11th Jan 2108 RNS28 Jul 2018 11:58
11 January 2018
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Regency Mines Plc (LON: RGM) is pleased to announce a business update, strategic financing and confirmation of director participation.
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Highlights:
·    Regency to rebrand its nickel/cobalt and related assets as a battery metals function in recognition of the Company's position in these mineral resources to be used in EV batteries and related energy technologies;
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·    Operations at Mambare, the Company's major nickel/cobalt project, to be accelerated;
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·   Advanced due diligence and discussions underway to expand the Company's coal footprint within its hydrocarbon energy function;
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·   Strategic financing undertaken at 0.55p, the current market bid price, to raise £1,050,000 through the issue of 190,909,090 new ordinary shares of 0.01 pence each ("Shares")
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·   Uses of funds to include repayment in full of convertible loan at cost of c£630,000 leaving Regency balance sheet free of debt;
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·    Directors Andrew Bell and Scott Kaintz to invest an aggregate £100,000 cash in the strategic financing to acquire 18,181,818 Shares;
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·    Each Share issued in the financing comes with a warrant to subscribe for a further share at 1.0p, with the Company able to accelerate warrant conversion in the event that the volume weighted average price of Shares equals or exceeds 3.5p for ten consecutive business days;
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Andrew Bell, Chairman, comments: "Regency Mines faces a significant opportunity in the fast-evolving battery metals sector. We intend to focus on the nickel/cobalt sector, while still proactively developing our hydrocarbon and coal interests with a view to achieving early cash flow. We believe we can find value creation opportunities for shareholders as EV battery and power storage demand see advances in battery technology and this leads to changes in the pattern of demand for key metals.
The new capital raised in this funding will enable the Company to repay in its entirety the convertible loan from YA II PN Ltd announced on 5 April 2017. This will make Regency debt-free for the first time since 2011. We thank YA for making the facility available as part of a rollover of obligations in 2017, and for their support and co-operation throughout.
Regency's stronger capital base will we believe enable it to exploit more effectively the expected improvement in nickel and cobalt demand, both from the battery and the stainless steel sector, after a near nine year bear market in nickel. A weak but consistent uptrend in nickel prices has been underway since late 2015, that we expect to continue. Â
Regency is looking to strengthen its strategic capabilities in early 2018 with a non-executive appointment to the board, and further announcements will be made as soon as possible."
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