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Strategic Alliance with Allseas and Affiliates
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Strategic Alliance with Allseas and Affiliates  
Strategic Alliance with Allseas and Affiliates

8.

Strategic Alliance with Allseas and Affiliates

Development of Project Zero Offshore Nodule Collection System

On March 16, 2022, NORI and Allseas entered into a non-binding term sheet for the development and operation of a commercial nodule collection system. During the year ended December 31, 2024, Allseas provided the Company with engineering, project management and vessel use services consisting of lay-up and transit costs totaling $11.9 million, as part of the development of the commercial nodule collection system: these costs were recorded as mining, technological and process development within exploration and evaluation expenses (Note 10) (2023: $12.1 million).

Exclusive Vessel Use Agreement with Allseas

On August 1, 2023, the Company entered into an Exclusive Vessel Use Agreement with Allseas pursuant to which Allseas will give exclusive use of the vessel (“Hidden Gem”) to the Company in support of the development of the Project Zero Offshore Nodule Collection System until the system is completed or December 31, 2026, whichever is earlier. In consideration of the exclusivity term, the Company, on August 14, 2023, issued 4.15 million common shares to Allseas. Allseas can terminate the agreement if the Company ceases normal operations, assigns assets to creditors, initiates bankruptcy proceedings, or faces unresolved bankruptcy-related actions.

The Company recorded a lease liability and right-of-use asset of $6.5 million, which represents the fair value of 4.15 million common shares issued to Allseas on August 14, 2023, as consideration, and equal to the present value of the lease payments. As the entire lease liability was settled within 14 days of the commencement of the lease, the discount rate for calculating the present value of lease payments was determined to be insignificant.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company has recognized $1.9 million as lease expense recorded as exploration and evaluation expense (December 31, 2023: $0.8 million).

As at December 31, 2024, the net amount of the lease liability was $nil and right-of-use asset is as follows:

    

Lease Liability

Balance as at August 1, 2023

$

6,515

Payments made on August 14, 2023, by issuing 4.15 million common shares

 

6,515

Balance as at December 31, 2023 and 2024

$

    

Right-of-use Asset

Balance as on August 1, 2023

$

6,515

Lease expense during the year

794

Balance as at December 31, 2023

$

5,721

Lease expense during the year

 

1,907

Balance as at December 31, 2024

$

3,814

2023 Credit Facility and Loan Agreements with Company Related to Allseas

On March 22, 2023, the Company entered into an Unsecured Credit Facility Agreement, which was amended on July 31, 2023 (“2023 Credit Facility”), with Argentum Cedit Virtuti GCV (the “Lender”), the parent of Allseas Investments S.A. (“Allseas Investments”) and an affiliate of Allseas, pursuant to which, the Company may borrow from the Lender up to $25 million in the aggregate, from time to time, subject to certain conditions. All amounts drawn under the 2023 Credit Facility will bear interest based on the 6-month Secured Overnight Financing Rate, 180-day average plus a margin of 4.0% per annum payable in cash semi-annually (or plus a margin of 5% if paid-in-kind at maturity, at the Company’s election) on the first business day of each of June and January. The Company will pay an underutilization fee equal to 4.0% per annum payable semi-annually for any amounts that remain undrawn under the 2023 Credit Facility. The Company has the right to pre-pay the entire amount outstanding under the 2023 Credit Facility at any time before the 2023 Credit Facility’s maturity. The Company has the ability to settle certain charges under the 2023 Credit Facility in cash or in equity at the discretion of the Company. The 2023 Credit Facility also contains customary events of default. On March 22, 2024, the Company entered into the Second Amendment to the Unsecured Credit Facility with the Lender, to extend the 2023 Credit Facility to August 31, 2025 and to provide that the underutilization fee thereunder shall cease to be payable after the date on which the Company or the Lender gives notice of termination of the agreement. Under the amended 2023 Credit Facility, the Company may borrow from the Lender up to $25 million in the aggregate through August 31, 2025. On August 16, 2024, the Company entered into the Third Amendment to the 2023 Credit Facility, to increase the borrowing limit of the 2023 Credit Facility to $27.5 million. On November 14, 2024, as a result of the 2024 Registered Direct Offering (Note 13) the borrowing limit of the 2023 Credit Facility was returned to $25 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company has not drawn any amount from the 2023 Credit Facility and has incurred $1 million as underutilization fees (December 31, 2023: $0.8 million).

On May 27, 2024, the Company entered into a short-term loan agreement with the Lender. In accordance with the agreement, the Lender provided a short-term loan to the Company amounting to $2 million (the “Short-Term Loan”) on May 30, 2024. The Short-Term Loan matured on September 10, 2024 (maturity date) and accrued interest at a rate of 8% per annum. On the maturity date, Company repaid the entire Loan of $2 million and the accrued interest amounting to $46 thousand., which was recorded as interest expense.

On September 9, 2024, the Company entered into a working capital loan agreement (the “Working Capital Loan Agreement”) with Allseas Investments, a company related to Allseas. In accordance with the Working Capital Loan Agreement, Allseas Investments provided a loan to the Company of $5 million (the “Working Capital Loan”) on September 10, 2024, to be used towards general corporate purposes and for the repayment of all outstanding amounts under the Short-Term Loan between the Company and the

Lender. The Working Capital Loan is payable to Allseas Investments on or before the earlier of (i) the occurrence of certain financing events and (ii) April 1, 2025 (the “Repayment Date”). The Working Capital Loan will bear interest based on the 6-month Secured Overnight Financing Rate, 180-day average plus a margin of 4.0% per annum and is payable in two installments on January 2, 2025, and the Repayment Date (or plus a margin of 5.0% if all interest payments are deferred to the Repayment Date, at the Company’s election). On October 18, 2024, the Company entered into the First Amendment to the Working Capital Loan Agreement with Allseas Investments, resulting in a further draw of $2.5 million by the Company and a total Working Capital Loan drawn amount of $7.5 million. On March 24, 2025, the Company entered into a Letter Agreement with Allseas Investments and Argentum Cedit Virtuti GCV, pursuant to which the Repayment Date under the Working Capital Loan Agreement was extended to September 30, 2025, with principal and interest now repayable on that date. Additionally, under the same Letter Agreement, the Company and Argentum Cedit Virtuti GCV agreed to cancel the unsecured credit facility established under the 2023 Facility Agreement with no outstanding amounts remaining, other than the Company’s obligation to pay Argentum the Underutilization Fee. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company incurred $0.2 million as interest expense.

As at December 31, 2024, the total amount payable to Allseas and its affiliates was $33.3 million, with $7.5 million of this amount recorded as short-term debt and the remaining balance recorded in accrued liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet (Note 12) (December 31, 2023: $13.8 million, recorded as accrued liabilities). As at December 31, 2024, Allseas and its affiliates owned 53.8 million TMC common shares (2023: 53.8 million TMC common shares) which constituted 15.8% (December 31, 2023: 17.6%) of total common shares outstanding.