Melior Resources Inc. (TSXV: “
MLR”)
(“
Melior” or the “
Company”)
announces that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent
(the “
LOI”) dated October 31, 2020 with Ranchero
Gold Corp. (“
Ranchero”) with respect to a proposed
transaction (the “
Proposed Transaction”) whereby
Melior will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares
in the capital of Ranchero (the “
Ranchero
Shares”). Ranchero holds an indirect 99.9% interest in a
22,367-hectare gold exploration property located in the Sierra
Madre Occidental gold-belt in eastern Sonora, Mexico, known as the
Santa Daniela property (the “
Property”).
The Proposed Transaction will constitute an
arm’s length reverse take-over pursuant to the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange (the “TSXV”), and following the
Proposed Transaction, it is anticipated that the Company will be a
Tier 2 Mining Issuer on the TSXV.
Proposed Transaction
Summary
Pursuant to the Proposed Transaction, the
Company will consolidate its outstanding share capital and acquire
all of the issued and outstanding Ranchero Shares from the holders
thereof in exchange for post-consolidation common shares
(“Resulting Issuer Shares”) of the Company
(thereafter, the “Resulting Issuer”), such that
immediately following the closing of the Proposed Transaction and
such other transactions described herein, the shareholders of the
Company immediately prior to closing of the Proposed Transaction,
as a group, would hold no less than 12.2% of the outstanding
Resulting Issuer Shares on a fully-diluted basis.
It is anticipated that prior to the closing of
the Proposed Transaction, (1) Pala Investments Limited
(“Pala”) is expected to convert a material portion
of its principal amount US$18,837,500 convertible indebtedness
(plus the interest and fees accrued thereon) into common shares of
the Company and thereafter forgive or assign any remaining
indebtedness (including any interest and fees accrued thereon), and
(2) Ranchero will complete a brokered private placement (the
“Concurrent Financing”) of subscription receipts
of Ranchero (each, a “Subscription Receipt”) at a
purchase price of at least C$0.45 per Subscription Receipt for
aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$5,000,000, subject to an
over-allotment option exercisable by Haywood (as defined below) for
an additional C$1,000,000 of Subscription Receipts at any time up
to 48 hours prior to the closing date of the Concurrent
Financing.
Each Subscription Receipt will entitle the
holder thereof to automatically receive, upon satisfaction of
certain escrow release conditions, one Ranchero Share, which shall
immediately be exchanged for Resulting Issuer Shares upon
completion of the Proposed Transaction. Ranchero intends to use the
proceeds of the Concurrent Financing for exploration and
development of Ranchero’s properties in Mexico and for working
capital and general corporate purposes. Ranchero has entered into
an engagement letter with Haywood Securities Inc.
(“Haywood”) dated October 30, 2020 pursuant to
which the Company will engage Haywood as sole agent and bookrunner
to locate purchasers in the Concurrent Financing on a best-efforts
agency basis. In consideration for the services to be performed by
Haywood, Ranchero will:
(a) |
pay Haywood a cash fee of 6.0% of the gross proceeds of the
Concurrent Financing, excluding the sale of up to $3,000,000 of
Subscription Receipts to purchasers identified on a list of
purchasers consisting of strategic investors and business
associates of Ranchero (the “President’s List”);
and |
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(b) |
issue to Haywood non-transferable compensation options of Ranchero
(each, a “Compensation Option”) entitling Haywood
to purchase that number of Ranchero Shares equal to: (i) 6% of the
aggregate number of Subscription Receipts sold pursuant to the
Concurrent Financing to purchasers not identified on the
President’s List, and (ii) 3% of the aggregate number of
Subscription Receipts sold pursuant to the Concurrent Financing to
purchasers identified on the President’s List. The Compensation
Options will be exchanged pursuant to the Proposed Transaction for
non-transferable compensation options of the Resulting Issuer
(each, a “Resulting Issuer
Compensation Option”). For a period of 24 months
from the closing date of the Proposed Transaction, each Resulting
Issuer Compensation Option shall entitle the holder thereof to
acquire, at an exercise price equal to the purchase price of the
Subscription Receipts under the Concurrent Financing, that number
of Resulting Issuer Shares as were exchanged for each Ranchero
Share on closing of the Proposed Transaction. |
It is anticipated that the Concurrent Financing
will close on or about the end of November 2020.
The Proposed Transaction is subject to a number
of terms and conditions, including, but not limited to: (i) the
equity interests in the Company’s Australian subsidiaries having
been transferred to third parties pursuant to insolvency
proceedings under Australian law or otherwise disposed of, (ii) all
indebtedness held by Pala in the Company shall either have been
converted in accordance with its terms, assigned to Ranchero or
forgiven by Pala such that the Company has been released from all
liabilities associated with any Pala indebtedness, (iii) as at the
closing of the Proposed Transaction, the Company will have no
payables (less cash) other than ordinary course trade payables not
to exceed an agreed amount and any expenses incurred by the Company
in connection with the Proposed Transaction, (iv) completion of the
Concurrent Financing and receipt of proceeds thereunder, (v) the
approval of the TSXV in respect of the Proposed Transaction and the
Resulting Issuer meeting the applicable minimum listing
requirements of the TSXV, (vi) approval of the shareholders of the
Company and Ranchero to the Proposed Transaction, (vii) the
termination of the Company’s existing Mineral Property Option &
Joint Venture Agreement with Bear Mountain Gold Mines Ltd. (the
“Bear Mountain Agreement”), (viii) the execution
of a definitive agreement in respect of the Proposed Transaction
(the “Definitive Agreement”), (ix) the completion
of mutual due diligence, and (x) receipt of any required third
party consents.
It is currently anticipated that the Proposed
Transaction will close in late December 2020 or during the first
quarter of 2021.
Trading in common shares of the Company will
remain halted until the resumption of trading is approved by the
TSXV in connection with the completion of the Proposed Transaction.
Further details concerning the Proposed Transaction and other
matters will be announced if and when a Definitive Agreement is
executed.
In connection with the Proposed Transaction, and
subject to TSXV approval, the Company has agreed to cause Resulting
Issuer Shares representing 0.793% of the Resulting Issuer to be
issued to a third party in respect of a finder’s fee payable (the
“Success Fee”). Such Success Fee shall only become
payable upon the successful completion of the Proposed Transaction
and shall compose a portion of the 12.2% interest in the Resulting
Issuer attributable to existing Melior shareholders.
On October 30, 2020, the Company was provided
with a notice of default under the Bear Mountain Agreement for
non-payment of the first $25,000 instalment payment owing
thereunder. Pursuant to the terms of the Bear Mountain Agreement,
the Company may cure the default at any time within 60 days of
receipt of notice by payment of the defaulted amounts owing
thereunder. In the event the Company does not cure the default
within such 60-day period, the Bear Mountain Agreement shall
automatically terminate on December 31, 2020 in accordance with its
terms.
Information Concerning
Ranchero
Ranchero is a private company incorporated under
the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia).
Ranchero acquired 99.9% of the shares of the
Minera y Metalurgia Paika SA de CV (“Paika”),
which owns certain mining concessions located in Sahuaripa and
Yecora, Sonora, Mexico (the “Property”), pursuant
to a purchase agreement dated June 5, 2020 between Ranchero and the
previous shareholders of Paika.
Description of the Property
The Santa Daniela concessions composing the
Property are located within the heart of the Sierra Madre
Occidental gold-belt in eastern Sonora, Mexico. Nearby operating
gold mines include Alamos Gold’s Los Mulatos mine, and Agnico
Eagle’s La India and Pinos Altos mines.
The 22,367-hectare concession block is held
99.9% percent by Ranchero.
Under previous ownership, the Property had been
evaluated and initial discovery drilling conducted at the Maíz
Azul, El Rincon and Mesas Coloradas prospects within the
concessions. Drilling at Maíz Azul resulted in a new gold discovery
and subsequent efforts have been focused there. The historical
drill results include as follows:
Drill Hole |
From (m) |
To (m) |
Length (m) |
Grade(Au gr/t) |
MA-18-01 |
108.45 |
122.05 |
13.6 |
0.84 |
MA-18-02 |
115.55 |
128.90 |
13.35 |
0.56 |
MA-18-02 |
185.60 |
187.70 |
2.10 |
7.94 |
MA-18-03 |
71.90 |
108.90 |
37.00 |
1.56 |
Includes |
94.25 |
108.90 |
14.65 |
3.74 |
MA-18-04 |
115.90 |
129.50 |
13.35 |
0.50 |
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Averages are calculated on intervals greater than 0.1 g Au/t.
Assays were capped at 10g Au/t. The intervals were calculated from
existing logs and checked against primary assay certificates. No
check samples have been collected but standards and blanks were
inserted into the sample stream. |
The foregoing exploration results are historical
in nature and neither the Company nor Ranchero has performed any
quality assurance or quality control measures in respect of these
exploration results. Nevertheless, Ranchero has re-logged all drill
core and selectively resampled certain intervals, which resampling
was in accordance with reported results.
Since becoming involved in the Property in early
2020, Ranchero has begun an extensive review that includes
re-logging of all drill core, new geologic mapping and
three-dimensional modelling at Maíz Azul. It is now ready to begin
a 13,000-meter drill program in two phases to confirm historical
results, test newly identified targets and begin a resource
definition program.
Ranchero has also begun a reconnaissance program
of the entire concession block based on a proprietary analysis of
satellite imagery to determine hydrothermally altered areas.
Follow-up field visits are underway and have located at least one
new area of potentially mineralized rocks similar to Maíz Azul.
As a condition of the Proposed Transaction,
Ranchero is currently working to complete a technical report for
the Property pursuant to the requirements of National Instrument
43‐101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI
43-101”).
Management and Board of Directors
of the Company on
Completion of the Proposed
Transaction
Upon closing of the Proposed Transaction, the
board of directors of the Resulting Issuer is expected to consist
of Travis Miller, Gustavo Mazon, Steven Ristorcelli and William
Pincus.
Mr. Miller is a successful entrepreneur with a
strong background in finance and capital markets. He has a proven
track record in successful business development, strategy and
equity financing. He is the co-founder of Blue Marlin Capital
Group as well as the Co-Founder and Director
of Tonogold Resources.
Mr. Mazón is the CEO of the Mazón
family group of companies. He is an experienced executive and
successful entrepreneur with a strong focus in growth. He is an
expert in good management practices and control implementation. He
has had exposure in a wide variety of industries and engaged in
large-scale infrastructure projects. He is a director
of Tonogold Resources. Mr. Mazón holds a
Bachelor of Business and Finance from the ITESM in Monterrey,
Mexico.
Mr. Ristorcelli has over 40 years of experience
in minerals exploration and development. For the last 29
years, he has been a principal of Mine Development
Associates. His primary focus has been in deposit modeling,
identifying and correcting sampling problems, conducting geologic
evaluations, and directing exploration programs. He is a “Qualified
Person” as defined in NI 43-101. He has worked with a wide variety
of commodities including but not limited to gold, silver, copper,
base metals and cobalt.
Mr. Pincus was Founder and President of
Esperanza Resources that discovered the Cerro Jumil (Mx)
and San Luis (Peru) gold deposits. He has worked extensively in
Mexico and elsewhere in South America. He is a graduate of the
Colorado School of Mines with M.Sc. degrees in Geology and Mineral
Economics.
He is also a fellow of The Society of Economic
Geologists and is a Certified Professional Geologist by the
A.I.P.G. Mr. Pincus is a “Qualified Person” as defined in NI
43-101. He is also fluent in Spanish.
Mr. Pincus is expected to be the President and
CEO of the Resulting Issuer, and the other senior officers of the
Resulting Issuer will be selected in due course prior to the
closing of the Proposed Transaction. On the closing of the Proposed
Transaction, all of the existing directors and officers of the
Company are expected to resign, with replacement officers appointed
as determined by the new directors of the Resulting Issuer.
Shareholder
Approvals
The Company and Ranchero intend to seek
shareholder approval for the Proposed Transaction and related
matters as, and to the extent, required in accordance with the
policies of the TSXV and applicable securities laws.
On behalf of the board of directors of the
Company:
Martyn ButtenshawInterim Chief Executive
Officer
For further information, please contact:
Martyn ButtenshawInterim Chief Executive
Officer+41 41 560 9070info@meliorresources.com
William Pincus, a qualified person as defined by
National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral
Projects and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ranchero,
has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure
in this press release.
This news release does not constitute an offer
to sell and is not a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities
in the United States. The securities of the Company and Ranchero
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 state securities laws and may not be offered
or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless
registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state
securities laws unless pursuant to an exemption from such
registration.
Completion of the Proposed Transaction is
subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to,
the completion of satisfactory mutual due diligence, the
negotiation and execution of a Definitive Agreement, and TSXV
acceptance and shareholder approval of the Proposed Transaction.
The Proposed Transaction cannot close until all necessary
shareholder approvals are obtained. There can be no assurance that
the Proposed Transaction will be completed as proposed or at
all.
Investors are cautioned that, except as
disclosed in the management information circular or filing
statement to be prepared in connection with the Proposed
Transaction, any information released or received with respect to
the Proposed Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should
not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of the Company should
be considered highly speculative.
The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of
the Proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved
the contents of this news release.
Neither the 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 Regarding Forward
Looking Statements
This news release contains certain
forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve
discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs,
plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or
performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as
“expects” or does not expect”, “is expected”, anticipates” or “does
not anticipate” “plans”, “estimates” or “intends” or stating that
certain actions, events or results “ may”, “could”, “would”,
“might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved) are not
statements of historical fact and may be “forward-looking
statements”. Forward-looking statements contained in this news
release may include, but are not limited to, the Company’s intended
consolidation, the terms, structure and completion of the Proposed
Transaction, the intended conversion of outstanding convertible
indebtedness of the Company, the terms and completion of the
Concurrent Financing, including the anticipated closing date
thereof, termination of the Company’s Mineral Property Option &
Joint Venture Agreement with Bear Mountain Gold Mines Ltd., the
execution of a Definitive Agreement, payment of the Success Fee, if
applicable, the exploration on the Property, and the management and
board of directors of the Resulting Issuer on completion of the
Proposed Transaction.
Forward-looking statements are subject to a
variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events
or results to materially differ from those reflected in the
forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include,
but are not limited to: liabilities inherent in mine development
and production; geological risks, risks associated with the effects
of the COVID-19 virus, the financial markets generally, the results
of the due diligence investigations to be conducted by the Company
and Ranchero, the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions
precedent to the Proposed Transaction, the ability of Ranchero to
complete the Concurrent Financing, and the ability of the Company
to complete the Proposed Transaction and obtain requisite TSXV
acceptance and shareholder approvals. There can be no assurance
that forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate, and
actual results and future events could differ materially from those
anticipate in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation
to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or
management’s estimates or opinions should change except as required
by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place
undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
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