15
March 2024
Alien Metals Ltd
("Alien Metals" or "the
Company")
Funding Facility of up to A$2
million
Board Appointment and
Project Update
Alien
Metals (AIM: UFO), a company
focused on the exploration and development of the Hancock iron ore
Project ("Hancock
Project") and the Pinderi
Hills project in Western Australia, advises that it has entered a
short-term funding facility on terms outlined below and continues
to progress project development across its diversified resource
portfolio.
Overview
• A
funding package of up to A$2m has been made available through a
convertible loan note (the "Facility"
or the "Note") as detailed below.
• The
Facility will meet short-term capital requirements and contribute
towards exploration and the ongoing review of strategic funding
options to maximise value for the Company's shareholders and
stakeholders, including:
o Considering various longer-term financing
options, including continued discussions with strategic partners
regarding offtake funding, debt, and equity project funding in
connection with the Hancock Project and the Pinderi Hills PGM,
silver and base metals project; and
o Actively exploring the potential for the sale or
joint venture of non-core assets providing further funding for the
Company.
• Appointment
of Technical Director, Mr. Rob Mosig, to the Board as a
Non-Executive Director, who brings significant expertise in
exploration, development, and strategic partnering, whilst having
direct experience on the Company's PGM and base metals project in
the West Pilbara. Following Rob's appointment, Mr. Alwyn Vorster
has stepped down from the Board to focus on his other directorships
and business commitments. Alwyn will continue to assist Alien
Metals as an advisor to the Board on the Hancock Project
development.
• The Company has
further strengthened its iron ore team with the appointment of an
iron ore expert from global mining consulting firm CSA Global (now
ERM). CSA Global has extensive iron ore exploration and development
expertise, including significant roles with Fenix Resources Ltd
(ASX: FEX), which transformed from an iron ore explorer to a
producer within 18 months.
• An Advisory Board is
to be established, consisting of technical and mining industry
experts to guide the Company on the various strategic options
currently available to Alien Metals for the financing and/or
development of its key assets.
• The project
and technical team will continue to focus on the Hancock Project,
progressing exploration to increase the resources and reserves as
set out in the Development Study on (AIM: 8
February 2024).
The study demonstrated strong
economic returns from the Hancock Project, as outlined
below.
Guy
Robertson, Executive Director, commented:
"It is our objective to
unlock the value of the Hancock iron ore project, where we have
recently received positive interest from potential joint venture
partners following the results of the Development Study.
"The funding announced today
will provide additional capital to the Company to continue the
exploration of our projects, while we explore and progress
negotiations with various potential funding partners for the
Hancock Project.
"We are delighted to welcome
Rob Mosig to the Board who has over 40 years of experience in
mineral exploration projects, including direct experience with
Alien's Pilbara PGM and battery metals projects. The board thanks
Alwyn Vorster for his contribution and ongoing support as a senior
adviser, assisting the Company's strategic options in the iron ore
portfolio."
Funding details
The Company is
considering various proposals to progress the development of the
Hancock Project, including funding through joint ventures, project
financiers such as offtake funding, debt, and equity funding from
strategic investors and the sale of non-core assets.
As work progresses on
the various mining approvals and exploration development work at
the Hancock Project, the Company has finalised the Facility of up
to A$2m with a long-term major shareholder.
The Board is grateful
for the support of all its shareholders and believes there is a
significant opportunity to unlock the value of the Company's assets
in the near term.
Information on the
Facility
• Lender: Bennelong Resource Capital Pty Limited, a
shareholder in the Company, with a current holding of
7.2%.
• Convertible
Securities: Convertible
securities of up to A$2,000,000 (Convertible
Securities), to be drawn in
three tranches: Tranche 1: A$1,000,000, Tranche 2: A$500,000, and
Tranche 3: A$500,000.
• Face Value and Purchase
Price: A$1 per Convertible
Security.
• Availability Period for
drawdown: 12
months.
•
Commitment Fee and
Establishment Fee: 3% of the
maximum amount of the Facility, being A$60,000, and A$10,000
respectively, each to be deducted from Tranche 1.
• Commitment Warrants:
25,000,000 warrants to subscribe for
one ordinary share in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary
Share"), each with a strike price of a 25% premium to the 10-day
VWAP prior to the date of the deed, being 0.18p, and an expiry date
36 months after the date of issue. These Commitment Warrants must
be issued to the Lender within three Business Days after the
condition to drawdown of the Facility has been
satisfied.
• Interest: SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) (being
circa 5.3% as at the date of this announcement) plus 10% per annum,
to be paid at the end of each fiscal quarter.
• Repayment Date:
12 months or a later date as agreed
between the Company and the Noteholder, unless (i) a party other
than the noteholder acquires 50% or more of the Company's shares or
(ii) an event of default occurs, in which case the notes shall be
repayable on the relevant event occurrence.
•
Conversion Price:
the balance due under the Facility
(including accrued interest at the end of each fiscal quarter) can
be converted into Ordinary Shares at the option of the Lender at
the lower of:
(a) 85% of the VWAP
over the ten trading days prior to the date of the Facility,
converted into $A at the average of the daily £/A$ exchange rate
published by the Reserve Bank of Australia over that period;
or
(b) the price per
Ordinary Share offered by the Company in any equity capital raising
offered between the date of the deed and the Repayment Date,
converted into A$ at the average of the £/A$ exchange rate
published by the Reserve Bank of Australia over the five business
days before settlement of that raising.
For each Ordinary
Share issued to the Lender pursuant to this conversion right, the
Lender will at the same time also be issued one Conversion Warrant
(see below for the terms applicable to each Conversion
Warrant).
• Conversion Warrants:
means a warrant to subscribe for one
Ordinary Share expiring 36 months from the date of issue, each of
which will have a strike price equal to the lower of 125% of the
VWAP over the then 10 trading days prior to:
(a) the date of
the deed, being 0.18p; and
(b) the date on
which the respective conversion notice is given to the
Company,
The warrants are
transferrable.
• Repurchase Premium:
means an amount equal to:
(a) the
principal sum outstanding paid by the Company to redeem the Notes
(or any number of them); plus
(b) the
percentage that is the same percentage by which the amount of the
VWAP (over the 10 trading days prior to the date of this deed)
exceeds the issue price of Ordinary Shares under the first equity
raising of Ordinary Shares that occurs after the date of the deed
(if any) over the ten trading days prior to the announcement of the
capital raising, but not greater than 20%, and in any event
(including regardless of whether an equity raising has occurred)
not less than 10%, on the principal sum outstanding.
· Withdrawal
fee: 2% of the
facility limit in the event of withdrawal i.e. where the Company
advises the noteholder it does not wish to avail itself of Tranche
1 and Tranche 2 of the facility, then 2% of Tranche 1 and 2, but
not Tranche 3, unless by agreement.
· Drawdown
structure: Tranche 1
within five days of notice. Tranche 2 subject to the Company
announcing its Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2023
and Tranche 3 is conditional upon agreement between Company and the
Lender of (i) the Company's budget for the financial year ended 31
December 2024 and (ii) a form of security to be granted over the
assets of the Company (or members of its group).
· Transferability: the notes are freely transferrable.
· Undertakings of
the Company: the
Company has given a number of customary undertakings to the Lender
in relation to the operation of its business, and the provision of
financial and management information regularly. In particular, key
decisions will require the approval of the Lender.
It is agreed that the
Lender will not convert any amounts outstanding under the Facility
or exercise any Conversion Warrants such the conversion or
exercise, respectively, would result in the Lender together with
anyone in concert with it holding more than 29.9% of the then
enlarged share capital of the Company.
If the Lender's
shareholding exceeds 20% of the Company's share capital as a result
of conversion of any amount outstanding under the Facility or
following an exercise of Conversion Warrants, it will negotiate in
good faith entering into a relationship agreement with the Company
and the Nominated Adviser from time to time containing customary
provisions and protections as is usual for an AIM
company.
The funds raised under
the Facility will be used for general short-term working capital
needs and further progressing towards the grant of a mining lease
in respect of the Hancock Project and further exploration targets
recently identified as set out in the Company's Development Study
on (AIM:
8 February 2024).
Company
Update and Project Outlook
New Board
Appointment
The appointment of
Technical Director, Rob Mosig, to the board will add significant
exploration, development, and strategic partnering expertise. Rob
will be assisting the Company's management team in prioritising key
exploration and development activities across the Company's
portfolio.
Rob was the founding
Managing Director of Helix Resources Limited from 1986 to 2006 and
the Managing Director of Platina Resources Limited from 2006 to
2018. Rob was instrumental in introducing Lonmin plc, a major
platinum and palladium producer as a joint venture partner in the
Munni Munni project in the late 1990's.
Rob's in-depth
knowledge of Western Australia, and in particular the Munni Munni
platinum group metals and Elizabeth Hills Silver projects will be
invaluable as the Company examines options to unlock the value of
the projects.
Rob has over 40 years
of experience in the mining and exploration industry after
receiving a Master of Science from Monash University and is a
Fellow of AusIMM.
As a result of the
Board changes, Guy Robertson will resume his position as Executive
Chairman on an interim basis, assisting the Company with funding
and financing options, along with the recruitment of additional key
management personnel to progress the Company's projects. At the
same time, Elizabeth Henson, Non-Executive Director, will assume
the role of Senior independent Non-Executive Director.
AIM
Rules for Companies: Schedule Two Paragraph (g)
Disclosures
As required pursuant
to Rule 17 and Schedule Two paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for
Companies, the Company confirms that Rob Mosig, aged 73, is, save
for Alien Metals, currently a director/partner, or has been a
director/partner in the past five years, of the following
companies/partnerships:
Current
Directorships/Partnerships
|
Past
Directorships/Partnerships (held in last five years)
|
Javelin Minerals
Limited
|
Future Metals
NL
|
Mantle Minerals
Limited
|
Rodinia Resources Pty
Ltd
|
Colter Investment
Holdings Pty Ltd
|
Volcanic Metals
Ltd
|
There is no further
information to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 17 and Schedule Two
Paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules for Companies.
Project and
Permitting Update
The Board
believes that the Company's recent Development Study
demonstrates that the
Hancock Project has the potential to become an iron ore mine in
Western Australia. The key highlights and developments of the
Project, as more fully described in the Company's announcement
on (AIM: 8 February 2024) include:
· Execution of the Mining Agreement with the
Traditional Owners, Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation,
paving the way for mining
approvals.
·
A significant high-grade
(60%+ Fe) resource with the potential to significantly increase the
resource and reserves:
o MRE of 8.4Mt@ 60% Fe JORC Mineral Resource,
including an upgraded Indicated Resource of 4.5Mt@ 60.2%
Fe.
·
Low cost, dig, truck and
ship (no beneficiation or processing required other than
crushing)
·
Based on 8Mt of the
Mineral Resource being converted to mining inventory, robust
project financials of the base case produced the
following:
o An average annualised EBITDA of A$39m
o A pre-tax NPV10 of A$146m and a
pre-tax IRR of 133%
o Production rate of 1.25mtpa
o Initial development Capital Cost of
A$28m
· Ore processing will utilise a plant
capable of producing 1.25Mt to 1.5Mt of 100% fines product per
annum on a single shift basis. Sprint capacity of the plant working
on a double shift basis is up to 3.0Mt per annum.
· Reduction in costs will be achieved
through the proximity to the mining town of Newman. The close
vicinity allows the Company to avoid extensive construction capital
costs associated with airstrip, mining camp and associated
services.
· Provisional export capacity through the
Port of Port Hedland has been secured (MoU executed) and remains on
track for final approvals during the first half of 2024.
The Company
has made significant progress on the Hancock Project and is
currently in discussion with various parties regarding the required
development funding. In the interim, the technical team will
focus on securing all relevant approvals required for mining at the
same time assessing strategies with the Company's technical experts
to increase the existing resources and reserves which is expected
to significantly increase the value of the project.
For further
information please visit the Company's website
at www.alienmetals.uk
or contact:
Strand
Hanson (Financial and Nominated Adviser)
James
Harris / James Dance / Robert Collins Tel: +44 (0)
207409 3494
WH Ireland
Ltd (Broker)
Harry
Ansell / Katy Mitchell Tel: +44 (0) 207 220
1666
Yellow
Jersey (Financial PR)
Charles
Goodwin / Shivantha Thambirajah / Soraya Jackson Tel:
+44 (0) 20 3004 9512
Notes to Editors
Alien Metals Ltd is a
mining exploration and development company listed on the AIM market
of the London Stock Exchange (AIM: UFO). The Company's focus is on
delivering a profitable direct shipping iron ore operation from it
90% Hancock iron ore project in the central Pilbara region of
Western Australia. The Hancock tenements currently contain
a JORC-compliant resource
of 8.4Mt iron ore @ 60% Fe and offers significant exploration
upside which is targeted to deliver a mining operation of 2Mtpa for
10 years.
These
tenements have
direct access to the Great Northern Highway, which provides an
essential export route to export facilities at Port Hedland, from
where more than 500Mt of iron ore is exported annually (30% of
global production). The
Company also has an interest in two iron ore exploration projects
Brockman and Vivash, located in the West Pilbara.
The Company
owns the Elizabeth Hill Silver Project, located near Karratha in
the Pilbara, which consists of the Elizabeth Hill Mining Lease and
exploration tenements surrounding the historical silver mine
which has produced some
of Australia's highest-grade silver ore during the late
1990's. The Company also owns one of Australia's largest PGM
deposits, Munni Munni which hosts a deposit containing a historic
resource of 2.2Moz PGM (Palladium, Platinum, Gold, and
Rhodium).