Director/PDMR Shareholding

RNS Number : 0473V

Ariana Resources PLC

09 December 2021

 

9 December 2021

AIM: AAU

Director/PDMR Shareholdings

Total Voting Rights

Ariana Resources plc ("Ariana" or "the Company"), the AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company with interests in gold mining operations in Europe, announces that it has been informed of the following transaction:

-  on 8 December 2021, Michael de Villiers, Chairman, was issued and allotted with 2,000,000 new ordinary shares in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") at the price of 1.55p per share pursuant to an exercise of options under the Ariana Resources PLC 2018 Share Option Plan.  Application will be made for the new Ordinary Shares, which will rank pari passu with all existing Ordinary Shares, to be admitted to trading on AIM ("Admission").  Admission is expected on or around 14 December 2021. 

Accordingly the holding of Mr de Villiers is now 63,000,000 Ordinary Shares in the Company, representing a percentage holding of 5.74% of the increased share capital as set out below.

As a result of these transactions, the total number of ordinary 0.1p shares in issue now stands at 1,096,677,943 and the total number of voting rights in the Company is therefore 1,096,677,943.

The above figure of 1,096,677,943 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculation by which they may determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or change to their interest in, the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

The following information relating to the transaction has been filed with the FCA in accordance with the UK Market Abuse Regulation

Michael de Villiers

1	Details ofthe person discharging  managerial  responsibilities  /  person  closely associated
a)	Name	Michael de Villiers
2	Reason for notification
a)	Position / status	Chairman
b)	I nitial notification /Amendment	Initial
3	Detailsoftheissuer, emissionallowancemarketparticipant,auctionplatform, auctioneerorauctionmonitor
a)	Name	Ariana Resources plc
b)	LEI	213800LVVY7GZY21LH22
4	Detailsofthetransaction(s): sectiontoberepeatedfor(i)eachtypeofinstrument; (ii)eachtypeoftransaction;(iii)eachdate;and(iv)eachplace wheretransactions havebeenconducted
a)	Description  of  the financial instrument, type ofinstrument I d e ntification code	Ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in Ariana Resources plc ISIN GB00B085SD50
	Nature of the transactions	-  exercise of options
c)	Price(s) and volumes(s)	Price(s) - exercise Volumes(s) 1.55 pence 2,000,000
d)	Aggregated information	n/a
e)	Date of the transaction	8 December 2021
f)	Place of the transaction	Off market

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the UK Market Abuse Regulation.

Contacts:

Ariana Resources plc	Tel: [phone]
Michael de Villiers, Chairman
Kerim Sener, Managing Director
Beaumont Cornish Limited	Tel: [phone]
Roland Cornish / Felicity Geidt
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited	Tel: [phone]
Atholl Tweedie / James Stearns
Yellow Jersey PR Limited	Tel: [phone]
Dom Barretto / Henry Wilkinson / Matthew McHale	[e-mail]

Editors' Note:

About Ariana Resources:

Ariana is an AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company with an exceptional track-record of creating value for its shareholders through its interests in active mining projects and investments in exploration companies. Its current interests include gold production in Turkey and copper-gold exploration and development projects in Cyprus and Kosovo. 

The Company holds 23.5% interest in Zenit Madencilik San. ve Tic. A.S. a joint venture with Ozaltin Holding A.S. and Proccea Construction Co. in Turkey which contains a depleted total of c. 2.1 million ounces of gold and other metals (as at July 2020). The joint venture comprises the Kiziltepe Mine and the Tavsan and Salinbas projects. 

The Kiziltepe Gold-Silver Mine is located in western Turkey and contains a depleted JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 227,000 ounces gold and 3.7 million ounces silver (as at April 2020). The mine has been in profitable production since 2017 and is expected to produce at a rate of c. 20,000 ounces of gold per annum to at least the mid-2020s. A Net Smelter Return ("NSR") royalty of 2.5% on production is being paid to Franco-Nevada Corporation.

The Tavsan Gold Project is located in western Turkey and contains a JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 253,000 ounces gold and 0.7 million ounces silver (as at June 2020). The project is being progressed through permitting and an Environmental Impact Assessment, with the intention of developing the site to become the second joint venture gold mining operation. A NSR royalty of up to 2% on future production is payable to Sandstorm Gold. 

The Salinbas Gold Project is located in north-eastern Turkey and contains a JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 1.5 million ounces of gold (as at July 2020). It is located within the multi-million ounce Artvin Goldfield, which contains the "Hot Gold Corridor" comprising several significant gold-copper projects including the 4 million ounce Hot Maden project, which lies 16km to the south of Salinbas. A NSR royalty of up to 2% on future production is payable to Eldorado Gold Corporation.

Ariana owns 75% of Western Tethyan Resources Ltd ("WTR"), which operates across Eastern Europe and is based in Pristina, Republic of Kosovo.  The company is targeting its exploration on major copper-gold deposits across the porphyry-epithermal transition.

Ariana owns 50% of UK-registered Venus Minerals Ltd ("Venus") which is focused on the exploration and development of copper-gold assets in Cyprus which contain a combined JORC Inferred Resource of 9.5Mt @ 0.65% copper (excluding additional gold, silver and zinc).

Ariana operates its wholly-owned Asgard Metals Fund ("Asgard"), as part of the Company's proprietary Project Catalyst Strategy. The Fund will be focused on investments in high-value potential, discovery-stage mineral exploration companies located across the Eastern Hemisphere and within easy reach of Ariana's operational hubs in Australia, Turkey and the UK.

Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited is broker to the Company and Beaumont Cornish Limited is the Company's Nominated Adviser and Broker.

For further information on Ariana you are invited to visit the Company's website at www.arianaresources.com .

Ends.

 

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