TORONTO, ONTARIO - June 22, 2017 - InvestorsHub NewsWire - First
Cobalt Corp. (TSX VENTURE:FCC)(OTC:FTSSF) (the "Company") is
pleased to announce it has entered into a non-binding letter of
intent ("LOI") to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares
of CobalTech Mining Inc. (TSX VENTURE:CSK)(OTC:BNCIF), an arm's length
party, through a negotiated share exchange transaction.
CobalTech has assembled a strong portfolio of prospective cobalt
properties, including 11 past producing mines in the town of
Cobalt, Ontario, the Werner Lake East Cobalt property near Kenora,
Ontario and eight properties in the Province of Quebec. Its
flagship asset is the Duncan Kerr Project and includes the
past-producing Kerr Lake and Lawson mines which operated between
1905 and 1966 and reportedly produced approximately 32.7 million
ounces of silver as well as significant cobalt by-product.
CobalTech also owns a 100 tonne per day mill in the town of
Cobalt. This asset would complement the Yukon refinery, over which
First Cobalt has a joint venture option for a 50% interest.
CobalTech has 6,588 tonnes of crushed stockpile with an average
grade of 761 g/t Ag and 0.95% Co over 2,000 samples on its Duncan
Kerr property.1 The
potential quantity and grade of this stockpile is conceptual in
nature, there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral
resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in
the stockpile being delineated as a mineral resource.
The LOI provides both parties the opportunity to exchange
information and maintain confidentiality as each party seeks to
determine whether mutually beneficial business opportunities may
exist. The LOI does not represent a change of business for either
company. The LOI does not contemplate a definitive agreement
between the parties. First Cobalt has engaged Canaccord Genuity
Corp. as financial advisors and Cassels Brock and Blackwell, LLP as
legal advisors on any transactions entered into by the Company.
Trent Mell, First Cobalt President and CEO, commented,
"We believe CobalTech's assets in the Cobalt camp are
complementary to our own, and see this transaction as an
opportunity to provide value to both our shareholders and those of
CobalTech. The future potential from 11 additional past producing
mines, as well as a milling facility could provide the pathway to
early production in this region. This potential transaction is a
credit to the quality assets the team at CobalTech have
built."
CobalTech CEO Bruce Bragagnolo commented,
"First Cobalt has a strong vision for the future of this
region and this transaction will be beneficial to both to CobalTech
shareholders and the community. We look forward to finalizing this
transaction with First Cobalt in due course."
Figure 1 - First Cobalt and CobalTech land packages in
Cobalt camp, Ontario
Readers are cautioned that the LOI entered into with CobalTech
is non-binding, and that completion of the transaction is subject
to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, completion
of due diligence, negotiation of definitive agreements in respect
of the transaction, receipt of any required regulatory approvals,
the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, and the approval of the
shareholders of CobalTech. The transaction cannot be completed
until these conditions are satisfied. There can be no assurance
that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.
About First Cobalt
First Cobalt is focused on building a diversified global
portfolio of assets that are highly leveraged to the cobalt market.
The Company's current assets include almost 3,000 hectares and
three former mines in the Cobalt camp in Ontario, Canada.
Cornerstone assets include an option for the former producing
Keeley-Frontier mine, a high-grade mine that produced over 3.3
million pounds of cobalt and 19.1 million ounces of silver from
301,000 tonnes of ore, as well as a joint venture option on a fully
permitted cobalt refinery in Cobalt, Ontario. The Company also has
interests in seven prospective copper-cobalt properties covering
190 square kilometres in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, all
with known surface mineralization.
Qualified Persons
Antoine Fournier, P. Geo., M.Sc., Vice President, Exploration
for CobalTech is the Qualified Person, as defined by National
Instrument 43-101, for the technical information about CobalTech
contained in this news release and he has reviewed the technical
information contained herein.
On behalf of First Cobalt Corp.
Trent Mell, President & Chief Executive Officer
On behalf of CobalTech Mining Inc.
Bruce Bragagnolo, Chief Executive Officer
For more information visit www.firstcobalt.com.
Neither 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 Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements and
forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking
statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws and
the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are
forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements
can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans",
"expects', "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or
variations of such words, or statements that certain actions,
events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be
achieved" and include all statements related to the possibility of
a merger between Cobalt One and CobalTech. Forward-looking
statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that
could cause actual results, performance and opportunities to differ
materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
these forward-looking statements include the reliability of the
historical data referenced in this press release and risks set out
in First Cobalt's public documents, including in each management
discussion and analysis, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although First Cobalt believes
that the information and assumptions used in preparing the
forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should
not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date
of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such
events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except
where required by applicable law, First Cobalt disclaims any
intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.