Solgold - Competitive Bid Prediction17 May 2020 11:40
https://thedeepdive.ca/max-resource-enters-into-collaboration-agreement-with-one-of-the-worlds-leading-copper-producers/
As for mergers and acquisitions, there were slim pickings in 2019 and this year isn’t expected to log many transactions, either. Last year saw 20 deals valued at US$3.89 billion compared to 28 in 2018 worth $11.56 billion. Among the headline-makers were Zijin Mining’s $1.5B takeover of Nevsun Resources and its Timok mine in Serbia; China Molybdenum’s acquisition of the remaining 24% stake at the Tenke Fungurume copper mine in the DRC; and Jianxi Copper increasing its interest in First Quantum Minerals to 10.8%.
Most interesting from Max Resource’s point of view, in December 2019 BHP, the world’s largest mining company, became the largest shareholder (14.7%) of Sol Gold’s Cascabel project in the Ecuadorian portion of the Andean Copper Belt. The deal followed Newcrest Mining’s purchase of a 1.5% interest in Sol Gold a year earlier, putting its ownership interest at 14.6%. Recently the company secured a $150 million financing from streaming company Franco-Nevada.
RFC Ambrian states, It appears that there is a lot of interest in SolGold and a competitive bid could occur if the Cascabel project achieves expectations. We believe there is a High possibility of a third party (including the minority shareholders) looking to acquire the project outright or taking a significant interest in the medium term.
According to RFC Ambrian, there are currently 64 exploration projects with resources greater than 2.5 million tonnes of contained copper. Of those, only 19 have the potential for third-party involvement (ie., a major taking a full or partial ownership stake, or providing financing). And within that group, just five projects have a ‘High’ possibility of third-party involvement: Cascabel (Sol Gold), Los Helados, Viscachitas, Casino, and Santo Tomás.