Bear Creek raising C$30M in bought deal

Bear Creek Mining is raising C$30 million in a bought deal financing led by Stifel GMP. The net proceeds of the offering are expected to be used for ongoing development work at the company’s flagship Corani silver-lead-zinc project in southern Peru and for corporate purposes.

As part of the offering, the underwriters will purchase, on a bought deal basis, 10 million shares of the company at C$3 each, for aggregate proceeds of C$30 million. The underwriters also have the option to purchase up to an additional 1.5 million shares prior to the date that is 30 days after closing, for up to an additional C$4.5 million in gross proceeds.

Closing is expected around Jan. 15.

In November 2019, Bear Creek released an updated feasibility study for a potential 27,000 t/d open-pit operation, extracting ore from the Este, Minas and Main pits. The study envisioned a mine that would produce an average of 9.6 million oz. of silver, 98 million lb. of lead and 69 million lb. of zinc annually over a 15-year life. With life of mine all-in sustaining costs of $4.55 per oz. of silver produced and $579 million in initial capital, the associated project’s net present value estimate, at an 8% discount rate, comes in at $369 million, based on $18 per oz. silver, $1.1 per lb. zinc and $95¢ per lb. lead.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)