Metalla Reports Financial Results FOR the Third Quarter of 2023 and Provides Asset Updates
METALLA REPORTS FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR THE THIRD
QUARTER OF 2023 AND PROVIDES ASSET UPDATES
(All dollar amounts are in thousands of
United States
dollars unless otherwise indicated, except for shares, per ounce, and per share amounts)
TSXV: MTA
NYSE American: MTA
VANCOUVER, BC
,
Nov. 10, 2023
/CNW/ -
Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd.
("
Metalla
" or the "
Company
") (TSXV: MTA) (NYSE American: MTA)
announces its operating and financial results for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2023
. For complete details of the condensed interim
consolidated financial statements and accompanying management's discussion and analysis for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2023
,
please see the Company's filings on SEDAR+ (
www.sedarplus.ca
) or EDGAR (
www.sec.gov
). Shareholders are encouraged to visit the Company's
website at
www.metallaroyalty.com
.
Brett Heath
, President, and CEO of Metalla, commented, "
In the third quarter of 2023 we announced
the largest transaction in the Company's
history, to merge
with
Nova Royalty
, creating one of the most robust growth portfolios in the royalty sector. Financially, we saw strong production led
by
El Realito
and
expect to meet or exceed the upper range of guidance for the year.
The merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter of
2023
,
and
we look forward to building the combined company
into
an
intermediate royalty company that will deliver long-term value for our
shareholders.
"
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
During the nine months ended
September 30, 2023
, and the subsequent period up to the date of this news release, the Company:
Announced that it had entered into an arrangement agreement dated
September 7, 2023
, whereby, the Company would acquire all of the issued
and outstanding shares of Nova Royalty Corp. (TSX-V: NOVR) ("
Nova
") pursuant to a plan of arrangement (the "
Nova Transaction
"). Pursuant
to the Nova Transaction, Nova shareholders will receive 0.36 of a Metalla common share (the "
Common Shares
") per common share of Nova
(
For additional details see Nova Royalty Acquisition
);
On
September 8, 2023
, announced a strategic partnership with Beedie Capital ("
Beedie
"), whereby concurrent with closing of the Nova
Transaction, Beedie, has agreed to: (i) subscribe for an equity placement into Metalla for
C$15.0 million
at
C$5.29
per unit; (ii) amend the
convertible loan facility (the "
Beedie Loan Facility
") between Metalla and Beedie from to increase the principal amount
C$25.0 million
to
C$50.0
million
; (iii) amend the conversion price of the
C$4.2 million
outstanding under the Beedie Loan Facility to
C$6.00
per share; and (iv) drawdown
from the Beedie Loan Facility, at closing of the Nova Transaction, an amount equal to the principal and unpaid interest and fees outstanding under
the convertible loan agreement with Nova (the "
Nova Loan Facility
") to refinance and retire the Nova Loan Facility (
For additional details see
Nova Royalty Acquisition
);
Acquired 1 stream and 5 royalties, to bring the total held as at the date of this press release to 82 precious metals assets, through the following
transactions:
1
.
Acquired an existing 2.5%-3.75% sliding scale Gross Proceeds ("
GP
") royalty over gold, together with a 0.25%-3.0% Net Smelter Return
("
NSR
") royalty on all non-gold and silver metals on the majority of Barrick Gold Corporation's ("
Barrick
") world-class Lama project in
Argentina
, from an arm's length seller for aggregate consideration of
$7.5 million
. The transaction closed on
March 9, 2023
, at which time the
Company paid the
$2.5 million
in cash, and issued 466,827 Common Shares to the seller (valued at
$5.3553
per share). The remaining
$2.5
million
, to be paid in cash or Common Shares, is payable within 90 days upon the earlier of a 2 Moz gold Mineral Reserve estimate on the
royalty area or 36 months after the closing date;
2
.
Acquired one silver stream and three royalties from Alamos Gold Corp. ("
Alamos
") for
$5.0 million
in Common Shares valued at
$5.3228
per
share, representing the 20-day Volume-Weighted Average Price ("
VWAP
") of shares of Metalla traded on the NYSE prior to the
announcement of the transaction. The transaction closed on
February 23, 2023
, at which time the Company issued 939,355 Common Shares
to
Alamos
. The stream and royalties acquired in this transaction include:
a 20% silver stream over the
Esperanza
project located in
Morales, Mexico
owned by Zacatecas Silver Corp.;
a 1.4% NSR royalty on the Fenn Gibb South project located in
Timmins, Ontario
owned by Mayfair Gold Corp.;
a 2.0% NSR royalty on the Ronda project located in Shining Tree,
Ontario
owned by Platinex Inc.; and
a 2.0% NSR royalty on the Northshore West property located in
Thunder Bay, Ontario
owned by New Path Resources Inc.
Sold the JR mineral claims that make up the Pine Valley property, which is part of the Cortez complex in
Nevada
, to Nevada Gold Mines LLC
("
NGM
"), an entity formed by Barrick and Newmont Corporation ("
Newmont
"), for
$5.0 million
in cash. The Company will retain a 3.0% NSR
royalty on the property. Additionally, sold the Conmee mineral claims that make up the Tower Mountain property to Thunder Gold Corp.
("
Thunder Gold
") for 4,000,000 common shares of Thunder Gold, valued at
$0.1 million
upon closing. The Company will retain a 2.0% NSR
royalty on the property;
Paid a special dividend payment in the amount of
C$0.03
per share on
September 15, 2023
, with a record date of
August 1, 2023
;
For the three months ended
September 30, 2023
, received or accrued payments on 1,095 attributable Gold Equivalent Ounces ("
GEOs
") at an
average realized price of
$1,901
and an average cash cost of
$5
per attributable GEO. For the nine months ended
September 30, 2023
, received
or accrued payments on 2,878 attributable GEOs at an average realized price of
$1,893
and an average cash cost of
$6
per attributable GEO
(
see Non-IFRS Financial Measures
);
For the three months ended
September 30, 2023
, recognized revenue from royalty and stream interests, including fixed royalty payments, of
$1.4
million
, net loss of
$2.1 million
, and Adjusted EBITDA of
$0.5 million
. For the nine months ended
September 30, 2023
, recognized revenue from
royalty and stream interests, including fixed royalty payments, of
$3.3 million
, net loss of
$4.0 million
, and Adjusted EBITDA of
$0.9 million
(see
Non-IFRS Financial Measures)
;
For the three months ended
September 30, 2023
, generated operating cash margin of
$1,896
per attributable GEO, and for the nine months
ended
September 30, 2023
, generated operating cash margin of
$1,887
per attributable GEO from the Wharf,
El Realito
,
La Encantada
, the New
Luika Gold Mine ("
NLGM
") stream held by Silverback Ltd. ("
Silverback
"), the Higginsville derivative royalty asset, and other royalty interests
(see
Non-IFRS Financial Measures)
;
For the three months ended
September 30, 2023
, recognized payments due or received (not included in revenue) from the Higginsville derivative
royalty asset of
$0.7 million
, and for the nine months ended
September 30, 2023
, recognized payments due or received (not included in revenue)
from the Higginsville derivative royalty asset of
$2.1 million
(see Non-IFRS Financial Measures)
;
On
May 27, 2022
, the Company announced that it had entered into a new equity distribution agreement with a syndicate of agents to establish an
ATM equity program (the "
2022 ATM Program
") under which the Company may distribute up to
$50.0 million
(or the equivalent in Canadian
Dollars) in Common Shares of the Company. From inception to the date of this press release, the Company distributed 1,328,078 Common
Shares under the 2022 ATM Program at an average price of
$5.01
per share for gross proceeds of
$6.6 million
, of which none were sold during
the three months ended
September 30, 2023
; and
On
May 19, 2023
, the Company closed a second supplemental loan agreement (the "
Supplemental Loan Agreement
") to amend its loan facility
by:
1
.
extending the maturity date to
May 9, 2027
;
2
.
increasing the loan facility by
C$5.0 million
from
C$20.0 million
to
C$25.0 million
, of which
C$21.0 million
will be undrawn after giving effect to
the
C$4.0 million
conversion described below;
3
.
increasing the interest rate from 8.0% to 10.0% per annum;
4
.
amending the conversion price of the fourth drawdown from
C$11.16
per share to
C$8.67
per share, being a 30% premium to the 30-day
VWAP of the Company shares measured at market close on the day prior to announcement of the amendment;
5
.
amending the conversion price of
C$4.0 million
of the third drawdown from
C$14.30
per share to
C$7.33
per share, being the 5-day VWAP of
the Company shares measured at market close on the day prior to announcement of the amendment, and converting the
C$4.0 million
into
shares at the new conversion price. Upon closing the Company issued Beedie 545,702 Common Shares for the conversion of the
C$4.0
million
;
6
.
amending the conversion price of the remaining
C$1.0 million
of the Third Drawdown from
C$14.30
per share to
C$8.67
per share, being to
the 30-day VWAP of the Company shares measured at market close on the day prior to announcement of the amendment; and
7
.
All other terms of the loan facility remain unchanged.
NOVA ROYALTY ACQUISITION
On
September 7, 2023
, the Company entered into an arrangement agreement (the "
Arrangement Agreement
"), pursuant to which the Company
agreed, subject to certain terms and conditions, to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Nova. Pursuant to the Arrangement
Agreement, Nova shareholders will receive 0.36 of a Metalla Common Share for each Nova common share held prior to the Nova Transaction (other
than with respect to holders of Nova common shares exercising dissent rights). In accordance with the Arrangement Agreement, each Nova restricted
share unit will vest into a Nova common share at the close of the Nova Transaction and will be exchanged for 0.36 of a Metalla Common Share, and
each Nova stock option will be replaced with a fully vested replacement option. All replacement options will be adjusted as per the terms of the
Arrangement Agreement and be exercisable into Metalla Common Shares.
Based on the assumptions set out above, upon completion of the Nova Transaction, the Company expects that existing Metalla and Nova shareholders
would own approximately 60.41% and 39.59% of the combined company, respectively, on a fully diluted basis. The Nova Transaction is subject to
approval at a special meeting of Nova shareholders which is scheduled for
November 27, 2023
. Additionally, the Nova Transaction is also subject to
certain approvals of the British Columbia Supreme Court, the TSX-V, the NYSE, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and third-party approvals, and
other customary conditions.
Nova Royalty
Nova is a royalty and streaming company that is focused on acquiring copper royalties and as at the date of this press release, has a portfolio of 23
royalties including the following key royalties:
0.42% NSR royalty on
Taca Taca
operated by First Quantum Minerals Ltd.;
0.315% NSR royalty on the Copper World Complex operated by Hudbay Minerals Inc.;
1.0% NSR royalty on Aranzazu operated by Aura Minerals Inc.;
0.08% NPI royalty on Josemaria operated by Lundin Mining Corp.;
0.98% NSR royalty on open pit operations and 0.49% NSR royalty on underground operations on Vizcachitas operated by Los Andes Copper
Ltd.;
0.25% NSR royalty on Tatogga operated by Newmont Corp.;
2.0% NSR royalty on NuevaUnion operated as a 50/50 joint venture between Teck Resources Ltd. and Newmont Corp.; and
1.0% NPR royalty on West Wall operated as a 50/50 joint venture between
Anglo American
plc and Glencore plc.
Beedie Capital Strategic Partnership
Beedie has agreed, concurrent with closing of the Nova Transaction, to:
subscribe to
C$15.0 million
in an equity placement into Metalla;
amend and increase the existing Beedie Loan Facility; and
repay and terminate the Nova Loan Facility.
Equity Placement
Beedie entered into a subscription agreement to complete a
C$15.0
million equity placement (the "
Equity Placement
") in Metalla, pursuant to which it
agreed, subject to certain conditions, to subscribe for 2.8 million subscription receipts (the "
Subscription Receipts
") of Metalla, at a price of
C$5.29
per Subscription Receipt, which was the closing price of the Metalla Common Shares on the TSX-Venture Exchange on
September 7, 2023
, the day
prior to the announcement of the Nova Transaction. Beedie completed funding of the Equity Placement into escrow on
October 23, 2023
. Upon closing
of the Nova Transaction, and subject to certain customary conversion conditions for a transaction of this nature, each Subscription Receipt will convert
into one Metalla Common Share, without payment of additional consideration or further action and the subscription funds will be released to the
Company from escrow. The Company expects that the proceeds of the Equity Placement will be used for the future acquisition of royalties and
streams, and general and administrative expenses.
Metalla Convertible Loan
Metalla and Beedie have entered into an amended and restated convertible loan facility agreement (the "
A&R
Loan Facility
") to amend and restate
the Beedie Loan Facility dated
July 28, 2020
, between Metalla and Beedie. The A&R Loan Facility will be effective as of the closing of the Nova
Transaction, provided that certain conditions have been satisfied. Pursuant to the A&R Loan Facility, the parties agreed to:
1
.
increase the maximum aggregate principal amount of the loan from
C$25.0 million
to
C$50.0 million
;
2
.
drawdown C$4.2 million from the A&R Loan Facility with a conversion price of
C$6.00
per share to refinance the principal amount due under
the Beedie Loan Facility;
3
.
drawdown
C$12.2 million
from the A&R Loan Facility with a conversion price of
C$6.00
per share to refinance the principal amount due under
the Nova Loan Facility;
4
.
drawdown an amount equal to the accrued and unpaid interest outstanding under the Nova Loan Facility at the close of the Nova Transaction,
to refinance such amount, with a conversion price equal to the market price of the shares of Metalla at the time of conversion. As at
September 30, 2023
, the accrued and unpaid interest due under the Nova Loan Facility was
C$1.8 million
;
5
.
drawdown an amount equal to the accrued and unpaid fees outstanding under the Nova Loan Facility at the close of the Nova Transaction, to
refinance such amount, which will not be convertible into shares of Metalla. As at
September 30, 2023
, the accrued and unpaid fees due
under the Nova Loan Facility were
C$0.7 million
;
6
.
establish for an 18-month period, paid-in-kind interest of a cash 10.0% per annum compounded monthly to the principal effective at closing of
the Nova Transaction, and thereafter reverting to interest payment of 10.0% on a monthly basis;
7
.
payment of an amendment fee of
C$0.1 million
and any outstanding costs and expenses payable by Metalla; and
8
.
update the existing security arrangements to include security to be provided by Nova and certain other subsidiaries of Metalla and Nova for
the A&R Loan Facility.
Nova Convertible Loan
As per the A&R Loan Facility and as discussed above, concurrent with closing of the Nova Transaction, Metalla will draw down on the A&R Loan
Facility and pay out and discharge all obligations under the Nova Loan Facility, which will be terminated concurrently.
ASSET UPDATES
Below are updates during the three months ended
September 30, 2023
, and subsequent period to certain of the Company's assets, based on
information publicly filed by the applicable project owner:
La Encantada
On
October 12, 2023
, First Majestic Silver Corp. ("
First Majestic
") announced production of 94 ounces of gold and 0.6 Moz of silver from
La
Encantada
in the third quarter of 2023. On
July 20, 2023
, First Majestic provided 2023 guidance in the range of 3.1 - 3.3 Moz silver.
Metalla received 99 GEOs from
La Encantada
for the third quarter of 2023.
Metalla holds a 100% GVR royalty on gold produced at the
La Encantada
mine limited to 1.0 Koz annually.
El Realito
On
October 25, 2023
, Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. ("
Agnico
") reported that gold production from La India totaled 22,269 oz gold for the third quarter of
2023. As reported by Agnico on
July 26, 2023
, an investigation is ongoing for additional sulphide mineralization with a plan to drill 4,000 meters at the
Chipriona target which is northwest and adjacent to
El Realito
royalty boundary.
Metalla received 398 GEOs from
El Realito
for the third quarter of 2023.
Metalla holds a 2.0% NSR royalty on the
El Realito
deposit which is subject to a 1.0% buyback right for
$4.0 million
.
Wharf Royalty
On
November 8, 2023
, Coeur Mining Inc. ("
Coeur
") reported third quarter production of 22.7 Koz gold and updated the full year guidance for Wharf to
88 – 95 Koz gold. Exploration efforts in 2023 will focus on geological modelling and planning for 2024.
Metalla received 192 GEOs from Wharf for the third quarter of 2023.
Metalla holds a 1.0% GVR royalty on the Wharf mine.
New Luika Silver Stream
On
October 23, 2023
, Shanta Gold Limited ("
Shanta
") reported that it produced 18.3 Koz of gold and 27.2 Koz of silver at NLGM in
Tanzania
in the
third quarter of 2023. Shanta also reiterated their guidance of 66 – 72 Koz of gold from NLGM in 2023.
Metalla holds a 15% interest in Silverback, whose sole business is receipt and distribution of a 100% silver stream on NLGM at an ongoing cost of
10% of the spot silver price.
Côté-Gosselin
On
October 23, 2023
, IAMGOLD Corporation ("
IAMGOLD
") reported that it had completed 90.6% of the construction at the Côté Gold Project.
IAMGOLD also announced the completion of another successful drill campaign at Gosselin and reported additional results. IAMGOLD stated that
recent drilling at Gosselin provides evidence that the 5 Moz gold Gosselin deposit is approaching similar dimensions to the adjacent 14 Moz gold Côté
deposit. IAMGOLD expects to incorporate recent drill results into an updated resource estimate for Gosselin in the IAMGOLD year end Mineral
Resources disclosure. In addition, IAMGOLD continues to advance technical studies on Gosselin, including metallurgical testing, mining, and
infrastructure studies to review alternatives to optimize the possible inclusion of the Gosselin deposit into a future Côté Gold life-of-mine plan.
Significant intervals from the Gosselin drilling program include:
0.65 g/t gold over 472 meters including 1.59 g/t gold over 51 meters;
0.82 g/t gold over 356 meters including 1.09 g/t gold over 132 meters;
1.40 g/t gold over 300.8 meters including 1.71 g/t gold over 207.3 meters;
1.53 g/t gold over 240 meters including 2.26 g/t gold over 120 meters; and
0.72 g/t gold over 500.8 meters.
Metalla holds a 1.35% NSR royalty that covers less than 10% of the Côté Reserves and Resources estimate and covers all of the 5 Moz gold
Gosselin Resource estimate.
Figure 1: Gosselin Composite Longitudinal Section (CNW Group/Metalla Royalty and Streaming Ltd.)
Endeavor
On
October 16, 2023
, Polymetals Resources Inc ("
Polymetals
") released a robust mine restart study at Endeavor. Polymetals declared an initial 10-
year mine life producing 9.8 Moz silver, 210 kt zinc and 62 kt lead over life of mine with first concentrate production targeted for H2-2024. The study
produced
A$201 million
in pre-tax net present value at an 8% discount rate and an internal rate of return of 91%, with expenditures estimated to be
A$23.7 million
.
In addition, Polymetals released an updated ore Reserve estimate at Endeavor where Proven and Probable Reserves totaled 14 Moz silver, 226 kt
zinc and 100 kt lead at grades of 78 g/t, 4.04% and 1.79%, respectively.
Metalla holds a 4.0% NSR royalty on all lead, zinc and silver produced from Endeavor.
Amalgamated Kirkland Property
On
October 25, 2023
, Agnico announced that it is evaluating the opportunity to process near surface and Amalgamated Kirkland ore at the LaRonde
complex. Average annual production from the near surface deposit and AK deposit could be between 20 Koz and 40 Koz of gold, commencing in 2024.
The results of an internal evaluation on the AK deposit will be reported in the first half of 2024.
Metalla holds a 0.45% NSR royalty on the Amalgamated Kirkland property.
Fifteen
Mile Stream
On
October 10, 2023
, St. Barbara Limited ("
St. Barbara
") reported results of an updated pre-feasibility study ("
PFS
") for Fifteen Mile Stream as a
standalone project via the relocation of the Touquoy processing plant. The PFS proposes an eleven-year mine life producing an average of 55-60 Koz
per annum at a cash cost of
$992
/oz. The PFS results include strong project economics including a post-tax net present value at 5% of
C$174 million
and post-tax internal rate of return of 20.3%, from a capital outlay of
C$182 million
. As part of the PFS, an updated Proven and Probable Reserve
estimate was declared, including the 149 deposit, with a total of 618 Koz at 1 g/t gold and a total Measured and Indicated Resource estimate of 739
Koz at 1 g/t gold and a total Inferred Resource estimate of 98 Koz at 1.3 g/t gold. St. Barbara will focus on the preparation of an updated
environmental and social impact assessment for the new project design and stated that development could begin as early as FY2026.
Metalla holds a 1.0% NSR royalty on the Fifteen Mile Stream project, and 3.0% NSR royalty on the Plenty and Seloam Brook deposits.
Tocantinzinho
On
September 12, 2023
, G Mining Ventures ("
G Mining
") reported that the Tocantinzinho project is 51% complete and remains on track for
commercial production in H2-2024. G Mining also reported that the project remains on budget and is fully funded through completion and ramp-up to
commercial production.
Metalla holds a 0.75% GVR Royalty on Tocantinzinho.
La Guitarra
On
November 1, 2023
,
Sierra Madre Gold
& Silver Ltd ("
Sierra Madre
") reported an updated resource estimate at the
La Guitarra
silver-gold mine
where Indicated Resources totaled 27.2 Moz AgEq at 220 g/t AgEq and Inferred Resources totaled 20.2 Moz AgEq at 153 g/t AgEq.
Sierra Madre
plan to release a mine restart study on the
La Guitarra
mine in Q1 2024.
Metalla holds a 2.0% NSR Royalty on
La Guitarra
, subject to a 1.0% buy back for
$2.0 million
.
Fosterville
On
August 25, 2023
, Agnico reported that gold production from
Fosterville
for the third quarter of 2023 totalled 59.8 Koz gold. Drilling during the
quarter targeted the Lower Phoenix where a key target called the Cardinal fault, a hanging wall splay of the Swan structure, returned a highlight
intercept of 10.8 g/t gold over 10 meters including 96.4 g/t over 0.4 meters.
Metalla holds a 2.5% GVR royalty on the northern and southern extensions of the
Fosterville
mining license and other areas in the land package.
Wasamac
On
October 26, 2023
, Agnico reported that during the quarter, it further advanced internal studies to assess potential production opportunities at
Wasamac along with alternative processing scenarios at either LaRonde or the Canadian Malartic mill. Agnico also stated that it was updating studies
that were previously completed at Wasamac and believes it has the potential to be a low-cost mine with annual production of 150 – 200 Koz of gold
with moderate capital outlays and initial production commencing in 2029. The results of the Wasamac internal evaluation will be reported through the
first half of 2024.
Metalla holds a 1.5% NSR royalty on the Wasamac project subject to a buy back of 0.5% for
C$7.5 million
.
Lama
On
November 2, 2023
, Barrick reported that a geological review of results received from drilling in the first quarter of 2023 was ongoing to generate
new drill targets for the fourth quarter of 2023. Total exploration, evaluation and project expenses for the whole Pascua-Lama project totaled
$5 million
for the third quarter of 2023.
Metalla holds a 2.5%-3.75% GP royalty on gold and a 0.25%-3.0% NSR royalty on all other metals (other than gold and silver) at Lama.
Castle Mountain
On
October 31, 2023
, Equinox Gold Corp. ("
Equinox
") reported that 8,411 meters of exploration drilling was completed during the quarter to infill drill
at the South Overburden and JSLA dumps. In addition, a surface exploration program of geological mapping and channel sampling was ongoing with
the primary goal to sample previously identified mineralization exposed on surface such that data can be used in future Mineral Resource estimation.
The mine permitting amendment plan was submitted to the lead county and BLM agencies which reviewed the plan for completeness in early 2023.
Work on the preliminary draft Environmental Impact Statement will occur throughout 2024. A total of
$4.4 million
was spent on Phase 2 permitting and
optimization for the quarter.
Metalla holds a 5.0% NSR royalty on the South Domes area of the Castle Mountain mine.
La Parrilla
On
August 14, 2023
, Silver Storm Mining Ltd. ("
Silver Storm
") reported an updated resource estimate for the La Parrilla silver mine complex. Total
Indicated Resources were 5.19 Moz at 263 g/t AgEq and Inferred Resources totaled 10.3 Moz at 256 g/t AgEq. On
November 2, 2023
, Silver Storm
extended mineralization beyond the mineral resources with highlight intercepts of 206 g/t AgEq over 5.2 meters, 414 g/t AgEq over 0.8 meters and 225
g/t AgEq over 1.5 meters.
Metalla holds a 2.0% NSR royalty on La Parrilla.
Akasaba West
On
October 26, 2023
, Agnico announced that the Akasaba West project remained on schedule through the third quarter with achievement of
commercial production expected to occur in the first quarter of 2024.
Metalla holds a 2.0% NSR royalty on the Akasaba West project subject to a 210 Koz gold exemption.
Beaufor
On
November 3, 2023
, Monarch Mining Corporation ("
Monarch
") announced that one of its creditors, that is owed
C$10.1 million
, had provided notice
of its intention to exercise certain rights in respect of the security for its loan, with the loan secured by all assets of Monarch. The Beaufor mine was
put on care and maintenance in
September 2022
, and Monarch's financial statements for the year ended
June 30, 2023
, released on
September 28,
2023
, noted a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt upon Monarch's ability to continue as a going concern. The Company considered the
serving of notice by one of its creditors, and the disclosure by Monarch about its ability to continue as a going concern, as indicators of impairment on
Beaufor and fully impaired the royalty to $Nil, and for the nine months ended
September 30, 2023
, recorded an impairment charge of
$1.1 million
.
Metalla holds a 1.0% NSR royalty on the Beaufor mine, and while it has written down the royalty to $Nil for accounting purposes, it will continue to
monitor the project, and if the project is restarted or sold to an entity with a plan to restart mining and processing activities, the Company will do a
further analysis to see if any part of the impairment can be reversed in the future.
Montclerg
On
September 6, 2023
, GFG Resources Inc. reported the deepest high-grade lower footwall intercept at the Montclerg gold project yielding 10.21 g/t
gold over 2.7 meters Additional holes included highlight intercepts of 0.92 g/t gold over 33 meters and 5.78 g/t gold over 1.1 meters.
Metalla holds a 1.0% NSR royalty on the Montclerg property.
Camflo
On
October 26, 2023
, Agnico reported that the next phase of exploration drilling began at the Camflo property. On
June 20, 2023
, Agnico reported
that it completed more than 14,000 meters of drilling, which marks the first exploration drill program since the 1.6 Moz past-producing deposit was
closed in 1992. Significant results reported over multiple zones include 1.5 g/t gold over 81 meters, 3.3 g/t gold over 38.7 meters, 3.2 g/t gold over
16.2 meters, 3.7 g/t gold over 7.1 meters, and 1.6 g/t gold over 20.3 meters. The second phase of exploration drilling at Camflo will test for potential
lateral extensions of mineralization and infill known zones. Agnico believes the mineralization could be mined via an open-pit and processed at the
Canadian
Malartic Mill
, 4 Km away.
Metalla holds a 1.0% NSR royalty on the Camflo mine, located ~4km northeast of the Canadian Malartic operation.
Green Springs
On
August 17, 2023
, and
September 6, 2023
, Contact Gold Corp announced the results from step out drilling at Green Springs. Highlight intercepts
from the X-ray zone include 1.9 g/t gold over 25.91 meters, 1.41 g/t gold over 12.19 meters and 0.86 g/t gold over 35.05 meters.
Metalla holds a 2.0% NSR royalty on the Green Springs project.
Tower Mountain
On
June 12, 2023
, Thunder Gold reported they expanded the footprint at Tower Mountain adding 565 hectares from Metalla. On
May 15, 2023
,
Thunder Gold reported final results from the 4,000-meter phase one drilling program at Tower Mountain with significant results of 0.59 g/t gold over
36.3 meters, 0.53 g/t gold over 24.5 meters and 0.56 g/t gold over 10.5 meters.
Metalla holds a 2.0% NSR royalty on the Tower Mountain property.
Detour DNA
On
July 26, 2023
, Agnico reported a drill hole two kilometers west of the open pit mineral reserves with a highlight of 2.8 g/t gold over 14.4 meters,
further demonstrating continuity of mineralization along the Detour horizon past the area identified for underground mining potential.
Metalla holds a 2.0% NSR royalty on the Detour DNA property which is approximately 7 km west of the Detour West reserve pit margin.
QUALIFIED PERSON
The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by
Charles Beaudry
, geologist M.Sc., member of the
Association of Professional Geoscientists of
Ontario
and of the Ordre des Géologues du Québec and a director of Metalla. Mr. Beaudry is a QP as
defined in National Instrument 43-101 -
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects
("
NI 43-101
").
ABOUT METALLA
Metalla is a precious metals royalty and streaming company. Metalla provides shareholders with leveraged precious metal exposure through a
diversified and growing portfolio of royalties and streams. Our strong foundation of current and future cash-generating asset base, combined with an
experienced team gives Metalla a path to become one of the leading gold and silver companies for the next commodities cycle.
For further information, please visit our website at
www.metallaroyalty.com
ON BEHALF OF METALLA ROYALTY & STREAMING LTD.
(signed) "Brett Heath"
President and CEO
Website:
www.metallaroyalty.com
Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accept responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
Non-IFRS Financial Measures
Metalla has included certain performance measures in this press release that do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by International
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) including (a) attributable gold equivalent ounces (GEOs), (b) average cash cost per attributable GEO, (c)
average realized price per attributable GEO, (d) operating cash margin per attributable GEO, and (e) adjusted EBITDA. The Company believes that,
in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's
performance and ability to generate cash flow.
(a) Attributable GEOs
Attributable GEOs are a non-IFRS financial measure that is composed of gold ounces attributable to the Company, plus an amount calculated by
taking the revenue earned by the Company in the period from payable silver ounces attributable to the Company divided by the average
London
fix
price of gold for the relevant period, plus an amount calculated by taking the cash received or accrued by the Company in the period from the
derivative royalty asset divided by the average
London
fix gold price for the relevant period. Included in the calculation of attributable GEOs is any
cash received from the Higginsville price participation royalty, which is accounted for as a derivative royalty asset, as such any payments received
under this royalty are treated as a reduction in the carrying value of the asset on the Company's statement of financial position and not shown as
revenue on the Company's statement of profit and loss. However, operationally as the Company receives payment similar to the Company's other
royalty interests, the results have been included for more accurate comparability and to allow the reader to accurately analyze the operations of the
Company. The Company presents attributable GEOs as it believes that certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's
performance in comparison to other streaming and royalty companies in the precious metals mining industry who present results on a similar basis.
The Company's attributable GEOs for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2023
, were as follows:
Three months
Nine months
ended
ended
Attributable GEOs during the period from:
September 30, 2023
September 30, 2023
Higginsville
375
1,105
Wharf
192
703
El Realito
398
799
La Encantada
99
180
NLGM
31
91
Total attributable GEOs
1,095
2,878
(b) Average cash cost per attributable GEO
Average cash cost per attributable GEO is a non-IFRS financial measure that is calculated by dividing the Company's total cash cost of sales,
excluding depletion by the number of attributable GEOs.
The Company presents average cash cost per attributable GEO as it believes that certain
investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance in comparison to other streaming and royalty companies in the precious
metals mining industry who present results on a similar basis. The Company's average cash cost per attributable GEO for three and nine months
ended
September 30, 2023
, was:
Three months
Nine months
ended
ended
September 30, 2023
September 30, 2023
Cost of sales for NLGM
$6
$18
Total cash cost of sales
6
18
Total attributable GEOs
1,095
2,878
Average cash cost per attributable GEO
$5
$6
(c) Average realized price per attributable GEO
Average realized price per attributable GEO is a non-IFRS financial measure that is calculated by dividing the Company's revenue, excluding any
revenue earned from fixed royalty payments, and including cash received or accrued in the period from derivative royalty assets, by the number of
attributable GEOs sold. The Company presents average realized price per attributable GEO as it believes that certain investors use this information
to evaluate the Company's performance in comparison to other streaming and royalty companies in the precious metals mining industry that present
results on a similar basis. The Company's average realized price per attributable GEO for three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, was:
Three months
Nine months
ended
ended
September 30, 2023
September 30, 2023
Royalty revenue (excluding fixed royalty payments)
$1,299
$3,139
Payments from derivative assets
723
2,134
Revenue from NLGM
60
176
Sales from stream and royalty interests
2,082
5,449
Total attributable GEOs sold
1,095
2,878
Average realized price per attributable GEO
$1,901
$1,893
(d) Operating cash margin per attributable GEO
Operating cash margin per attributable GEO is a non-IFRS financial measure that is calculated by subtracting the average cast cost price per
attributable GEO from the average realized price per attributable GEO. The Company presents operating cash margin per attributable GEO as it
believes that certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance in comparison to other streaming and royalty companies
in the precious metals mining industry that present results on a similar basis.
(e) Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS financial measure which excludes from net income taxes, finance costs, depletion, impairment charges, foreign
currency gains/losses, share based payments, and non-recurring items.
Management uses Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate the Company's operating
performance, to plan and forecast its operations, and assess leverage levels and liquidity measures. The Company presents Adjusted EBITDA as it
believes that certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance in comparison to other streaming and royalty companies
in the precious metals mining industry who present results on a similar basis. However, Adjusted EBITDA does not represent, and should not be
considered an alternative to net income (loss) or cash flow provided by operating activities as determined under IFRS. The Company's adjusted
EBITDA for three and nine months ended
September 30, 2023
, was:
Three months
Nine months
ended
ended
September 30, 2023
September 30, 2023
Net loss
$(2,127)
$(3,970)
Adjusted for:
Royalty interest impairment
1,053
2,355
Gain on sales of mineral claims
-
(5,093)
Interest expense
128
785
Finance charges
59
137
Loss (gain) on modification of loan payable
-
1,417
Income tax provision
27
1,270
Depletion
787
1,700
Foreign exchange loss (gain)
89
311
Share-based payments
501
1,968
Adjusted EBITDA
$517
$880
Refer the Company's MD&A for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2023
, which is available on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.ca
, for a
numerical reconciliation of the non-IFRS financial measures described above. The presentation of these non-IFRS financial measures 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. Other companies may calculate these non-IFRS financial measures differently.
Technical and Third-Party Information
Metalla has limited, if any, access to the properties on which Metalla holds a royalty, stream or other interest. Metalla is dependent on (i) the
operators of the mines or properties and their qualified persons to provide technical or other information to Metalla, or (ii) publicly available
information to prepare disclosure pertaining to properties and operations on the mines or properties on which Metalla holds a royalty, stream or
other interest, and generally has limited or no ability to independently verify such information. Although Metalla does not have any knowledge that
such information may not be accurate, there can be no assurance that such third-party information is complete or accurate. Some information
publicly reported by operators may relate to a larger property than the area covered by Metalla's royalty, stream or other interests. Metalla's royalty,
stream or other interests can cover less than 100% and sometimes only a portion of the publicly reported mineral reserves, resources and
production of a property.
Unless otherwise indicated, the technical and scientific disclosure contained or referenced in this press release,
including any
references to mineral
resources or mineral reserves, was prepared in accordance with Canadian
NI 43-101
, which differs significantly from the requirements of the U.S.
Securities and
Exchange Commission (the
"
SEC
"
)
applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. Accordingly, the scientific and technical
information
contained or referenced in this press
release may not be comparable to similar information made
public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting
and
disclosure requirements of the SEC.
"
Inferred mineral resources
"
have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to
their
economic and legal feasibility.
It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will
ever be
upgraded to a higher category. Historical results or feasibility
models presented herein are not guarantees
or expectations of
future performance.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "
forward-looking statements
") within the
meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only and the
Company does not intend to and does not assume any obligation to update or revise them except as required by applicable law.
All statements included herein that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the
future
are
forward-looking statements. Generally,
forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as
"plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets",
"scheduled",
"estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets",
"aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or
variations (including negative
variations) of such words and phrases or may be
identified by statements
to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might"
or "will" be taken,
occur or be
achieved. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements
regarding:
the
completion of the Nova Transaction, including the receipt of the necessary approvals and satisfaction of the closing conditions; the conversion of
Subscription Receipts into Common Shares; the use of proceeds of the Equity Placement; the amendment of the Beedie Loan Facility at closing of
the Nova Transaction, including the satisfaction of the conditions to effectiveness of the A&R Loan Facility; the amendment of the conversion price
of the
C$4.2 million
outstanding under the Beedie Loan Facility to
C$6.00
per share; the completion of the drawdowns of the Beedie Loan Facility to
refinance the principal amount due under the Beedie Loan Facility and refinance and retire the Nova Loan Facility; the termination of the Nova Loan
Facility; ;
future events or future performance of Metalla;
the completion of the Company's royalty
purchase transactions;
the Company's plans and
objectives;
the Company's future financial and
operational performance;
expectations regarding stream and royalty interests owned by the
Company;
the satisfaction of future payment obligations, contractual commitments and contingent commitments by
Metalla;
the future achievement
of any milestones in respect of the payment or satisfaction of contingent
consideration by
Metalla
;
the payment of the special dividend and the
anticipated timing thereof; the future sales of common
shares
under the 2022 ATM Program and the value of the gross proceeds to be raised
;
the
future availability of
funds, including drawdowns pursuant to the Company's loan facility (as amended or supplemented);
the
effective interest rate of
drawdowns under the Company's loan facility (as amended or supplemented)
and the life
expectancy thereof;
the future conversion of funds drawn
down by
Metalla under its loan
facility (as amended or supplemented)
;
the completion by property owners of announced drilling programs, capital
expenditures, and
other planned activities
in relation to properties on
which the Company and its subsidiaries hold a royalty
or streaming interest
and the
expected timing thereof;
production and life of mine estimates or forecasts
at the properties on which the Company and its subsidiaries hold
a
royalty
or streaming interest
;
future
disclosure by property owners and the expected timing
thereof;
the completion by property owners of
announced capital expenditure programs;
the expected 2023 production guidance at
La Encantada
;
the
completion of
4,000 meters of
exploration
drilling by Agnico at the Chipriona deposit at
El Realito
;
the
expected 2023 production at Wharf;
the focus of the exploration efforts at Wharf in
2023;
the expected 2023 production guidance at NLGM; the expectations regarding the dimensions of the Gosselin deposit; additional technical
studies planned to complete test work and studies to optimize inclusion of Gosselin
into future
C
ô
t
é
life-of-mine plans;
the planned drilling for 2023
at Gosselin; the expected production and the reserves estimates for Endeavor;
the production potential at the AK deposit and the anticipated timing
thereof; the reporting of the results of an internal evaluation on the AK deposit and the timing thereof;
the expected production and the reserves
estimates for Fifteen Mile Stream;
the updated environmental and social impact assessment for Fifteen Mile Stream;
St. Barbara's plans regarding
development of Fifteen Mile Stream including the timing thereof
;
the start of commercial production at Tocantinzinho and the anticipated timing
thereof; the resource estimate for
La Guitarra
;
the release of a mine restart study on the
La Guitarra
mine and anticipated timing thereof;
the
assessment of the Wasamac project by Agnico, and the reporting of the results of their internal evaluation and the anticipated timing thereof; the
expected production potential at Wasamac and the expected timing of commencement of production; the ongoing review of results received from
drilling by Barrick and the generation of new drill targets; phase two optimization, engineering and permitting, including the timing and costs thereof
at Castle Mountain;
the beginning of the preparation of a preliminary draft Environmental Impact Statement for Castle Mountain and the timing
thereof; the expected timing of start of production at Akasaba
West;
the second phase of exploration drilling at Camflo, and test for potential lateral
extensions of mineralization and infill known zones;
Agnico's belief regarding open-pit mining and location of processing at Camflo;
the anticipated
drill program at Camflo property and the
anticipated timing thereof;
the amount and timing of the attributable GEOs expected by the Company in
2023; the
availability of cash flows from the Wharf, Higginsville,
El Realito
, NLGM and
La Encantada
royalties and
streams;
royalty payments to be
paid to Metalla by property owners or operators of mining projects
pursuant to
each royalty
interest;
the future outlook of Metalla and the mineral
reserves and resource
estimates for the properties with respect to which
the
Metalla has or proposes to acquire an interest;
future gold and silver
prices;
other potential developments relating to, or achievements by, the
counterparties for the Company's stream and
royalty agreements, and with
respect to the mines and
other properties in which the Company has, or may
acquire, a stream or royalty interest;
costs and other
financial or
economic measures;
prospective transactions;
growth and achievements
; financing and
adequacy of capital;
future payment of dividends;
future
public and/or private placements of equity,
debt or hybrids thereof; and
the Company's ability to fund its current operational requirements and
capital
projects.
Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information
currently available to
management. Forward-
looking statements are based on forecasts of future results,
estimates of amounts not yet determinable
and assumptions that, while believed by
management to be
reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business,
economic and competitive uncertainties, and
contingencies. Forward-
looking statements are subject to various known and
unknown risks and
uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Metalla to control or
predict, that may cause
Metalla's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or
implied thereby,
and
are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other
factors set out herein, including but not
limited to: risks related
to
the Nova Transaction, including the failure to receive the required shareholder, court, regulatory and other approvals necessary to effect the Nova
Transaction and the potential for a third party to make a superior proposal to the Nova Transaction; that the combined company and its shareholders
will not realize the anticipated benefits following the completion of the Nova Transaction; risks related to the completion of the A&R Loan Facility,
including the failure to satisfy the required conditions to effectiveness and the risk that the drawdowns under the A&R Loan Facility will not occur as
expected; that the Nova Loan Facility will not be terminated; that the Subscription Receipts will not be converted into Common Shares; that the
proceeds of the Equity Placement will not be used as anticipated;
risks related to commodity price fluctuations; the
absence of control over mining
operations from which
Metalla will
purchase precious metals pursuant to
gold streams, silver streams and other agreements or from which it will
receive royalty
payments
pursuant to net smelter returns, gross overriding royalties, gross
value royalties and other royalty
agreements or
interests
and risks related to those mining operations, including risks related to
international operations, government and
environmental regulation, delays in
mine construction and
operations, actual results of mining and current exploration
activities, conclusions of economic
evaluations and changes in
project parameters as plans are refined; risks related to
exchan