RE: EUZ17 Feb 2020 09:25
@ Bobby...imo and based on my research it can only be a sale....I have posted an email from LR received previously based on why he thought a JV would not work... Here it is again for ease of reference......let me know what you make of it please.
Toral is looking to be developed into a project with strong operating margins and is, in my view, a highly attractive proposition (See Rio's CEO talk recently on being more nimble/scaling), it also does have real scope for more scale but at present the resource is as stated. For a major buying into half a project of this type , even with a controlling interest- given the current scale, purely by asserting rights on a junior, ie; with no pathway to 100% or ability to prosecute further meaningful work, would not be something that might be attractive. Reasons being:
1. Capital efficiency
2. Majors are very 'mess adverse' with junior companies which is why assets are nearly always held in subco and hostile takeovers are rare
3. Ability to plot a mid-long term pathway to forecast likely production contribution
4. If an actual miner wants an asset its generally because they have decided its worth taking considerable time and expense to focus on the project