Antofagasta PLC NOTIFICATION OF CLASS 2 TRANSACTION (6637X)
September 01 2015 - 5:31AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMANTO
RNS Number : 6637X
Antofagasta PLC
01 September 2015
NEWS RELEASE, 1 SEPTEMBER 2015
NOTIFICATION OF CLASS 2 TRANSACTION
Antofagasta plc ("Antofagasta") announces that it has agreed
with Marubeni Corporation ("Marubeni") to contribute the Encuentro
mining properties located in the Centinela Mining District to
Minera Centinela ("Centinela") through the merger of its
wholly-owned subsidiary, CCM Encuentro ("Encuentro"), into
Centinela. Centinela is held 70% by Antofagasta and 30% by Marubeni
Corporation.
As previously announced, the Encuentro deposit contains oxide
and sulphide ores within a single deposit. Construction of the
Encuentro Oxides project is underway and the larger sulphide
project is at the pre-feasibility study stage. Once completed, the
Encuentro Oxide project will provide feed for Centinela's existing
SX-EW plant contributing some 50,000 tonnes of copper per year. The
Encuentro Oxides project also acts as a funded pre-strip for the
sulphide deposit that lies below it. The sulphides from this
deposit will be processed at Centinela's second concentrator, which
is expected to come into production in 2019.
Under the terms of the Centinela shareholder agreement between
Antofagasta and Marubeni, Antofagasta can require Centinela to
acquire and exploit certain of its mining concessions and mineral
rights in the Centinela Mining District, provided a number of
steps, including a feasibility study, have been completed. Marubeni
has agreed to allow Antofagasta to the merger of Encuentro with
Centinela in advance of completing the feasibility study for the
sulphide project. Centinela will now be responsible for the
construction and operation of the Encuentro Oxides project and the
development of the sulphide project. The consideration for the
merger will be calculated, only once the feasibility study for the
sulphide project has been completed, using the valuation
methodology set out in the shareholder agreement. Centinela will
then issue preference shares to Antofagasta which will carry rights
only to receive cash dividends equal to the consideration
amount.
Since the consideration is deferred and yet to be calculated,
Antofagasta is still considering how any proceeds will be applied.
Because there is no cap on the amount of this deferred
consideration, the UK Listing Rules treat this transaction as a
class 2 transaction. As at 31 December 2014, Encuentro did not have
any profits and had gross assets of $270 million.
Investors - London Public Relations Advisors - London
Andrew Lindsay alindsay@antofagasta.co.uk Carole Cable
antofagasta@brunswickgroup.com
Paresh Bhanderi pbhanderi@antofagasta.co.uk Robin Wrench
antofagasta@brunswickgroup.com
Telephone +44 20 7808 0988 Telephone +44 20 7404 5959
Investors - Santiago Media - Santiago
Alfredo Atucha aatucha@aminerals.cl Pablo Orozco
porozco@aminerals.cl
Telephone +56 2 2798 7000 Carolina Pica cpica@aminerals.cl
Telephone +56 2 2798 7000
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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