four
holes were completed successfully with a total of eight
intersections of the A-Reef from three motherholes and five
deflections. The drilling tested for
a gold-bearing channel at shallow depth in the target A-Reef
horizon, as postulated by the drilling of two third party historic
holes which returned 7.1 g/t Au over 71 cm and 5.53 g/t over 77 cm,
respectively.
South African Licence Overview
Lexington Gold South Africa
Proprietary Limited ("Lexington
Gold South Africa") through its subsidiaries is a major
tenement holder in the Witwatersrand gold fields of South Africa,
covering approximately 114,638 hectares. Its portfolio assets
are estimated to contain potential resources of over
37 million ounces of gold. Such resources are primarily
located in shallow deposits close to established infrastructure,
thereby enhancing their potential value and
accessibility.
Key
Projects and Technical Highlights:
Jelani Resources Proprietary Limited
("Jelani Resources"): The
shareholders of Jelani Resources are Lorraine Gold Mines Limited
and Avgold Limited (both subsidiaries of Harmony Gold Mining
Company Limited (JSE: HAR) ("Harmony")) (together, the "Harmony Group") (35%) and WRE (65%).
The recently renewed Jelani Resources prospecting right covers an
area of 956 hectares adjacent to Harmony's Target Mine in the
north-western portion of the Welkom Gold Fields. An historic
independently estimated resource suggested a potential
6.02 million ounces of gold at an average grade of
6.47 g/t. Jelani Resources represents a significant component
of our strategic asset base in South Africa.
Kroonstad Project: This area is
particularly exciting, with an estimated gold exploration target of
between 6.06 and 62.41 million ounces, at grades ranging from
4.96 g/t to 11.54 g/t. Kroonstad could potentially
represent a new goldfield within the Witwatersrand
region.
Bothaville NE and Klerksdorp South
Projects: These areas are included
in our detailed exploration and development plans, focused on
expanding the known mineralisation and improving our geological
understanding of such zones.
WRE's extensive historical database,
consisting of approximately 2,500 mother holes and their associated
assays, forms a critical part of our strategy to convert resources
into JORC-compliant mineral resource estimates. This database is
considered to be one of the largest and most comprehensive
collections of surface exploration data in South Africa.
For
further information, please contact:
Lexington Gold Ltd
Bernard Olivier (Chief Executive
Officer)
Edward Nealon (Non-Executive
Chairman)
Mike Allardice (Group Company
Secretary)
|
www.lexingtongold.co.uk
via Yellow
Jersey
|
Strand Hanson Limited (Nominated Adviser)
Matthew Chandler / James Bellman /
Abigail Wennington
|
www.strandhanson.co.uk
T: +44 207
409 3494
|
WH
Ireland Limited (Joint Broker)
|
www.whirelandplc.com
|
Katy Mitchell
|
T: +44 207
220 1666
|
Peterhouse Capital Limited (Joint Broker)
Duncan Vasey / Lucy Williams
(Broking)
Eran Zucker (Corporate
Finance)
|
www.peterhousecap.com
T: +44 207
469 0930
|
Yellow Jersey PR Limited (Financial Public
Relations)
Charles Goodwin / Annabelle
Wills
|
www.yellowjerseypr.com
T: +44
7747 788 221
|
The information contained within this announcement is deemed
by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under
the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of
United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended by virtue of the Market Abuse
(Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
Note
to Editors:
Lexington Gold (AIM: LEX) is a gold
exploration and development company currently holding interests in
four diverse gold projects, covering a combined area of
approximately 1,675 acres in North and South Carolina, USA and in
six gold projects covering approximately 114,638 hectares in South
Africa.
Further information is available on
the Company's website: www.lexingtongold.co.uk
or follow us through our social media channel:
X (formerly known as
Twitter): @LexGoldLtd
Neither the contents of the
Company's website nor the contents of any website accessible from
hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is
incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
Key
Extracts from the Company's audited Annual Report and Financial
Statements are set out below:
Chairman's Statement
Reflecting on the twelve months
ended 31 December 2023, I am immensely proud of the progress and
achievements of our team at Lexington Gold. This year marked a
series of strategic milestones coming to fruition that have
significantly transformed our operational scope and bolstered our
market standing.
Our acquisition of White Rivers
Exploration Proprietary Limited ("WRE"), completed in early September
2023, has been a key focus, bringing access to extensive gold
deposits in South Africa's Witwatersrand Basin, an area synonymous
with rich gold reserves. The integration of WRE has not only
expanded our resource base but also diversified our operational
risk and enhanced our growth potential. The recent renewal of the
Jelani Resources Prospecting Right until May 2026 underscores the
long-term value we foresee in its asset portfolio.
In the Carolinas, USA, we have
continued our drilling activities with significant progress at the
Jennings-Pioneer Project. The discovery of multiple gold-bearing
structures adjacent to the historic Barite Hill Main Pit has
provided further confirmation of the high-grade mineralisation
potential within our existing resource areas.
We have successfully executed a
comprehensive drilling programme across the majority of our
Carolinas portfolio, culminating in a better understanding of the
geological characteristics of our various projects and refining our
exploration models. Such efforts are ultimately aimed at upgrading
our resource classifications and extending our known mineral
zones.
Our financial strategy remains
robust, characterised by prudent management of cash reserves and
strategic capital allocation. The successful equity raise of
approximately £2.5 million gross in July 2023 has provided us with
the necessary funds to pursue our ambitious exploration goals and
ensure operational excellence is maintained.
Post-period end, 2024 to date has
seen further progress across our operations, continuing last year's
momentum. Our Jennings-Pioneer drilling programme in the USA,
targeting gold mineralisation adjacent to Barite Hill, has shown
promising results with recently announced assays yielding
extensions of the Barite Hill Trend gold mineralisation which
serves to further support the high potential of this exploration
area. Over in South Africa, the Bothaville Project has made
significant strides, with drilling activities enhancing our
existing geological data and expanding potential mineralisation
zones.
The renewal of the Jelani Resources
licence until May 2026 demonstrates our commitment to long-term
value creation. This renewal triggered the issuance of 25,806,451
deferred consideration shares in connection with the WRE
acquisition, predominantly to Mark Creasy/his nominee. Accordingly,
Mr Creasy and his nominees are now interested in approximately
13.35 per cent. of the Company's enlarged issued share capital. In
addition, on 6 June 2024 our unlisted 10 pence warrants, expiring
in July 2026, were admitted to JP Jenkins' matched bargain platform
thereby providing an accessible trading venue for our warrant
holders.
As we look to the future, our
strategy is clear and focused. We are committed to advancing our
projects, enhancing shareholder value, and achieving sustainable
growth through strategic exploration and development.
I am grateful for your continued
support and confidence in our strategic vision and look forward to
reporting further successes as we move forwards.
Edward Nealon
Non-Executive Chairman
26 June 2024
Chief Executive's Operational and Financial
Review
1.
Overview
FY2023 was a transformational year
for Lexington Gold with the acquisition of White Rivers Exploration
Proprietary Limited ("WRE")
which affords access to extensive gold deposits in South Africa's
Witwatersrand Basin. Following successful completion of the
acquisition, the Company conducted a 2,355m drill campaign, the
results of which have provided invaluable data, confirming the
presence of a potentially significant gold system. The Company has
also undertaken drilling across its other assets in the Carolinas,
USA. Discoveries of gold-bearing structures near the historic
Barite Hill Main Pit at the Jennings-Pioneer Project have confirmed
its high-grade mineralisation potential. A successful equity raise
of approximately £2.5 million gross has enabled the pursuit of our
ambitious exploration goals.
Momentum has continued into 2024
with the Jennings-Pioneer drill programme delivering promising
results, whilst the Bothaville Project in South Africa has made
substantial progress. The renewal of the Jelani Resources licence
until May 2026 triggered the issuance of an initial tranche of
deferred consideration shares as part of the WRE acquisition,
predominantly to Mark Creasy/his nominee, whilst earlier this month
our unlisted 10 pence warrants, expiring in July 2026, were
admitted to JP Jenkins' matched bargain trading
platform.
Operational Highlights:
USA
Drilling Operations
Both the Jennings-Pioneer and Argo
projects in the Carolinas, USA, made good progress during 2023,
especially Jennings-Pioneer where drilling has yielded potentially
significant results. Drilling at Jennings-Pioneer intersected
several new gold zones, thereby confirming the high-grade potential
adjacent to the historic Barite Hill Main Pit. These latest results
will help refine our geological models and guide future exploration
efforts.
Jennings-Pioneer Project ("Jennings-Pioneer")
In February 2023, the Company
announced the competition of a soil and surface sampling programme
at Jennings-Pioneer targeting gold, silver and base metals through
multi-element assaying to verify and supplement historical sampling
conducted on the deposit. Selected highlights included:
·
505 soil samples on a 30m by 123m grid spacing
with a tighter 15m x 123m grid spacing on the Barite Hill
Trend
·
17 surface samples collected concurrent with the
surface mapping campaign
·
A total of 522 samples were submitted to ALS
Geochemistry in Nevada
The results of the 505 soil and 17
rock grab samples were announced in April 2023 and findings
included:
·
The identification of 13 gossans (targets at
surface) within three separate mineralisation trends: the Barite
Hill Trend, the Jennings Trend and the Self Trend
·
The Barite Hill Trend represents the north east
extension of the historic Barite Hill Mine, which continues 600m
along strike onto Lexington Gold's tenured property
·
Identification of a 350 metre surface extent of
the Red Hill mineralisation extending from the historic Barite Hill
pit
·
United States critical mineral by-product
potential including barite and tellurium with diverse industrial
applications
Argo Project ("Argo")
In February 2023, the Company also
completed its surface trenching and sampling campaign, involving a
total of 13 trench lines, with a total combined length of
approximately 844m, with 409 composite channel samples of 2m each
collected. An additional 30 rock samples were taken at surface and
as point samples in trenches. The, in aggregate, 439 samples were
shipped to ALS in Nevada for assaying. The trenching, sampling and
mapping activity sought to better define the grade distribution and
structure of the mineralised zones in order to facilitate the
design of a potential Phase I drilling campaign for the project in
due course.
In late July 2023, the Company
received the results of the aforementioned campaign which were a
promising first set of assays for Argo showing high-grade surface
mineralisation at both the Northeast and Southern workings. Other
key findings included:
·
The trench assay results confirming that gold is
present at surface at the project:
o Trench AT-04: 24m @ 1.10 g/t Au from 14m to 38m,
including:
§ 2m @ 7.50
g/t Au from 14m to 16m
§ 2m @ 2.51
g/t Au from 26m to 28m
o Trench AT-07: 8m @ 0.61 g/t Au from 16m to 24m,
including:
§ 2m @ 1.24
g/t Au from 22m to 24m
o Trench AT-13: 8m @ 0.34 g/t Au from 24m to 32m
·
Rock samples from trenches and outcrops showed
local high grade ore shoots:
o ARRK-016: 12.65 g/t Au from trench wall of
AT-07
o ARRK-017: 2.89 g/t Au from trench wall of AT-07
o ARRK-011: 2.70 g/t Au from trench wall of AT-06
o ARRK-014: 1.21 g/t Au from historic waste dump
o ARRK-024: 43.30 g/t Ag from surface outcrop
South African Operations
The acquisition of WRE, completed in
early September 2023, has greatly enhanced our resource inventory,
particularly with respect to the Bothaville Project where our
recent drill campaign has confirmed the presence of gold-bearing
formations. This project alone represents a significant step
towards benefiting from the vast potential of the Witwatersrand
Basin.
In December 2023, the Company
commenced its planned initial drill campaign, comprising of four
mother holes plus wedging at the Bothaville Project. The campaign
involved:
·
Confirming and expanding the area of gold
mineralisation intersected in historic third-party drilling, with
half of the drilling penetrating the Karoo Supergroup (the
"Karoo cover");
and
·
The main exploration targets were the gold-bearing
conglomerates of the Kimberley Formation (including A-Reef) which
subcrops beneath the Karoo cover starting at a depth of 250m, where
diamond drilling was to be utilised.
In May 2024, the Company announced
that a total of four drillholes had been completed
at Bothaville, amounting to 2,355m of drilling. Three of the four
holes were completed successfully with a total of eight
intersections of the A-Reef from three motherholes and five
deflections. The drilling tested for
a gold-bearing channel at shallow depth in the target A-Reef
horizon, as postulated by the drilling of two third party historic
holes which returned 7.1 g/t Au over 71 cm and 5.53 g/t over 77 cm,
respectively.
South African Licence Overview
Lexington Gold South Africa
Proprietary Limited ("Lexington
Gold South Africa") through its subsidiaries is a major
tenement holder in the Witwatersrand gold fields of South Africa,
covering approximately 114,638 hectares. Its portfolio assets
are estimated to contain potential resources of over 37 million
ounces of gold. Such resources are primarily located in shallow
deposits close to established infrastructure, thereby enhancing
their potential value and accessibility.
Key
Projects and Technical Highlights:
Jelani Resources Proprietary Limited
("Jelani Resources"): The
shareholders of Jelani Resources are Lorraine Gold Mines Limited
and Avgold Limited (both subsidiaries of Harmony Gold Mining
Company Limited (JSE: HAR) ("Harmony")) (together, the "Harmony Group") (35%) and WRE (65%).
The recently renewed Jelani Resources prospecting right covers an
area of 956 hectares adjacent to Harmony's Target Mine in the
north-western portion of the Welkom Gold Fields. An historic
independently estimated resource suggested a potential
6.02 million ounces of gold at an average grade of
6.47 g/t. Jelani Resources represents a significant component
of our strategic asset base in South Africa.
Kroonstad Project: This area is
particularly exciting, with an estimated gold exploration target of
between 6.06 and 62.41 million ounces, at grades ranging from
4.96 g/t to 11.54 g/t. Kroonstad could potentially
represent a new goldfield within the Witwatersrand
region.
Bothaville NE and Klerksdorp South
Projects: These areas are included
in our detailed exploration and development plans, focused on
expanding the known mineralisation and improving our geological
understanding of such zones.
WRE's extensive historical database,
consisting of approximately 2,500 mother holes and their associated
assays, forms a critical part of our strategy to convert resources
into JORC-compliant mineral resource estimates. This database is
considered to be one of the largest and most comprehensive
collections of surface exploration data in South Africa.
2.
Financial
Performance
Net
loss for the year from continuing
operations was US$0.1 million (2022: US$0.9 million).
Total assets were US$18.2
million (2022: US$5.1 million) at the year end.
Net cash position of US$2.6 million (2022:
US$0.42 million) as at the year end.
Total liabilities of US$1.1
million (2022: US$0.1 million) as at the year end.
3.
Dividend
The directors have not declared a
dividend (2022: Nil).
4. Corporate
Activities
In March 2023, the Company entered
into a US$150,000 unsecured loan facility with Lexington Gold's
Chairman, Edward Nealon, to support the group's ongoing working
capital requirements and the costs associated with evaluating
potential additional new gold projects/opportunities.
In May 2023, the Company announced a
substantial development in the form of the proposed acquisition of
WRE, an exploration and development company with significant gold
assets in the Witwatersrand gold fields in South Africa, which
historically was the largest single gold producing district in the
world. The aggregate amount payable by the Company under the
associated WRE Acquisition and Loan Agreements is £0.3 million, by
way of the provision of a subordinated loan to WRE, and up to £6.4
million to be settled by way of the issue of new common shares in
Lexington Gold based on certain pre-determined milestones being
satisfied, with such shares being subject to a 12-month lock-up
arrangement followed by a 12-month orderly market arrangement from
the date of their issue.
WRE's tenement interests have been
estimated by WRE's former management to contain non-code compliant
potential resources of over 37 million ounces of gold. WRE has
focussed its exploration efforts on shallow (200 to 1,200m depth)
deposits close to well-established infrastructure. Its tenement
interests comprised 10 prospecting rights (six granted licences and
four renewal applications - of which one has recently been
successfully renewed), grouped into five projects. Most
significantly, WRE holds 65 per cent. of Jelani Resources with
the Harmony Group holding the remaining 35 per cent. Jelani
Resources has a non-code compliant independently estimated resource
of 6.02 million ounces of gold at an average grade of
6.47 g/t.
WRE was established by well-known
Australian explorer, Mark Creasy, in 2002, with whom, on
12 May 2023, the Company entered into a one year unsecured
loan agreement for a principal amount of £300,000. As announced on
10 July 2023, the Company subsequently raised, in aggregate, gross
proceeds of £2,516,300 (the "Fundraising") at a price of six pence
(the "Fundraising Price")
per common share of US$0.003 each in the capital of the Company
("Common Shares") from the
issue of, in aggregate, 41,938,334 new Common Shares (the
"Fundraising Shares"). The
Fundraising comprised a placing of 17,188,334 new Common Shares
(the "Placing Shares") to
raise £1,031,300 at the Fundraising Price (the "Placing"), via the Company's joint
brokers, Peterhouse Capital Limited and WH Ireland Limited, and
share subscriptions for, in aggregate, 24,750,000 new Common Shares
at the Fundraising Price to raise £1,485,000 (the "Share Subscriptions"). The Share
Subscriptions included a subscription of £100,000 by Edward Nealon,
Lexington Gold's Chairman, for 1,666,667 Fundraising
Shares.
The Company also issued warrants to
the Fundraising participants to subscribe for up to a further
41,938,334 new Common Shares which are exercisable at 10 pence per
share until expiry on 20 July 2026
(the "Fundraising
Warrants").
In addition, the Company agreed to
settle, in aggregate, £423,518 of outstanding loans including
accrued interest on the same terms as the Fundraising by way of the
issue of 7,058,639 new Common Shares and 7,058,639 warrants with
the same terms as the Fundraising Warrants. £120,061 of this
amount was due to Edward Nealon, the Company's Chairman, in
relation to his US$150,000 loan to the Company announced on 14
March 2023 which was settled by the issue of 2,001,024 new Common
Shares and 2,001,024 warrants with the same terms as the
Fundraising Warrants. The remaining £303,457 was due to Mark Creasy
in relation to his £300,000 loan to the Company announced on 15 May
2023 which was settled by the issue of 5,057,615 new Common Shares
and 5,057,615 warrants with the same terms as the Fundraising
Warrants.
On 7 September 2023, the Company
announced the completion of its acquisition of WRE and on
17 October 2023 completion of the associated Broad-Based Black
Economic Empowerment ("BBBEE") arrangements such that the
Company is now the ultimate beneficial owner of 74 per cent. of WRE
with 26 per cent. held by Lexington Gold's BBBEE partners Letsema
Holdings Proprietary Limited ("Letsema").
In accordance with the terms of the
acquisition, in September 2023 Lexington Gold issued 36,129,032 new
common shares (the "Initial
Consideration Shares") to settle £2.24 million, representing
35 per cent. of the maximum Lexington Gold Equity of up to £6.4
million to be paid as consideration under the WRE Acquisition and
Loan Agreements.
The Initial Consideration Shares
were issued at a price of 6.20 pence per new common share (the
"Issue Price") based on the
30-day VWAP to Tuesday, 5 September 2023 being 2 business days
prior to the announcement of 7 September 2023.
In May 2024, further to the renewal
of the Jelani Resources Prospecting Right, a further tranche of
25,806,451 new common shares (the "Initial Deferred Consideration Shares")
were issued at the Issue Price in respect of the aforementioned
Lexington Gold Equity.
The balance of the consideration due
under the WRE Acquisition and Loan Agreements is to be settled by
way of the issue of further new common shares in Lexington Gold at
the Issue Price based on certain milestones being achieved,
namely:
Lexington Gold Equity
|
|
%
|
No. of common shares
|
Milestone event
|
20%
|
20,645,162
|
Later of 30 November 2023 and the
date of renewal of three of the Prospecting Rights split, 10%, 8%
and 2% respectively between the three Prospecting Rights
concerned.
|
20%
|
20,645,161
|
Receipt of Ministerial
Consent.
|
In September 2023, Mark Creasy also
invested an amount of £100,000 by way of a subscription for
1,666,666 new common shares (the "Creasy Subscription Shares") and
1,666,666 associated Fundraising Warrants on the same commercial
terms as the Company's approximate £2.5 million equity fundraising
announced on 10 July 2023.
Table 1 below shows the current
status of WRE's Prospecting licences and Prospecting Right
applications.
Table 1:
WRE's Prospecting Licences and
Prospecting Right Applications
Project
|
Tenement
|
Area (hectares
"ha")
|
Status
|
Expiry date
|
Jelani Resources
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10350(10627)
PR
|
956.76
|
Renewal Granted
|
26-May-261
|
Kroonstad
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/889(10637)
PR
|
13,845.77
|
Renewal under
appeal
|
2
|
Kroonstad
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10520(10643)
PR
|
12,429.45
|
Renewal under appeal
|
2
|
Kroonstad
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10519(10684)
PR
|
22,193.1
|
Renewal Granted
|
29-May-27
|
New
Kroonstad North
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10696 PR
|
18,340.46
|
New Application Accepted
|
3
|
Bothaville
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10273(10578)
PR
|
9,510
|
Withdrawn (See FS10695
PR)
|
03-Mar-24
|
Bothaville
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10274(10579)
PR
|
9,119.58
|
Withdrawn (See FS10695
PR)
|
17-Mar-24
|
New
Bothaville Cons
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10695 PR
|
18,627.20
|
New Application Accepted
|
4
|
Ventersburg
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/888(10686)
PR
|
8,418.7
|
Renewal Granted
|
16-April-27 1
|
Ventersburg
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10489(10687)
PR
|
8,965.9
|
Renewal Granted
|
16-April-27 1
|
Ventersburg
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10528(10701)
PR
|
2,248.6
|
Executed (Renewal Lodged and
pending)
|
21-Aug-24
|
Oribi
|
FS 30/5/1/1/2/10486 PR
|
6,795
|
Executed
|
18-Dec-24
|
Klerksdorp
|
NW 30/5/1/1/2/11335(13484)
PR
|
1,816.9
|
Renewal under appeal
|
2
|
Active licences total (ha):*
|
|
114,637.84
|
|
|
Notes:
* - excluding the two withdrawn
Bothaville applications as detailed above.
1 In South Africa renewals are for 3 years from granting of
renewal rights.
2 Renewals under appeal by WRE following an initial refusal due
to technical non-compliance of original renewals previously
submitted by WRE. New applications by Reef Exploration, a
subsidiary of Lexington Gold South Africa have also been submitted
over the same areas.
- In respect of Kroonstad
(FS 889 PR), Reef Exploration lodged an application under DMRE
reference FS 30/5/1/1/10677 PR to secure the area pending the
appeal process.
- In respect of Kroonstad
(FS 10520 PR), Reef Exploration lodged an application under DMRE
reference FS 30/5/1/1/10681 PR to secure the area pending the
appeal process.
- In respect of Klerksdorp
(NW 11335 PR), Reef Exploration lodged an application under DMRE
reference NW 30/5/1/1/13963 PR to secure the area pending the
appeal process.
3 New areas adjacent to the existing Kroonstad Rights have been
identified to be of interest for additional exploration. An
application for a prospecting right was lodged by WRE. The
application was accepted and is being processed.
4 To re-secure the two Bothaville prospecting areas which
expired after their 3-year period, Reef Exploration, a subsidiary
of Lexington Gold South Africa, lodged a consolidated application
for a prospecting right in respect of both areas. The application
was accepted and is being processed.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Further to Lexington Gold South Africa's receipt of its interest in WRE,
the procedural application for Ministerial Consent in respect of
the transaction was made and the parties to the
WRE Acquisition and Loan Agreements agreed an extension to the
deadline for obtaining such consent to 31 August 2024 or such later
date as may be further agreed between the
parties.
The Initial Consideration Shares,
the Initial Deferred Consideration Shares and future issues of
Lexington Gold Equity are subject to a 12 month lock-up from their
date of issue and thereafter to a further 12-month orderly market
arrangement via Lexington Gold's brokers.
In October 2023, warrants to
subscribe for a total of 3,268,485 new common shares were exercised
by their holder at a price of 2.75 pence per share with the Company
receiving approximately £90k.
5. Post-year end
Events
2024 to date has seen continued
momentum with several significant developments as
follows:
USA
Operations:
Jennings-Pioneer Drilling: 495m
drill programme comprising three diamond core holes completed
targeted at exploring the extension of gold mineralisation adjacent
to Barite Hill. Assay results received and announced in June 2024,
yielded promising extensions of the Barite Hill Trend gold
mineralisation. The findings indicated the presence of substantial
gold mineralisation and tellurium mineralisation as well as the
potential for further discoveries. In summary:
·
Assays results from 495m of drill core from three
drill holes confirmed the along strike and down plunge continuation
of the Barite Hill Trend gold mineralisation
·
All three mineralised zones of the Barite Hill
trend were successfully intersected, namely the Middle Ore Zone,
the Foot Wall Ore Zone and the Red Hill Ore Zone
·
Multi-element assays, geologic logs, and core
photos from this latest drill programme have been used to update
and expand the Company's explicit geologic model for the Barite
Hill Trend.
South African Operations:
Bothaville Project Progress:
Drilling activities at Bothaville, completed in early 2024, have
not only expanded our geological data but also indicated the
presence of mineralisation in new zones. These findings will play a
crucial role in our ongoing exploration strategy and we are
confident that continued exploration will serve to further define
and expand this promising gold system and the larger Bothaville
Project. In summary:
·
Three of the four holes were completed
successfully with a total of eight intersections of the A-Reef from
three motherholes and five deflections
·
The latest drilling has proven the concept of
A-Reef channels occurring at Bothaville and has provided
significantly more information on the presence and orientation of
one such channel first intersected by historic third party
drilling
·
The three new successful drillholes intersected
gold mineralisation approximately 250m towards the NW, NE and SE of
the historical drillholes, thereby significantly expanding the
potential area of mineralisation and indicating a possible
significant gold system.
Renewal of Jelani Resources Licence: The renewal of the Jelani Resources Prospecting Right until
May 2026 is a testament to our commitment to long-term value
creation and strengthens our position in the region.
As announced on 13 May 2024, the
renewal of the Jelani Resources Prospecting Right was a milestone
for the issue of, in aggregate, 25,806,451 deferred consideration
shares in respect of the Company's acquisition of WRE such that the
following new common shares were issued:
·
19,387,703 shares to Mark Creasy or his nominee;
and
·
6,418,748 shares to Sunswell Holdings Pty Limited
("Sunswell") or its
nominees.
Accordingly, further to the issue of
such shares:
·
Mr Creasy and his nominees are interested, in
aggregate, in 53,254,768 common shares representing approximately
13.35 per cent. of the Company's enlarged issued share
capital; and
·
Freefire Technology Ltd, one of Sunswell's
nominees owns 15,250,947 common shares representing approximately
3.82 per cent. of the Company's enlarged issued share
capital.
Warrant Trading Facility: On 6
June 2024, the Company announced that its existing unlisted 10
pence warrants expiring on 20 July 2026, were being admitted to
trading on JP Jenkins' matched bargain securities platform. This
facility provides warrant holders with an efficient and accessible
venue to potentially trade their securities.
These further developments
underscore Lexington Gold's operational capabilities and strategic
approach to maximising the value of its project portfolio. We look
forward to announcing further growth and success in the coming
years.
Bernard Olivier
Chief Executive Officer
26 June 2024
Financial
Statements
Lexington Gold
Ltd
Consolidated statement of profit or loss and other
comprehensive income
for the
Year Ended 31 December 2023
(Audited)
|
|
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
|
|
US$'000
|
|
US$'000
|
CONTINUING
OPERATIONS
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other income
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
Operating expenses
|
|
|
(770)
|
|
(708)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
loss
|
|
|
(770)
|
|
(708)
|
Fair value gain/(loss) on derivative
liability
|
|
|
703
|
|
(149)
|
Net finance income/(cost)
|
|
|
6
|
|
(67)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss
before taxation
|
|
|
(61)
|
|
(924)
|
Income tax charge
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
Loss
for the year
|
|
|
(61)
|
|
(924)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Attributable to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity owners of the
parent
|
|
|
50
|
|
(924)
|
Non-controlling interest
|
|
|
(111)
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other comprehensive income
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss for the year
|
|
|
(61)
|
|
(924)
|
Items that may be reclassified to profit or
loss:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exchange losses arising on
translation of foreign operations
|
|
|
(87)
|
|
-
|
Total comprehensive loss for the year
|
|
|
(148)
|
|
(924)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Attributable to:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity owners of the
parent
|
|
|
(46)
|
|
(924)
|
Non-controlling interest
|
|
|
(102)
|
|
-
|
Total comprehensive loss for the year
|
|
|
(148)
|
|
(924)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profit/(loss) per share attributable to the owners of the
parent during the year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic profit/(loss) per share from
continuing operations (US cents/share)
|
|
|
0.02
|
|
(0.35)
|
Diluted profit/(loss) per share from
continuing operations (US cents/share)
|
|
|
0.01
|
|
(0.35)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The above Consolidated statement of profit or loss and other
comprehensive income should be read in conjunction with the
accompanying notes in the Company's full Annual Report and
Financial Statements.
Lexington Gold
Ltd
Consolidated statement of financial position
as at 31
December 2023
(Audited)
|
|
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
|
|
US$'000
|
|
US$'000
|
Assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exploration and evaluation
assets
|
|
|
15,490
|
|
4,556
|
Total non-current assets
|
|
|
15,490
|
|
4,556
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current assets
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other receivables
|
|
|
79
|
|
74
|
Restricted cash and cash
equivalents
|
|
|
45
|
|
-
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
2,617
|
|
424
|
Total current assets
|
|
|
2,741
|
|
498
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total assets
|
|
|
18,231
|
|
5,054
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share capital
|
|
|
1,121
|
|
851
|
Share premium
|
|
|
65,425
|
|
60,163
|
Shares to be issued
|
|
|
5,058
|
|
-
|
Share option reserve
|
|
|
651
|
|
651
|
Foreign currency translation
reserve
|
|
|
(98)
|
|
(2)
|
Accumulated loss
|
|
|
(57,624)
|
|
(57,674)
|
Total equity attributable to equity owners of the
parent
|
|
|
14,533
|
|
3,989
|
Non-controlling interest
|
|
|
2,633
|
|
970
|
Total equity
|
|
|
17,166
|
|
4,959
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current liabilities
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trade and other payables
|
|
|
673
|
|
95
|
Borrowings
|
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
Derivative liability
|
|
|
392
|
|
-
|
Total current liabilities
|
|
|
1,065
|
|
95
|
Total equity and liabilities
|
|
|
18,231
|
|
5,054
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The above Consolidated statement of financial position should
be read in conjunction with the accompanying notes in the Company's
full Annual Report and Financial Statements.
Lexington Gold
Ltd
Consolidated statement of cash flows
for the
Year Ended 31 December 2023
(Audited)
|
|
|
2023
|
|
2022
|
|
|
|
US$'000
|
|
US$'000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
flows from operating activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash utilised by
operations
|
|
|
(742)
|
|
(684)
|
Interest received
|
|
|
13
|
|
-
|
Net cash flows utilised in operating
activities
|
|
|
(729)
|
|
(684)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
flows from investing activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
Payments for exploration
|
|
|
(493)
|
|
(792)
|
Acquisition of subsidiary, net of
cash
|
|
|
(287)
|
|
-
|
Net cash flows utilised by investing
activities
|
|
|
(780)
|
|
(792)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
flows from financing activities
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proceeds from issue of
shares
|
|
|
3,432
|
|
579
|
Share issue cost
|
|
|
(163)
|
|
(26)
|
Proceeds from borrowings
|
|
|
525
|
|
-
|
Proceeds from convertible
loans
|
|
|
-
|
|
416
|
Net cash flows generated from
financing activities
|
|
|
3,794
|
|
969
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and
cash equivalents
|
|
|
2,285
|
|
(507)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Movement in cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net foreign currency exchange
losses
|
|
|
(92)
|
|
(22)
|
At the beginning of the
year
|
|
|
424
|
|
953
|
Net increase/decrease in cash and
cash equivalents
|
|
|
2,285
|
|
(507)
|
Cash
and cash equivalents at the end of the year
|
|
|
2,617
|
|
424
|
The above Consolidated statement of cash flows should be read
in conjunction with the accompanying notes in the Company's full
Annual Report and Financial Statements.
Notes to the consolidated financial
information
1. General Information
Lexington Gold Ltd (the
"Company", "Lexington Gold" or "Lexington") and its subsidiaries
(together, "the Group") is
focused on the exploration and development of its four diverse gold
projects, covering a combined area of approximately 1,675 acres in
North and South Carolina, USA and six gold projects covering
approximately 114,638 hectares in South Africa.
The Company is a limited liability
company incorporated and domiciled in Bermuda. The address of its
registered office is Clarendon House, 2 Church Street, Hamilton, HM
11, Bermuda.
The Company is quoted on the
Alternative Investment Market ("AIM") of the London Stock
Exchange.
2. Basis of preparation and significant accounting
policies
The principal accounting policies
applied in the preparation of the consolidated financial
information are consistent with those set out in the full Annual
Report and Financial Statements. These policies have been
consistently applied to all the years presented unless otherwise
stated.
(a)
Going concern basis of accounting
For the year ended 31 December
2023, the Group recorded a loss of US$0.1 million and had net cash
outflows from operating activities of US$0.7 million. An operating
loss is expected in the year subsequent to the date of these
accounts. The ability of the entity to continue as a going concern
is dependent on the Group generating positive operating cash flows
and/or securing additional funding through the raising of debt or
equity to fund its projects.
These conditions indicate a material
uncertainty that may cast a significant doubt about the entity's
ability to continue as a going concern such that it may be unable
to realise its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal
course of business.
The financial statements have been
prepared on the basis that the entity is a going concern, which
contemplates the continuity of normal business activity,
realisation of assets and settlement of liabilities in the normal
course of business for the following reasons:
· The
Company secured additional funding by way of a £2.5 million gross
equity fundraise and conversion of certain loans on 10 July
2023;
· The
Directors are confident that they will be able to raise additional
funds to satisfy the Group's cash requirements as and when
necessary; and
· The
Directors have the ability to reduce expenditure in order to
preserve cash if required.
Should the entity not be able to
continue as a going concern, it may be required to realise its
assets and discharge its liabilities other than in the ordinary
course of business, and at amounts that differ from those stated in
the financial statements. The annual report does not include any
adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of
recorded asset amounts or liabilities that might be necessary
should the entity not continue as a going concern.
(b)
Basis of preparation
The consolidated financial
information set out above does not constitute the Group's financial
statements for the years ended 31 December 2023 or 31 December 2022
but is derived from those financial statements. The auditors have
reported on the 2023 and 2022 financial statements which carried
unqualified audit reports. The 2023 financial statements included
reference to a matter to which the auditors drew attention by way
of emphasis, namely the existence of material uncertainty related
to going concern as outlined in Note 2(a) above. The auditor's
opinion was not modified in respect of such matter. The 2022
financial statements included a similar emphasis of matter
regarding the existence of material uncertainty related to going
concern and the auditor's opinion was similarly not modified in
respect of such matter.
While the financial information
included in this announcement has been compiled in accordance with,
inter alia, International
Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), this announcement does not in
itself contain sufficient information to comply with
IFRS.
The full consolidated financial
statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS,
interpretations of the International Financial Reporting
Interpretations Committee ("IFRIC") and Bermuda Companies Act,
1981. The consolidated financial statements have also been prepared
under the historical cost convention, as modified by:
· Share
options measured at fair value; and
· Financial assets and liabilities at fair value through profit
or loss.
**ENDS**