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Derivative Financial Instruments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivative Financial Instruments

NOTE 9 – DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Litigation Financing

On June 14, 2019, Odyssey and Exploraciones Oceánicas S. de R.L. de C.V., our Mexican subsidiary ("ExO" and, together with Odyssey, the "Claimholder"), and Poplar Falls LLC (the "Funder") entered into an International Claims Enforcement Agreement (the "Agreement"), pursuant to which the Funder agreed to provide financial assistance to the Claimholder to facilitate the prosecution and recovery of the claim by the Claimholder against the United Mexican States under Chapter Eleven of the North American Free Trade Agreement ("NAFTA") for violations of the Claimholder's rights under NAFTA related to the development of an undersea phosphate deposit off the coast of Baja Sur, Mexico (the "Project"), on our own behalf and on behalf of ExO and United Mexican States (the "Subject Claim"). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Funder agreed to specified fees and expenses regarding the Subject Claim (the "Claims Payments") incrementally and at the Funder's sole discretion.

Under the terms of the Agreement, the Funder agreed to make Claims Payments in an aggregate amount not to exceed $6.5 million (the "Maximum Investment Amount"). The Maximum Investment Amount will be made available to the Claimholder in two phases, as set forth below:

(a)
a first phase, in which the Funder shall make Claims Payments in an aggregate amount no greater than $1.5 million for the payment of antecedent and ongoing costs ("Phase I Investment Amount"); and
(b)
a second phase, in which the Funder shall make Claims Payments in an aggregate amount no greater than $5.0 million for the purposes of pursuing the Subject Claim to a final award ("Phase II Investment Amount").

Upon exhaustion of the Phase I Investment Amount, the Claimholder will have the option to request Tranche A of the Phase II Investment Amount, consisting of funding up to $3.5 million ("Tranche A Committed Amount"). Upon exhaustion of the Tranche A Committed Amount, the Claimholder will have the option to request Tranche B of the Phase II Investment Amount, consisting of funding of up to $1.5 million ("Tranche B Committed Amount"). The Claimholder must exercise its option to receive the Tranche A Committed Amount in writing, no less than thirty days before submitting a Funding Request to the Funder under Tranche A. The Claimholder must exercise its option to receive the Tranche B Committed Amount in writing within forty-five days after the exhaustion of the Tranche A Committed Amount. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Claimholder agreed that, upon exercising the Claimholder's option to receive funds under Phase I, Tranche A of Phase II, or Tranche B of Phase II, the Funder will be the sole source of third-party funding for the specified fees and expenses of the Subject Claim under each respective phase and tranche covered by the option exercised, and the Claimholder will obtain funding for such fees and expenses, only as set forth in the Agreement. The Funder was due closing fee of $80,000 for the Phase I Investment Amount, and $80,000 for the Phase II Investment Amount to pay third parties in connection with due diligence and other administrative and transaction costs incurred by the Funder prior to and in furtherance of execution of the Agreement.

Upon the Funder making Claims Payments to the Claimholder or its designees in an aggregate amount equal to the Maximum Investment Amount, the Funder has the option to continue funding the specified fees and expenses in relation to the Subject Claim on

the same terms and conditions provided in the Agreement. The Funder must exercise its option to continue funding in writing, within thirty days after the Funder has made Claims Payments in an aggregate amount equal to the Maximum Investment Amount. If the Funder exercises its option to continue funding, the parties agreed to attempt in good faith to amend the Agreement to provide the Funder with the right to provide at the Funder's discretion funding in excess of the Maximum Investment Amount, in an amount up to the greatest amount that may then be reasonably expected to be committed for investment in Subject Claim. If the Funder declines to exercise its option, the Claimholder may negotiate and enter into agreements with one or more third parties to provide funding, which shall be subordinate to the Funder's rights under the Agreement.

The Agreement provides that the Claimholder may at any time without the consent of the Funder either settle or refuse to settle the Subject Claim for any amount; provided, however, that if the Claimholder settles the Subject Claim without the Funder's consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed, the value of the Recovery Percentage (as defined below) will be deemed to be the greater of (a) the Recovery Percentage (under Phase I or Phase II, as applicable), or (b) the total amount of all Claims Payments made in connection with such Subject Claim multiplied by three (3).

If the Claimholder ceases the Subject Claim for any reason other than (a) a full and final Arbitral Award against the Claimholder or (b) a full and final monetary settlement of the claims, including in particular, for a grant of an environmental permit to the Claimholder allowing it to proceed with the Project (with or without a monetary component), all Claims Payments under Phase I and, if Claimholder has exercised the corresponding option, the Tranche A Committed Amount and Tranche B Committed Amount, shall immediately convert to a senior secured liability of the Claimholder. This sum shall incur an annualized internal rate of return ("IRR") of 50.0% retroactive to the date each Funding Request was paid by the Funder (under Phase I), or, to the conversion date for the Tranche A Committed Amount and Tranche B Committed Amount of Phase II if the Claimholder has exercised the respective option (collectively, the "Conversion Amount"). Such Conversion Amount and any and all accrued IRR shall be payable in-full by the Claimholder within 24 months of the date of such conversion, after which time any outstanding Conversion Amounts, shall accrue an ("IRR") of 100.0%, retroactive to the conversion date (the "Penalty Interest Amount"). The Claimholder will execute such documents and take other actions as necessary to grant the Funder a senior security interest on and over all sums due and owing by the Claimholder in order to secure its obligation to pay the Conversion Amount to the Funder. If the Claimholder ceases the Subject Claim due to the grant of an environmental permit (with or without a monetary component), all Claims Payments under Phase 1 and, if the Claimholder has exercised the corresponding option, the Tranche A Committed Amount and Tranche B Committed Amount shall immediately convert to a senior secured liability of the Claimholder and shall incur an annualized an IRR of 50.0% on the Conversion Amount, from the conversion date. Management has estimated it is more likely than not the Subject Claim will result in the issuance of the environmental permit requiring us to record interest under US GAAP. Reliance should not be placed on this estimate in determining the likely outcome of the Subject Claim.

If, at any time after exercising its option to receive funds under either Tranche A or Tranche B of Phase II, the Claimholder wishes to fund the Subject Claim with its own capital ("Self-Funding") (which excludes any Claims Payments made, either directly or indirectly, by any other third party), the Claimholder shall immediately pay to the Funder the Conversion Amount, provided that this requirement shall not apply if, after the Funder has made Claims Payments in an aggregate amount equal to the Maximum Investment Amount, the Funder does not exercise its option to provide Follow-On Funding.

In the event of any receipt of proceeds resulting from the Subject Claim ("Proceeds"), the Funder shall be entitled to any additional sums above the Conversion Amount to which the Funder is entitled as described below. Should the Claimholder cease the Subject Claim as described above after Self-Funding the Claim, accrued IRR and Penalty Interest shall be calculated and paid to the Funder as set forth above. The Funder's rights to the Recovery Percentage as defined below shall survive any decision by Claimholder to utilize Self-Funding. The parties acknowledge this Agreement constitutes a sale of the right to a portion of the Proceeds (if any) arising from the Subject Claim as set forth in this Agreement. The Claimholder has relinquished its right to the portion of the proceeds, if any, that the Funder would have the right to as described below. This sale of proceeds is being accounted for under the guidance of ASC 815 Derivatives and Hedging)

On each Distribution Date, distributions of the Proceeds shall be made to the Claimholder and the Funder in accordance with subparagraph (a) or (b) below (the "Recovery Percentage"), as applicable:

(a)
If the Claimholder receives only the Phase I Investment Amount from the Funder, the first Proceeds shall be distributed as follows:
(i)
first, 100.0% to the Funder, until the cumulative amount distributed to the Funder equals the total Claims Payments paid by the Funder under Phase I;
(ii)
second, 100.0% to the Funder until the cumulative amount distributed to the Funder equals an IRR of 20% of Claims Payments paid by the Funder under Phase I ("Phase I Compensation"), per annum; and
(iii)
thereafter, 100.0% to the Claimholder.
(b)
If the Claimholder exercises its options to receive Tranche A or both Tranche A and Tranche B of the Phase II Investment Amount, the first Proceeds shall be distributed as follows:
(i)
first, 100.0% to the Funder until the cumulative amount distributed to the Funder equals the total Claims Payments paid by the Funder under Phases I and II;
(ii)
second, 100.0% to the Funder until the cumulative amount distributed to the Funder equals an additional 300.0% of Phase I Investment Amount; plus an additional 300% of the Tranche A Committed Amount (i.e. 300.0% of $3.5 million), less any amounts remaining of the Tranche A Committed Amount that​​​​​​​ the Funder did not pay as Claims Payments; plus an additional 300.0% of the Tranche B Committed Amount (i.e. 300.0% of $1.5 million), if the Claimholder exercises the Tranche B funding option, less any amounts remaining of the Tranche B Committed Amount that the Funder did not pay as Claims Payments;
(iii)
third, for each $10,000 in specified fees and expenses paid by the Funder under Phase I and Phase II and any amounts over each $10,000 of the Tranche A Committed Amount and the Tranche B Committed Amount (if the Claimholder exercises the Tranche B funding option), 0.01% of the total Proceeds from any recoveries after repayment of (i) and (ii) above, to the Funder; and
(iv)
thereafter, 100% to the Claimholder.

The Agreement provides that if no Proceeds are ever paid to or received by the Claimholder or its representatives and if the environmental permit is not issued, the Funder shall have no right of recourse or right of action against the Claimholder or its representatives, or any of their respective property, assets, or undertakings, except as otherwise specifically contemplated by the Agreement. If (a) Proceeds are paid to or received by the Claimholder or its representatives; (b) such Proceeds are promptly applied and/or distributed by the Claimholder or on behalf of the Claimholder in accordance with the terms of the Agreement; and (c) the amount received by the Funder as a result thereof is not sufficient to pay all of the Recovery Percentage and all of the amounts due to the Funder under the Agreement, then (provided that all of the Proceeds which the Funder will ever be entitled to have been paid to or received by the Funder), the Funder shall have no right of recourse or action against the Claimholder or its Representatives, or any of their property, assets, or undertakings, except as otherwise specifically contemplated by the Agreement. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Claimholder acknowledged the Funder's priority right, title, and interest in any Proceeds, including against any available collateral to secure its obligations under the Agreement, which security interest shall be first in priority as against all other security interests in the Proceeds. The Claimholder also acknowledged and agreed to execute and authorize the filing of a financing statement or similar and to take such other actions in such jurisdictions as the Funder, in its sole discretion, deems necessary and appropriate to perfect such security interest. The Agreement also includes representations and warranties, covenants, conditions, termination and indemnification provisions, and other provisions customary for comparable arrangements.

Amendment and Restatement (January 31, 2020)

On January 31, 2020, the Claimholder and the Funder entered into an Amended and Restated International Claims Enforcement Agreement (the "Restated Agreement"). The material terms and provisions that were amended or otherwise modified are as follows:
The Funder agreed to provide up to $2.2 million in Arbitration Support Funds for the purpose of paying the Claimholder's litigation support costs in connection with Subject Claim;
A closing fee of $0.2 million has been retained by the Funder in connection with due diligence and other transaction costs incurred by the Funder;
A warrant was issued to purchase our common stock which is exercisable for a period of five years beginning on the earlier of (a) the date on which the Claimholder ceases the Subject Claim for any reason other than a full and final Arbitral Award against the Claimholder or a full and final monetary settlement of the claims or (b) the date on which Proceeds are received and deposited into escrow. The exercise price per share is $3.99, and the Funder can exercise the warrant to purchase the number of shares of our common stock equal to the dollar amount of Arbitration Support Funds provided to us pursuant to the Restated Agreement divided by the exercise price per share (subject to customary adjustments and limitations); and
All other terms in the Restated Agreement are substantially the same as in the original Agreement.

During 2020, the Funder provided us with $2.0 million of the Arbitration Support Funds, and we incurred $0.2 million in related fees that were treated as an additional advance. Upon each funding, the proceeds were allocated between debt and equity for the warrants based on the relative fair value of the two instruments. As a result, there was an immediate expense of $1.1 million related to the derivative.

Although the warrants only become exercisable upon the occurrence of future events, they are considered issued for accounting purposes and were valued using a binomial lattice model. The expected volatility assumption was based on the historical volatility of our common stock. The expected life assumption was primarily based on management's expectations of when the Warrants will become exercisable and the risk-free interest rate for the expected term of the warrant is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of measurement.

Second Amendment and Restatement (December 12, 2020)

On December 12, 2020, the Claimholder and the Funder entered into a Second Amended and Restated International Claims Enforcement Agreement (the "Second Restated Agreement") relating to the Subject Claim. Under the terms of the Second Restated Agreement, the Funder has made and agreed to make Claims Payments in an aggregate amount not to exceed $20.0 million (the "Maximum Investment Amount"). The Second Restated Agreement required the Funder to make Claims Payments in an aggregate amount no greater than $10.0 million for the purposes of pursuing the Subject Claim to a final award ("Phase III Investment Amount"). We also incurred $0.2 million in related fees which were treated as an additional advance. This Second Restated Agreement includes the same representations and warranties, covenants, conditions, termination and indemnification provisions, and other provisions as in the original agreement.

Third Amendment and Restatement (June 14, 2021)

On June 14, 2021, the Claimholder and the Funder entered into a Third Amended and Restated International Claims Enforcement Agreement (the "Third Restated Agreement") relating to the Subject Claim. Under the terms of the Third Restated Agreement, the Funder agreed to make Claims Payments in an aggregate amount not to exceed $25.0 million, an increase of $5.0 million (the "Incremental Amount"). The Third Restated Agreement requires the Claimholder to request $2.5 million of the Incremental Amount (the "First $2.5 Million"). Within 15 days after exhaustion of the First $2.5 Million, the Claimholder may either (a) request the remaining $2.5 million (the "Second $2.5 Million") of the Incremental Amount or (b) notify the Funder that the Claimholder has decided to self-fund the Second $2.5 Million. We also incurred $80,000 in related fees which were treated as an additional advance. This Third Restated Agreement includes the same representations and warranties, covenants, conditions, termination and indemnification provisions, and other provisions as in the original agreement. As of December 31, 2024, the Funder has made Claim Payments in the aggregate amount of $24.8 million.

Waiver and Consent (March 6, 2023)

On March 6, 2023, the Claimholder and the Funder under the agreement entered into a Waiver and Consent Agreement, pursuant to which, among other things, the Funder consented (i) to consent to allow the Claimholder to fund certain costs and expenses arising from the Subject Claim from the Claimholder's own capital in an aggregate amount not to exceed $5.0 million, and (ii) Odyssey paid a $1.0 million non-refundable waiver fee to the Funder.

On September 17, 2024, the Company received notification from the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (“ICSID”) of the arbitral award (the “Arbitral Award”) on the claims brought by the Company on behalf of itself and ExO, against the United Mexican States under NAFTA. The arbitral tribunal issued an award in favor of the Company and ExO. The award orders Mexico to pay $37.1 million for breaching its obligations under NAFTA, plus interest (the “Award Interest”) at the one-year Mexico Treasury bond rate, compounded annually, from October 12, 2018, until the award is paid in full, plus the arbitrators’ fees and ICSID administrative costs. The amounts awarded are net of Mexican taxes and Mexico may not tax the award. The case filings and the award are available on the ICSID website. On December 12, 2024, Mexico commenced an application before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice seeking to set-aside the Arbitral Award.

The fair value of the obligation at December 31, 2024 and 2023 is $57.0 million and $52.1 million, respectively, with changes in the fair value of $4.8 million and $6.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Conversion Option - March 2023 Notes and December 2023 Notes

As discussed in Note 7, Loans Payable, the Company amended the March 2023 Notes and the December 2023 Notes to add, among other things, a conversion option. Refer to Note 7, Loans Payable for discussion on the significant terms of the conversion. The Company assessed the March 2023 Notes and December 2023 Notes, as amended, under ASC 815 and determined the conversion feature is an embedded liability that is recorded at fair value and remeasured to fair value on each reporting period.

As of December 31, 2024, the fair value of the derivative liability of the March 2023 Notes and December 2023 Notes was $2.7 million and $0.3 million, respectively, both which are recorded within Debt derivative liability in the consolidated balance sheet. In addition, the Company recorded changes in the fair value of $2.1 million and $0.1 million for the March 2023 Notes and December 2023 Notes, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2024, which is recorded in Change in derivative liabilities fair value within the consolidated statement of operations.