REG - Critical Metals PLC - Update re Proposed Acquisition

Critical MetalsAnnouncement

04/08/2022 08:00

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RNS Number : 9067U  Critical Metals PLC  04 August 2022

 

 

 

Critical Metals plc / EPIC: CRTM / Market: Main Market / Sector: Closed End
Investments

 

4 August 2022

Critical Metals plc

("Critical Metals" or the "Company")

 

Update re Proposed Acquisition of DRC Copper/Cobalt Project

 

Critical Metals plc, a mining investment company established to acquire mining
opportunities in the critical and strategic metals sector, is pleased to
provide a further update on its proposed acquisition of a majority interest in
the copper/cobalt project located within Small Scale Mining License PEPM 14784
(the "Mining Licence") in the Democratic Republic of Congo (the "Molulu
Project") announced on 20 May 2021.

 

Further to the Company's announcement of 24 March 2022, on 2 August 2022
Critical Metals has entered into an investment agreement with its wholly owned
subsidiary, Critical Metals Mauritius Ltd ("CRTM Mauritius"), Madini
Occidental Ltd ("MO") and MO's shareholders Russell Fryer and Madini Minerals
("MO Investment Agreement") pursuant to which, subject to a number of
conditions (inter alia the publication by the Company of a prospectus approved
by the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA")) CRTM Mauritius  agreed to acquire
a 57% interest in MO for a price equal to US$750,000 less costs of MO that had
been paid by the Company or CRTM Mauritius prior to the closing of the MO
Investment Agreement ("MO Closing"). The MO Closing will take place once all
the conditions set out in the MO Investment Agreement have been satisfied and
immediately prior to readmission of the Company's shares to listing on the
standard segment of the Official List of the FCA and to trading on the London
Stock Exchange plc's Main Market (the "Re-Admission"). Pursuant to the MO
Investment Agreement, CRTM Mauriitus had agreed to: (i) pay a success fee of
US$300,005 to MO after signing of the MO Investment Agreement (the "Success
Fee"); (ii) make available a loan of up to US$200,000 to fund an exploration
drilling program at the Molulu Project following Re-Admission (the "Drill
Loan"); and (iii) make available a loan of pre-acquisition costs following the
closing of the MO Investment Agreement (the "Post-Closing Loan"). Each party
to the MO Investment Agreement provided standard capacity warranties and the
minority shareholders provided warranties in respect of their existing
ordinary shares in MO and the validity and good standing of the Mining
Licence.

 

CRTM Mauritius had also entered into a facility agreement with MO containing
the terms of the Drill Loan and the Post-Closing Loan. In addition, CRTM
Mauritius, MO, Russell Fryer and Madini Minerals entered into a shareholders'
agreement to govern their relationship after the MO Closing.

 

On 21 October 2021, CRTM Mauritius subscribed for US$140,000 of loan notes
issued by MO pursuant to a convertible loan note instrument ("MO CLN
Instrument"). US$100,000 of these sums were returned to CRTM Mauritius and
related notes cancelled. On 2 August 2022, following CRTM Mauritius'
agreement, MO amended and restated the MO CLN Instrument to inter alia amend
the long stop date.

 

A condition for the advancement of the Success Fee was that it was immediately
advanced to Miniere Shaba SARLU (to be renamed MO RDC SARLU) ("Miniere Shaba")
as a loan ("Closing Loan") and Miniere Shaba to use such sums to settle the
Consideration (as defined below). On 2 August 2022, MO entered into a facility
agreement with Miniere Shaba, capturing the terms of the existing debt between
these companies and the terms of the Closing Loan and any further sums
advanced from MO to Miniere Shaba, which would include the sums received under
the Drill Loan ("MO Facility Agreement").

 

As MO owes large sums to Ongeza Mining Limited ("Ongeza") and Baobab Asset
Management LLC ("Baobab"), which MO is currently unable to repay, CRTM
Mauritius, Miniere Shaba SARL, Madini Minerals, the Company, Ongeza, Russell
Fryer and Baobab entered into an intercreditor agreement on 2 August 2022
pursuant to which a standstill was agreed along with an order of repayment.

 

On 2 August 2022, MO also entered into an operating agreement with Ongeza.
Ongeza is a subsidiary of Madini Minerals. Subject to Re-Admission, MO has
appointed Ongeza to perform certain project management services in connection
with the Molulu Project.

 

On 2 August 2022, MO acquired through Minière Shaba an interest in 70 percent
of the shares of Amani Minerals Katanga SARL ("AMK"), the Congolese vehicle
holding the Mining Licence, for a consideration of US$ 300,000
("Consideration"). The remaining 30 percent of AMK is held by its founding
shareholders, being Congolese individuals. On the same day, AMK was
recapitalized to bring its share capital to US$ 20,000, before being
transformed into a company limited by shares (société anonyme or SA). All
those operations are now in the process of being registered with the Congolese
One-Stop-Shop for the Creation of Enterprises (Guichet Unique de Création
d'Entreprises), which should be completed in the next few days.

 

A pledge over the shares of AMK held by Minière Shaba to the benefit of MO
was entered into on 3 August 2022. This pledge will secure the intercompany
debt of Minière Shaba towards MO, existing pursuant to the MO Facility
Agreement.

 

Further details regarding the agreements set out above are expected to be set
out in a prospectus which is anticipated to be published in the coming weeks.

 

Progress towards Re-Admission continues and the Company expects to be in a
position to update shareholders again in the near future.

 

Related Party Transaction

For the purposes of Chapter 11 of the Listing Rules, MO is a related party of
the Company due to the fact that Russell Fryer, CEO of Critical Metals, is a
director of MO and he currently holds a 50% equity interest in MO pursuant to
an investment of US$200,000 in 2018 and is beneficially interested in an
outstanding unsecured loan to MO of US$800,000 from Baobab which accrues
interest at 6 per cent. Per annum. The independent directors of the Company in
respect of the agreements entered into on 2 August 2022 set out above (the
"Agreements"), being Anthony Eastman and Marcus Edwards-Jones, have approved
the Company entering into the Agreements.

**ENDS**

 

For further information on the Company please visit www.criticalmetals.co.uk
(http://www.criticalmetals.co.uk) or contact:

 

 Russell Fryer                      Critical Metals plc                           Tel: +44 (0)20 7236 1177

 Rory Murphy / James Bellman        Strand Hanson Limited                         Tel: +44 (0)20 7409 3494

                                    Financial Adviser

 Lucy Williams /                    Peterhouse Capital Limited, Corporate Broker  Tel: +44 (0)20 7469 0936

 Heena Karani                                                                     Tel: +44 (0)20 7469 0933

 Catherine Leftley/Isabelle Morris  St Brides Partners Ltd,                       Tel: +44 (0)20 7236 1177

                                    Financial PR

 

About Critical Metals

Critical Metals was formed as an investment company and intends to make equity
investments into operators or near-term production operators within the
natural resources development and production sector in the continent of
Africa. It is envisaged that such acquisition or acquisitions will trigger a
reverse takeover in accordance with the listing rules. The Company intends to
search initially for acquisition opportunities in the natural resources sector
on known deposits and more specifically minerals that are perceived to have
strategic importance to future economic growth. Commodities such as antimony,
beryllium, cobalt, copper, fluorspar, gold, rare earth elements, tin,
tungsten, titanium, and vanadium have been identified by several governments
as "critical minerals" and so guaranteeing supplies is seen as a strategic
necessity. The Company therefore believes that the market conditions for these
minerals will remain strong in the short-to-long term.

 

Certain statements made in this announcement are forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements are not historical facts but rather are based
on the Company's current expectations, estimates, and projections about its
industry; its beliefs; and assumptions. Words such as 'anticipates,'
'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These
statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to known
and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond
the Company's control, are difficult to predict, and could cause actual
results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the
forward-looking statements. The Company cautions security holders and
prospective security holders not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, which reflect the view of the Company only as of
the date of this announcement. The forward-looking statements made in this
announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are
made. The Company will not undertake any obligation to release publicly any
revisions or updates to these forward-looking statements to reflect events,
circumstances, or unanticipated events occurring after the date of this
announcement except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory
authority.

 

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