IAMGOLD Corp. (TSX: IMG) reports the Company has signed a definitive agreement with Merrex Gold Inc. ("Merrex") to acquire, in an all-share transaction, all of the issued and outstanding shares of Merrex not already owned by IAMGOLD (the "Transaction").
Merrex is a junior mineral exploration company of which IAMGOLD currently owns approximately 45.8 million or 23% of Merrex's issued and outstanding 199.2 million common shares. IAMGOLD expects to issue 6.9 million shares, amounting to less than 1.5% of its issued and outstanding shares, in connection with the Transaction. The Transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017.
"This agreement consolidates the ownership of a key asset in IAMGOLD's exploration pipeline," said Steve Letwin, IAMGOLD's President & CEO. "The IAMGOLD exploration team, led by Craig MacDougall, working in concert with Merrex on the Diakha-Siribaya project in Mali has done an outstanding job over recent years to define indicated resources of 2.1 million tonnes grading 1.90 g/t Au for 129,000 ounces and inferred resources of 19.8 million tonnes grading 1.71 g/t Au for 1.1 million ounces. Mali is a prolific mining friendly jurisdiction and is where IAMGOLD began nearly 25 years ago at the Sadiola project which, along with its neighbouring Yatela mine, has already produced over 7.5 million ounces of gold."
Merrex's primary assets are its gold properties in West Mali, principally its 50% interest in the Siribaya Gold Project, its 100% held Karita exploration authorization in Guinea and its 100% held zinc-lead property in Nova Scotia (the Jubilee Project). Merrex holds permits totaling approximately 700 square kilometers within an approximately 4,100 square kilometers area of interest in the southern portion of the West Mali Gold Belt.
The Transaction will proceed by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia). The companies expect to close the Transaction following required securityholder, court and regulatory approvals and satisfaction of certain other customary closing conditions.
About IAMGOLD
IAMGOLD is a mid-tier mining company with four operating gold mines on three continents. A solid base of strategic assets in North and South America and West Africa is complemented by development and exploration projects and continued assessment of accretive acquisition opportunities. IAMGOLD is in a strong financial position with extensive management and operational expertise.
Source: IAMGOLD
