VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwired – Dec. 8, 2016) – Scorpio Gold Corporation (“Scorpio Gold” or the “Company”) (TSX VENTURE:SGN) announces an update to the court proceedings involving its 70% indirectly owned subsidiary Mineral Ridge LLC (“MRG”), the operator of the Company’s Mineral Ridge gold operation.
On August 3, 2016, the Second Judicial District Court of Washoe County, Nevada issued an oral ruling for summary judgment awarding a drilling company, National EWP, Inc. (“National”), US$2.3 million in its lawsuit against MRG. The dispute centers on a 2012 contract in which National agreed to drill a water production well for the Mineral Ridge mine at an original contract price of US$1.145 million. National was ultimately paid more than US$1.2 million based on the contract and three approved change orders. At the conclusion of drilling, National sent a letter requesting additional compensation for the well and proposing that MRG pay US$2.3 million for the well. The District Court concluded that the letter constituted a change order request which, based on the Court’s interpretation of Nevada’s Prompt Payment Act, automatically became part of the contract because, the Court concluded, MRG’s responses to the request were insufficient to reject the request. A formal judgment was entered by the Court on September 22, 2016.
In October 2016, the Company filed a motion to alter, vacate or amend the judgment. On November 29, 2016, the Court issued a Corrected Order, correcting a scrivener’s error in its earlier judgment. And on December 2, 2016, the Court formally denied the Company’s motion to alter, vacate or amend the judgment.
The Company and its legal advisors still strongly disagree with both the Court’s legal conclusions and its factual findings. The Company has, accordingly, made the decision to seek to stay execution of the judgment pending an appeal of the judgment to the Supreme Court of Nevada. The Company’s litigation counsel believes that the Company has good grounds to appeal the judgment.
About Scorpio Gold
Scorpio Gold holds a 70% interest in the Mineral Ridge gold mining operation located in Esmeralda County, Nevada with joint venture partner Elevon, LLC (30%). Mineral Ridge is currently in production as a conventional open pit mining and heap leach operation. The Mineral Ridge property is host to multiple gold-bearing structures, veins and lenses at exploration, development and production stages. Scorpio Gold also holds a 100% interest in the advanced exploration-stage Goldwedge property in Manhattan, Nevada, with a fully permitted underground mine and 400 ton per day mill facility. The Goldwedge mill facility has been placed on a care and maintenance basis and can be restarted immediately when needed.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
SCORPIO GOLD CORPORATION
Brian Lock, Interim CEO
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
The Company relies on litigation protection for forward-looking statements. This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “suggest”, “indicate” and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the outcome of the litigation. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements, including the outcome of the litigation and those risk factors outlined in the Company’s Management Discussion and Analysis as filed on SEDAR. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof.
