Jims responses to the questions I sent late Friday.
#1.
There has been a lot of conversation about financing happening when Lind is done converting debt. Am I wrong thinking Niocorp would rather have that debt converted at a lot higher SP with less dilution?
Bob – thanks for reaching out, and thank you for your kind comments.
The short answer to your first question is yes, although we have no control over when, or at what price, Lind elects to convert this debt, nor does the Company have any control over our share price or the strategies and investment decisions made by our investors.
#2.
I don't know if you will be able to answer this one or not, maybe TMI at this point. Is it possible that we are waiting for the construction permit to be obtained for the last entity to ink the financing?
Have a GREAT Summer!
To all Niocorp Employees, Thanks & keep up the Great Work!
Bob Carter
bcomaha
As to your second question, we would not expect that all prospective project financiers will necessarily base their investment decision on the status of any particular government permit that NioCorp still needs to obtain. Some may prefer to see certain permits secured, while others may be more comfortable moving forward based on the likelihood of the project obtaining necessary permits. It certainly helps that the Elk Creek Project is already highly de-risked from a regulatory perspective – so much so that it is anticipated that this US $1B project can be constructed and can operate without having to complete a single NEPA-level Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement, and without having to obtain a federal air permit governed by PSD-level emissions standards. I do not know of any other greenfield project of this size and scope in the U.S. that has been able to secure this level of regulatory de-risking at this stage in its evolution.
I would add that this level of de-risking has also occurred faster than in most other mining projects of this size and scope in the U.S.
Of course, such regulatory de-risking is accomplished by reducing expected environmental impacts in the first place. Scott Honan and his team have done a great job in employing some very innovative processing, chemical, and mechanical engineering approaches in the plans for this facility.
These and other elements of project de-risking can be compelling factors in the calculus of institution-level project investors and underwriters when they examine projects such as the Elk Creek Project. But that is all that I can say at this point.
All the best,
Jim Sims
VP, External Affairs
NioCorp Developments Ltd.
jim.sims@niocorp.com
+1 (303) 503-6203
