Nevada Copper Corp. (TSX: NCU) (OTC: NEVDF) (FSE:
ZYTA) (“
Nevada Copper” or the
“
Company”) is pleased to announce that it has
completed its previously announced public offering of units of the
Company (the “
Units”), which included a partial
exercise of the over-allotment option (the “
Over-Allotment
Option”), by a syndicate of underwriters that included
Scotiabank, Jett Capital LLC, National Bank Financial, RBC Capital
Markets, Research Capital Corporation, and Haywood Securities Inc.
The Company issued an aggregate of 196,038,400
Units, including 22,333,400 Units pursuant to the Over-Allotment
Option, at a price of C$0.27 per Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds
of approximately C$52.9 million (the “Offering”).
Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each a
“Common Share”) and one-half of one Common Share
purchase warrant (each full warrant, a “Warrant”,
and collectively the “Warrants”). Each Warrant is
exercisable for one Common Share (each a “Warrant
Share”) at a price of C$0.34 per Warrant Share until
September 30, 2024.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds of
the Offering and those contemplated under the financing package
agreement (as discussed in the Company’s May 9, 2023 news release)
to continue funding the restart and ramp-up of the Company’s
Pumpkin Hollow underground mine (the “Underground
Mine”) and for general corporate purposes, including
working capital, with the goal of achieving nameplate production
capacity of 5,000 tons per day by the end of 2023.
Pala Investments Limited
(“Pala”), the Company’s largest shareholder,
purchased an aggregate of 108,442,714 Units under the Offering,
representing aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$29.3
million. In addition, Mercuria Energy Holdings (Singapore) Pte.
Ltd. (“Mercuria”), another significant shareholder
of the Company, purchased 24,814,814 Units under the Offering, for
an aggregate purchase of approximately C$6.7 million.
After closing of the Offering, Pala’s ownership
interest in the Company on a non-diluted basis has increased from
approximately 43% to approximately 47% and Mercuria’s ownership
interest in the Company on a non-diluted basis has decreased from
approximately 24% to approximately 23% (inclusive of 46,000,000
Common Shares and 25,848,765 Common Shares acquired by Pala and
Mercuria, respectively, upon exercise of a portion of their
existing Common Share purchase warrants issued in connection with
the Company’s October 2022 financing).
As previously announced, Pala has agreed to
exercise the balance of the Common Share purchase warrants issued
in connection with the Company’s October 2022 financing subject to
the expiry of a review period or clearance in respect of
anticipated filings under the United States Hart-Scott-Rodino
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (“HSR
Clearance”) to permit Pala to exceed a majority ownership
interest in the Company. The exercise of the foregoing Common Share
purchase warrants by Pala, together with the prior Common Share
purchase warrant exercise, will reduce approximately US$82 million
of debt obligations owing by the Company to Pala. Upon receipt of
HSR Clearance and the completion of the subsequent Common Share
purchase warrant exercise, Pala’s ownership interest in the Company
on a non-diluted basis is expected to increase to approximately
61.7%. The Company anticipates obtaining HSR Clearance in
approximately 60 days.
The Company has also drawn the remaining US$10
million of the US$25 million amount that was added to the Company’s
senior credit facility with KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, as tranche A-2, as
part of the Company’s October 2022 financing.
As previously announced, concurrent with closing
of the Offering, Pala and Mercuria have entered into a deferred
funding agreement in favour of the Company, pursuant to which Pala
and Mercuria will provide up to US$15 million and US$10 million,
respectively, subject to certain conditions, to be drawn pro rata
by the Company, if required, until June 30, 2024. These funds, if
required, will be advanced in exchange for Common Shares,
convertible debt and/or non-convertible debt of the Company.
In addition, as announced in the Company’s May
9, 2023 news release, Pala had also agreed to provide US$10 million
in debt funding to the Company, US$5.5 million of which was
advanced prior to announcement of the Offering. The additional
US$4.5 million in debt funding was subject to certain conditions,
including, but not limited to, the reduction on a dollar-for-dollar
basis of the funding if the Over-Allotment Option was exercised.
Given the partial exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, Pala was
not required to fund the additional US$4.5 million commitment.
This news release does not constitute an offer
to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the
United States. The securities have not been and will not be
registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities
laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to
U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and
applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such
registration is available.
About Nevada Copper
Nevada Copper (TSX: NCU) is the owner of the
Pumpkin Hollow copper project located in Nevada, USA with
substantial mineral reserves and resources including copper, gold
and silver. Its two permitted projects include the higher-grade
Underground Mine and processing facility, which is undergoing a
restart of operations, and a large-scale open pit PFS stage
project.
Randy BuffingtonPresident &
CEO
For additional information, please see the
Company’s website at www.nevadacopper.com, or contact:
Tracey Thom | Vice President,
IR and Community Relationstthom@nevadacopper.com+1 775 391 9029
Cautionary Language on Forward Looking
StatementsThis news release contains “forward-looking
information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of
applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this news
release, other than statements of historical facts are
forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements and
forward-looking information specifically include, but are not
limited to, statements that relate to the achievement of the
nameplate capacity of the production at the Underground Mine and
the timing thereof, timing of HSR Clearance and the subsequent
exercise by Pala of Common Share purchase warrants. There can be no
assurance that ramp-up of the Underground Mine and the achievement
of nameplate production capacity will occur or will not cost more
than expected and require the Company to raise additional
financing. There can be no assurance that any such additional
financing will be available on terms that are favourable to the
Company or at all.
Forward-looking statements and information
include statements regarding the expectations and beliefs of
management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and
forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words
such as “plans”, “expects”, “potential”, “is expected”,
“anticipated”, “is targeted”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”,
“forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or the
negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or
statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”,
“would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved.
Forward-looking statements or information should not be read as
guarantees of future performance and results. They are subject to
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may
cause the actual results and events to be materially different from
any future results, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements or information.
Such risks and uncertainties include, without
limitation, those relating to: the ability of the Company to
complete the restart and ramp-up of the Underground Mine within the
expected cost estimates and timeframe; the impact of COVID-19 on
the business and operations of the Company; the state of financial
markets; history of losses; dilution; adverse events relating to
milling operations, construction, development and restart and
ramp-up, including the ability of the Company to address
underground development and process plant issues; ground
conditions; cost overruns relating to development, construction
restart and ramp-up of the Underground Mine; loss of material
properties; interest rate increases; global economy; limited
history of production; future metals price fluctuations;
speculative nature of exploration activities; periodic
interruptions to exploration, development and mining activities;
environmental hazards and liability; industrial accidents; failure
of processing and mining equipment to perform as expected; labor
disputes; supply problems; uncertainty of production and cost
estimates; the interpretation of drill results and the estimation
of mineral resources and reserves; changes in project parameters as
plans continue to be refined; possible variations in ore reserves,
grade of mineralization or recovery rates from management’s
expectations and the difference may be material; legal and
regulatory proceedings and community actions; accidents; title
matters; regulatory approvals and restrictions; increased costs and
physical risks relating to climate change, including extreme
weather events, and new or revised regulations relating to climate
change; permitting and licensing; dependence on management
information systems and cyber security risks; volatility of the
market price of the Company’s securities; insurance; competition;
hedging activities; currency fluctuations; loss of key employees;
other risks of the mining industry as well as those risks discussed
in the Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis in respect of
the year ended December 31, 2022 and in the section entitled “Risk
Factors” in the Company’s Annual Information Form dated March 20,
2023. The forward-looking statements and information contained in
this news release are based upon assumptions management believes to
be reasonable, including, without limitation: no adverse
developments in respect of the property or operations at the
project; no material changes to applicable laws; the restart and
ramp-up of operations at the Underground Mine in accordance with
management’s plans and expectations; no material adverse impacts
from COVID-19 going forward; the Company will be able to obtain
sufficient additional funding to complete the restart and ramp-up
of the Underground Mine, no material adverse change to the price of
copper from current levels; and the absence of any other factors
that could cause actions, events or results to differ from those
anticipated, estimated or intended.
The forward-looking information and statements
are stated as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intent
or obligation to update forward-looking statements or information
except as required by law. Although the Company has attempted to
identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events,
or results to differ materially from those described in
forward-looking information and statements, there may be other
factors that could cause actions, events or results not to be as
anticipated, estimated or intended. Specific reference is made to
“Risks and Uncertainties” in the Company’s Management’s Discussion
and Analysis in respect of the year ended December 31, 2022 and
“Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Information Form dated March
20, 2023, for a discussion of factors that may affect
forward-looking statements and information. Should one or more of
these risks or uncertainties materialize, should other risks or
uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, actual results and events may vary materially from those
described in forward-looking statements and information. For more
information on the Company and the risks and challenges of its
business, investors should review the Company’s filings that are
available at www.sedar.com.
The Company provides no assurance that
forward-looking statements and 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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