Balcatta-based mineral explorer Conquest Mining Ltd has told the ASX the joint venture it signed with Gold Fields Australasia Pty Ltd would elevate it from a "micro" mid-cap to a true mid-cap company.
Balcatta-based mineral explorer Conquest Mining Ltd has told the ASX the joint venture it signed with Gold Fields Australasia Pty Ltd would elevate it from a "micro" mid-cap to a true mid-cap company.
The full text of a market clarification issued by Conquest today is pasted below
Conquest Mining Ltd ("Conquest") (ASX:CQT) recently announced the signing of a significant Joint Venture agreement with Gold Fields Australasia Pty Ltd ("GFA"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Gold Fields Ltd.
Shareholders have expressed some confusion in understanding the transaction and the benefit to Conquest.
The Directors believe they have negotiated the best possible outcome for Conquest and its shareholders. The benefits to Conquest and its shareholders are :.
- Conquest retains all the value it has created out of its Mt Carlton project (including the Silver Hill deposit), where all of its delineated resources currently reside.
- Conquest participates in the upside of any major discovery by GFA in the surrounding regional JV tenements area.
- GFA is required to drill 150,000 metres within three years in order to earn 51% of the wider regional JV tenements area, excluding the Mt Carlton project . This essentially means GFA bears all the exploration risk.
- Under the terms of the Joint Venture Agreement GFA is initially obligated to spend a minimum of $5m within the first 12 months, a condition which, without satisfying the drilling requirement, gives GFA no entitlements whatsoever.
- Exploration by GFA in the Regional Joint Venture allows Conquest to realise the potential upside in the JV project sooner rather than later.
- The Regional Joint Venture allows Conquest to pursue a dual path of becoming a producer, via development of the Mt Carlton project, whilst retaining the ability to aggressively explore the regional JV tenements area.
- Gold Fields brings with it substantial resources, not only in a financial sense but also in the form of expert knowledge, labour and equipment.
- After meeting the drilling requirement (150,000 metres) GFA will have the option to purchase 50% of Conquest's excluded area (Silver Hill & Mt Carlton). GFA will be required to pay Conquest in cash an amount based on the independently determined Net Present Value at that time. That NPV will reflect the results of Conquest's continuing aggressive exploration and development program at the excluded area.
- After meeting the drilling requirement (150,000 metres) GFA will have the option to purchase a further 24% of the wider regional tenements area. GFA will be required to pay Conquest in cash an amount based on an independently determined Net Present Value at that time.
Note: Net present value (NPV) is a standard method for the financial appraisal of long-term projects. It calculates the value of a project from total cash flow and costs over the life of the project.
The transaction will allow Conquest to develop from being a pure explorer to a producer with exposure to exploration, development and production. This will be achieved whilst simultaneously reducing risk and strengthening the company's balance sheet.
Conquest will continue to progress down the path to production at its Mt Carlton project (including Silver Hill), which has been ring-fenced, whilst a very thorough exploration program is implemented over greenfields, but now recognised, highly prospective land.
This drives Conquest to move from being a "micro" mid-cap to a true mid-cap company.
