Leon Coetzer, CEO Jubilee Metals Group (LON:JLP) Interview

 

Chief Executive Officer Leon Coetzer talking with Zak Mir after the announcement that the company has entered into a Framework and Tailings Purchase Agreement (“Tailings Agreement”) with K2018239983 (SOUTH AFRICA) (PTY) LTD (“NewCo”).

Acquisition at Hernic of 100% PGM Earnings: Transforming Operations

Highlights

á Agreement with NewCo, the world’s largest Ferrochrome producer, to extend Jubilee’s rights to 100% of all PGM earnings from current and future tailings at Hernic, gaining full control of the large-scale operations

á Agreement transforms Jubilee’s Hernic operations from a contracting joint venture partner to 100% owner of the economic rights without additional risk to the Company

á Acquires all rights to a further circa. one million tonnes of PGM rich material located close to its Windsor chrome operations

á By gaining full control of the operation, has the opportunity to increase throughput, further optimising certain aspects of the operation and enhancing earnings significantly

á Enters into a further exclusive agreement with NewCo whereby under NewCo’s election Jubilee may also acquire all chrome rights to the chrome contained in the current tailings at Hernic offering significant further earnings upside to the project

Leon Coetzer, Chief Executive Officer, says: “I am delighted to have secured this transaction with NewCo which essentially transforms Jubilee from processing joint venture partner to owner of the surface tailings and associated chrome and PGM recovery operations. We could not have asked for a better partner for our ongoing operations than a company that forms part of the largest ferrochrome producer in South Africa. Our highly successful Hernic Project is the largest of its kind in the chrome industry and is a fitting partner to such a renowned company.

“The transaction extends our rights to 100% of PGM earnings from current and future tailings at a time when the project is delivering record earnings reaching GBP 1.41 million for the month of September 2019 on the back of improved operational efficiencies and buoyant PGM basket metal prices. Under the previous agreement this would have brought forward the point at which the majority of earnings would be due to Hernic, Jubilee having reached a 30% return on investment.

“The transaction includes significant further PGM rich material at surface to be immediately processed via our Windsor PGM project. The option to add the chrome rights to our project holds the potential to significantly increase the earnings of the project, currently all chrome concentrate produced by our project is returned to Hernic for its own use or sale to the market. If implemented the option could add a further 8 000 to 10 000 tonnes of chrome concentrate to Jubilee’s existing chrome production.

“This agreement is yet another significant milestone in our on-going development strategy to grow and diversify our earnings base. We continue to make exceptional progress across the portfolio which I look forward to updating shareholders on in due course.”