6.Share-Based Compensation
The Company’s 2021 Incentive Equity Plan (the “Plan”) provides that the aggregate number of common shares reserved for future issuance under the Plan is 33,699,685 common shares, including 9,017,299 shares added to the Plan in January 2022 pursuant to the Plan’s automatic annual increase provision described below, provided that 2,243,853 of the outstanding common shares shall only be available for awards made to non-employee directors of the Company. On the first day of each fiscal year beginning in 2022 to the tenth anniversary of the closing of the Business Combination, the number of common shares that may be issued pursuant to the Plan is automatically increased by an amount equal to the lesser of 4% of the number of outstanding common shares or an amount determined by the Board of Directors.
Stock options
As at September 30, 2022, there were 15,356,340 stock options outstanding under the Company’s Short-Term Incentive Plan (“STIP”) and 9,783,922 stock options outstanding under the Company’s Long-Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”). During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, 100,000 STIP stock options and 118,461 STIP stock options, respectively were exercised, and no new options were granted.
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, the Company recognized $1.7 million and $9.2 million respectively (three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 - $9.5 million and $55.2 million, respectively) of share-based compensation expense for stock options in the statement of loss and comprehensive loss. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 a total of $0.7 million and $4.6 million respectively, was recorded in exploration and evaluation expenses (three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 - $3 million and $30.6 million, respectively). The amount recorded in general and administration expenses for three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $1.0 million and $4.6 million respectively (three and nine months ended September 31, 2021 - $6.4 million and $24.7 million respectively).
During the third quarter of 2022, the Company extended the expiry dates of 1,237,329 of its issued stock options in recognition of the continued services provided by the option holders and as a result recorded $0.3 million of share-based compensation expense in general and administrative expenses for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2022.
Restricted Share Units
The details of RSUs granted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 are described below.
| | | | | | | | |
Vesting Period | | Three months ended September 30, | | Nine months ended September 30, |
| | 2022 | | 2021 | | 2022 | | 2021 |
Vesting Immediately | | 8,576 | | — | | 1,721,729 | | — |
Vesting in thirds on each anniversary of the grant date | | 95,238 | | 56,224 | | 464,632 | | 56,224 |
Vesting in fourths on each anniversary of the grant date | | — | | — | | 527,800 | | — |
Vesting fully on the anniversary of the grant date | | — | | — | | 476,189 | | — |
Out of the 1,721,729 units vesting immediately on grant date, 1,072,572 units were issued to settle liabilities with a carrying amount of $1.8 million at a weighted average grant date fair value of $1.75 per RSU.
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, an aggregate of nil and 476,189 units respectively were granted to the Company’s non-employee directors under the Company’s Non-employee Director Compensation Policy, which vest upon the Company’s 2023 annual shareholders meeting. The total fair value of units granted as annual grants to the non-employee directors in the first nine months of 2022 amounted to $700,000 ($nil in the first nine months of 2021).
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, a total of 339,007 and 396,691 units respectively were forfeited.