The intent of that $240m is that it gets buried into initial mining development cost ( it's not keep the lights on $$$) , so in the mine development sector, that $240m gets evaporated within months not years and we certainly would not be, as you say -I am well aware of that. It would be a risk I would be tempted to take with the information I have.
Is there a chance AVZ could end up with less than 50% doing this? Yes.
We have good legal title to 75% and first right of refusal to Cominiere's share. For us to go under 50% we would have to lose to Dathomir AND Zijin. It is possible that this could happen in the DRC due to the corruption, but we would be well financed to continue operations and defend these challenges for years with the $240 million. Don't forget that if we continue to fuck around for years on end and run out of money, there is a real risk that we could lose the whole project.
1. The $240 million gives us time/options and prevents the Chinese from being able to easily wait until we run out of money (one of the possibilities that scares me most).
2. Having CATH invest $240 million means it is not only little AVZ who has a lot to lose if the project goes south. CATH are more powerful and have more influence than AVZ. I believe CATH met with the President at one stage. To me it is not only spreading the risk, but also decreasing it due to this increased power/influence.
3. The risk of AVZ going to under 50% control of Dathcom is a possibility, but it is not the worst possibility out there. I would much prefer to risk this than risk losing the project. The Chinese would build the mine quick and get things operational in record time. They would probably fuck around with transfer pricing etc, so we would not receive full value, but shareholders would likely still do well.
I look at examples like Komoa:
a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines (39.6%), Zijin Mining Group (39.6%), Crystal River Global Limited (0.8%) and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (20%)
Not ideal, but not the worst outcome.
AVZ has been suspended for almost a year. I want to get things moving.
I hope it’s for printing lies about avz.
Oh I see. This case is giving us headaches in the industry, we are working to get it resolved quickly, preferably amicably, by favoring dialogue between all the stakeholders, it will trigger other similar investments in the sector.
Wowwwww, this whole time most of us have imagined CATL as the respectful saving grace that will do nothing but brilliant things. Imagine if they have been feeding info to Zijin...
@JAG doing some lovely work over on the bird at the moment![]()
He mentions we don’t understand the processes of mining in Africa…. Trouble is we do, we have learned the hard way and if we hadn’t been exposing it on here and twitter and and spreading the truth about AVZ being usurped by ministers and officials in the DRC working with Zigin, Cong and Klaus Jerkof we might not have been still in the fight.
We know Tshisekedi, Lukonde, Kazadi, Kayinda, N’samba, Loando etc have known about our situation and the IGF report for months and what is their response…. We want AVZ to sit down with Cominiere, Cong and Zigin and reach an amicable agreement (including being amicable with Celestin Kibeya)…. Oh, and the DRC wants a bigger share now than you have spent millions drilling and progressing the project for the last six years.
Keeping putting the truth out there respectfully has been our greatest strength, I personally don’t think we should stop now, it’s the pressure of the truth that motivates the DRC to do the right thing, not staying quiet
@obe wan I haven’t gone back over our original CATH TIA, but I remember at the time thinking that the agreement meant who ever pulled out of it had to stump up $20 million and that wasn’t reliant on a further signing of a contract
yes @MoneyBags1348 I've read that and many of us where asking. why hasnt this carried through as the extensions started to snowball , but its highly likely that the AVZ legal eagles had a clause inserted somewhere, which was triggered when this percentage bullshite started to seep out and create its own minefield for the company ; bloody frustrating, as you say and i agree i reckon we'd all be in a much better mental and financial state than we all are at present@obe wan I just had a read of the CATH TIA. It’s a little hard to work out the exact terms because it says both parties did enter into the agreement
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One thing is for sure when you read this announcement…. The project had so much promise under this agreement that the DRC government has made a massive fuck up by allowing Cominiere to undermine this project by illegally selling 15% of the project to Zigin.
Worse for us is the fact that if the CATH TIA had been completed and we had been in the construction phase, our share price would already by over $3. Absolute fucken corruption and incompetence has fucked this up for us and the DRC
The intent of that $240m is that it gets buried into initial mining development cost ( it's not keep the lights on $$$) , so in the mine development sector, that $240m gets evaporated within months not years and we certainly would not be, as you say -
‘we would be well financed to continue operations and defend these challenges for years with the $240 million’
Komoa mine was held under Komoa Holdings a subsidiary of Ivanhoe ; Komoa Holdings held ‘80%’ of the Komoa project; Ivanhoe then sold 49.5% of Komoa Holdings off to Zijin for 400/500m.
Hand passing CATH 24% thus reducing us to 51%, with the Dathomir 15% still on the DRC registration books ( unresolved ) ; in the DRC....36% becomes a possible highlight figure ; i know you reckon you’d take the risk..but without drilling too far down into possibilities / scenarios , just take the percentages and names above... 24% CATH...Dathomir get through the door with their 15%; this takes AVZ to 36%.... Dathomir have zero intent in Inputting capital funds in Manono..they will offload..Dathomir sells 15% to CATH ; CATH now have 39%, AVZ loses control.
IMO until things are further resolved, I doubt management are going to play Russian roullet in that dark Chinese alley
LTR encroaching on a $6 billion valuation pre production. Wonder if any government official in the DRC can see how much money this mess is costing them. In a proper business environment, AVZ is a $10-$20 Billion company. Given the DRC GDP is $55 billion, hoping they can come to their senses this decade.
Maïss Tshibangu was arrested for hanging around the Fleuve Congo Hotel dressed like a pimp selling his services.
I think the Chinese are telling the DRC if you want us to start any infrastructure build ahead of the election you have to include us in Manono.
We have already seen the Chinese build roads and then charge tolls on them and we have seen the result of the deal of the century where China profited from cobalt and copper and didn’t spend what they promised on infrastructure and now probably telling the DRC if they want that same infrastructure built and infrastructure around Manono as well then they want a share of the lithium as well.
China committed military to the DRC as well, but again this has only been to progress their own interest. These rotten corrupt Chinese companies are trying to force their will on the DRC, and the DRC need someone else to build their infrastructure so they can piss the Chinese off out of the country…. Hopefully they are seeking tenders from elsewhere like the US or Saudi Arabia. To be honest I think they are all corrupt but they also all want lithium (especially our high grade) desperately
With global growth in a state of economic stall, and with high inflation and interest rates demand for EV’s has also stalled. But there has always been a rapid rise in growth following this type of scenario in the past (I think, I’ve become a little brain fatigued from our situation) and the demand for lithium will continue to far outpace supply in my view, leading again to another push higher for lithium prices
I don’t think CATH ever really wanted to manufacture batteries in the DRC, but Panasonic and LG Chem, who are in the top 5 battery producers in the world might, and perhaps Japanese and South Korean car manufacturers might like to build car factories between the DRC and Zambia.
Just thinking of other options, the best in my mind would probably be Albermarle, BHP or FMG taking a majority ownership over our project with us still involved so we could get those dividends many of us hoped for down the road.
He might have time for Hebangsall after, might as well do a proper job, so Mills will never forget.In jail, he will meet Hebangu