Kiran Morzaria of Cadence Minerals discusses a big milestone achievement at the Amapa Iron Ore Project
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Kiran Morzaria CEO of Cadence Minerals #KDNC discusses the execution of the settlement agreement and vesting of their initial $2.5m for 20% of the Amapa Iron Ore Project.
Cadence Minerals is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding settlement agreement with the secured bank creditors of DEV Mineração S.A., the owner of the Amapa iron ore project in Brazil.
The execution of the Settlement Agreement represents the last major precondition for Cadence to vest its initial US$2.5m for 20% of the large-scale Amapa iron ore mine, beneficiation plant, railway and private port ("Amapa Project", "Amapa") . Anglo American, a previous owner had valued its 70% stake in the Amapa Project in [date]at US$ 866 million (100% US$ 1.2 billion). It impaired the asset in its 2012 Annual Accounts to US$ 462 million (100% US$ 660 million).
Highlights:
· Execution of the Settlement Agreement with the Secured Bank Creditors of the Amapa Project allows Cadence's (20%) and Indo Sino's (80%) joint venture to secure 100% ownership of the Amapa Project.
· The restructuring of the secured and unsecured creditors achieved by this Settlement Agreement and the Judicial Restructuring Process ("JRP") has more than halved registered creditors balances.
· Cadence has already commenced its next stage of investment in the Amapa Project to increase its stake to 27%.
· Pre-feasibilty studies are ongoing on the project
Next Steps
The parties to the agreement are now completing and filing the required contractual and regulatory documentation which will crystallise the Cadence and Indo Sino Trade Pte. Ltd. ("Indo Sino") joint venture company's 100% ownership of DEV and the Amapa Project.
Cadence has already begun work on the next investment phase to earn an additional 7% of Amapa for US$3.5 million. These funds will be primarily used to progress the pre-feasibility studies on the asset.
About the Amapa Project
The Amapa Project commenced operations in December 2007 with the first production of iron ore concentrate product of 712 kt in 2008. In 2008 Anglo American (70%) and Cliffs (30%) acquired the Amapa Project in 2008 as part of a larger package of mining assets in Brazil.
Production steadily increased to 4.8 Mt and 6.1 Mt of iron ore concentrate product in 2011 and 2012. During this period, Anglo American reported operating profits from its 70% ownership in the Amapa Project of US$ 120 million (100% US$ 171 million) and US$ 54 million (100% US$ 77 million). Before its sale in 2012, Anglo American valued its 70% stake in the Amapa Project at US$ 866 million (100% US$ 1.2 billion). It impaired the asset in its 2012 Annual Accounts to US$ 462 million (100% US$ 660 million.
DEV filed for judicial protection in August 2015 in Brazil, and mining ceased at the Amapa Project. A judicial order in early 2019 offered investors and creditors the opportunity to file a revised JRP. Cadence and Indo Sino filed a conditional JRP, which creditors approved in August 2019. Cadence, Indo Sino and DEV have continued to develop the Amapa Project and satisfy the conditions of the JRP.
Cadence updated the Mineral Resource Estimate on 2 November 2020, increasing the MRE by 21%. The current MRE contains an Mineral Resource of 176.7 million tonnes grading 39.7% Fe in the Indicated category and Mineral Resource of 8.7Mt at 36.9% in the Inferred category, both reported within an optimised pit shell and using a cut-off grade of 25% Fe.
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