Noront Resources Ltd. ("
Noront" or the
"
Company") (TSXV: NOT) today announced it has
settled an arrangement agreement (the "
Arrangement
Agreement") with Wyloo Metals Pty Ltd and Wyloo Canada
Holdings Pty Ltd (together, "
Wyloo Metals") under
which Wyloo Metals has agreed to acquire up to all of the issued
and outstanding common shares of Noront ("
Common
Shares") that it does not already own, directly or
indirectly, for C$1.10 per Common Share by way of a statutory plan
of arrangement under the Business Corporation Act (Ontario) (the
"
Wyloo Offer").
Under the Arrangement Agreement, shareholders
must make an election to sell (a "Sale Election")
all or a portion of their Common Shares to Wyloo Metals in order to
receive cash consideration of C$1.10 per Common Share. Shareholders
who do not make a Sale Election will retain their Common Shares
following the closing of the Transaction. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, Wyloo Metals will have an option to acquire all of the
Common Shares that it does not already own, directly or indirectly,
for C$1.10 per Common Share – including those Common Shares not
subject to a Sale Election – if less than 10% of the outstanding
Common Shares are not subject to a Sale Election.
The consideration of C$1.10 in cash per share
under the Wyloo Offer represents an approximate 358% premium to the
unaffected closing price of the Common Shares on May 21, 2021 and
an approximate 47% premium to the cash offer of C$0.75 per Common
Share (the "BHP Offer") made by BHP Western Mining
Resources International Pty Ltd ("BHP").
BHP Right to Match
Pursuant to the terms of the support agreement
among Noront, BHP and BHP Lonsdale Investments Pty Ltd (the
"Support Agreement"), upon the Company making a determination that
a superior proposal has been received, BHP has the right, but not
the obligation, to offer to amend the terms of the BHP Offer. BHP
has five business days from receiving notice of the superior
proposal in accordance with the terms of the Support Agreement to
negotiate with Noront, should BHP decide to do so, to amend the
terms of the existing Support Agreement such that the Wyloo Offer
is no longer considered by the Noront Board of Directors to be
superior to the amended BHP offer.
If BHP does not exercise its right to match
within the period provided for in the Support Agreement and Noront
terminates the Support Agreement, or the Support Agreement is
otherwise terminated in accordance with its terms for any reason,
then the Arrangement Agreement will be immediately entered into by
the Company and Wyloo Metals.
If the Arrangement Agreement is going to be
entered into, Wyloo Metals has also agreed to provide a loan to
Noront of up to C$29.38 million (the "Wyloo Loan")
to finance, among other things, the termination payment of C$17.78
million payable to BHP upon the termination of the Support
Agreement, as well as other transaction related costs. The term of
the Wyloo Loan will be 12 months from completion of the Wyloo
Metals transaction, with interest of 5% per annum payable quarterly
in either cash or common shares of Noront, at the option of Noront
and subject to receiving shareholder approval for the payment of
interest in common shares of Noront, and subject to the approval of
the TSX Venture Exchange.
It is expected that, if the Support Agreement is
terminated, certain Noront shareholders, including Noront directors
and senior management, will enter into lock-up agreements under
which they will agree to vote in support of the Wyloo Offer. Wyloo
Metals currently holds approximately 37.2% of the outstanding
Common Shares (on a basic basis).
The terms of the Arrangement Agreement, if
executed, will provide that Wyloo Metals will be entitled to a
termination payment of C$26 million (equal to approximately 4% of
the total equity value of the transaction based on 100% of Noront's
fully diluted shares outstanding) if the Arrangement Agreement is
terminated in certain circumstances. This termination payment will
not be payable if BHP elects to match the Wyloo Offer and Noront
and Wyloo Metals therefore do not enter into the Arrangement
Agreement.
There is no action for Noront shareholders to
take today. If Noront enters into an Arrangement Agreement with
Wyloo Metals, additional information will be provided to Noront
shareholders in advance of a Special Meeting of Shareholders to
vote on the plan of arrangement. The applicable materials will also
be available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under Noront's issuer profile
and on Noront's corporate website (www.norontresources.com).
The entering into of the Wyloo Loan between
Wyloo Metals and Noront, is considered to be a "related party
transaction" for purposes of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 –
Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions
("MI 61-101") as Wyloo Metals has beneficial ownership of, and
control or direction over, directly or indirectly, securities of
the Company carrying more than 20% of the voting rights attached to
all of Noront's outstanding voting securities. The Company did not
file the material change report more than 21 days before the
expected completion of the Wyloo Loan as the details of the Wyloo
Loan were not settled until shortly prior to the announcement of
the Wyloo Loan. The Company is relying on exemptions from the
formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements
available under MI 61-101. The Company is exempt from the formal
valuation requirement in section 5.4 of MI 61-101 in reliance on
section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 as the Company is not listed on a
specified market under MI 61-101. Additionally, the Company is
exempt from minority shareholder approval requirement in section
5.6 of MI 61-101 in reliance on section 5.7(f) of MI 61-101.
Advisors
TD Securities Inc. is acting as financial advisor,
Bennett Jones LLP is acting as legal counsel and Longview
Communications & Public Affairs is acting as communications
advisor to Noront.
About Noront Resources Noront
Resources Ltd. is focused on the development of its high-grade
Eagle's Nest nickel, copper, platinum and palladium deposit and the
world class chromite deposits including Blackbird, Black Thor, and
Big Daddy, all of which are located in the James Bay Lowlands of
Ontario in an emerging metals camp known as the Ring of
Fire. www.norontresources.com
Contact Information |
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Media Relations |
Investor Relations |
Ian Hamilton |
Greg Rieveley |
Tel: +1 (905) 399-6591 |
Tel: +1 (416) 367-1444 |
ihamilton@longviewcomms.ca |
greg.rieveley@norontresources.com |
|
|
Janice Mandel |
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Tel: +1 (647) 300-3853 |
|
janice.mandel@stringcom.com |
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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements contained in this news
release contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of
applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information and
statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current
expectations and projections about future events, and are therefore
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied
by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the Wyloo
Offer; the BHP Offer; and the BHP right to match.
Although Noront believes that the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking information and statements are
reasonable, such information and statements involve risks and
uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such
information and statements. Material factors or assumptions that
were applied in formulating the forward-looking information
contained herein include, without limitation, the expectations and
beliefs of the Special Committee of Noront as of the date hereof.
Noront cautions that the foregoing list of material factors and
assumptions is not exhaustive. Many of these assumptions are based
on factors and events that are not within the control of Noront, ,
and there is no assurance that they will prove correct.
Consequently, there can be no assurance that the actual results or
developments anticipated by Noront will be realized or, even if
substantially realized, that they will have the expected
consequences for, or effects on, Noront or its future results and
performance.
Forward-looking information and statements in
this news release are based on Noront's beliefs and opinions at the
time the statements are made, and there should be no expectation
that these forward-looking statements will be updated or
supplemented as a result of new information, estimates or opinions,
future events or results or otherwise, and Noront disavows and
disclaims any obligation to do so except as required by applicable
law. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to be a forecast,
projection or estimate of the future financial performance of
Noront.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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