GALANE
GOLD
LTD. ANNOUNCES
PROPOSED
ACQUISITION
OF THE SUMMIT MINE
IN NEW
MEXICO;
C$9.0
MILLION
PRIVATE PLACEMENT WITH LEAD
ORDER FROM PALISADES
GOLDCORP
TORONTO, ONTARIO - March 16,
2021: Galane Gold Ltd.
("Galane Gold" or the "Company")
(TSX-V: GG; OTCQB: GGGOF) is pleased to announce that
it has entered into a binding offer (the "Offer") to acquire (the
"Acquisition"), through a wholly-owned subsidiary, the Summit Mine
(the "Mine") and the infrastructure constituting the Banner Mill in
New Mexico (collectively,
the "Assets")
from Pyramid Peak Mining, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Waterton Precious Metals Fund II Cayman, LP (the
"Seller").
The aggregate consideration
to be paid for the Assets is US$17.0 million, consisting of
(i) cash consideration of
US$6.0 million (the "Initial Cash Consideration") on closing of the
Acquisition (the "Closing"); (ii) issuance to the Seller on Closing
of 16 million common shares of Galane (the "Consideration
Shares") at a deemed issuance price
of C$0.22 per share
and warrants to
purchase up to 16 million
common
shares of Galane exercisable
at an exercise
price of C$0.30 per share for a period
of three years from Closing (the "Consideration
Warrants"); and (iii) cash consideration of US$8.2 million (the
"Subsequent Cash Consideration") upon commencement of production at
the Mine.
The
Company is also pleased to announce that it has entered into an
engagement letter with Canaccord Genuity Corp. in respect of
a C$9.0
million
private placement (the "Offering") of subscription receipts of the
Company (the "Subscription Receipts") to fund the Initial Cash
Consideration, with a lead order from Palisades Goldcorp Ltd.
("Palisades").
Acquisition
Highlights(1)(2)
-
Located
in New Mexico, USA, a low-risk mining jurisdiction with a long
history of support for gold and silver mines
-
A
National Instrument 43-101 -
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI
43-101") compliant
historical
mineral
resource
estimate (the
"Historical Estimate"), with a
4.35 g/t cut-off grade, of:
Resource by
Au Equivalent Grade (Diluted tons adjusted for Pillar
Loss)
|
|
In Situ
Grades
|
Diluted
|
Ounces of
Metal
|
Class
|
Au
Eq
Cutoff
(g/t)
|
Tons
|
Au
Eq
(g/t)
|
Au
(g/t)
|
Ag
(g/t)
|
Tons
|
Au
(g/t)
|
Ag
(g/t)
|
Au
|
Ag
|
Indicated
|
4.35
|
212,800
|
7.81
|
4.11
|
222.61
|
220,239
|
3.64
|
198.22
|
25,768
|
1,403,583
|
Inferred
|
4.35
|
627,209
|
8.62
|
3.98
|
277.91
|
649,136
|
3.55
|
245.22
|
74,002
|
5,117,788
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
Existing
infrastructure in place of:
-
15,000 feet of
underground workings; and
-
a
240
ton
per day
permitted crush, mill and flotation
plant
-
A 2014
Technical Report
(as defined below) showing:
-
a
six-year mine life producing over
1 million ounces of silver and 16,000 ounces of gold per
year;
-
an all-in sustaining cost of
US$578 per gold equivalent ounce; and
-
capital cost of US$4.2 million
to restart operations
-
Exploration
upside with mining leases covering over 4,000 acres of prospective land as well
as extension of the Mine at depth and near
surface
-
All key permits
in place to restart the operations
Nick Brodie, CEO of
Galane
commented, "Our goal at
Galane
is to
acquire near term
production assets, which we consider to be highly accretive
for our shareholders, and to leverage
the strengths of our existing management team to
put such
assets back into
production. This new venture is
a perfect example
of this approach. It
represents
an
opportunity to
increase Galane's production, lower
its
operating costs
and reduce its country risk.
Galane's
plan is to update
the economic plan for the Mine and target production
as quickly
as
possible.
We are delighted that
Palisades have also recognised the
opportunity that this represents and have put themselves forward as
the cornerstone of the Offering. We take this as a strong
vote of confidence in our future plans for both Galane and the Summit
Mine."(2)
Description
of the Assets(1)
The
Mine
is located
in the Steeple Rock Mining District, within Grant County, New
Mexico, USA. It consists of approximately 4,000 acres of patented
and unpatented mining claims and mining leases. The Mine
is past
producing and
currently
on care and maintenance, but is
fully
permitted to resume operating activities.
The Assets
are
comprised of:
-
an
underground operation at the Mine
which has
a 12 foot
by 13 foot
decline accessing 15,000 feet of existing operations. The workings
are in the 50 to 100 foot wide Summit
fault zone which dips 70 to 80 degrees to the North East. The
deposit extends over a 2,000 foot strike, 10 to 15 foot width and a
known depth of 1,000 feet; and
-
the
240 ton
per day
Banner crush, mill and flotation plant,
located
57 miles from the
Mine.
Historical
Estimate(1)
The Historical Estimate
was disclosed in
a report provided by the Seller
to the Company
with an effective date of September 17,
2014, entitled "Technical Report, Preliminary
Economic Assessment, Summit Gold-Silver Project,
Grant and Hidalgo Counties, New Mexico", prepared by Douglas F.
Irving, P.E., Susan C. Bird, P.Eng., and Tracey D.
Meintjes, P. Eng. of Chapman, Wood and
Griswold, Inc. in Albuquerque, New Mexico (the "Technical
Report"). The Historical Estimate
complies
with the CIM
Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves as
required by NI 43-101 on the date the Technical
Report was prepared. A qualified person has not
done sufficient work to classify the Historical Estimate as a
current mineral resource in accordance with NI 43-101. The
Company
is not treating
the Historical Estimate as a current mineral resource and the
historical estimate should not be relied on.
The
Technical
Report was
prepared by an
advisory
company that offers a wide range of exploration, mining,
management, valuation, financing and advisory services (the
"Author"). The Technical
Report
relies on historical drilling and sampling. The Author used
information relating to operational methods and expectations
provided to it by various sources. The report provides
that: (a) the
historical mineral resource model is based on available sampling
data collected over the history of the project area; (b) the grade
models were verified using visual and statistical methods and
deemed to be globally unbiased; (c) the
blocks were classified into historical mineral resource
categories based on
the variogam
parameters
and restrictions on the number of composites and drill holes used
in each pass of the interpolation; (d) only
the historical mineral resources lying within the legal boundaries
are reported; and
(e)
no modifying factors were applied to the historical
in-situ
mineral
resources, however
the diluted mineral resource contains a 15% dilution factor and a
mining loss of 10% to account for pillars.
The business of mining and
mineral exploration, development and production by their nature
contain significant operational risks. The business depends upon,
amongst other things, successful prospecting programmes and
competent management. Profitability and asset values can be
affected by unforeseen changes in operating circumstances and
technical issues. Factors such as political and industrial
disruption, currency fluctuation and interest rates could have an
impact on future operations, and potential revenue streams can also
be affected by these factors. The majority of these factors are,
and will be, beyond the control of any operating entity.
More recent estimates or data
is not available. Work required to upgrade or
verify the Historical Estimates as current mineral resources will
be based on recommendations in the Technical
Report.
Terms of
the Acquisition
Pursuant to the terms of the
Offer, Galane will pay the Initial Cash
Consideration and issue the Consideration Shares and the
Consideration Warrants on Closing. The Subsequent Cash
Consideration is payable once production commences at the
Mine. The common shares of
Galane
to be issued to
the Seller will represent approximately 5.13% of the Company's common
shares without the exercise of the
Consideration Warrants by the Seller, or 9.76% of the Company's common
shares assuming full exercise of the Consideration Warrants by the
Seller, after giving effect to the
Offering.
The parties will negotiate
the terms of the purchase agreement relating to the Acquisition
(the "Purchase Agreement") and the terms of the lease for the land
(the
"Lease") on which the infrastructure
constituting the Banner Mill is situated, both of which will be on
customary terms for agreements of this nature.
Closing of the Acquisition is
expected to occur on or about May 16, 2021, and is subject to
certain conditions including, but not limited to, the execution of
the Purchase Agreement and the Lease, legal due diligence on the
Assets, completion of the Offering, and approval of governmental
and regulatory authorities, including the TSX Venture Exchange
("TSXV"). Red Cloud Securities Inc. is
acting as financial advisor to the Seller.
Concurrent
Private Placement
In connection with the
Acquisition, Galane has engaged
Canaccord
Genuity, on behalf of a syndicate of agents, including Mackie Research
Capital Corporation (the "Agents"), to offer the Subscription
Receipts for sale on a best efforts agency
basis. The Offering shall
consist of the issuance of up to 40,909,090 Subscription Receipts
at a price
of C$0.22 per Subscription Receipt (the
"Issue Price") for aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$9.0 million. Palisades has
committed to
place a
lead order, subject to pricing
constraints.
The Agents shall have the option
(the
"Agents' Option"), exercisable
until the closing of the Offering, to sell up to an
additional 6,136,364 Subscription Receipts at the
Issue Price for additional gross proceeds to the Company of up
to C$1.35 million.
Each Subscription Receipt
will entitle the holder thereof to receive one common share
of
Galane, and one common share purchase
warrant of Galane (a "SR
Warrant"),
without any further action on the part of the holder and without
payment of additional consideration, upon satisfaction of the
escrow release conditions including the satisfaction of all
conditions precedent to completing the Acquisition.
Each SR Warrant
will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share
of Galane at a price
to be determined
in the context of the market, for a period of three years
following the Closing of the Acquisition.
The aggregate gross proceeds
of the Offering, less 50% of the Agents' commission and certain
expenses of the Offering, will be held in escrow pending closing of
the Acquisition. In the event that the
Acquisition is not completed within 60 days after
of the closing of
the Offering, the escrow agent shall return to the holders of the
Subscription Receipts an amount equal to the aggregate purchase
price paid for the Subscription Receipts held by each
holder.
The net proceeds of the
Offering will be used to fund the Initial Cash
Consideration payable in connection with
the Acquisition. The Offering is expected to close
on or about April 8, 2021, and is subject to customary
regulatory and stock exchange approvals, including approval of
the TSXV.
Not for
distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination
in the
United States.
This news release does not
constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy
any of the securities in the United States. The
securities 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 or an exemption from such registration is
available.
About
Galane
Gold
Galane
Gold is an
un-hedged gold producer and explorer with mining operations and
exploration tenements in Botswana and
South Africa. Galane Gold is a public company and
its shares are quoted on the TSXV under the symbol "GG" and the
OTCQB under the symbol "GGGOF". Galane Gold's management team is
comprised of senior mining professionals with extensive experience
in managing mining and processing operations and
large-scale exploration
programmes. Galane Gold is committed to
operating at world-class standards and is focused on the safety of
its employees, respecting the environment, and contributing to the
communities in which it operates.
About
Palisades Goldcorp Ltd.
Palisades Goldcorp is
Canada's resource focused merchant bank. Palisades' management team
has a demonstrated track record of making money and is backed by
many of the industry's most notable financiers. With junior
resource equities valued at generational lows, management believes
the sector is on the cusp of a major bull market move. Palisades is
positioning itself with significant stakes in undervalued companies
and assets with the goal of generating superior returns.
Notes:
(1)This information
is based on
available public sources and the Technical
Report,
has not been independently verified by the
Company, and should not be relied upon
as a predictor of future results.
(2)This
is forward-looking information and is based on a number of
assumptions. See "Cautionary Notes".
Cautionary
Notes
Certain
statements
contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking
statements". All statements other than statements of historical
fact contained in this press release, including, without
limitation, those regarding the closing of the
Acquisition and the Offering, obtaining customary governmental,
regulatory and
stock exchange approvals including that of the
TSXV
for the
Acquisition and the Offering, the use of proceeds of the
Offering, the participation of
Palisades in the Offering, the Historical Estimates
being realized, the Company's
future expansion
at the Mine, mining strategies at the
Mine, technical, financial and
business prospects of the Company, future financial position and
results of operations, strategy, proposed acquisitions, plans,
objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by,
followed by or that include the words "believe",
"expect", "aim", "intend", "plan", "continue", "will", "may",
"would", "anticipate", "estimate", "forecast", "predict",
"project", "seek", "should" or similar expressions or the negative
thereof, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not
historical facts but instead represent only the Company's
expectations, estimates and projections regarding
future events.
These statements are not guarantees of future performance and
involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to
predict. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what
is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking
statements.
Additional factors that could
cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ
materially include, but are not limited to: the Company's dependence on
two mineral projects; gold price volatility;
risks associated with the conduct of the Company's mining
activities in Botswana and South Africa; regulatory, consent or
permitting delays; risks relating to the Company's exploration,
development and mining activities being situated in Botswana and
South Africa; risks relating to reliance on the Company's
management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral
resources and reserves; the Company's inability to obtain insurance
to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all;
currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate
sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project
financing and equity issuances; risks arising from the Company's
fair value estimates with respect to the carrying amount of
mineral interests; mining tax
regimes; risks arising from
holding derivative instruments; the
Company's need to replace reserves depleted by production; risks
and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the
inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and
capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title
to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws
and regulations governing the environment, health and
safety; the ability of the
communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with
the implications of COVID-19; the economic and financial
implications of COVID-19 to the Company; operating or technical
difficulties in connection with mining or development activities;
lack of infrastructure; employee relations, labour unrest or
unavailability; health risks in Africa; the Company's interactions
with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the Company's
ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; risks related to
restarting production; the speculative nature of exploration and
development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or
grades of reserves; development of the Company's exploration
properties into commercially viable mines; stock market volatility;
conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of
liquidity for shareholders of the Company; risks related to the
market perception of junior gold companies; and litigation
risk. Management provides
forward-looking statements because it believes they provide useful
information to investors when considering their investment
objectives and cautions investors not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking information. Consequently, all of the
forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified
by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or
factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the
actual results or developments will be realized or, even if
substantially realized, that they will have the expected
consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These forward-looking
statements are made as of the date of this press release and the
Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them
to reflect
subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise,
except as required by law.
Information of a technical and scientific nature that forms the
basis of the disclosure in the press release has been
prepared and
approved by
Kevin Crossling
Pr. Sci. Nat.,
MAusIMM.
and
Business Development Manager
for
Galane
Gold, and a "qualified person"
as defined by
NI 43-101.
Mr.
Crossling
has verified the technical and scientific data disclosed herein and
has conducted appropriate verification on the underlying
data.
Neither
the TSXV
nor its
regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSXV)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this
release.
The
information in this news release under the section titled "About
Palisades Goldcorp Ltd." was provided by management of Palisades
Goldcorp Ltd.
For further
information please contact:
Nick Brodie
CEO, Galane Gold Ltd.
+ 44 7905 089878
Nick.Brodie@GalaneGold.com
www.GalaneGold.com