Roxgold's Yaramoko Gold Mine Passes Lenders' Completion Test and Amends Credit Facility
TORONTO, Jan. 18, 2017 /CNW/ - Roxgold Inc. ("Roxgold" or "the Company") (TSX.V: ROG) is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed the lenders' completion test and made an early repayment of US$15 million under its US$75 million credit facility (the "Initial Facility"). The Company is also announcing that it has amended the Initial Facility with BNP Paribas and Societé Generalé Corporate & Investment Banking ("Societé Generalé") (the "Amended Facility") in order to reduce borrowing costs and obtain more financial flexibility.
The Yaramoko Gold Mine successfully passed the lenders' completion test, which encompasses a number of key performance and financial metrics including reserve grade reconciliation, plant throughput, metal recoveries and operating costs. As a result of passing the completion test, the US$15 million cost overrun facility required under the Initial Facility has been released.
The Initial Facility of US$75 million has been amended to a US$60 million credit facility, amortizing on a quarterly basis, maturing in June 2021 at an interest rate of LIBOR plus 3.75% which represents a reduction of 1.00% from the current prevailing rate. The Amended Facility is no longer subject to a semi-annual mandatory cash sweep and reduces restrictions on the timing and usage of cash flow generated from the Yaramoko Gold Mine. The first US$15 million tranche of the Amended Facility has also been arranged as a revolving credit facility to provide further financial flexibility.
"We continue to have a positive relationship with our partners, Societé Generalé and BNP Paribas, and thank them for their continued support," said John Dorward, President and CEO. "Successfully completing the lenders' completion test straight out of the gate is a significant milestone for Roxgold and the terms of the Amended Facility will allow us the flexibility to execute on our strategy of organic growth."
About Roxgold
Roxgold is a gold mining company with its key asset, the high grade Yaramoko Gold Mine, located in the Houndé greenstone region of Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Company declared commercial production on October 1, 2016. Roxgold trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ROG and as part of the Nasdaq International Designation program with the symbol OTC: ROGFF.
"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." This news release contains forward-looking information. Forward looking information contained in this new release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the estimation of measured, inferred and indicated mineral resources and probable mineral reserves including, without limitation, statements with respect to the potential establishment of new mineral resources and the expansion potential of existing mineral resources/reserves; and (ii) the success of exploration and development activities; and (iii) the technical report entitled "Technical Report for the Yaramoko Gold Project, Burkina Faso" dated June 4, 2014 (the "Feasibility Study"). These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. In certain cases, forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "could", "estimates", "expects", "may", "shall", "will", or "would". Forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves (and potential establishment and increases in respect thereof), the realization of resource estimates and reserve estimates, gold metal prices, the timing and amount of future exploration and development expenditures, and materials to continue to explore and develop the Yaramoko project in the short and long-term, the progress of exploration and development activities, the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals, and assumptions with respect to currency fluctuations, environmental risks, title disputes or claims, and other similar matters. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include risks inherent in the exploration, risks relating to variations in mineral resources and mineral reserves, grade or recovery rates resulting from current exploration and development activities (including risks that new mineral resources may not be established, or the anticipated expansion potential of existing mineral resources/reserves may not be realized), risks relating to changes in gold prices and the worldwide demand for and supply of gold, risks related to increased competition in the mining industry generally, risks related to current global financial conditions, uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves, access and supply risks, reliance on key personnel, operational risks inherent in the conduct of mining activities including the risk of accidents, labour disputes, increases in capital and operating costs and the risk of delays or regulatory risks, including risks relating to the acquisition of the necessary licenses and permits, capitalization and liquidity risks, risks related to disputes concerning property titles and interest, and environmental risks. Please refer to the Company's Annual Information Form dated April 10, 2015 filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com for political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the development of mineral resources and mineral reserves. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
SOURCE Roxgold Inc.
Tania Shaw, Director, Investor Relations & Communications, 416-203-6401, [email protected]
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