July 7, 2016 - Vancouver, B.C. - Northern Vertex Mining Corp. (TSX.V:NEE) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has obtained credit approval from Macquarie Bank Limited ("Macquarie Bank") to provide a project finance facility of up to US$20 million (the "Macquarie Facility") to be used to fund projected development costs of the Company's 100% owned Moss Gold-Silver Project (the "Project") in north-west Arizona. The Macquarie Facility contemplates a separate and complementary equipment finance facility (the "Equipment Facility") of up to US$6.5 million, to be negotiated with arms-length third parties in parallel with the Macquarie Facility. The Macquarie Facility and the Equipment Facility would together provide up to US$26.5 million towards the estimated pre-production capital and financing costs of the US$33.0 million required to construct the planned 5,000 tonnes per day, open pit, heap leach, gold-silver mine at the Company's Moss Mine site.
Dick Whittington, President and CEO states: "Macquarie credit approval is yet another key milestone in getting our Moss Gold-Silver Project financed and built. Credit approval of the Macquarie Facility provides a strong vote of confidence in the Moss Mine Project for our shareholders and our host communities in Arizona. This is a major step forward for the Company as we seek to advance the Moss Mine Project to production."
The Macquarie credit-approved Term Sheet and Engagement Letter set out detailed terms and conditions, which include:
- Facility Amount & Prepayment - up to US$20 million structured as a US dollar loan that can be prepaid at any time without penalty.
- Interest Rate -- LIBOR plus 8.75%.
- Hedging -- forward contracts expected to represent less than 15% of current measured and indicated resources at current metal prices.
- Bridge Loan -- credit approval and commitments for a Bridge Loan will be concurrently pursued during the approval process for obtaining a final commitment letter and/or completion of final loan documentation for the Macquarie Facility. The Bridge Loan is not part of the credit approved Macquarie Facility at this time.
- Warrants -- 400,000 transferable 3-year warrants to be issued on execution of formal commitment letter or definitive lending agreement, priced at 30% premium to the lesser of (a) the Company's 20-day VWAP at that time, and (b) the Company's most recent placement price. The warrants will be subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval.
- Security - will include a first charge over the Project assets and completion guarantees from Northern Vertex. The security package for the Macquarie Facility will provide for second ranking security over the equipment to be financed by the Equipment Facility.
- Costs - The Engagement Letter contains customary break fees and payment of lender costs.
Drawdown of the Macquarie Facility is subject to a number of conditions including additional legal and technical due diligence, delivery of a formal commitment from Macquarie to provide the Macquarie Facility in the form of a committed offer letter or final documentation for the Macquarie Facility, obtaining all required permits, securing sufficient equity to fully fund the Project, and customary corporate approvals of final documentation. The Company looks forward to updating shareholders on milestones and ultimate satisfaction of these conditions over the coming months.
About Northern Vertex: Northern Vertex Mining Corp. is a Canadian based exploration and mining company focused on the reactivation of its 100% owned Moss Mine Gold-Silver Project located in NW Arizona, USA. The Moss Mine Gold-Silver Project is an epithermal, brecciated, low sulphidation quartz-calcite vein and stockwork system which extends over a strike length of 1,400 meters and has been drill tested to depths of 370 meters below surface. It is a potential heap leach, open-pit project that has been advanced to the Feasibility Study stage to ensure that technical, economic, permitting and funding requirements are met prior to proceeding with the development of the mine. The Company's management comprises an experienced management team with a strong background in all aspects of acquisition, exploration, development, operations and financing of mining projects worldwide. The Company is focused on working effectively and respectfully with our stakeholders in the vicinity of the historical Moss Mine and enhancing the capacity of the local communities in the area.
About Macquarie Bank: Macquarie Bank Limited is a global leader in providing finance to the resources sector. Macquarie Bank Limited is part of Macquarie Group, a global financial services provider with offices in 28 countries and expertise covering banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF NORTHERN VERTEX
"J.R.H. (Dick) Whittington"
President & CEO
For further information, please visit www.northernvertex.com
or contact Investor Relations at: 604-601-3656 or at 1-855-633-8798.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements:The information in this news release has been prepared as at July 7, 2016. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms.
Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. In particular, there are many inherent risks that the loans contemplated by the Macquarie Credit Approved Term Sheet, that is the subject of this news release, may never be consummated. These risks include the potential inability or unwillingness of Northern Vertex to meet the numerous conditions contained in the credit approved term sheet such as securing relevant construction and other project permits, the borrowers' securing sufficient additional equity to complete the Project, provision of corporate guarantees by Northern Vertex, Macquarie credit committee final commitment approval and other factors beyond the control of Northern Vertex. There can be no assurance given that the debt financing can be secured on the indicated terms or on any other terms. US investors should be aware that mining terminology used for Canadian mineral project reporting purposes differs significantly from US terminology.
2016 number 12