TIDMBCN
RNS Number : 0059E
Bacanora Lithium PLC
15 October 2018
Bacanora Lithium Plc / Index: AIM / Epic: BCN / Sector: Natural
Resources
Bacanora Lithium Plc ("Bacanora" or the "Company")
Final Audited Accounts for the year ended 30 June 2018
Bacanora Lithium Plc (AIM: BCN), the London listed lithium
exploration and development company, is pleased to provide its
audited final results for the 12 months ended 30 June 2018.
Highlights - for the year ending 30 June 2018 and post balance
sheet events
Sonora Lithium Project, Mexico ('Sonora' or 'the Sonora Lithium
Project')
-- Completed a Feasibility Study ("FS") which demonstrated
strong economics of a 35,000 tpa lithium carbonate operation at
Sonora:
o US$1.25 billion NPV based on lithium carbonate prices of
US$11,000/t
o 26.1% IRR
o US$3,910/t lithium carbonate life of mine ('LOM') gross
operating costs which are comparable to those of the low-cost brine
producers of South America
-- Post period end, US$150 million senior debt facility secured
with RK Mine Finance, a leading provider of finance for resources
companies, to finance the development of Sonora
-- Post period end, US$65 million and US$25 million conditional
equity commitments from the State General Reserve Fund of Oman
("SGRF"), and Bacanora's offtake partner, Hanwa Co., LTD ("Hanwa"),
as part of the Sonora project financing package
-- Unrestricted access to develop and operate Sonora for the
initial LOM secured following acquisition of La Ventana and La Joya
parcels of land in Sonora for US$2.9 million - final consideration
settled in August 2018
Zinnwald Lithium Project, Germany ('Zinnwald')
-- Ongoing work for a Feasibility Study into a high value
lithium product operation at Zinnwald on track for completion in Q2
2019
-- NI 43-101 compliant upgraded measured and indicated resource
of 124,974 tonnes of contained lithium for Zinnwald issued in
September 2018
-- Exploration licence awarded covering 295 hectares of the
previously mined Falkenhain lithium deposit 5km from Zinnwald in
Germany - potential to increase the LOM of Zinnwald
Corporate
-- Successful completion of the redomicile of the Company's
jurisdiction from Canada to the UK on 23 March 2018, resulting in
Bacanora Lithium Plc, which is solely quoted on AIM, becoming the
Parent Company for the Bacanora Group
-- The Company strengthened its Board and Senior Management Team
with the addition of two new Directors, Peter Secker (CEO) and
Eileen Carr (NED), and a new CFO, Janet Boyce
Peter Secker, CEO, of Bacanora Lithium, commented: "2019, the
year Volvo will electrify all new models launched. 2025, the year
Volkswagen is targeting 25% of vehicle sales will be electric.
2030, the year when Denmark will outlaw the sale of new petrol and
diesel cars, with hybrids following in 2035. 2040, the year when
all new vehicles sold in France and the UK will have to produce
zero emissions. These are just a few of the many ambitious EV
targets that have been set by governments and corporations around
the world. With each EV battery requiring 25-50kg of lithium, new
sources of lithium will need to come on stream for these targets to
be met. Our own Sonora lithium project in Mexico is one of the most
advanced projects currently in the pipeline but, if forecasts that
demand for lithium could rise to more than 450,000 tonnes per annum
by 2025 from today's 250,000 level prove to be correct, much more
production will be needed.
In our view, the long-term prospects for lithium carbonate
prices remain strong. However, prices rarely increase in a straight
line, so occupying a position on the industry cost curve that is
well below those projects that operate close to or at the marginal
cost of production is key. Sonora will sit in the lowest quartile
for operating cost, marking it a stand-out proposition. Blue-chip
institutions of the calibre of RK, SGRF and Hanwa have recognised
this and have offered us development capital on attractive terms.
Advanced discussions are ongoing with other potential funders, both
at the corporate and project levels. We are confident that the
outstanding funds will be secured which will enable us to move into
the construction phase at Sonora. With this in mind, I look forward
to providing further updates on our progress, as we focus on
realising Sonora's potential and in the process closing the huge
disconnect that has opened up between the Company's market
capitalisation and our flagship project's US$1.25 billion
valuation."
For further information, please contact:
Bacanora Lithium Plc Peter Secker / Janet info@bacanoralithium.com
Boyce
Cairn Financial Advisers Sandy Jamieson / Liam +44 (0) 20 7213
LLP, Nomad Murray 0880
------------------------ -------------------------
Martin Davison / James +44 (0) 20 7523
Canaccord Genuity, Broker Asensio 8000
------------------------ -------------------------
St Brides Partners, Frank Buhagiar / Gaby +44 (0) 20 7236
Financial PR Adviser Jenner 1177
------------------------ -------------------------
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes
of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014.
ABOUT BACANORA LITHIUM:
Bacanora owns ten mining concession areas covering approximately
100 thousand hectares in the northeast of Sonora State in Mexico.
Seven of these ten mining concessions (the 'Sonora Lithium
Project'(1) ) were included in the Feasibility Study announced 12
December 2017. The Company, through drilling and exploration work
to date, has established a Measured plus Indicated Mineral Resource
estimate of over 5 Mt (comprising 1.9Mt of Measured Resources and
3.1Mt of Indicated Resources) of LCE(2) and an additional Inferred
Mineral Resource of 3.7 Mt of LCE. The Company's Feasibility Study
has established Proven Mineral Reserves (in accordance with NI
43-101) of 1.67 Mt and Probable Mineral Reserves of 2.85 Mt LCE and
confirmed the economics associated with becoming a 35,000 tpa
lithium carbonate and 30,000 tpa SOP producer in Mexico. In
addition to the Sonora Lithium Project, the Company also has a 50%
interest in the Zinnwald Lithium Project and the Falkenhain Licence
in southern Saxony, Germany. Each of the Zinnwald Lithium Project
and the Falkenhain Licence are located in a granite hosted Sn/W/Li
belt that has been mined historically for tin, tungsten and lithium
at different times over the past 300 years. The strategic location
of the Zinnwald Lithium Project and the Falkenhain Licence provides
close geographical proximity to the German automotive and
downstream lithium chemical industries.
1. The Sonora Lithium Project is comprised of the following
lithium properties: La Ventana lithium concession, which is 100
percent owned by Bacanora and El Sauz and Fleur concessions, which
are held by Mexilit S.A. de C.V. ('Mexilit') which is owned 70
percent by Bacanora and 30 percent by Cadence Minerals Plc.
2. LCE = lithium carbonate (Li(2) CO(3) ) equivalent; determined
by multiplying Li value in percent by 5.324 to get an equivalent
Li(2) CO(3) value in per cent. Use of LCE is to provide data
comparable with industry reports and assumes complete conversion of
lithium in clays with no recovery or process losses.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Except for statements of historical fact, this news release
contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning
of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is
frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect",
"project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other
similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions
"may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking information
in this press release includes, but is not limited to: the updated
estimation of resources, followed by mine design and mine planning
activities and the completion of a feasibility study for the
Zinnwald Lithium Project in Q2 2019. Although we believe that the
expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are
reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will
prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results,
performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no
representation that the actual results achieved will be the same,
in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking
information.
Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and
estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and
are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other
factors that could cause actual events or results to differ
materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking
information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause
the results to differ materially from those expressed in the
forward-looking information include, but are not limited to:
commodity price volatility; general economic conditions in Canada,
the United States, Mexico and globally; industry conditions,
governmental regulation, including environmental regulation;
unanticipated operating events or performance; failure to obtain
industry partner and other third party consents and approvals, if
and when required; the availability of capital on acceptable terms;
the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities;
stock market volatility; competition for, among other things,
capital, skilled personnel and supplies; changes in tax laws; and
the other risk factors disclosed under our profile on SEDAR at
www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors
should not be construed as exhaustive.
The forward-looking information contained in this news release
is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake
no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform
such information to actual results or to changes in our
expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities
legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on
forward-looking information.
Chairman's Statement
I am pleased to announce our final results for 2018 which
outlines another significant year in the development of
Bacanora.
Many accomplishments have been achieved this financial year that
have enabled Bacanora to be poised to move into the development
phase of the Sonora Lithium Project. Our objective is to construct
a 35,000 tonnes per annum battery grade lithium carbonate operation
at our flagship project in Sonora, Mexico, and become a leading
supplier to fast-growing industries such as electric vehicles and
energy storage. Central to this was the completion of a feasibility
study in December 2017, which not only confirmed our long-held view
that Sonora has the potential to be a significant lithium mine, but
also to be among the lowest cost producers of lithium carbonate. In
addition to a US$1.25 billion pre-tax NPV at 8% discount based on
an US$11,000 per tonne lithium carbonate price and an IRR of 26.1%,
the FS estimates LOM costs at US$3,910 per tonne, placing Sonora in
the lowest quartile of the industry cost curve.
Sonora now has a large Measured plus Indicated Mineral Resource
estimate of over 5 million tonnes ("Mt") of lithium carbonate
equivalent ("LCE"), an additional Inferred Mineral Resource of 3.7
Mt of LCE and will benefit from being a low stripping ratio open
pit mining operation but, in our view, it is the low-cost profile
which is the major differentiator between Sonora and its peers.
Being among the lowest cost producers is critical, not just in
terms of value generation and profitability, but also because it
safeguards the project against price volatility. Global commodity
markets are, by their nature, volatile and the market for high
value lithium products is no exception.
To combat price volatility, occupying a position on the industry
cost curve well below those projects that operate close to or at
the marginal cost of production is key. Being a soft rock deposit,
Sonora benefits from having low operating costs similar to the
brine producers in South America. At the other end of the scale,
hard rock deposits are among the highest cost producers, partly due
to the need for drilling, blasting, crushing and grinding. Unlike
the brine deposits however, Sonora's processing route does not rely
on a multi-year evaporation process. Instead a simple and proven
processing route is planned at the Sonora plant which will take
just five to seven days to process ore into lithium carbonate, a
timescale that matches production rates of the higher cost hard
rock deposits. We are confident that Sonora can match the hard rock
producers' short timeframes thanks to our pilot plant at
Hermosillo, which has been producing >99.5% battery grade LCE
for the last three years. Sonora therefore benefits from having low
costs similar to the brine deposits, and short production timelines
similar to the hard rock producers. It is this unique combination
which underpins our confidence that Sonora is set to become a major
supplier of lithium carbonate for many years to come.
We are not the only ones who hold this view. Following the issue
of the FS, we immediately embarked on an exercise to raise the
US$460 million required to build and commission Stage One
production of 17,500 tpa of battery grade lithium carbonate at
Sonora. Post period end on 2 July 2018, we announced a US$150
million senior debt facility with RK Mine Finance, a leading
specialist in the provision of senior debt capital to mining
companies. Compared to other companies' debt packages secured for
greenfield lithium projects in Canada and Australia this year, the
terms of the RK debt facility are highly competitive; a further
testament to Sonora's world class credentials.
In addition, a further vote of confidence was the conditional
strategic investments totalling US$90 million from the State
General Reserve Fund of Oman, the sovereign wealth fund of the
Sultanate of Oman, and from our existing offtake partner and
strategic investor, Hanwa Co., LTD, which we also announced in July
2018. The US$90 million is comprised of US$65 million from SGRF and
US$25 million from Hanwa. In addition, SGRF has signed a
conditional agreement to become an offtake partner for the Stage 2
lithium carbonate production.
The conditional strategic investments of US$90 million with the
US$150 million from RK Mine Finance, mean that over half of the
required funding has been secured. We had hoped to build on this
further via a US$100 million placing post period end, but
volatility in global commodity markets led us to elect not to
proceed. This means first production at Sonora will now be delayed
until late in 2020 rather than Q1 2020, subject to finalising the
equity financing strategy in early 2019. We remain in discussions
with several parties with regards to securing the remainder of the
finance package, both at the corporate and project level.
Over the past 5 years the Company has developed a strong working
relationship across all levels of the Sonora government,
culminating in the official ground-breaking ceremony held with
Governor Hon. Claudia Pavlovich in April 2018. Sonora has an
extensive and vibrant mining industry, highly skilled workforce and
excellent infrastructure. A large number of international
companies, such as Ford Motor Co, Grupo Mexico, Rolls-Royce and LG
are based in Sonora State as a result of strong government support
and comparably low incidences of crime relative to its neighbouring
states and Mexico as a whole.
Elsewhere in our portfolio, post year end in September 2018, an
updated resource statement was issued for our 50% owned Zinnwald
project in Germany which complies with NI 43-101. This comprises an
increased total Measured and Indicated Resource estimate of 124,974
tonnes of contained lithium ("Li") at a cut-off grade of 2,500 ppm.
The Feasibility Study to prove economic viability of the project
continued throughout the year and remains on track for completion
in Q2 2019. This is focused on developing a strategy to produce
higher value downstream, lithium products from the Zinnwald
concentrates for the European battery and automotive sectors. Lying
in the heart of Germany's industrial region on a granite hosted
Sn/W/Li belt that has historically produced tin, tungsten and
lithium, Zinnwald has an excellent geographical location. Together
with the award of an exploration licence covering 295 hectares of
the previously mined Falkenhain lithium deposit 5km from Zinnwald,
we have an excellent strategic position with which to target
Europe's fast-growing markets for lithium.
At the corporate level, the redomicile of the Company's
jurisdiction from Canada to the UK was successfully completed. The
listing of shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange have been cancelled
and only the listing on AIM remains. The share capital structure of
Bacanora Lithium is substantially identical to that of Bacanora
Minerals, as are the rights attached to the Bacanora Lithium
ordinary shares compared to those of Bacanora Minerals common
shares. In all other respects, as at the date of redomicile, the
Group remained unchanged as a result of the redomicile, which was
undertaken for the management of the Company to be closer to the
majority of its shareholders, raise the Company's profile among
European investors and the international mining sector, as well as
to remove duplicate costs associated with maintaining a dual
listing.
A number of changes were also made to the Board and management
team during the year. Peter Secker, CEO of the Company, joined the
Board in April 2018. Meanwhile Ms Janet Boyce was appointed as
Chief Financial Officer in February 2018, replacing Derek
Batorowski, who stepped down as CFO to pursue other business
interests. Ms Boyce is a Certified Public Accountant who has held a
number of senior executive roles in the resource sector. Derek, a
founding director of Bacanora, remains a Non-Executive Director of
the Company. In addition, Ms Eileen Carr, a Chartered Certified
Accountant with over 25 years' experience in the resource sector,
was appointed as a Non-Executive Director.
In terms of outlook, most industry observers agree that new
sources of battery grade lithium products will need to come on
stream if ambitious uptake and production targets for electric
vehicles set by governments and corporations have any chance of
being met. Not all lithium deposits/operations are created equal
however. As the FS showed, thanks to highly attractive economics,
with operating costs estimated to be among the lowest in the
industry, and a large, high grade and scalable resource, Sonora
stands out from other lithium projects currently at the development
stage.
We are continuing to work hard to secure the final piece of the
finance package, complete the Front End Engineering Design ("FEED")
and ensure all designs, cost estimates and process guarantee scopes
are in place, so that we can embark on the 18-month construction
phase at the earliest opportunity.
I would like to thank Peter Secker, CEO, for his leadership and
for the progress that the Company has made under his direction.
Through his leadership and help of the management team, the Company
has delivered on prefeasibility and feasibility studies on the
Sonora project, attracted two major offtake partners and
conditionally secured US$90 million in funding from them and raised
US$150 million in debt financing. He has the full support of the
whole board. We believe that Bacanora has the potential to become a
major player in the global lithium market and that Peter is the
right person to deliver our ambitious growth plans.
I would like to thank each and every employee, the management
teams, the State of Sonora and our partners for their skills, hard
work and dedication, and to congratulate them on what has been a
landmark year for the Company.
I look forward to providing further updates on our progress, as
we focus on realising Sonora's potential to become a major supplier
to rapidly-growing industries such as electric vehicles and in the
process generating significant value for our shareholders.
Mark Hohnen, Chairman
12 October 2018
Operational Review
a Corporate redomicile
On 23 March 2018, Bacanora Minerals Ltd. completed its
re-domicile from Canada to the United Kingdom. The re-domicile was
effected by means of a plan of arrangement under the Business
Corporations Act (Alberta), whereby all existing common shares in
Bacanora Minerals Ltd. were exchanged, through a wholly owned
subsidiary, 1976844 Alberta Ltd. of Bacanora Lithium Plc, for
ordinary shares in Bacanora Lithium Plc, a company that has been
established in the UK to become the new holding company for the
Group. The share structure of Bacanora Lithium Plc is substantially
identical to the previous share structure of Bacanora Minerals Ltd.
and the rights attaching to the new ordinary shares are
substantially the same. In all other respects, the Group will
remain unchanged as a result of the Transaction.
Furthermore, the common shares of Bacanora Minerals Ltd. were
delisted from TSX Venture Exchange and the AIM market of the London
Stock Exchange. In all other material respects, as at the date of
redomicile the Group remained unchanged as a result of the
arrangement and the annual report and financial statements reflect
a continuation of the results of operations of the Group.
b Feasibility Study Sonora Lithium Project, Mexico ('Sonora')
-- positive economics and favourable operating costs of a 35,000
tonnes per annum ("tpa") battery grade lithium carbonate operation
at Sonora confirmed in the 2018 Feasibility Study;
-- US$1.253 billion pre-tax project Net Present Value at an 8%
discount rate and US$11,000/t lithium carbonate price 26.1%
Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") US$3,910/t lithium carbonate Life
of Mine ("LOM") operating costs, placing Sonora among the low-cost
brine producers of South America.
The Sonora Lithium Project is located in northern Sonora State,
Mexico, approximately three hours' drive north east of the state
capital of Hermosillo, a city of over one million people. Access to
the site is by road from either Hermosillo or the US border town of
Agua Prieta. The Project has access to significant support
infrastructure including paved roads, process water and local
labour.
The FS demonstrates the attractive economics of Sonora and key
findings are shown in table below:
Feasibility Study Key Indicators: Value
---------------------------------------------- ----------
Pre-tax Net Present Value (US$ 000) 1,253,027
Pre-tax IRR (%) 26.1%
Simple Payback Stage 1 (years) 4
Initial Construction Capital Cost Stage 1
(US$ 000) 419,616
Construction Capital Cost Stage 2 (US$ 000) 380,262
Average LOM operating costs (US$/t lithium
carbonate "Li(2) CO(3) ") 3,910
Average operating costs (US$/t Li(2) CO(3)
net of K(2) SO(4) credits) 3,418
Post-tax NPV (at 8% discount) (US$ 000) 802,464
Post-tax IRR (%) 21.2%
Average annual EBITDA with co-products (US$
000) 229,362
Annual Li(2) CO(3) production capacity Stage
1 17,500 t
Annual Li(2) CO(3) production capacity Stage
2 35,000 t
Annual K(2) SO(4) production capacity Stage
2 30,000 t
============================================== ==========
The Sonora lithium property hosts a large lithium deposit. The
polylithionite mineralisation is hosted within shallow dipping
sequences, outcropping on surface. As part of the FS, a Mineral
Resource estimate was prepared by SRK Consulting (UK) Limited in
accordance with the terminology, definitions and guidelines of the
Canadian institute of mining, metallurgy and petroleum standards
for mineral resources and reserves national instrument 43-101 ("NI
43-101"). The following tables present the summary of current
lithium resources for Sonora. These Mineral Resources are inclusive
of Mineral Reserves.
Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources as at 13 December
2017
Category Cut-off Tonnes(2) Li K LCE LCE attributable
to Bacanora
(Li ppm) (000t) (ppm) (%) (000t) (000t)
------------- --------- ---------- ------ ---- ------- -----------------
Measured(1) 1,000 103,000 3,480 1.5 1,910 1,776
Indicated 1,000 188,000 3,120 1.3 3,130 2,345
Total 1,000 291,000 3,250 1.4 5,038 4,119
============= ========= ========== ====== ==== ======= =================
Inferred Mineral Resources
LCE attributable
Category Cut-off Tonnes(2) Li K LCE(3) to Bacanora
(Li ppm) (000t) (ppm) (%) (000t) (000t)
---------- --------- ---------- ------ ---- ------- -----------------
Inferred 1,000 268,000 2,650 1.2 3,779 3,220
========== ========= ========== ====== ==== ======= =================
Mineral Reserves as at 13 December 2017: (Cut-off grade of
1,500ppm Li)
Category Tonnes Li K LCE LCE
attributable
to
Bacanora
(000t) (ppm) (%) (000t) (000t)
---------- -------- ------ ----- ------- --------------
Proven 80,146 3,905 1.64 1,666 1,550
Probable 163,662 3,271 1.36 2,849 2,126
Total 243,808 3,480 1.45 4,515 3,676
========== ======== ====== ===== ======= ==============
(1) Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have
demonstrated economic viability.
(2) Tonnes rounded to the nearest thousand.
(3) Reported from a block model above 1,000 ppm Li and above a
simple open pit shell generated using the technical and economic
parameters established during the FS, with the exception of the LCE
selling price of US$14,300 (which represents a 30% premium on top
of the US$11,000 used for the Mineral Reserve estimate).
During the initial 19-year mine life, it is planned that
37,058,000 tonnes of ore with a Li grade of 4,151 ppm will be mined
and processed with a stripping ratio of 3.4:1.
Mining Operations as defined in the feasibility study
The mining operation for the Project is planned as an open-pit
development using a combination of continuous miners to mine the
ore zones and a truck/shovel fleet to remove the waste material.
Mining operations will be augmented with an ancillary fleet of
dozers, graders and water trucks. The Mineral Reserve estimate was
prepared by Independent Mining Consultants, Inc in Tucson, Arizona.
The Mineral Reserve estimate includes an ore recovery factor of
100% and mining dilution of 100mm at the top and bottom of the
mineralised beds, with the grades of the elements in the adjacent
lithologies.
Processing as defined in the feasibility study
Metallurgical test work for the FS was carried out at SGS
Lakefield Laboratories in Perth and ANSTO laboratories in Sydney,
NSW, Australia. The process engineering and design for the process
plants and infrastructure was completed by Ausenco Limited
("Ausenco"). The process plant design comprises a pre-concentration
stage to produce an initial concentrate prior to roasting. The
concentrate is subsequently heated in a kiln, at approximately 950
degrees Celsius, in combination with recycled sodium sulphate,
which is a by-product produced from the Sonora lithium plant, to
produce an intermediate lithium sulphate product. This sulphate
material then undergoes hydrometallurgical treatment, filtration,
cleaning, precipitation and packaging, to produce a >99.5%
lithium carbonate final battery grade product. The integrated plant
has been designed to initially process 1.1 Mt of ore per year,
during Stage 1 of the Project, subsequently increasing to some 2.2
Mt per year at Stage 2, producing 17,500 tpa and 35,000 tpa of
lithium carbonate, respectively.
The plant design also includes a circuit to produce up to 30,000
tpa of potassium sulphate product through a series of evaporation
and precipitation stages.
Feasibility study capital costs
The initial mining fleet, comprising a continuous miner to
excavate the ore zones and a front-end loader and a 90-tonne haul
truck fleet to remove the non-mineralised waste material. In
addition, there is an ancillary mobile fleet including dozers,
graders and front-end loaders, which will also be purchased. The
initial capital cost for the mining operation is estimated to be
US$17.6 million.
The metallurgical processing facility capital cost estimate is
based on an on-site processing plant comprising all new equipment,
to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate.
The capital cost estimates for process plant, infrastructure,
TMF construction, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction
Management ("EPCM") fees, and general administration costs were
compiled by Ausenco.
Construction Capital Costs
Category Estimate Stage 1 Estimate Stage
2
(US$000) (US$000)
-------------------------- ----------------- ---------------
Mining 17,611 17,614
Beneficiation plant 18,483 18,483
Lithium processing plant 158,288 158,285
Plant Services 55,334 55,334
Infrastructure 58,841 23,581
EPCM/Owner cost/Indirect 72,912 72,393
Contingency 38,147 34,572
-------------------------- ----------------- ---------------
Total 419,616 380,262
========================== ================= ===============
The sustaining mining and processing capital requirement is
approximately US$140.6 million for the life of mine.
c Continued operation of the Sonora Lithium Project, pilot plant.
Throughout the financial year, the large-scale lithium carbonate
pilot plant in Sonora Mexico was continuously operated. The pilot
plant produced battery grade lithium carbonate samples which was
distributed to potential customers in Asia. It enabled us to
optimise the metallurgical flow sheet and facilitate test work. The
pilot plant enables the Company to train operators in preparation
for commissioning of the large-scale plant in H2 2020. Significant
effort is being placed on training local personnel in all
operational aspects of lithium process plant operations.
d Sonora Project Development
On 1 November 2017, the Company announced that access and
surface rights had been secured for its flagship Sonora Project in
Mexico. The access and surface rights mainly relate to the land
area covering mineral resources contained within the La Ventana,
Fleur and El Sauz areas. It provides the Company with unrestricted
access to develop the Sonora Project and operate it for the initial
life of mine. This followed signing of binding agreements to
acquire the freehold to two parcels of land, La Ventana and La
Joya. This purchase has been completed with the final payment made
in August 2018.
On 20 October 2017, the Company announced that the Environmental
Impact Statement, the Manifestacion de Impacto Ambiental ("MIA"),
for its flagship Sonora project has been approved by SEMARNAT, the
Environment Ministry of Mexico. The approval represents a major
milestone for Bacanora as it grants the Company government approval
to construct an open-pit mine and large-scale processing plant at
Sonora. A modification to the MIA environmental site permits were
granted in May 2018 allowing the location for the lithium carbonate
plant to be optimised for future production. Furthermore, in the
year, water licence permits covering the Sonora Lithium Project
have been granted by the Comisión Nacional Del Agua
("CONAGUA").
The Front End Engineering Design ("FEED") for the lithium
carbonate processing facility is currently scheduled to be
completed in Q4 2018 and the ongoing design scope includes the
following critical areas:
-- Pre-concentrator,
-- Roaster/Kiln,
-- Crystallisers/Evaporators,
-- IX and packaging,
-- Energy supply contracts, and
-- Infrastructure and access.
The Company continues to build its Owners Management Team to
work with and manage the FEED engineering groups. Once the FEED has
been completed and all designs, cost estimates and process
guarantee scopes are in place, orders for long lead items can be
placed and earthworks can commence, subject to funding being in
place. Subject to completion of funding discussions and FEED, the
Stage 1 project commissioning target at Sonora is likely to be in
H2 2020.
With regards to energy, it is currently envisaged that LNG gas
supplies will be initially utilised at Sonora during the early
stages of commissioning whilst gas consumption is low. Once energy
consumption reaches steady state, pipeline supply to the Project
will be initiated. The Company is in detailed discussions with a
number of potential Build, Own and Operate (BOO) energy partners
for the gas pipeline development to the Project along with the
finalisation of the proposed natural gas pipeline routes. Detailed
quotes for the supply of LNG are also currently being
evaluated.
e Zinnwald Lithium Project, Germany ('Zinnwald')
During the year, Deutsche Lithium GmbH ("Deutsche Lithium"), the
50% owned, jointly controlled entity, was granted a 30-year mining
licence covering 256.5 hectares of the Zinnwald project by the
Saxony State Mining Authority. In December 2017, Deutsche Lithium
was granted an exploration licence covering 295 hectares of the
previously mined Falkenhain Lithium deposit ("Falkenhain") in
southern Saxony, Germany. Falkenhain, which is located within 5 km
of Zinnwald, has the potential to increase the life of mine at
Zinnwald. Deutsche Lithium plans to explore the deposit over the
next five years and to combine its exploration and development with
Zinnwald.
The table below provides a breakdown of the upgraded mineral
resource estimate for the Zinnwald Project as at 30 September 2018,
published on 9 October 2018:
Contained Li
Resource classification* Ore tonnage (000t) Mean Li grade (ppm) (tonnes)
-------------------------- ------------------- -------------------- -------------
Measured 18,510 3,630 67,191
Indicated 17,000 3,399 57,783
Inferred 4,865 3,549 17,266
-------------------------- ------------------- -------------------- -------------
Demonstrated (Measured
+ Indicated) 35,510 3,519 124,974
-------------------------- ------------------- -------------------- -------------
Total (Measured +
Indicated + Inferred) 40,375 3,523 142,240
========================== =================== ==================== =============
(* Vertical thickness >= 2 m, cut-off Li = 2,500 ppm)
An initial resource was published in 2014, it was based on the
Pan-European Reserves and Resources Reporting Committee (PERC)
standards. It had measured and indicated resources of 26.6 Mt ore
at a grade of 3,620 ppm Li containing 96,200t of Li. This was
updated in September 2018 in a competent person's report carried
out by G.E.O.S. Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH (G.E.O.S.). The new
measured and indicated resource (at a minimum width of 2 m and
2,500 ppm Li cut-off) has increased significantly to 35.5 Mt at a
grade of 3,519 ppm Li containing 124,974t of Li, an increase of
30%. The new resource figures were confirmed as compliant to the
national instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral
Projects within Canada.
The NI 43-101 resource is based on a total of 76 surface holes
plus 12 underground holes comprising 6,465 m of core. With recent
exploration consisting of 10 surface drill holes (9 DDH and 1 RC
DH) completed during the years 2012 to 2014 with a total length of
2,484 m. Infill and verification drilling was resumed and completed
in 2017, consisting of 15 surface diamond drill holes with a total
length of 4,458.9 m.
Work is underway on a Feasibility Study to demonstrate the
economic viability of producing high value downstream lithium
products at Zinnwald for the European battery and automotive
sectors. This work is expected to be completed in mid-2019. Results
of test work on concentrates demonstrate downstream lithium
products can be produced from the Zinnwald ores, utilising
chemicals and infrastructure available in the Dresden area.
Remaining workflows to be completed include finalising the mine
design, hydrometallurgical test work and engineering designs.
f Financing
Please refer to the Financial Review section.
g Lithium Market Update
The recent boom in electric vehicles has boosted prices for
components of lithium-ion batteries including lithium and cobalt,
as consumers such as car companies scramble to secure supplies. In
the period from January 2016 to October 2017 CIF Asia battery grade
lithium carbonate contract prices increased from US$8,000 per tonne
to circa US$21,000 per tonne on the back of constrained supply and
increasing demand. Since then CIF prices declined steadily to
around US$16,500 per tonne in August 2018. In Q1 2018 the average
price of battery grade lithium carbonate on the spot market in
China peaked at US$24,750 per tonne, prices have since declined to
US$14,400 per tonne in September.
The fall in both CIF and spot pricing in China has resulted from
an oversupply of lithium products caused by a number of
reasons:
-- Existing lithium producers in South America have ramped up
production and a number of new mines have come into production in
Australia. Analysts at CRU expect the lithium market to be in
surplus by 22,000 tonnes in 2018, with demand expected to reach
277,000 tonnes.
-- Tightening in credit in China has forced lithium market
players to reduce stock levels to secure cash reducing demand and
increasing supply.
-- Subsidies in China's New Energy Vehicles (NEV) market have
been reduced for vehicles with ranges less than 300km.
These changes caused consumers to hold back on purchases in the
first half of 2018 as they adjusted purchasing strategies and
waited for prices to fall further, causing a slowdown in
activity.
In the first half of 2018, NEV production in China was up 94%
and seasonal production patterns alongside the clarification in
policy around NEV subsidies means the second half will almost
certainly be another record breaking six months for output. In
addition, the ongoing ramp up at Tesla's Nevada Gigafactory 1 and
the multiple other lithium ion battery mega-factory expansions in
the pipeline, mean that the longer-term outlook for lithium demand
continues to strengthen. A report published in July 2018 from
Goldman Sachs, said that demand for lithium could rise fourfold by
2025 due to rising sales of electric cars. Goldman Sachs indicated
that investor concerns about a wave of lithium supply from new
mines are unfounded, that it will be harder to develop new lithium
mines than most people think. The timing and type of lithium that
will be entering the supply chain in the coming years is hard to
predict with accuracy. This, despite expansions in South America
finally beginning to bear fruit, the incremental new volumes
reaching the market are not going to create the huge oversupply
problem some institutions, like Morgan Stanley, have warned of.
It is also important to differentiate between the type of
material that is entering the supply chain, with only a small
proportion yet meeting battery grade specifications. Much of the
new lithium supply to enter the market this year has been technical
grade lithium carbonate from China. This will require further
processing to upgrade to battery grade which will incur additional
costs and development time. New Chinese supply from domestic
feedstock sources already has a significantly higher cost base than
South American producers, which is likely to put a floor on prices.
Research published in Roskill's 15th edition market outlook report
suggests a floor for lithium carbonate price of US$11,000 per
tonne.
There is a disparity with how the Chinese market operates and
the longer term nature of contracts for the majority of the market
outside of China. Just as the longer term pricing mechanisms built
into contracts prevented prices for the rest of the world peaking
to Chinese levels in the first quarter of 2018, so too will they
protect them from falling to Chinese spot levels in periods of over
supply on that market. This feature of the market tends to insulate
price volatility in the short term for those suppliers with long
term supply agreements, such as Bacanora Lithium. In addition, with
an estimated production cost profile of around US$4,000/t, the
Sonora Lithium Project sits in the lower quartile of lithium
production costs, giving it added protection when compared to the
higher cost producers such as the new mines being brought on stream
in Australia.
Further reading and sources:
https://www.ft.com/content/75e6760c-7ed1-11e8-8e67-1e1a0846c475
http://www.benchmarkminerals.com/chinas-lithium-price-decline-is-not-the-full-picture-to-an-industry-surging/
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201806/13/WS5b20dcf2a31001b8257216e3.html
https://roskill.com/news/electric-vehicles-changes-to-nev-subsidies-in-chinas-largest-cities/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lithium-supply/battery-boom-skeptics-seen-driving-short-holdings-in-lithium-miners-idUSKBN1KO0IX
http://www.mining.com/lithium-demand-battery-makers-almost-double-2027
https://uk.reuters.com/article/lithium-chemicals-prices/graphic-solid-demand-to-underpin-lithium-as-price-slides-in-2018-idUKL8N1VK5RV
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4207908-lithium-miners-news-month-september-2018
Financial Review
Bacanora Lithium Plc was incorporated on 6 February 2018. On 23
March 2018, a new Canadian company 1976844 Alberta Ltd. issued
197,471,292 shares of nominal value CAD$1 per share to Bacanora
Lithium Plc. At the same time 1976844 Alberta Ltd. amalgamated with
Bacanora Minerals Ltd. to create a new amalgamated entity in Canada
renamed as Bacanora Minerals Ltd. Concurrently, Bacanora Lithium
Plc purchased the combined assets of Bacanora Minerals Ltd. and
1976844 Alberta Ltd. through the purchase of 100% of the share
capital of the new amalgamated company and thus became the new
Parent Company of the Group. In return, a 1 for 1 share exchange
occurred whereby all shareholders of the original Bacanora Minerals
Ltd. were issued shares in Bacanora Lithium Plc.
As a result, the Group has introduced a merger reserve to
reflect statutory share capital of the new Parent Company.
Accordingly, the financial information for the current period and
comparatives have been presented as if Bacanora Minerals Ltd. had
been owned by Bacanora Lithium Plc. throughout the current and
prior periods.
The Company is a UK Plc, listed on the AIM market. However, the
Company presents its accounts in its functional currency of US
Dollars, since the majority of its future income and expenditures
are and will continue to be denominated in this currency. The
presentational currency changed from Canadian dollars in financial
year 2017 to US Dollars in financial year 2018. The foreign
exchange translation difference arising from the change in
presentational currency is a US$0.9 million gain recognised in the
other comprehensive income.
During the year, the Group made an operating loss of US$10.7
million compared with a loss of US$14.2 million for the year ended
30 June 2017. This includes US$7.4 million general and
administrative costs and share based payment compensation of US$1.9
million. The general and administrative costs increased by US$3.6
million compared to the prior year cost of US$3.8 million. The
majority of the increase includes legal and accounting fees which
related to the corporate re-domicile, debt issuance and equity fund
raise. These fees were paid primarily to third party service
providers. Furthermore, share based payments decreased by US$0.6
million from US$2.5 million in financial year 2017 due to fewer
options being granted in the financial year 2018.
The Group has fully impaired capitalised amounts in relation to
a lithium hydroxide test work asset due to the decision to not
pursue lithium hydroxide processing in favour of lithium carbonate.
Furthermore, the Magdalena Borate property has also been fully
written down. As such, the Group recognised a total impairment of
US$0.6 million during the year.
In the year, Deutsche Lithium GmbH had a US$0.3 million loss, of
which Bacanora Lithium's 50% share was US$0.15 million loss. This
has been offset by a US$0.16 million translation gain. The option
to purchase the remaining 50% interest has been recognised as a
derivative asset in the Consolidated Statement of Financial
Position as it represents the option to acquire equity instruments
at a future point in time. This derivative asset has been recorded
at its fair value of US$0.6 million at 30 June 2018, down from
US$2.1 million at 30 June 2017. The US$1.5 million write down on
the option is a result of the unwinding of the time value of the
option using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Other than the
unwinding of the time value of the option, no new material
information was available affecting the value of the option at that
date and in no way reflects a decline in asset value of the
underlying asset at the end of June 2018. Post year end, an updated
NI 43-101 compliant resource statement has been produced on 30
September 2018. Although, it does not impact the value of the
derivative, as the economic feasibility of the resource is yet to
be proven. Please see the Operational Review section for details on
the updated resource estimate.
The total net assets of the Group decreased to US$42.6 million
at 30 June 2018 from US$51.1 million at 30 June 2017, due primarily
to the loss for the year offset by share based payments, exercise
of options and warrants. Property, plant and equipment increased to
US$26.4 million from US$1.7 million due to reclassification of
US$16.0 million exploration and evaluation asset (E&E) to
evaluated mineral property following the issuance of the Sonora
Lithium Project Feasibility Study and US$8.9 million additions
after this date. The La Joya and La Ventana properties were
purchased for US$2.8 million, with US$1.5 million paid in the
financial year and the remaining US$1.3 million was paid in August
2018.
The closing cash balance for the Group of US$13.2 million was a
decrease of US$16.7 million from US$29.9 million in the prior year.
These movements were caused by cash used in the operations of
US$6.8 million, PPE and E&E cash expenditures of US$7.9 million
and funding Deutsche Lithium of US$4.2 million. The cash spend were
partially offset by funds received from exercise of warrants and
share options of US$1.6 million, US$0.4 million foreign exchange
gain and interest income of US$0.2 million.
a Financing
In July 2018, US$150 million senior debt facility was secured
with RK Mine Finance and US$65 million and US$25 million
conditional equity commitments obtained from the SGRF, and
Bacanora's off-take partner, Hanwa for project development.
SGRF strategic investment
SGRF's investment will comprise of a US$65 million equity
investment, conditional on the Company securing the full funding of
US$460 million for the construction of the mine and plant and
additional working capital. In addition, Bacanora has entered into
a Strategic Investment Agreement and Off-take Agreement with SGRF
on 16 July 2018. The key terms of both agreements include:
-- An off-take option to purchase up to 10,000 tpa of lithium
carbonate produced at Sonora predominantly during Stage 2 for a
period of 10 years; and
-- SGRF will have the right to appoint a non-executive Director to the Board.
SGRF is a sovereign wealth fund of the Sultanate of Oman. It was
established in 1980 by Royal Decree 1/80 with the objective of
achieving long term sustainable returns on revenues generated from
oil and gas that are surplus to the Sultanate's budgetary
requirements. On behalf of the Sultanate of Oman, SGRF manages the
reserves placed in its care to achieve the best possible long term
returns with acceptable risks, through investing in a diversified
portfolio of asset classes in more than 25 countries worldwide.
US$150 million RK Mine Finance facility
The debt facility entered into with RK Mine Finance is
structured as two separate Eurobonds to be listed in Jersey:
-- Main bond: US$150 million nominal amount secured notes issued
at a purchase price of US$138 million with a 6-year term and
bearing an interest rate of three months LIBOR + 8% per annum based
on a nominal amount of US$150 million but payable only on drawn
down principal. Interest will be capitalised every three months for
the first 24 months and thereafter interest will be paid every
three months in cash. The main bond is repaid with 12 quarterly
payments payable 39 months after the last day of the month of first
issuance date (3 July 2018). The quarterly payments comprise 11
payments of 3% of the principal amount followed by a last payment
for the remaining balance. However, the loan can be voluntarily
redeemed at any stage; and
-- Second bond: US$56 million nominal amount zero
interest-bearing secured notes issued at a purchase price of US$12
million with a 20-year term. The nominal amount is repayable by
reference to monthly production of lithium at a rate of US$160 per
tonne of lithium produced, with any remaining amount repayable at
the end of the 20-year term.
The facility may be drawn in three tranches of US$25 million,
US$50 million and US$75 million, subject to certain Conditions
Precedents, including, but not limited to: various matters in
respect of the execution, registration and perfection of certain
security and the granting of listing consent by The International
Stock Exchange; a minimum equity raise of US$200 million, energy
and engineering contracts executed. All drawdowns under the RK Mine
Finance debt facility will be pro-rata across the two Eurobond
instruments. In July 2018, the Company drew down the first US$25
million of the RK debt facility.
Furthermore, the Company granted 6 million warrants exercisable
over five years at a 20% premium to the 20-day VWAP, subject to
normal anti-dilution provisions, cash settlement at the Company's
option, and cashless exercise at either party's option.
The debt facility as well as equity commitments from SGRF and
Hanwa provide independent endorsements of Sonora's strategic
importance. To date US$240 million or 52% of the US$460 million
funding required for Stage 1 production of 17,500 tpa of lithium
carbonate at Sonora has been conditionally committed to the project
development in the form of the above debt and equity funding.
However, in mid-July the Company elected not to proceed with its
proposed new equity placing due to current volatility in global
commodities markets. The Company continues to work closely with
existing shareholders and potential new investors to secure the
remaining equity funds required to construct the Stage 1 operation
at Sonora.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Janet Boyce, CFO
12 October 2018
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
As at 30 June 2018
In US dollars Note 30 June 30 June 30 June
2018 2017 2016
(Restated) (Restated)
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents 13,203,052 29,889,853 22,088,040
Other receivables 1,472,120 539,739 282,882
Total current assets 14,675,172 30,429,592 22,370,922
============================================ ===== ============= ============= =============
Non-current assets
Investment in joint venture 4.a 8,426,134 8,418,518 -
Derivative asset 4.c 615,011 2,068,500 -
Property, plant and equipment 5 26,391,422 1,701,862 1,387,809
Exploration and evaluation assets 6 502,947 14,317,876 13,894,004
Total non-current assets 35,935,514 26,506,756 15,281,813
============================================ ===== ============= ============= =============
Total assets 50,610,686 56,936,348 37,652,735
============================================ ===== ============= ============= =============
Liabilities and shareholders' equity
Current liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 6,383,830 842,823 800,421
Warrant liability - - 689,871
Joint venture obligation 4.b 1,591,652 3,451,205 -
Total current liabilities 7,975,482 4,294,028 1,490,292
============================================ ===== ============= ============= =============
Non-current liabilities
Joint venture obligation 4.b - 1,486,677 -
Deferred tax liability - 104,118 103,789
Total non-current liabilities - 1,590,795 103,789
============================================ ===== ============= ============= =============
Total liabilities 7,975,482 5,884,823 1,594,081
============================================ ===== ============= ============= =============
Shareholders' equity
Share capital 18,958,033 70,268,394 44,485,499
Share premium 140,592 - -
Merger reserve 53,557,251 - -
Share based payment reserve 6,138,085 5,042,706 2,590,891
Foreign currency translation reserve 3,568,358 2,681,679 1,585,570
Retained earnings deficit (39,029,014) (26,297,708) (11,958,198)
Equity attributable to equity shareholders
of Bacanora Lithium Plc. 43,333,305 51,695,071 36,703,762
============================================ ===== ============= ============= =============
Non-controlling interest (698,101) (643,546) (645,108)
Total shareholders' equity 42,635,204 51,051,525 36,058,654
============================================ ===== ============= ============= =============
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity 50,610,686 56,936,348 37,652,735
============================================ ===== ============= ============= =============
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
For the year ended 30 June 2018
In US dollars Note 30 June 2018 30 June 2017
(Restated)
Expenses
General and administrative 7 (7,378,770) (3,812,610)
Warrant liability valuation - 262,985
Depreciation 5 (149,724) (138,781)
Share-based payment expense (1,877,095) (2,483,756)
Foreign exchange loss (763,278) (1,791,420)
Impairment of exploration and evaluation
assets 6 (559,468) (6,191,375)
Operating loss (10,728,335) (14,154,957)
=============================================== ===== ============= =============
Interest and other income 212,678 83,375
Joint venture investment (loss)/profit 4.a (147,403) 36,524
Accretion of joint venture obligation 4.b (662,299) (302,890)
Loss on derivative asset 4.c (1,521,046) -
Loss before tax (12,846,405) (14,337,948)
=============================================== ===== ============= =============
Tax credit 60,544 -
Loss after tax (12,785,861) (14,337,948)
=============================================== ===== ============= =============
Other comprehensive income/(expense)
Foreign currency translation adjustment 886,679 1,096,109
Total comprehensive loss (11,899,182) (13,241,839)
=============================================== ===== ============= =============
Loss attributable to shareholders
of Bacanora Lithium Plc (12,731,306) (14,339,510)
(Loss)/profit attributable to non-controlling
interests (54,555) 1,562
Loss after tax (12,785,861) (14,337,948)
=============================================== ===== ============= =============
Total comprehensive loss attributable
to shareholders of Bacanora Lithium
Plc (11,844,627) (13,243,401)
Total comprehensive (loss)/profit
attributable to non-controlling
interests (54,555) 1,562
Total comprehensive loss (11,899,182) (13,241,839)
=============================================== ===== ============= =============
Net loss per share (basic and diluted) (0.09) (0.11)
=============================================== ===== ============= =============
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
For the year ended 30 June 2018
Share capital
---------------------------
In US dollars Number Value Share Merger Share Foreign Retained Total Non-controlling Total
of shares premium reserve based currency earnings equity interest equity
payment translation deficit attributable
reserve reserve to Bacanora
Lithium
Plc
30 June 2016
(Restated) 107,874,353 44,485,499 - - 2,590,891 1,585,570 (11,958,198) 36,703,762 (645,108) 36,058,654
================ ============ ============= ========= =========== =========== ============ ============= ============= ================ =============
Comprehensive
income/(loss)
for the year:
Loss after tax - - - - - - (14,339,510) (14,339,510) 1,562 (14,337,948)
Foreign
currency
translation
adjustment - - - - - 1,096,109 - 1,096,109 - 1,096,109
Total
comprehensive
loss - - - - - 1,096,109 (14,339,510) (13,243,401) 1,562 (13,241,839)
---------------- ------------ ------------- --------- ----------- ----------- ------------ ------------- ------------- ---------------- -------------
Contributions by and
distributions
to owners:
Brokered
placements 20,907,186 22,883,959 - - - - - 22,883,959 - 22,883,959
Shares issued
on exercise
of options 200,000 77,811 - - (31,941) - - 45,870 - 45,870
Shares issued
on exercise
of warrants 2,925,000 3,373,476 - - - - - 3,373,476 - 3,373,476
Share issue
costs - (552,351) - - - - - (552,351) - (552,351)
Share-based
payment
expense - - - - 2,483,756 - - 2,483,756 - 2,483,756
30 June 2017
(Restated) 131,906,539 70,268,394 - - 5,042,706 2,681,679 (26,297,708) 51,695,071 (643,546) 51,051,525
================ ============ ============= ========= =========== =========== ============ ============= ============= ================ =============
Comprehensive
income/(loss)
for the year:
Loss for the
year - - - - - - (12,731,306) (12,731,306) (54,555) (12,785,861)
Foreign
currency
translation
adjustment - - - - - 886,679 - 886,679 - 886,679
Total
comprehensive
loss - - - - - 886,679 (12,731,306) (11,844,627) (54,555) (11,899,182)
---------------- ------------ ------------- --------- ----------- ----------- ------------ ------------- ------------- ---------------- -------------
Contributions by and
distributions
to owners:
Shares issued
on exercise
of options 1,300,000 1,944,576 140,592 - (781,716) - - 1,303,452 - 1,303,452
Shares issued
on exercise
of warrants 958,333 302,314 - - - - - 302,314 - 302,314
Corporate
reorganisation - (53,557,251) - 53,557,251 - - - - - -
Share-based
payment
expense - - - - 1,877,095 - - 1,877,095 - 1,877,095
30 June 2018 134,164,872 18,958,033 140,592 53,557,251 6,138,085 3,568,358 (39,029,014) 43,333,305 (698,101) 42,635,204
================ ============ ============= ========= =========== =========== ============ ============= ============= ================ =============
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows
For the year ended 30 June 2018
In US dollars Note 30 June 2018 30 June
2017 (Restated)
------------------------------------------- ----- ------------- -----------------
Cash flows from operating activities
Loss for the year before tax (12,846,405) (14,337,948)
Adjustments for:
Warrant liability revaluation - (262,985)
Depreciation of PPE 5 149,724 138,781
Share-based payment expense 1,877,095 2,483,756
Foreign exchange 763,278 -
Impairment of exploration & evaluation
assets 6 559,468 6,191,375
Loss on disposal of PPE 5 51,119 -
Interest received (198,810) (71,515)
Loss/(gain) on investment in joint
venture 4.a 147,403 (36,524)
Accretion of joint venture obligation 4.b 662,299 302,890
Loss on derivative asset 4.c 1,521,046 -
Changes in working capital items:
Other receivables (932,379) (309,854)
Deferred costs - 59,745
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 1,758,497 38,954
Income tax paid (42,070) -
Net cash used in operating activities (6,529,735) (5,803,325)
=========================================== ===== ============= =================
Cash flows from investing activities:
Interest received 198,810 71,515
Purchase of property, plant and equipment 5 (5,079,681) (422,034)
Purchase of exploration & evaluation
assets 6 (2,774,255) (6,002,702)
Investment in joint venture 4.a - (5,421,861)
Payments of joint venture obligation 4.b (4,177,381) -
Net cash used in investing activities (11,832,507) (11,775,082)
=========================================== ===== ============= =================
Cash flows from financing activities
Issues of share capital - 22,268,686
Exercise of options 1,303,452 45,870
Exercise of warrants 302,314 3,012,904
Net cash flows from financing activities 1,605,766 25,327,460
=========================================== ===== ============= =================
Change in cash during the year (16,756,476) 7,749,053
Exchange rate effects 69,675 52,760
Cash, beginning of year 29,889,853 22,088,040
Cash, end of year 13,203,052 29,889,853
=========================================== ===== ============= =================
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
1 Corporate information
Bacanora Lithium Plc (the "Company" or "Bacanora") was
incorporated under the Companies Act 2006 of England and Wales on 6
February 2018. The Company is listed on the AIM market of the
London Stock Exchange, with its common shares trading under the
symbol, "BCN". The registered address of the Company is 4 More
London Riverside, London, SE1 2AU.
On 23 March 2018, the Plan of Arrangement to re-domicile the
Bacanora Group from Canada to the UK became effective resulting in
Bacanora Lithium Plc becoming the new holding company for Bacanora
Minerals Ltd. Bacanora Minerals Ltd. was incorporated under the
Business Corporations Act of Alberta on 29 September 2008. Bacanora
Minerals Ltd. was dually listed on the TSX Venture Exchange as a
Tier 2 issuer and on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange,
until the aforementioned corporate reorganisation, after which
delisting took place. The registered address of Bacanora Minerals
Ltd. is 2204 6th Avenue N.W. Calgary, Alberta, T2N 0W9.
2 Basis of preparation
a Statement of compliance
These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with
International Financial Reporting Standards, International
Accounting Standards and Interpretations (collectively "IFRS") as
adopted by the European Union ("EU") applied in accordance with the
provisions of the Companies Act 2006.
IFRS is subject to amendment and interpretation by the
International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") and the IFRS
Interpretations Committee, and there is an ongoing process of
review and endorsement by the European Commission.
The financial information for the years ended 30 June 2018 and
30 June 2017 does not constitute statutory accounts as defined by
section 435 of the Companies Act 2006 but is extracted from the
audited accounts for those years. The 30 June 2018 accounts will be
delivered to Companies House within the statutory filing deadline.
The auditors have reported on those accounts. Their report was
unqualified and did not contain statements under Section 498 (2) of
(3) of the Companies Act 2006.
b Basis of measurement and restatement of presentational currency
These Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared on a
historical cost basis, except for certain financial instruments
that have been measured at fair value.
These Consolidated Financial Statements are presented in United
States dollars ("US$"). The Consolidated Financial Statements were
previously presented in Canadian dollars up until the interim
financial statements on 31 March 2018. The change in presentational
currency has been performed under the guidance of IAS 21, with all
comparatives within the primary statements and accompanying notes
having been restated to US$. The change was made in order to
provide the reader with more reliable and relevant information in
the currency which is most relevant to the Group's operating
environment. The impact of the change is a US$0.9 million gain
recognised in the other comprehensive income. The impact on the
2017 basic and dilutive earnings per share is US$Nil. The
functional currency of the Company and its subsidiaries is the
United States dollar except of Bacanora Minerals Ltd., who's
functional currency is the British pound ("GBP").
c Going Concern
The Directors have, at the time of approving the Financial
Statements, a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate
resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable
future. The Group has not entered into commitments to develop the
Sonora Lithium Project. Thus, the going concern basis of accounting
in preparing the Financial Statements continues to be adopted.
3 Significant accounting policies
The preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements in
compliance with IFRS requires management to make certain critical
accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise
judgement in applying the Group's accounting policies. Below are
the significant accounting policies applied by management. Please
refer to the Annual report for a full disclosure regarding key
judgements.
a Basis of consolidation
The Consolidated Financial Statements comprise the financial
statements of:
Name of subsidiary Country of Shareholding Nature of business
incorporation on 30 June
2018
--------------------------------- --------------- ------------- -----------------------------
Bacanora Minerals Ltd. Canada 100% Holding company
Bacanora Finco Ltd. UK 100% Financing company
Bacanora Treasury Ltd. UK 100% Financing company
Sonora Lithium ltd. UK 100% Holding company
Zinnwald Lithium* UK 100% Dormant
Mexilit S.A. de C.V.* Mexico 70% Lithium mining/exploration
Minera Megalit S.A de C.V.* Mexico 70% Mineral exploration
Mineramex Ltd.* BVI 99.9% Holding company
Minera Sonora Borax, S.A. de Mexico 100% Lithium mining/exploration
C.V.**
Operador Lithium Bacanora S.A Mexico 100% Mexican service organisation
de CV**
Minerales Industriales Tubutama, Mexico 60% Mineral exploration
S.A. de C.V.**
--------------------------------- --------------- ------------- -----------------------------
*Held indirectly through Bacanora Minerals Ltd.
** Held indirectly though Mineramex Limited and Bacanora
Minerals Ltd.
Subsidiaries are consolidated from the date of acquisition,
being the date on which the Company obtains control, and continue
to be consolidated until the date when such control ceases. The
financial statements of the subsidiaries are prepared for the same
reporting period as the Parent Company, using consistent accounting
policies. All intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated
in full. Losses within a subsidiary are attributed to the
non-controlling interest even if that results in a deficit balance.
A change in ownership interest of a subsidiary, without a loss of
control, is accounted for as an equity transaction.
b Corporate reorganisation
On 23 March 2018, a new Canadian company 1976844 Alberta Ltd.
issued 197,471,292 share of nominal value CAD$1 per share to
Bacanora Lithium Plc. At the same time 1976844 Alberta Ltd.
amalgamated with Bacanora Minerals Ltd. to create a new amalgamated
entity in Canada renamed as Bacanora Minerals Ltd. Concurrently,
Bacanora Lithium Plc purchased the combined assets of Bacanora
Minerals Ltd. and 1976844 Alberta Ltd. through the purchase of 100%
of the share capital of the new amalgamated company and thus became
the new Parent Company of the Group. In return, a 1 for 1 share
exchange occurred whereby all shareholders of the original Bacanora
Minerals Ltd. were issued shares in Plc.
As a result, the Group has introduced a merger relief under the
Company's Act 06 Section 612 to reflect the statutory share capital
of the new Parent Company, Bacanora Lithium Plc. In addition, the
Consolidated Financial Statements have been presented in a manner
which represents the ongoing nature of the Group before and after
the reorganisation.
4 Investments in jointly controlled entities
a Investment in Deutsche Lithium
On 17 February 2017, the Group acquired a 50% interest in a
jointly controlled entity, Deutsche Lithium GmbH located in
southern Saxony, Germany that is involved in the exploration of a
lithium deposit in the Alterberg-Zinnwald region of the Eastern Ore
Mountains in Germany. The determination of Deutsche Lithium as a
joint venture was based on Deutsche Lithium's structure through a
separate legal entity whereby neither the legal form nor the
contractual arrangement gives the owners the rights to the assets
and obligations for the liabilities within the normal course of
business, nor does it give the rights to the economic benefits of
the assets or responsibility for settling liabilities associated
with the arrangement. Accordingly, the investment is accounted for
using the equity method.
The Group acquired its interest in Deutsche Lithium for a cash
consideration of EUR5 million from SolarWorld AG ("SolarWorld") and
an obligation to contribute EUR5 million toward the costs of
completion of a feasibility study, which is anticipated in Q2 2019
(see note 4b). Additionally, legal fees of US$0.2 million were paid
in connection to this transaction.
The following table summarises the purchase price allocation for
the joint venture acquisition:
In US dollars (Restated)
----------------------------------- ------------
Working capital 136,578
Exploration and evaluation assets 10,486,400
Property, plant and equipment 83,270
Less deferred tax liability (2,485,090)
Enterprise value 8,221,158
=================================== ============
The current value of Deutsche Lithium is substantially
attributed to the exploration and evaluation assets, and therefore,
contribution paid in excess of the carrying value of net assets is
attributed to the exploration and evaluation assets.
Consideration for the joint venture acquisition consisted of the
following:
In US dollars (Restated)
------------------------------------ ------------
Cash (including transaction costs) 5,616,886
Joint venture obligation 4,595,457
Less derivative asset (1,991,185)
Total consideration 8,221,158
==================================== ============
Reconciliation of the carrying amount of net investment in joint
venture is as follows:
For the year ended (In US dollars) 30 June 2018 30 June 2017
(Restated)
---------------------------------------- ------------- -------------
Opening balance 8,418,518 8,221,158
Joint venture investment (loss)/profit (147,403) 36,524
Translation gain 155,019 160,836
Closing balance 8,426,134 8,418,518
======================================== ============= =============
Summarised financial information in respect of the Group's joint
venture in Deutsche Lithium is set out below. The summarised
information represents amounts shown in Deutsche Lithium's
financial statements, as adjusted for differences in accounting
policies and fair value adjustments required related to the Group's
investment in the joint venture. Amounts have been translated in
accordance with the Group's accounting policy on foreign currency
translation.
In US dollars 30 June 2018 30 June 2017
(Restated)
------------------------------------------ ------------- -------------
Cash and cash equivalents 1,423,330 376,720
Current assets 1,508,791 400,467
Non-current assets 24,182,266 21,352,549
Current liabilities (4,582,873) (4,674,297)
Interest Income - 173
Depreciation 9,303 212
(Loss)/profit from continuing operations (294,806) 73,048
Other comprehensive income (37,811) 5,079
Total comprehensive income (332,618) 78,127
------------------------------------------ ------------- -------------
b Deutsche Lithium obligation
The Group's undertaking to contribute up to EUR5 million toward
the costs of completion of a feasibility study within 18-24 months
from acquisition was recorded initially as a liability in the
consolidated statement of financial position, presented in
accordance with its due date, between current and non-current
portions. The Group used a discounted cashflow method with 20%
discount rate to determine the present value of the obligation on
initial recognition. The discount is now fully accreted. As at 30
June 2018, the current portion of the obligation is US$1,591,652
(2017 - US$3,451,205) and the non-current portion is US$0 (2017 -
$1,486,677). The movement in the obligation is detailed below:
For the year ended (In US dollars) 30 June 2018 30 June 2017
(Restated)
--------------------------------------- ------------- -------------
Opening balance (4,937,882) (4,440,751)
Payments of joint venture obligation 4,177,381 -
Accretion of joint venture obligation (662,299) (302,890)
Foreign exchange (168,852) (194,241)
Closing balance (1,591,652) (4,937,882)
======================================= ============= =============
c Derivative asset - Deutsche Lithium option
The Group, alone or together with any reasonably acceptable
third party, has the option to acquire the remaining 50% of the
jointly controlled entity for EUR30 million, this option terminates
in Q3 2019. In the event that the Group does not exercise this
right prior to the termination date, SolarWorld has the right but
not the obligation to purchase the Group's 50% interest for
EUR1.
The option to purchase the remaining 50% interest has been
recognised as a derivative asset in the consolidated statement of
financial position as it represents the option to acquire equity
instruments at a future point in time. This derivative asset has
been recorded at its fair value of US$615,011 (2017 -
US$2,068,500). The derivative asset has been classified as
long-term due to its realisation being in Q3 2019. The fair value
was determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with
the following inputs.
30 June 2018 30 June 2017
---------------- ------------- -------------
Term 1.08 2.08
Share Price 5,100,000 5,100,000
Exercise Price 30,000,000 30,000,000
Volatility 124% 124%
Risk Free
rate 2% 2%
---------------- ------------- -------------
The movement in the fair value of the derivative is due to the
passage of time and in the Directors' judgement, the value of the
underlying asset has not materially changed. The updated NI-43-101
compliant resource model does not indicate economic feasibility of
the asset and was only available at 30 September 2018. See note 9
for non-adjusting subsequent events relating to Deutsche
Lithium.
A 10% increase in volatility equates to an increase in the value
of the derivative of US$241,449 to US$856,460. A 10% decrease in
volatility equates to a decrease in the value of US$209,405 to
US$405,606.
5 Property, plant and equipment
Cost Evaluated mineral Land Building Machinery Office equipment Transportation Total
property and equipment and equipment
-------------- ----------------------------- ----------------- -------------- ------------------ ---------------------- ------------------- ------------------
30 June 2016
(Restated) - 95,614 820,226 539,555 152,157 146,142 1,753,694
============== ============================= ================= ============== ================== ====================== =================== ==================
Additions - 100,000 73,655 171,639 107,540 - 452,834
30 June 2017
(Restated) - 195,614 893,881 711,194 259,697 146,142 2,206,528
============== ============================= ================= ============== ================== ====================== =================== ==================
Additions 5,906,000 2,800,000 116,136 26,072 12,479 - 8,860,687
Disposals - - (35,768) - - (25,408) (61,176)
Transfers
from
exploration
and
evaluation
assets
(1) 16,029,716 - - - - - 16,029,716
30 June 2018 21,935,716 2,995,614 974,249 737,266 272,176 120,734 27,035,755
============== ============================= ================= ============== ================== ====================== =================== ==================
Depreciation
-------------- ----------------------------- ----------------- -------------- ------------------ ---------------------- ------------------- ------------------
30 June 2016
(Restated) - - 105,292 131,628 41,692 87,273 365,885
============== ============================= ================= ============== ================== ====================== =================== ==================
Charge for
the year - - 38,811 66,006 22,418 11,546 138,781
30 June 2017
(Restated) - - 144,103 197,634 64,110 98,819 504,666
============== ============================= ================= ============== ================== ====================== =================== ==================
Charge for
the year - - 41,393 63,926 26,950 17,455 149,724
Disposals - - - - - (10,057) (10,057)
30 June 2018 - - 185,496 261,560 91,060 106,217 644,333
============== ============================= ================= ============== ================== ====================== =================== ==================
Net Book
Value
-------------- ----------------------------- ----------------- -------------- ------------------ ---------------------- ------------------- ------------------
30 June 2016
(Restated) - 95,614 714,934 407,927 110,465 58,869 1,387,809
============== ============================= ================= ============== ================== ====================== =================== ==================
30 June 2017
(Restated) - 195,614 749,778 513,560 195,587 47,323 1,701,862
============== ============================= ================= ============== ================== ====================== =================== ==================
30 June 2018 21,935,716 2,995,614 788,753 475,706 181,116 14,517 26,391,422
============== ============================= ================= ============== ================== ====================== =================== ==================
(1) Following determination of the technical feasibility and
commercial viability of the Sonora Lithium Project, the relevant
expenditure has been transferred from exploration and evaluation
assets to evaluated mineral property, see note 6b for further
detail.
6 Exploration and evaluation assets
The Group's mining claims consist of mining concessions located
in the State of Sonora, Mexico. The specific descriptions of such
properties are as follows:
a Magdalena Borate property
The Magdalena Borate project consists of seven concessions, with
a total area of 7,095 hectares. The concessions are 100% owned by
MSB. The Magdalena Borate property is subject to a 3% gross
overriding royalty payable to Minera Santa Margarita S.A. de C.V.,
a subsidiary of Rio Tinto PLC, and a 3% gross overriding royalty
payable to the estate of the past Chairman of the Group on sales of
borate produced from this property.
During the year ended 30 June 2017, the Group determined there
to be indicators of impairment on the exploration and evaluation
assets located in the Magdalena Borate property based on the
Group's decision to not explore for borates further. As such, the
Group recognised impairment of US$6,191,375 on these assets to the
fair value less cost to sell based on the estimated land value.
During the year ended 30 June 2018, the Group determined there
to be indicators of impairment on the exploration and evaluation
assets located in the Magdalena Borate property based on the
Group's decision to not further explore borates or be able to find
a buyer for the asset. As such, the Group recognised a further
impairment of US$530,745. This asset is now written down to zero
value as at 30 June 2018.
b Sonora Lithium property
The Group owns ten contiguous mineral concessions in Sonora,
Mexico. The Company through its wholly-owned Mexican subsidiary,
MSB, has a 100% interest in two of these concessions: La Ventana
and La Ventana 1, covering 1,820 hectares. Of the remaining
concessions, five are owned 100% by Mexilit - El Sauz, El Sauz 1,
El Sauz 2, Fleur and Fleur 1 covering 6,334 hectares. Mexilit is
owned 70% by the Group and 30% by Cadence Minerals Plc ("Cadence")
formerly known as Rare Earth Minerals Plc. These seven concessions
form the "Sonora Lithium Project" covered by the technical
Feasibility Study released in the year.
On the 25 January 2018, the Group published a technical
Feasibility Study for the Sonora Lithium project in accordance with
NI 43-101. Under IFRS 6 - Exploration for and Evaluation of Mineral
Resources, an impairment test is required when the technical
feasibility and commercial viability of extracting a mineral
resource become demonstrable, at which point the asset falls
outside the scope of IFRS 6 and was reclassified in the Financial
Statements. The Feasibility Study financial assessment performed by
independent mining specialists, IMC, SRK and Ausenco, gave a
post-tax discounted cash flow valuation of US$802 million at 8%
discount factor based on a long-term price of US$11,000/t Li2CO3.
Thus, there is no impairment for these mining assets as the
combined value of the exploration & evaluation assets only
totalled US$16,918,190, giving significant headroom. As a result,
these costs were transferred to evaluated mining property, as part
of PPE as at this date.
The remaining three concessions, Buenavista, Megalit and San
Gabriel, were outside of the scope of the Sonora Project
Feasibility Study. They cover 89,235 hectares and are subject to a
separate agreement between the Company and Cadence. As at 30 June
2018, Buenavista, Megalit and San Gabriel concessions were owned by
Megalit. Megalit is owned 70% by the Group and 30% by Cadence. As
at 30 June 2018, US$997,935 (2017 - US$1,012,444) of the Group's
cash is restricted to be spent on drilling and exploration
activities in Megalit's concessions.
The MSB concessions are purportedly subject to a 3% gross
overriding royalty payable to the Orr-Ewing Estate pursuant to the
Royalty Agreements, on sales of mineral products produced from
certain concessions within the Sonora Lithium Project. However,
Bacanora Minerals Ltd. is currently challenging the validity and
enforceability of such royalty and is seeking an order of the Court
declaring such royalty void ab initio. The basis of Bacanora
Minerals Ltd.'s claim is that the Royalty was originally granted
based on a negligent or fraudulent misrepresentation by Mr.
Orr-Ewing that he held a pre-existing royalty granted prior to the
acquisition of the MSB concessions by Bacanora Minerals Ltd.
As at 30 June 2017, assets of value US$28,723 were held within
MSB relating to lithium hydroxide testing. Given the management's
change of focus to lithium carbonate production, indicators of
impairment are present as per IFRS 6. Management deem the
recoverable amount to be nil therefore have recognised an
impairment charge of US$28,723.
The balance of investment in mining claims as of 30 June 2018,
30 June 2017 and 30 June 2016 corresponds to concession payments to
the federal government, costs of exploration and paid salaries, and
consists of the following:
In US dollars Magdalena La Ventana Mexilit Megalit Total
Borate Lithium Lithium Lithium
30 June 2016 (Restated) 6,638,304 3,800,764 3,003,717 451,219 13,894,004
=========================== ============ ============= ============ ========= =============
Additions 53,071 6,650,387 107,598 36,337 6,847,393
Reimbursement of expenses
from Cadence - - (232,146) - (232,146)
Impairment loss (6,191,375) - - - (6,191,375)
30 June 2017 (Restated) 500,000 10,451,151 2,879,169 487,556 14,317,876
=========================== ============ ============= ============ ========= =============
Additions 30,745 2,711,774 16,345 15,391 2,774,255
Impairment loss (530,745) (28,723) - - (559,468)
Transfer to PPE - (13,134,202) (2,895,514) - (16,029,716)
30 June 2018 - - - 502,947 502,947
=========================== ============ ============= ============ ========= =============
7 General and administrative expenses
The Group's general and administrative expenses include the
following:
For the year ended (In US dollars) 30 June 2018 30 June 2017
(Restated)
------------------------------------ ------------- -------------
Management fees and payroll 1,510,622 1,652,352
Legal and accounting fees 3,810,158 886,888
Audit fee 138,091 136,495
Non-audit services 30,419 47,101
Investor relations 828,499 468,991
Office expenses 121,072 119,366
Travel and other 939,909 501,417
Total 7,378,770 3,812,610
===================================== ============= =============
8 Segmented information
The Group currently operates in three operating segments which
includes the exploration and development of mineral properties in
Mexico through the development of the Sonora mining concessions and
the exploration of mineral properties in Germany through its
interest in the Deutsche Lithium joint venture. The Group's head
office is located in London, UK. Operating segments as per IFRS 8
are identified by management of the Group as those who; engage in
business activities from which revenues may be earnt; whose
operating results are regularly reviewed by the Group's management
to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the operating
segments and to assess its performance; and for which discrete
financial information is available. A summary of the identifiable
assets, liabilities and net losses by operating segment are as
follows:
30 June 2018 (In US$) Mexico Germany Head Office Consolidated
------------------------------------ ------------ ----------- ------------ -------------
Current assets 1,948,810 - 12,726,362 14,675,172
Investment in jointly controlled
entity - 8,426,134 - 8,426,134
Derivative asset - 615,011 - 615,011
Property, plant and equipment 26,391,422 - - 26,391,422
Exploration and evaluation
assets 502,947 - - 502,947
Total assets 28,843,179 9,041,145 12,726,362 50,610,686
==================================== ============ =========== ============ =============
Current liabilities 4,084,320 - 2,299,510 6,383,830
Joint venture obligation (current) - 1,591,652 - 1,591,652
Deferred tax liability - - - -
Total liabilities 4,084,320 1,591,652 2,299,510 7,975,482
==================================== ============ =========== ============ =============
Property, plant and equipment
additions 8,860,687 - - 8,860,687
Exploration and evaluation
asset additions 2,774,255 - - 2,774,255
------------------------------------ ------------ ----------- ------------ -------------
For the year ended 30 June Mexico Germany Head Office Consolidated
2018
(In US$)
--------------------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ -------------
General and administrative (623,501) - (6,755,269) (7,378,770)
Depreciation (149,724) - - (149,724)
Share-based payment expense (83,256) - (1,793,839) (1,877,095)
Foreign exchange loss (139,311) - (623,967) (763,278)
Impairment of exploration and
evaluation assets (559,468) - - (559,468)
Operating loss (1,555,260) - (9,173,075) (10,728,335)
================================= ============ ============ ============ =============
Interest and other income 17,569 - 195,109 212,678
Accretion of joint venture
obligation - (662,299) - (662,299)
Joint venture investment profit - (147,403) - (147,403)
Loss on derivative asset - (1,521,046) (1,521,046)
Income tax 60,544 - - 60,544
Segment loss for the year (1,477,147) (2,330,748) (8,977,966) (12,785,861)
================================= ============ ============ ============ =============
30 June 2017 (In US$) (Restated) Mexico Germany Head Office Consolidated
---------------------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ -------------
Current assets 2,200,586 - 28,229,006 30,429,592
Investment in jointly controlled
entity - 8,418,518 - 8,418,518
Derivative asset - 2,068,500 - 2,068,500
Property, plant and equipment 1,628,214 - 73,648 1,701,862
Exploration and evaluation
assets 14,317,876 - - 14,317,876
Total assets 18,146,676 10,487,018 28,302,654 56,936,348
================================== ============ ============ ============ =============
Current liabilities 518,723 - 3,775,305 4,294,028
Joint venture obligation (long
term) - 1,486,677 - 1,486,677
Deferred tax liability - - 104,118 104,118
Total liabilities 518,723 1,486,677 3,879,423 5,884,823
================================== ============ ============ ============ =============
Property, plant and equipment
additions 452,834 - - 452,834
Exploration and evaluation
asset additions 6,847,393 - - 6,847,393
---------------------------------- ------------ ------------ ------------ -------------
For the year ended 30 June Mexico Germany Head Office Consolidated
2017
(In US$) (Restated)
--------------------------------- ------------ ---------- ------------ -------------
General and administrative (485,552) - (3,327,058) (3,812,610)
Warrant liability valuation - - 262,985 262,985
Depreciation (138,781) - - (138,781)
Share-based payment expense - - (2,483,756) (2,483,756)
Foreign exchange loss (184,748) - (1,606,672) (1,791,420)
Impairment of exploration and
evaluation assets (6,191,375) - - (6,191,375)
Operating loss (7,000,456) - (7,154,501) (14,154,957)
================================= ============ ========== ============ =============
Interest and other income 11,860 - 71,515 83,375
Accretion of joint venture
obligation - (302,890) - (302,890)
Joint venture investment profit - 36,524 - 36,524
Segment loss for the year (6,988,596) (266,366) (7,082,986) (14,337,948)
================================= ============ ========== ============ =============
9 Subsequent events
On 3 July 2018, the Company entered into a US$150 million senior
debt facility with RK Mine Finance ("RK"), a leading specialist in
the provision of senior debt capital to mining companies, for the
development of Stage 1 of the Sonora Lithium Project in Mexico.
The Facility is structured as two separate Eurobonds, listed in
Jersey:
Primary bond: US$150 million nominal amount secured notes issued
at a purchase price of US$138 million with a 6-year term and
bearing an interest rate of three months LIBOR + 8% per annum based
on a nominal amount of US$150 million but payable only on drawn
down principal. Interest will be capitalised every three months for
the first 24 months and thereafter interest will be paid every
three months in cash;
Second bond: US$56 million nominal amount, zero
interest-bearing, secured notes issued at a purchase price of US$12
million with a 20-year term. The nominal amount is repayable by
reference to monthly production of lithium at a rate of US$160 per
tonne of lithium produced, with any remaining amount repayable at
the end of the 20-year term; and
The bonds may be drawn in three tranches of US$25 million, US$50
million and US$75 million, subject to certain conditions precedent,
with the first tranche drawn down in July 2018. The conditions
precedent to further drawdowns include but are not limited to:
various matters in respect of the execution, registration and
perfection of certain security, the granting of listing consent by
The International Stock Exchange, minimum of US$200 million equity
funding raised, and energy and engineering contracts executed. All
drawdowns under the RK Facility will be pro-rata across the two
Eurobond instruments. The loans can be voluntarily redeemed at any
stage by repayment of the principal and any outstanding interest
and early repayment charges.
Furthermore, the Company granted RK with 6 million warrants
exercisable over five years at a 20% premium to the 20-day VWAP,
subject to normal anti-dilution provisions, cash settlement at the
Company's option, and cashless exercise at either party's
option.
On 16 July 2018, the Company agreed conditional strategic
investments from SGRF, the sovereign wealth fund of the Sultanate
of Oman and from the Group's offtake partner, Hanwa, for a combined
total of US$90 million. The Investments comprise US$65 million from
SGRF and US$25 million from Hanwa and are part of the proposed
funding package for the development of the Sonora Lithium Project.
The investments are conditional on the full US$460 million
construction and working capital funding required for the Project
being in place.
On 31 August 2018, 200,000 of the Company's outstanding share
options were exercised by Derek Batorowski, a Director of Bacanora
Lithium Plc. The options were exercised at a price of CAD$0.30 per
Ordinary Share for a total consideration of CAD$60,000.
On 7 September 2018, under the Group's share option plan,
432,729 share options were issued to employees of the Company. The
options were issued at an exercise price of 39.25p, being the
closing share price on 6 September 2018. Such options vest, one
third on the date of grant and an additional one third on each of
the first and second anniversaries of the date of grant and are
exercisable for a period of three years.
On 7 September 2018, under the Group's restricted share unit
plan, 205,491 restricted share units were issued to employees of
the Company, at an exercise price of 39.25p. Vesting will occur on
the date that is three years from the date of grant, being 7
September 2021.
On 11 September 2018, 100,000 of the Company's outstanding share
options were exercised by employees of the Company. The options
were exercised at a price of CAD$0.30 per Ordinary Share for a
total consideration of CAD$30,000.
On 30 September 2018 an updated resource estimate was issued in
accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of
Disclosure for Mineral Projects. This updated the existing PERC
compliant resource dating from 2014.
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the
London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct
Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United
Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution
of this information may apply. For further information, please
contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
END
FR FKPDQQBDKBKD
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