Discloure of Significant Accounting Policies

Description of accounting policy for functional currency [text block]

Functional Currency

The functional currency of the Company and its controlled entities are measured using the principal currency of the primary economic environment in which each entity operates. The functional currency of the Company and its subsidiaries is Canadian dollars, except for Cobalt One Limited which has a functional currency of Australian Dollars and United States entities which has a functional currency of US Dollars for 2024 and 2023.

Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional currency using the exchange rates prevailing at the date of the transaction. Foreign currency monetary items are retranslated at the period-end exchange rate. Non-monetary items measured at historical cost continue to be carried at the exchange rate at the date of the transaction. Non-monetary items measured at fair value are reported at the exchange rate at the date when fair values were determined.

Foreign exchange differences on monetary items are recognized in profit or loss in the period in which they arise except for:

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Exchange differences on foreign currency borrowings relating to assets under construction for future productive use, which are included in the costs of assets as they are regarded as an adjustment to interest costs on those currency borrowings.

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Foreign exchange gains or losses arising from a monetary item receivable for or payable to a foreign operation, the settlement of which is neither planned nor likely to occur in the foreseeable future and which in substance is considered to form part of the net investment in the foreign operation are recognized in other comprehensive income or loss.

The assets and liabilities of entities with a functional currency that differs from the presentation currency are translated to the presentation currency as follows:

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Assets and liabilities are translated at the closing rate at the end of the financial reporting period;

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Income, expenses, and cash flows are translated at average exchange rates (unless the average is not a reasonable approximation of the cumulative effect of the rates prevailing on the transaction dates, in which case, income and expenses are translated at the rate on the dates of the transactions);

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Equity transactions are translated using the exchange rate at the date of the transaction; and

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All resulting exchange differences are recognized as a separate component of equity as accumulated other comprehensive income.

During 2023, the Company’s considered primary and secondary indicators in determining functional currency including the currency in which funds from financing activities were generated, the Company re-evaluated the functional currency of its US subsidiaries and determined that a change in their functional currency from Canadian dollars to US Dollars was appropriate. The Company translated its US subsidiaries’ assets and liabilities into the new functional currency of US dollars at the opening spot rate for the year and recorded a translation adjustment from January 1, 2023 onwards to reflect the impact of translating the Company’s US dollar assets and liabilities to the presentation currency. The change in functional currency for these subsidiaries has been applied prospectively.

Description of accounting policy for determining components of cash and cash equivalents [text block]

Cash and Cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand, deposits in banks and highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less.

Description of accounting policy for financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss [text block]

Marketable Securities

Marketable securities represent shares held in a publicly traded company. Marketable securities held by the Company are held for trading purposes and are classified as financial asset measured at FVTPL. At each reporting date, the Company marks-to-market the value of the marketable securities based on quoted market prices; therefore, these financial assets are classified as Level 1 on the fair value hierarchy.

Any profit or loss arising from the sale of these securities, or the revaluation at reporting dates, is recorded to the consolidated statement of income (loss) and other comprehensive income (loss). As the marketable securities are held for trading purposes and not as part of a strategic investment, they are expected to be liquidated within a twelve-month period and are classified as a current asset on the statement of financial position.

Description of accounting policy for exploration and evaluation expenditures [text block]

Exploration and Evaluation Assets

The acquisition costs of mineral property interests have been capitalized as exploration and evaluation assets within the Company’s financial statements. Subsequent exploration and evaluation costs are expensed until the property to which they relate has demonstrated technical feasibility and commercial viability, after which costs are capitalized.

The acquisition costs include the cash consideration paid and the fair market value of any shares issued for mineral property interests being acquired or optioned pursuant to the terms of relevant agreements. When a partial sale of a mineral property occurs, if control is lost the asset is derecognized and there is a resultant gain or loss recorded to profit and loss in the period the transaction takes place. When all of the interest in a property is sold, subject only to any retained royalty interests which may exist, the accumulated property costs are derecognized, with any gain or loss included in profit or loss in the period the transaction takes place.

Management reviews its mineral property interests at each reporting period for indicators of impairment taking into consideration whether there has been a significant adverse change in the legal, regulatory, accessibility, title, environmental or political factors that could affect the property’s value; whether exploration activities produced results that are not promising such that no more work is being planned in the foreseeable future and management’s assessment of likely proceeds from the disposition of the property. If a property’s carrying value exceeds its recoverable amount through either not being recoverable, being abandoned, or considered to have no future economic potential, the acquisition and deferred exploration and evaluation costs are written down to their recoverable amount.

Should a project be put into production, the costs of acquisition will be amortized using the units-of-production method over the life of the project based on estimated economic reserves.

Description of accounting policy for capital long-term prepayments [text block]

Capital Long-Term Prepayments

For major equipment items where milestone payments are made during the manufacturing process, these costs are initially recorded as capital long-term prepayments. Once the piece of equipment is delivered to the Refinery site, the associated cost is then reclassified to property, plant and equipment costs.

Description of accounting policy for borrowing costs [text block]

Borrowing Costs

Borrowing costs are expensed as incurred except where they relate to the financing of construction or development of qualifying assets in which case they are capitalized as property, plant and equipment up to the date when the qualifying asset is ready for its intended use.

Majority of the proceeds from the convertible notes and the government grant are being utilized for the construction and expansion of the Refinery, which given its construction timeline of over a year, is a qualifying asset under IAS 23 Borrowing Costs. Construction of the Refinery has not resumed during 2024 and no borrowing have been capitalized during the year ended December 31, 2024.

Description of accounting policy for non-current assets or disposal groups classified as held for sale [text block]

Assets Held for Sale

Non-current assets, or disposal groups comprising assets and liabilities, are classified as held-for-sale if it is highly probably that they will be recovered primarily through sale rather than through continuing use. Such assets, or disposal groups, are generally measured at the lower of their carrying amount and fair value less costs to sell. Any impairment loss on a disposal group is allocated to the assets and liabilities on a pro rata basis. Impairment losses on initial classification as held-for-sale and subsequent gains and losses on remeasurement are recognized in profit or loss. Once classified as held-for-sale, property, plant, and equipment are no longer amortized or depreciated.

Description of accounting policy for share-based payment transactions [text block]

Share-based payment transactions

The Company has a long-term incentive plan that provides for the granting of options, deferred share units (“DSUs”), restricted share units (“RSUs”) and performance share units (“PSUs”) to officers, directors, consultants and related company employees to acquire shares of the Company.

(i) Stock options

The fair value of the options is measured on grant date and is recognized as an expense with a corresponding increase in reserves as the options vest. Options granted to employees and others providing similar services are measured on grant date at the fair value of the instruments issued. Fair value is determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model considering the terms and conditions upon which the options were granted. The amount recognized as an expense is adjusted to reflect the actual number of stock options that are expected to vest. Each tranche in an award with graded vesting is considered a separate grant with a different vesting date and fair value. Each grant is accounted for on that basis.

Options granted to non-employees are measured at the fair value of the goods or services received, unless that fair value cannot be estimated reliably, in which case the fair value of the equity instruments issued is used. The value of the goods or services is recorded at the earlier of the vesting date, or the date the goods or services are received. On vesting, share-based payments are recorded as an operating expense and as reserves. When options are exercised, the consideration received is recorded as share capital. The related share-based payments originally recorded as reserves remain in reserves on either exercise or expiry of the underlying options.

(ii) Deferred, restricted and performance share units

DSUs, RSUs and PSUs are classified as equity settled share-based payments and are measured at fair value on the grant date. The expense for DSUs, RSUs and PSUs, to be redeemed in shares, is recognized over the vesting period, or using management’s best estimate when contractual provisions restrict vesting until completion of certain performance conditions, with a charge as an expense and a corresponding increase in reserves as the instrument vests. Upon exercise of any DSUs, RSUs, and PSUs, the grant date fair value of the instrument is transferred to share capital.

Description of accounting policy for income tax [text block]

Income taxes

Income tax expense is comprised of current and deferred taxes. Current tax and deferred tax are recognized in profit or loss, except to the extent that they relate to items recognized directly in equity or equity investments.

Current tax is the expected tax payable or receivable on the taxable income or loss for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the reporting date, and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years.

Deferred tax is recognized in respect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. Deferred tax is measured at the tax rates that are expected to be applied to temporary differences when they reverse, based on the laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset if there is a legally enforceable right to offset current tax liabilities and assets, and they relate to income taxes levied by the same tax authority for the same taxable entity. A deferred tax asset is recognized for unused tax losses, tax credits and deductible temporary differences, to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits will be available against which they can be utilized. Deferred tax assets are reviewed at each reporting date and are reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that the related income tax benefit will be realized.

Description of accounting policy for segment reporting [text block]

Operating Segments

The Company’s Chief Operating Decision Maker reviews operating results and assesses performance for the Refinery and exploration and evaluation activities on a separate basis, and therefore, the Refinery and exploration and evaluation assets both meet the definition of a segment. Upon the decision to move into the full development stage of the Refinery, this business unit is now likely to earn revenue and incur expenses that are separate and discrete from the rest of the Company. The Company’s operating segments are as follows:

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Refinery

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Exploration and Evaluation assets

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Corporate and Other

Description of accounting policy for financial liabilities [text block]

Government Loans

The Company received funding from the Federal Government of Canada in the form of non-interest-bearing loans. The Company records the present value of these loans, assuming a market rate of interest, as a liability in accordance with IFRS 9 Financial Instruments. The difference between the funding received and the present value of the loan is the benefit provided by the below market interest rate and is recorded as government grant liability. This is amortized to income over the life of the Refinery asset to which the funding related to.

The funding from the Federal Government of Canada is received as a proportion of construction costs incurred.

Description of accounting policy for borrowings [text block]

Convertible notes payable

Convertible notes payable are financial instruments which contain a separate financial liability and equity instrument. These financial instruments are accounted for separately dependent on the nature of their components. The identification of such components embedded within a convertible notes payable requires significant judgement given that it is based on the interpretation of the substance of the contractual arrangement. The convertible notes are considered to contain embedded derivatives. The embedded derivatives were measured at fair value upon initial recognition and separated from the debt component of the notes. The debt component of the notes is measured at residual value upon initial recognition. Subsequent to initial recognition, the embedded derivative components are re-measured at fair value at each reporting date while the debt components are accreted to the face value of the note using the effective interest rate through periodic charges to finance expense over the term of the note. The Company elected to measure the convertible notes payable at fair value as a whole instrument (“FVO”), therefore the convertible notes payable are measured at FVTPL at their entirety.