Bulyanhulu Gold Mine has revealed plans to acquire six prospecting licences located in areas adjacent to the namesake Bulyanhulu mine in Tanzania.
Twiga Minerals, a joint venture (JV) between Barrick and the Government of Tanzania made the announcement and said Bulyanhulu signed a binding agreement to purchase a 100% stake in the six licences from Tembo Gold subsidiary Mineral Industry Promotion and Consulting Company Limited (MIPCCL).
Contingent payments
The company will pay a US $6M consideration, along with other contingent payments up to an aggregate amount of US $45m. These contingent payments will depend on the inferred, indicated and measured gold mineral resources identified in the licence areas.
Bulyanhulu will also invest at least US $9m in the overall licence area in four years from the closing of the transaction. They have also agreed to subscribe for more than 5.5 million Tembo common shares of Tembo at a price of C$0.27 per share. This will provide Bulyanhulu with a 5.5% pro forma ownership in Tembo. The acquisition and the private placement are expected to close in the first quarter of next year, subject to certain regulatory approvals in Tanzania and the TSX Venture Exchange approval.
“We do not underestimate the significance of Barrick’s interest and the conclusion of this purchase agreement that will enable a serious advance of our exploration strategy, and our expectation and hope is that a number of significant new discoveries will be made, benefitting both the companies that are making the investment, the surrounding communities and this mining-friendly country of Tanzania,” Tembo president and CEO David Scott said.
