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