Majority shareholder Goldcorp (G-T, GG-N) has agreed to guarantee a loan to Terrane Metals (TRX-V, TRXOF-O) for up to $40 million for capital equipment procurement at its 100%-owned Mt. Milligan copper-gold project in central British Columbia.
News of the backing sent Terrane’s stock up 23.7% or 11.5 a share to close at 60 on a trading volume of 1.2 million.
Underwritten by the Bank of Montreal, the one-time credit facility will have an 18-month term and enable Terrane to purchase the equipment it needs to build a 60,000-tonne-per-day open-pit mine and process plant at Mt. Milligan.
The agreement gives Goldcorp the option to convert its fully diluted in-the-money equity interest in Terrane into a participating jointventure interest during the 18-month term, but only if Goldcorp’s interest would translate to between 30% and 60% of the JV.
According to a feasibility study released in March, Mt. Milligan is forecast to produce 265,100 oz. gold and 97 million lbs. copper annually for the first six years of its estimated 15.3-year mine life.
In May, Terrane’s board approved the feasibility study report and authorized management to proceed with securing long lead-time process plant equipment.
According to the feasibility study, the deposit hosts a measured and indicated mineral resource of 590.8 million tonnes averaging 0.193% copper and 0.352 gram gold per tonne, containing 2.52 billion lbs. copper and 6.7 million oz. gold.
The project’s proven and probable reserves total 333.7 million tonnes averaging 0.217% copper and 0.428 gram gold per tonne, containing 1.6 billion lbs. copper and 4.59 million oz. gold.
The project will consist of a conventional truck-and-shovel openpit mine and a 60,000-tonne-perday copper flotation process plant. Mt. Milligan is close to existing infrastructure and low-cost power and would be built at a capital cost of $917 million.
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