Velocity Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: VLC) (“
Velocity” or
the “
Company”) is pleased to announce that it has
closed a C$9.0 million strategic investment (the “
Strategic
Investment”) with Atlantic Gold Corporation (TSXV: AGB)
(“
Atlantic Gold”) and its wholly-owned subsidiary,
1193490 B.C. Ltd. (the “
Investor”). The
Strategic Investment was comprised of a private placement of
18,600,000 units (each, a “
Unit”) for total gross
proceeds of approximately C$3.9 million (the “
Equity
Placement”) and a convertible debenture in the aggregate
principal amount of approximately C$5.1 million (the
“
Convertible Placement”). As a result of the
completion of the Strategic Investment, Atlantic Gold now owns
19.80% of the outstanding common shares of Velocity on a
non-diluted basis and 39.05% on a partially-diluted basis.
“We are very pleased to welcome Atlantic Gold as
a shareholder of Velocity,” stated Keith Henderson, President &
CEO of Velocity. “Since announcing the strategic investment,
existing shareholders and new investors alike have expressed
support for the transaction. With Atlantic Gold’s recent
operational achievements in Nova Scotia, Velocity will benefit from
their mine building expertise and shared corporate strategy of
implementing a hub and spoke model of development.”
Use of Proceeds
Net proceeds from the Strategic Investment will
be used to fund the advancement of the Rozino gold project located
in southeast Bulgaria (“Rozino”) towards
feasibility and permitting, including resource expansion and
definition drilling, engineering studies, environmental monitoring
and assessment, and for general working capital. In addition,
Velocity will proceed to option and explore additional satellite
deposits in the region.
Planned Exploration
The 2019 drill program at Rozino is now fully
permitted and a total of 12,000m to 14,000m of drilling is
planned. The drill program at Rozino is intended to include
exploration drilling and infill drilling aimed at increasing the
existing mineral resource base (see news release dated October 29,
2018) and improving resource definition.
The drill program is also expected to support
additional metallurgical and comminution studies, as well as
hydrogeological and geotechnical work. Environmental data
collection is ongoing and will continue.
An additional 1,000m of drilling is planned
outside of Rozino. These regional targets are located in
favorable structural settings with surface geochemical
support. It is anticipated that new discoveries within
several kilometres of the Rozino deposit could potentially add
value by utilizing common infrastructure.
The Company also expects to initiate exploration
activities within the larger Exploration and Mining Alliance area
held with Bulgarian operating partner Gorubso-Kardzhali AD
(“Gorubso”). Descriptions of these projects
together with planned exploration activities will be disclosed in
future news releases.
A key objective of the Company over the next
year will be to evaluate multiple near-surface gold deposits that
may have the potential to feed mineralized material to the
operating carbon-in-leach (“CIL”) plant in
Kardzhali, Bulgaria.
Transaction Details
In connection with the Equity Placement,
Atlantic Gold has acquired 18,600,000 Units of Velocity at a price
per Unit of C$0.21 for total gross proceeds of C$3,906,000.
Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company and
one-half of one common share purchase warrant, with each whole
warrant (each, a “Warrant”) entitling Atlantic
Gold to acquire one common share at a price of C$0.25 per common
share for a period of 36 months.
The Convertible Placement consisted of
C$5,094,000 principal amount of secured convertible debentures (the
“Convertible Debentures”) issued by the Company to
Atlantic Gold. The Convertible Debentures carry an 8.5%
coupon over a five-year term and are secured by general security
agreement of the Company. Velocity can elect to pay any
interest due in cash or shares at its sole election. Atlantic
Gold can, at its option, convert the Convertible Debentures into
common shares of Velocity at a conversion price of C$0.25 per
share.
Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Atlantic
Gold has been granted:
- the right to appoint one director
to Velocity’s Board of Directors, and increasing to two directors
upon Atlantic Gold holding over 30% of the issued and outstanding
common shares of Velocity; and
- the right to participate in any
future equity issuances by Velocity in order to allow Atlantic Gold
to maintain its pro rata fully-diluted ownership in Velocity.
Atlantic Gold is subject to a one-year
standstill limiting it from acquiring additional common shares of
Velocity. Furthermore, Atlantic Gold has agreed to vote with
Velocity management and not to sell any of its Velocity securities
for a one-year period.
In connection with the Strategic Investment, the
Company paid an advisory fee to Haywood Securities Inc. consisting
of C$382,500 cash and 459,418 common shares in the capital of
Velocity (the “Advisory Fee Shares”).
The securities issued under the Strategic
Investment, including the Advisory Fee Shares, are subject to a
four-month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable
securities legislation. Atlantic Gold holds its securities in
the capital of Velocity through its wholly-owned subsidiary, the
Investor.
Qualified Person
The technical content of this release has been
approved for disclosure by Stuart A. Mills, BSc, MSc, CGeol, a
Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and the
Company’s Vice President Exploration. Mr. Mills is not
independent of the Company.
About Atlantic Gold Corporation
Atlantic Gold is a well-financed,
growth-oriented gold development group with a long-term strategy to
build a mid-tier gold production company focused on manageable,
executable projects in mining-friendly jurisdictions.
Atlantic Gold is focused on growing gold
production in Nova Scotia beginning with its Moose River
Consolidated phase one open-pit gold mine which declared commercial
production in March 2018, and its phase two Life of Mine Expansion
at industry lowest decile cash and all-in-sustaining-costs (as
stated in Atlantic Gold’s news releases dated January 16, 2019 and
January 29, 2018). Atlantic Gold is committed to the highest
standards of environmental and social responsibility and
continually invests in people and technology to manage risks,
maximize outcomes and returns to all stakeholders.
About Velocity Minerals Ltd.
Velocity is a gold exploration and development
company focused on eastern Europe. The Company envisions
staged open pit mining of satellite deposits and processing in a
central, currently operating CIL plant owned by its Bulgarian
operating partner Gorubso. The Company’s management and board
includes mining industry professionals with combined experience
spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas as employees of major
mining companies as well as founders and senior executives of
junior to mid-tier public companies. The team's experience
includes all aspects of mineral exploration, resource definition,
feasibility, finance, mine construction and mine operation as well
as a track record in managing publicly listed companies.
Velocity’s Rozino gold project is located within
the Tintyava property and is located within an Exploration and
Mining Alliance area with Bulgarian operating partner Gorubso (see
news release dated February 22, 2018). Velocity
began exploring and drilling at the Rozino gold project in August
2017 and completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment
(“PEA”) in September 2018. The PEA provides
a base case assessment of developing the Rozino gold project by
open pit mining and on-site crushing, milling and simple flotation
to produce a 30 g/t gold concentrate. The concentrate would
then be trucked 85km on existing roads to the currently operating
CIL plant where saleable gold doré would be produced.
Mineralization remains open for expansion. Having delivered
the PEA, the Company exercised its option for a 70% interest in the
project and formed a joint venture with Gorubso in
March 2019. Velocity now holds a 70% interest in the
Tintyava property, with Gorubso holding the remaining 30%.
About Bulgaria
Bulgaria is a member of NATO (2004) and a
member of the European Union (2007). The local currency (BGN)
has been tied to the Euro since 1999 (1.956 BGN/EUR). The
country is served by modern European infrastructure including an
extensive network of paved roads. Bulgaria boasts an
exceptionally low corporate tax rate of only 10%. The
country’s education system is excellent with good availability of
experienced mining professionals in a favorable cost
environment. Foreign mining companies are successfully
operating in Bulgaria. The country’s mining law was
established in 1999 and updated in 2011. Mining royalties are
low and compare favorably with more established mining
countries.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors“Keith Henderson”President
& CEO
For further information, please contact: Keith
HendersonPhone:
+1-604-484-1233E-mail: info@velocityminerals.comWeb: www.velocityminerals.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange 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.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING
INFORMATION:
This news release includes certain
“forward-looking statements” under applicable Canadian securities
legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not
limited to, statements with respect to the conversion by Atlantic
Gold of all or some of the Convertible Debentures or Warrants, the
use of funds from the Strategic Investment, the appointment by
Atlantic Gold of a nominee to the Board of Directors of the
Company, and the future business and operations of Velocity.
Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified
by words such as “pro forma”, “plans”, “expects”, “may”, “will”,
“should”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”,
“intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “potential” or variations of
such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that
refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would,
might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the
forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has
applied several material assumptions, including without limitation,
that market fundamentals will result in sustained gold demand and
prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and
regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of
the Company’s Bulgarian projects, the availability of financing on
suitable terms for the development, construction and continued
operation of the Company’s projects, and the Company’s ability to
comply with environmental, health and safety laws. Forward
looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties
and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance
or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the
forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors
include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in
connection with mineral exploration and development and mine
development activities for the Rozino project and the Company’s
projects generally, including the geological mapping, prospecting
and sampling programs for the projects, the fact that the Company’s
interests in certain properties are only options and there is no
guarantee that such interests, if earned, will be certain, actual
results of exploration activities, including the Bulgarian drill
programs, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral
resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production,
costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of
the development of new deposits, the availability of a sufficient
supply of water and other materials, requirements for additional
capital to fund the Company's business plan, future prices of
precious metals, changes in general economic conditions, changes in
the financial markets and in the demand and market price for
commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates,
possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as
anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the
mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory
approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development
or construction activities, changes in laws, regulations and
policies affecting mining operations, hedging practices, currency
fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance
coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation,
environmental issues and liabilities, risks related to joint
venture operations, and risks related to the integration of
acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the
heading. "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual management's
discussion and analysis and other filings of the Company with the
Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under
the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on forward looking information. The Company
undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking
information in this news release or incorporated by reference
herein, except as otherwise required by law.
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