20
September 2024
Oscillate
PLC
(“Oscillate” or the
“Company")
Acquisition of Quantum
Hydrogen Inc.
Placing to raise
£500,000
Peterhouse Broker
Option
Notice of Extraordinary
General Meeting
Board
Changes
Oscillate plc is pleased
to announce that, further to the announcements of 12 July and
04 September 2024, the Company has
now signed a conditional, binding Acquisition Agreement to acquire
the entire issued share capital of Quantum Hydrogen Inc. (“Quantum
Hydrogen”). The Company has also received conditional approval for
the Waiver Resolution from the Takeover Panel.
Highlights:
-
Acquisition of Quantum
Hydrogen provides prospective hydrogen gas
acreage
-
£500,000 Placing by
Peterhouse Capital Limited (“Peterhouse”) of 50 million new
Ordinary Shares at £0.01 per share (the “Placing Price”), with an
additional Broker Option to be provided through
Peterhouse.
-
Board and Technical
Advisory appointments to shore up Board and management team
Extraordinary General
Meeting
The Company is today
posting a Circular to Shareholders to, amongst other things, seek
approval for the Acquisition and the Rule 9 Waiver. The Circular
includes a Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting and a Form of
Proxy for the proposed resolutions. These documents will also
shortly be available on the Company's website at
www.oscillateplc.com.
The Extraordinary General
Meeting will be held at 10.00 a.m. on
14 October 2024
at the offices of
Peterhouse Capital, 3rd Floor, 80 Cheapside,
London, EC2V
6EE.
Quantum
Hydrogen
Quantum Hydrogen has
exploration rights over approximately 60,000 acres in the
State of Minnesota, USA, a region
with a rich mining heritage, and well-endowed with infrastructure.
The area includes overlying extensive banded iron formations which
the Directors believe have the potential to generate hydrogen
gases.
The consideration for the
Acquisition is £1,400,000 which will be satisfied by the allotment
of 140 million new Ordinary Shares at the Placing Price (the
“Consideration Shares”). All Consideration Shares will be subject
to standard lock-in arrangements.
Placing and Broker
Option
Conditional on passing of
the Resolutions, Oscillate has raised £500,000 before expenses
through the new issue of 50 million new Ordinary Shares at the
Placing Price. The proposed use of the Placing proceeds are as
described in the Circular. Each Placee will
additionally receive one Placing Warrant for each Placing Share,
each Placing Warrant being exercisable into one Ordinary Share at a
price of £0.02 per share, for a period of 2 years from
Admission.
In order to provide
qualifying Oscillate shareholders ("Existing Shareholders") and
other qualified investors with an opportunity to participate on the
same basis as the Placing (with the same Placing Price and
identical Warrant entitlement), the Company has granted Peterhouse
a Broker Option over additional new Ordinary Shares. The Broker
Option Shares will be issued under the Company's proposed share
authorities, pursuant to the Extraordinary General
Meeting.
Existing Shareholders who
hold shares in the Company and are on the register of members as at
the close of business on Friday 20 September
2024, will be prioritised for participation in the Broker
Option (other than at the discretion of Peterhouse) and all orders
from such Existing Shareholders will be accepted and processed by
Peterhouse on a strictly "First Come, First Served" basis. The
Broker Option has not been underwritten. Peterhouse is entitled to
participate in the Broker Option as
principal.
The Broker Option may be
exercisable by Peterhouse on more than one occasion, at any time
from today, 20 September 2024
to 4.00 p.m. UK time on
23 September 2024, at its absolute
discretion, following consultation with the Company. There is no
obligation on Peterhouse to exercise the Broker Option or to seek
to procure subscribers for the Broker Option Shares. Peterhouse may
also, subject to prior consent of the Company, allocate new
Ordinary Shares after the time of any initial allocation to any
person submitting a bid after that time.
Peterhouse may choose not
to accept bids and/or to accept bids, either in whole or in part,
on the basis of allocations determined at their discretion (after
consultation with the Company) and may scale down any bids for this
purpose on such basis as Peterhouse may determine. Peterhouse may
also, subject to prior consent of the Company, allocate new
Ordinary Shares after the time of any initial allocation to any
person submitting a bid after that time.
The Broker Option Shares
are not being made available to the public and none of the Broker
Option Shares are being offered or sold in any jurisdiction where
it would be unlawful to do so. No Prospectus will be issued in
connection with the Broker Option.
The Company will announce
the results of the Broker Option and the resultant shares in issue
following its close.
Board Changes and
Technical Advisory Board
Conditional on passing the
Resolutions, the three shareholders and principals of Quantum will
immediately be employed by Oscillate:
A new Technical Advisory
Board will comprise John (“Ian”) Stalker and
Neil
Herbert.
Additionally,
Michael John (“Jack”) Keys, aged
72 will join the main Board of Oscillate as Technical
Director.
Mr Keyes has worked in the
international oil industry for 30 years, specializing in
exploration operations, project management and corporate
management. Mr Keyes was formerly with Petty-Ray Geophysical
Company working on seismic operations in East and North Africa. He joined Gulf Oil Corporation
in 1978 and worked on various exploration projects in Europe, the Middle
East, North and West
Africa, Southeast Asia and
South America. On leaving Gulf, he
joined Western Atlas International as project manager within the
international exploration group. He founded Frontier Resources
International, Inc. in 1988 and was a co-founder and COO of Circle
Oil Plc. Mr. Keyes studied Experimental Physics as an undergraduate
at the National University of Ireland
and completed his formal education at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma with a Master’s Degree in Exploration
Geophysics.
Mr Keyes has held the
following directorships (including directorships of companies
registered outside England and
Wales) within five years prior to
the date of this
Document:
Proposed
Director |
Current
Directorships |
Previous
Directorships |
|
|
|
Michael John (“Jack”)
Keyes |
Frontier Resources
International Inc. |
Invenir
Limited |
|
Gondwana Petroleum Pty.
Ltd |
|
|
Mesabi Hydrogen
Inc |
|
|
Navarino Gas
Plc |
|
Mr Keyes does not hold any
Ordinary Shares in the Company as at the date of this
Document.
There is no further
information regarding Mr Keyes to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 4.9
of the Aquis Rules.
Stephen Winfield
will resign as a Director
upon passing of the
Resolutions.
Steve Xerri Executive director commented: “On
behalf of myself and John Treacy I
would like to thank Stephen Winfield
for his input, professionalism and dedication in getting Oscillate
to this critical mass phase of its journey, without Stephen's input
we wouldn't have been as best placed in the execution of this
transaction and his dedication during his time as a Director of
Oscillate PLC has been unwavering. I shall continue to discharge my
duties in line with the spirit that we have embedded into this
company and I wish Stephen well in his ongoing
journey.”
A copy of one of the
Non-Executive Director’s letter and Notice of Extraordinary General
Meeting contained in the Circular are set out in full below of this
announcement without material amendment or
adjustment.
The Directors of the
Company accept responsibility for the content of this
announcement.
Enquiries:
Company
Oscillate
PLC
John
Treacy
ir@oscillateplc.com
https://oscillateplc.com
Corporate
Adviser
Peterhouse Capital
Limited
Telephone: 020 7220
9795
LETTER FROM A
NON-EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR
Oscillate
plc
(Incorporated in
England and Wales with Company Number
6010900)
Directors: |
Registered
Office: |
Steven (“Steve”)
Xerri (Executive
Director) John Treacy
(Non-Executive
Director) Stephen
Winfield (Non-Executive
Director) |
c/o Shakespeare Martineau
LLP6th Floor, 60
Gracechurch StreetLondonEC3V
0HR |
20 September
2024 |
Website:
https://oscillateplc.com/ |
Dear
Shareholder
Proposed Acquisition of
Quantum Hydrogen,
Inc.
Placing to raise
£500,000
Approval of waiver of
obligations under Rule 9 of the City Code on Takeovers and
Mergers
and
Notice of Extraordinary
General
Meeting
-
Introduction
On 12 July 2024, Oscillate PLC announced that it had
entered into non-binding Heads of Terms regarding the potential
acquisition of Quantum Hydrogen, Inc., a corporation established in
the State of Texas, USA,
subject to completion of due diligence by the Company. The Company
has now completed its due diligence and announced today that the
Company has conditionally agreed to acquire the entire issued share
capital of Quantum Hydrogen from the
Sellers.
Quantum Hydrogen has
exploration rights over approximately 60,000 acres in the
State of Minnesota, USA, a region
with a rich mining heritage, and well-endowed with infrastructure.
The area includes overlying extensive banded iron formations which
the Directors believe have the potential to generate hydrogen
gases.
The consideration for the
Acquisition is £1,400,000
which will be satisfied by the allotment of the Consideration
Shares.
As
the Consideration Shares would represent 34.53% of the Enlarged
Issued Share Capital, the issue of the
Consideration Shares would result in the Concert Party’s aggregate
percentage holding of Ordinary Shares being at a level which would
normally result in the Concert Party being obliged to make an
offer under
Rule 9 of the Takeover Code to all Shareholders to acquire all the
Ordinary Shares that it did not already own. However, the
Panel has agreed to waive this obligation, subject to the approval
of the Waiver Resolution by Independent Shareholders at the
Extraordinary General Meeting. Your attention is drawn to the
information about the Takeover Code set out in
paragraph 7
of this Part
I.
In addition, the Company
has conditionally raised £500,000
through the placing of
50,000,000 New Ordinary Shares at a price of £0.01 per
share.
The Issue of the New
Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Acquisition and the Placing are
conditional on Shareholder approval at the Extraordinary General
Meeting. Accordingly, notice of an Extraordinary
General Meeting of the Company, at which resolutions will be
proposed to approve the Proposals, is set out at the end of this
Document.
The purpose of this
Document is to set out the background to and the reasons for the
Acquisition and the Placing, and to explain why the Directors
consider the Proposals to be in the best interests of the Company
and its Shareholders as a whole and why they recommend that
Shareholders should vote in favour of the
Resolutions.
-
Background to and Reasons
for the
Acquisition
Oscillate is an investment
company with a diverse investment policy that includes investment
opportunities in the natural resource sector, the medical or
therapeutic cannabis sector and the medical psychedelic sector, as
well as special situations.
The Company’s current
assets, inter alia consist
of:
-
Cash of approximately
£1.06 million as at 31 May
2024.
-
An investment in
46,668,622 ordinary shares (12.59%) in Shortwave Life Sciences Plc,
an AQSE Growth Market quoted company, valued at
£1.67 million
at the close of business on
19 September
2024.
In accordance with its
investment mandate, the Company has reviewed a number of different
opportunities within the natural resource sector, and believes that
Quantum Hydrogen presents a compelling investment opportunity
within the sector.
The Company chose to
explore investments in hydrogen as the growing global emphasis on
reducing carbon emissions and the worldwide effort to shift to
renewable energy sources creates a favourable market for hydrogen
technologies. By investing in hydrogen exploration, the Company
believes it can position itself at the forefront of the clean
energy revolution.
Quantum Hydrogen, with
exploration rights in Minnesota,
is focused on the prime US hydrogen market which is expected to
grow from 15 million tons in 2020 to 121 million tons by
2050[1].
Moreover, the United States
already has existing geological and potential field data and an
extensive infrastructure in place, easing access to markets. The
mid-continent rift containing iron-rich minerals and presence of
geological formations makes it favourable for hydrogen
generation.
Minnesota was selected for exploration by
Quantum Hydrogen based on an initial data review of available
geological and geophysical data on the potential for the weathering
of banded-iron formations to generate natural hydrogen and the
proximity to nearby markets including pipeline networks, power
plants, iron smelting and cement
manufacturing.
-
Information on Quantum
Hydrogen
Quantum Hydrogen is a
Houston-based company, founded in
2023, focused on the exploration of natural or white hydrogen,
which has recently signed a three-year agreement to explore natural
hydrogen in the Minnesota Iron Range in the USA. Quantum Hydrogen continues to evaluate
new opportunities both in the United
States and
internationally.
Quantum Hydrogen has
recently signed a three-year option agreement for US$295,525 over a substantial land position
(60,000 acres) in the Minnesota Iron Range, overlying iron-bearing
rocks, specifically the Biwabik Iron Formation, in the Animike
Basin in the Lake Superior region
of North America. This region
hosts significant iron formations in several Paleoproterozoic
sedimentary basins. In addition, adjacent and underlying greenstone
terranes of the Archaean age host additional significant iron
formations and ultramafic volcanic and intrusive rocks. The Biwabik
Iron Formation ranges in width from 0.5 to 5.0 Kms. and can be up
to 200 meters in thickness. The formation generally dips to the
southeast.
These iron-rich
lithologies are among the most prospective for the generation of
naturally occurring “white“ hydrogen and the Sellers are excited to
be the first mover in a potentially globally significant
terrane.
Subject to the passing of
the Resolutions, the Company will seek to acquire all available
geological and remote sensing data as the first phase of a work
programme that will enable it to start a comprehensive evaluation
to fully assess and quantify the natural hydrogen potential of the
Minnesota
land.
-
Principal Terms of the
Acquisition Agreement, Lock-in Agreement and Relationship
Agreement
Acquisition
Agreement
Under the terms of the
Acquisition Agreement the Company will acquire Quantum Hydrogen
through the issue of 140,000,000 Consideration Shares at a deemed
valuation of
£1,400,000.
The Acquisition is
conditional, inter alia, on the approval at the Extraordinary
General Meeting of:
i.
the Waiver
Resolution;
ii.
the Resolution to approve the Acquisition;
and
iii.
the Resolutions to authorise the issue of the Consideration Shares
and the Placing
Shares.
The Consideration Shares,
when issued to the Sellers, will represent approximately 34.53% of
the Enlarged Issued Share Capital (assuming the Placing Shares are
also issued) and will, rank pari passu in all respects
with the existing Ordinary Shares, including all rights to all
dividends and other distributions
declared.
Lock-in and Orderly Market
Agreement
A Lock-in and Orderly
Market Agreement dated 20
September
2024 was executed,
conditional on Admission, by the Company with the Sellers,
John Treacy and Steven Xerri, pursuant to which the
Sellers have undertaken, save in certain circumstances, not to sell
or otherwise dispose of or agree to sell or dispose of any of their
interests (direct or indirect) in the Consideration Shares and
pursuant to which John Treacy and
Steven Xerri have undertaken, save
in certain circumstances, not to sell or otherwise dispose of or
agree to sell or dispose of any of their interests (direct or
indirect) in the Ordinary Shares held by them, for a period of
twelve months commencing on the date of Admission (“Lock-in
Period”). In addition, the Sellers and John Treacy and Steven
Xerri have undertaken to the Company and Peterhouse not to
dispose of their Consideration Shares and Ordinary Shares
respectively for a period of 12 months after the end of the Lock-in
Period without first consulting the Company and Peterhouse in order
to maintain an orderly market for the Ordinary
Shares.
Relationship
Agreement
On
20
September
2024 each of the Sellers
entered into a relationship agreement with Peterhouse and the
Company, conditional on Admission, pursuant to which each of the
Sellers and their connected parties have undertaken, for so long as
the Ordinary Shares are admitted to trading on the Aquis Growth
Market and the Sellers (individually or together with their
associates) continue to hold more than 20 per cent of the voting
rights attaching to the Ordinary Shares in issue from time to time,
to procure that, inter alia, the Company and its business
shall be managed for the benefit of Shareholders as a whole, any
transactions between them and a member of the Company will be at
arm’s length, the board of Directors of the Company will contain at
least one independent director, and certain reserved board matters
will only be voted on by the independent Directors of the Company.
In addition, Cambrian Limited has the right to appoint and maintain
one director on the Board, the initial such director being the
Proposed
Director.
-
Board Changes and
Technical Advisory
Board
Pursuant to the
Acquisition and conditional on the approval of the Resolutions,
Jack Keyes will be appointed as
Technical Director of the Company, acting in an executive capacity.
Conditional on passing of the Resolutions, Stephen Winfield will resign with immediate
effect as a Director of the
Company.
Michael John (“Jack”) Keys, aged
72
Mr Keyes has worked in the
international oil industry for 30 years, specializing in
exploration operations, project management and corporate
management. Mr Keyes was formerly with Petty-Ray Geophysical
Company working on seismic operations in East and North Africa. He joined Gulf Oil Corporation
in 1978 and worked on various exploration projects in Europe, the Middle
East, North and West
Africa, Southeast Asia and
South America. On leaving Gulf, he
joined Western Atlas International as project manager within the
international exploration group. He founded Frontier Resources
International, Inc. in 1988 and was a co-founder and COO of Circle
Oil Plc. Mr. Keyes studied Experimental Physics as an undergraduate
at the National University of Ireland
and completed his formal education at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma with a Master’s Degree in Exploration
Geophysics.
Mr Keyes has held the
following directorships (including directorships of companies
registered outside England and
Wales) within five years prior to
the date of this
Document:
Proposed
Director |
Current
Directorships |
Previous
Directorships |
|
|
|
Michael John (“Jack”)
Keyes |
Frontier Resources
International Inc. |
Invenir
Limited |
|
Gondwana Petroleum Pty.
Ltd |
|
|
Mesabi Hydrogen
Inc |
|
|
Navarino Gas
Plc |
|
Mr Keyes does not hold any
Ordinary Shares in the Company as at the date of this
Document.
There is no further
information regarding Mr Keyes to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 4.9
of the Aquis Rules.
Jack Keyes will enter into a service agreement
with the Company, under the terms of which he has agreed to act as
a Technical Director. The service agreement will become effective
from the passing of the Resolutions and may be terminated by either
party giving to the other 1 months’ prior written notice, such
notice not to be given prior to the first anniversary of the
Extraordinary General
Meeting.
Mr Keyes will be paid a
salary of US$84,000 per annum. The
agreement will be effective from the date of Admission and may be
terminated by either party giving to the other one months prior
written notice, such notice not to be given prior to the first
anniversary of
Admission.
Technical Advisory
Board
On Completion, the Company
intends to establish a Technical Advisory Board to assist the
Company in maximising the benefits of its investment in Quantum
Hydrogen and in evaluating other investment opportunities in the
hydrogen area.
The Technical Advisory
Board will initially comprise John (“Ian”) Stalker and Neil Herbert, two of the Sellers. Further
information about Mr Stalker and Mr Herbert is set out in
paragraph 9 of this Part I
below.
In connection with the
roles assumed by Mr Stalker and Mr Herbert, Promaco Limited and
Cambrian Limited will each be paid £20,000 per annum respectively,
with £10,000 each deferred until 12 months from
Admission. The payment agreements
will be effective from the date of Admission, and may be terminated
by either party giving to the other one months prior written
notice, such notice not to be given prior to the first anniversary
of
Admission.
-
The Placing and Placing
Warrants
Conditional on passing of
the Resolutions at the Extraordinary General Meeting, the Company
has raised £500,000 before expenses through the issue of 50,000,000
Placing Shares at the Placing Price. Each Placee will receive one
Placing Warrant for each Placing Share, each Placing Warrant being
exercisable into one Ordinary Share at a price of £0.02 per share,
for a period of 2 years from Admission. The Placing Warrants will
vest on passing of the
Resolutions.
Further, Steve Xerri will be granted 2,500,000
Incentivisation Warrants for his role in introducing, negotiating
the terms of, and reaching agreement with, Quantum Hydrogen that
culminated in non-binding Heads of Terms being announced on
12 July 2024 between the Company and
Quantum Hydrogen. The Incentivisation Warrants are conditional on
Admission.
Conditional on approval of
the Proposals, the Directors’ and Proposed Director’s Ordinary
Shares and Placing Warrants in the Company will be as
follows:
Directors and Proposed
Director |
Ordinary Shares held at
date of this Document |
Consideration
Shares |
Ordinary Shares
Conditionally Subscribed for in the
Placing |
Ordinary Shares in lieu of
Directors’ fees for nine months to 30 September
2024** |
Total Ordinary Shares held
on passing Extraordinary General Meeting
Resolutions |
Placing
Warrants |
Incentivisation
Warrants |
Steven Xerri
(Director) |
17,420,653 |
Nil |
4,500,000 |
1,812,000 |
23,732,653 |
4,500,000 |
2,500,000 |
John Treacy
(Director) |
880,000 |
Nil |
Nil |
1,272,000 |
2,152,000 |
Nil |
Nil |
Stephen Winfield
(Director) |
1,000,000 |
Nil |
Nil |
1,799,400 |
2,799,400 |
Nil |
Nil |
Michael John (“Jack”)
Keyes* (Proposed Director) |
Nil |
36,251,944 |
Nil |
Nil |
36,251,944 |
Nil |
Nil |
* Ordinary Shares will be held through Frontier
Resources International, Inc., Texas incorporated (employer identification
no. 76-0308141). Frontier Resources International, Inc is 100%
owned by Michael John (“Jack”)
Keyes.
** As announced on 29 November
2023, the Directors agreed to accept Ordinary Shares of the
Company in lieu of cash salaries and for such Ordinary Shares to be
issued to them when the Company enters into a meaningful
transaction. As the Acquisition is deemed to be a meaningful
transaction, the accrued cash salaries will be converted into
Ordinary Shares at a deemed price of 1
pence per share on Admission.
The net proceeds of the
Placing will be applied as
follows:
-
Geological activities in Minnesota:
£190,000
-
Ore samples and soil gas detection/analysis/testing
In Minnesota:
£85,000
-
Project management/target assessment team for the
Minnesota project:
£195,000
-
General working capital:
£70,000
-
The Takeover
Code
The Acquisition gives rise
to certain considerations under the Takeover Code. Brief details of
the Takeover Code and the protection this affords Shareholders are
set out below.
The Takeover Code is
issued and administered by the Panel. The Takeover Code and the
Panel operate to ensure fair and equal treatment of shareholders in
relation to takeovers, and also provide an orderly framework within
which takeovers are conducted. The Takeover Code applies to all
takeover and merger transactions, however effected, where the
offeree company is, inter alia, a company which has its
registered office in the UK, the Channel
Islands or the Isle of Man,
the securities of which are admitted to trading on a regulated
market or a multilateral trading facility (such as the Main Market)
in the United Kingdom or on any
stock exchange in the Channel
Islands or the Isle of Man.
Accordingly, the Takeover Code applies to the
Company.
Under Rule 9 of the
Takeover Code,
-
any person who acquires an
interest in shares which (taken together with shares in which that
person or any person acting in concert with that person is
interested) carry 30% or more of the voting rights of a company;
or
(b)
any person, together with persons acting in concert with that
person, is interested in shares which in the aggregate carry not
less than 30% of the voting rights of a company but does not hold
shares carrying more than 50% of such voting rights and such
person, or any person acting in concert with that person,
acquires an interest in any other shares which increases the
percentage of shares carrying voting rights in which that person is
interested,
such person shall extend
offers, on the basis set out in Rule 9.3 and Rule 9.5, to the
holders of any class of equity share capital whether voting or
non-voting and also to the holders of any other class of
transferable securities carrying voting
rights.
An offer under Rule 9 must
be made in cash at the highest price paid by the person required to
make the offer, or any person acting in concert with such person,
for any interest in shares of the company during the 12 months
prior to the announcement of the
offer.
Under the Takeover Code, a
concert party arises when persons, pursuant to an agreement or
understanding (whether formal or informal), co-operate to obtain or
consolidate control of a company or to frustrate the successful
outcome of an offer for a company. Under the Takeover Code, control
means an interest, or aggregate interests, in shares carrying 30
per cent or more of the voting rights of a company, irrespective of
whether the interest or interests give de facto control. In this
context, voting rights means all the voting rights attributable to
the capital of the company which are currently exercisable at an
extraordinary general
meeting.
-
The Concert
Party
The Company has agreed
with the Panel that John (“Ian”) Stalker, Neil Herbert and Michael
John (“Jack”) Keyes are ‘acting in concert’ in relation to
the proposed acquisition by Oscillate of Quantum Hydrogen. Further
information about the members of the Concert Party and the
relationships between them is set out in paragraph 9 of this Part
I.
No member of the Concert
Party currently holds any
Ordinary
Shares.
Following the allotment
and issue of the Consideration Shares and Placing Shares to the
Sellers, the Concert Party will hold 149,000,000 Ordinary Shares,
representing approximately 36.75% of the Enlarged Issued Share
Capital. If the Placing Warrants are exercised by the Concert Party
(and assuming that no other Placing Warrants are exercised), the
Concert Party will hold a maximum of 158,000,000 Ordinary Shares,
representing approximately 38.12% of the then issued share capital
of the Company, as set out
below.
Concert Party
Member |
Ordinary Shares held immediately following the issue
of the Consideration
Shares |
Placing
Shares |
Ordinary Shares interested in as a % of the Enlarged
Share
Capital |
Placing
Warrants |
Maximum interest in Ordinary Shares following
exercise of the Placing
Warrants |
Maximum
percentage interest
in voting
rights |
John (“Ian”)
Stalker* |
51,819,596 |
4,500,000 |
13.89% |
4,500,000 |
60,819,596 |
14.68% |
Neil
Herbert** |
51,928,460 |
4,500,000 |
13.92% |
4,500,000 |
60,928,460 |
14.70 |
Michael John (“Jack”)
Keyes*** |
36,251,944 |
Nil |
8.94% |
Nil |
36,251,944 |
8.75 |
Total Concert
Party |
140,000,000 |
9,000,000 |
36.8% |
9,000,000 |
158,000,000 |
38.12 |
Ordinary Shares in
issue |
350,556,550 |
405,439,950 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
* Ordinary Shares will be held through Promaco
Limited, Isle of Man incorporated
(co. no. 114256C). Promaco Limited itself is 100% owned by Bespoke
360, Isle of Man incorporated (co.
no. 066743C), as trustee of the J Stalker Discretionary Settlement,
a discretionary
trust.
** Ordinary Shares will be held through Cambrian
Limited, Malta incorporated (co.
no. C75579). Cambrian Limited, itself is 100% owned by Archean
Limited (co. no. C 75578). Archean Limited is 99% owned by
Neil Herbert and 1% owned by Neil
Herbert’s wife.
*** Ordinary Shares will be held through Frontier
Resources International, Inc., Texas incorporated (employer identification
no. 76-0308141). Frontier Resources International, Inc is 100%
owned by Michael John (“Jack”)
Keyes.
The issue of the
Consideration Shares and the Placing Shares to the Concert Party
and the issue of additional Ordinary Shares to the Concert Party on
the exercise of the Placing Warrants by the Concert Party (assuming
that no other Placing Warrants are exercised), would ordinarily
trigger an obligation on the Concert Party to make an offer for the
Company in accordance with Rule 9 of the Takeover
Code.
The Panel has agreed,
however, to waive the obligation for the Concert Party to make a
general offer that would otherwise arise as a result of the issue
of the Consideration Shares, the Placing Shares and the exercise of
the Placing Warrants, subject to the approval of Independent
Shareholders, all of whom are independent of the Concert Party.
Accordingly, the Waiver Resolution is being proposed at the
Extraordinary General Meeting and will be taken on a poll of
Independent
Shareholders.
For so long as the Concert
Party is interested in shares which in the aggregate carry not less
than 30 per cent. of the voting rights of such a company but does
not hold shares carrying more than 50 per cent. of the voting
rights of the company, an offer will normally be required if such
person or any person acting in concert with that person acquires a
further interest in shares which increases the percentage of shares
carrying voting rights in which that person is
interested.
The waiver to which the
Panel has agreed under the Takeover Code will be invalidated if any
purchases of Ordinary Shares are made by any member of the Concert
Party, or any person acting in concert with it, in the period
between the date of this Document and the Extraordinary General
Meeting.
In the event that the
Waiver is approved, the members of the Concert Party will not be
restricted from making an offer for the
Company.
-
Information on the Concert
Party
The members of the Concert
Party and the reasons for their membership of the Concert Party are
as follows:
John (“Ian”)
Stalker
Ian is a senior
international mining executive with over forty-five years of
experience in resource development, mine construction, and
operations in Europe, Africa, South
America, and Australia. He
was Chief Executive officer of Helium One Global Limited until its
IPO and Chairman following its IPO until 2023, a helium development
company in Tanzania. Ian has been
responsible for managing the development of over twelve major
mining projects from initial exploration drilling to start-up. He
is the former Chief Executive of both LSC Lithium Corporation and
K92 Holdings International Ltd. He has extensive public company
experience with companies listed on both AIM and the TSX, such as
Brazilian Gold Corp., Berkeley Resources Ltd., Niger Uranium Ltd.,
and UraMin Inc. Mr Stalker holds a Bachelor’s Degree (Hons) in
Chemical Engineering from the University of
Strathclyde in Glasgow,
Scotland.
Mr Stalker served as a
director of Quantum Hydrogen from 1 April until 17 July 2024.
Mr Stalker
currently serves as a director on a
number of boards together with Neil
Herbert.
Neil
Herbert
Neil has over 25 years of
experience managing, advising, and investing in growth companies
from start-up through IPO, development, and successful M&A. He
began his career in 1991 with PwC and spent six years working with
clients across several disciplines. He joined Antofagasta Plc in
1998 as Group Financial Controller and in September 2001 began to act is an executive and
non-executive director capacity to a wide range of natural resource
companies including Polo Resources Ltd., Patagonia Gold Plc,
Kalahari Diamond Resources, International Molybdenum Plc., Galahad
Gold, UraMin Inc and Atlantic Lithium Inc. He was Chairman of
Helium One Global Limited from its inception until its IPO and is
currently Chairman of Pulsar Helium Inc. Mr. Herbert holds a
BA Joint Honors degree in Economics and Economic History from the
University of Leicester. He is
also a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified
Accountants.
Mr Herbert served as a
director of Quantum Hydrogen from 1 April
2023 until 17 July
2024.
Mr Herbert currently
serves on a number of boards together with Ian
Stalker.
Mr Herbert also served as
a director of Frontier Resources plc from 2014 -2018, alongside
Jack Keyes.
Michael John (“Jack”)
Keyes
Mr Keyes is an oil and gas
industry executive specialising in international business
development, project management and corporate/public company
management. Further details on his biography can be found in
paragraph 5 of Part I of this Document.
Mr Keyes has been a
director of Quantum Hydrogen since 20
December 2022 and served as a director of Frontier Resources
International plc from 2008 -2016, alongside Neil Herbert.
-
Intentions of the Concert
Party
If the Waiver Resolution
is passed by Independent Shareholders on a
poll, the Directors and the
members of the Concert Party, intend that the Company’s business
activities, as summarised in paragraph 2
of this Part I, should
continue.
Save for the appointment
of the Proposed Director and the resignation of Stephen Winfield, no member of the Concert Party
has any intention to make any changes in relation
to:
-
the future business or
strategic plans of the
Company;
-
any research and
development activities of the
Company;
-
the continued employment
of the Company’s employees and management, including any change in
the conditions of employment or in the balance of the skills and
functions of the employees and management. The Company does not
operate any pension
schemes;
-
the locations of the
Company’s places of business, including the location of the
Company’s headquarters and headquarters
functions;
-
the redeployment of any
fixed assets of the Company;
or
-
the maintenance of the
existing trading of the Ordinary Shares on the Aquis Growth
Market;
after completion of the
Waiver.
If the Waiver Resolution
is passed by Independent Shareholders on a poll, there is no
agreement, arrangement or understanding for the transfer by any
member of the Concert Party of Ordinary Shares to any third
party.
-
Extraordinary General
Meeting
Set out at the end of this
Document is the notice convening the Extraordinary General Meeting
to be held at the offices of Peterhouse Capital, 3rd
Floor, 80 Cheapside, London, EC2V
6EE at 10.00 a.m.
on 14 October 2024, at which Resolutions will be
proposed as
follows:
-
Resolution 1 is an
ordinary resolution seeking Shareholder approval of the
Acquisition.
-
Resolution 2 is an
ordinary resolution to approve the Waiver Resolution (to be taken
on a poll and to be voted on by the Independent Shareholders
only).
-
Resolution 3
is an ordinary resolution
seeking Shareholder authority to allot Ordinary Shares in respect
of, inter alia, the Consideration Shares and the Placing
Shares.
-
Resolution 4 is a special
resolution seeking Shareholder authority to dis-apply statutory
pre-emption rights in respect of, inter alia, the allotment of the
New Ordinary Shares
.
The passing of Resolution
2, the Waiver Resolution, must be approved by Independent
Shareholders on a poll, and each Independent Shareholder will be
entitled to one vote for each Ordinary Share held. The passing of
the Waiver Resolution will require the approval by Independent
Shareholders by way of simple
majority.
Any Shareholder who
participates in the Placing will not be regarded as an Independent
Shareholder for the purposes of the Waiver and will therefore not
be entitled to vote on the Waiver Resolution at the Extraordinary
General Meeting.
-
Action to be
Taken
A Form of Proxy for use at
the Extraordinary General Meeting is enclosed with this Document.
The Form of Proxy should be completed and signed in accordance with
the instructions thereon and returned to the
Company’s Registrars,
Neville Registrars Limited, Neville
House, Steelpark Road, Halesowen, West Midlands, B62 8HD,
as soon as possible, but
in any event so as to be received by no later than
10.00 a.m.
on 12 October 2024. The completion and return of a
Form of Proxy will not preclude Shareholders from attending the
Extraordinary General Meeting and voting in person should they so
wish.
-
Additional
Information
Shareholders’ attention is
drawn to the additional information in Parts II and III of this
Document.
-
Recommendation
For the reasons set out in
this Document, the Directors, who have been so advised by
Peterhouse, believe that the Proposals are fair and reasonable and
in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders as a
whole. In providing advice to the Directors, Peterhouse has taken
into account the Directors’ commercial
assessments.
Accordingly, the Directors
recommend that Independent Shareholders vote in favour of the
Resolutions to be proposed at the Extraordinary General Meeting, as
they intend to do (save as explained below) in respect of
the 19,300,653
Ordinary Shares that they
collectively hold, representing
9.17
per cent of the Issued
Share
Capital.
As Steve Xerri is participating in the Placing and
receiving the Incentivisation Warrants, as outlined in paragraph 6
of this Part I, he will not be regarded as an Independent
Shareholder for the purposes of the Waiver and will therefore not
be entitled to vote on the Waiver Resolution and will not do so in
respect of his 17,420,653 Ordinary Shares, representing 8.27% of
the Issued Share
Capital.
The Independent Directors
are presumed to be Independent Shareholders and independent for the
purpose of appraisal of the Acquisition and the Waiver
Resolution.
Yours
faithfully
John
Treacy
Non-Executive
Director