Itafos Inc. (TSX-V: IFOS) (the “Company”) is pleased to announce
that, further to its announcement of August 5, 2024, it has
completed the sale of its 100% interest in its Araxá project to a
wholly-owned subsidiary of St George Mining Limited (“St George”)
(ASX: SGQ) (the “Transaction”). St George now owns all of the
outstanding securities of Itafos Araxá Mineracao E Fertilizantes
S.A (“Itafos Araxá”).
Pursuant to the sale agreement with St George
(the “Sale Agreement”), the Company has received from St George the
first installment cash payment of USD$10,000,000 (less withholding
tax payable) and (a) 266,782,003 ordinary shares of St George (“SGQ
Shares”) representing 10% of St George’s outstanding share capital,
(b) 86,111,025 options to acquire SGQ Shares at an exercise price
of AUD$0.04, expiring two years from the date of issue; and (c)
11,111,100 performance rights, convertible into SGQ Shares for no
additional consideration upon St George reporting an Australasian
Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and
Ore Reserves (JORC) compliant inferred resource of no less than
25Mt @ 3.5% total rare earth oxide (“TREO”) at a cut-off of 2% TREO
within five years from the date of issue.
Pursuant to the Sale Agreement, St George is
required to make two additional cash installment payments to the
Company as follows: (a) USD$6,000,000 nine months after completion
of the transaction which occurred on February 26, 2025
(“Completion”); and (b) USD$5,000,000 18 months after Completion
(collectively, the “Deferred Payments”).
David Delaney, Chief Executive Officer of the
Company, commented: “The sale of our non-core Araxá development
asset demonstrates our commitment to delivering long term
shareholder value. We are pleased to partner with St George as a
10% equity shareholder and to retain an indirect economic interest
in the Araxá asset as St George develops this niobium rare-earth
mineral asset to unlock its full value.”
The obligation of St George to make the Deferred
Payments to the Company is secured by St George’s assets in
Australia and Brazil until such time as the Deferred Payments have
been received by the Company.
The Araxá project is located in Minas Gerais,
Brazil and hosts a niobium and rare earth elements deposit with the
potential for development of a vertically integrated mine and
extraction plant capable of producing rare earth oxides and niobium
oxide to serve international markets.
About Itafos
The Company is a phosphate and specialty fertilizer company. The
Company’s businesses and projects are as follows:
- Conda – a vertically integrated phosphate fertilizer business
located in Idaho, US with production capacity as follows:
- approximately 550kt per year of monoammonium phosphate (“MAP”),
MAP with micronutrients (“MAP+”), superphosphoric acid (“SPA”),
merchant grade phosphoric acid (“MGA”) and ammonium polyphosphate
(“APP”); and
- approximately 27kt per year of hydrofluorosilicic acid
(“HFSA”);
- Arraias – a vertically integrated phosphate fertilizer business
located in Tocantins, Brazil with production capacity as follows:
- approximately 500kt per year of single superphosphate (“SSP”)
and SSP with micronutrients (“SSP+”); and
- approximately 40kt per year of excess sulfuric acid (220kt per
year gross sulfuric acid production capacity);
- Farim – a high-grade phosphate mine project located in Farim,
Guinea-Bissau; and
- Santana – a vertically integrated high-grade phosphate mine and
fertilizer plant project located in Pará, Brazil.
The Company is a Delaware corporation that is headquartered in
Houston, TX. The Company’s shares trade on the TSX-V under the
ticker symbol “IFOS”. The Company’s principal shareholder is CL
Fertilizers Holding LLC (“CLF”). CLF is an affiliate of Castlelake,
L.P., a global private investment firm.
For more information, or to join the Company’s mailing list to
receive notification of future news releases, please visit the
Company’s website at www.itafos.com.
Forward-Looking Information
Certain information contained in this news
release constitutes forward-looking information
(“FLI”), including statements with respect to the
Transaction and any information related to: the timing and ability
of St George to pay the Company the Deferred Payments and the
equity ownership that the Company has in St George. All information
other than information of historical fact may constitute
forward-looking information. The use of any of the words “intend”,
“anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”,
“will”, “project”, “should”, “would”, “believe”, “predict” and
“potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking information.
The FLI contained in this news release is based
on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management set out
herein, which management believes are reasonable as at the date the
statements are made. Those opinions, assumptions and estimates are
inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and
other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or
results to differ materially from those projected in the FLI. These
include the Company’s expectations and assumptions with respect to
the following: commodity prices; operating results; safety risks;
changes to the Company’s mineral reserves and resources; risk that
timing of expected permitting will not be met; changes to mine
development and completion; foreign operations risks; changes to
regulation; environmental risks; the impact of adverse weather and
climate change; general economic changes, including inflation and
foreign exchange rates; the actions of the Company’s competitors
and counterparties; financing, liquidity, credit and capital risks;
the loss of key personnel; impairment risks; cybersecurity risks;
risks relating to transportation and infrastructure; changes to
equipment and suppliers; adverse litigation; changes to permitting
and licensing; geo-political risks; loss of land title and access
rights; changes to insurance and uninsured risks; the potential for
malicious acts; market volatility; changes to technology; changes
to tax laws; the risk of operating in foreign jurisdictions; and
the risks posed by a controlling shareholder and other conflicts of
interest. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of risks,
uncertainties and assumptions is not exhaustive.
Although the Company has attempted to identify
crucial factors that could cause actual actions, events or results
to differ materially from those described in the FLI, there may be
other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as
anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that
FLI will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such information.
The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on FLI. The
Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking
statements if circumstances or management’s estimates, assumptions
or opinions should change, except as required by applicable
securities law. Additional risks and uncertainties affecting the
FLI contained in this news release are described in greater detail
in the Company’s current Annual Information Form and current
Management’s Discussion and Analysis available under the Company’s
profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company’s website
at www.itafos.com. The FLI included in this news release is
expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and is made as of
the date of this news release.
NEITHER THE TSX-V NOR ITS REGULATION
SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE
TSX-V) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS
NEWS RELEASE.
For further information, please contact:
Matthew O’NeillExecutive Vice President & Chief Financial
Officerinvestor@itafos.com 713-242-8446
For Media and Investor Relations:
Alliance Advisors IRFatema BhabrawalaDirector, Media
Relationsfbhabrawala@allianceadvisors.com647-620-5002
Itafos (TSXV:IFOS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Feb 2025 to Mar 2025
Itafos (TSXV:IFOS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Mar 2025