Equinox postpones special shareholder meeting and extends offer for Lundin
TORONTO, April 4 /CNW/ --
TORONTO, April 4 /CNW/ - Equinox Minerals Limited (TSX: EQN) (ASX: EQN) ('Equinox' or the 'Company') announced today that
it has postponed its special meeting of shareholders called to consider
the acquisition of Lundin Mining Corporation ('Lundin'). The meeting,
originally scheduled to be held on Monday, April 11, 2011, has been
rescheduled for Tuesday, April 26, 2011.
The Board of Directors considers this postponement to be the preferred
course of action given the announcement by Minmetals Resources Limited
(''Minmetals'') of its intention to make an unsolicited take-over bid
for the Company. The postponement will not impair the path forward on
the Company's proposal to acquire Lundin. This should, however, allow
time for shareholders to receive and consider the comments of the Board
of Directors as well as any other advice that the Board may offer in
the meantime. The timing of a formal recommendation by the Board of
Directors will be dependent upon the making by Minmetals of a formal
offer in relation to its announced take-over bid.
Although the actions of Minmetals have thus far been limited to the
announcement of an intention to make a take-over bid, the Company's
Board of Directors will be meeting shortly to give consideration to
this and expects to be in a position to provide a further update in the
coming days.
Equinox also announced that it plans to extend the date that its offer
to acquire all of the issued and outstanding Lundin common shares will
remain open for acceptance from 6:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on April 14,
2011 to 6:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on April 29, 2011. Equinox intends to
mail a formal notice of change in information and extension to Lundin
shareholders prior to April 14, 2011.
About Equinox
Equinox Minerals Limited is an international mining company dual-listed
on the Canadian (Toronto) and Australian stock exchanges.
The Company is currently focused on operating its 100% owned large scale
Lumwana Copper Mine in Zambia and construction of the JabalSayid
Copper-Gold project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Equinox acquired the Lumwana project in 1999 and following nearly 10
years of feasibility, financing and construction, commissioned the
mine, plant and infrastructure in December 2008. Situated 220
kilometres northwest of the Zambian Copperbelt, Lumwana is now a major
copper mine which has established Equinox as one of the world's top 20
copper producing companies.
Equinox recently acquired the JabalSayid project as the project entered
the construction phase with first production scheduled for 2012.
JabalSayid is located within the Arabian Shield minerals province, 350
kilometres north-east of the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, the
commercial capital of Saudi Arabia, and 120 kilometres south-east of
Medina.
For information on Equinox and technical details on the Lumwana and
JabalSayid projects please refer to the company website at www.equinoxminerals.com
Cautionary Notes
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained or incorporated by reference in this press
release include forward-looking statements, which may include, but is
not limited to, statements with respect to the future financial or
operating performances of Equinox, its subsidiaries and their
respective projects, the timing and amount of estimated future
production, estimated costs of future production, capital, operating
and exploration expenditures, costs and timing of the expansion of the
Lumwana copper mine in Zambia and development of the JabalSayid
copper-gold project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the future price
copper and uranium, the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral
resources, the realization of mineral reserve estimates, the costs of
Equinox's hedging policy, costs and timing of future exploration,
requirements for additional capital, government regulation of
exploration, development and mining operations, environmental risks,
reclamation and rehabilitation expenses, title disputes or claims, and
limitations of insurance coverage. All statements, other than
statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements can often, but not always, be identified by
the use of words such as 'plans', 'expects', 'budget', 'scheduled',
'estimates', 'forecasts', 'intends', 'anticipates', 'predicts',
'potential', 'continue' or 'believes', or variations (including
negative variations) of such words; or statements that certain actions,
events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'should', 'might',
'potential to', or 'will' be taken, occur or be achieved or other
similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts.
The purpose of forward-looking statements is to provide the reader with
information about management's expectations and plans. Readers are
cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of factors,
estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Equinox
as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to
significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and
contingencies. Such factors, estimates and assumptions of the Company
contained in this news release include, but are not limited to,
anticipated financial or operating performances of Equinox, its
subsidiaries and their respective projects; future prices of copper and
uranium; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the
realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of
estimated future production; estimated costs of future production; the
grade, quality and content of the concentrate produced; the sale of
production and the performance of offtakers; capital, operating and
exploration expenditures; costs and timing of development and expansion
of Lumwana and Jabal Sayid; the costs of Equinox's hedging policy; the
costs and timing of future exploration; requirements for additional
capital; government regulation of exploration, development and mining
operations; environmental risks; reclamation and rehabilitation
expenses; title disputes or claims; that Equinox will acquire 100%
interest in Lundin through the Offer; management's assessment of the
successful integration of the combined companies upon completion of the
Offer; management's expectations of growth and production upon
completion of the Offer; the viability of Lundin's assets and projects
on a basis consistent with the management's current expectations; there
being no significant risks relating to the Company's or Lundin's mining
operations, including political risks and instability and risks related
to international operations; and limitations of insurance coverage.
While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on
information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect.
Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the
actual results, performance or achievements of Equinox and/or its
subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied in
the forward-looking statements, including the risk that the Offer will
not be completed for any reason. Certain of these risks and
uncertainties are described in more detail in the section entitled
'Risks Factors' in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March
15, 2010 and in the Company's most recently filed Management's
Discussion and Analysis, to which readers are referred and which are
incorporated by reference in this news release. The Company's Annual
Information Form and its most recently filed Management's Discussion
and Analysis are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.equinoxminerals.com.
Although Equinox has attempted to identify statements containing
important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to
differ materially from those described in forward-looking information,
there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to
differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking
information contained herein are made as of the date of this document
based on the opinions and estimates of management on the date
statements containing such forward looking information are made, and
Equinox disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking
information, whether as a result of new information, estimates or
opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by
law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will
prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly,
readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information.
The information in this announcement concerning Lundin and Lundin's
assets and projects is based on publicly available information and has
not been independently verified by Equinox.
To view this news release in HTML formatting, please use the following URL: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2011/04/c9321.html
Investors and analysts Craig R Williams President and Chief Executive Carl Hallion VP Business Development Len Eldridge Head of Investor Relations Phone: Canada: 1 416 865 3393 Australia: 61 8 9322 3318 Email: equinox@equinoxminerals.com | Media - Australia Michael Vaughan/Andrew Stokes FD Phone 61 (0) 2 8298 6100 Email: michael.vaughan@fd.com andrew.stokes@fd.com Media - North America John Lute Lute and Company Phone: 1 416 929 5883 Email: jlute@luteco.com Media - Zambia Nathan Chishimba Lumwana Mining Company Phone: 260 211 257 643 Email: nathan.chishimba@lumwanamine.com |