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Alien Metals

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FY2018 Annual Report · Alien Metals
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Alien Metals Ltd 
Annual Report  
For the year ended 31 December 2018 

 
 
    
 
 
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Contents 

Chair & Chief Executive’s statement ..................................................................... 3 

Business overview ............................................................................................ 4 

Strategy and business model ..................................................................... 4 

Financial highlights ................................................................................. 4 

Overview of operations ............................................................................ 4 

Copper project ...................................................................................... 4 

Silver projects ....................................................................................... 4 

Future outlook ...................................................................................... 5 

Governance .................................................................................................... 6 

Chair’s Corporate governance statement ...................................................... 6 

Board leadership .................................................................................... 7 

Nomination & Remuneration Committee Report ............................................. 11 

Audit Committee Report ......................................................................... 14 

Risk Management .................................................................................. 16 

Financial statements ........................................................................................ 23 

Directors responsibilities statement ........................................................... 23 

Independent auditor’s report ................................................................... 24 

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income ......................................... 28 

Consolidated statement of financial position ................................................ 29 

Consolidated statement of cash flows ......................................................... 30 

Consolidated statement of changes in equity ................................................ 31 

Notes to the financial statements .............................................................. 32 

Other information ........................................................................................... 51 

Forward looking statements 
Certain information in this annual report may constitute a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are frequently 
characterised by words such as “plan”, “expect”, “forecast”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “budget”, 
“scheduled”, “outlook” and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. 

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Rather, they are based on current opinions and estimates 
of management and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ 
from  any  future  results  or  developments  expressed  or  implied  from  each  forward-looking  statement.  Each  forward-looking 
statement is expressed only as at the date on which it is made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-
looking statements if circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions should change, other than as required by securities 
laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chair & Chief Executive’s statement 

2018 was a year of significant change for shareholders with the Company changing the composition of its board 
and  bringing  in  new  leadership  and  direction;  these  changes  continued  into  2019,  which  saw  our  respective 
appointments to the Board in February. 

The Company’s former Executive Chairman, Dennis Edmonds, set a strategy  of reducing corporate overheads, 
value  accretion  of  the  Mexican  asset  portfolio  and  acquiring  or  entering  into  joint  ventures  for  additional 
projects  in  Mexico  or  other  jurisdictions  with  an  established  mining  community,  stable  political  background, 
and where we can be assured of strong operational control. 

During  Dennis’  tenure,  good  progress  was  made  to  reduce  costs  and,  following  a  strategic  review  of  the 
company’s assets, field exploration continued to satisfy minimum expenditure requirements and progress the 
greenfield  Donovan  2  concession  to  a  drill  ready  target.  The  complementary  disciplines  of  geophysical, 
detailed  mapping  and  sampling  and geochemical  and  geochemical  analysis  are  being  similarly  applied  to  the 
company’s other primary targets; Los Campos and San Celso.  

We are committed to delivering on the strategy of acquiring one or more additional projects and are seeking 
to  identify  a  suitable  project  that  can  be  acquired,  earned  into  or  joint  ventured  at  a  price  which  will  not 
overly  dilute  existing  Shareholders.  We  intend,  in  making  any  investment,  to  ensure  the  costs  and  capital 
commitments are minimised to an acceptable level for a company of Alien’s market capitalisation and capital 
resources. 

We believe that in order to successfully grow this Group we need to focus on channelling the funds invested in 
it towards  exploration activity, business development and acquisitions, and this is at the  heart of everything 
we do. 

The Group’s work to identify suitable acquisition targets to date has included lithium projects, gold and base 
metals projects in a range of jurisdictions including Mexico, Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia. Alien works to a 
strict selection criteria centred on assessing risk, appropriate scale and likely upside. 

We  look  forward  to  sharing  further  results  from  our  exploration  work  at  the  Donovan  2  project,  and  also 
hopefully to reporting on the successful acquisition of a suitable project to add to the Company’s portfolio. 

Dan Smith 
Chair  

Peter Taylor 
Chief Executive Officer 

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3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Business overview 

Strategy and business model 
is  to  create  a  multi-
Alien  Metals’  objective 
commodity  portfolio 
in 
jurisdictions  with  established  mining  communities, 
stable  political  backgrounds,  and  where  strong 
operational controls can be assured. 

of  mining  projects 

The Group has operated in Mexico for over ten years 
during  which  time  it  has  established  long-term 
relationships  with  local  government,  communities, 
and key stakeholders.  

Alien  Metals’  geological  experts  assess  and  identify 
projects  for  potential  mineralisation.  Wherever 
possible,  the  projects  are  acquired  on  a  low-cost 
is 
option  basis  whilst  preliminary  exploration 
undertaken to assess the merits of further work. 

The  Company  routinely  evaluates  mining  projects  in 
jurisdictions  other  than  Mexico;  during  2018,  this 
included Namibia and the Ukraine. These evaluations 
have  not  yet  led  to  the  Company  making  an 
acquisition. 

studies  evidence 

Where  preliminary 
sufficient 
mineralisation,  increasingly  comprehensive  studies 
will  be  undertaken  with  a  view  to  delineating  a 
compliant  mineral  resource  estimate  in  readiness  of 
potential  sale  of  the  asset  to  a  producing  mining 
company,  at  which  time  a  significant  premium  over 
its  acquisition  and  development  cost  may  be 
justified. 

Financial highlights 
All dollar amounts in this annual report and financial 
statements are US dollars, unless stated otherwise. 

As  at  31  December  2018,  the  Group  had  total  assets 
of  $0.7  million  (2017:  $1.3  million)  of  which  $0.3 
million (2017: $0.9 million) was cash. The Group had 
total liabilities of $0.1 million (2017: $0.1 million) of 
which $0.1 million were current liabilities (2017: $0.1 
million). 

In the year ended 2018 the Group made an operating 
loss of $1.5 million (2017: $1.4 million) and a loss per 
share of 0.3 cents (2017: 0.5 cents). 

Overview of operations 
During  2018,  the  Group  completed  its  initial  high 
level  exploration  programme  over  its  portfolio  of 
mining  concessions  covering  an  area  of  over 
approximately 1,500 hectares,  to develop and direct 
future exploration work. 

As  at  31  December  2018,  the  Company  held  12  fully 
owned mining concessions 

4 

Copper project 

Donovan 2 project 
The  Company’s  750  hectare  Donovan  2  flagship 
project is located to the southeast of Zacatecas city 
and  in  close  proximity  to  Alien’s  portfolio  other 
wholly  owned  projects  along  the  Mexican  precious 
and base metals belt. The Teck Resources San Nicolás 
copper zinc deposit and Minera Frisco El Coronel gold 
mine are both located within 25km. 

Alien  Metals'  preliminary  exploration  programme  on 
this project, has identified several areas that exhibit 
pathfinder 
indicators  of  volcanogenic  massive 
sulphide  (VMS)-style  mineralisation,  and  ground 
magnetic  geophysics  and  induced  polarisation  have 
confirmed 
sub-surface  VMS-style 
mineralisation. 

indications  of 

Silver projects 

Los Campos project 
The  Los  Campos  project  comprises  four  concessions 
covering  an  area  of  approximately  500  hectares  and 
is  located on the  south side  of the city of Zacatecas 
and  bounds  the  Endeavour  Silver  El  Compas  gold 
mine. The property  encompasses at least two known 
veins:  the  Los  Campos  vein  and  the  San Rafael  vein, 
and  is  easily  accessible  15-minutes’  drive  from  the 
centre of the City of Zacatecas. 

The  Los  Campos  vein  system  has  been  developed 
along  a  strike  distance  of  3.3km  and  to  depths 
exceeding  100m.  Our  geological  mapping  and 
sampling  discovered  additional  veins  running  either 
parallel or nearly parallel to the Los Campos vein. 

San Celso project 
The  88  hectare  San  Celso  project  is  located  in  the 
historic  mining  district  of  Pánfilo  Natera-Ojocaliente 
and  is  surrounded  by  other  concessions  to  the  south 
and  west.  It  encompasses  two  veins:  the  San  Celso 
and  Las  Cristinitas  veins.  Work  carried  out  during 
2018 resulted in the surface extension of these veins 
of 800 metres. Samples taken to date have evidenced 
grades  of  up  to  395g/t  Ag,  13,700ppm  Pb,  and 
13,900ppm Zn. 

La Africana project 
The  La  Africana  project  is  a  strategically  located 
project  covering  approximately  15  hectares,  3 
kilometres south west of Pánfilo Natera. The project 
encompasses a past-producing mine and work carried 
out  on  the  project  evidences  significant  zones  of 
high-grade  silver  mineralisation  over  respectable 
widths. 

Other silver mining concessions 
Alien  Metals  holds  two  additional  concessions  not 
otherwise  grouped  into  project  groupings,  covering 
almost  142  hectares.  These  concessions  were 
acquired  in  2006  because  of  their  strategic  position 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
to  the  San  Celso  project.  These  concessions  too 
require further exploratory work to fully assess their 
economic potential. 

Future outlook 
The  Company has benefited from fresh leadership, a 
new  perspective,  and  the  financial  support  of 
experienced  mining  professionals 
the 
injection  of  additional  cash  resources  in  May  2018.

through 

The  directors  have  taken  action  to  reduce  the 
Company’s  expenditures  and  to  identify  and  acquire 
small  but  scalable  projects  in  jurisdictions  with 
stable  governments,  and  in  commodities  considered 
to have strong futures, both in the short-to-medium, 
and long term. 

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5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Governance 

Chair’s corporate governance statement 
Maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance in the context of the stage, size and complexity of 
any  company,  together  with  robust  systems  of  internal  control  are  fundamental  building  blocks  for  any 
business. 

Following  the  change  to  the  AIM  Rules  in  March  2018,  the  Board  resolved  to  adopt  the  QCA  Corporate 
Governance  Code.  In  July  2018,  the  Financial  Reporting  Council  published  an  update  to  the  UK  Corporate 
Governance  Code  for  accounting  periods  beginning  on  or  after  1  January  2019  (the  “Code”),  and  the  Board 
resolved to adopt this code with immediate effect.  

The  UK  Corporate  Governance  Code  is  widely  recognised  as  setting  the  highest  standard  for  corporate 
governance and is written to accommodate very large companies as well as much smaller ones. The directors 
have  therefore  satisfied  themselves  that  appropriate  governance  structures,  policies  and  procedures  are  in 
place, and have made training available to all directors. 

All directors have access to the services of the Company Secretary, who is responsible for advising the board 
on all governance matters. Both the appointment and removal of the  Company Secretary are matters for the 
whole board. 

The provisions of the Code that the Company does not apply are summarised below, and described in further 
detail within this annual report: 

Employee engagement 
The  Board  has  not  appointed  a  director  from  the  workforce,  created  a  formal  workforce  advisory  panel,  or 
designated a non-executive director to engage with the workforce. This is contrary to Code provision 5 and is 
explained in the section headed “Culture and employees” on page 9. 

Senior independent director 
The  Board  has  not  appointed  a  senior  independent  director.  This  is  contrary  to  Code  provision  12  and  is 
explained in the section headed “Senior Independent Director” on page 8. 

Meetings with non-executive directors 
Significant  changes  to  the  Board  were  made  during  2018  and  as  a  consequence,  neither  Chair  met  with  the 
non-executive directors in the absence of the executive directors during the course of 2018. This is contrary to 
Code provision 13. The Chair  intends to meet with the non-executive directors in accordance with  this Code 
provision during 2019. 

Annual evaluation of the performance of the board 
The Board does not carry out a formal annual evaluation of the performance of the board, its committees, the 
Chair  and  individual  directors.  This  is  contrary  to  Code  provision  21  and  is  explained  in  the  section  headed 
“Board assessments” on page 15. 

Performance related pay 
Non-executive directors participate in the Company’s share option plan. This is contrary to Code provision 34 
and is explained in the section headed “Share Option Plan and Option-Based Awards” on page 13. 

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6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Board leadership 
The  Board  of  Directors  is  responsible  for  overseeing  the  long  term  success  and  strategic  direction  of  the 
Company  in  accordance  with  the  schedule  of  matters  reserved  for  board  decision  and  it  responsible  for 
monitoring the activities of the executive management. 

Non-executive Chair 
Daniel Smith 
(appointed  26  February 
2019) 

Skills and experience 
Dan Smith has over 10 years’ capital markets experience working in various  roles 
including  as  an  Executive  and  Non-Executive  Director  and  Company  Secretary  of 
companies with shares quoted on AIM, ASX and NSX. He is the founder of Minerva 
Corporate  Pty  Ltd,  a  boutique  corporate  services  firm  focused  on  providing 
corporate  advisory,  company  secretarial,  and  accounting  services  to  listed  and 
unlisted entities, as well as compliance manager services for IPOs and RTOs across 
sectors including natural resources. Dan is currently a Non-Executive Director and 
Company Secretary of AIM traded Europa Metals Ltd, a European focused zinc-lead 
exploration company. 

Roles on Board committees 
None 

Chief Executive Officer 
Peter Taylor 
(appointed  26  February 
2019) 

Skills and experience 
Peter Taylor commenced his career as a mining engineer at De Beers Consolidated 
Mines  in  1986.  He  has  over  25  years’  experience  leading  strategic  operations 
within  the  mining  and  exploration  sector  in  Africa,  Southeast  Asia  and  Europe, 
including as Chief Operating Officer at formerly AIM and TSX:V traded African gold 
and iron company, African Aura Mining Inc. 

Roles on Board committees 
None 

Non-executive director 
Christopher Gordon 
(appointed 15 May 2018) 

Skills and experience 
Chris  Gordon  has  a  Bachelor  of  Economics  degree  awarded  by  the  University  of 
London  and  over  10  years’  experience  in  the  financial  services  sector  in  London, 
working  in  dealing  and  trading  roles  with  a  focus  on  raising  capital  for  listed 
companies. Chris Gordon previously acted as a non-executive director for Gunsynd 
plc which is listed on AIM. 

Roles on Board committees 
Member:  
Member: 

Audit Committee  
Nomination & Remuneration Committee 

Non-executive director 
James Cable 

Skills and experience 
James Cable has been a chartered accountant for over 40 years and has extensive 
experience  at  board  level  in  various  companies.  He  has  significant  international 
and commercial experience gained in the Middle East, Africa, Far East and Europe 
in  several  business  sectors  including  natural  resources  and  construction.  He  is  a 
former  Finance  Director  of  Kopane  Diamond  Developments  Plc  and  Mantle 
Diamonds  Ltd  and  he  advises  natural  resources  companies  on  corporate  strategy 
and project finance and is a director of GemRock Company Ltd. 

Roles on Board committees 
Chair:  
Chair: 

Audit Committee  
Nomination & Remuneration Committee 

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Company Secretary 
David Taylor 

Skills and experience 
David  Taylor  is  a  Fellow  of  The  Institute  of  Chartered  Secretaries  and 
Administrators  (“ICSA”),  has  held  senior  roles  in  a  number  of  international  blue 
chip  companies,  and  most  recently  prior  to  his  appointment  to  the  Company, 
served as Assistant Company Secretary of ICSA, a leading authority on governance 
and compliance. 

Roles on Board committees 
Secretary:  
Secretary: 

Audit Committee  
Nomination & Remuneration Committee 

Directors who served during the year ended 31 December 2018 are listed on page 51. 

In the period to May 2018 (when Jim Williams retired as Chief Executive), there had been a clear division of 
responsibilities between the Chair and the Chief Executive. The Chair was responsible for the leadership of the 
Board  and  ensuring  its  effectiveness.  The  Chief  Executive  was  responsible  for  the  performance  of  the 
Company,  together  with  the  Chair.  Following  Jim  Williams’  retirement,  Dennis  Edmonds  served  as  the  sole 
executive  director  until  the  appointment  of  Peter  Taylor  as  Chief  Executive  Officer  in  February  2019. 
Following the resignation of Dennis Edmonds in April 2019, Dan Smith was appointed as Non-Executive Chair. 

The following documents are available on the Company’s website, www.alienmetals.uk: 
Schedule setting out the division of responsibilities between the Chair and CEO; 
Terms of reference of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee 
Terms of reference of the Audit Committee 

 
 
 

Independent directors 
At  least  half  the  Board,  excluding  the  Chair,  comprises  independent  non-executive  directors  who  provide  a 
balance  of  skills  and  experience,  and  who  are  responsible  for  providing  constructive  challenge  to  and 
assistance in, developing proposals on strategy. 

James Cable is deemed an independent director; he has acted as a director of the Company for more than nine 
years,  which  can  in  some  circumstances  be  seen  to  impair  a  director’s  independence,  however,  the  Board 
recognises  significant  value  of  having  a  director  familiar  with  the  history  of  the  Company  and  the  Board 
consider Mr Cable to be independent in character and judgement. All the non-executive directors participate 
in  the  Company’s  share  option  plan;  the  extent  of  their  participation  is  not  considered  to  impact  their 
independence. 

Each of James Cable and Chris Gordon is deemed independent. 

Senior Independent Director 
The  role  of  a  Senior  Independent  Director  is  to  provide  a  sounding  board  for  the  Chair  and  serve  as  an 
intermediary  for  the  other  directors  and  shareholders.  In  addition,  a  senior  independent  director  would  be 
expected to meet the other non-executive directors without the Chair present, to appraise his performance. 

The Company Secretary, as well as each of the non-executive directors, is available as a sounding board to the 
Chair and to serve as an intermediary for shareholders. The Company Secretary is also available to serve as an 
intermediary for any of the directors when required. The nomination of any one particular director to act as a 
Senior  Independent  Director  is  not  considered  by  the  Board,  at  the  present  time,  to  improve  its  effective 
operation, although the matter is kept under review. 

The  process  through  which  board  assessments  are  undertaken  is  more  fully  described  in  the  section  headed 
“Board assessments”, on page 15. 

Operation of the board 
All  directors  are  required  to  allocate  sufficient  time  to  the  Company  to  discharge  their  responsibilities 
effectively. In any decision-making, the directors are required to exercise their judgement in determining the 
likely impact of each decision as to the likelihood of promoting the success of the company for the benefit of 
its  members  as  a  whole.  In  doing  so,  the  directors  consider  whether  the  decision  is  likely  to  promote  the 
success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole, having regard for (amongst other matters): 

(a)  the likely consequences of any decision in the long term, 
(b)  the interests of the company's employees, 
(c)  the need to foster the company's business relationships with suppliers, customers and others, 
(d)  the impact of the company's operations on the community and the environment, 
(e)  the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct, and 
(f)  the need to act fairly as between members of the company. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Chair is ultimately responsible for ensuring that each board decision is taken having sufficient information 
on and with all due discussion of, each of the aforementioned items as is relevant to such decision. 

The  Company  has  a  schedule  of  matters  reserved  for  its  own  decision,  an  executive  committee  comprising 
exclusively executive directors or officers, and two committees comprised entirely of non-executive directors: 
the  Audit  Committee  and  the  Nomination  &  Remuneration  Committee.  From  May  2018,  the  Executive 
Committee had only one member and is therefore not expected to meet until such time as additional members 
are appointed. 

Each committee has formally delegated responsibilities by way of terms of reference. 

The performance of the Board, committees and individual directors are evaluated on a regular basis. 

Board meeting attendance 
The small size of the Board and frequent contact between the directors enables decisions to be taken quickly 
and  effectively  using  written  resolution  procedures  rather  than  physical  board  meetings.  The  number  of 
occasions on which the written resolution procedure was exercised is also set out in the table below. 

No. meetings 
No. written resolutions 
Dennis Edmonds 
James Cable 
Chris Gordon 

Tom Bailey 
Jim Crombie 
Tony Williams 
Jim Williams 

Board 
5 
9 
2 of 2 
5 of 5 
0 of 2 

3 of 4 
3 of 4 
3 of 3 
3 of 3 

Audit Committee 
1 
3 
n/a 
1 of 1 
1 of 1 

1 of 1 
1 of 1 
n/a 
n/a 

Nomination & 
Remuneration 
Committee 
2 
1 
n/a 
2 of 2 
1 of 1 

1 of 1 
1 of 1 
n/a 
n/a 

Value generation and preservation 
The  Company’s  business  model  and  opportunities  immediately  available  are  more  fully  described  in  the 
“Business overview” section of this annual report. Over the long-term, the Company seeks to create value by 
acquiring mining rights, demonstrating the presence of mineralisation and thereby significantly increasing the 
value of those mining rights. 

As the Company does not expect to generate operating revenues in the immediate future, it is dependent upon 
the  financial  support  of  new  or  existing  investors  and  it  is  believed  that  companies  that  are  well-governed 
enjoy a lower cost of capital which, all things being equal, should translate to greater business success. 

The risks to the business are set out in the Risk Management section commencing on page 16. 

Culture and employees 
At  the  Company’s  present  stage  of  development,  it  has  few  employees  and  its  culture  therefore  exists 
principally  in  the  boardroom  and  amongst  any  contractors.  In  the  UK,  all  contractors  report  directly  to  the 
Company  Secretary.  Overseas,  all  contractors  report  directly  to  the  country  manager.  Both  the  Company 
Secretary  and  the  country  manager  report  to  the  Chief  Executive  Officer.  It  is  considered  that  the  board  is 
well  positioned  to  ensure  that  policy,  practices  and  behaviour  throughout  the  business  is  aligned  with  the 
Company’s purpose, values and strategy. In the event that the Board had any concerns, it would require the 
Company Secretary or country manager to take remedial action. 

We are confident we understand our employees’ needs and that all employees feel able to speak openly to the 
Chair, or any of the other directors. If for any reason, an employee feels unable to raise concerns in this way, 
the Company’s whistleblowing policy sets out the process for raising concerns, and how to do so anonymously. 
In addition, employees are provided details of the charity, Public Concern at Work, who will provide free and 
confidential advice. 

In view of the small number of company employees, the Board has considered there to be no need or benefit 
gained by appointing a director from the workforce, creating a formal workforce advisory panel, or designating 
a non-executive director to engage with the workforce. 

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9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Board recognise the importance of the remuneration structure supporting its strategy and reinforcing the 
culture of the organisation. This is further described in the Nomination & Remuneration Committee report on 
page 11. 

Relations with shareholders 
The  Executive  Chair  welcomes  major  shareholders  to  discuss  the  Company’s  strategy  and  governance, 
including, as explained in the Nomination & Remuneration Committee report, on the appointment of key board 
appointments. The Chair reports to the Board as a whole, on the views of major shareholders. 

All  investors  are  encouraged  and  welcomed  at  the  Company’s  annual  general  meeting,  at  which  there  is 
opportunity to pose questions to the directors. 

Annual general meeting 
At  the  Company’s  annual  general  meeting  held  during  2018,  all  resolutions  were  passed  and  proxy  voting 
figures  were  published  immediately  following  the  AGM  held  on  20  September  2018.  The  Company  received 
more than 20% of votes against the resolutions relating to the proposal to change the name of the Company to 
Alien Metals Limited at the Company’s Annual General Meeting. The number of investors who voted against the 
resolutions represented less than 10% of the number who voted. It being clear that the majority of investors 
were  in  favour,  the  Company  proceeded  with  the  change  of  name  but  the  Chair  extended  an  invitation  to 
investors  who  wished  to  discuss  the  matter,  to  do  so.  The  invitation  was  not  taken  up  by  investors  and  no 
further action has therefore been taken. 

Major shareholders 
As  at  24  June  2019  being  the  latest  practicable  date,  the  Company  had  been  notified  of  the  following 
companies or individuals interested 3% or more of the Company’s shares: 

Shareholder 
Gravner Ltd 
King Dragon (Far East) Limited* 
Peel Hunt LLP 

No. shares 
202,247,000 
120,000,000 
142,764,851 

% 
22.02 
17.09 
12.77 

*  As  at  18  June  2019,  120,000,000  Common  shares  represented  10.73%  in  the  Company.  The  most  recent 
notification  by  King  Dragon  (Far  East)  Limited  is  reflected  here,  at  which  time,  120,000,000  represented 
17.09% of the total issued share capital in the Company. 

Conflicts of interest 
All Directors have duties under the BVI Business Companies Act to act with care, diligence and skill, in the best 
interests of the Company. 

Certain  directors  and  officers  of  the  Company  may  also  serve  as  directors  and/or  officers  of,  or  have 
investments  in  other  companies  involved  in  mineral  exploration  and  development  and  consequently  there  is 
the potential for conflicts of interest. 

Conflicts  of  interest  can  arise  amongst  shareholders,  especially  where  one  shareholder,  or  a  small  group  of 
shareholders, has  a significant stake in the Company. The directors  must not  to  allow  this to compromise  or 
override their independent judgement, especially in the context of acting  fairly as between  members of the 
Company. 

In the event a conflict of interest should arise, each individual so conflicted is required to disclose the conflict 
in accordance with  the Company’s  Articles  of  Association in order that it can be considered and approved if 
appropriate. No director may vote on any matter in which he or she may be deemed to be interested. 

On  an  ongoing  basis,  each  director  is  responsible  for  informing  the  Company  Secretary  of  any  new  actual  or 
potential conflicts that may arise or if there are any changes in circumstances that may affect an authorisation 
previously given. Even when provided with authorisation, a director is not absolved from his or her statutory 
duties. 

Board Committees 
The Board of Directors has two standing committees: 

Audit Committee 

 
  Nomination & Remuneration Committee 

The Company Secretary is Secretary to each Committee and attends all meetings. 

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10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  Board  considers  that  each  of  the  Committees  has  an  appropriate  balance  of  skills,  experience, 
independence  and  knowledge  of  the  Company  to  enable  them  to  discharge  their  respective  duties  and 
responsibilities effectively. 

The  Corporate  Governance  Committee  and  a  Health  &  Safety  Committee  were  dissolved  in  July  2018  as  the 
size of the Board and the extent of operations did not warrant their continuance. 

Audit Committee 
The Audit Committee meets at appropriate times in the reporting and audit cycle, and otherwise as required. 
It is responsible for nominating the external auditor recommending to the Board the auditor’s compensation, 
overseeing the work of the auditor, and approving any proposals for non-audit services. The Audit Committee 
is also responsible for reviewing public announcements relating to the Company’s profit or loss or cash flow, 
satisfying  itself  of  the  adequacy  of  procedures  for  the  release  of  financial  information,  and  ensuring  the 
maintenance  of  appropriate  and  proportionate  procedures  for  addressing  matters  relating  to  accounting, 
internal financial controls and auditing matters. 

It is the Board of Directors’ conclusion that each of the members of the Audit Committee has an understanding 
of the accounting principles used by the Company to prepare its financial statements, the ability to assess the 
general application of such accounting principles in connection with the accounting for estimates, accruals and 
reserves, and experience in evaluating financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of 
accounting  issues  generally  comparable  to  the  breadth  and  complexity  of  issues  that  can  reasonably  be 
expected to be raised by the Company's financial statements. 

The  Audit  Committee  is  currently  composed  of  two  members,  being  James  Cable  and  Chris  Gordon,  each  of 
whom  is  an  independent  non-executive  director  and  each  of  whom  is  deemed  financially  literate.  Mr  Cable 
serves as Chair of the Audit Committee. 

Nomination & Remuneration Committee 
The  Nomination  &  Remuneration  Committee  meets  at  least  once  each  year,  and  otherwise  as  required.  It  is 
responsible for identifying and nominating for the approval of the Board, candidates to fill Board vacancies as 
and when they arise, having due regard for the structure, size and composition of the Board together with the 
skills, knowledge, experience and diversity of both the Board and the individual. Additionally, the Nomination 
&  Remuneration  Committee  is  responsible  for  reviewing  the  results  of  any  board  effectiveness  review  that 
relates to the composition of the board. 

The  scale  and  structure  of  the  remuneration  and  compensation  packages  for  the  directors  is  set  taking  into 
account  time  commitment,  comparatives,  and  risks  and  responsibilities,  to  ensure  that  the  amount  of 
compensation  adequately  reflects  the 
individual’s  previous  performance,  achievements,  experience, 
responsibilities and the risks of the office or position held, and in the context of the Company’s risk profile, to 
ensure they do not encourage excessive risk taking. 

The  Nomination  &  Remuneration  Committee  is  currently  composed  of  two  members,  being  James  Cable  and 
Chris Gordon, each of whom is an independent non-executive director. 

James Cable serves as Chair of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee. 

Nomination & Remuneration Committee report 

Overview 
The  Nomination & Remuneration Committee (“N&R Committee”) makes recommendations to the Board as to 
the appropriate structure, size and composition (including the skills, knowledge, experience and diversity) of 
the Board and is responsible for identifying and nominating suitable candidates to fill Board vacancies.  

The N&R Committee is also responsible for recommending the remuneration policy to the Board, determining 
the remuneration of the directors and senior executives, ensuring that remuneration is reported correctly, and 
reviewing the results of any assessment of the effectiveness of the Board. 

The N&R Committee meets as required each year to review the performance of the executive directors and to 
determine their respective compensation.  

The  N&R  Committee  is  governed  by  terms  of  reference,  which  are  available  on  the  Company’s  website  at 
www.alienmetals.uk. The N&R Committee’s terms of reference require it to review its own terms of reference 
once a year; they were last amended on 28 September 2018. 

During the year, Dennis Edmonds was appointed as Executive  Chair of the Company and Chris Gordon joined 
the  Board  as  an  independent  non-executive  director.  Anthony  Williams  and  James  Williams  resigned  as 

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Executive  Chair  and  CEO,  respectively,  in  May  2018.  Thomas  Bailey  and  James  Crombie  resigned  as  non-
executive directors in June 2018. 

Messrs  Edmonds  and  Gordon  received  a  significant  award  of  share  options  to  ensure  there  was  a  strong  link 
between their contribution to the Company and their reward. As their appointments came about at the same 
time  as  the  private  placing  of  shares  in  May  2018,  the  potential  significant  investor  was  consulted  as  to  the 
appropriateness of the remuneration structure. 

The  Board  is  not  aware  that  the  workforce  has  any  particular  desire  to  engage  in  the  discussion  of 
remuneration  policy  and  how  executive  remuneration  aligns  with  wider  company  pay  policy.  The  Board  will 
make appropriate provision should it appear that this is not the case or the situation changes. 

The  members  of  the  Nomination  &  Remuneration  Committee  have  the  necessary  experience  of  executive 
compensation  matters  relevant  to  their  responsibilities  as  members  of  such  a  committee  by  virtue  of  their 
respective  professions,  contacts  within  the  minerals  industry  as  well  as  experience  in  the  broader  business 
community.  In  addition,  each  member  of  the  Nomination  &  Remuneration  Committee  keeps  abreast  on  a 
regular basis of trends and developments affecting executive compensation. Accordingly, it is considered that 
the Nomination & Remuneration Committee has sufficient experience and knowledge to set appropriate levels 
of compensation. Neither the Company nor the Nomination & Remuneration Committee engaged independent 
consultants to evaluate the levels of compensation during the year ended 31 December 2018. 

The  recommendations  of  the  Nomination  &  Remuneration  Committee  are  submitted  to  the  independent 
members of the Board of Directors for consideration and approval. 

Remuneration policy 
The Company’s remuneration policy is intended to support the Company’s long-term strategy and sustainable 
success  in  a  manner  consistent  with  the  Company’s  purpose  and  values,  attracting  and  retaining  the  highest 
quality of directors and senior executives. The pay policy is to: 

 
 

 
 
 

align the interests of the Board and senior executives with shareholders’ 
align the interests of the workforce (including the Board and senior executives) with the Company’s 
purpose and values, 
avoid incentivising excessive risk taking by the Board and senior executives, 
be proportionate to the contribution of the individuals concerned, and to 
be sensitive to pay and employment conditions elsewhere in the group. 

The  remuneration  policy  does  not  require  post-employment  shareholding  requirements.  Share  options 
ordinarily lapse upon the resignation of the option holder. 

The scale and structure of the remuneration and compensation packages of directors is set taking into account 
time  commitment,  comparatives,  risks  and  responsibilities,  to  ensure  that  the  amount  of  compensation 
adequately reflects the individual’s previous performance, achievements, experience, responsibilities and risks 
of  the  office  or  position  held,  and  in  the  context  of  the  Company’s  risk  profile,  to  ensure  they  do  not 
encourage excessive risk taking on the part of the recipient of such compensation. 

As  the  Company  is  at  an  early  stage  of  development,  the  use  of  traditional  performance  standards,  such  as 
corporate profitability, is not considered by the Nomination & Remuneration Committee to be appropriate in 
the  evaluation  of  corporate  or  directors’  performance.  Discretionary  bonuses  may  be  paid  to  aid  staff 
retention and reward performance. 

The Board considers that the remuneration policy has operated as intended in terms of company performance 
and quantum. 

The Company provides executive directors with base salaries which represent their minimum compensation for 
services rendered during the financial year. The base salaries of directors and senior executives depend on the 
scope of their experience, responsibilities, and performance. 

The  N&R  Committee  has  considered  the  risk  implications  of  the  Company’s  compensation  policies  and 
practices and has concluded that there is no appreciable risk associated with such policies and practices since 
such policies and practices do not have the potential of encouraging an executive officer or other applicable 
individual to take on any undue risk or to otherwise expose the Company to inappropriate or excessive risks. 
Furthermore,  although  the  Company  does  not  have  in  place  any  specific  prohibitions  preventing  executives 
from purchasing financial instruments, including prepaid variable forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, or 
units of exchange funds that are designed to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of options or other 
equity securities of the Company granted in compensation or held directly or indirectly, by the director, the 
Company is unaware of the purchase of any such financial instruments by any director. 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  Company  does  not  anticipate  making  any  significant  changes  to  its  compensation  policies  and  practices 
during 2019. 

Share Option Plan and Option-Based Awards 
All share options granted under the Company’s Unapproved option plan as amended and restated effective as 
of 1 December 2006 have now lapsed and no further share options will be awarded under this plan. 

The Company currently has in place an EMI share option plan (the “Approved Plan”) which was adopted by the 
Board  on  3  February  2017,  and  which  provides  for  the  award  of  share  options  under  HMRC’s  approved 
Enterprise  Management  Incentive  scheme,  the  HMRC  approved  Company  Share  Option  Plan,  as  well  as  (for 
awards  which  are  not  eligible  under  either  of  the  Enterprise  Management  Incentive  scheme  or  the  Company 
Share Option Plan rules), Unapproved share options. 

In February 2017, the Board resolved that no further options would be granted under the Unapproved Plan and 
succeeded it with the Approved Plan. 

Share  options  are  approved  by  the  Board  of  Directors  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Nomination  & 
Remuneration Committee. Option awards are reviewed periodically, take into account previous option grants, 
changes in executive positions and overall contribution to the Company. 

The Approved Plan provides that the maximum number of shares which may be reserved and set aside for issue 
under it, is 10% of the Company’s issued share capital at the date of grant. The aggregate  number of shares 
which may be reserved for issuance to any one person under the Share Option Plan and which are subject to 
outstanding options granted under a prior plan, must not exceed 5% of the issued shares (determined at the 
date the option was granted), in a 12 month period. 

The Company’s non-executive directors participate in the Unapproved Plan because the Board considers that 
the  holding  of  options  helps  align  the  interests  of  the  non-executive  directors  with  shareholders  by 
incentivising  their  decision  making  with  a  view  to  providing  growth  in  the  Company’s  share  price.  The 
Company’s long term success will be dependent upon raising additional finance in future; aligning the interests 
of all directors and senior executives with shareholders incentivises all concerned to achieve the best possible 
price for such placings and to minimise undue dilution of interests. 

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Summary Compensation Table 
The  following  table  sets  forth  the  compensation  awarded,  paid  to  or  earned  by  each  director  during  2018, 
rounded to the nearest US$1,000. 

All figures in US$ 

Director and position 
A. J. Williams 
Executive Chair 
J. T. Williams 
Chief Executive 
T. A. Bailey 
Non-Executive Director 
J. S. Cable 
Non-Executive Director 
J. A. Crombie 
Non-Executive Director 
D. V. Edmonds 
Executive Chair 
C. C. Gordon 
Non-Executive Director 

Appointed / 
Resigned 

Resigned 
 15 May 2018 
Resigned  
15 May 2018 

Resigned   

30 June 2018 

Resigned     

30 June 2018 

Appointed   

15 May 2018 

Appointed   

15 May 2018 

Base 
Salary / 
Fees 

166,000 

406,000 

25,000 

34,000 

25,000 

2018 

Option 
based 
awards 

Base 
Salary / 
Fees  

2017 

Option 
based 
awards 

Total  

Total  

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

166,000 

116,000 

17,000 

133,000 

405,000 

283,000 

17,000 

300,000 

25,000 

32,000 

3,000 

35,000 

34,000 

32,000 

3,000 

35,000 

25,000 

32,000 

3,000 

35,000 

21,000 

58,000 

79,000 

21,000 

- 

21,000 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

Notes: 
(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Salaries are paid in pounds sterling and translated to US dollars based on the average £:$ foreign 
exchange rate for each respective year (2018: 1.3436; 2017: 1.2882). 

The  fair  value  of  options  granted  is  calculated  using  the  Black-Scholes  model  as  this  model  is 
widely  accepted  as  an  industry  standard  and  is  considered  to  provide  the  best  estimation  of 
value. 

During the year ended 31 December 2018, $114,000 (£93,000) of wages and salaries was satisfied 
by the issue of 37,200,000 (2017: 4,787,493) common shares in the Company. 

Outstanding Option-based Awards 
The  following  table  sets  out  all  share  options  outstanding  at  31  December  2018  for  each  of  the  Company’s 
directors: 

Name 

D. V. Edmonds  

Number of securities 
underlying unexercised 
options 

Option 
exercise 
price 

Option 
expiration date 

17,142,373 

£0.0025 

14 May 2023 

C. C. Gordon 

17,142,373 

£0.0025 

14 May 2023 

J. S. Cable 

500,000 

£0.01 

9 February 2022 

Value of unexercised 
in-the-money options 
($) 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 

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Appointment of new directors and succession planning 
The  N&R Committee  recognises that an effective board comprises  a range  and balance  of skills, experience, 
knowledge,  gender  and  independence,  with  individuals  that  are  prepared  to  challenge  each  other  whilst 
working  as  a  team,  which  requires  a  range  of  personal  attributes,  including  character,  intellect,  sound 
judgement, honesty and courage. 

The Board and its advisers have significant experience in the mining sector and from that, a strong network of 
individuals working in the sector. 

Given this experience and network, the Board does not consider it necessary to openly advertise positions or, 
generally, to use executive search consultants, however, in the event the N&R Committee is unsatisfied with 
the suitability of candidates which have been presented from the identification process,  an executive search 
agency  would  be  appointed.  The  Company  usually  has  very  limited  need  for  the  service  of  executive  search 
agencies and therefore does not maintain a relationship with any one particular firm. 

In  the  first  instance,  the  N&R  Committee,  in  consultation  with  the  Chair,  identify  the  Board’s  needs,  and 
potential  candidates  believed  to  have  the  right  blend  of  attributes  to  complement  the Board,  are  identified 
and shortlisted from this broad network.  

For key appointments, such as the appointment of the Chair, a representative from the Board may discuss the 
proposed appointment with significant investors. 

Once  a  suitable  candidate  has  been  identified,  the  Company’s  Nominated  Advisor  carries  out  searches  to 
provide assurance of their suitability. 

Diversity and inclusion 
There  are  many  forms  of  diversity  in  the  workplace:  age,  gender,  race,  national  or  ethnic  origin,  religion, 
language,  political  beliefs,  sexual  orientation  and  physical  ability,  as  well  as  diversity  of  perspective  arising 
from  individuals’  skills,  experience  and  working  styles  providing  different  perspectives  and  approaches  to 
finding solutions. 

The present gender balance of senior management is exclusively male; the Board recognises this would benefit 
from improved balance, and the N&R Committee is cognisant of this when seeking candidates. 

Appointment and removal of directors 
The  powers  of  the  directors  of  the  Company  are  determined  by  its  Articles  of  Association  and  British  Virgin 
Islands (“BVI”) legislation, each of which contain rules about the appointment and replacement of directors. 
They provide that subject to certain conditions, directors may be appointed by an ordinary resolution of the 
members or by a resolution of the directors, provided that, in the latter instance, a director appointed in this 
way retires at the first AGM following his or her appointment. 

The Company’s Articles of Association also provide that directors should normally be subject to re-election at 
the AGM at intervals of three years although directors may volunteer to stand for re-election annually. 

A director may cease to be a director: 

•  By special resolution of the members approved by 75% of the shareholders entitled to vote 
•  By resolution of the directors 
• 
• 

If he resigns 
If he ceases to meet the eligibility requirements under the BVI Companies Act. 

Where  any  director  resigns  and  has  concerns  about  the  operation  of  the  board  or  the  management  of  the 
company, they are asked to provide a written statement to the Chair to circulate to the Board. 

Board assessments 
The Chair continuously considers the performance of the Board, its committees and of individual directors, and 
provides feedback when appropriate. Similarly, the Chair invites feedback in the same manner from the Non-
Executive  Directors  and  the  Company  Secretary.  The  Nomination  &  Remuneration  Committee  consider  the 
time and cost involved in carrying out a formal process, especially one that is externally facilitated, cannot be 
justified for the Company at this stage in its development. 

The Nomination & Remuneration Committee acknowledges the merits in carrying out formal board evaluations 
and will monitor the continuing suitability of this stance as the Company grows in size. 

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Audit committee report 

Overview 
The Audit Committee oversees the Company’s financial reporting process on behalf of the Board of Directors. 
The  Company’s  management  has  the  primary  responsibility  for  the  financial  statements,  for  maintaining 
effective internal control over financial reporting, and for assessing the effectiveness of internal control over 
financial  reporting.  In  fulfilling  its  oversight  responsibilities,  the  Committee  reviewed  and  discussed  the 
audited consolidated financial statements and the notes to them, as set out  on pages 28 to 50 of this annual 
report,  with  Company  management,  including  a  discussion  of  the  quality,  not  just  the  acceptability,  of  the 
accounting  principles,  the  reasonableness  of  significant  judgments,  and  the  clarity  of  disclosures  in  the 
financial statements. 

The  Committee  is  governed  by  terms  of  reference,  which  are  available  on  the  Company’s  website  at 
www.alienmetals.uk.  The  Audit  Committee’s  terms  of  reference  require  it  to  review  its  own  terms  of 
reference once a year; they were last amended on 28 September 2018. 

Independence of the external auditor 
PKF (UK) LLP (“PKF”) had acted as the Company’s auditor since 2006; in 2013, BDO LLP and PKF undertook a 
merger, from which BDO LLP continued as the Company’s auditor. PKF had therefore held the role of auditor 
for seven years and BDO has inherited the account and continued for a further five years, giving an aggregate 
of 12 years. In 2018, the Board appointed RSM UK Audit LLP as the Company’s Auditor. 

The independence of the auditor is considered by the  Audit Committee each year. In  assessing the  auditor’s 
independence, the Audit Committee consider: 
Ratio of audit fees to non-audit fees 
Length of tenure 

 
 
  Whether  there  are  any  known  material  relationships  between  the  Company,  its  directors  and  senior 

executives, and the audit firm, its partners, and the audit team 
Application of constructive challenge and professional scepticism 

 

Audit and non-audit fees are disclosed in note 4 to the financial statements, on page 40. 

The Audit Committee considers the nature and value (in the context of the audit fee) of any non-audit services 
on the auditor’s independence, and is required to give its prior approval of any such non-audit services. 

Effectiveness of the external audit process 
In considering the effectiveness of the external audit process, the Audit Committee consider: 

 
 
 

Effectiveness of the audit plan, its delivery and execution 
Knowledge and experience of the audit team 
Robustness of the audit 

Internal audit function 
The Audit Committee considers annually whether there  is  a need for an  internal audit function  and makes a 
recommendation to the Board if a change is considered to be appropriate. The Company’s operations are small 
in  scale,  the  organisational  structure  is  flat,  and  the  cost  of  an  internal  audit  function  is  not  justified  at 
present. 

Risk management 
The financing, exploration, development and mining of any of the Company’s properties is subject to a number 
of factors including the price of copper, silver, gold, lead and zinc, laws and regulations, political conditions, 
currency fluctuations, environmental regulations, hiring and retaining qualified people and obtaining necessary 
services in jurisdictions where the Company operates. 

The Board periodically carries out robust assessments of the  emerging and principal risks facing the Company 
including  those  that  would  threaten  its  business  model,  future  performance,  solvency  or  liquidity.  The 
assessment includes a review of all material controls including those which are related to finance, operations 
and compliance. 

The Audit Committee is responsible for monitoring  the effectiveness of the  Company’s risk  management and 
internal control systems, and reports to the Board as required. 

Alien  Metals  operates  with  a  small  team  of  key  personnel  and  with  open  lines  of  internal  communication. 
Where new risks are identified, these are reported to the Company Secretary or the CEO. Where practicable, a 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
method  of  mitigation  is  determined,  and  the  risk  together  with  any  form  of  mitigation  is  presented  to  the 
Board for discussion. 

The following  is a brief discussion of those distinctive  or special characteristics of the Company’s operations 
and industry which may have a material impact, or constitute risk factors in respect of the Company’s future 
financial performance. 

Principal risks and uncertainties 

Key risks 

Description of risk 

Mitigating factors 

Strategic risks 
Exploration  and 
development 
and 
acquisitions 

future 

No  reserves  or 
resources 

and 

risks 

incidental 

The  Company's  operations  are  subject  to  all  of  the 
hazards 
exploration, 
development, and the production of minerals, including 
damage to life or property, environmental damage and 
legal liability for damage, which could  have a material 
adverse  impact  on  the  business  and  its  financial 
performance. 

to 

The  Company  intends  to  acquire  additional  mining 
concessions in Mexico or elsewhere in the world. 

The  Company  may  be  unable  to  obtain  suitable  mining 
concessions at competitive prices. 

Any exploration programme entails risks relating to the 
location  of  economic  ore  bodies,  the  development  of 
appropriate  metallurgical  processes,  the  receipt  of 
necessary governmental permits and the construction of 
mining and processing facilities. 

In  the  event  that  Company’s  portfolio  of  mining 
concessions are deemed by management not to warrant 
further exploration and the Company is unsuccessful in 
acquiring suitable new projects, the Company will have 
no exploration or development projects to pursue. 

The Company does not hold  any concessions in respect 
of  which  reserves  or  resource  estimates  have  been 
established  that  comply  with  Canadian  Institute  of 
Mining,  Metallurgy  and  Petroleum  (“CIM”)  Standards 
and  Guidelines  or  other  similar  recognised  industry 
standards. 

No  assurance  can  be  given  that  any  exploration 
programme  will  result  in  any  new  commercial  mining 
operation or in the discovery of new resources. 

concessions 

Our  mineral 
are 
evaluated  carefully  by  qualified 
geologists, 
independent 
and 
advisors  are  engaged  as  and  when 
appropriate. 

The  management 
has 
significant  experience  operating  in 
Mexico. 

team 

The  Company  has  had  significant 
success  in  the  past  at  delineating 
mineral  resources  in  accordance 
with NI 43-101. 

17 

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Key risks 

Description of risk 

Mitigating factors 

Strategic risks 
Mineral 
concessions  and 
titles risks 

In  relation  to  mining  concessions  over  which  the 
Company  holds  legal  rights,  if  the  Company  fails  to 
fulfil  the  specific  terms  of  any  of  its  concessions  or 
operates  in  the  concession  areas  in  a  manner  that 
violates  Mexican  law,  regulators  may  impose  fines, 
suspend  or  revoke  the  concessions,  any  of  which  could 
have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  the  Company's 
operations and proposed operations. 

Ownership  of  the  mineral  concessions  has  been 
transferred  from  the  Company’s  former  operating 
subsidiary  Arian  Silver  de  Mexico  SA  de  CV  (“ASM”)  to 
its  new  operating  subsidiary,  Compañía  Minera  Estrella 
de  Plata  SA  de  CV  (“CMEP”).  Whilst  the  Company  has 
previously received legal opinions in  respect of title of 
ASM to its properties there is no guarantee that title to 
such  properties  will  not  be  challenged  or  impugned  by 
third  parties.  The  Company’s  concessions  could  be 
subject  to  prior  unregistered  agreements,  transfers  or 
other claims and title could be affected by unidentified 
or  unknown  defects  or  government  actions.  A  formal 
legal opinion has not been obtained as to the legal title 
of CMEP to the mineral concessions. 

The mineral concessions have been 
held  by  the  Company’s  former 
for 
operating 
several 
legal 
challenge. 

subsidiary  ASM 

years  without 

Company’s 

mineral 
The 
concessions  have  been  registered 
in  the  name  of  CMEP  and  no 
contest or objection was received. 

Prior  to  entering  into  agreements 
relating  to  mineral  concessions, 
formal  searches  and  reviews  of 
legal 
are 
documentation 
conducted  to  provide  evidence  of 
the legal owner. 

successful 

The  sale  of  the  Calicanto  project 
was 
a 
diligence 
comprehensive 
programme. 

following 

due 

Key risks 

Description of risk 

Mitigating factors 

The  Company  has  an  experienced 
board  and  management  team  with 
significant  experience  in  financing 
mining activities. 

The  Company  has  been  successful 
in raising funds in the past and it is 
our  intention  to  raise  additional 
funds  in  future  to  support  the 
ongoing  development 
the 
business. 

of 

It  is  expected  that  the  Company 
will  raise  sufficient  funds  from 
investors to fund its future growth, 
exploration,  development,  and 
operating costs. 

Failure  to  obtain  sufficient  financing  for  any  projects 
would  result  in  a  delay  or  indefinite  postponement  of 
exploration,  development  or  production  on  properties 
covered  by  the  Company's  concessions  or  even  the  loss 
of a concession. 

Additional  financing  might  not  be  available  when 
needed,  or  if  available,  the  terms  of  such  financing 
might  not  be  favourable  to  the  Company  and  could 
involve  substantial  dilution  to  shareholders.  In  the 
absence  of  adequate  funding  or  cost  reductions,  the 
Company  may  not  be  able  to  continue  as  a  going 
concern. 
The Company’s approach to managing liquidity risk is to 
ensure  that  it  will  have  sufficient  liquidity  to  meet 
liabilities  when  due.  As  at  31  December  2018,  the 
Company had cash of $298k  to settle accounts payable 
of  $74k.  The  Company’s  accounts  payable  have 
contractual  maturities  of  less  than  30  days  and  are 
subject  to  normal  trade  terms.  In  the  short-term, 
liabilities will be funded by cash. 

Although  the  Company  has  been  successful  in  the  past 
in  raising  equity  finance,  there  can  be  no  assurance 
that  the  funding  required  by  the  Group  will  be  made 
available to it when needed or, if such funding were to 
be  available,  that  it  would  be  offered  on  reasonable 
terms.  The  terms  of  such  financing  might  not  be 
favourable  to  the  Group  and  might  involve  substantial 
dilution to existing shareholders. 

Financial risks 
Requirement  of 
additional 
financing 

Liquidity risk 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Key risks 

Description of risk 

Mitigating factors 

Financial risks 
Capital 
management 
risk 

Price risk 

Foreign 
currency risk 

Credit risk 

Investment risk 

The  Group’s  objective  when  managing  capital  is  to 
safeguard  the  Group’s  ability  to  continue  as  a  going 
concern  and  have  access  to  adequate  funding  for  its 
exploration  and  development  projects,  so  that  it  can 
provide  returns for  shareholders  and  benefits  for  other 
stakeholders. The Group manages the  capital structure 
and  makes  adjustments  in  the  light  of  changes  in 
economic  conditions  and  risk  characteristics  of  the 
underlying assets. 

The  price  risk  is  the  risk  that  the  fair  value  or  future 
cash  flows  of  a  financial  instrument  will  fluctuate 
because  of  changes  in  market  prices,  whether  those 
changes are caused by factors specific to the individual 
financial instrument or its issuer, or factors affecting all 
similar financial instruments in the market. 

The  Company’s  exploration  expenditure  is  made  in 
Mexican  pesos  or  US  dollars  and  head  office  expenses 
are  predominantly  made  in  the  UK  in  pounds  sterling. 
The Company is therefore exposed to the movement in 
exchange rates for these currencies. 

At  the  year  end  the  majority  of  the  Company’s  cash 
resources  were  held  in  GBP.  The  Company  therefore 
also has downside exposure to any  weakening of pound 
sterling  against  the  US  dollar  as  this  would  increase 
expenses 
in  US  dollar  terms  and  accelerate  the 
depletion  of  the  Company’s  cash  resources.  Any 
strengthening  of  pound  sterling  or  the  Mexican  peso 
against  the  US  dollar  would,  however,  result  in  a 
reduction  in  expenses  in  US  dollar  terms  and  preserve 
the Company’s cash resources. 

In  addition,  any  movements  in  pounds  sterling  or 
Mexican  peso  would  affect  the  presentation  of  the 
consolidated  statement  of  financial  position  when  the 
net  assets  of  the  Mexican  subsidiary  and  parent 
company in the UK are translated from their functional 
currencies into US dollars. 
The  Company’s  credit  risk  is  primarily  attributable  to 
cash  and  the  financial  stability  of  the  institutions 
holding it. 

The  Group’s  maximum  exposure  to  credit  risk  is 
attributable  to  cash.  The  credit  risk  on  cash  is  limited 
because the Group invests its cash in deposits with well 
capitalised  financial  institutions  with  strong  credit 
ratings. 

The  Company  may  from  time  to  time  hold  shares  in 
other  mining  companies,  such  as  SGL  UK.  There  is  not 
always a liquid market for the shares in companies such 
as  SGL  UK  companies  and  so  it  may  not  always  be 
possible  to  sell  such  shares  at  the  optimum  time  or 
price. 

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In  order  to  maintain  or  adjust  the 
capital  structure  the  Group  may 
issue  new  shares,  acquire  debt,  or 
sell  assets.  Management  regularly 
reviews  cash  flow  forecasts  to 
determine  whether  the  Group  has 
sufficient  cash  reserves  to  meet 
capital 
working 
future 
and 
requirements 
take 
advantage 
business 
of 
opportunities. 
The  Company  does  not  currently 
have  any  financial  instruments  in 
issue  other than share options and 
warrants. 

to 

The  Company  does  not  hedge  its 
exposure to price risk. 
The  Company  does  not  currently 
hedge foreign exchange risk. 

There  is  not  considered  to  be  any 
material  exposure  in  respect  of 
other  monetary 
and 
liabilities of the Group. 

assets 

The  Company  invests  its  cash  in 
deposits  with  well-capitalised 
financial  institutions  with  strong 
credit ratings. 

The  Company  has  previously  been 
successful  in  realising  value  from 
investments. 

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Description of risk 

Mitigating factors 

External risks 
Metals prices 

The  Company’s  ability  to  obtain  further  financing  will 
depend  in  part  on  the  price  of  commodity  prices, 
including  copper,  silver,  lead  and  zinc,  and  the 
industry’s perception of its future price. The Company's 
resources and financial results of operations will also be 
affected by fluctuations in metal prices over which the 
Company  has  no  control.  A  reduction  in  the  metal 
prices  could  prevent  the  Company’s  properties  from 
being  economically  mined  or  result  in  curtailment  of 
existing  production  activities  or 
the 
impairment and write-off of assets. 

result 

in 

It  is  an  accepted  risk  that  the 
Company’s  performance  will  be 
impacted by the price of metals. 

The  Board 
and  management 
believe  the  price  of  precious 
metals  in  particular,  will  increase 
in the long term. 

The  Company  does  not  hedge  its 
exposure to metals prices. 

The  price  of  commodities,  which 
is  affected  by 
numerous factors including inflation levels, fluctuations 
in  the  US  dollar  and  other  currencies,  supply  and 
demand  and  political  and  economic  conditions,  could 
have a significant influence on the market price of the 
Company’s common shares. 

Key risks 

Description of risk 

Mitigating factors 

The  Company  relies  on  contractors  to  implement 
exploration  and  development  programmes.  The  failure 
of  a  contractor  or  key  service  provider  to  perform 
properly  its  services  to  the  Company  could  delay  or 
inconvenience  the  Company’s  operations,  and  have  a 
materially adverse effect on the Company. 

The  Company  has  operated 
in 
Zacatecas  in  Mexico,  for  several 
years and has well-established and 
trusted  relationships  with  various 
contractors. 

and 

significant 

Certain of the Company’s directors 
have 
recent 
experience  operating 
in  other 
global  jurisdictions,  which  may 
help identify reliable contractors. 
The  Board  has  established  a 
Nomination 
Remuneration 
Committee which is responsible for 
succession  planning 
considering 
and  ensuring 
is 
remuneration 
sufficient  to  attract  and  retain 
staff of a the necessary calibre. 

& 

The  Company's  business  is  dependent  on  retaining  the 
services  of  a  small  number  of  key  personnel  of  the 
appropriate  calibre  as  the  business  develops.  The 
Company  has  entered  into  employment  agreements 
with certain key managers. The success of the Company 
is,  and  will  continue  to  be  to  a  significant  extent, 
dependent  on  the  expertise  and  experience  of  the 
directors  and  senior  management.  The  loss  of  one  or 
more  of  these  individuals  could  have  a  materially 
adverse effect on the Company. The Company does not 
currently  have  any  insurance  in  place  with  respect  to 
key personnel. 

Operational risks 
Reliance on 
contractors  

Key personnel 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Key risks 

Description of risk 

Mitigating factors 

The  Company  has  an  experienced 
board  and  management  team  with 
an  awareness  and  knowledge  of 
these types of risk. 

Concessions 
evaluated 
are 
carefully  prior  to  their  acquisition 
for 
and 
consultants  are  engaged  to  advise 
on specific risks when appropriate. 

environmental 

risks 

The  Company  has  an  excellent 
track  record  on  environmental 
matters. 

believe 

directors 

The 
the 
government of Mexico supports the 
development  of  natural  resources 
by foreign operators. 

Operational risks 
Environmental 
factors 

The Company's operations are subject to environmental 
regulation in the jurisdictions in which it operates. Such 
regulation  covers  a  wide  variety  of  matters  including, 
without  limitation,  prevention  of  waste,  pollution  and 
protection  of  the  environment,  labour  regulations  and 
health  and  safety.  The  Company  might  also  be  subject 
under such regulations to clean-up costs and liability for 
toxic or hazardous  substances, which might exist on or 
under any of the properties covered by its concessions, 
or  which  might  be  produced  as  a  result  of  its 
operations. 

If  the  Company  does  not  comply  with  environmental 
regulations  or  does  not  file  environmental  impact 
statements  in  relation  to  each  of  its  concessions,  it 
might  be  subject  to  penalties,  its  operations  might  be 
suspended,  closed  and/or  its  concessions  may  be 
revoked. 

Environmental  legislation  and  permit  requirements  are 
likely to evolve in a manner which will require  stricter 
fines  and 
standards  and  enforcement, 
penalties 
stringent 
environmental  assessments  of  proposed  projects  and  a 
heightened  degree  of  responsibility  for  companies  and 
their directors and employees. 

increased 
non-compliance,  more 

for 

Political risk 

challenging 

and/or  more 

The Company's activities could be subject to prolonged 
disruptions due to weather conditions depending on the 
location  of  operations  in  which  the  Company  has 
interests. 
The  Company  is  conducting  its  exploration  activities  in 
the Mexico. The Company may be adversely affected by 
changes  in  economic,  political,  judicial,  administrative 
or  other  regulatory  factors  such  as  taxation  in  Mexico, 
where  the  Company  operates  and  holds  its  major 
assets.  Mexico  may  have  a  more  volatile  political 
environment 
trading 
conditions than in some other parts of the world. There 
is  no  assurance  that  future  political  and  economic 
conditions  in  Mexico  will  not  result  in  the  government 
of  Mexico  adopting  different  policies  in  respect  of 
foreign  development  and  ownership  of  mineral 
resources.  Any  such  changes  in  policy  may  result  in 
changes in laws affecting ownership of assets, taxation, 
rates  of  exchange,  environmental  protection,  labour 
relations,  and  repatriation  of  income  and  return  of 
capital.  These  changes  may  affect  both  the  Company's 
ability  to  undertake  exploration  and  development 
activities in respect of future properties in the manner 
currently  contemplated,  as  well  as  its  ability  to 
continue  to  explore  and  develop  those  properties,  in 
respect  of  which  it  has  obtained  exploration  and 
development rights to date. 

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Key risks 

Description of risk 

Mitigating factors 

Operational risks 
Payment 
obligations 

Regulatory 
approvals 

Competition 

Conflicts of 
interest  

from 

various 

and  permits 

Under  the  mineral  property  concessions  and  certain 
other  contractual  agreements  to  which  a  member  of 
the Group is, or may in the future become, a party, any 
such  company  is,  or  may  become,  subject  to  payment 
and  other  obligations.  If  such  obligations  are  not 
complied  with  when  due,  in  addition  to  any  other 
remedies which may be available to other parties, this 
could result in dilution or forfeiture of interests held by 
such companies. 
The  operations  of  the  Company  require  approvals, 
licenses 
regulatory 
authorities, governmental and otherwise. There can be 
no  guarantee  that  the  Company  will  be  able  to  obtain 
or  maintain  all  necessary  approvals,  licenses  and 
permits that may be required to explore and develop its 
various  projects  and/or  commence  construction  or 
operation  of  mining  facilities  that  economically  justify 
the cost. 
The Company competes with numerous other companies 
and  individuals  in  the  search  for  and  acquisition  of 
mineral  claims,  leases  and  other  mineral  interests,  as 
well  as  for  the  recruitment  and  retention  of  qualified 
employees.  There  is  significant  competition  for  the 
silver and other precious metals opportunities available 
and, as a result, the Company may be unable to acquire 
further  mineral  concessions  on  terms  it  considers 
acceptable. 
Certain directors and officers of the Company also serve 
as directors and/or officers of other companies involved 
in  mineral  exploration 
and 
consequently  there  is  the  potential  for  conflicts  of 
interest.  The  Company  expects  that  any  such  director 
or officer shall disclose such interest in accordance with 
its  articles  of  association  or  his  contractual  obligations 
to  the  Company  and  any decision  made  by  any  of  such 
directors  and  officers  involving  the  Company  will  be 
made in accordance with their duties and obligations to 
deal  fairly  and  in  good  faith  with  a  view  to  the  best 
interests of the Company and its shareholders. 

and  development 

The  directors  have  in  place  a 
internal  controls  to 
system  of 
ensure  any  payment  obligations 
are complied with. 

The  Company  has 
significant 
experience  in  operating  in  Mexico 
and  believes  that  the  Company 
holds  or  will  obtain  all  necessary 
licenses  and  permits 
approvals, 
and 
under 
its 
regulations 
current projects. 

applicable 
in 

respect  of 

laws 

The  Company  and  its  management 
team  have  significant  experience 
in  mining  operations  in  Mexico. 
Through 
and 
relationships 
Mexico, 
counterparties  may  consider  the 
Company to have lower transaction 
risk than its competitors. 

experience 

its 

in 

Articles 

Company’s 

The 
of 
Association  have  been  adopted  by 
shareholders  and  any  conflicts  of 
in 
interest 
accordance  with  the  rules  set  out 
therein. 

dealt  with 

are 

In  the  event  of  a  conflict  of 
interests,  the  conflicted  director 
shall  not  vote  on  the  relevant 
matter. 

Viability statement and going concern 
The Board has assessed the prospects of the Group over a period of 12 months from the date of approval of 
these  financial  statements,  involving  a  review  of  the  Group’s  forecast  prepared  for  the  year  ending  31 
December 2019 and taking account of the Board’s intentions for future activities after that date. As explained 
further  in  note  2(C),  taking  account  of  the  Group’s  current  position  and  principal  risks,  over  a  12  month 
period, the Board has a reasonable expectation that the Group will be able to continue in operation and meet 
its liabilities as they fall due over that period albeit additional funding will be required to enable the Group to 
meet  all  of  its  objectives.  The  raising  of  additional  funding  is  fundamental  to  the  future  success  of  the 
business  and  therefore  gives rise  to  a  material  uncertainty,  although  the  Board  notes the  Group’s  successful 
track record in having raised finance in the past as necessary to meet the Group’s ongoing cash requirements. 

The  Board  considers  this  period  of  assessment  to  be  appropriate  because  it  contextualises  the  Group’s 
financial position, business model and strategy. 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial statements 

Directors responsibilities statement 
The directors are responsible for preparing the annual report and financial statements and have prepared the 
Group financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards in order to give a 
true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and of its profit or loss for that period, in accordance 
with the rules of the London Stock Exchange for companies trading securities on AIM.  

In preparing these financial statements the directors are required to: 

select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 

 
  make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 
 

state whether they have been prepared in accordance with IFRSs, subject to any material departures 
disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and 
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that 
the Company and the Group will continue in business. 

 

The  directors  are  responsible  for  keeping  records  that  are  sufficient  to  show  and  explain  the  Group  and 
Company’s transactions and will, at any time, enable the financial position of the Group and Company to be 
determined  with  reasonable accuracy.  They  are  also  responsible  for  safeguarding  the assets  of  the  Company 
and  the  Group  and  hence  for  taking  reasonable  steps  for  the  prevention  and  detection  of  fraud  and  other 
irregularities. 

The  directors  are  responsible  for  the  maintenance  and  integrity  of  the  corporate  and  financial  information 
included  on  the  Company's  website.  Legislation  in  the  British  Virgin  Islands  governing  the  preparation  and 
dissemination of the Company’s financial statements and other information included in the annual reports may 
differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. 

The directors  consider this  Annual report and accounts, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced, understandable, 
and  provides  the  information  necessary  for  shareholders  to  assess  the  company’s  position,  performance, 
business model and strategy. 

23 

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Non-statutory  Independent  Auditor’s  Report  To  The  Directors  of  Alien  Metals 
LTD (Formerly Arian Silver Corporation) 

Opinion 
In  accordance  with  our  letter  of  engagement  dated  12  September  2018,  we  have  audited  the  non-statutory 
group financial statements of Alien Metals Ltd (formerly Arian Silver Corporation) (the ‘parent company’) and 
its subsidiaries (the ‘group’) for the year ended 31 December 2018 which comprise the consolidated statement 
of  comprehensive  income,  the  consolidated  statement  of  financial  position,  the  consolidated  statement  of 
cash  flow,  the  consolidated  statement  of  changes  in  equity  and  notes  to  the  non-statutory  group  financial 
statements,  including  a  summary  of  significant  accounting  policies.    The  financial  reporting  framework  that 
has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) 
as adopted by the European Union. 

In our opinion the non-statutory group financial statements: 

 

 
 

give a true and fair view of the state of the group’s affairs as at 31 December 2018 and of the group’s 
loss for the year then ended; 
have been properly prepared in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the European Union; and 
have  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  British  Virgin  Islands  Business 
Companies Act 2004. 

Basis for opinion 
We conducted our non-statutory audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) 
and  applicable  law.  Our  responsibilities  under  those  standards  are  further  described  in  the  Auditor’s 
responsibilities for the audit of the non-statutory financial statements section of our non-statutory report. We 
are independent of the  group and  the parent company in accordance with  the  ethical requirements that are 
relevant  to  our  audit  of  the  non-statutory  group  financial  statements  in  the  UK,  including  the  FRC’s  Ethical 
Standard  as  applied  to  SME  listed  entities,  and  we  have  fulfilled  our  other  ethical  responsibilities  in 
accordance with these requirements.  

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our 
opinion. 

Conclusions relating to principal risks, going concern and viability statement  
We have nothing to report in respect of the following information in the annual report, in relation to which the 
ISAs (UK) require us to report to you whether we have anything material to add or draw attention to: 

 

 

the disclosures in the annual report set out on pages 17 to 22 that describe the principal risks and explain 
how they are being managed or mitigated;  
the  directors’  confirmation  set  out  on  page  16  in  the  annual  report  that  they  have  carried  out  a  robust 
assessment of the principal risks facing the group, including those that would threaten its business model, 
future performance, solvency or liquidity; or 

  whether the directors’ statement relating to going concern, required under provisions 30 and 31 of the UK 
Corporate Governance Code 2018, is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained in the audit. 

Material uncertainty related to going concern and longer term viability  
We draw attention to note 2(C) in the financial statements, which indicates that the group will need to raise 
additional finance in order to continue with its exploration programmes and to meet its recurring expenditure, 
and  that,  although  the  group  has  been  successful  in  the  past  in  raising  additional  finance,  there  can  be  no 
assurance that the funding required by the group will be made available to it when needed or, if such funding 
were to be available, that it would be offered on reasonable terms.  

As stated in note 2(C), these conditions, along with the other matters as set forth in note 2(C), indicate that a 
material  uncertainty  exists  that  may  cast  significant  doubt  over  the  group’s  ability  to  continue  as  a  going 
concern for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial statements are authorised for 
issue and significant doubt over the group’s longer term ability to continue in operation and meet its liabilities 
as they fall due over the period of their viability assessment on page 22. Our opinion is not modified in respect 
of this matter. 

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Key audit matters 
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit 
of the financial statements of the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of material 
misstatement (whether or not due to fraud) we identified, including those which had the greatest effect on: 
the  overall  audit  strategy,  the  allocation  of  resources  in  the  audit;  and  directing  the  efforts  of  the 
engagement  team.  These  matters  were  addressed  in  the  context  of  our  audit  of  the  financial 
statements  as  a  whole,  and  in  forming  our  opinion  thereon,  and  we  do  not  provide  a  separate  opinion  on 
these  matters.  In  addition  to  the  matter  described  in  the  Material  uncertainty  related  to  going  concern 
section we have determined the matters described below to be the key audit matters to be communicated in 
our report.  

Existence, ownership and impairment of intangible assets 
Intangible  assets  comprise  exploration  assets,  being  accumulated  licence  acquisition  costs  and  subsequent 
capitalised expenditure on those concessions. These are carried at $263,000 (see note 9) and form a significant 
part of the group’s gross and net assets. As these are the group’s primary assets, the continued existence and 
ownership of these assets is a key audit matter. Additionally, management is required, by IFRS 6, to consider 
whether  there  are  any  impairment  indicators  which  may  suggest  that  the  exploration  costs  will  not  be 
recoverable.  Such  indicators  include  the  expiry  or  potential  non-renewal  of  licences,  absence  of  planned  or 
budgeted  expenditure  on  further  exploration,  the  discontinuance  of  exploration  activities  in  a  specific  area 
consequent  on  the  non-discovery  of  commercially  viable  minerals,  or  data  which  indicates  that  the  carrying 
amount of the asset is unlikely to be recovered in full from development or sale of the asset.   

Our response to this key audit matter included: 

 

 
 

 
 

confirming  the  existence  and  ownership  of  key  licences  by  reference  to  publicly  available 
information; 
confirming that the group had complied with the minimum expenditure requirements during the year; 
reviewing  the  directors’  consideration  of  impairment  indicators  and  comparing  this  to  other 
information available to us, including RNS announcements, past expenditure and management’s plans 
and budgets;  
reviewing any third party expert reports in relation to the concessions and their future viability; and 
reviewing the disclosures made in the financial statements. 

Carrying value of financial asset investments 
The  group  holds  an  investment  in  the  shares  of  an  unlisted  company,  Siberian  Goldfields  Limited,  which  is 
carried at fair value through other comprehensive income in accordance with the requirements of IFRS 9. The 
carrying value at 31 December 2018 was $78,000 (see note  17). As the measurement of fair value of a small 
equity  holding  in  an  unlisted  company  requires,  in  the  absence  of  a  readily  observable  market  price,  the 
application of judgement and use of estimates, the valuation is considered to be a key audit matter. 

Our response to this key audit matter included: 

 
 
 

 

 

confirming the number of shares held, and the total issued shares of the investee entity; 
reviewing the valuation adopted by management, and challenging the assumptions made; 
reviewing  the  publicly  available  information  on  valuations  adopted  by  other  investors  in  the  shares 
and comparing this to the group’s valuation; 
reviewing correspondence between the group and the management of Siberian Goldfields Limited for 
evidence of factors which may affect the valuation of the shares;  
discussions with management and review of press comment that there have been no events following 
the year end which might impact the carrying value. 

Our application of materiality 
When establishing our overall audit strategy, we set certain thresholds which help us to determine the nature, 
timing  and  extent  of  our  audit  procedures.  When  evaluating  whether  the  effects  of  misstatements,  both 
individually and on the financial statements as a whole, could reasonably influence the economic decisions of 
the users we take into account the qualitative nature and the size of the misstatements. 

During  planning,  materiality  for  the  group  statements  as  a  whole  was  calculated  as  $30,000,  which  was  not 
significantly changed during the course of our audit.  

We  agreed  with  the  audit  committee  that  we  would  report  to  them  all  unadjusted  differences  in  excess  of 
$1,000,  as  well  as  differences  below  that  threshold  that,  in  our  view,  warranted  reporting  on  qualitative 
grounds. 

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An overview of the scope of our audit 
The Group comprises the parent undertaking, incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, its principal operating 
subsidiary,  Compania  Minera  Estrella  de  Plata  S.A  de  C.V.  and  five  non-trading  or  intermediate  holding 
companies,  all  registered  in  England.  A  full  scope  audit  to  group  materiality  levels  was  performed  on  the 
parent  undertaking  and  Compania  Minera  Estrella  de  Plata  S.A  de  C.V.  This  resulted  in  100%  coverage  of 
consolidated expenditures and 100% of the group’s gross and net assets.  

Other information 
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the non-statutory 
group  financial  statements  and  our  non-statutory  auditor’s  report  thereon.  The  directors  are  responsible  for 
the  other  information.  Our  non-statutory  opinion  on  the  non-statutory  group  financial  statements  does  not 
cover  the  other  information  and,  accordingly,  we  do  not  express  an  audit  opinion  or  any  form  of  assurance 
conclusion thereon.  

In connection with our audit of the non-statutory group financial statements, our responsibility is to read the 
other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the 
non-statutory  group financial  statements  or  our  knowledge  obtained  in  the  audit  or  otherwise  appears  to  be 
materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are 
required  to  determine  whether  there  is  a  material  misstatement  in  the  non-statutory  group  financial 
statements or a material misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we 
conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.  

We have nothing to report in this regard. 

In  this  context,  we  have  a  responsibility  to  specifically  address  the  following  items  in  the  other  information 
and to report as uncorrected material misstatements of the other information where we conclude that those 
items meet the following conditions: 
 

Fair, balanced and understandable set out on page 23 – the statement given by the directors that they 
consider the annual report and financial statements taken as a whole is fair, balanced and understandable 
and  provides  the  information  necessary  for  shareholders  to  assess  the  group’s  performance,  business 
model and strategy, is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained in the audit; or  
Audit committee reporting set out on page 16 – the section describing the work of the audit committee 
does not appropriately address matters communicated by us to the audit committee; or 

 

  Directors’  statement  of  compliance  with  the  UK  Corporate  Governance  Code  set  out  on  page  6  – 
whether the directors’ statement relating to going concern, required under provisions 30 and 31 of the UK 
Corporate Governance Code 2018, is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained in the audit 

Responsibilities of directors 
As  explained  more  fully  in  the  directors’  responsibilities  statement  set  out  on  page  23,  the  directors  are 
responsible  for  the  preparation  of  the  non-statutory  group  financial  statements  and  for  being  satisfied  that 
they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable 
the  preparation  of  non-statutory  group  financial  statements  that  are  free  from  material  misstatement, 
whether due to fraud or error.  

In  preparing  the  non-statutory  group  financial  statements,  the  directors  are  responsible  for  assessing  the 
group’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and 
using  the  going  concern  basis  of  accounting  unless  the  directors  either  intend  to  liquidate  the  group  or  to 
cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so. 

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the non-statutory group financial statements 
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the non-statutory group financial statements 
as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue a non-statutory 
auditor’s  report  that  includes  our  opinion.  Reasonable  assurance  is  a  high  level  of  assurance,  but  is  not  a 
guarantee  that  an  audit  conducted  in  accordance  with  ISAs  (UK)  will  always  detect  a material  misstatement 
when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in 
the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the 
basis of these non-statutory group financial statements. 

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs (UK), we exercise professional judgment and maintain 
professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also: 

 

Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or 
error,  design  and  perform  audit  procedures  responsive  to  those  risks,  and  obtain  audit  evidence  that  is 
sufficient  and  appropriate  to  provide  a  basis  for  our  opinion.  The  risk  of  not  detecting  a  material 
misstatement  resulting  from  fraud  is  higher  than  for  one  resulting  from  error,  as  fraud  may  involve 
collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control. 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that 
are  appropriate  in  the  circumstances,  but  not  for  the  purpose  of  expressing  an  opinion  on  the 
effectiveness of the company’s internal control. 

 

 

Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates 
and related disclosures made by the directors. 

Conclude on the appropriateness of the directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based 
on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that 
may cast significant doubt on the company’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a 
material  uncertainty  exists,  we  are  required  to  draw  attention  in  our  auditor’s  report  to  the  related 
disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our 
conclusions  are  based  on  the  audit  evidence  obtained  up  to  the  date  of  our  auditor’s  report.  However, 
future events or conditions may cause the company to cease to continue as a going concern. 

 

Evaluate  the  overall  presentation,  structure  and  content  of  the  financial  statements,  including  the 
disclosures,  and  whether  the  financial  statements  represent  the  underlying transactions  and  events  in  a 
manner that achieves fair presentation. 

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned 
scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in 
internal control that we identify during our audit. 

We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with 
relevant ethical requirements regarding independence, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard as applied to SME 
listed  entities,  and  communicate  with  them  all  relationships  and  other  matters  that  may  reasonably  be 
thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, related safeguards. 

From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were 
of most significance in the audit of the financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key 
audit  matters.  We  describe  these  matters  in  our  auditor’s  report  unless  law  or  regulation  precludes  public 
disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that a matter should not 
be communicated in our report because the adverse consequences of doing so would reasonably be expected 
to outweigh the public interest benefits of such communication. 

Use of our report  
This non-statutory report is made solely to the company’s directors for their confidential use, in accordance 
with our letter of engagement dated 12 September 2018.  Our non-statutory audit work has been undertaken 
so that we might state to the company’s directors those matters we are engaged to state to them in a non-
statutory auditor’s report and for no other purpose.  To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept 
or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company’s directors, for our non-statutory 
audit work, for this non-statutory report, or for the opinions we have formed. 

RSM UK AUDIT LLP 
Chartered Accountants 
Portland 
25 High Street 
Crawley 
RH10 1BG 

Date: 25 June 2019 

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Consolidated statement of comprehensive income 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

Continuing operations 
Administrative expenses 
Operating loss 

Net investment income 
Loss for the year before taxation  
Tax 
Loss  for  the  year  attributable  to  equity  shareholders  of  the 
parent 

Other comprehensive income that may be reclassified to profit or 
loss: 
Foreign  exchange  translation  differences  recognised  directly  in 
equity 
Movement in equity instrument 
Other comprehensive income for the year 
Total  comprehensive  income  for  the  year  attributable  to  equity 
shareholders of the parent 
Basic and diluted loss per share (US cents/share) 

Note 

2018 

2017 

4 

6 

7 

17 

(1,531) 
(1,531) 

(2) 
(1,533) 
- 
(1,533) 

(1,423) 
(1,423) 

4 
(1,419) 
- 
(1,419) 

(38) 

113 

(56) 
(94) 
(1,627) 

(129) 
(16) 
(1,435) 

8 

(0.3) 

(0.5) 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated statement of financial position 
As at 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

Assets 
Financial asset investments 
Intangible assets 
Property, plant and equipment 
Total non-current assets 

Trade and other receivables 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Total current assets 
Total assets 

Equity attributable to equity shareholders of the parent 
Share capital 
Warrant reserve 
Share-based payment reserve 
Equity investment reserve 
Foreign exchange translation reserve 
Accumulated losses 
Total equity 
Liabilities 
Trade and other payables 
Total current liabilities 
Total liabilities 
Total equity and liabilities 

Note 

2018 

2017 

17 
9 
10 

11 
12 

13 
13 
13 
17 
13 

15 

78 
263 
3 
344 

94 
298 
392 
736 

53,870 
2,183 
1,057 
(185) 
1,903 
(58,166) 
662 

74 
74 
74 
736 

143 
236 
6 
385 

57 
876 
933 
1,318 

52,965 
2,166 
1,389 
- 
1,941 
(57,228) 
1,233 

85 
85 
85 
1,318 

The  financial  statements  were  approved  and  authorised  for  issue  by  the  Board  of  Directors  on  25  June  2019 
and were signed on its behalf by: 

Peter Taylor 
Chief Executive Officer 

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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Consolidated statement of cash flows 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

Cash flows from operating activities 
Loss before tax from continuing operations 
Adjustments for non-cash items: 
  Depreciation 
  Exchange difference 
  Net interest receivable 
  Impairment of financial asset investments 
  Equity-settled share-based payment transactions 
(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables 
(Decrease) in trade and other payables 
Cash used in operating activities 

Cash flows from investing activities 
Interest received 
Proceeds from sale of asset held for sale 
Purchase of intangible assets 
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment 
Cash used in investing activities 

Cash flows from financing activities 
Proceeds from issue of share capital and warrants 
Issue costs 
Cash from financing activities 

Net (decrease) / increase in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January 
Effect of exchange rate fluctuations on cash held 
Cash and cash equivalents at 31 December  

Note 

2018 

2017 

(1,533) 

(1,548) 

10 

6 
17 

11 
15 

9 
10 

13 
13 

12 

3 
30 
- 
- 
260 
(40) 
(18) 
(1,298) 

- 
- 
(27) 
(-) 
(27) 

813 
(16) 
797 

(528) 
876 
(50) 
298   

4 
47 
(6) 
129 
56 
22 
(20) 
(1,316) 

1 
400 
(22) 
(2) 
377 

1,558 
(156) 
1,402 

463 
416 
(3) 
876 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated statement of changes in equity 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

Share 
capital 

Warrant 
reserve 

Share based 
payment 
reserve 

Equity 
investment 
reserve 

Balance: 31 December 2016 
Loss for the year 
Foreign exchange translation 
differences recognised 
directly in equity 
Movement on equity 
investment fair value 
Total comprehensive income 
Shares and warrants issued for 
cash 
Share issue costs 
Lapse of share options 
Share based payment 
Balance: 1 January 2018 
Loss for the year 
Foreign exchange translation 
differences recognised 
directly in equity 
Movement in equity 
instrument 
Total comprehensive income 
Shares issued for cash 
Share issue costs 
Lapse of share options 
Share based payment 
Fair value of warrants issued 

52,396 
- 

1,333 
- 

1,417 
- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

725 

833 

(156) 
- 
- 
52,965 
- 

- 
- 
- 
2,166 
- 

- 

- 

- 
984 
(62) 
- 
- 
(17) 

- 

- 

- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
17 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 
(84) 
56 
1,389 
- 

- 

- 

- 
- 
- 
(466) 
134 
- 

- 
- 

- 

(129) 

(129) 

- 

- 
- 
- 
(129) 
- 
- 

(56) 

(56) 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 

Foreign 
exchange 
translation 
reserve 
1,828 
- 

113 

- 

Accumulated 
losses 

Total 

(55,764) 
(1,419) 

1,210 
(1,419) 

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- 

- 

113 

(129) 

113 

(1,419) 

(1,435) 

- 

- 

1,558 

- 
-  
- 
1,941 
- 

- 
84 
- 
(57,099) 
(1,533) 

(156) 
- 
56 
1,233 
(1,533) 

(38) 

- 

(38) 

- 

(38) 
- 
- 
-  
- 
- 

- 

(56) 

(1,533) 
- 
- 
466 
- 
- 

(1,627) 
984 
(62) 
- 
134 
- 

Balance: 31 December 2018 

53,870 

2,183 

1,057 

(185) 

1,903 

(58,166) 

662 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

Reporting entity 

1. 
Alien  Metals  Ltd  (the  “Company”)  is  a  company  incorporated  in  the  British  Virgin  Islands.  The  consolidated 
financial  statements  for  the  year  ended  31  December  2018  comprise  the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries 
(together referred to as the “Group”). 

The Group is primarily involved in the acquisition and development of mineral resource assets. 

2. 

Basis of preparation 

Statement of compliance 

(A) 
The  consolidated  financial  statements  for  the  year  ended  31  December  2018  have  been  prepared  in 
accordance  with  International  Financial  Reporting  Standards  (“IFRSs”)  as  issued  by  the  International 
Accounting Standards Board. 

The  Group  has  adopted  all  of  the  new  and  revised  Standards  and  Interpretations  that  are  relevant  to  its 
operations  and  effective  for  accounting  periods  beginning  1  January  2018.  The  adoption  of  these  new  and 
revised Standards and Interpretations had no material effect on the profit or loss or financial position of the 
Group. The Group has not adopted any standards or interpretations in advance of the required implementation 
dates. 

IFRS  9  Financial  Instruments  is  being  adopted  for  the  first  time  in  these  financial  statements.  The 
Company applied  IFRS 9 retrospectively  in  accordance  with  IAS  8  Accounting  Policies,  Changes  in  Accounting 
Estimates and Errors. The Company has only one investment, an equity investment into the shares of Siberian 
Goldfields Limited (“SGL”), an unlisted company with interests in gold and iron ore deposits in Siberia, Russia. 
At  1  January  2018,  the  investment  into  SGL  shares  was  carried  at  fair  value  under  IAS  39  in  the  amount  of 
US$142,825.  There were no changes to the carrying amount as a result of IFRS 9 adoption. The application of 
IFRS  9  has  not  resulted  in  restatement  of  net  assets  at  1  January  2017  or  31  December  2017.  The  equity 
investments  into  SGL  shares  will  be  held  at  fair  value  through  other  comprehensive  income,  meaning  the 
reclassification of gains and losses on disposal and impairment losses is no longer permitted for this category 
of asset. Previously, under IAS 39, impairments of such assets were recognised in profit or loss, and gains and 
losses accumulated in reserves were reclassified to profit or loss on disposal.  A change in value of US$128,865 
recognised  in  2017  in  profit  and  loss  has  now  been  recognised  in  other  comprehensive  income  following  the 
adoption of IFRS 9. 

IFRS  15  Revenue  from  contracts  with  customers  was  also  applied  in  these  financial  statements  for  the  first 
time.  Due  to  the  Group  being  at  pre-revenue  stage,  the  adoption  of  this  standard  did  not  result  in  any 
restatement or re-classifications. 

The accounts were approved by the board and authorised for issue on 25 June 2019. 

(B) 

Future standards and possible effects 

New Standards and interpretations 
IFRS 16 Leases 
IFRIC 23 Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments 
Amendments to Existing Standards 
Annual improvements to IFRSs (2015-2017 Cycle) 
Amendments to References to the conceptual framework in IFRSs* 
Amendment to IFRS 3 Business Combinations* 
Amendments to IAS 1 and IAS 8: Definition of Material* 

Issued Date 

IASB mandatory 
effective date1   

13-Jan-16 
07-Jun-17 

12-Dec-17 
29-Mar-18 
22-Oct-18 
31-Oct-18 

01-Jan-19 
01-Jan-19 

01-Jan-19 
01-Jan-20 
01-Jan-20 
01-Jan-20 

1 Periods beginning unless noted otherwise. 
 * Not yet endorsed for use in the EU at the time these accounts were authorised for issue. 

The application of the above standards in the future financial statements is not expected to have a material 
impact on the financial statements. 

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32 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

2. 

Basis of preparation (continued) 

Future standards and possible effects (continued) 

(B) 
Adoption  of  IFRS  16  will  result  in  the  Group  recognising  right-of-use  of  assets  and  lease  liabilities  for  all 
contracts  that  are,  or  contain,  a  lease.  For  leases  currently  classified  as  operating  leases,  under  current 
accounting  requirements  the  group  does  not  recognise  related  assets  or  liabilities,  and  instead  spreads  the 
lease payments on  a straight-line basis over the lease  term, disclosing in its annual financial  statements the 
total  commitment,  where  material.  Since  the  Group  currently  only  has  short  term  (less  than  12  months) 
operating leases, IFRS 16 will not have a material impact on the results or balance sheet of the Group. 

IFRIC  23  clarifies  how  to  recognise  and  measure  current and  deferred  income  tax  assets  and  liabilities  when 
there is uncertainty over income tax treatments. 

Going concern 

(C)  
The directors regularly review cash flow forecasts to determine whether the Group has sufficient cash reserves 
to  meet  future  working  capital  requirements  and  discretionary  business  development  opportunities  including 
exploration activities. 

The Group’s assets are at an early stage and in order to meet financing requirements for their development 
the  Company  has  raised  funds  by  way  of  several  discrete  share  placements,  which  is  a  common  practice  for 
junior mineral exploration companies. 

In addition to the private placings during 2018, in February 2019, the Company issued a £500,000 convertible 
loan note, convertible into Common shares in the Company at a price of 0.1 pence per share. As at 18 June 
2019,  the  Company  had  no  outstanding  debts  under  the  terms  of  the  convertible  loan  note,  and  £300,000 
(US$377,190 remained available to draw down at the Company’s discretion.  

The  Company  issued  a  convertible  loan  note  in  February  2019  which  raised  gross  proceeds  of  £202,247 
(US$264,202 based on an exchange rate of £:$ 1.306). On 10 April 2019 the conversion  option was exercised 
resulting in the issue of 202,247,000 shares. 

The Company successfully raised a further £300,000 (US$389,766 based on an exchange rate of £:$ 1.299 as at 
13 May 2019) before expenses by way of a brokered private placing of shares at a price 0.15 pence per share. 

Please refer to note 20 for further details. 

The  directors  believe  that  the  Group  will  be  able  to  raise  additional  funds  to  continue  with  any  future 
acquisitions  or  exploration  programmes  and  to  meet  recurring  expenditure  and,  taking  account  of  the 
Company’s  current  position  and  principal  risks,  therefore  consider  it  appropriate  to  prepare  the  Group’s 
financial statements on a going concern basis. 

Although the Company has been successful in the past in raising finance, there  can be no assurance that the 
funding  required  by  the  Group  will  be  made  available  to  it  when  needed  or,  if  such  funding  were  to  be 
available, that it would be offered on reasonable terms. The terms of such financing might not be favourable 
to  the  Group  and  might  involve  substantial  dilution  to  existing  shareholders.  These  conditions  indicate  the 
existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt about the Group’s ability to continue as a 
going  concern  and  therefore  it  may  be  unable  to  realise  its  assets  and  discharge  its  liabilities  in  the  normal 
course of business. The financial statements do not include the adjustments that would result if the Group was 
unable to continue as a going concern. 

Use of estimates and judgement 

(D) 
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRSs requires management to make judgements, 
estimates  and  assumptions  that  affect  the  application  of  accounting  policies  and  the  reported  amounts  of 
assets,  liabilities,  income  and  expenses.  The  estimates  and  associated  assumptions  are  based  on  historical 
experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. 

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The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates 
are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the 
period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both current and future periods. 

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Information about such judgements and estimates are contained in the accounting policies and/or the notes to 
the  consolidated  financial  statements.  Areas  of  judgement  that  have  the  most  significant  effect  on  the 
amounts recognised in the consolidated financial statements: 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

2. 

Basis of preparation (continued) 

(D) 

Use of estimates and judgement (continued) 

  Going concern 

Management regularly review cash flow forecasts to determine whether the Group has sufficient cash 
reserves  to  meet  future  working  capital  requirements  and  discretionary  business  development 
opportunities including exploration activities. This judgement is based on Management’s assumptions 
for  the  development  of  its  assets  and  corresponding  estimated  expenditure,  and  the  expectation  of 
raising  additional  funds  to  progress  such  further  exploration  and  development  during  the  year.  For 
further information please refer to note 2(C). 

 

Impairment of exploration and evaluation costs – Notes 3(E), 9 
Determination as to whether, and by how much, an asset or cash generating unit is impaired involves 
management  estimates.  Management  uses  the  following  triggers  to  assess  whether  impairment  has 
occurred (the list is not exhaustive): 

 

 

the  period  for  which  the  entity  has  the  right  to  explore  in  the  specific  area  has  expired 
during the period or will expire in the near future and is not expected to be renewed. 
 substantive expenditure on further exploration for and evaluation of mineral resources in the 
specific area is neither budgeted nor planned. 

  exploration for and evaluation of mineral resources in the specific area have not led to the 
discovery of commercially viable quantities of mineral resources and the entity has decided 
to discontinue such activities in the specific area. 
sufficient data exist to indicate that, although a development in the specific area is likely to 
proceed,  the  carrying  amount  of  the  exploration  and  evaluation  asset  is  unlikely  to  be 
recovered in full on successful development or by sale.  

 

 

Impairment of exploration and evaluation costs – Notes 3(E), 9  
As at 31 December  2018, it was considered that none of the impairment triggers had arisen  and the 
assets were being evaluated for future potential exploration. 

In  any  such  case,  or  similar  cases,  the  Group  will  measure,  present  and  disclose  any  resulting 
impairment loss in accordance with IAS 36. For further information please refer to notes 3(E) and 9. 

 

Estimation of share-based payment costs 
Where  appropriate,  the  Group  estimates  the  fair  value  of  share-based  payments  using  the  Black-
Scholes model taking into account the terms and conditions upon which the share-based payment was 
granted. For further information please refer to notes 3 (k) and 14. 

  Valuation of financial asset investments 

The Group measures financial assets investments with fair value through other comprehensive income 
(FVTOCI)  at  fair  value.  Management  determine  the  appropriate  valuation  techniques  and  inputs  for 
fair value measurement. In estimating the fair value, the Group uses market-observable data to the 
extent it is available. For further information please refer to notes 3(H) and 17. 

Functional and presentation currency 

(E) 
These consolidated financial statements are presented in United States dollars as the Company believes it to 
be the most appropriate and meaningful currency for investors. Save for the Company’s subsidiary in Mexico, 
Compañía  Minera  Estrella  de  Plata  SA  de  CV  (“CMEP”),  the  functional  currency  of  the  Company  and  its 
subsidiaries is pounds sterling; the functional currency of CMEP is United States dollars.  

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34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

3. 

Significant accounting policies 

The  accounting  policies  set  out  below  have  been  applied  consistently  to  all  periods  presented  in  these 
consolidated financial statements and have been applied consistently by Group entities. 

(A) 

Basis of consolidation 

(i) 

Subsidiaries 
An  investor  controls  an  investee  when  the  investor  is  exposed,  or  has  rights,  to  variable 
returns  from  its  involvement  with  the  investee  and  has  the  ability  to  affect  those  returns 
through its power over the investee. The financial statements of subsidiaries are included in 
the consolidated financial statements from the date that control is obtained up to the date 
that control ceases. 

 (ii) 

Transactions eliminated on consolidation 
Intra-group balances and any unrealised gains, losses, income or expenses arising from intra-
group transactions are eliminated in preparing the consolidated financial statements. 

 (B) 

Foreign Currency 

(i) 

Foreign currency transactions 
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at the  foreign exchange rate  ruling at the 
date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at 
the  date  of  the  consolidated  statement  of  financial  position  are  translated  at  the  foreign 
exchange  rate  ruling  at  that  date.  Foreign  exchange  differences  arising  on  translation  are 
recognised in profit or loss. 

Non-monetary assets and liabilities that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign 
currency  are  translated  using  the  exchange  rate  at  the  date  of  the  transaction.  Non-
monetary  assets  and  liabilities  denominated  in  foreign  currencies  that  are  stated  at  fair 
value  are  translated  at  foreign  exchange  rates  ruling  at  the  dates  the  fair  value  was 
determined. 

 (ii) 

Financial statements of operations 
The assets and liabilities of operations, including goodwill and fair value adjustments arising 
on consolidation, are translated to United States dollars at exchange rates ruling at the date 
of the consolidated statement of financial position. The revenues and expenses of operations 
are translated to United States dollars at rates approximating to the exchange rates ruling at 
the  dates  of  the  transactions.  Foreign  exchange  differences  arising  on  retranslation  are 
recognised  in  other  comprehensive  income.  They  are  reclassified  to  profit  or  loss  upon 
disposal. 

On  disposal  of  a  foreign  operation,  the  cumulative  exchange  differences  recognised  in  the 
foreign exchange reserve relating to that operation up to the date of disposal are reclassified 
to the profit or loss as part of the profit or loss on disposal. 

(C) 
Income tax expense comprises current and deferred tax. 

Income tax expense 

Income  tax  expense  is  recognised  in  the  income  statement  except  to  the  extent  that  it  relates  to  items 
recognised directly in equity, in which case it is recognised equity. 

Current  tax  is  the  expected  tax  payable  on  the  taxable  income  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 recognised using the balance sheet method, providing for temporary differences between the 
carrying  amounts  of  assets  and  liabilities  for  financial  reporting  purposes  and  the  amount  used  for  taxation 
purposes. Deferred tax is not recognised for the initial recognition of goodwill, the initial recognition of assets 
or liabilities in a transaction that is not a business combination and that affects neither accounting nor taxable 
profit, and differences relating to investments in subsidiaries that will not reverse in the foreseeable future.  

35 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

3. 

Significant accounting policies (continued) 

Income tax expense (continued) 

(C) 
Deferred tax is measured at the tax rates that are expected to be applied to the temporary differences when 
they reverse, based on the laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date. 

A deferred tax asset is recognised to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits will be available 
against  which  the  temporary  difference  can  be  utilised.  Deferred  tax  assets  are  reviewed  at  each  reporting 
date and are reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that the related tax benefit will be realised. 

Loss per share 

(D) 
The Group presents basic and diluted loss per share (“LPS”) data for its common shares. Basic LPS is calculated 
by  dividing  the  profit  or  loss  attributable  to  common  shareholders  of  the  Company  by the  weighted  average 
number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted LPS is determined by adjusting the profit or 
loss attributable to common shareholders and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for 
the effects of all potentially dilutive common shares, which comprise warrants, share options and conversion 
of the loan note into shares. 

 (E) 

Intangible assets 

(i) 

Deferred exploration and evaluation costs 
These  comprise  costs  directly  incurred  in  exploration  and  evaluation  as  well  as  the  cost  of 
mineral  licences.  Costs  which  are  capitalised  include  costs  of  licence  acquisition,  technical 
services  and  studies,  exploration  drilling  and  testing  and  appropriate  technical  and 
administrative expenses but do not include general administrative expenses or costs incurred 
prior to having obtained the legal rights to explore an area, which are expensed directly to 
the  income  statement  account  as  they  occur.  They  are  capitalised  as  intangible  assets 
pending  the  determination  of  the  feasibility  of  the  project.  When  the  decision  is  taken  to 
develop  a  mine  the  related  intangible  assets  are  transferred  to  property,  plant  and 
equipment and the exploration and evaluation costs are amortised over the estimated life of 
the  project.  Where  a  project  is  abandoned  or  is  determined  not  economically  viable,  the 
related costs are written off. 

The recoverability of deferred exploration and evaluation costs is dependent upon a number 
of  factors  common  to  the  natural  resource  sector.  These  include  the  extent  to  which  the 
Company  can  establish  mineral  reserves  on  its  properties,  the  ability  of  the  Company  to 
obtain  necessary  financing  to  complete  the  development  of  such  reserves  and  future 
profitable production or proceeds from the disposition thereof. 

(F) 

Property, plant and equipment 

(i) 

Depreciation 
Depreciation  is  charged  to  profit  or  loss  on  a  straight-line  basis  over  the  estimated  useful 
lives of each part of an item of property, plant and equipment. Land is not depreciated. The 
estimated useful lives for the current and comparative periods are as follows: 

fixtures and fittings: 

3 to 10 years 
•  office equipment: 
• 
3 to 10 years 
•  plant and equipment:   5 to 10 years 
•  motor vehicles: 

4 years 

The residual value, if not insignificant, is reassessed annually. Assets under construction are 
not depreciated.  

36 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

3.  

Significant accounting policies (continued)  

Impairment of non-financial assets 

(G) 
The  carrying  amounts  of  the  Group’s  assets  are  reviewed  at  the  date  of  each  consolidated  statement  of 
financial  position  to  determine  whether  there  is  any  indication  of  impairment.  If  any  such  indication  exists, 
the asset’s recoverable amount is estimated. Impairment is measured by comparing the carrying values of the 
asset with its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount of the asset is the higher of the assets' fair value 
less costs to sell and its value-in-use, which is measured by reference to discounted future cash flow. 

An impairment loss is recognised in the income statement immediately. 

When there is a change in the estimates used to determine the recoverable amount, a subsequent increase in 
the recoverable amount of an asset is treated as a reversal of the previous impairment loss and is recognised 
to the extent of the carrying amount of the asset that would have been determined (net of amortisation and 
depreciation)  had  no  impairment  loss  been  recognised.  The  reversal  is  recognised  in  the  income  statement 
immediately, unless the asset is carried at its revalued amount, in which case the reversal of the impairment 
loss is treated as a revaluation increase. 

Financial instruments 

(H) 
Financial  instruments  are  recognised  in  the  statements  of  financial  position  when  the  Group  has  become  a 
party to the contractual provisions of the instruments. 

Financial assets are derecognised when the contractual rights to receive cash flows from the financial assets 
have expired or have been transferred and the Group has transferred substantially all the risks and rewards of 
ownership. On de-recognition of a financial asset in its entirety, the difference between the carrying amount 
and the sum of the consideration received and any cumulative gain or loss that had been recognised in other 
comprehensive income is recognised in profit or loss. 

(i) 

      Financial assets carried at amortised cost 

These assets incorporate  such types of financial assets where the objective is to hold these 
assets  in  order  to  collect  contractual  cash  flows  and  the  contractual  cash  flows  are  solely 
payments of principal and interest. They are initially recognised at fair value plus transaction 
costs that are directly attributable to their acquisition or issue, and are subsequently carried 
at  amortised  cost  using  the  effective  interest  rate  method,  less  provision  for  impairment. 
Impairment  of  provisions  for  receivables  are  recognised  based  on  the  simplified  approach 
within  IFRS  9  using  a  provision  matrix  in  the  determination  of  the  lifetime  expected  credit 
losses. During this process the probability of the non-payment of the receivables is assessed. 
This probability is then multiplied by the amount of the expected loss arising from default to 
determine  the  lifetime  expected  credit  loss  for  the  receivables.  On  confirmation  that  the 
receivable will not be collectable, the gross carrying value of the asset is written off against 
the associated provision.  

Impairment  provisions  for  receivables  from  related  parties  and  loans  to  related  parties  are 
recognised based on a forward-looking expected credit loss model. The methodology used to 
determine  the  amount  of  the  provision  is  based  on  whether  there  has  been  a  significant 
increase  in  credit  risk  since  initial  recognition  of  the  financial  asset.  For  those  where  the 
credit  risk  has  not  increased  significantly  since  initial  recognition  of  the  financial  asset, 
twelve  month  expected  credit  losses  along  with  gross  interest  income  are  recognised.  For 
those for which credit risk  has increased significantly, lifetime expected credit losses along 
with  the  gross  interest  income  are  recognised.  For  those  that  are  determined  to  be  credit 
impaired,  lifetime  expected  credit  losses  along  with  interest  income  on  a  net  basis  are 
recognised.  

The Group's financial assets measured at amortised cost comprise other receivables and cash 
and cash equivalents in the consolidated statement of financial position. 

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37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

3.  

Significant accounting policies (continued)  

(H) 

Financial instruments (continued) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

(iv) 

Financial assets with fair value through other comprehensive income (FVTOCI) 
The  Group  has  a  strategic  investment  in  an  unlisted  entity  (SGL,  note  2A),  which  is  not 
accounted  for  as  subsidiary, associate  or  jointly  controlled  entity.  For that  investment,  the 
Group has made an irrevocable election to classify the investment at fair value through other 
comprehensive  income  rather  than  through  profit  or  loss  as  the  Group  considers  this 
measurement to be the most representative of the business model for this asset.  It is carried 
at  fair  value  with  changes  in  fair  value  recognised  in  other  comprehensive  income  and 
accumulated in the equity instrument reserve through other comprehensive income reserve.  
Upon  disposal  any  balance  within  the  equity  instrument  reserve  is  reclassified  directly  to 
retained earnings and is not reclassified to profit or loss.   

Dividends are recognised in profit or loss, unless the dividend clearly represents a recovery of 
part of the cost of the investment, in which case the full or partial amount of the dividend is 
recorded against the associated investments carrying amount.  

Purchases and sales of financial assets measured at fair value through other comprehensive 
income are recognised on settlement date with any change in fair value between trade date 
and settlement date being recognised in the equity instrument reserve.  

Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost 
Financial  liabilities  measured  at  amortised  cost  include  current  borrowings  and  trade  and 
other  payables  that  are  short  term  in  nature.  Financial  liabilities  are  derecognised  if  the 
Group’s obligations specified in the contract expire or are discharged or cancelled.  

Fair value measurement 
Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in 
an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value 
measurement is based on the presumption that the transaction to sell the  asset or transfer 
the liability takes place either: 

 
 

In the principal market for the asset or liability; or 
In the absence of a principal market, in the most advantageous market for the asset 
or liability. 

The principal or the most advantageous market must be accessible by the Group. 

The  fair  value  of  an  asset  or  a  liability  is  measured  using  the  assumptions  that  market 
participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, assuming that market participants 
act in their economic best interest. 

A fair value measurement of a non-financial asset takes into account a market participant's 
ability  to  generate  economic  benefits  by  using  the  asset  in  its  highest  and  best  use  or  by 
selling it to another market participant that would use the asset in its highest and best use. 

The Group uses valuation techniques that are appropriate in the circumstances and for which 
sufficient  data  are  available  to  measure  fair  value,  maximising  the  use  of  relevant 
observable inputs and minimising the use of unobservable inputs. 

All  assets  and  liabilities  for  which  fair  value  is  measured  or  disclosed  in  the  financial 
statements  are  categorised  within  the  fair  value  hierarchy,  described  as  follows,  based  on 
the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement as a whole:  

 

 

 

Level 1 — Quoted (unadjusted) market prices in active markets for identical assets 
or liabilities;  
Level 2 — Valuation techniques for which the lowest level input that is significant to 
the fair value measurement is directly or indirectly observable; and  
Level 3 — Valuation techniques for which the lowest level input that is significant to 
the fair value measurement is unobservable.  

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38 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

3.  

Significant accounting policies (continued)  

(H) 

Financial instruments (continued) 
(v) 

Fair value measurement (continued) 
For assets and liabilities that are recognised in the financial statements on a recurring basis, 
the  Group  determines  whether  transfers  have  occurred  between  levels  in  the  hierarchy  by 
re-assessing  categorisation  (based  on  the  lowest  level  input  that  is  significant  to  the  fair 
value measurement as a whole) at the end of each reporting period. For the purpose of fair 
value disclosures, the Group has determined classes of assets and liabilities on the basis of 
the  nature,  characteristics  and  risks  of  the  asset  or  liability  and the  level  of  the  fair  value 
hierarchy as explained above.  

(I)  
The Company estimates the fair value of the future liability relating to issued warrants using  

Warrants 

 

 

residual  method,  where  a  warrant  was  issued  and  included  as  a  part  of  a  package  placement  of  “1 
share+ 1 warrant”; 
the Black-Scholes pricing model taking into account the terms and conditions upon which the warrants 
were issued, if the warrant was granted on its own 

Warrants relating to equity finance are recorded as a reduction of capital stock based on the fair value of the 
warrants. 

Share capital – common shares 

 (J)  
Incremental  costs  directly  attributable  to  the  issue  of  common  shares  and  share  options  are  recognised  as  a 
deduction from equity. 

Share-based payment transactions 

 (K) 
The share option programme allows Group directors, officers, employees and consultants to acquire shares of 
the  Company.  Equity-settled  share-based  payments  to  employees  and  others  providing  similar  services  are 
measured at the fair value of the equity instruments at the grant date and are recognised as an expense with a 
corresponding  increase  in  equity.  The  fair  value  determined  at  the  grant  date  of  the  equity-settled  share-
based payments is expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, based on the Directors’ estimate 
of equity instruments that will eventually vest, with a corresponding increase in equity. Where the conditions 
are non-vesting, the expense and equity reserve arising from share-based payment transactions is recognised 
in full immediately on grant. 

The fair value of the options granted is measured using the Black-Scholes model, taking into account the terms 
and  conditions  upon  which  the  options  were  granted.  The  amount  recognised  as  an  expense  is  adjusted  to 
reflect the actual number of share options that vest, except if the change is due to market-based conditions 
not being satisfied. 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

4.  

Operating loss 

Operating loss is stated after charging: 

Depreciation and amortisation 
Exchange loss  
Exploration costs 

2018 

3 
          6 
2 

2017 

4 
          47 
101 

In accordance with IFRS 8 'Operating Segments', an operating segment is defined as a business activity whose 
operating  results  are  reviewed  by  the  chief  operating  decision  maker  ('CODM')  and  for  which  discrete 
information  is  available.  The  Group's  CODM  is  the  Board  of  Directors.   The  Group  only  has  one  reporting 
segment  being  its  corporate  activities  whilst  it  seeks  out  opportunities  to  expand  its  portfolio.  The  Group's 
income, costs, assets, liabilities and cash flows are therefore totally attributable to its one segment so no IFRS 
8 disclosures have been given. 

Auditors remuneration 

Fees payable to the Group’s auditor for the audit of the 
annual financial statements 
Fees payable to the Group’s auditor for other services: 
Tax compliance services 
Total 

2018 

2017 

31 

2 
33 

47 

- 
47 

Staff numbers and costs 

5. 
The  average  number  of  persons  employed  by  the  Group  (including  directors)  during  the  year,  analysed  by 
category, was as follows: 

Finance and administration 
Total staff numbers 

The aggregate staff costs of these persons as follows: 

Wages and salaries 
Social security costs 
Pension 
Share based payments 
Total staff costs 

2018 
5 
5 

2017 
6 
6 

2018 
839 
85 
2 
134 
1,060 

2017 
650 
74 
1 
43 
768 

During the year ended 31 December 2018 $114,000 (2017: nil) wages and salaries were satisfied by the issue of 
37,200,000 (2017: nil) common shares in the Company. 

Remuneration of key management personnel 
Key management personnel remuneration is detailed below: 

Executive directors 
A J Williams (resigned 15 May 2018) 
J T Williams (resigned 15 May 2018) 
D V Edmonds (appointed 15 May 2018) 
Non-executive directors 
T A Bailey (resigned 30 June 2018) 
J S Cable 
J A Crombie (resigned 30 June 2018) 
C C Gordon (appointed 15 May 2018) 
Other key management 
Company Secretary 
Total remuneration 

40 

2018 
Salary/Fees 

2017 
Salary/Fees 

166 
406 
21 

25 
34 
25 
21 

141 
839 

116 
283 
- 

32 
32 
32 
- 

155 
650 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

5. 

Staff numbers and costs (continued) 

Remuneration of key management personnel (continued) 

The above remuneration excludes social  security costs incurred by the Group. Including these social security 
costs, the total short-term employee benefits for the year in respect of key management personnel amounted 
to $847,000 (2017: $724,000). 

Wages and salaries 

Paid directly 
Paid via related party consultancy companies  
Share based payment charge 
Total  

2018 
838 
- 
134 
972 

2017 
585 
65 
56 
706 

Share  based  payment  charges  relate  to  the  fair  value  charge  attributed  to  share  options  granted,  further 
details are disclosed in note 14.  

6. 

Net investment income 

Finance charges 
Interest income 
Total net investment income 

7. 

Income tax recognised in the income statement 

Current tax 

Reconciliation of effective tax rate 

Loss before tax 
Income tax using the domestic corporation tax rate of 19.25%  
(2017: 20.00%) 
Non-deductible expenses 
Effect of timing differences 
Depreciation in excess of capital allowances 
Adjustments relating to different tax rates of subsidiary 
Tax losses carried forward not recognised 
Total tax expense 

2018 
(2) 
- 
(2) 

2018 
- 

2018 
(1,533) 

(291) 

40 
- 
- 
- 
251 
- 

2017 
(2) 
6 
4 

2017 
- 

2017 
(1,548) 

(298) 

27 
11 
- 
(21) 
281 
- 

At the year end the Group had tax losses to carry forward of approximately $24,627,000 (2017: $23,367,000). 

Under IFRS a net deferred tax asset of approximately $4,691,000 (2017: $4,440,000) has not been recognised 
due to the uncertainty as to the amount that can be utilised. 

No adjustments are required in respect of the subsidiaries. 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

8. 

Loss per share 

Basic loss per share 
The  calculation  of  basic  loss  per  share  at  31  December  2018  was  based  on  the  loss  attributable  to  common 
shareholders of $1,533,000 (2017: $1,548,000) and a weighted average number of common shares outstanding 
during the year ended 31 December 2018 of 601,248,037 (2017: 303,037,407). 

Loss from continuing operations 
Loss attributable to common shareholders 
Basic and diluted loss per share in US cents 

2018 
1,533 
1,533  
0.3 

2017 
1,548 
1,548 
0.5 

Diluted Loss per share 
The  potential  increase  in  common  shares  from  the  exercise  of  any  outstanding  share  purchase  warrants  and 
share options would be anti-dilutive as the Group has a net loss. These potential common shares are therefore 
excluded from the calculation and the diluted loss per share figure reported is the same as the basic loss per 
share. 

9. 

Intangible assets 

Cost 
At 1 January 2017 
Additions  
Foreign exchange 
At 31 December 2017  
Additions  
Foreign exchange 
At 31 December 2018 

Deferred 
exploration costs 

173 
22 
41 
236 
26 
1 
263 

The additions during the year were for deferred exploration costs of $26,000 relating to a number of projects 
in Mexico. 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

10. 

Property, plant and equipment 

Cost 
At 31 December 2016 
Additions 
Foreign exchange movement 
At 31 December 2017 
Disposals 
Foreign exchange movement 
At 31 December 2018 

Depreciation and impairment losses 
At 31 December 2016 
Depreciation 
Foreign exchange movement 
At 31 December 2017 
Depreciation 
Disposals 
Foreign exchange movement 
At 31 December 2018 

Carrying amounts 
At 31 December 2016 
At 31 December 2017 
At 31 December 2018 

11. 

Trade and other receivables 

Other receivables 
Prepayments 
Total trade and receivables 

12. 

Cash and cash equivalents 

Bank balances 
Cash and cash equivalents in the statement of cash flows 

Plant and 
equipment 

Vehicles 

Total 

29 
2 
3 
34 
(32) 
- 
2 

(27) 
(2) 
(3) 
(32) 
(1) 
32 
- 
(1) 

6 
- 
1 
7 
- 
- 
7 

(1) 
(2) 
- 
(3) 
(2) 
- 
- 
(5) 

35 
2 
4 
41 
(32) 
- 
9 

(28) 
(4) 
(3) 
(35) 
(3) 
32 
- 
(6) 

2 
2 
1 

5 
4 
2 

7 
6 
3 

2018 
21 
73 
94 

2018 
298 
298 

2017 
25 
32 
57 

2017 
876 
876 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

13. 

 Share capital and reserves 

Share Capital 

Authorised 
The Company is authorised to issue an unlimited number of common shares of no par value. 

Issued and outstanding common shares 

Changes for the years ended 31 December 2018 and 2017 are detailed in the following table: 

2018 

2017 

Opening balance 1 January 
Shares  and  warrants  issued  for 
cash 
Issue costs of share issuance 
Fair value of share warrants issued 
Closing balance 31 December 

Number of 
shares (000s) 
423,695 
292,448 

- 
- 
716,143 

Amount 
52,965 
984 

(62) 
(17) 
53,870 

Number of 
shares (000s) 
183,695 
240,000 

- 
- 
423,695 

Amount 
52,396 
1,558 

(156) 
(833) 
52,965 

During the years ended 31 December 2018 and 2017, the Company made share issuances as set out below. 

2018 

  On 1 November 2018, 14,448,000 common shares were issued at £0.0025 each, £36,120 (US$46,027). 
  On 15 May 2018, 278,000,000 common shares were issued at £0.0025 each, £695,000 (US$938,000). 

2017 

  On 27 July 2017, 120,000,000 common shares were issued at £0.005 each, £600,000 (US$783,084). 
  On 9 June 2017, 120,000,000 common shares were issued at £0.005 each, £600,000 (US$775,110). 

Warrants 

Warrant reserve 
The warrants reserve arises on the issue of warrants. 

Opening balance 1 January 
Fair value of warrants issued 
Closing balance 31 December 

2018 
2,166 
17 
2,183 

2017 
1,333 
833 
2,166 

On  7  November  2018  14,448,000  common  shares  purchase  warrants  were  issued,  exercisable  at  £0.0025  per 
common share, until 6 November 2020. These warrants were issued as a part of a placement unit of “1 share + 
1 warrant” and privately placed at a price of £0.0025. The Company’s market value of the shares on the date 
of placement was £0.0016; the warrants were therefore valued based on the residual method at £0.0009. 

The number and weighted average exercise price  of warrants in issue  for the year ended 31 December  2018 
and 2017: 

Opening balance 1 January 
Issued 
Closing balance 31 December 

2018 

2017 

Outstanding 
(000s) 
378,787 
14,448 
393,235 

Weighted 
average 
exercise price 
0.01 
0.01 
0.01 

Outstanding 
(000s) 
114,787 
264,000 
378,787 

Weighted average 
exercise price 
0.02 
0.01 
0.01 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

13. 

 Share capital and reserves (continued) 

Share-based payment reserve 

The  share-based  payment  reserve  arises  on  the  grant  of  share  options  to  directors,  employees  and  other 
eligible persons under the share option plan. 

Opening balance 1 January 
Fair value of share options issued 
Share options lapsed 
Closing balance 31 December 

2018 
1,389 
134 
(466) 
1,057 

2017 
1,417 
56 
(84) 
1,389 

Foreign exchange translation reserve 
The  translation  reserve  comprises  foreign  exchange  differences  arising  from  the  translation  of  the  financial 
statements  of  operations  that  do  not  have  a  US  dollar  functional  currency.  Exchange  differences  arising  are 
classified  as  equity  and  transferred  to  the  Group’s  translation  reserve.  Such  translation  differences  are 
recognised in profit or loss in the period in which the operation is disposed of. 

Accumulated losses 
Accumulated losses contain losses incurred in the current and prior years. 

14. 

Share-based payment transactions 

The number and weighted average exercise prices of share options for the years ended 31 December 2018 and 
2017  are  set  out  below.  The issue  of  common  shares  prior  to  the  date  of the  share  consolidation  have  been 
restated to the nearest whole number as if they had occurred post-consolidation. 

Opening balance 1 January 
Issued 
Lapsed 
Closing balance 31 December 

2018 

2017 

Outstanding 
(000s) 
9,225 
34,285 
(6,725) 
36,785 

Weighted 
average 
exercise price 
($) 
0.03 
0.95 
0.07 
0.03 

Outstanding 
(000s) 
775 
8,500 
(50) 
9,225 

Weighted 
average 
exercise price 
($) 
0.32 
0.01 
1.07 
0.03 

Share options in issue at 31 December 2018: 

Outstanding shares 
1,250,000 
1,250,000 
34,284,746 

Exercisable shares 
1,250,000 
1,250,000 
34,284,746 

Exercise price 
£0.0100 
£0.0100 
£0.0025 

Expiry 
2 February 2022 
9 February 2022 
14 May 2023 

The share options outstanding at 31 December 2018 if exercised, will be settled by issue of equity. 

The weighted average remaining contractual life of share options as at 31 December 2018 was 1,572 days. 

Fair value of share options and assumptions 
The  estimate  of  the  fair  value  of  the  share  options  is  measured  based  on  the  Black-Scholes  model.  The 
following inputs were used in the calculation of the fair value of the warrants granted. 

Fair value ($ 000s) 
Share price ($) 
Weighted average exercise price (£) 
Expected volatility 
Expected share options life 
Expected dividend yield 
Risk-free interest rate 

15 May 2018 
134 
0.0045 
0.7 
101.66% 
5 years 
0% 
1.02% 

The expected volatility is based on the historical share prices of a group of companies deemed to be 
comparable. 

45 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

14. 

Share-based payment transactions (continued) 

Share options held by directors and senior management at 31 December 2018: 

Holder 

D V Edmonds2 

C C Gordon 

Shares  Exercise price 

Grant Date 

Vesting Date 

Expiry1 

17,142,373 

£0.0025 

15 May 2018 

15 May 2018 

14 May 2023 

17,142,373 

£0.0025 

15 May 2018 

15 May 2018 

14 May 2023 

J S Cable 

500,000 

£0.01 

10 Feb 2018 

10 Feb 2018 

09 Feb 2022 

Senior Management 

2,000,000 

£0.01 

03 Feb 2018 

03 Feb 2018 

02 Feb 2022 

1 The expiry date is subject to the terms and conditions contained in the share option plan. 
2 All options lapsed unexercised on 11 April 2019.  

Changes  to  the  number  of  share  options  held  by  directors  and  senior  management  in  the  year  ended  31 
December 2018: 
Holder 
D V Edmonds 
C C Gordon 
A J Williams 
J T Williams 
J S Cable 
T A Bailey 
J A Crombie 
Senior Management 
Total 

At 31 December 2018 
17,142,373 
17,142,373 
- 
- 
500,000 
- 
- 
2,000,000 
36,784,746 

At 1 January 2018 
- 
- 
2,700,000 
2,700,000 
525,000 
525,000 
525,000 
2,250,000 
9,225,000 

Lapsed 
- 
- 
(2,700,000) 
(2,700,000) 
(25,000) 
(525,000) 
(525,000) 
(250,000) 
(6,725,000) 

Granted 
17,142,373 
17,142,373 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
34,284,746 

15. 

 Trade and other payables 

Trade payables 
Other payables 
Total trade and other payables 

16.  

Group entities 

Country of 
incorporation and 
operation 

Significant Subsidiaries 
Compañía Minera Estrella de Plata S.A. de C.V.  Mexico 
Arian Silver Corporation (UK) Ltd 
Arian Silver (Holdings) Limited 
Alien Minerals Ltd 
Alien Resources Ltd 
Alien Exploration Ltd 

England and Wales 
England and Wales 
England and Wales 
England and Wales 
England and Wales 

2018 
22 
52 
74 

2017 
8 
77 
85 

Principal activity 
Mining exploration 
Holding 
Holding 
Non-trading 
Non-trading 
Non-trading 

Alien Metals 
Ltd effective 
interest 

2018 
100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 
100% 

2017 
100% 
100% 
100% 
n/a 
n/a 
n/a 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

17. 

Financial instruments and financial risk management 

Categories of financial instruments 

Cash and cash equivalents (note 12) 
Trade and other receivables (note 11) 
Total financial assets measured at amortised cost 
Financial assets at fair value through other comprehensive income  
Total financial assets 

Trade and other payables measured at amortised cost (note 15) 
Total financial liabilities 

2018 
298 
21 
319 
78 
397 

40 
40 

2017 
876 
25 
901 
143 
1,044 

36 
36 

Exposure  to  interest  rate  and  foreign  currency  risks  arises  in  the  normal  course  of  the  Group’s  business. 
Derivative financial instruments are not used to hedge exposure to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and 
interest rates. 

The  Group’s policy  is  to  retain  its  surplus  funds  on  short  term  deposits,  usually  between  one  week  and four 
weeks  duration,  at  prevailing  market  rates.  Credit  risk  is  managed  by  ensuring  that  surplus  funds  are  only 
deposited with well-established financial institutions of high quality credit standing. 

Market risk 
Market risk is the risk that the Group’s future earnings will be adversely impacted by changes in market prices. 
Market risk for Alien Metals comprises two types of risk: price risk and foreign currency risk. 

Price risk 
The price risk is the risk that the Group’s future earnings will be adversely impacted by changes in the market 
prices of commodities. 

Foreign currency risk 
The  Group’s  operational  expenditure  is  made  in  Mexico  in  Mexican  pesos  and  head  office  expenses  are 
predominantly made in the UK in pounds sterling, and United States dollars. The Group is therefore exposed to 
the movement in exchange rates for these currencies. The Group does not currently hedge foreign exchange 
risk. 

At the year end the majority of the Group’s cash resources were held in pounds sterling. The Group therefore 
also  has  downside  exposure to  any  strengthening  of  United  States  dollar  or the  Mexican  peso  against pounds 
sterling as this would increase expenses in pounds sterling terms and accelerate the depletion of the Group’s 
cash  resources.  Any  weakening  of  United  States  dollar  or  the  Mexican  peso  against  pounds  sterling  would, 
however, result in a reduction in expenses in pounds sterling terms and preserve the Group’s cash resources. 

There is not considered to be any material exposure in respect of other monetary assets and liabilities of the 
Group  as  these  are  of  a  short-term  nature.  The  table  below  shows  an  analysis  of  cash  and  cash  equivalents 
denominated by currency. 

Pounds sterling 
United States dollars 
Mexican pesos 
Total cash held 

2018 
268 
27 
3 
298 

2017 
710 
165 
1 
876 

Sensitivity Analysis 
The  Group  holds  cash  in  pounds  sterling  to  settle  accounts  payable  balances  derived  in  that  currency.  The 
main risk is through foreign exchange fluctuations in companies where the cash balances are held in a currency 
that is different to the functional currency. 

Functional Currency     

Sterling 

Sterling 

Currency  of  net  monetary 
asset/liability 
Sterling 
United States dollars  
Mexican pesos 
Total 

2018 
725 
155 
- 
880 

2017 
311 
292 
- 
603 

Mexican 
 Peso 

Mexican 
 Peso 

2018 
- 
10 
20 
30 

2017 
- 
10 
20 
30 

Total 

Total 

2018 
725 
165 
20 
910 

2017 
311 
297 
10 
618 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

17. 

Financial instruments and financial risk management (continued) 

Exposure to foreign currency risk sensitivity analysis: 

15% strengthening in the United States dollar 
15% weakening in the United States dollar 

Against Sterling 
US$ 
(5) 
5 

A  15%  variation  is  considered  an  appropriate  level  of  sensitivity  given  recent  levels  of  foreign  exchange 
volatility. 

Interest rate risk 
Interest  rate  risk  is  the  risk  that  the  value  of  a  financial  instrument  or  cash  flows  associated  with  the 
instrument  will  fluctuate  due  to  changes  in  market  interest  rates.  Interest  rate  risk  arises  from  interest 
bearing financial assets and liabilities that the Group uses. Treasury activities take place under procedures and 
policies  approved  and  monitored  by  the  Board  to  minimise  the  financial  risk  faced  by  the  Group.  Interest 
bearing  assets  comprise  cash  and  cash  equivalents  which  are  considered  to  be  short-term  liquid  assets.  No 
sensitivity analysis has been disclosed as management does not consider any reasonable fluctuation in interest 
rates to be sufficiently material to disclose. 

Liquidity risk 
The  Company’s  approach  to managing  liquidity  risk  is  to  ensure  that  it  will  have  sufficient  liquidity  to  meet 
liabilities when due. The directors regularly review  cash flow  forecasts to determine whether the Group has 
sufficient cash reserves to meet future working capital requirements and discretionary business development 
opportunities including exploration activities. 

As at 31 December 2018, the Company had cash and other receivables of $335k to settle accounts payable of 
$62k.  The  Company’s  accounts  payable  have  contractual  maturities  of  less  than  30  days  and  are  subject  to 
normal trade terms. In the short-term, liabilities will be funded by cash. 

The Group’s assets are at an early stage and in order to meet financing requirements for their development 
the  Company  has  raised  funds  by  way  of  several  discrete  share  placements,  which  is  a  common  practice  for 
junior mineral exploration companies. 

In  May  2018  the  Company  was  successful  in  an  equity  placing  and  subscription  generating  net  proceeds  of 
$796,295. 

Although the Company has been successful in the past in raising equity finance, there can be no assurance that 
the  funding  required  by the Group  will  be  made  available  to  it  when  needed  or,  if  such  funding  were  to  be 
available, that it would be offered on reasonable terms. The terms of such financing might not be favourable 
to the Group and might involve substantial dilution to existing shareholders. 

Credit risk 
Credit  risk  is  the  risk  of  loss  associated  with  a  counterparty’s  inability  to  fulfil  its  payment  obligations.  The 
Group’s maximum exposure to credit risk is attributable to cash. The credit risk on cash is limited because the 
Group invests its cash in deposits with well capitalised financial institutions with strong credit ratings. 

Fair values 
Financial  instruments  not  measured  at  fair  value  include  cash  and  cash  equivalents,  trade  and  other 
receivables, trade and other payables. It is the Board’s opinion that the carrying values of the cash and cash 
equivalents,  the  other  receivables,  all  trade  and  other  payables  in  the  consolidated  statement  of  financial 
position approximate their fair values due to their short-term nature.  

Fair value disclosures for financial asset investment in SGL are shown below in this note. 

Capital management 
The  Group’s  objective  when  managing  capital  is  to  safeguard  the  Group’s  ability  to  continue  as  a  going 
concern  and  have  access  to  adequate  funding  for  its  exploration  and  development  projects,  so  that  it  can 
provide returns for shareholders and benefits for other stakeholders. The Group manages the capital structure 
and  makes  adjustments  in  the  light  of  changes  in  economic  conditions  and  risk  characteristics  of  the 
underlying assets. In order to maintain or adjust the capital structure the Group may issue new shares, acquire 
debt,  or  sell  assets.  Management  regularly  reviews  cash  flow  forecasts  to  determine  whether  the  Group  has 
sufficient  cash  reserves  to  meet  future  working  capital  requirements  and  to  take  advantage  of  business 
opportunities. 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

17. 

Financial instruments and financial risk management (continued) 

Financial asset investment 

The Company has only one investment, which was previously classified as available-for-sale investment under 
IAS  39.  It  is  an  equity  investment  into  the  shares  of  Siberian  Goldfields  Limited  “SGL”,  an  unlisted  company 
with interests in gold and iron ore deposits in Siberia, Russia. Due to the fact that investment into SGL shares 
was carried at fair value under IAS 39, the application of IFRS 9 has not resulted in changes in net assets at 1 
January 2017 or 31 December 2017. The classification of  the  equity  investments  into  SGL  share  has  changed 
from  'available-for-sale  investments'  under  IAS  39  to  become  fair  value through  other comprehensive  income 
under IFRS 9. 

The  Directors  have  considered  a  number  of  methodologies  to  determine  the fair  value  of  the  financial  asset 
investment  in  SGL  including  market  approach,  determining  a  fair  value  by  reference  to  similar  listed 
companies,  determining  a  fair  value  by  reference  to  in-situ  resources  and  determining  a  value  through 
discounted cash flow model.  

The Company has determined the fair value by reference to similar listed companies. Another listed company 
which has a significant holding in SGL has in its March 2019 financial statements written its investment down 
from 12p per share to 7p per share due in part to the lack of fund raising activities of SGL. Accordingly, the 
Company considers that the fair value of these shares is 7p per share. The following table shows the changes 
to the fair value of the Company’s Level 2 financial assets: 

Opening balance 
Re-classified from Loans and receivables on conversion into SGL BVI shares 
Change in fair value recognised in OCI 
Foreign exchange 
Closing balance 

18. Contingent liability 

2018 
143 
- 
(56) 
(9) 
78 

2017 
- 
272 
(129) 
- 
143 

The Company has a contingent liability of an estimated $14,000 (2017: nil) which it could be required to meet 
if not recovered from third parties, as it expects to in due course. 

19. 

Related parties 

Control of the Company 
In the opinion of the Board, at 31 December 2018 there was no ultimate controlling party of the Company. 

Identity of related parties 
The Company and its subsidiaries have related party relationships with their respective directors. 

Directors’ interests in shares of the Company 
At 31 December 2018, none of the Directors of the Company or their immediate relatives had an interest in the 
Common shares of the Company (2017: 1.20%). 

Transactions with key management personnel 
Key management personnel participate in the Group’s share option programme as disclosed in note 14. 

Key management personnel compensation is disclosed in note 5. 

20. 

Post balance sheet events 

On 27 February 2019, warrants to acquire 79,787,793 Common shares in the Company at a price of 1.5 pence 
each lapsed unexercised. 

On  29  March  2019,  the  Company  granted  options  over  a  total  of  34,542,509  Common  shares,  with  exercise 
prices  as  follows:  5,000,000  at  0.18  pence  each;  5,000,000  at  0.189  pence  each;  10,000,000  at  0.227  pence 
each, 14,542,509 at 0.25 pence each. 

On 10 April 2019, the Company issued 202,247,000 Common shares, and 202,247,000 warrants exercisable at a 
price  of  0.15  pence  each  in  the  Company,  to  Gravner  Ltd,  following  receipt  of  notice  to  convert  all  of  the 
outstanding convertible loan note which had been drawn down as at that date. 

49 

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Notes to the consolidated financial statements 
For the year ended 31 December 2018 
(Tabulated amounts expressed in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise stated) 

20. 

Post balance sheet events (continued) 

On 11 April 2019, options to acquire 17,142,373 Common shares in the Company at a price of 0.25 pence each 
lapsed unexercised following the resignation of Dennis Edmonds. 

On  28  April  2019,  warrants  to  acquire  35,000,000  Common  shares  in  the  Company  at  a  price  of  0.15  pence 
each lapsed unexercised. 

On 14 May 2019, the Company granted options over 17,142,373 Common shares in the Company exercisable at 
a price of 0.25 pence each in accordance with the terms of Dennis Edmonds’ resignation. 

On 14 May 2019, the Company announced the private placing of £300,000 before expenses through the private 
placing of 200,000,000 Common shares at a price of 0.15 pence each. The shares were admitted to trading on 
AIM on 21 May 2019. 

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Other information 

Directors 
The following individuals served as directors to the Company during the year ended 31 December 2018: 

Anthony Joseph Williams 
James Thomas Williams 
Thomas Anstey Bailey 
James Arnott Crombie 
Dennis Vernon Edmonds 
Christopher Charles Gordon 
James Seymour Cable 

(resigned 15 May 2018) 
(resigned 15 May 2018) 
(resigned 30 June 2018 
(resigned 30 June 2018) 
(appointed 15 May 2018; resigned 11 April 2019) 
(appointed 15 May 2018) 

Company contacts and advisers 

Registrar (BVI) 
Computershare Investor Services (BVI) Limited 
c/o Queensway House 
Hilgrove Street 
St Helier 
JE1 1ES 
Jersey 

Registered office 
Craigmuir Chambers 
P.O. Box 71 
Road Town 
Tortola 
British Virgin Islands 

UK head office 
Berkeley Square House 
Berkeley Square 
London W1J 6BD 
United Kingdom 

Auditors 
RSM UK Audit LLP 
Portland 
25 High Street 
Crawley 
West Sussex 
RH10 1BG 
United Kingdom 

Nominated Advisor and Broker 
Beaumont Cornish Ltd 
10th Floor 
30 Crown Place 
London EC2A 4EB 
United Kingdom 

Registrar (UK depository interests) 
Computershare Investor Services plc 
The Pavilions 
Bridgewater Road 
Bristol 
BS99 7NH 
United Kingdom 

Company registration number 
UK  FC027089 
BVI  1029783 

Website 
www.alienmetals.uk 

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