Mr. Alan Stephens reports
CORO SIGNS DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT FOR SAN JORGE
Coro Mining Corp., further to its news release of Dec. 9, 2013, has signed a definitive agreement with a group comprising Aterra Investments Ltd. and Solway Industries Ltd. for them to acquire an interest in the company's San Jorge project, located in the province of Mendoza, Argentina. The group may acquire a 70-per-cent interest in the project, with the provision for an early buyout of Coro's interest subject to Coro's retention of a 2.5-per-cent net smelter return on the production of all payable metals from the project except gold.
Alan Stephens, president and chief executive officer of Coro, commented: "We are pleased to have concluded this definitive agreement with our partners, Solway and Aterra, which have been operating Minera San Jorge and funding the project since we signed a heads of agreement with them last December. We look forward to them successfully obtaining the outstanding environmental permissions for San Jorge and developing it, which would allow our shareholders to benefit, either through our 30-per-cent ownership interest or from the proceeds of a valuable net smelter return.
"Coro's strategy is to own significant interests in a number of copper development projects that can be brought into production quickly and cheaply. These currently include our anticipated 50-per-cent interest in the Berta project, which we expect to be in production in 2015; our option to acquire a 65-per-cent interest in the Planta Prat project; and our option to acquire a 75-per-cent interest in the Marimaca project, all located in Chile. Our objective is to be a self-funding copper growth company, and retention of a significant interest in San Jorge fits well within this strategy."
"We are pleased to continue our co-operation with Coro Mining on the San Jorge project in Mendoza. I believe that Solway Investment Group's expertise in managing projects of this scale in developed agricultural regions, together with Coro's knowledge of the project and Aterra's well-balanced investment strategy, will produce a very successful outcome. Our objective is to create an up-to-date, modernized, ecologically safe and well-maintained business that will secure a high level of employment and significant tax return to the region," said Dan Bronstein, CEO of Solway Investment Group.
Principal terms of the definitive agreement:
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The group may acquire a 70-per-cent interest in the project by: paying Coro
$200,000 (U.S.) (paid), $33,000 (U.S.) on signing the definitive agreement, $300,000 (U.S.) within six
months from signing the definitive agreement, $500,000 (U.S.) within 12 months from signing the
definitive agreement and $500,000 (U.S.) within 24 months from signing the definitive agreement; financing all of
the costs required to advance the project to the exercise date,
including an independent, bankable definitive feasibility study,
completed to National Instrument 43-101 standards; keeping the project and
Minera San Jorge in good standing; and, prior to the exercise date,
paying all of the advance royalty payments pursuant to the underlying
San Jorge purchase and royalty agreements between Coro and its
subsidiaries, and Franco-Nevada Corp. and Franco-Nevada LRC
Holdings Corp.;
- The exercise date is the date that the group informs Coro of its
decision to place the project into commercial production or the
completion of the bankable feasibility study;
- The group will be operator for the duration of the option period;
- After the exercise date, the parties shall finance the further
development of the project pro rata to their interest in the project. In
the event that Coro elects not to contribute its 30-per-cent share of the costs
of further development of the project, its interest will be subject to
dilution. In the event that Coro's interest is diluted to 10 per cent, its
interest shall immediately be converted to a 2-per-cent net smelter return on the production of
all metals from the project, except gold;
- The group has the option to acquire 100 per cent of the project by paying Coro
$3-million (U.S.) in cash at any time within six months from signing the definitive agreement or
$5-million (U.S.) in cash at any time within 18 months from signing the definitive agreement. The outstanding cash payments referred to above would also become due
and payable upon exercise of either of these options to acquire 100 per cent of
the project. In the event that the group elects to exercise its option
to acquire a 100-per-cent interest in the project, Coro will retain a 2.5-per-cent net smelter return on the production of all metals from the project, except gold;
- Prior to the exercise date and upon the group's completion of an
expenditure of $10-million (U.S.) on project development and other costs, the
group will earn a 50-per-cent interest in the project. If the group elects not
to proceed to the exercise date at its sole cost, Coro and the group
shall form a 50/50 joint venture, and may elect to finance the outstanding
project costs on a pro rata basis, with both parties being subject to
dilution. In the event that either party's interest is diluted to 10 per cent,
its interest shall immediately be converted to a 2-per-cent net smelter return on the
production of all metals from the project, except gold;
- Franco-Nevada has granted consent, as required under the underlying San
Jorge purchase and royalty agreements, to the execution of the definitive agreement, and
the acquisition of any party's interest in the project remains subject
to the underlying San Jorge purchase and royalty agreements with Franco-Nevada.
About Aterra Investments Ltd.
Aterra Investments is a privately held investment management firm, which invests in metals and mining projects from late-stage exploration to preproduction. Aterra's investment portfolio is geographically diversified, with projects in both developed countries and frontier regions, and includes more than 10 exploration, development and producing companies. Commodity focus includes copper, silver, phosphates, zinc, lead, diamonds and mineral sands.
About Solway Industries Ltd.
Solway Industries is a subsidiary of the Solway Investment Group that comprises a number of core investments and operations focused primarily on the metals and mining sector, on nickel mining and production particularly. The group also manages its own direct investment fund with the main interests in commercial real estate and information technologies. The group conducts operations in Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Central America, and Southeast Asia.
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