Target Capital Inc. (“
TCI”) (NEX: TCI.H) and
Grafton Ventures Energy Holdings Corp. (“
Grafton”)
are pleased to announce that they have entered into a non-binding
letter of intent (the “
LOI”) to complete a
business combination transaction (the
“
Transaction”) that will result in the reverse
take-over of TCI by Grafton. Upon completion of the Transaction,
TCI will carry on the oil and gas exploration and production
business of Grafton under the name “Westgate Energy Inc.” (the
“
Resulting Issuer” or
“
Westgate”). The LOI was negotiated at arm’s
length and is dated January 11, 2024.
Contemporaneously, Grafton will complete:
- a brokered
private placement (the “Brokered Private
Placement”) for minimum aggregate gross proceeds of $5.0
million. The Brokered Private Placement will be led by Eight
Capital as the lead agent and bookrunner on behalf of a syndicate
of agents including Haywood Securities, ATB Capital Markets, and
Canaccord Genuity (collectively, the “Agents”);
and
- a non-brokered
private placement (the “Non-Brokered Private
Placement” and together with the Brokered Private
Placement, the “Private Placement”) for minimum
gross proceeds of $3.0 million.
Grafton Overview
Grafton was incorporated under the laws of the
Province of Alberta and has been operating since March 8, 2021.
Grafton is led by Rick Grafton (Executive Director), Dan Brown
(Chief Executive Officer), Jordan Kevol (Chief Operating Officer),
and Nick Grafton (Chief Financial Officer), and is a Calgary-based
private company, engaging in exploration and production of oil and
gas in Western Canada. Grafton currently has operations in the
Killam and Richdale areas of Eastern Alberta and is focused on oil
development within the emerging Mannville Stack fairway of Eastern
Alberta and Western Saskatchewan.
Pre-Transaction Grafton Highlights
Proven Leadership Team
- Board and management team brings a multi-decade track record of
proven operational success, capital stewardship, and capital
markets expertise in the Canadian oil and gas sector
- Management team has particular expertise in identifying
low-decline, large oil in place plays and executing successful
development programs yielding growth and return on investment
- Strong founder alignment and buy-in with strategy
Pragmatic Approach to Emerging Mannville Stack
Fairway
- Targeting Mannville oil assets with high IRR drilling prospects
and robust inventories of identified locations
- Highly compatible play for multi-lateral drilling application
unlocking compelling economics
- Stacked, shallow, oil-prone horizons with high porosity and
permeability, and large-scale oil in place, resulting in higher
deliverability and lower capital costs
- Proven success of multi-lateral drilling from several operators
in the area are indicative of potential value that may be
unlocked
- Nimble approach targeting high production per share growth
through organic development and strategic M&A
opportunities
Differentiated, Growth-Focused Strategy
- Pure-play, growth-focused opportunity, offering cohesive assets
in a fairway primed for growth
- Board and management believe the emergence of the Mannville
Stack is Canada’s next growth wedge of conventional oil
Select Financial Information for Grafton
The table below sets forth certain selected
preliminary unaudited financial information prepared by management
for Grafton as at September 30, 2023:
Select Financial Information |
Quarter Ended September 30,
2023 |
Total Assets |
$9,905,914 |
Total Liabilities |
$4,993,564 |
Shareholders’ Equity (Deficit) |
$4,912,350 |
Revenue |
$460,281 |
Net Income (Loss) |
($471,621) |
Grafton Financing
In connection with the Transaction, Grafton
expects to complete:
(a) |
the Brokered Private Placement which will involve the issuance of
subscription receipts of Grafton at a price of $0.15 per
subscription receipt for minimum gross proceeds of $5.0 million
which will subsequently be exchanged upon satisfaction of certain
conditions related to the Transaction for one unit of Grafton with
each unit consisting of one common share (a “Grafton
Share”) and one Grafton Share purchase warrant. Each such
Grafton Share purchase warrant will entitle the holder to acquire
one Grafton Share at an exercise price of $0.20 for a period of two
years; and |
|
|
(b) |
the Non-Brokered Private
Placement which will involve the issuance units of Grafton at a
price of $0.15 per unit with each unit consisting of one Grafton
Share and one Grafton Share purchase warrant for minimum gross
proceeds of $3.0 million. Each such Grafton Share purchase warrant
will entitle the holder to acquire one Grafton Share at an exercise
price of $0.15 for a period of five years. |
|
|
Grafton expects to pay to the Agents involved in
the Brokered Private Placement a cash commission equal to 7% of the
aggregate gross proceeds of the Brokered Private Placement and
Grafton Share purchase warrants (“Broker
Warrants”) equal to 7% of the units issued pursuant to the
Brokered Private Placement.
The net proceeds from the Private Placement will
be used to fund development in the targeted Mannville Stack fairway
and complementary acquisition opportunities.
About the Transaction
Under the terms of the LOI, TCI and Grafton will
complete the Transaction by way of a three-cornered amalgamation or
another similar transaction whereby a subsidiary of TCI
(“Subco”) and Grafton will amalgamate, each
Grafton Share will be exchanged for 0.3443 common shares of the
Resulting Issuer (“Resulting Issuer Shares”), on a
post-Consolidation basis (as defined below), at a deemed price of
$0.44 per Resulting Issuer Share, and each convertible,
exchangeable or exercisable security of Grafton will be exchanged
for a convertible, exchangeable or exercisable security of the
Resulting Issuer on substantially the same economic terms and
conditions as the original convertible, exchangeable or exercisable
security of Grafton (or adjusted in accordance with the terms of
such securities to reflect the completion of the Transaction).
TCI and Grafton intend to apply to have the
Resulting Issuer Shares listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the
“TSXV”) and for the Resulting Issuer to satisfy
the criteria for a Tier 2 oil and gas exploration or reserves
company. TCI will, prior to the completion of the Transaction,
consolidate its common shares (the “TCI Shares”)
on a 40-for-1 basis (the “Consolidation”) and
change its name to “Westgate Energy Inc.” or such other name as
Grafton may determine (the “Name Change”).
Upon the completion of the Transaction, it is
anticipated that the Resulting Issuer Shares (post-Consolidation)
to be outstanding will be as follows:
Resulting Issuer Shares (non-diluted) |
|
Resulting Issuer Shares held by current holders of Grafton
Shares |
30,963,684 / 60% |
Resulting Issuer Shares issued as a result of the Non-Brokered
Private Placement(1) |
6,886,701 / 13% |
Resulting Issuer Shares issued as a result of the Brokered Private
Placement(2) |
11,477,836 / 22% |
Resulting Issuer Shares held by current holders of TCI Shares |
2,667,890 / 5% |
Total Resulting Issuer Shares (non-diluted) |
51,996,111 / 100% |
Resulting Issuer Shares (diluted) |
|
Resulting Issuer Shares held by current holders of Grafton
Shares |
30,963,684 / 44% |
Resulting Issuer Shares issued as a result of the Non-Brokered
Private Placement(1) |
13,773,402 / 19% |
Resulting Issuer Shares issued as a result of the Brokered Private
Placement(2) |
22,955,671 / 32% |
Resulting Issuer Shares held by current holders of TCI
Shares(3) |
2,667,890 / 4% |
Resulting Issuer Shares held by broker(4) |
803,449 / 1% |
Total Resulting Issuer Shares (diluted) |
71,164,096 / 100% |
Notes: |
(1) |
Assumes minimum gross proceeds are raised pursuant to the
Non-Brokered Private Placement. |
(2) |
Assumes minimum gross proceeds are raised pursuant to the Brokered
Private Placement. |
(3) |
No fractional shares will be issued. Any fractional interest in
Resulting Issuer Shares that is less than 0.5 resulting from the
Consolidation will be rounded down to the nearest whole Resulting
Issuer Share and any fractional interest in Resulting Issuer Shares
that is 0.5 or greater will be rounded up to the nearest whole
Resulting Issuer Share. |
(4) |
Assumes 7.0% Broker Warrant coverage and that minimum gross
proceeds are raised pursuant to the Brokered Private
Placement. |
|
|
Note that all of the foregoing figures in this
press release have been calculated based on the following
assumptions in connection with the Private Placement: (a) the
minimum gross proceeds under the Private Placement are raised; and
(b) Broker Warrants equal to 7% of the units issued under Brokered
Private Placement are issued. If the terms of the Private Placement
differ from the foregoing, the number of Resulting Issuer Shares
held by former shareholders of Grafton and TCI will differ.
The completion of the Transaction, expected to
occur in March 2024, will be subject to the approval of
shareholders of Grafton holding at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding
Grafton Shares. On January 31, 2023, at an annual general and
special meeting, the shareholders of TCI approved the Name Change
and the Consolidation. TCI will not be obtaining shareholder
approval for the Transaction in accordance with section 4.1 of
Policy 5.2 of the TSXV Corporate Finance Manual as: (i) the
Transaction is not a “Related Party Transaction” and does not
involve any Non-Arm’s Length Parties, as defined by the TSXV
Corporate Finance Manual; (ii) TCI is without active operations and
is currently listed on the NEX; and (iii) TCI is not subject to,
and, to the best of its knowledge will not be subject to, a cease
trade order on completion of the Transaction. The Transaction will
be approved by the sole shareholder of Subco by way of a
resolution.
Additional details regarding the Transaction
will be made available in a filing statement that will be filed
with the TSXV and be available on TCI’s profile on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.ca.
Completion of the Transaction is conditional on
obtaining all necessary regulatory and shareholder approvals in
connection with the matters described above and other conditions
customary for a transaction of this type, including but not limited
to the approval of the TSXV, TCI and Grafton entering into a
definitive agreement with respect to the Transaction, the
completion of the Private Placement, and the approval of the
Transaction by the shareholders of Grafton. Trading of the TCI
Shares will remain halted until the Transaction has closed.
Arm’s Length Transaction
The Transaction was negotiated by parties who
are dealing at arm’s length with each other and therefore, in
accordance with the policies of the TSXV, is an Arm’s Length
Transaction, as defined by the TSXV Corporate Finance Manual.
Proposed Management and Board of Directors of the
Resulting Issuer
Upon the completion of the Transaction, it is
anticipated that the persons identified below will serve as
directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer.
Richard Grafton – Executive Director
Over 35 years of industry expertise and a track
record of completing $22 billion in energy investment transactions.
As Vice Chairman of Canaccord Capital Corporation and Managing
Director, Global Head of Energy at Canaccord Adams, he played
pivotal roles at leading Canadian financial services firms.
Recognized as one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People and a
recipient of the Energy Council’s Lifetime Achievement award, Rick
is not only a seasoned executive but also an active philanthropist
supporting children’s education, athletics, and arts.
Kelly Ogle – Director
President of the Canadian Global Affairs
Institute and host of Energy Security Cubed podcast, brings a
wealth of expertise as a Board Director at Grafton Ventures. A
serial entrepreneur, scholar, and published author, Kelly has
served on boards of public, private, and not-for-profit
organizations. With a Master of Strategic Studies from the
University of Calgary and the ICD.D designation from the Institute
of Canadian Directors, he adds invaluable insight to the board.
Art Agoli – Director
Founder and Chairman of Dsrupt Inc, and a
seasoned figure in the business landscape. With a background that
includes key roles at Koch Industries and as Co-founder and Vice
President of Bankers Petroleum, Art brings visionary leadership and
strategic insight to enhance the board’s capabilities.
Dan Brown – Chief Executive Officer and
Director
Over 40 years of Western Canadian executive
experience. Previously founded Surge Energy Inc., where he played a
pivotal role in establishing Surge as a key player in the energy
sector. Former Chairman of the Board of Governors of EPAC, Dan has
extensive experience in founding, developing and growing Western
Canadian Energy companies.
Nick Grafton – Chief Financial Officer and
Corporate Secretary
Nick brings over 17 years of investment,
finance, and public markets experience to the team. Previously a
Portfolio Manager, managing energy portfolios for a Canadian-based
hedge fund and Investment Banker at Canaccord Genuity Corp., where
he helped finance and advise small to mid-cap companies. He has
also held board positions for a number of Canadian public
companies, serving on the audit, governance and compensation
committees.
Jordan Kevol – Chief Operations Officer
Jordan has 19 years of experience in the Western
Canadian oil and gas sector. Most recently he was the Founder and
President/CEO of Blackspur Oil Corp, a private oil and gas company
focused on Mannville oil in southern and central Alberta. From May
2021 to July 2023, Jordan was also the Managing Director and CEO of
Calima Energy Ltd, an Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) listed entity
that purchased Blackspur in April 2021. Prior to Blackspur, he was
the Co-Founder and President of Petro Uno Resources, a TSXV-listed
oil and gas company focused on Viking oil in Saskatchewan. Jordan
is also a director of Source Rock Royalties, a TSXV-listed Canadian
oil and gas royalty company, from 2014 to present.
Dale Mennis – Vice President, Corporate
Development
Dale has extensive industry experience in
management of growth-oriented public oil and natural gas companies.
Dale was a founder of Legacy Oil + Gas Inc. which grew from 400
boe/day at inception to over 25,000 boe/day when it was sold to
Crescent Point Energy. Dale was also Vice President, Business
Development at Daylight Resources Trust and was Vice President,
Exploration and Development at Calpine Canada after the successful
sale of Encal Energy Ltd to Calpine Canada.
The resignation of the current board of
directors and management team of TCI and the appointment of the new
management team and the new board of the Resulting Issuer will
occur concurrent with the closing of the Transaction.
Westgate Strategy
The pro-forma company, Westgate, will be focused
on the emerging Mannville Stack fairway located in East-Central
Alberta, and West Central Saskatchewan, where known accumulations
of medium and heavy oil are being “unlocked” via the application of
modern drilling techniques utilizing multi-lateral horizontal
drilling. The application of these modernized multi-lateral
drilling techniques have yielded some of the strongest oil
economics throughout Western Canada.
Westgate’s management and board have extensive
experience leading and building successful energy companies,
starting with identifying high-quality assets. Common amongst the
collective successes of the leadership group is targeting robust,
large oil in place assets and achieving growth through successful
drilling and strategic M&A opportunities. This proven blueprint
of delivering shareholder value is foundational to the formation of
Westgate. Westgate will be uniquely positioned as one of a select
few publicly listed, pure-play high-growth junior oil companies,
focused on the Mannville Stack fairway.
Preliminary development is underway, as Grafton
recently finished drilling its first Sparky 6-leg multi-lateral
horizontal well with over 8,000 meters of lateral pay in the
Mannville Sparky zone. As of December 21, the well has been brought
on production. Drilling costs were in-line with expectations and
the well had an expedient spud to on production time of 21 days.
Further details regarding initial production rates from this well
will be reported in the filing statement that will be filed with
the TSXV and be available on TCI’s profile on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.ca.
About TCI
TCI is a Calgary, Alberta based entity that was
incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) on June
8, 1993. The TCI Shares are listed for trading on the NEX board of
the TSXV under the symbol TCI.H. TCI does not currently conduct
commercial operations.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship of a “New Listing” made in the
context of a “Reverse Takeover” is required by the TSXV in
accordance with Policy 2.2 of the TSXV Corporate Finance Manual,
unless exempt in accordance with applicable TSXV policies or unless
the TSXV provides a waiver. TCI intends to apply for an exemption
or waiver from sponsorship requirements; however, there is no
assurance that TCI will obtain this exemption or waiver.
Advisors
Eight Capital is acting as exclusive financial
advisor to Grafton in respect to the Transaction and the Brokered
Private Placement.
Torys LLP is acting as legal counsel to Grafton
in respect of the Acquisition and the Private Placement and will
act as counsel to the Resulting Issuer upon completion of the
Transaction.
Stikeman Elliott LLP is acting as legal counsel
to TCI in respect to the Transaction.
Dentons Canada LLP is acting as legal counsel to
the Agents in respect to the Brokered Private Placement.
Completion of the Transaction is subject to a
number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance
and if applicable, disinterested shareholder approval. Where
applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required
shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that
the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.
Investors are cautioned that, except as
disclosed in the filing statement to be prepared in connection with
the Transaction, any information released or received with respect
to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not
be relied upon. Trading in the securities of TCI should be
considered highly speculative.
The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of
the Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the
contents of this news release.
In this press release, all references to “$” are
to Canadian dollars.
This press release does not constitute an offer
to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities in
the United States or any other jurisdiction.
THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN
AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT
OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “U.S. SECURITIES ACT”), OR ANY STATE
SECURITIES LAWS AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES
(AS DEFINED IN REGULATION S UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT) UNLESS
REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE
SECURITIES LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM SUCH REGISTRATION IS
AVAILABLE.
Notice regarding forward-looking statements:
This press release includes forward-looking
statements regarding TCI, Grafton, the Resulting Issuer and their
respective businesses, which may include, but is not limited to,
statements with respect to entering into a definitive agreement
with respect to the Transaction, the proposed directors and
officers of the Resulting Issuer, the completion of the Transaction
and the Private Placement, the terms on which the Transaction and
the Private Placement are intended to be completed, the use of the
net proceeds from the Private Placement, the anticipated share
capital of the Resulting Issuer, the business strategy of the
Resulting Issuer, the characteristics of the Mannville Stack
fairway and the unique position of the Resulting Issuer in respect
thereof, the ability to obtain regulatory and shareholder approvals
and expectations regarding details regarding initial production
rates. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be
identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “is expected”,
“expects”, “scheduled”, “intends”, “contemplates”, “anticipates”,
“believes”, “proposes” or variations (including negative
variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain
actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or
“will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on
the current expectations of the management of each entity. The
forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release,
including completion of the Transaction and the Private Placement,
may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ
materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and
uncertainties affecting the companies, including risks regarding
the technology industry, failure to obtain regulatory or
shareholder approvals, economic factors, the equity markets
generally and risks associated with growth and competition.
Although TCI and Grafton have attempted to identify important
factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to
differ materially from those described in forward-looking
statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events
or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.
No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required
by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date on which they are made and TCI and Grafton
undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise, other than as required by law.
Neither TSXV 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.
For further information concerning Target Capital Inc., please
contact:
Theo ZunichEmail: Target@5qir.comContact: 587-893-6724
For further information concerning Grafton Ventures Energy
Holdings Corp., please contact:
Nick GraftonEmail: Nick@graftonventures.caContact:
403-619-5392
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