TORONTO, Sept. 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSXV: TVC) (OTCQB: TVCCF) Three Valley Copper Corp. (“Three Valley Copper” or the “Company”) provides an update on its 95.1% owned Minera Tres Valles SpA (“MTV”) property near Salamanca, Region de Coquimbo, Chile.
Since the Judicial Restructuring Procedure (“JRP”) was filed in Chile on June 13, 2022, the Chilean courts have neither confirmed nor denied the application for creditors protection. If granted, it will be similar to being granted creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act in Canada.
Since the filing on June 13, 2022, MTV has progressed with the termination of over half of its work force and the underground contractor for the Papomono mine has demobilized. Further planned terminations are expected to occur during the fourth quarter. The infrastructure of Papomono built to date is expected to remain stable for the next 6 to 12 months with minimal maintenance and MTV now expects to continue producing limited copper cathodes from the existing material on the heap leach until the end of December 2022, with MTV’s cash resources expected to be exhausted shortly thereafter.
Concessions from certain important suppliers together with unexpected benefits in the heap leach generated by the past months of above-average precipitation, have provided MTV the ability to generate additional copper cathodes from its current inventory. It is MTV’s expectation that copper cathodes can be harvested for the remainder of 2022 at a marginal profit but cautions that certain assumptions are subject to change which could change this expectation. The performance of the heap leach is critical and monitored closely in the event that circumstances change that would affect the copper cathode production projection. These recent developments have provided the Company and MTV additional time to attract long-term investment.
The Company maintains dialogue with Anglo American Marketing Limited and a fund managed by Kimura Capital (the “Senior Lenders” to MTV) to source a long-term investor. To date, a solution to support MTV has not been identified. The Company is uncertain whether this can be achieved with the Senior Lenders’ cooperation and is cautious in attributing any probability that a fulsome financial support solution from the Senior Lenders and/or new investor will be available.
If MTV is successful in sourcing a longer-term capital support solution and restructuring its existing debt, there will likely be a material dilution to the Company’s ownership interest in MTV, including the likelihood that the Company would no longer hold majority control of MTV. If a longer-term capital support solution and/or restructuring is unsuccessful, MTV could be forced to liquidate or be sold, which could adversely impact the Company’s ability to recover any or all of the Company’s investment in MTV. The public company, Three Valley Copper, is expected to continue as a going concern even if a liquidation event occurs at MTV.
As a result of the current financial situation of MTV, certain defaults of the senior secured debt facility have occurred and are continuing. While the Senior Lenders have not provided a notice thereof to MTV, they have expressly reserved their rights.
About Three Valley Copper
Three Valley Copper, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is focused on its primary asset, Minera Tres Valles. Located in Salamanca, Chile, MTV is 95.1% owned by the Company and MTV's main assets are the Minera Tres Valles mining complex and its 46,000 hectares of exploratory lands. For more information about the Company, please visit www.threevalleycopper.com.
