Memorandum of Understanding
Bezant Resources PLC
06 May 2008
BEZANT RESOURCES PLC
('Bezant' or the 'Company')
Memorandum of Understanding ('MoU') signed to acquire up to
50 per cent. of prospective gold tenements in Tanzania
Highlights:
Bezant has signed a MoU to enable it to acquire up to a 50 per cent. interest in
certain Tanzanian tenements, via a two year earn-in arrangement, in return for
the immediate issue of two million new ordinary shares in Bezant and exploration
funding of US$800,000 (capped at US$100,000 per quarter).
Existing package of 9 highly prospective tenements, together with Prospecting
Licences covering 2,116 square kilometres.
Additional 3 applications lodged, for either new licenses or renewals, covering
a further 455 square kilometres.
Bezant will have full operational access at the tenements.
Bezant (AIM: BZT), the AIM listed exploration and development company with gold
and copper assets in the Philippines and gold assets in Tanzania, today
announces that it has signed a MoU, with Green Hill Mining Company Limited
('GHM') and Tanzania Mineral Exploration Company Limited ('TMEx'). The MoU
provides for Bezant to acquire up to a 50 per cent. interest in certain
Tanzanian tenements, held directly by either GHM or TMEx, and which are believed
to be prospective for gold (the 'Tenements').
Bezant has today issued two million new ordinary shares of 0.2 pence each
('Consideration Shares') to GHM and TMEx and has undertaken to contribute
funding of US$100,000 per quarter over a two year period (a maximum of
US$800,000 in aggregate) towards exploration activities on the Tenements, in
return for an initial 30 per cent. interest and the right to progressively
earn-in an interest of up to 50 per cent. Bezant will have full rights to any
mining information derived or compiled in relation to the Tenements during that
period and operational responsibility for exploration activities will be shared
equally between Bezant and GHM. GHM and TMEx are specifically obliged to ensure
that the Tenements remain in good standing.
Upon expiry of the initial two year earn-in period, Bezant may elect to either
withdraw from the Tenements (and the MoU) without incurring any further
liability or it may instead decide to continue exploration activity on the
Tenements, in which event the parties will seek to agree the basis upon which
the funding of such further exploration will occur.
The Consideration Shares, in which GHM and TMEx will together be interested,
will represent approximately 5.11 per cent. of Bezant's enlarged issued share
capital, will be fully paid and will rank pari passu with the Company's existing
ordinary shares of 0.2 pence each ('Ordinary Shares'). Following the issue of
the Consideration Shares, the Company's issued share capital will consist of
39,162,223 Ordinary Shares with voting rights. Bezant does not hold any Ordinary
Shares in Treasury.
Application will be made for admission of the Consideration Shares to trading on
AIM. It is expected that admission will take place and that dealings in the
Consideration Shares will commence on 9 May 2008.
The aforementioned figure of 39,162,223 Ordinary Shares may be used by
shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which
they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or change
to their interest in, the share capital of Bezant under the Financial Service
Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.
Details of the Tenements
The Tenements initially comprise 2 prospecting licences located in the Handeni
Morogoro Area and covering 202 square kilometres, plus 7 prospecting licences
located at Babati, Eyasi, Iringa, Mufindi and Rufuji covering some 1,914 square
kilometres. In addition, the Tenement package includes another 3 applications
(already lodged) for the renewal of or new prospecting licences applied for,
that cover approximately a further 455 square kilometres in total. Additional
tenements that are prospective for gold, may be added to the package of
Tenements (and thereby become subject to the MoU) at Bezant's election.
Gerry Nealon, Executive Chairman, today commented:
'I believe these initial Tenements could ultimately represent a significant
value adding gold asset to Bezant, in addition to our current work programmes in
Tanzania and at the Mankayan copper-gold project in the Philippines. First pass
reconnaissance work to date, including satellite imagery and airborne
geophysical surveys, has identified several drainages producing free gold.
Systematic heavy mineral drainage and rock sampling work is currently underway
at the tenements and I look forward to announcing further news from both
Tanzania and the Philippines during the remainder of 2008.'
For further information, please contact:
Gerry Nealon
Chairman, Bezant Resources Plc
Tel: +61 41 754 1873
Bernard Olivier
Executive Director, Bezant Resources Plc
Tel: +61 40 894 8182
James Harris / Matthew Chandler
Strand Partners Limited
Tel: +44 (0)20 7409 3494
Laurence Read
Threadneedle Communications (UK)
Email: Laurence.Read@threadneedlepr.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7936 9696
Mob: +44 (0)7979 955 923
or visit www.bezantresources.com
Notes for editors:
Bezant is focussing primarily on the copper and gold mineral sector, in order to
achieve maximum value for shareholders during the ongoing resources boom. The
company's core project remains the Mankayan copper/gold situated in the
Mankayan-Lepanto mining district of the Philippines, an area of established
copper and gold mining. The deposit is located approximately 240km north of
Manila and 6km east of the copper/gold mine owned and operated by Lepanto
Consolidated Mining. Since its discovery in the early 1970s, extensive drilling
(more than 45,000 metres in 48 holes) and metallurgical work has been undertaken
by Goldfields Asia Ltd, Pacific Falkon and others.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange