REG-ECR Minerals plc Convertible Loan Facility <Origin Href="QuoteRef">ECRE.L</Origin>

ECR MineralsAnnouncement

24/11/2014 14:00

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LONDON--(Business Wire)--


ECR MINERALS plc

("ECR Minerals", "ECR" or the "Company") 

AIM: ECR 

US OTC: MTGDY 

CONVERTIBLE LOAN FACILITY

LONDON: 3 SEPTEMBER 2014 - ECR Minerals plc is pleased to announce that it has
entered into an agreement in relation to a convertible loan facility (the
"Facility") of up to US$10 million to be made available by YA Global Master SPV
Ltd (the "Investor"), an investment fund managed by Yorkville Advisors Global,
LP. The Facility, which will be available to the Company for 3 years, provides
for an initial loan tranche of principal amount US$1.5 million (the "Initial
Tranche") to be drawn down immediately by ECR, and for future tranches up to an
aggregate principal amount of US$10 million. Neither the Company nor the
Investor is under any obligation to agree to any loan beyond the Initial
Tranche. 

ECR intends to deploy the net proceeds of US$1,371,000 (before any bank charges)
from the Initial Tranche primarily in connection with its gold exploration
interests, namely the Itogon gold project in the Philippines and the SLM gold
project in Argentina, as well as to support the other activities of the Company.
Drilling is expected to recommence at the Itogon project during Q4 2014, and
sampling at surface is ongoing. At the SLM project, surface sampling and
detailed geological mapping is underway. Material results of activities at both
projects will be reported as and when they become available. ECR may also use
part of the proceeds of the Initial Tranche to take advantage of one or more
additional investment opportunities which are under review, although there is no
certainty that any of these will progress to the stage of actual investment. 

Stephen Clayson, Chief Executive Officer of ECR, commented:

"This agreement represents ECR`s first new financing in almost a year, and since
our last funding the Company`s position has improved in leaps and bounds. ECR
now has interests in two exciting gold projects, both of which have seen
significant exploration work completed in recent months, with encouraging
results. 

Moreover, carefully considered activities are continuing on the ground, with the
objective of advancing both projects and thus creating value for ECR
shareholders. The funding announced today will enable this operational momentum
to be sustained, as well as allowing the Company to act, if appropriate, upon
additional opportunities. 

The terms of the Facility are complementary to ECR`s financing strategy, which
seeks to ensure that funds are available for meaningful operations and that the
Company has flexibility to respond to evolving circumstances." 

Principal Terms of the Loan Facility

The outstanding principal amount of a tranche (a "Loan") drawn down by ECR under
the Facility is convertible at the Investor`s option into ordinary shares of the
Company of 0.1p ("Ordinary Shares") on the following terms: (a) at 92.5% of the
average daily volume weighted average price (VWAP) of the Ordinary Shares during
the 10 trading days preceding the conversion date, conversion on this basis
being restricted to a maximum amount of US$250,000 per calendar month; or (b) at
£0.003735 (0.3735p) in the case of the Initial Tranche or 150% of the average
daily VWAP of the Ordinary Shares during the 5 trading days preceding drawdown
of any subsequent Loan, conversion on this basis being subject to no maximum
amount. 

On maturity of a Loan, which shall be 2 years from the date of drawdown
(extendable by up to 1 year at the option of the Investor) any outstanding
principal amount will be mandatorily converted to Ordinary Shares at the closing
price of the Ordinary Shares on or immediately prior to the maturity date.
Interest on the outstanding principal amount of a Loan will accrue at 10% per
annum, payable in Ordinary Shares at 92.5% of the average daily VWAP of the
Ordinary Shares during the 10 trading days prior to the interest payment date.
An implementation fee of 7.5% of the principal amount of each Loan is payable to
the Investor upon drawdown of the relevant Loan. 

The Company is entitled to prepay a Loan in cash, in whole or in part, by making
a payment to the Investor equal to the principal amount to be prepaid plus any
interest due and an additional amount of 10% of the principal amount to be
prepaid. The Facility provides for customary events of default, and following an
event of default the outstanding principal amount of a Loan plus interest may in
certain circumstances become immediately due and payable in cash. If an event of
default has been continuing for at least 30 calendar days, the outstanding
principal amount of a Loan may at the Investor`s option be converted in whole or
in part to Ordinary Shares at 80% of the VWAP of the Ordinary Shares for the 5
trading days preceding the date of such a conversion. 

In the event that the 30 day moving average closing price of the Ordinary Shares
falls below the nominal value of an Ordinary Share for a period of 5 consecutive
trading days, the outstanding principal amount of a Loan shall become repayable
in cash on a monthly basis over the remaining term of the Loan, with interest
also payable in cash. If the closing price of the Ordinary Shares were to
subsequently cease to be less than the nominal value of an Ordinary Share for a
period of 10 consecutive trading days, the monthly cash repayments would no
longer be required and the Loan would revert to being convertible into Ordinary
Shares on the prior terms. 

With respect to the Initial Tranche, the Investor has received 94,500,000
warrants, each exercisable to acquire one Ordinary Share for a price of £0.003
(0.3p) and valid for 3 years. In connection with any subsequent Loan, the
Investor will receive a quantity of warrants equal to 25% of the principal
amount of such Loan (converted to £) divided by the closing price of the
Ordinary Shares on the trading day prior to the date of drawdown, each warrant
to be valid for 3 years and exercisable to acquire one Ordinary Share for a
price equal to 125% of the VWAP of the Ordinary Shares on the trading day prior
to the date of drawdown. 

The Investor and its affiliates, associates, partners and insiders are
prohibited under the terms of the Loan Facility from holding a net short
position in respect of Ordinary Shares at any time, and from assisting or
enabling any other person to do so (including by the lending of Ordinary
Shares). 

ABOUT ECR

ECR is a mineral exploration and development company with, among other
interests, the right to earn a 50% interest in the Itogon gold project in the
Philippines. Itogon is an advanced exploration project located in a gold and
copper mining district on the island of Luzon in the north of the Philippines. 

ECR has a 100% interest in the Sierra de las Minas gold project in La Rioja
Province, Argentina, the exploration strategy for which is to delineate multiple
medium to high grade, low tonnage deposits suitable for advancement to
production on a relatively low capital, near term basis. 

ECR holds a substantial minority stake in THEMAC Resources Group Ltd (TSX-V:
MAC), which is focused on the development of the Copper Flat
copper-molybdenum-gold-silver porphyry project in New Mexico, USA. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: 
 
 ECR Minerals plc                                       Tel: +44 (0)20 7929 1010    
 Paul Johnson, Non-Executive Chairman                                               
 Stephen Clayson, Director & Chief Executive Officer                                
 Richard (Dick) Watts, Technical Director                                           
                                                                                    
 Email: info@ecrminerals.com                                                        
 Website: www.ecrminerals.com                                                       
                                                                                    
 Daniel Stewart & Company plc                           Tel: +44 (0)20 7776 6550    
 Emma Earl/Harrison Clarke (Nominated Adviser)                                      
 Colin Rowbury (Broker)                                                             
                                                                                    
 Yorkville Advisors                                     Tel: +44 (0)20 3463 4945    
 Brian Kinane                                                                       
                                                                                    
 
 
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This announcement may include forward looking statements. Such statements may be
subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current
expectations. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be
accurate and therefore actual results and future events could differ materially
from those anticipated in such statements. 

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking
statements. Any forward looking statements contained herein speak only as of the
date hereof (unless stated otherwise) and, except as may be required by
applicable laws or regulations (including the AIM Rules for Companies), the
Company disclaims any obligation to update or modify such forward looking
statements as a result of new information, future events or for any other
reason. 
 
ECR Minerals plc 

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