UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of January 2024
Commission File Number: 001-31819
Gold Reserve Inc.
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
999 W. Riverside Avenue, Suite 401
Spokane, Washington 99201
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F. Form 20-F x Form 40-F ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ¨
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT
On January 9, 2024 Gold Reserve Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release, a copy of which is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Report on Form 6-K.
This Report on Form 6-K and the exhibit attached hereto are hereby incorporated by reference into the Company’s effective registration statements (including any prospectuses forming a part of such registration statements) on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and are to be a part thereof from the date on which this report is filed, to the extent not superseded by documents or reports subsequently filed or furnished.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The information presented or incorporated by reference in this report, other than statements of historical fact, are, or could be, “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) or “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws) (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”) that state the Company’s and its management’s intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions for the future.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates, expectations, and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company and its management at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. The Company cautions that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other risks that may cause the actual outcomes, financial results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied therein, many of which are outside its control. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and any such forward-looking statements are not intended to provide any assurances as to future results. The Company believes its estimates, expectations and assumptions are reasonable, but there can be no assurance those reflected herein will be achieved. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions, including those set out herein, that may never materialize, prove incorrect or materialize other than as currently contemplated which could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “plan,” “may,” “could” and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, which do not relate to historical matters, identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Any such forward-looking statements are not intended to provide any assurances as to future results.
Numerous factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, any of which could adversely affect the Company, including, without limitation: (i) risks associated with recovering funds (including related costs associated therewith) under the Company’s settlement agreement with the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (“Venezuela”) or its various proceedings against the government of Venezuela, including (a) the potential ability of the Company to obtain funds as a result of the conditional writ of attachment fieri facias granted by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the “Delaware Court”) on March 31, 2023 with respect to shares of PDV Holdings, Inc. (“PDVH”), whereby the Company may potentially enforce its September 2014 arbitral award and corresponding November 2015 U.S. judgment by obtaining proceeds from the potential sale of PDVH shares, and the potential ability of the Company to obtain the funds that the Lisbon District Court attached in Portugal on the Company’s requests, and (b) the Company’s ability to repatriate any funds obtained in the Lisbon proceedings, or any funds owed to the Company under the settlement arrangements that may become available; (ii) risks associated with sanctions imposed by the U.S. and Canadian governments, including without limitation those targeting Venezuela; (iii) risks associated with whether the Company is able to obtain (or get results from) relief from such sanctions, including whether and to what extent the U.S. Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) grants licenses with respect to any court-ordered sale of PDVH shares, including timing and terms of such licenses; (iv) Venezuela’s failure to honor its commitments under the Company’s settlement agreement with it, with respect to its obligations to the Company in connection with our joint venture entity Empresa Mixta Ecosocialista Siembra Minera, S.A. (“Siembra Minera”); (v) risks associated with the timing and ability to contest, reverse or otherwise alter the resolution of the Venezuela Ministry of Mines to revoke the mining rights held by Siembra Minera for alleged non-compliance with certain Venezuelan mining regulations (the “Resolution”), with various Venezuelan
authorities; (vi) risks associated with Venezuela’s ongoing failure to honor its commitments associated with the formation, financing and operation of Siembra Minera and the inability of the Company and Venezuela to overcome certain obstacles associated with the Siembra Minera project; (vii) risks associated with the breach by Venezuela of one or more of the terms of the underlying agreements governing the formation of Siembra Minera and the future development of the Siembra Minera project by Venezuela; (viii) risks associated with changes in law in Venezuela, including the recent enactment of the Law for Protection of the Assets, Rights, and Interests of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and its Entities Abroad, which negatively impacts the ability of the Company to carry on activities in Venezuela, including safety and security of personnel, the repatriation of funds and other factors identified herein; (ix) risks associated with activist campaigns, including potential costs and distraction of management and the directors’ time and attention related thereto that would otherwise be spent on other matters including contesting the Resolution; and (x) risks associated with potential tax, accounting or financial impacts, including any potential income tax liabilities in addition to those currently recorded, that may result from the current (or any future) audits of our tax filings by U.S. and Canadian tax authorities. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company’s forward-looking statements.
Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and investors should not infer that there has been no change in our affairs since the date of this report that would warrant any modification of any forward-looking statement made in this document, other documents periodically filed with the SEC, the Ontario Securities Commission or other securities regulators or presented on the Company's website. Forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date made. Investors are urged to read the Company's filings with U.S. and Canadian securities regulatory agencies, which can be viewed online at www.sec.gov and www.sedarplus.ca, respectively.
These risks and uncertainties, and additional risk factors that could cause results to differ materially from forward-looking statements, are more fully described in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 20-F, including, but limited to, the section entitled “Risk Factors” therein, and in the Company’s other filings with the SEC and Canadian securities regulatory agencies, which can be viewed online at www.sec.gov and www.sedarplus.ca, respectively. Consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company, the Company’s management, or other persons acting on the Company’s behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to its disclosure obligations under applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC and applicable Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws. Any forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company’s expected financial and operational performance and results as at and for the periods ended on the dates presented in the Company’s plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes.
EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit No. | Description |
|
99.1
|
Press release issued by Gold Reserve Inc. on January 9, 2024* |
| * Furnished herewith | |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: January 9, 2024
GOLD RESERVE INC. (Registrant)
By: /s/ David P. Onzay
David P. Onzay, its Chief Financial Officer
and its Principal Financial and Accounting Officer
Exhibit 99.1
NR 24-02
U.S. SUPREME COURT DENIES VENEZUELA LEAVE TO APPEAL ORDER OF DELAWARE COURT AND GOLD RESERVE DESIGNATED AS ADDITIONAL JUDGEMENT CREDITOR IN DELAWARE SALE PROCESS
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, January 9, 2024
Gold Reserve Inc. (TSX.V:GRZ) (OTCQX:GDRZF) (Gold Reserve or the Company) is pleased to announce that in separate decisions: (i) the U.S. Supreme Court has denied the request by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Venezuela) and Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) for permission to appeal the order issued on July 7, 2023 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit that affirmed the decision of the U.S. District Court of Delaware (the Delaware Court) granting the Company a conditional writ of attachment of the shares of PDV Holding, Inc. (PDVH), the indirect parent company of CITGO Petroleum Corp.; and (ii) the Delaware Court has designated the Company and certain other creditors of Venezuela as “Additional Judgment Creditors” for the purposes of the sale process (the Sale Process) currently underway with respect to the proposed auction of the shares of PDVH. These two decisions clear two significant steps for the Company in its efforts to collect its approximately U.S. $1.1 billion judgment (inclusive of interest) that is the subject of the Company’s litigation in Delaware. The Company currently has 99.5 million Class A Common Shares outstanding (107.3 million shares on a fully-diluted basis).
The Delaware Court previously held that the priority of judgments of Additional Judgment Creditors will be based on the date each such creditor filed a motion for a writ of attachment that was subsequently granted. According to a chart filed with the Delaware Court in December 2023 by the Special Master appointed to manage the Sale Process, there are 12 judgments for which writs of attachment have been granted and for which the motions were filed before the Company’s motion. These judgments, according to the Special Master’s chart, represent an aggregate amount of U.S. $5.564 billion, inclusive of interest through August 2023. The Special Master noted that the amounts and priorities set forth in this chart have not yet been endorsed or validated by the Special Master.
The most recent order of the Delaware Court also confirmed that the designation of Gold Reserve and other creditors as Additional Judgment Creditors now sufficiently protects the Sale Process in the event of any settlement with Crystallex International Corp. and/or ConocoPhillips Company because Additional Judgment Creditors have rights under both the order appointing the Special Master for the Sale Process and the order under which the Sale Process is being carried out.
This release has been approved by Rockne J. Timm, CEO of the Company.
Further information regarding the Company can be
located at www.goldreserveinc.com, www.sec.gov, and sedarplus.ca.
Gold Reserve Inc. Contact
Jean Charles Potvin
999 W. Riverside Ave., Suite 401
Spokane, WA 99201 USA
Tel: (509) 623-1500
Fax: (509) 623-1634
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable U.S. federal securities laws and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws and state Gold Reserve’s and its management’s intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions for the future. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. We caution that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other risks that may cause the actual outcomes, financial results, performance, or achievements of Gold Reserve to be materially different from our estimated outcomes, future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including without limitation, including whether the Sale Process will be completed, whether the United States Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) will grant an authorization in connection with any potential sale of PDVH shares and/or whether it changes its decision or guidance regarding the Sale Process, the ability to enforce the writ of attachment granted to Gold Reserve, the timing set for various reports and/or other matters with respect to the Sale Process may not be met, the ability of the Company to otherwise participate in the Sale Process (and related costs associated therewith), the amount, if any, of proceeds associated therewith; the competing claims of certain creditors, the Other Creditors (as detailed in the applicable court documents filed with the Delaware Court) of Venezuela and the Company, including any interest on such creditors’ judgements, any priority afforded thereto, uncertainties with respect to possible settlements between Venezuela and other creditors and the impact of any such settlements on the amount of funds that may be available under the Sale Process, the proceeds from the sale of the PDVH shares may not be sufficient to satisfy the amounts outstanding under the Company’s September 2014 arbitral award and/or corresponding November 15, 2015 U.S. judgement in full and the ramifications of bankruptcy with respect to the Sale Process and/or the Company’s claims, including as a result of the priority of other claims. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Gold Reserve’s forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of the risk factors affecting the Company’s business, see the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F and Management’s Discussion & Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other reports (including Management’s Discussion & Analysis for the period ended September 30, 2023) that have been filed on SEDAR+ and are available under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca and which have been filed on EDGAR and are available under the Company’s profile at www.sec.gov/edgar.
Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to Gold Reserve or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Gold Reserve disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to its disclosure obligations under applicable rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian provincial and territorial securities laws.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.