/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE
SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED
STATES/
VANCOUVER, BC, April 12,
2023 /CNW/ - Montage Gold Corp.
("Montage" or the "Company") (TSXV: MAU) is
pleased to announce the closing of its "bought deal" private
placement offering of 21,786,300 common shares (the "Offered
Shares") at an issue price of $0.70 per Offered Share (the "Issue
Price") for gross proceeds of $15,250,410 (the "Brokered Offering"),
including the full exercise of the option granted to the
Underwriters (as defined herein) in connection with the Brokered
Offering. The Brokered Offering was led by Canaccord Genuity Corp.,
as lead underwriter, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters
including BMO Capital Markets, Beacon Securities Limited, and
Raymond James Ltd. (collectively, the "Underwriters"). The
Company intends to issue shortly hereafter, on a non-brokered
basis, an additional 2,714,300 Offered Shares at the Issue Price
for additional gross proceeds of $1,900,010 (the "Non-Brokered Offering",
and together with the Brokered Offering, the "Offering").
Following closing of the Non-Brokered Offering, the Company will
have issued an aggregate of 24,500,600 Offered Shares for total
gross proceeds of $17,150,420 under
the Offering.
The net proceeds from the issue of the Offered Shares are
intended to be used for the Company's ongoing exploration and
drilling program at the Koné Gold Project, including the
advancement of an updated mineral resource estimate and for work
related to an updated feasibility study, and for working capital
and general corporate purposes, as further described in the
Offering Document (as defined below).
The Company paid the Underwriters a cash fee equal to 6.0% of
the aggregate gross proceeds of the Offered Shares sold under the
Brokered Offering (other than in respect of certain president's
list subscribers, for which no cash fee was payable) and an
advisory fee equal to $114,000.60 in
connection with the Non-Brokered Offering.
Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements
and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus
Exemptions ("NI 45-106"): (i) 14,285,700 Offered Shares
were issued to purchasers resident in Canada and/or other qualifying jurisdictions
pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of
NI 45-106 (the "Listed Issuer Financing Exemption"); and
(ii) 7,500,600 Offered Shares were issued (and the additional
2,714,300 Offered Shares under the Non-Brokered Offering are
intended to be issued) to purchasers resident in Canada and/or other qualifying jurisdictions
pursuant to other prospectus exemptions under NI 45-106. The
Offered Shares issued to Canadian resident subscribers pursuant to
the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption are not subject to a hold
period pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offered
Shares issued to Canadian resident subscribers pursuant to
prospectus exemptions under NI 45-106 other than the Listed Issuer
Financing Exemption are subject to a restricted hold period under
applicable Canadian securities laws expiring four months and one
day from the date of issuance of the Offered Shares. The Offering
remains subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange
("TSXV").
Insiders of the Company participated in the Offering. Pursuant
to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority
Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"),
the Offering constitutes a "related party transaction" given the
fact that insiders of the Company subscribed for Offered Shares.
The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and
minority approval requirements of MI 61-101, specifically: (i) the
valuation requirement of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption
contained in Section 5.5(b), as the common shares are not listed on
a market specified in MI 61-101, and (ii) the minority shareholder
approval requirement of MI 61-101 by virtue of the exemption
contained in Section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61- 101, as the fair market
value of the Offered Shares issued does not exceed 25% of the
Company's market capitalization (as determined under MI 61-101). A
material change report was not filed by the Company at least 21
days before the closing of the Offering, as the Company was seeking
to close expeditiously to confirm funds for the Offering. In the
view of the Company, this approach is reasonable in the
circumstances. The Offering was approved by all of the
independent directors of the Company.
There is an offering document (the "Offering Document")
related to the Offering that can be accessed under the Company's
profile at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at
www.montagegoldcorp.com.
ABOUT MONTAGE GOLD CORP.
Montage is a Canadian-based precious metals exploration and
development company focused on opportunities in Côte d'Ivoire. The
Company's flagship property is the Koné Gold Project, located in
northwest Côte d'Ivoire, covering a total area of 2,258 sq km, and
which currently hosts a Probable Mineral Reserve of 161.1Mt grading
0.66g/t for 3.42M ounces of gold. The
Company released the results of the DFS on the Koné Gold Project on
February 14, 2022, outlining a
15-year gold project producing an estimated 3.06M ounces of gold over life of mine, with
average annual production of 207koz, and estimated peak production
of 320koz. The project also contains an Inferred Mineral Resource
of 5.2Mt at 2.1g/t for 351,000oz at 1.2g/t cut off at the Gbongogo
Prospect located 30km north of the Koné deposit. Montage is
executing an exploration program in 2023 with the objective of
discovering multiple high-grade satellite deposits to supplement
the Probable Reserves at the Koné Gold Project. Montage has a
management team and board of directors with significant experience
in discovering and developing gold deposits in Africa.
TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE –
GBONGOGO MAIN DEPOSIT
The Mineral Resource Estimate for the Gbongogo Main deposit has
an effective date of April 22, 2022,
and was carried out by Mr. Jonathon
Abbott of MPR Geological Consultants of Perth, Western
Australia who is considered to be independent of Montage
Gold. Mr. Abbott is a member in good standing of the Australian
Institute of Geoscientists and has sufficient experience which is
relevant to the commodity, style of mineralization under
consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a
Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 ("NI
43-101"). Mr. Abbott consents to the inclusion in this press
release of the information, in the form and context in which it
appears. For details regarding data verification, QA/QC,
interpretations, details regarding drill results and the
assumptions, parameters and related matters with respect to the
Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate, please see the press release
titled "Montage Gold Corp. Announces Government Approval of Mankono
Exploration Permits and Provides Corporate Updates" dated
September 8, 2022 and filed on the
Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.
TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE – KONÉ
DEPOSIT
The Mineral Reserve Estimate for the Koné Deposit has an
effective date of February 14, 2022
and was carried out by Ms. Joeline
McGrath of Carci Mining Consultants Ltd. who is considered
to be independent of Montage. Ms. McGrath is a member in good
standing of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and
has sufficient experience which is relevant to the work which she
is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under NI
43-101.
The Mineral Resource Estimates for the Koné Deposit have an
effective date of August 12, 2021 and
were carried out by Mr. Jonathon
Abbott of MPR who is considered to be independent of Montage
Gold. Mr. Abbott is a member in good standing of the Australian
Institute of Geoscientists and has sufficient experience which is
relevant to the commodity, style of mineralization under
consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a
Qualified Person under NI 43-101.
For further details of the data verification undertaken,
exploration undertaken and associated QA/QC programs, and the
interpretation thereof, and the assumptions, parameters and methods
used to develop the Mineral Reserve Estimate and the Mineral
Resource Estimates for the Koné Gold deposit, please see the
definitive feasibility study, entitled "Koné Gold Project, Côte
d'Ivoire Definitive Feasibility Study National Instrument 43-101
Technical Report" (the "DFS") and filed on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com. The DFS was prepared by Lycopodium Minerals Pty Ltd.
and incorporates the work of Lycopodium and Specialist Consultants,
including Mr. Abbott, under the supervision of Sandy Hunter, MAusIMM(CP), of Lycopodium, a
Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101 who is independent of
Montage. Readers are encouraged to read the DFS in its entirety,
including all qualifications, assumptions and exclusions that
relate to the details summarized in this news release. The DFS is
intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or
relied upon out of context.
The technical contents of this press release have been approved
by Hugh Stuart, BSc, MSc, a
Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101. Mr. Stuart is the President
of the Company, a Chartered Geologist and a Fellow of the
Geological Society of London.
Neither 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.
CAUTIONARY NOTE AND
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The Offered Shares 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 U.S. state securities laws,
and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit
of, persons in the "United States"
(as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities
Act) absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all
applicable state securities laws or compliance with the
requirements of an exemption therefrom. This press release shall
not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to
buy securities to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in
the United States, nor will there
be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such
offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
This press release contains certain forward-looking information
and forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian
securities legislation (collectively, "Forward-looking
Statements"). All statements, other than statements of
historical fact, constitute Forward-looking Statements. Words such
as "will", "intends", "proposed" and "expects" or similar
expressions are intended to identify Forward-looking Statements.
Forward looking Statements in this press release include statements
related to the closing of the Non-Brokered Offering, the final
approval of the Offering by the TSXV, the proposed use of proceeds
from the Offering, and the Company's plans, focus and objectives.
Forward-looking Statements involve various risks and uncertainties
and are based on certain factors and assumptions, including those
set out in the DFS. There can be no assurance that such statements
will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the Company's expectations include uncertainties
related to fluctuations in gold and other commodity prices,
uncertainties inherent in the exploration of mineral properties,
the impact and progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and other risk
factors set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure documents
filed from time to time on SEDAR. The Company undertakes no
obligation to update or revise any Forward-looking Statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to
time, and it is not possible for Montage to predict all of them, or
assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any
factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ
materially from those contained in any Forward-looking Statement.
Any Forward-looking Statements contained in this press release are
expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary
statement.
SOURCE Montage Gold Corp