CORNISH METALS ANNOUNCES SALE
OF MACTUNG AND CANTUNG ROYALTIES
Vancouver, July 21, 2024
Cornish Metals Inc. (AIM/TSX-V: CUSN)
("Cornish Metals" or the "Company"), a mineral exploration and
development company focused on advancing its 100% owned and
permitted South Crofty tin project in Cornwall, United Kingdom, is
pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding agreement
(the "Agreement") with Elemental Altus Royalties Corp. ("Elemental
Altus") for the sale of the royalty interests that the Company
holds on the Mactung and Cantung tungsten projects located in
Northern Canada (together, the "Royalties") for a total cash
consideration of US$4,500,000 (the "Transaction").
Ken
Armstrong, Interim CEO and Director of Cornish Metals,
stated: "The sale of the Mactung and
Cantung royalties follows Cornish Metals' recently announced sale
of the Nickel King project and further demonstrates our priority
and focus on advancing the Company's wholly owned and fully
permitted South Crofty tin project, in the UK, towards commencement
of production in 2027."
Under the terms of the
Agreement:
· Elemental Altus will pay Cornish
Metals a cash payment of US$3,000,000 on the Transaction close
date.
· Elemental Altus will pay Cornish
Metals a cash payment of US$1,500,000 12 months following the
Transaction close date.
· Elemental Altus will enter into an
agreement with Teck Resources Limited ("Teck") and assume the
obligation to pay a C$1,500,000 deferred consideration to Teck on
the earlier of a development decision at Mactung or re-commencement
of commercial production at Cantung. The agreement with Teck is a
condition of closing.
The Royalties were acquired by the
Company in March 2016 for C$1,500,000 and consist of:
· The Mactung royalty: a 4% net smelter
returns royalty on the Mactung tungsten project, which straddles
the border between Yukon and Northwest Territories ("NWT"). The
Mactung project is an advanced stage exploration project owned by
Fireweed Metals Corp. One half of the Mactung Royalty may be
purchased by the property owner (to reduce the royalty to 2%) at
any time for C$2,500,000.
· The Cantung royalty: a 1% net smelter
returns royalty on the Cantung tungsten project, which is located
in western NWT. Cantung operated intermittently from 1962 until it
closed in 2015.
The Royalties have a book value of
nil.
ABOUT CORNISH METALS
Cornish Metals is a dual-listed
mineral exploration and development company (AIM and TSX-V: CUSN)
focused on advancing the South Crofty high-grade, underground tin
project through to a construction decision, as well as exploring
its additional mineral rights, located in Cornwall, United
Kingdom.
· South Crofty is a historical,
high-grade, underground tin mine that started production in 1592
and continued operating until 1998 following over 400 years of
continuous production;
· The Project possesses
Planning Permission for underground mining (valid to 2071), to
construct new processing facilities and all necessary site
infrastructure, and an Environmental Permit to dewater the
mine;
· South Crofty is one of the
highest grade tin Mineral Resources globally and benefits from
existing mine infrastructure including multiple shafts that can be
used for future operations;
· The 2024 Preliminary Economic
Assessment for South Crofty validates the Project's potential (see
news release dated April
30, 2024 and the Technical Report entitled
"South
Crofty PEA"):
o US$201 million after-tax NPV8%
and 29.8% IRR
o 3-year after-tax payback
o 4,700 tonnes average annual tin
production in years two through six
o Life of mine all-in sustaining cost of
US$13,660 /tonne of payable tin
o Total after-tax cash flow of US$626
million from start of production
· Tin is a Critical Mineral as
defined by the UK, American, and Canadian governments;
· Approximately two-thirds of
the tin mined today comes from China, Myanmar and
Indonesia;
· There is no primary tin
production in Europe or North America;
· Tin connects almost all
electronic and electrical infrastructure, making it critical to the
energy transition - responsible sourcing of critical minerals and
security of supply are key factors in the energy transition and
technology growth;
· South Crofty benefits from
strong local community, regional and national government
support.
· Cornish Metals has a growing
team of skilled people, local to Cornwall, and the Project could
generate up to 320 direct jobs.
The 2024 Preliminary Economic
Assessment for South Crofty is preliminary in nature and includes
inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative
geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them
that would enable them to be categorised as mineral reserves. There
is no certainty that the 2024 Preliminary Economic Assessment will
be realised. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not
have economic viability.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
This news release has been reviewed
and approved by Mr Owen Mihalop, MCSM, BSc (Hons), MSc, FGS, MIMMM,
CEng, Chief Operating Officer for Cornish Metals Inc. who is the designated Qualified Person under NI 43-101 and a
Competent Person as defined under the JORC Code (2012). Mr. Mihalop
consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based
on his information in the form and context in which it
appears.
ON
BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
"Kenneth A. Armstrong"
Kenneth A. Armstrong
P.Geo.
Engage with us directly at our
investor hub. Sign up at: https://investors.cornishmetals.com/link/NPwjpr
For additional information please
contact:
Cornish Metals
|
Fawzi Hanano
Irene Dorsman
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investors@cornishmetals.com
info@cornishmetals.com
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Tel: +1
(604) 200 6664
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SP
Angel Corporate Finance LLP
(Nominated Adviser & Joint
Broker)
|
Richard Morrison
Charlie Bouverat
Grant Barker
|
Tel: +44 203 470 0470
|
|
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Cavendish Capital Markets Limited
(Joint
Broker)
|
Derrick Lee
Neil McDonald
Leif Powis
|
Tel: +44 131 220 6939
Tel: +44 207 220 0500
|
|
|
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Hannam & Partners
(Financial
Adviser)
|
Matthew Hasson
Andrew Chubb
Jay Ashfield
|
cornish@hannam.partners
Tel: +44 207 907 8500
|
|
|
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BlytheRay
(Financial PR)
|
Tim Blythe
Megan Ray
|
tim.blythe@blytheray.com
megan.ray@blytheray.com
Tel: +44 207 138 3204
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Neither the 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.
Caution regarding forward
looking statements
This news release contains certain "forward-looking
information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively,
"forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include
predictions, projections, outlook, guidance, estimates and
forecasts and other statements regarding future plans and
operations, the realisation, cost, timing and extent of mineral
resource or mineral reserve estimates, estimation of commodity
prices, currency exchange rate fluctuations, estimated future
exploration expenditures, costs and timing of the development of
new deposits, success of exploration activities, permitting time
lines, requirements for additional capital and the Company's
ability to obtain financing when required and on terms acceptable
to the Company, future or estimated mine life and other
activities or achievements of Cornish Metals, including but not
limited to: mineralisation at South Crofty, mine dewatering and
construction requirements; the development, operational and
economic results of the preliminary economic assessment, including
cash flows, capital expenditures, development costs, extraction
rates, recovery rates, mining cost estimates and returns;
estimation of mineral resources; statements about the estimate of
mineral resources and production of minerals; magnitude or quality
of mineral deposits; anticipated advancement of the South Crofty
project mine plan; exploration potential and project growth
opportunities for the South Crofty tin project and other Cornwall
mineral properties, the Company's ability to evaluate and develop
the South Crofty tin project and other Cornwall mineral properties,
strategic vision of Cornish Metals and expectations regarding the
South Crofty mine, timing and results of projects mentioned.
Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by
the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan",
"estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target",
"schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or
result "may", "will", "should", "could", "would" or "might" occur
or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the
negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of
historical fact included in this news release, are forward-looking
statements that involve various risks and uncertainties and there
can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate
and actual results and future events could differ materially from
those anticipated in such statements.
Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially
different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements, including but not limited to: risks related to receipt
of regulatory approvals, risks related to general economic and
market conditions; risks related to the availability of financing;
the timing and content of upcoming work programmes; actual results
of proposed exploration activities; possible variations in Mineral
Resources or grade; outcome of any future feasibility studies;
projected dates to commence mining operations; failure of plant,
equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour
disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance
coverage and other risks of the mining industry; changes in
national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax
rules and regulations. The list is not exhaustive of the factors
that may affect Cornish's forward-looking
statements.
Cornish Metals' forward-looking statements are based on the
opinions and estimates of management and reflect their current
expectations regarding future events and operating performance and
speak only as of the date such statements are made. Although the
Company has attempted to identify important factors that could
cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those
described in forward- looking statements, there may be other
factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ
materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that
forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and
accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place
undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Cornish Metals does
not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if
circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions
should change other than as required by applicable
law.
Caution regarding non-IFRS
measures
This news release contains certain terms or performance
measures commonly used in the mining industry that are not defined
under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"),
including "all-in sustaining costs". Non-IFRS measures do not have
any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore they
may not be comparable to similar measures employed by other
companies. The data presented is intended to provide additional
information and should not be considered in isolation or as a
substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with
IFRS and should be read in conjunction with Cornish Metals'
consolidated financial statements and Management Discussion and
Analysis, available on its website and on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.ca.
Market Abuse Regulation (MAR)
Disclosure
The information contained within this announcement is deemed
by the Company to constitute inside information pursuant to Article
7 of EU Regulation 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by
virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as
amended.