Endeavour Silver Closes US$120 Million Project Loan Debt Facility to Advance the Development of Terronera
October 10 2023 - 5:50AM
Endeavour Silver Corp.
(“Endeavour” or the
“Company”) (NYSE: EXK; TSX: EDR) is
pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Terronera
Precious Metals, S.A. de C.V. (Terronera) has executed the credit
agreement for a senior secured debt facility for up to $120 million
(the “
Debt Facility”) with ING Capital LLC
(together with ING BANK N.V. “
ING”) and Societe
Generale acting as Joint Lead Arrangers. Proceeds from the Debt
Facility will be used towards construction of the underground mine
and mill at the Company’s Terronera Project in Jalisco state,
Mexico. All references to dollars ($) in this news release are in
United States dollars.
“Completion of the project loan marks a step
forward in our deep-rooted commitment to creating shareholder value
and executing on our strategic vision to foster economic growth,
environmental responsibility, and to positively impact lives by
promoting local development”, said Dan Dickson, Endeavour’s CEO.
“ING and Societe Generale are tier one lenders to the mining
industry, and we are grateful for their partnership and support
towards executing this vision. We look forward to unlocking all
these benefits as we advance Terronera towards production.”
Debt Facility Details
Key terms of the Debt Facility are consistent
with those previously announced in the Company’s news release dated
April 18, 2023 and include the following:
- Facility amount -
Up to $120 million principal amount on senior secured debt.
- Term - 8.5 years,
including a 2-year grace period during the construction phase. Cash
sweep will be applied to 35% of excess cash flow after debt service
from completion onwards until $35 million of loan principal has
been prepaid.
- Interest rate - US
Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) + 4.50%
per annum prior to completion (SOFR + 3.75% per annum upon
completion).
- Repayment and
maturity - Principal payments are payable in quarterly
installments commencing in the fourth quarter of 2025.
- Gold hedge – Prior
to initial drawdown, Terronera is required to enter into a hedging
program for 68,000 ounces of gold over the initial two operating
years prior to initial drawdown. No hedging requirements apply to
the silver production.
- Foreign exchange
hedge – Prior to initial drawdown, Terronera is required
to enter into a hedging program for managing exposure to the
Mexican Peso during construction. The program requires
approximately 75% of the remaining capital expenditure incurred in
Mexican Pesos be hedged. Prior to initial production, a hedging
program is required for managing exposure to the Mexican Peso
during operations. Under this program 50% of the projected
operating costs incurred in Mexican Pesos are hedged prior to
completion. Thereafter, the foreign exchange protection program for
operations will rise to 70% of the projected operating costs
incurred in Mexican pesos.
- Project cost overrun
funding - Cost overrun funding is required in the form of
cash, letter of credit issued by a Canadian financial institution
or or a combination of both for up to $48 million.
- Financial
Covenants - The Debt Facility is subject to certain
customary conditions precedent and debt servicing covenants. The
Debt Facility is secured through corporate guarantees from
Endeavour and certain Endeavour subsidiaries and a first ranking
security interest over the Terronera project.
Terronera expects to drawdown in 2024 to advance
the project in accordance with the 21-month construction period
with initial production expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Artemis Capital Advisors acted as Endeavour’s
financial advisor. Koffman Kalef LLP and Cereceres Estudio Legal,
S.C. acted as Endeavour’s Canadian and Mexican legal counsel,
respectively.
About Endeavour Silver –
Endeavour Silver Corp. is a mid-tier precious metals mining company
that operates two high-grade underground silver-gold mines in
Mexico. Endeavour is advancing construction of the Terronera
Project and exploring its portfolio of exploration projects in
Mexico, Chile and the United States to facilitate its goal to
become a premier senior silver producer. Our philosophy of
corporate social integrity creates value for all stakeholders.
About Societe
Generale – Societe Generale has a longstanding and
well-established track record in providing financial advisory
services and arranging capabilities in relation to project
financing, in multiple sectors across the world, including the
Metals and Mining Industries. Societe Generale supports the entire
value chain from mining extraction to metals transformation to
downstream industries focused on decarbonization, sustainability
and full life cycle solutions.
About ING – ING serves
corporate clients and financial institutions in over 40 countries,
pairing local and global insight with sector knowledge and
financial expertise. As part of the Commodities, Food &
Agriculture sector group, through the Metals, Mining &
Fertilizers subsector, ING services clients who operate mines,
smelters, and refining facilities and produce tradable and
relatively liquid commodities. Through in-depth industry knowledge
ING seeks to add value to its clients through corporate and
structured financing solutions, as well as solutions related to
working capital management, trade finance, financial markets,
capital markets, and advisory services.
About Artemis Capital
Advisors – Artemis Capital Advisors, based in New
York City, is a financial advisory firm providing tailored
corporate and project finance advice to companies in the metals and
mining sectors. The Artemis team has over 50 years of collective
experience in mining investment banking and proven expertise in
commodity markets, having executed transactions with a combined
value of over $4 billion to date. The firm serves its clients with
senior-level talent at every step in the process to secure
financing for project development, expansion or acquisition. To
learn more visit www.artemis.llc
Contact InformationGalina Meleger, VP, Investor
RelationsEmail: gmeleger@edrsilver.comWebsite:
www.edrsilver.com
Follow Endeavour Silver on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and LinkedIn.
Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the United States private
securities litigation reform act of 1995 and “forward-looking
information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities
legislation. Such forward-looking statements and information herein
include but are not limited to statements regarding the development
and financing of the Terronera Project, including anticipated
timing of the Project, anticipated timing of and completion of
conditions precedent in respect of the Debt Facility, estimated
Project economics, Terronera’s forecasted operations, costs and
expenditures, and the timing and results of various activities. The
Company does not intend to and does not assume any obligation to
update such forward-looking statements or information, other than
as required by applicable law.
Forward-looking statements or information
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
that may cause the actual results, level of activity, production
levels, performance or achievements of Endeavour and its operations
to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such
statements. Such factors include but are not limited to the
completion of conditions precedent to drawdown under the Debt
Facility and the Company’s ability to successfully drawdown under
the Debt Facility; the ongoing effects of inflation and supply
chain issues on Project economics; national and local governments,
legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or
economic developments in Canada and Mexico; financial risks due to
precious metals prices; operating or technical difficulties in
mineral exploration, development and mining activities; risks and
hazards of mineral exploration, development and mining; the
speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; risks in
obtaining necessary licenses and permits; and challenges to the
Company’s title to properties; as well as those factors described
in the section “risk factors” contained in the Company’s most
recent form 40F/Annual Information Form filed with the S.E.C. and
Canadian securities regulatory authorities.
Forward-looking statements are based on
assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not
limited to: the ability of the Company to successfully drawdown
under the Debt Facility, the continued operation of the Company’s
mining operations, no material adverse change in the market price
of commodities, the Project’s forecasted economics as of 2023,
mining operations will operate and the mining products will be
completed in accordance with management’s expectations and achieve
their stated production outcomes, and such other assumptions and
factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to
identify important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in forward-looking
statements or information, there may be other factors that cause
results to be materially different from those anticipated,
described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no
assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will
prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could
differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or
information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance
on forward-looking statements or information.
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