Successful Placing To Raise AUD 670,000

RNS Number : 3744Z

European Metals Holdings Limited

10 January 2020

 

For immediate release

10 JANUARY 2020

EUROPEAN METALS HOLDINGS LIMITED

SUCCESSFUL PLACING TO RAISE ~AUD 670,000

European Metals Holdings Limited ("European Metals" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has raised gross proceeds of GBP £350,000 via a share placing ("Placing") to UK investors.

The Placing issue price of 15.25 pence per share (~AUD 0.293) represents an approximate 1.6% percent discount to the closing AIM price on 8 January 2020. A total of 2,295,080 new ordinary shares of no par value ("Ordinary Shares") in European Metals have been placed with new and existing investors ("Placing Shares"), by way of the issue of depositary interests representing Placing Shares ("Depositary Interests").

Use of Proceeds

The net Placing proceeds will be used to continue to advance European Metal's corporate strategy including:

·        To progress the development of the Cinovec Project; and

·        Finalise the proposed investment by CEZ Group.

The Placing is intended to allow the Company to continue to develop the Cinovec Project with the greatest degree of flexibility whilst the CEZ Group finalises an investment decision (see Funding Agreement and Potential Partnership announcement dated 16 July 2019, AGM Notice dated 5 December 2019 and AGM Results announced 20 December 2019).  The Company announced a three month extension to the timetable of the proposed transaction with CEZ to 31 March 2020 (See Potential Strategic Partnership with CEZ And Significant Investment into Cinovec Project announcement dated 20 November 2020).

This Placing will enable the Company to continue with development plans given this extension.

The Company is in the process of planning the Definitive Feasibility Study, particularly the planning of the detailed engineering and further drilling enabled by the extension of the exploration permit as announced to the market on 5 August 2019.

European Metals Managing Director, Keith Coughlan said "Following the announcement of the three-month extension to the timeline of the proposed CEZ transaction, we have received further funding proposals from equity investors. The Board felt it prudent to take the opportunity to strengthen the balance sheet whilst concluding these discussions.

With the approval of shareholders now received at the recent EGM, we look forward to concluding the proposed investment by CEZ as we believe their participation in the Project will be beneficial for all stakeholders."

Admission and Settlement

The Placing is conditional upon the terms of a placing agreement with Shard Capital Partners LLP and the Placing Shares being admitted to trading on AIM and ASX

Application will be made for the admission to trading on AIM and ASX of the Placing Shares ("Admission"). Admission is expected to occur at 8:00am on 23 January 2020 (UK time), at which time it is also expected that the Depositary Interests will be enabled for settlement in CREST and CHESS. The Placing Shares will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares in European Metals.

Total voting rights

Following Admission, the Company will have 153,103,973 Ordinary Shares in issue. There are no shares held in treasury. The total voting rights in the Company are therefore 153,103,973 and shareholders may use this figure as the denominator by which they are required to notify their interest in, or change to their interest in, the Company under the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON CINOVEC

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Cinovec Lithium/Tin Project

European Metals, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Geomet s.r.o., controls the mineral exploration licenses awarded by the Czech State over the Cinovec Lithium/Tin Project. Cinovec hosts a globally significant hard rock lithium deposit with a total Indicated Mineral Resource of 372.4Mt at 0.45% Li₂O and 0.04% Sn and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 323.5Mt at 0.39% Li₂O and 0.04% Sn containing a combined 7.22 million tonnes Lithium Carbonate Equivalent and 263kt of tin reported 28 November 2017 (Further Increase in Indicated Resource at Cinovec South). An initial Probable Ore Reserve of 34.5Mt at 0.65% Li₂O and 0.09% Sn reported 4 July 2017 (Cinovec Maiden Ore Reserve - Further Information) has been declared to cover the first 20 years mining at an output of 22,500tpa of lithium carbonate reported 11 July 2018 (Cinovec Production Modelled to Increase to 22,500tpa of Lithium Carbonate).

This makes Cinovec the largest lithium deposit in Europe, the fourth largest non-brine deposit in the world and a globally significant tin resource.

The deposit has previously had over 400,000 tonnes of ore mined as a trial sub-level open stope underground mining operation.

In June 2019 EMH completed an updated Preliminary Feasibility Study, conducted by specialist independent consultants, which indicated a return post tax NPV of USD1.108B and an IRR of 28.8%  and confirmed that the Cinovec Project is  a potential low operating cost, producer of battery grade lithium hydroxide or battery grade lithium carbonate as markets demand. It confirmed the deposit is amenable to bulk underground mining. Metallurgical test-work has produced both battery grade lithium hydroxide and battery grade lithium carbonate in addition to high-grade tin concentrate at excellent recoveries. Cinovec is centrally located for European end-users and is well serviced by infrastructure, with a sealed road adjacent to the deposit, rail lines located 5 km north and 8 km south of the deposit and an active 22 kV transmission line running to the historic mine. As the deposit lies in an active mining region, it has strong community support.

The economic viability of Cinovec has been enhanced by the recent strong increase in demand for lithium globally, and within Europe specifically.

There are no other material changes to the original information and all the material assumptions continue to apply to the forecasts.

CONTACT

For further information on this update or the Company generally, please visit our website at www.europeanmet.com or see full contact details at the end of this release.

COMPETENT PERSON

Information in this release that relates to exploration results is based on information compiled by Dr Pavel Reichl. Dr Reichl is a Certified Professional Geologist (certified by the American Institute of Professional Geologists), a member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists, a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists and is a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and a Qualified Person for the purposes of the AIM Guidance Note on Mining and Oil & Gas Companies dated June 2009. Dr Reichl consents to the inclusion in the release of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Dr Reichl holds CDIs in European Metals.

The information in this release that relates to Mineral Resources and Exploration Targets has been compiled by Mr Lynn Widenbar. Mr Widenbar, who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, is a full time employee of Widenbar and Associates and produced the estimate based on data and geological information supplied by European Metals. Mr Widenbar has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity that he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Minerals Resources and Ore Reserves. Mr Widenbar consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context that the information appears.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Information included in this release constitutes forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "continue", and "guidance", or other similar words and may include, without limitation, statements regarding plans, strategies and objectives of management, anticipated production or construction commencement dates and expected costs or production outputs.

Forward looking statements inherently involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the company's actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements. Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and general economic conditions, increased costs and demand for production inputs, the speculative nature of exploration and project development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licences and permits and diminishing quantities or grades of reserves, political and social risks, changes to the regulatory framework within which the company operates or may in the future operate, environmental conditions including extreme weather conditions, recruitment and retention of personnel, industrial relations issues and litigation.

Forward looking statements are based on the company and its management's good faith assumptions relating to the financial, market, regulatory and other relevant environments that will exist and affect the company's business and operations in the future. The company does not give any assurance that the assumptions on which forward looking statements are based will prove to be correct, or that the company's business or operations will not be affected in any material manner by these or other factors not foreseen or foreseeable by the company or management or beyond the company's control.

Although the company attempts and has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that could cause actual results, performance, achievements or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and many events are beyond the reasonable control of the company. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Forward looking statements in these materials speak only at the date of issue. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange listing rules, in providing this information the company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward looking statements or to advise of any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

LITHIUM CLASSIFICATION AND CONVERSION FACTORS

Lithium grades are normally presented in percentages or parts per million (ppm). Grades of deposits are also expressed as lithium compounds in percentages, for example as a percent lithium oxide (Li₂O) content or percent lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) content.

Lithium carbonate equivalent ("LCE") is the industry standard terminology for, and is equivalent to, Li₂CO₃. Use of LCE is to provide data comparable with industry reports and is the total equivalent amount of lithium carbonate, assuming the lithium content in the deposit is converted to lithium carbonate, using the conversion rates in the table included below to get an equivalent Li₂CO₃ value in percent. Use of LCE assumes 100% recovery and no process losses in the extraction of Li₂CO₃ from the deposit.

Lithium resources and reserves are usually presented in tonnes of LCE or Li.

The standard conversion factors are set out in the table below:

Table: Conversion Factors for Lithium Compounds and Minerals

Convert from		Convert to Li	Convert to Li2O	Convert to Li2CO3
Lithium	Li	1.000	2.153	5.324
Lithium Oxide	Li2O	0.464	1.000	2.473
Lithium Carbonate	Li2CO3	0.188	0.404	1.000
Lithium Hydroxide	LiOH.H2O	0.165	0.356	0.880

WEBSITE

A copy of this announcement is available from the Company's website at www.europeanmet.com.

ENQUIRIES:

European Metals Holdings Limited Keith Coughlan, Managing Director Kiran Morzaria, Non-Executive Director Julia Beckett, Company Secretary	Tel: [phone] Email: [e-mail] Tel: [phone] Tel: [phone] Email: [e-mail]
Beaumont Cornish (Nomad & Broker) Michael Cornish Roland Cornish	Tel: [phone] Email: [e-mail]
Shard Capital (Joint Broker) Damon Health Erik Woolgar	Tel:  [phone]
Blytheweigh (Financial PR) Tim Blythe Megan Ray	Tel: [phone]

The information contained within this announcement is considered to be inside information, for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014, prior to its release. 

The person who authorised for the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company was Keith Coughlan, Managing Director.

 

END

 

 

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