• Mittwoch, 18 Dezember 2024
  • 20:50 Uhr Frankfurt
  • 19:50 Uhr London
  • 14:50 Uhr New York
  • 14:50 Uhr Toronto
  • 11:50 Uhr Vancouver
  • 06:50 Uhr Sydney

International Minerals Signs Agreements with Chinese Company for Financing and Construction of Rio Blanco and Gaby Gold Projects in Ecuador

16.11.2010  |  Business Wire


International Minerals Corporation (TSX: IMZ) (SWX:  IMZ) (Toronto and
Swiss stock exchanges: 'IMZ? or 'the Company?) is pleased to announce
that the Company has signed Memoranda of Understanding ('MOUs?) with a
Chinese company, China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd. ('China Co.?) for the
financing and construction of IMZ′s Rio Blanco and Gaby gold projects in
Ecuador (the 'Projects?).


IMZ currently holds a 100% interest in the Rio Blanco project and
variable interests in the mineral concessions comprising the Gaby
project, ranging from 51% to 100%.


Based on the terms of the MOUs for the Projects (see page 2 for
details), China Co. would:


  • Arrange the required production debt financing for the Projects
    through one or more Chinese financial institutions (the 'Lender?); and

  • Construct and deliver turn-key mining operations for the Projects,
    based on an industry-standard Engineering, Procurement and
    Construction (EPC) contract.


The transaction remains subject to a number of conditions, including (a)
the receipt of the necessary permits for construction of mining and
processing facilities at the Projects in Ecuador; (b) Canadian
regulatory approvals; and (c) the completion of definitive documentation
providing for the production financing and EPC contract, the latter with
a targeted completion date of January 31, 2011.


IMZ′s President and CEO, Stephen Kay stated: 'We are very pleased to
sign these MOUs with China Co., who have a well-established reputation
for designing, engineering and constructing high-quality, turn-key
industrial projects worldwide. We look forward to working with China Co.
to expedite the financing, construction and commencement of production
at the Rio Blanco and Gaby deposits.?


The key aspects of the MOUs are summarized below, with the final amount
of financing required for the Projects remaining subject to final
engineering and design work by China Co.


The projected time-line for construction of the Projects is dependent on
several factors:


  • At Rio Blanco, a feasibility study has
    already been completed (February 2006) and detailed engineering is 90%
    complete. Approval of the Environmental Impact Study ('EIS?) for
    construction of a mine was well-advanced prior to the suspension of
    all exploration activities in Ecuador by the Ecuadorian government in
    March 2008. The EIS approval process is expected to resume shortly and
    it is hoped that approvals can be received by IMZ in the first half of
    2011. It is anticipated that the earliest that production could
    commence at Rio Blanco would be late in 2013 or early 2014 and is
    dependent upon the negotiation of a production contract for the
    project, as required under the Ecuadorian Mining Law.

  • At Gaby, although a preliminary
    feasibility study has been completed by IMZ with an estimated 6.9
    million gold ounces in the measured and indicated resource category
    (4.1 million ounces attributable to IMZ), the time line to production
    will be longer than Rio Blanco because a feasibility study remains to
    be completed before permitting can commence.


Below are the key parameters of the MOUs signed with China Co.:


  

  

  

  

  

  

  
RIO BLANCO
  
GABY
Project Equity Ownership
  

80% IMZ / 20% China Co. or its nominee

  

66% IMZ / 34% China Co. or its nominee

  

  

  

  

  
Operator
IMZ or IMZ-appointed contractor

IMZ or IMZ-appointed contractor

  

  

  

  

  
Amount to be Financed
- Based on final EPC estimate by China Co.

- Based on final EPC estimate by China Co.

  

  

  

  

  
Interest Rate
- Capped at 5.85%

- Capped at 5.50%

- Actual rate still to be determined

- Actual rate still to be determined

  

  

  

  

  
Loan Repayment
- From 75% of Mine Cash Flow ('MCF?)

- From 75% of MCF

- 25% of MCF split between equity owners

- 25% of MCF split between equity owners.

  

  

  

  

  
Loan Repayment Period
8 years from initial drawdown of funds

10 years from initial drawdown of funds

  

  

  

  

  
% Financed by Lender
85%

87.5%

  

  

  

  

  
% Financed by IMZ
15%

12.5%

  

  

  

  

  
Loan Recourse
Project only. No corporate guarantee.

Project only. No corporate guarantee.

  

  

  

  

  
IMZ Buy-back right
- IMZ can buy back 20% (to go to 100%) based

- IMZ can buy back 34% (to go to 100%) based

on NPV10%1 within 18 months of production

on NPV10%1 within 18 months of production

  

  

  

  

  
Cash to IMZ
- US$9.0 million 18 months from signing EPC


contract


- US$12.0 million 18 months from signing EPC


contract


  

  

  

  

  
Share Purchase Warrants
- 0.5% of Issued and Outstanding IMZ shares

- 2.0% Issued and Outstanding IMZ shares
to China Co. or its nominee
- Approx 600,000 warrants to be priced at

- Approx 2,400,000 warrants to be priced at

the time of the initial drawdown of funds

the time of initial drawdown of funds

  

  

  

  

  
Timing of Definitive
- Targeted for January 31, 2011

- Targeted for January 31, 2011
EPC Contract
  

- Can be extended by mutual agreement

  

- Can be extended by mutual agreement

  

Note 1: NPV10% = Net Present Value at a 10% discount rate


A finders fee is payable to an arms length third party in connection
with facilitating the financing arrangements, payable as follows upon
drawdown of funds from the Lender: (a) 5% of the first US$300 million;
(b) 3% of the next US$600 million and (c) 2% of any additional funding.

About the Rio Blanco Project


Below are the key parameters of the Rio Blanco project based on (a) the
results of an independent feasibility study and subsequent independent
NI 43-101 compliant technical report, both dated January 30, 2006; and
(b) internally-updated operating and capital costs announced in a news
release dated February 19, 2009:


  • High-grade epithermal, gold-silver vein deposit.

  • Proven & probable reserves: 605,000 ounces ('ozs?) gold and 4.3
    million ounces ozs silver, contained in 2.2 million tonnes ('Mt?) at
    8.8 gram per tonne ('g/t?) gold and 62 g/t silver.

  • Estimated average annual production: approximately 70,000 ozs gold and
    400,000 ozs silver.

  • Total cash costs: approximately $300/oz gold (after silver by-product
    credit).

  • Initial mine life: 7.5 years at 800 tonnes per day ('tpd?) production
    (underground).

  • Capital expenditure ('capex?): Approximately $165 million, comprising
    $120 million estimated initial capex and $45 million in estimated
    working/sustaining capital.

  • Internal Rate of Return ('IRR?): 32% at $1,000/oz gold and 46% IRR at
    $1,300/oz gold.

  • Life-of-mine cash flow: approximately $246 million at $1,000/oz gold
    and $405 million at $1,300/oz gold.

About the Gaby Project


Below are the key parameters of the Gaby project (on a 100% project
basis) based on the results of a January 29, 2009 internally-prepared
addendum to the independent Preliminary Feasibility study dated February
11, 2008 (which generated an independent NI 43-101 compliant technical
report dated March 26, 2008):


  • Low grade gold porphyry deposit.

  • Measured and indicated resources: 6.9 million ozs gold contained in
    356 Mt at 0.6 g/t gold (59% attributable to IMZ).

  • Inferred resources: 2.9 million ozs gold contained in 143 Mt at 0.6
    g/t gold (62% attributable to IMZ).

  • Estimated average annual production: approximately 330,000 ozs gold.

  • Total cash costs: approximately $700/oz gold.

  • Initial mine life: 16 years at 60,000 tpd production (open pit).

  • Initial capital expenditure: Estimated at approximately $1.0 billion.

  • Internal Rate of Return ('IRR?): 11% at $1,000/oz gold and 20% IRR at
    $1,300/oz gold.

  • Life-of-mine cash flow: approximately $900 million at $1,000/oz gold
    and $3 billion at $1,300/oz gold.


The technical information reported in this news release was reviewed and
approved by IMZ′s Qualified Person, VP of Corporate Development, Nick
Appleyard.

About International Minerals


International Minerals is a silver-gold producer and developer with
silver and gold production from its 40%-owned Pallancata Mine in Peru,
one of the top-10 primary silver mines in the world. Production of
approximately 10 million ounces of silver and 33,000 ounces of gold (on
a 100% project basis) is estimated by IMZ in calendar year 2010.


IMZ also owns a 40% interest in the Inmaculada gold-silver project in
Peru and majority or 100% ownership interests in development stage gold
projects in Nevada (Goldfield and Converse) and Ecuador (Rio Blanco and
Gaby). IMZ also owns a 3% net smelter return (NSR) royalty from
Barrick′s Ruby Hill gold mine in Nevada, which produced approximately
100,000 gold ounces in 2009.


IMZ is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (since 1994) and the Swiss
Stock Exchange (since 2002).

About China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd. and China National Machinery
Industry Corporation


China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd, is a publicly-traded company listed on
the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in China and is a majority-owned subsidiary
of China National Machinery Industry Corporation (SINOMACH).


China CAMC Engineering Co. Ltd′s principal business is focused on the
engineering, design, equipment procurement and construction (EPC) of
turn-key industrial projects both in China and internationally,
including South America. The scope of these EPC contracts covers an
eclectic mixture of projects, including: power generation, engineering,
transportation, water, food, textiles, telecommunications, petrochemical
and agricultural.


SINOMACH has the most diversified business range in China′s machinery
industry with 55 wholly owned subsidiaries. Its services cover a wide
range of sectors including mining, metallurgy, energy, construction,
aerospace, automobile, finance, engineering and shipbuilding.

Cautionary Statement:

Some of the statements contained in this release are 'forward-looking
statements? within the meaning of Canadian securities law requirements.
Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results,
performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release
include statements regarding
estimates of capital and operating
costs; economic returns; timing and significance of future cash flows
and revenue from the project; timing and outcome of the announced
transaction; and timing and scale of production and processing; and
resource estimates. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from anticipated results include risks and uncertainties such
as: risks relating to estimates of production and processing rates;
risks relating to estimates of mineral resources; risks relating to
capital and operating costs; risks relating to obtaining mining and
environmental
permits; mining and development risks; risk of
commodity price fluctuations; political and regulatory risks; risks of
timing and completion of complex financing and construction
transactions; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the
Company′s Renewal Annual Information Form for the year ended June 30,
2010, which is available at
www.sedar.com
under the Company′s name. The Company disclaims any intention or
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

International Minerals Corporation

In
North America:


Paul Durham, +1 203-940-2538

VP
Corporate Relations

or

In Europe:

Oliver
Holzer, +41 44 853 00 47

Marketing Consultant

IR@intlminerals.com

http://www.intlminerals.com



Bewerten 
A A A
PDF Versenden Drucken

Für den Inhalt des Beitrages ist allein der Autor verantwortlich bzw. die aufgeführte Quelle. Bild- oder Filmrechte liegen beim Autor/Quelle bzw. bei der vom ihm benannten Quelle. Bei Übersetzungen können Fehler nicht ausgeschlossen werden. Der vertretene Standpunkt eines Autors spiegelt generell nicht die Meinung des Webseiten-Betreibers wieder. Mittels der Veröffentlichung will dieser lediglich ein pluralistisches Meinungsbild darstellen. Direkte oder indirekte Aussagen in einem Beitrag stellen keinerlei Aufforderung zum Kauf-/Verkauf von Wertpapieren dar. Wir wehren uns gegen jede Form von Hass, Diskriminierung und Verletzung der Menschenwürde. Beachten Sie bitte auch unsere AGB/Disclaimer!



Mineninfo
International Minerals Corp.
Bergbau
-
-
Copyright © Minenportal.de 2006-2024 | MinenPortal.de ist eine Marke von GoldSeiten.de und Mitglied der GoldSeiten Mediengruppe
Alle Angaben ohne Gewähr! Es wird keinerlei Haftung für die Richtigkeit der Angaben und der Kurse übernommen!
Informationen zur Zeitverzögerung der Kursdaten und Börsenbedingungen. Kursdaten: Data Supplied by BSB-Software.