REG - Horizonte Minerals - Updated Capex and Schedule Estimate

Horizonte MineralsAnnouncement

19/02/2024 17:00

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RNS Number : 6656D  Horizonte Minerals PLC  19 February 2024

NEWS
RELEASE

19 February 2024

 

HORIZONTE PROVIDES UPDATED CAPEX AND SCHEDULE ESTIMATE

 

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

 

·    Horizonte announces preliminary Cost-to-Complete estimate and
achievable schedule for Araguaia Line 1

·    Estimate prepared by specialized mining construction and engineering
firm G Mining Services

·    Graham Crew appointed as interim Chief Operating Officer (iCOO)

·    Actively engaging existing and new potential investors on a full
financing solution

 

Horizonte Minerals Plc (AIM/TSX: HZM) ("Horizonte" or the "Company") announces
the preliminary results of a review of the Cost-to-Complete ("CTC") estimate
and schedule for its 100%-owned Araguaia Nickel Project ("Araguaia" or "the
Project"). The preliminary results of the review indicate that the estimated
capital required to complete the construction of Araguaia, commission the
project and deliver first metal is approximately US$454 million. As a result,
the Estimate at Completion ("EAC") currently stands at US$1,004 million,
approximately 87% higher than the previously disclosed capex budget of US$537
million (prior to October 2023). The Company anticipates achieving mechanical
completion in Q1 2026.

 

G Mining Services ("GMS"), a specialized mining construction and engineering
firm, were engaged by the Company to undertake the review process, delivering
the re-estimated CTC and achievable schedule estimates. GMS is currently
constructing the Tocantinzinho gold project located in Pará state and have
notable accomplishments in the successful construction of other mining
projects including Lundin Gold's Fruta del Norte Project in Ecuador, Newmont
Mining's Merian Mine in Suriname and IAMGOLD's Greenstone project in Ontario.

 

The Company will continue to work closely with its major shareholders and
senior lenders on a full funding solution, targeted for Q2 2024. As part of
these conversations and given the increase in the CTC estimate, discussions to
restructure the Company's debt facilities are being held in conjunction with
actively engaging existing and new potential investors. The Company notes that
additional interim funding will be required to implement such full funding
solution.

 

 

Interim CEO Karim Nasr commented,

 

"Since our last update, a significant volume of work has been completed to
develop a new Project Execution Plan, develop a realistic mine plan and
business plan, all while continuing to proactively engage with the Company's
cornerstone shareholders, senior lenders, vendors and contractors as well as
the community and local authorities.

 

"While the new Cost-to-Complete is higher than previously announced by the
company, it is now built on solid methodologies, which is a testament to the
hard work undertaken to date by the whole Horizonte team. The Company is
pleased to partner with G Mining Services, who have a track record of success
in the region and are currently building the Tocantinzinho project with G
Mining Ventures in Para state. The Company is now in a position to properly
assess its ability to finance and complete the Araguaia Nickel Project (Line
1) and bring it into production.

 

"It is important to note that while completing the Cost-to-Complete estimate
is a significant milestone, resuming and completing construction activities at
Araguaia are still subject to the successful completion of a full financing
solution, which the company will seek to develop in the coming weeks, but with
no guarantee of success. Further, the CTC estimate is the capital required to
complete the construction of Araguaia, commission the project and deliver
first metal. The final financing amount will be higher and will depend on a
variety of factors including discussions with Senior Lenders, suppliers,
cornerstone investors and other third parties."

 

 

BASIS OF COST TO COMPLETE ("CTC") ESTIMATE

 

Based on the work to date, a total of around 4.7 million work-hours are
required to finish construction of Araguaia Line 1. The current optimized plan
assumes a smaller workforce which drives a revised construction schedule of
approximately 18 months.

 

The EAC currently stands at US$1,004 million, of which a total of US$479
million has been spent up to the end of 2023, US$52 million is outstanding to
trade creditors, US$15 million for critical activities during the slowdown
period and US$4 million pre-first metal mining costs, resulting in a CTC of
US$454 million. The capex estimate includes all the direct and indirect costs,
local taxes and duties and US$54 million contingency deemed to be required to
complete the construction of Line 1, commission the project and deliver first
metal. This estimate is based on the Association for the Advancement of Cost
Engineering (AACE) Class 3 standard, with an accuracy range between -10% and
+30%, of the final project cost. The Company intends to work with GMS over the
refinancing period to refine this to a control estimate, AACE Class 1 with an
accuracy range of -3% to +15%.

 

The costs for these items have been derived from vendor quotes for the
equipment and materials. The capex estimate is after tax, including growth and
contingency and excluding escalation. The CTC excludes the owner's costs
incurred during the slow-down phase between 10 November 2023 and June 2024,
which are being funded with current cash and the aforementioned additional
interim funding requirement. The CTC also excludes working capital,
capitalized ramp-up costs and financing costs which will be included in the
full funding solution.

 

 

SCHEDULE ESTIMATE

 

The project schedule has been re-estimated by GMS following a complete review
of the quantities remaining, the procurement packages and logistics, and
re-estimation of the work-hours required to complete construction and
commissioning. GMS have been working with key equipment suppliers including
Hatch Ltd and FLSmidth to fully assess the remaining work. The current project
schedule estimate anticipates approximately 18 months of construction from
re-mobilisation to the projected first metal date. Remobilisation is currently
planned for Q3-2024 with a first metal date of Q1-2026, subject to successful
refinancing and restart decision.

 

One of the key inputs for the new schedule was the productivity assumptions
that drive the estimated progress for the principal project workstreams. GMS
provided updated productivity figures based on their experience at the
Tocantinzinho gold project located in Pará state, Brazil and therefore has
recent, first-hand experience of achievable productivity rates for the main
trades.

 

Further, as part of the review exercise, the Company reviewed the production
ramp-up schedule and associated working capital and capitalized operating
costs requirements. The original schedule assumed a 12-month ramp up to
nameplate capacity; while achievable, this was considered to be a best-case
scenario and has since been replaced by a more conservative 18-month ramp-up.

 

 

PROJECT EXECUTION PLAN

 

GMS have also re-developed the Project Execution Plan (PEP) as a self-perform
model as employed at Tocantinzinho and other projects GMS have been involved
in. Under this model the Company will directly employ the owner's team and
construction employees with expertise and support from GMS. GMS employees
brought into the project will be seconded directly to Araguaia Nickel Project
with objectives, salaries and any incentives set and paid by the Company.

 

The benefits of this model include a simplified management structure, a
reduction in the number of contractors and consultants, and full alignment of
the owner's team and construction team. Specialist contractors and OEMs will
continue to be critically important partners in the project execution.

 

 

SENIOR MANAGEMENT CHANGES

 

Maryse Bélanger, interim Chief Operating Officer ("COO") of the Company will
step down as COO effective 21 February 2024, following a period of handover to
Graham Crew, who is appointed as new interim COO. The Company wishes to thank
Mrs. Belanger for her invaluable assistance in this challenging period.

 

Mr Crew was Chief Technical Officer of La Mancha Resource Capital LLP ("La
Mancha"), which advises La Mancha Resource Fund SCSp, one of the Company's
major shareholders. Mr Crew has been on a period of secondment to the Company
in recent months having stepped down from his day-to-day executive role within
La Mancha. He was previously a Non-executive Director at Golden Star Resources
Limited before becoming Chief Operating Officer. He has extensive operational
experience in Australia, Africa and Asia and was previously Operations Manager
for La Mancha Resources Australia, including the development and construction
and ramp up of the Mungari processing facility, prior to the divestment of
those assets to Evolution Mining.  He began his career with Western Mining
Corporation at Olympic Dam and Leinster Nickel Operations. He holds a B.Eng
(Mining Engineering) from the West Australian School of Mines, is a Member of
the Australian institute of Corporate Directors and a Fellow of the
Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy.

 

 

Completion of construction activities at Araguaia will be subject to
successful completion of a full financing solution in 2024. There can be no
certainty at this stage that the full financing solution will be achieved and
further updates will be provided in due course.

 

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
(http://www.horizonteminerals.com) or contact:

 

 Horizonte Minerals plc                                info@horizonteminerals.com (mailto:info@horizonteminerals.com)

 Patrick Chambers (Head of IR)                         +44 (0) 203 356 2901

 Peel Hunt LLP (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker)      +44 (0) 20 7418 8900

 Ross Allister

 David McKeown

 Bhavesh Patel

 BMO (Joint Broker)                                    +44 (0) 20 7236 1010

 Thomas Rider

 Pascal Lussier Duquette

 Andrew Cameron

 Barclays (Joint Broker)                               +44 (0) 20 7623 2323

 Philip Lindop

 Richard Bassingthwaighte

 

 

ABOUT HORIZONTE MINERALS

Horizonte Minerals Plc (AIM/TSX: HZM) is developing two 100%-owned, Tier 1
projects in Pará state, Brazil - the Araguaia Nickel Project and the Vermelho
Nickel-Cobalt Project. Both projects are high-grade, low-cost, with low carbon
emission intensities and are scalable. Araguaia is under construction and when
fully ramped up with both Line 1 and Line 2, is forecast to produce 29,000
tonnes of nickel per year. Vermelho is at feasibility study stage. Horizonte's
combined production profile of over 60,000 tonnes of nickel per year positions
the Company as a globally significant nickel producer. Horizonte's top three
shareholders are La Mancha Investments S.à r.l., Glencore Plc and Orion Mine
Finance.

 

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.

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