1 May 2024
HORIZONTE CORPORATE
UPDATE
Horizonte Minerals Plc (AIM/TSX: HZM) ("Horizonte" or the
"Company") announces an update in
relation to the interim funding package announced on
27th December 2023, pursuant to which the existing
senior lenders agreed to waivers including the deferral of accrued
interest originally due at 31st December 2023 to the end of
February 2024. These waivers were subsequently extended to
29th March 2024 and 30th April 2024 and the
existing senior lenders have now agreed to further extend the
waivers until 15th
May 2024.
Discussions with secured creditors,
and existing and new potential investors on alternative scenarios
continue to be held with a view to a potential restructuring
solution to attempt to achieve some recovery value for the
Company's creditors. These include raising financing at the
subsidiary level, or disposing of the Araguaia project whilst in
care and maintenance, thereby maintaining the prospect of the
project as a going concern, liquidation of the assets of the
project, or the consideration of other options available under
Brazilian laws to attempt to achieve the best possible recovery to
the Company's creditors while minimising potential liabilities. The
Company does not believe that any of these options are likely to
recover any value for the Company's shareholders.
Going forwards and as announced on
28th March 2024, there can be no guarantee that senior lenders will
consent to further extend the current waivers. If no extension is
agreed, deferred accrued interest originally payable at the end of
December 2023, at the end of Q1 2024 and subsequently, will become
immediately due and payable on 16th May 2024. If these amounts
remain unpaid after becoming due and payable, the senior lenders
will be entitled to: (a) immediately cancel the undrawn portion of
the senior debt facility; (b) declare all outstanding senior debt
amounts (including interest) immediately due and payable; and/or
(c) seek to enforce the senior lenders' security, which encompasses
all or essentially all of the group's assets.
As announced on 14th
March 2024, Araguaia Níquel Metais Ltda ("ANML"), the Company's Brazilian
subsidiary, has been granted an injunction (Brazilian Precautionary
Measure) giving it a 60-day stay period against the enforcement of
debt and certain security held by senior lenders and creditors, in
order to negotiate and work on a restructuring plan to be approved
by its creditors. This injunction is due to end on
15th May 2024.
As a guarantor of ANML's debt under
the senior loan facilities, if claims are made in relation to the
guarantee given by the Company, the Company may also need to
consider applying for protective measures that may be available to
it, or alternatively appoint administrators for the Company in the
UK.
As at 26 April 2024, the Company had
sufficient working capital until the week ending 17 May 2024.
However, this may vary depending on the progress of discussions
with creditors, the cash expenditure profile of the Araguaia
Project and potential working capital saving measures being
explored by the Company.
This announcement contains inside
information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation
596/2014, as retained in the UK pursuant to the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018.
For
further information, visit www.horizonteminerals.com
or
contact:
Horizonte Minerals plc
Patrick Chambers (Head of
IR)
|
info@horizonteminerals.com
+44 (0) 203 356 2901
|
Peel
Hunt LLP (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker)
Ross Allister
David McKeown
|
+44 (0)20 7418 8900
|
BMO
(Joint Broker)
Thomas Rider
Pascal Lussier Duquette
Andrew Cameron
|
+44 (0) 20 7236 1010
|
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING
INFORMATION
Except for statements of historical
fact relating to the Company, certain information contained in this
press release constitutes "forward-looking information" under
Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information
includes, but is not limited to, the ability of the Company to
complete any planned acquisition of equipment, statements with
respect to the potential of the Company's current or future
property mineral projects; the ability of the Company to complete a
positive feasibility study regarding the second RKEF line at
Araguaia on time, or at all, the ability of the Company to complete
a positive feasibility study regarding the Vermelho Project on
time, or at all, the success of exploration and mining activities;
cost and timing of future exploration, production and development;
the costs and timing for delivery of the equipment to be purchased,
the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the ability of
the Company to achieve its goals in respect of growing its mineral
resources; the realization of mineral resource and reserve
estimates and achieving production in accordance with the Company's
potential production profile or at all. Generally, forward-looking
information can be identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is
expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts",
"intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes",
or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain
actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or
"will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking
information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates,
analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience
and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected
developments, as well as other factors that management believes to
be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that
such statements are made, and are inherently subject to known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the
actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of
the Company to be materially different from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking information, including but not
limited to risks related to: the inability of the Company to
complete any planned acquisition of equipment on time or at all,
the ability of the Company to complete a positive feasibility study
regarding the implementation of a second RKEF line at Araguaia on
the timeline contemplated or at all, the ability of the Company to
complete a positive feasibility study regarding the Vermelho
Project on the timeline contemplated or at all, exploration and
mining risks, competition from competitors with greater capital;
the Company's lack of experience with respect to development-stage
mining operations; fluctuations in metal prices; uninsured risks;
environmental and other regulatory requirements; exploration,
mining and other licences; the Company's future payment
obligations; potential disputes with respect to the Company's title
to, and the area of, its mining concessions; the Company's
dependence on its ability to obtain sufficient financing in the
future; the Company's dependence on its relationships with third
parties; the Company's joint ventures; the potential of currency
fluctuations and political or economic instability in countries in
which the Company operates; currency exchange fluctuations; the
Company's ability to manage its growth effectively; the trading
market for the ordinary shares of the Company; uncertainty with
respect to the Company's plans to continue to develop its
operations and new projects; the Company's dependence on key
personnel; possible conflicts of interest of directors and officers
of the Company, and various risks associated with the legal and
regulatory framework within which the Company operates, together
with the risks identified and disclosed in the Company's disclosure
record available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com, including without limitation, the annual information
form of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the
Araguaia and Vermelho Technical Reports available on the Company's
website https://horizonteminerals.com/. Although management of the
Company has attempted to identify important factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in
forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause
results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can
be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as
actual results and future events could differ materially from those
anticipated in such statements.