EMX Royalty Corporation has announced the execution of an agreement on February 14, 2022 to sell its Mo-i-Rana volcanogenic massive sulfide (“VMS”) project in Norway to Mahvie Minerals AB, a private Swedish Company. In return for the transfer of the Project to Mahvie, the agreement provides EMX with a 9.9% equity interest in Mahvie, annual advance royalty payments, 2.5% Net Smelter Return (“NSR”) royalty interests, work commitments, and other considerations. In conjunction with the Mo-i-Rana transaction, Mahvie intends to establish a public listing on one of the Nordic exchanges. This is anticipated sometime in Q2, 2022.
The Mo-i-Rana VMS belt was acquired by EMX in 2021 (see EMX News Release dated April 6, 2021). This VMS belt is situated in central Norway and contains numerous polymetallic (zinc-lead-copper-silver-gold) occurrences and historical mines. Over 200 mines and prospects with VMS and carbonate replacement (“CRD”) styles of mineralization are located within the Mo-i-Rana project area, including ten former producing mines.
EMX and Mahvie will work together to explore the Project, where considerable exploration upside exists at many of the historical occurrences and mines. Much of the historical exploration work was done at a time when VMS models were only poorly understood and only limited portions of the nine individual VMS horizons that exist in the belt have been tested to date. Additionally, most historical drilling was shallow (i.e., less than 100 meters) and clustered around the historical mine workings. EMX and Mahvie will apply modern exploration methods and deposit models to seek additional discoveries in the belt.
Commercial Terms Overview. Via an arm’s length transaction, Mahvie will acquire a 100% interest in the EMX subsidiary company that controls the Project, subject to the following terms:
- Upon closing, EMX will receive 75,000 Norwegian Krone (approximately US$ 8,500 at current exchange rates) in cash and 9.9% of the issued and outstanding shares of Mahvie Minerals AB.
- EMX will receive a 2.5% NSR royalty interest in the Project. On the sixth anniversary after closing, Mahvie has the option to purchase 0.5% of the NSR on the Project by paying EMX US$1,500,000.
- EMX will receive annual advance royalty (“AAR”) payments of US$25,000 for the Project commencing on the third anniversary of the closing, with the AAR payment increasing by US$5,000 per year until reaching US$100,000.
- A financial instrument will be put in place that allows EMX to maintain its 9.9% interest in Mahvie until a total of 25,000,000 Swedish Kronor (approximately USD$2.7 million at current exchange rates) has been raised by Mahvie.
- A payment of US$500,000, payable in cash or shares of Mahvie, will be made to EMX upon the completion of a Prefeasibility or Feasibility study.
- To maintain its interest in the Project, Mahvie will also: (i) spend a minimum of US$200,000 on the Project by the first anniversary of the agreement and (ii) spend aggregate of US$1,000,000 by the third anniversary of the agreement or complete a minimum of 2,000 meters of drilling on the Project.