VANCOUVER, Oct. 15, 2018 /CNW/ - Maverix Metals Inc. (the
"Company" or "Maverix") (TSX-V: MMX) is pleased to announce that it
has signed an indicative term sheet, pursuant to which Maverix
intends to acquire from a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northern
Vertex Mining Corp. ("Northern Vertex"), a right to purchase a
percentage of the life-of-mine silver produced from Northern
Vertex's operating Moss Mine, located in Arizona (the "Silver Stream" or the
"Transaction").
Transaction Highlights
- Expanded Asset Base and Immediate Increase to Cash Flow:
With the Moss Mine recently achieving commercial production in
September 2018, the Silver Stream
will generate immediate revenue for Maverix, adding to its already
strong cash flow.
- Low-Cost Operating Asset in Stable Jurisdiction: The
Moss Mine is a low-cost open pit mining and heap leach operation
located in northwest Arizona, a
stable mining jurisdiction with a long history of mining
operations.
- Accretive Transaction: The Transaction is accretive to
Maverix across all key metrics, including net asset value, cash
flow, and attributable gold equivalent production.
- Long Mine Life with
Significant Exploration and Expansion Potential: Current
Measured and Indicated resources of 4.6 million ounces of silver
(15.5 million tonnes at 9.3 g/t silver) are sufficient to support
an initial 10-year mine life. In October
2017, Northern Vertex announced the results of a Preliminary
Economic Assessment ("PEA") of the technical and economic viability
of expanding the Moss Mine to include resources that could be
accessed by a future expansion of operations. Additionally, Maverix
will be exposed to the significant regional exploration potential
around the Moss mine. (1)
"Maverix would like to congratulate Northern Vertex on
successfully achieving commercial production at the Moss Mine and
we are pleased to be their partner going forward to help them
unlock the mine's full potential," commented Dan O'Flaherty, CEO of Maverix. "This
transaction complements our strong and growing portfolio, adding a
precious metal stream on a new low-cost mine, that is immediately
accretive to both our cash flow and net asset value."
Silver Stream Terms
Maverix has entered into an indicative term sheet pursuant to
which Maverix, and its designated subsidiaries will enter into a
definitive silver purchase agreement with Northern Vertex and its
operating subsidiary (the "Stream Agreement"). Under the indicative
terms of the Stream Agreement:
- Maverix will make an upfront payment of US$8,500,000 to Northern Vertex's wholly-owned
subsidiary, Golden Vertex Mining Corp. ("Golden Vertex"), the owner
and operator of the Moss Mine as consideration for the right to
acquire 45% of the silver produced from the Moss Mine.
- Maverix will make ongoing cash payments to Golden Vertex equal
to 30% of the lesser of the average price of silver for the
applicable calendar quarter, and the spot price of silver at the
time of delivery.
- The Transaction will be effective October 1, 2018, meaning that Northern Vertex
will have delivery obligations commencing October 1, 2018.
- Once Maverix has purchased a cumulative total of 1,500,000
ounces of silver, the amount of silver that can be purchased under
the Stream Agreement will reduce to 22.5% of the silver production
for the life of the Moss Mine.
- Northern Vertex also has the option, exercisable until the
closing of the Stream Agreement, to elect to increase the upfront
payment by receiving an additional US$5,000,000 (the "Additional Payment"), for a
total upfront payment of US$13,500,000.
- If Northern Vertex elects to receive the Additional Payment,
then Maverix will be entitled to purchase 75% of the silver
produced from the Moss Mine until it has purchased a cumulative
total of 2,500,000 ounces of silver at which point the amount of
silver that can be purchased under the Stream Agreement will reduce
to 37.5% of the silver production for the life of the Moss
Mine.
- Northern Vertex's and Golden Vertex's obligations under the
Stream Agreement will be secured and subordinated only to the
security interests granted to Sprott Private Resource Lending
(Collector) LP ("Sprott") in respect of its senior secured credit
facility.
- The Silver Stream will apply to all current and future phases
of operations at the Moss Mine.
Closing of the Stream Agreement is anticipated to occur in
November 2018. The closing of the
Stream Agreement will be subject to, among other items,
satisfactory completion of all business and technical due
diligence, Maverix entering into an intercreditor agreement with
Sprott, and completion of definitive documentation.
Moss Mine
The Moss Mine is 100% owned by Northern Vertex and is located
near Bullhead City in northwest
Arizona. Moss is a 5,000 tonnes
per day, open pit, heap leach, gold-silver operation, that achieved
commercial production effective September 1,
2018.
The expansion PEA was completed in October 2017 and outlined a 10-year operation
producing an average of approximately 30,000 ounces of gold and
300,000 ounces of silver per year at an AISC (all-in sustaining
cost) of US$603 per gold equivalent
ounce. (2)
Northern Vertex has announced guidance for the gold and silver
production for the fiscal years 2019 and 2020 as follows
(3):
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year 2019
(4)
|
Fiscal Year
2020
|
Gold
Ounces
|
32,000 –
36,000
|
52,000 –
57,000
|
Silver
Ounces
|
224,000 –
248,000
|
451,000 –
487,000
|
For further information on the Moss Mine, please visit
www.northernvertex.com.
(1)
|
Please refer to the
technical report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report Feasibility
Study, Mohave County Arizona" dated June 8, 2015, and the technical
report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report Preliminary Economic
Analysis Phase III, Mine Life Extension, Mohave County Arizona"
dated November 11, 2017, both of which are available on Northern
Vertex's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.
|
(2)
|
Please refer to the
Northern Vertex news release dated October 10, 2017.
|
(3)
|
Please refer to the
Northern Vertex news release dated September 18, 2018.
|
(4)
|
Northern Vertex's
fiscal year end is June 30. Fiscal 2019 to include 10 months of
production after commercial production.
|
Qualified Person
Doug Ward, B.Sc., Mining
Engineering, MMSA, is Vice President Technical Services for
Maverix, and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 –
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed
and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in
this press release.
About Maverix
Maverix Metals Inc. is a gold royalty and streaming company.
Maverix's mission is to provide its shareholders with significant
low risk leverage to the gold price and to increase underlying per
share value by expanding its portfolio with acquisitions of
high-quality royalties and streams that offer robust returns.
NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE ("TSX-V") NOR ITS REGULATION
SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE
TSX-V) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS
RELEASE.
Technical and Third-party Information
The disclosure herein and relating to Moss Mine is based on
information publicly disclosed by Northern Vertex and
information/data available in the public domain as at the date
hereof, and none of this information has been independently
verified by the Maverix. Maverix has limited, if any, access to the
Moss Mine. Maverix may from time to time receive operating
information from Northern Vertex, which it is not permitted to
disclose to the public. Maverix is dependent on, (i) the operators
of the properties and their qualified persons to provide
information to Maverix, or (ii) on publicly available information
to prepare disclosure pertaining to properties and operations on
the properties on which the Maverix holds royalty, stream or other
interests, and generally has limited or no ability to independently
verify such information. Although Maverix does not have any
knowledge that such information may not be accurate, there can be
no assurance that such third-party information is complete or
accurate. Some information publicly reported by operators may
relate to a larger property than the area covered by Maverix's
royalty, stream or other interest. Maverix's royalty, stream or
other interests often cover less than 100% and sometimes only a
portion of the publicly reported mineral reserves, mineral
resources and production of a property.
Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements
This release contains certain "forward looking statements" and
certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable
Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and
information can generally be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "should",
"expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe",
"continue", "plans" or similar terminology. The forward-looking
information contained herein is provided for the purpose of
assisting readers in understanding management's current
expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are
cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other
purposes. Forward-looking statements and information include, but
are not limited to, statements with respect to Maverix's
acquisition of a silver stream and the entry into a definitive
silver purchase agreement and the associated terms thereof, the
completion of all ancillary definitive documentation in respect of
the silver purchase agreement, metal prices as they may impact
Maverix's guidance generally, Maverix's financial guidance,
outlook, proposed plans for acquiring additional stream and royalty
interests and the potential of such streams and royalty interests
to provide returns and the completion of mine expansion and phases
at the Moss mines or other properties that the Maverix holds an
interest in. Forward-looking statements and information are based
on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet
determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to
be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business,
economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies.
Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual actions,
events or results to be materially different from those expressed
or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not
limited to: the impact of general business and economic conditions;
the absence of control over mining operations from which Maverix
will purchase gold and other metals or from which it will receive
royalty payments and risks related to those mining operations,
including risks related to international operations, government and
environmental regulation, delays in mine construction and
operations, actual results of mining and current exploration
activities, conclusions of economic evaluations and changes in
project parameters as plans continue to be refined; accidents,
equipment breakdowns, title matters, labor disputes or other
unanticipated difficulties or interruptions in operations; problems
inherent to the marketability of gold and other metals; the
inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the
potential for unexpected costs and expenses; industry conditions,
including fluctuations in the price of the primary commodities
mined at such operations, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates
and fluctuations in interest rates; government entities
interpreting existing tax legislation or enacting new tax
legislation in a way which adversely affects Maverix; stock market
volatility; regulatory restrictions; liability, competition, loss
of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. Maverix
undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information
except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking
information represents management's best judgment based on
information currently available. No forward-looking statement can
be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially.
Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements or information.
SOURCE Maverix Metals Inc.