Versamet Royalties -  Acquisition of 3.52 Percent Gold Stream on Production at Eskay Creek Slated To Commence In 2027

Paul Jones, President of Versamet Royalties (TSX: VMET) (NASDAQ: VMET), joins us to outline the key benefits and considerations from the news on April 6th which announced their acquisition of a 3.52% existing gold stream, from fund entities managed by Orion Resource Partners LP and fund entities managed by affiliates of Blackstone Inc., in respect of gold production from the Eskay Creek gold-silver project; owned and operated by Skeena Resources Limited, and located in British Columbia, Canada,

 

Versamet paid an upfront cash payment of $340 million and issued 2,054,906 common shares to the Vendors. Versamet funded the upfront cash payment through an amended and restated credit facility, which includes an increase of the existing revolving facility from $200 million to $250 million, maturing in March 2029, and a new term facility in the amount of $150 million, maturing in March 2028, for a combined total of $400 million, from the Bank of Montreal and National Bank of Canada. The Amended Credit Facility provides for a $100 million accordion on the revolving facility once the term facility has been repaid in full.

 

Gold Stream Summary

 

• Gold Stream:Under the Gold Stream, Versamet is entitled to receive 3.52% of the payable gold production for the life of the mine, provided that the mine successfully achieves certain completion tests on or before September 30, 2027. The Gold Stream is uncapped and has no step-downs or buydown provisions and includes an area of interest.
• Production Profile:Eskay is expected to produce an average of over 300,000 ounces of gold per year in its first 5 years and an average of approximately 230,000 ounces of gold per year over its initial 12 year life.
• Delivery Payments:For gold ounces delivered to the Gold Stream, Versamet will make ongoing cash payments equal to 10% of the spot gold price at the time of delivery.
• Gold Stream Percentage:If the completion tests are not satisfied by September 30, 2027, the stream percentage shall increase to 3.57%, 3.62% and 3.67% if completion is achieved in the first, second or third calendar quarters following September 30, 2027, respectively, and a further additional 0.13% per quarter for the remaining calendar quarters until satisfaction of the completion test.
• Minimum Delivery Provision:If a cumulative total of 2.61 million ounces of payable gold applicable to the Gold Stream has not been produced by April 1, 2040, Versamet is entitled to a one-time delivery of gold equal to the difference between cumulative gold ounces delivered to the Gold Stream at the time and 2.61 million ounces multiplied by the Gold Stream percentage at the time.
• Security:The Gold Stream is secured over the Eskay Creek project assets.

 

Paul highlights the nuances between streams versus royalties, the positive tax treatment the stream will receive, the importance of partnering on robust projects with strong operators, and the torque that royalty companies can have if they can demonstrate meaningful growth to the market. 

 

Once Eskay is up and operating at full commercial production, it should augment the projected 20,000-23,000 Gold Equivalent Ounces (GEOs) by an additional 10,000 GEOs per annum.  Paul points out that by borrowing approximately 1/3 of their overall market cap, that they’ve increased the GEOs by essentially half; not including any future exploration or production upside on the Project.

 

 

If you have any follow up questions for the team over at West Red Lake Gold please email us at [email protected] and [email protected].

 

 

Click here to follow the latest news from Versamet Royalties

 

 

For more market commentary & interview summaries, subscribe to our Substacks:

 

The KE Report: https://kereport.substack.com/

Shad’s resource market commentary: https://excelsiorprosperity.substack.com/

 

 

Investment disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investing in equities and commodities involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Guests and hosts may own shares in companies mentioned, and companies profiled may be sponsors of the KE Report.