26 Sep 2024 07:00
26 September 2024
AIM: AAU
ARIANA APPOINTS LEAD MANAGER FOR PLANNED ASX DUAL-LISTING
Ariana Resources plc ("Ariana" or "the Company"), the AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company with gold project interests in Africa and Europe, is pleased to announce the appointment of Australian capital markets firm Ord Minnett Limited ("Ord Minnett") as Lead Manager to its proposed dual-listing on the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX"), which is targeted for completion by the end of the 2024 calendar year.
The proposed ASX listing will provide investors in Ariana exposure in a market that understands and supports small-to-medium-sized gold explorers and developers and is intended to provide greater access to capital and increased liquidity, potentially facilitating an improved valuation for the Company. Ariana investors who wish to trade Ariana securities on the ASX will also have the opportunity to transfer their existing shareholdings to the proposed Australian register if they wish to do so.
Further, Ariana is considering an equity raising as part of the ASX dual-listing, with any funds raised to be directed towards the exploration and technical studies planned at the Company's 100%-owned Dokwe Gold Project in Zimbabwe. The exact timing of Ariana's ASX listing and the quantum of any capital raised in conjunction with the listing is to be decided.
The Company will be providing a revised Corporate Presentation on the website, which will be made available later today.
Dr. Kerim Sener, Managing Director, commented:
"We are very excited with our plans for a dual-listing of Ariana on the ASX, a market with a strong understanding of mining developers and explorers, particularly in the gold space. Being personally based in Perth, Western Australia, I am particularly looking forward to being able to provide the Australian mining investment community with an opportunity to become shareholders of our Company. We see numerous benefits for shareholders in an ASX dual-listing and look forward to working alongside Ord Minnett to accomplish our ASX listing."
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014.
Contacts:
Ariana Resources plc | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7407 3616 |
Michael de Villiers, Chairman | |
Kerim Sener, Managing Director | |
Beaumont Cornish Limited (Nominated Adviser) | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7628 3396 |
Roland Cornish / Felicity Geidt | |
Ord Minnett Limited (Lead Manager - Australia) | Tel: +61 2 8916 0124 |
Damien Gullone / Robbie Dowling / Joe Hansen | |
Panmure Liberum (Joint Broker) | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7886 2500 |
Kieron Hodgson / Atholl Tweedie / Rauf Munir | |
Zeus Capital Limited (Joint Broker) Harry Ansell / Katy Mitchell / George Krokos Yellow Jersey PR Limited (Financial PR) | Tel: +44 (0) 203 829 5000
Tel: +44 (0) 7983 521 488 |
Dom Barretto / Shivantha Thambirajah /Bessie Elliot | arianaresources@yellowjerseypr.com |
Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the Company's Nominated Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish's responsibilities as the Company's Nominated Adviser, including a responsibility to advise and guide the Company on its responsibilities under the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Stock Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and will not be responsible to any other persons for providing protections afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any matter referred to in it.
Editors' Note:
About Ariana Resources:
Ariana is an AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company with an exceptional track-record of creating value for its shareholders through its interests in active mining projects and investments in exploration companies. Its current interests include a major gold development project in Zimbabwe, gold production in Türkiye and copper-gold exploration and development projects in Cyprus and Kosovo.
Ariana owns 100% of the Dokwe Gold Project ("Dokwe") in Zimbabwe. Dokwe is made up of the Dokwe North and Dokwe Central gold deposits which are located in the Tsholotsho District near the city of Bulawayo. The deposits have a combined JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of over 1.83 million ounces of gold (as at June 2024) and the project represents the largest undeveloped gold project in Zimbabwe.
The Company holds 23.5% interest in Zenit Madencilik San. ve Tic. A.S. a joint venture with Ozaltin Holding A.S. and Proccea Construction Co. in Türkiye which contains a depleted total of c. 2.2 million ounces gold equivalent (as at March 2024, using a price ratio of 90 Ag to 1 Au). The joint venture comprises the Kiziltepe Mine and the Tavsan and Salinbas projects.
The Kiziltepe Gold-Silver Mine is located in western Türkiye and contains a depleted JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 171,700 ounces gold and 3.3 million ounces silver (as at March 2024). The mine has been in profitable production since 2017 and has been producing at an average rate of c.22,000 ounces of gold per annum. A Net Smelter Return ("NSR") royalty of 2.5% on production is being paid to Franco-Nevada Corporation.
The Tavsan Gold Mine is located in western Türkiye and contains a JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 311,000 ounces gold and 1.1 million ounces silver (as at March 2024). Following the approval of its Environmental Impact Assessment and associated permitting, Tavsan is being developed as the second gold mining operation in Türkiye and is currently in construction. A NSR royalty of up to 2% on future production is payable to Sandstorm Gold.
The Salinbas Gold Project is located in north-eastern Türkiye and contains a JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 1.5 million ounces of gold (as at July 2020). It is located within the multi-million ounce Artvin Goldfield, which contains the "Hot Gold Corridor" comprising several significant gold- copper projects including the 4 million ounce Hot Maden project, which lies 16km to the south of Salinbas. A NSR royalty of up to 2% on future production is payable to Eldorado Gold Corporation.
Ariana owns 76% of UK-registered Western Tethyan Resources Ltd ("WTR"), which operates across south-eastern Europe and is based in Pristina, Republic of Kosovo. The company is targeting its exploration on major copper-gold deposits across the porphyry-epithermal transition. WTR is being funded through a five-year Alliance Agreement with Newmont Mining Corporation (www.newmont.com) and is separately earning-in to up to 85% of the Slivova Gold Project.
Ariana owns 61% of UK-registered Venus Minerals PLC ("Venus") which is focused on the exploration and development of copper-gold assets in Cyprus which contain a combined JORC Indicated and Inferred Resource of 16.6Mt @ 0.45% to 0.80% copper (excluding additional gold, silver and zinc.
Ariana owns several investments in listed and private companies via its Australian subsidiary Asgard Metals Pty. Ltd. ("Asgard"), which also provides technical input into the various investee company exploration programmes. Investments have been made in high-value potential, discovery-stage mineral exploration companies located across the Eastern Hemisphere and within easy reach of Ariana's operational hubs in Australia, Türkiye, UK and Zimbabwe. Its most advanced interest is through a 5.5% holding of Panther Metals Limited (ASX: PNT).
Panmure Liberum Limited and Zeus Capital Limited are brokers to the Company and Beaumont Cornish Limited is the Company's Nominated Adviser.
For further information on Ariana, you are invited to visit the Company's website at www.arianaresources.com.
Ends.