Mr. Robert Cinits reports
ENTREE GOLD ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER 2017 RESULTS
Entree Gold Inc. has filed its interim operational and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2017. All numbers are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.
First quarter 2017 highlights
Entree/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture property, Mongolia
As reported by Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd., major underground development programs currently under way at the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine in Mongolia (OT) include underground lateral development, sinking of shafts 2 and 5, support infrastructure, and the convey-to-surface system. Entree has a unique carried joint venture interest in a substantial prospective land package in Mongolia, which includes two of the world-class OT copper-gold deposits, Hugo North Extension and Heruga. The resources at Hugo North Extension include a probable reserve, which is included in the fully financed $4.4-billion underground block cave currently under construction. Rio Tinto is the project operator for the entire OT project, including the underground block cave mine. Turquoise Hill expects production from the first underground draw bell in mid-2020 and first sustainable production beginning in early 2021.
Corporate
In January, 2017, the company closed a non-brokered private placement of 18,529,484 units of the company at a price of 41 Canadian cents per unit for gross proceeds of approximately $7.6-million (Canadian). Each unit consists of one common share and one-half of one transferable common share purchase warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share of the company at a price of 65 Canadian cents per share for a period of five years following the date of issuance.
On Feb. 28, 2017, the company announced that its board of directors had unanimously approved a strategic reorganization of Entree's business. The Entree assets based in the United States, the Ann Mason and Lordsburg projects, will be transferred to a newly incorporated company, Mason Resources Corp. The strategic reorganization is expected to result in two separate and focused, well-capitalized, debt-free entities, each with a high-quality advanced project providing new and existing shareholders with optionality as to investment strategy and risk profile.
As at March 31, 2017, the company's cash balance was $17.6-million. Of that, it is expected that $8.75-million will be transferred to Mason Resources as part of the strategic reorganization.
For the first quarter of 2017, the company's net loss was $1.3-million (March 31, 2016: $1.6-million), which was a reduction of 23 per cent from the comparative period of 2016.
Strategic reorganization
The company announced on Feb. 28, 2017, a strategic reorganization of its business. Pursuant to the arrangement, Entree's Ann Mason and Lordsburg projects will be transferred to Mason Resources. Shareholders of Entree will receive common shares in Mason Resources in proportion to their shareholdings in Entree. There will be no change to shareholders' existing interests in Entree.
It is intended that, as part of the arrangement, Entree shareholders will receive Mason common shares by way of a share exchange, pursuant to which each existing share of Entree is exchanged for one new share of Entree and 0.45 of a Mason common share. Optionholders and warrantholders of Entree will receive replacement options and warrants of Entree and options and warrants of Mason Resources, which are proportionate to, and reflective of the terms of, their existing options and warrants of Entree. The reorganization will be effected by way of a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and must be approved by the Supreme Court of British Columbia and by the affirmative vote of 66-2/3rds per cent of Entree shareholders, as well as Entree shareholders, optionholders and warrantholders voting together as a single class. An annual general and special meeting of securityholders to approve, among other things, the arrangement will be held on May 1, 2017.
Once the arrangement becomes effective, the result is expected to be two separate and focused, well-capitalized, debt-free entities, each with a high-quality advanced project providing new and existing shareholders with optionality as to investment strategy and risk profile.
As at March 31, 2017, Entree has a treasury of approximately $17.6-million, of which $8.75-million is expected to be transferred to Mason Resources as part of the arrangement. In the event that all outstanding warrants are exercised following the arrangement, the two companies would receive up to an additional approximately $6-million (Canadian) in the aggregate.
Entree is undertaking the arrangement to focus on its unique carried interest in the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV property. The arrangement is also expected to give scope to potential value accretive and synergistic acquisitions by each entity, and to maximize shareholder value by allowing the market to value Entree's Mongolian assets independently of the U.S. projects. It is expected that transferring the U.S. projects from Entree to Mason Resources will help accelerate development of the U.S. projects.
On April 25, 2017, the Toronto Stock Exchange conditionally approved the listing of the Mason common shares. Mason Resources does not have any of its securities listed or quoted, and has not applied to list or quote any of its securities, on a U.S. marketplace.
Mason Resources will be managed by Entree's current team of officers. Its board will initially consist of four directors who also currently sit on the Entree board, as well as one new director who is independent of Entree.
On March 24, 2017, the company filed and mailed its information circular and other materials for the meeting, which are available on SEDAR and on the company's website. The circular contains, among other things, details concerning the arrangement, reasons the board has recommended the arrangement, requirements for completion of the arrangement, the procedure for receiving the consideration under the arrangement, how registered shareholders may exercise their dissent rights, procedures for voting at the meeting and other matters. Securityholders are urged to carefully review the circular and accompanying materials as they contain important information regarding the arrangement and its consequences to securityholders. Subject to receipt of all required securityholder, court and regulatory approvals, the arrangement is expected to become effective on or about May 9, 2017.
Outlook and strategy
Both Entree and Mason Resources will be managed by Entree's current team of officers and employees for the 2017 year. The companies will utilize a share service model to allocate administrative costs proportionately to each company based on a ratio to be determined prior to closing of the arrangement, and annually thereafter. It is expected that there will be some additional costs associated with the operation of Mason Resources as a separate publicly traded company, such as listing fees, marketing costs and some additional board-related costs. Concurrently, the company will continue to remain prudent with its expenditures.
The combination of Entree and Mason Resources expects to spend between $3.0-million and $3.4-million for the 2017 year (2016 year: $4.0-million) on exploration and general administration costs, which are discussed below. For the 2017 year, Entree and Mason Resources are expected to share the general administration costs equally once the arrangement is complete.
The company expects to release an updated technical report for the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV property and Shivee West in mid-2017, based on the data used by Turquoise Hill for its 2016 Oyu Tolgoi technical report (2016 OTTR) filed on Oct. 21, 2016. The company estimates the cost to prepare this report to be approximately $500,000.
The company anticipates the one-time cost to complete the arrangement to be between $300,000 and $400,000.
Corporate
The company has focused, and will continue to focus its efforts, on conserving cash reserves. Corporate objectives for 2017 include maximizing the market value of the company's assets through restructuring, increasing investor awareness and cash conservation. Total corporate costs, which include marketing and compliance costs, remain estimated to be between $2.0-million and $2.2-million for the 2017 year, including an additional $200,000 of annual public filing costs at Mason Resources for the 2017 year.
Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV property
With the release of 2016 OTTR, the company intends to develop a complementary preliminary economic assessment for Entree's interest in the second lift of the Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) block cave and the Heruga deposit and file these as part of an updated National Instrument 43-101 technical report. The company anticipates commencing this process in the second quarter of 2017 and estimates the cost to be approximately $500,000 to complete and publish the report.
Development of the OT project continues to advance with a number of positive milestones achieved in 2016. As part of the company's corporate restructuring initiative, management commenced a market awareness program in late 2016 and will continue through 2017 to improve the investment community's understanding of Entree's interest in the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV property, including its potential value as compared with the interests of other OT project stakeholders.
The company maintains an office and administration in Mongolia. Excluding the costs associated with the preparation of an updated NI 43-101 technical report referenced above, the company remains on target to spend approximately $200,000 for the 2017 year on legal costs and general administration in Mongolia.
Ann Mason project
The company continues to target expenditures, including claim filing fees, site maintenance and local administration costs, for its Ann Mason project in Nevada of between $700,000 and $900,000 for the 2017 year. The company does not intend to implement any significant new work programs at present and will focus on identifying strategic development partners prior to implementing any potential programs to advance the Ann Mason project into its next phase of development. Upon completion of the arrangement, these costs will be assumed in Mason Resources.
Other properties
Costs associated with all of the company's other non-material assets have been minimized while management evaluates the best alternatives for each asset in the future. Expenditures for 2017 are for licence fees and local administration costs. The company expects to spend approximately $100,000 for the 2017 year.
FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
(tabled amounts in 000s of U.S. $)
YTD 2017 Q4 2016
Exploration $ (259) $ (540)
General and administration (926) (911)
Depreciation (8) (7)
Foreign exchange gain 18 54
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(Loss) from operations (1,175) (1,404)
Interest expense and equity investee (loss) (80) (116)
Income tax recovery - 553
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Net (loss) (1,255) (967)
Foreign currency translation adjustment 96 (460)
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Comprehensive (loss) $(1,159) $(1,427)
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The company's interim financial statements and accompanying management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, are available on the company website, SEDAR and EDGAR.
Qualified person
Robert Cinits, PGeo, Entree's vice-president, corporate development, a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has approved the technical information in this release. For further information on the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV property, see the company's technical report, titled "Lookout Hill feasibility study update," with an effective date of March 29, 2016, available on SEDAR. For further information on the Ann Mason project, see the company's technical report, titled "2017 updated preliminary economic assessment on the Ann Mason project, Nevada, USA," with an effective date of March 3, 2017, available on SEDAR.
About Entree Gold Inc.
Entree Gold is a Canadian mineral exploration company balancing opportunity and risk with key assets in Mongolia and Nevada. As a joint venture partner with a unique carried interest on a significant portion of the Oyu Tolgoi mining project in Mongolia, Entree has a singular opportunity to participate in one of the world's largest copper-gold projects managed by one of the premier mining companies: Rio Tinto. Oyu Tolgoi, with its series of deposits containing copper, gold and molybdenum, has been under exploration and development since the late 1990s. Additionally, Entree has also been advancing its Ann Mason project in one of the world's most favourable mining jurisdictions: Nevada.
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