(TSXV: TVC) (OTCQB: TVCCF) Three Valley Copper Corp.
(“
Three Valley Copper” or the
“
Company”) provides a corporate and operating
update on its 95.1% owned Minera Tres Valles
(“
MTV”) property near Salamanca, Region de
Coquimbo, Chile.
Operations Update
Don Gabriel
The underperformance of Don Gabriel, MTV’s open
pit operation and primary source of ore for 2021 and 2022, has
continued. The Company’s previous belief was that this
underperformance was temporary in nature, but Don Gabriel has
unfortunately continued to deliver less ore tonnes at lower grades
than forecasted. This shortfall has called into question the future
economics of the Don Gabriel open pit and the immediate impact to
MTV is materially lower current and forecasted cash inflows and
revenues resulting in a deteriorating liquidity position.
MTV has prudently decided to temporarily suspend
operations and has undertaken to demobilize its contractors and
place Don Gabriel into care and maintenance until management and
the technical teams have completed their analysis of Don Gabriel
and alternatives to the current mine plan.
Papomono
The initial construction of the Papomono block
caving mine has been completed and has reached the stage where the
caving operation can commence. This timetable is consistent with
what has been reported previously and construction costs are in
line with forecasted costs. However, MTV has chosen to temporarily
halt the start of the block caving operation as the expected cash
flows are not sufficient to fully support the ramp-up of Papomono
during 2022. Increasing production input costs and the continued
underperformance of its open pit operations at Don Gabriel has
significantly impacted MTV’s ability to generate the necessary cash
flows to fund the planned ramp-up of the Papomono underground mine.
MTV’s management and technical teams have concluded that in the
absence of taking this action, there would be a significant risk
that Papomono would be destabilized if the caving operation was to
start without MTV having the funds to continue its orderly ramp-up
of production.
Operating
Guidance
The Company is now retracting its revised
preliminary operating outlook for 2022 and 2023.
The Company’s revised operating guidance for
2021 was to produce between 4,500 and 5,500 tonnes of copper
cathodes. Actual production for 2021 was slightly lower than
guidance at 4,209 tonnes which represents less than 25% of MTV’s
overall copper cathode production capacity.
To further preserve liquidity, MTV has also
temporarily suspended its exploration program, and suspended
certain sustaining and expansion capital expenditures.
Notwithstanding these actions, based on MTV’s current cash flow
forecast, MTV will require additional financing in the next several
months. Three Valley Copper currently maintains working capital of
approximately US$7 million separate from MTV but this is not
sufficient to finance the expected funding gap at MTV and fund the
Company’s ongoing corporate requirements. Three Valley Copper is
reviewing its alternatives while preserving its cash resources.
The cessation of mining activities at MTV may
result in one or more events of default under the amended and
restated senior secured lending facility. The Company and MTV are
currently in discussions with MTV’s senior secured lenders and
copper cathode offtake provider to determine if a continuing
successful partnership can be maintained through, inter alia,
bridge loan financing, additional debt financing, forgiveness or
conversion of debt, waivers of operating and other covenants,
deferrals of or renegotiation of repayment terms and/or
renegotiation of the fixed price portion of the offtake agreement.
The Company and MTV are also exploring MTV’s ability to renegotiate
the Judicial Reorganization Agreement (“JRA”)
executed in August 2020. At this time there can be no assurance
that any agreement can be reached with the senior secured lenders
and/or offtake provider or that a renegotiation of the JRA is
possible, and the Company will continue to report on the progress
of such discussions.
Strategic Review Process
The Strategic Review Process has not yet
resulted in any binding offers being received by the Company.
Discussions remain ongoing but there can be no assurance that such
discussions will result in any type of transaction, what the value
of any transaction might be, what the terms or timing of such a
transaction might be or that the Company will be able to continue
as a going concern if no transaction is concluded.
At this time, the Company does not expect the
Strategic Review Process to result in an imminent transaction that
would provide meaningful value for holders of Three Valley Copper’s
equity securities (including securities convertible into or
exercisable for equity securities). As a result, holders of Three
Valley Copper’s equity securities are cautioned that trading in
such securities is highly speculative.
The Company will provide updates when further
disclosure is required or otherwise appropriate.
About Three Valley Copper
Three Valley Copper, headquartered in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada is focused on growing copper production from, and
further exploration of, its primary asset, Minera Tres Valles.
Located in Salamanca, Chile, MTV is 95.1% owned by the Company and
MTV's main assets are the Minera Tres Valles mining complex and its
46,000 hectares of exploratory lands. For more information about
the Company, please visit www.threevalleycopper.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Information
Certain statements in this news release, contain
forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as the
"Forward-Looking Statements") within the meaning
of applicable Canadian securities laws. The use of any of the words
"expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "may", "will",
"project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar
expressions are intended to identify Forward-Looking Statements. In
particular, but without limiting the foregoing, this news release
contains Forward-Looking Statements pertaining to: expected cash
flow and capital resources; ability of the Company to continue as a
going concern; ability of MTV to comply with the terms of its
existing debt facility and other material agreements; the potential
outcome of the Strategic Review Process; Company’s expectations for
current and future exploration activities; operating guidance;
development progress of the Company’s mineral projects; statements
with respect to the timing and production of copper at the Don
Gabriel and Papomono sites; advancement of ongoing projects,
including the progress and timing of completion of the inclined
block-caving mining project, and the estimated capital costs
required for completion.
Although TVC believes that the Forward-Looking
Statements are reasonable, they are not guarantees of future
results, performance or achievements. A number of factors or
assumptions have been used to develop the Forward-Looking
Statements, including: the availability of certain consumables
(including water) and services and the prices for power, sulfuric
acid and other key supplies; expected labour and materials costs
and available supply; certain tax rates, including the allocation
of certain tax attributes, being applicable to MTV; the
availability of financing for the Company's and MTV’s planned
operations and development activities; assumptions made in mineral
resource and mineral reserve estimates and the financial analysis
based on these estimates, including (as applicable), but not
limited to, geological interpretation, grades, commodity price
assumptions, metallurgical performance, extraction and mining
recovery rates, hydrological and hydrogeological assumptions,
capital and operating cost estimates, and general marketing,
political, business and economic conditions, the continued
availability of quality management, critical accounting estimates,
all terms of the restructuring agreement and facility agreement to
which MTV and the Company are parties will be satisfied in the
future including no events of default, existing water supply will
continue, supplemental water availability will continue, the
geopolitical risk of Chile will remain stable, including risks
related to labour disputes, a partial ramp up of mining operations
at Papomono Masivo without sufficient capital support could result
in destabilization of the mine; the litigation and /or arbitration
initiated by the minority shareholder of the Company’s operating
subsidiary, MTV will proceed according to the timeline provided by
litigation counsel; the expected production and results from the
Don Gabriel mine; and expected ability to repay the indebtedness of
MTV.
Actual results, performance or achievements
could vary materially from those expressed or implied by the
Forward-Looking Statements should assumptions underlying the
Forward-Looking Statements prove incorrect or should one or more
risks or other factors materialize, including: (i) possible
variations in grade or recovery rates; (ii) copper price
fluctuations and uncertainties; (iii) delays in obtaining
governmental approvals or financing; (iv) risks associated with the
mining industry in general (e.g., operational risks in development,
exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect
to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the
uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to mineral
reserves, production, costs and expenses; and labour, health,
safety and environmental risks) and risks associated with the other
portfolio companies' industries in general; (v) performance of the
counterparty to the ENAMI Contract; (vi) risks associated with
investments in emerging markets; (vii) general economic, market and
business conditions; (viii) market volatility that would affect the
ability to enter or exit investments; (ix) failure to secure
additional financing in the future on acceptable terms to the
Company, if at all; (x) commodity price and foreign exchange
fluctuations and uncertainties; (xi) risks associated with
catastrophic events, manmade disasters, terrorist attacks, wars and
other conflicts, or an outbreak of a public health pandemic or
other public health crises, including COVID-19; (xii) those risks
disclosed under the heading "Risk Management" in TVC’s Management’s
Discussion and Analysis for the period ended December 31, 2020; and
(xiii) those risks disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" or
incorporated by reference into TVC’s Annual Information Form dated
March 3, 2021. The Forward-Looking Statements speak only as of the
date hereof, unless otherwise specifically noted, and the Company
does not assume any obligation to publicly update any
Forward-Looking Statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by
applicable Canadian securities laws.
Cautionary Note to United States
Investors Concerning Estimates of measured, indicated and inferred
mineral resources
This news release may use the terms "measured",
"indicated" and "inferred" mineral resources. Historically, while
such terms were recognized and required by Canadian regulations,
they were not recognized by the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The SEC has
adopted amendments to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral
property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are
registered with the SEC under the Securities and Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These
amendments became effective February 25, 2019 (the “SEC
Modernization Rules”) with compliance required for the
first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. The SEC
Modernization Rules replace the historical property disclosure
requirements for mining registrants that were included in SEC
Industry Guide 7, which will be rescinded from and after the
required compliance date of the SEC Modernization Rules. As a
result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now
recognizes estimates of “measured”, “indicated” and “inferred”
mineral resources. In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions
of “proven mineral reserves” and “probable mineral reserves” to be
substantially similar to the corresponding Canadian Institute of
Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum definitions, as required by NI
43-101. Investors are cautioned that "Inferred mineral resources"
have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to
their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all
or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded
to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred
mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other
economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to
assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral
resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. United
States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any
part of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or
legally mineable.
For further information:
Michael StaresinicPresident and Chief Executive
OfficerT: (416) 943-7107E: mstaresinic@threevalleycopper.com
Renmark Financial Communications Inc.Joshua
Lavers: jlavers@renmarkfinancial.comT: (416) 644-2020 or (212)
812-7680www.renmarkfinancial.com
United StatesRB Milestone Group LLC (RBMG)Trevor
Brucato, Managing
Directorthreevalley@rbmilestone.comwww.rbmilestone.com
Source: Three Valley Copper Corp.
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 news release.
Three Valley Copper (TSXV:TVC)
過去 株価チャート
から 11 2024 まで 12 2024
Three Valley Copper (TSXV:TVC)
過去 株価チャート
から 12 2023 まで 12 2024