Uranium Resources Sets Closing Date for Sale of Assets and Announces Amended Terms and Conditions
05 Dezembro 2016 - 11:00AM
Uranium Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:URRE) (ASX:URI)
announced today that it has executed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to
amend its Share Purchase Agreement (“Agreement”) with Laramide
Resources Ltd. (TSX:LAM) (ASX:LAM) (Laramide) whereby URI is
selling its Churchrock and Crownpoint properties in New
Mexico. The LOI sets the closing date for December 22, 2016
and amends certain other terms and conditions, including removal of
the condition that Laramide have completed a financing before
closing. The LOI is non-binding but contemplates that the
parties will negotiate and enter into a binding amendment to the
Agreement not later than December 9, 2016.
URI and Laramide have agreed to maintain the
value of the transaction at $12.5 million but to reduce the cash to
be paid and the amount of the promissory note to be issued at
closing, in exchange for equity, a royalty and an additional
option. Under the amended Agreement, at closing Laramide will
acquire Churchrock and Crownpoint for $2.5 million in cash, will
issue shares of its common stock and warrants to URI valued at
$500,000, will issue URI a 3-year promissory note in the amount of
$5 million and will grant URI a 4% net smelter royalty valued at
$4.5 million on Churchrock. In addition, Laramide has reduced
the price for URI’s option to purchase Laramide’s La Sal project to
$3 million and will provide a new option for URI to purchase
Laramide’s La Jara Mesa project for $5 million.
The sale of the Churchrock and Crownpoint
properties continues URI’s proactive M&A strategy, with the
sale representing URI’s third asset monetization transaction in the
last three years. URI is focused on improving its uranium portfolio
alignment with its production experience and expertise in in-situ
recovery of uranium, targeting uranium operations that fit into the
lowest quartile of operating costs. The proceeds received
from the sale will be used to fund expansion of URI’s energy metals
strategy which includes developing its new lithium business while
maintaining optionality on the future rising uranium price.
Christopher M. Jones, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Uranium Resources, said, “We are pleased to
have worked with Laramide to achieve this strategic transaction for
our respective shareholders. Churchrock’s new royalty structure
significantly improves projects economics, enabling the more rapid
development of this project. At the same time, other improvements
we have made to the transaction enable URI to more fully
participate in the success of this venture.”
Definitive documentation reflecting these
amended terms is expected to be executed by December 9, 2016.
The closing, now set for December 22, 2016, is subject to
customary conditions, including applicable stock exchange
approvals, and regulatory approvals for the transfer of the
projects to Laramide, including the transfer of URI’s NRC license
as it pertains to the sale properties; however, Laramide has
removed financing as a condition of closing. If Laramide is
unable to close because it has not been able to raise the necessary
funds, Laramide would be required to pay the break fee called for
in the Agreement.
About Uranium Resources
(URI)
URI is focused on developing energy-related
metals. The Company has developed a dominant land position in
two prospective lithium brine basins in Nevada and Utah in
preparation for exploration and potential development of any
resources that may be discovered there. URI remains focused
on advancing the Temrezli in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium project in
Central Turkey when uranium prices permit economic development of
this project. URI controls extensive exploration properties in
Turkey under nine exploration and operating licenses covering
approximately 32,000 acres (over 13,000 ha) with numerous
exploration targets, including the potential satellite Sefaatli
Project, which is 30 miles (48 km) southwest of the Temrezli
Project. In Texas, the Company has two licensed and currently idled
processing facilities and approximately 11,000 acres (4,400 ha) of
prospective ISR uranium projects. In New Mexico, the Company
controls mineral rights encompassing approximately 190,000 acres
(76,900 ha) in the prolific Grants Mineral Belt, which is one of
the largest concentrations of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits in
the world. Incorporated in 1977, URI also owns an extensive uranium
information database of historic drill hole logs, assay
certificates, maps and technical reports for the Western United
States.
Cautionary Statement
This news release contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to
risks, uncertainties and assumptions and are identified by words
such as "expects," "estimates," "projects," "anticipates,"
"believes," "could," and other similar words. All statements
addressing events or developments that the Company expects or
anticipates will occur in the future, including but not limited to
statements relating to the execution of definitive documents
relating to the amendment to the Agreement, the closing of the
transaction with Laramide, including the timing of the closing, and
developments at the Company’s projects, including future
exploration costs and results, are forward-looking
statements. Because they are forward-looking, they should be
evaluated in light of important risk factors and
uncertainties. These risk factors and uncertainties include,
but are not limited to, (a) the Company's ability to raise
additional capital in the future; (b) spot price and long-term
contract price of uranium and lithium; (c) risks associated with
our foreign operations, (d) operating conditions at the Company's
projects; (e) government and tribal regulation of the uranium
industry, the lithium industry, and the power industry; (f)
world-wide uranium and lithium supply and demand, including the
supply and demand for lithium based batteries; (g) maintaining
sufficient financial assurance in the form of sufficiently
collateralized surety instruments; (h) unanticipated geological,
processing, regulatory and legal or other problems the Company may
encounter in the jurisdictions where the Company operates,
including in Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Turkey; (i) the
ability of the Company to enter into and successfully close
acquisitions or other material transactions, including closing the
proposed transaction with Laramide; (j) the results of the
Company’s lithium brine exploration activities at the Columbus
Basin and Sal Rica Projects, and (k) other factors which are more
fully described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K,
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these
risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the Company's
underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary
materially from those currently anticipated. In addition, undue
reliance should not be placed on the Company's forward-looking
statements. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any
obligation to update or publicly announce any revisions to any of
the forward-looking statements contained in this news release.
Uranium Resources Contact:
Christopher M. Jones, President and CEO
303.531.0472
Jeff Vigil, VP Finance and CFO
303.531.0473
Email: Info@uraniumresources.com
Website: www.uraniumresources.com
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