QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Oct. 30, 2012) - Robex Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:RBX)(FRANKFURT:RB4) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has concluded a financing agreement of $ 14.8 million. This funding will allow the construction of a gold-producing plant on the Nampala site.
Equity financing
The first component involves a European group, (the "Cohen Family"), which is investing $8,000,000. In consideration, the Company issued 80,000,000 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $ 0.10 per unit for gross proceeds of $ 8,000,000. Each unit consists of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one warrant to purchase shares of the Company (a "Warrant"). Each warrant entitles the holder thereof the right to acquire, at any time before October 29, 2017, one additional common share of the Company at a price of $ 0.25. The common shares and warrants included in the Units, along with the common shares underlying the warrants, are subject to a hold period of four months plus one day. Following the closing, the Cohen Family will hold a stake representing 30.9% of the Company. On this basis, the TSX Venture Exchange considers that the placement of Units from the Cohen Family results in the emergence of a dominant shareholder, which is why a part of the investment, 68 million Units ($6,800,000), will be escrowed until the approval of the shareholders of the Company. The Company has scheduled a special meeting of shareholders to be held on December 18, 2012. This investment will be used for the construction of the gold-producing plant on the Nampala site and for working capital. This financing is subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.
Debt financing
The second component involves an agreement of $6,815,934, between Robex and Imagri Inc. ("Imagri"), the main contractor in charge of constructing the mine. Under the terms of this agreement, an amount of $ 1,000,334 is payable upon signing of the contract. This invoice is issued in order to proceed with the installation of the construction site and the purchase of various equipment. To minimize the burden on the Company, Imagri has agreed to convert its debt into shares of the Company. Thus, this debt was converted immediately into 8,000,000 shares, subject to the approval of the TSX-V. These shares are also subject to a hold period of four months plus one day. The balance of $ 5,815,600 will be repayable over 36 equal monthly payments at 10% annual interest, starting 1 February 1, 2013. This contract is for the earth work, concrete, structural, piping and mechanical installation.
"It is with great enthusiasm that I decided to commit IMAGRI to undertake this mining project. Our teams, the quality of their work and services, have the ambition to liberate the potential of this beautiful site and make it an achievement in its class, "said Mathias Thibieroz CEO of IMAGRI.
Andre Gagne, President and CEO, said: " Since receiving the final operating licence from the Malian government in April 2012, the Robex team has hired key personnel and worked tirelessly on the technical planning of the mine. It has also collaborated with a number of finance providers in order to secure necessary funding to get the project up and running. However, the political situation in Mali has rendered the latter task extremely difficult, with banks reluctant to extend project financing in the current environment. As such, Robex believes that the securing of this $14,800,000 financing package is an important milestone in the Company's development, as it marks the first stage of the implementation of the Bank Feasibility Study ("BFS"). The Company has decided to start gold production with a plant having a capacity of around 1,500 tonnes per day ("t/d") and increase this, sequentially, notably through organic cash flows, until the threshold of 6,000 t/d as envisioned in the BFS (approx. 50,000 oz Au per annum) is reached quickly. The expansions are planned as soon as the construction of the first phase is completed. If this were required, we believe that being in production would open up access to debt financing required for expansions. In addition, the possible exercise of warrants issued in this financing is specifically designed to address those expansions. This would allow Robex to accelerate further its planned production up to a threshold of around 13,000 t/d. We are very pleased to have found a long term partner of the calibre of the Cohen Family, and its support provides a major boost for the Company and its shareholders, enabling Robex to move from being an explorer to a producer of gold in Mali. We are also very proud to partner with Imagri, with its extensive experience in mine construction. Construction of the mine will begin on November 1, 2012. The completion of construction and commencement of gold production is expected in the third quarter of 2013"
A representative of the Cohen Family said: "We conducted extensive due diligence in Mali, including a visit at Nampala, and at Robex's head office in Quebec City. These gave us all the satisfaction necessary in order to make the investments required for the construction of the plant. It is with great enthusiasm and great hope of success that we want to support Robex in its current and future development."
About Imagri: IMAGRI is one of the leading companies in West Africa in the metal construction field, mechanical engineering and industrial services to the mines. With means of unique production in the region, a civil engineering department and a consulting dedicated firm, Imagri realizes complete projects from the design to the installation on site in the mining and industrial sectors.
www.robexgold.com The TSX Venture Exchange or its Regulation Services Provider (as defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts no liability for the authenticity or accuracy of this release.
This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" as set out within the context of security law. This forward-looking information is subject to many risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Robex Inc.'s ("Robex") control. The actual results or conclusions may differ considerably from those that have been set out, or intimated, in this forward-looking information. There are many factors which may cause such disparity, especially the instability of metal market prices, the results of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates or in interest rates, poorly estimated reserves, environmental risks (stricter regulations), unforeseen geological situations, unfavorable extraction conditions, political risks brought on by mining in developing countries, regulatory and governmental policy changes (laws and policies), failure to obtain the requisite permits and approvals from government bodies, or any other risk relating to mining and development. There is no guarantee that the circumstances anticipated in this forward-looking information will occur, or if they do occur, how they will benefit Robex. The forward-looking information is based on the estimates and opinions of Robex's management at the time of the publication of the information and Robex does not assume any obligation to make public updates or modifications to any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or any other cause, except if it is required by securities laws.