Yintai Gold Co., Ltd (
000975.CN)
("
Yintai") and Osino Resources Corp.
(
TSX:OSI.V) (
NSX:OSN)
(
FSE:RSR1) ("
Osino") are pleased
to announce that they have entered into a binding arrangement
agreement (the "
Yintai Arrangement Agreement"),
pursuant to which Yintai will acquire all of the outstanding common
shares of Osino (each, an "
Osino Common Share") by
way of a plan of arrangement (the "
Yintai
Arrangement"), for cash consideration
of C$1.90 for each Osino Common Share, valuing Osino at
approximately C$368 million. At closing of the Yintai
Arrangement, Osino’s portfolio will consist only of gold related
assets located in Namibia, primarily the Twin Hills Gold Project in
central Namibia as well as exploration projects Ondundu and Eureka.
Prior to entering into the Yintai Arrangement
Agreement, Osino terminated its arrangement agreement with Dundee
Precious Metals Inc. ("DPM"), dated December
17, 2023 (the "DPM Arrangement Agreement"),
in accordance with its terms.
Transaction Highlights
- Significant premium of
approximately 32% to the implied value of the consideration
pursuant to the DPM Arrangement Agreement1
- All-cash offer, providing value
certainty and immediate liquidity to Osino shareholders
- Highly credible and capable
counterparty in Yintai
- US$5.6 billion market
capitalization as a publicly traded company on the Shenzhen stock
exchange
- Track record of successful M&A
including the US$600 million acquisition of Canadian-listed
Eldorado Gold Corporation’s White Mountain (Jilin Banmiaozi) and
Tanjianshan (Qinghai Dachaidan) Mines and Eastern Dragon (Heihe
Yintai) Development Project in 2016
- Significant support from its major
shareholder, Shandong Gold – with its own strong track record of
international M&A
- Immediate cash infusion for Osino
of US$10 million for operations and working capital needs and the
reimbursement in full of the termination fee paid to DPM
- Chinese outbound investment
approvals to be obtained in parallel with Namibian competition
approval
- Leverages Yintai's strong balance
sheet and access to capital to fast-track development of Twin
Hills
As referenced in its press release
on February 19, 2024, Osino received a binding proposal from
Yintai to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Osino Common
Shares and notified DPM that this offer constituted a
"Superior Proposal" in accordance with the terms
of the DPM Arrangement Agreement. DPM notified Osino that it will
not propose to amend the terms of the DPM Arrangement Agreement in
light of the Yintai proposal and, as a result, Osino terminated the
DPM Arrangement Agreement in accordance with its terms and entered
into the Yintai Arrangement Agreement.
Based on the closing price of the DPM common
shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange as of February 16, 2024,
the Superior Proposal represents a premium of approximately 32% to
the implied value of the consideration offered pursuant to the DPM
Arrangement Agreement and approximately 68% premium to the
unaffected share price of the last trading day prior to
announcement of the DPM Arrangement Agreement.
Yintai has also provided Osino with a loan
comprising of approximately (i) US$10 million facility
provided concurrently with the execution of the arrangement
agreement to enable the continued, fast-tracked development of the
Twin Hills gold project and to fund other liquidity needs of Osino
and (ii) an amount equal to the termination fee paid by Osino
following the termination of the DPM Arrangement Agreement (the
“Yintai Facility”).
Heye Daun, President
and CEO of Osino, stated:“Whilst we were appreciative of
the previous offer from DPM, the all-cash offer from Yintai
represents a significant premium to the DPM offer price, thus is
clearly a superior proposal, and is an excellent outcome for
Osino’s shareholders. Yintai is experienced, well-financed, and has
a highly credible track record of gold mining in China, with the
technical skills and financial resources to progress the project
through construction and into production. We look forward to
working with Yintai to continue to fast-track the development of
the project and close this transaction.”
Xingong Ou, President of Yintai,
stated:“Twin Hills represents a unique opportunity to add
a high-quality gold development asset to our portfolio in a stable
and mining friendly jurisdiction. The project provides the
foundation for our future production profile with production
targeted for 2026, as well as significant exploration upside. We
are excited to leverage the excellent work done by the Osino team
in discovering and progressing Twin Hills to this point and we look
forward to working with the existing Osino team to grow their
Namibian activities and to implement the construction of the
project. We are impressed with the responsible mining approach
which the Osino team has built, and we intend to continue and to
grow that approach.”
Osino Board of Directors’ and Special
Committee Recommendations
After consultation with its financial and legal
advisors, and on the unanimous recommendation of the special
committee of independent directors (the “Special
Committee”), the Osino Board unanimously determined that
the Transaction is fair to Osino shareholders and is in the best
interests of Osino and approved the Yintai Arrangement Agreement.
Accordingly, the Osino Board and the Special Committee recommend
that Osino shareholders vote IN FAVOUR of the
Transaction.
The Osino Board and the Special Committee
received fairness opinions from each of BMO Capital Markets and
Eight Capital, which state that as of the date of such opinion and
based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and
qualifications set forth therein, the Consideration to be received
by Osino shareholders, pursuant to the Transaction, is fair from a
financial point of view to the Osino shareholders. Eight Capital
was retained on a fixed-fee basis.
Transaction Conditions and
Timing
The proposed transaction will be completed
pursuant to a court approved plan of arrangement under the Business
Corporations Act (British Columbia). The transaction will be
subject to the approval of Osino security holders, being: (i) 66
2/3% of the votes cast by shareholders, (ii) 66 2/3% of the votes
cast by holders of incentive securities and warrants voting as a
single class with shareholders; and (iii) a simple majority of
shareholders excluding votes held by related parties under
Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security
Holders in Special Transactions, at a special meeting of Osino
securityholders.
The Yintai Arrangement Agreement provides for,
among other things customary board support and non-solicitation
covenants, with a "fiduciary out" that would allow Osino to accept
a superior proposal, subject to a "right to match period" in favour
of Yintai. The Yintai Arrangement Agreement also provides for a
termination fee of US$9.55 million, payable by Osino to Yintai
in certain specified circumstances along with the repayment or
conversion of the loan. The Yintai Arrangement Agreement also
includes a reverse termination fee in the amount of US$9.55
million, payable by Yintai to Osino in certain other specified
circumstances.
Pursuant to the Yintai Arrangement Agreement,
all outstanding Osino stock options, restricted share units,
deferred share units and warrants which remain outstanding at the
effective time of the Transaction, will be deemed to be exercised
or settled, for their in-the-money value net of withholding taxes,
as applicable, under the arrangement for Osino Shares, which will
be exchanged for the Consideration.
Directors and officers of Osino have entered
into voting support agreements pursuant to which they have agreed
to vote their common shares in favour of the Yintai
Arrangement.
Subject to certain conditions, including the
parties obtaining the requisite regulatory approvals, the
transaction is expected to close in H1 2024, subject to timing of
the approvals under the Namibia Competition Act. Upon closing of
the transaction, the Osino Shares are expected to be concurrently
delisted.
Securityholder Meeting
As a result of Osino’s termination of the DPM
Arrangement Agreement, the special meeting of Osino securityholders
previously scheduled for March 1, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. (Vancouver
Time) at which securityholders were to consider the transactions
contemplated by the DPM Arrangement Agreement will not proceed on
that date and has been cancelled.
Osino expects to hold a new special meeting of
securityholders as of a record date of March 15, 2024 on April 29,
2024, where securityholders will be asked to approve the
transactions contemplated by the Yintai Arrangement Agreement.
Full details of the Yintai Arrangement will be
included in a management information circular of Osino that is
expected to be mailed to Osino's shareholders by early April,
2024.
Shareholders who have questions regarding the
Yintai Arrangement should contact Osino's strategic shareholder
advisor and proxy solicitation agent Laurel Hill Advisory Group at
+1 (416) 637-4661, or by e-mail at info@laurelhill.com.
Advisors and Counsel
BMO Capital Markets and Treadstone Resource
Partners are acting as financial advisors to Osino and its Board of
Directors and Eight Capital is acting as financial advisor to the
special committee of the Board. Stikeman Elliott LLP and King &
Wood Mallesons are acting as Osino’s legal advisors.
Canaccord Genuity is acting as financial advisor
to Yintai. DeHeng Law Offices and McCarthy Tétrault LLP are acting
as Yintai’s legal advisors.
About Osino Resources
Corp.Osino is a Canadian gold exploration and development
company focused on the fast-tracked development of our wholly
owned, Twin Hills Gold Project in central Namibia. Since its
grassroots discovery by Osino in August 2019, Osino has completed
more than 250,000m of drilling and has completed a suite of
specialist technical studies culminating in the recently published
Twin Hills Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") dated effective
June 12, 2023. The DFS describes a technically simple and
economically robust open-pit gold operation with a 13-year mine
life and average annual gold production of over 162,000oz per
annum.
Osino has a commanding ground position of over
8,000km2 located within Namibia's prospective Damara sedimentary
mineral belt, mostly in proximity to and along strike of the
producing Navachab and Otjikoto Gold Mines. Osino is actively
exploring a range of gold prospects and targets along the belt by
utilizing a portfolio approach geared towards discovery, targeting
gold mineralization that fits the broad orogenic gold model.
Our projects are favourably located in central
and northern Namibia and are within easy reach from Namibia's
capital city, Windhoek. By virtue of its location, the Twin Hills
project benefits significantly from Namibia's well-established
infrastructure with paved highways, railway, power and water in
close proximity. Namibia is mining-friendly and lauded as one of
the continent's most politically and socially stable
jurisdictions.
Qualified Person’s
Statement
David Underwood, BSc. (Hons) is Vice President
Exploration of Osino and has reviewed and approved the scientific
and technical information in this news release and is a registered
Professional Natural Scientist with the South African Council for
Natural Scientific Professions (Pr. Sci. Nat. No.400323/11) and a
Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101 – Standards of
Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
Further details are available on Osino's website
at https://osinoresources.com and under Osino's profile on SEDAR+
at www.sedarplus.ca.
About Yintai Gold Co., Ltd.
Yintai is a mining company publicly listed on
the Shenzhen Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of US$5.6
billion as of February 23, 2024, as well as in excess of US$570
million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2023.
Yintai conducts businesses in the mining and exploration of
precious and non-ferrous metal.
Yintai owns 5 mining operations in China,
including the Yulong lead, zinc and silver mine, the Heihe Yintai
gold mine, the Jilin Banmiaozi gold mine, the Qinghai Dachaidan
gold mine and the Mangshi Huasheng gold mine. In 2023, Yintai
produced 225.4 Koz of gold, 6.2 Moz of silver, 9.5 Kt of lead and
16.5 Kt of zinc. The major ~29% shareholder of Yintai is Shandong
Gold, the operator of multiple gold mines internationally including
the ~7Moz Namdini Gold Project under construction in Ghana.
On Behalf of Osino’s Board of
Directors Heye Daun, President and CEO
Contact InformationOsino
Resources Corp.Yaron
Conforti+1-604-687-2038yconforti@osinoresources.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking InformationThis
press release contains "forward-looking information" within the
meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation.
Forward-looking information includes, without limitation,
statements and information with respect to statements regarding the
plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of Yintai and
Osino with respect to future business activities and operating
performance; the timing of mailing of the management information
circular of Osino, the timing of the special meeting of
securityholders and the timing of the completion of the
transactions contemplated by the Yintai Arrangement Agreement.
Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use
of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does
not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates",
"forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or
"believes", or 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". Forward-looking
statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that,
while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject
to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and
contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or
achievements to be materially different from those expressed or
implied by forward-looking statements. Although Osino has attempted
to identify important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in forward-looking
information, there may be other factors that cause results not to
be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance
that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results
and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking information. Other factors which could
materially affect such forward-looking information are described in
the risk factors in Osino's most recent annual management's
discussion and analysis which is available on Osino's profile on
SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. Osino does not undertake to update any
forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable
securities laws.
1 Based on the closing price of the DPM common shares on the
Toronto Stock Exchange as of February 16, 2024, the last trading
day prior to the announcement of the Superior Proposal.
Grafico Azioni Osino Resources (TG:RSR1)
Storico
Da Nov 2024 a Dic 2024
Grafico Azioni Osino Resources (TG:RSR1)
Storico
Da Dic 2023 a Dic 2024