Momentus Energy Corp. and Veraz Petroleum Ltd. Announce Reverse
Take-Over by Way of Plan of Arrangement
CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Apr 8, 2014) - Momentus Energy
Corp., a private Alberta corporation ("Momentus" or the
"Corporation"), and Veraz Petroleum Ltd. ("Veraz")
(TSX-VENTURE:VRZ.H) announced today that they have entered into an
arm's length arrangement agreement dated April 7, 2014 (the
"Arrangement Agreement") with respect to the reverse take-over of
Veraz, to be completed through the acquisition by Veraz of all of
the issued and outstanding common shares of Momentus (the
"Transaction"). A copy of the Arrangement Agreement will be filed
by Veraz under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com in due
course.
Transaction
Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, each common share
of Momentus ("Momentus Share"), including Momentus Shares issued in
exchange for the outstanding common share purchase warrants of
Momentus and any Momentus Shares issued pursuant to or in
connection with the proposed financings described below (the
"Proposed Financings"), will each be exchanged for 11.683908 common
shares in the capital of Veraz ("Veraz Shares"), resulting in the
aggregate of approximately 6.69 million Post-Consolidation Shares
(as defined below) issued pursuant to the Transaction representing
a deemed transaction price of approximately $10 million, prior to
giving effect to the Proposed Financings, representing a deemed
price per issued Veraz Share of approximately $1.49 per
Post-Consolidation Share ($0.019 per pre-consolidation Veraz
Share). The Transaction will be undertaken by means of a plan of
arrangement (the "Arrangement") under the Business Corporations
Act (Alberta). As a result of the Transaction (but before
giving effect to the Proposed Financings), current Momentus
shareholders will own approximately 91% of the issued and
outstanding Veraz Shares and Veraz shareholders will own
approximately 9% of the issued and outstanding Veraz Shares, such
percentages are expected to be lower as a result of the impact of
the Proposed Financings.
The Arrangement Agreement provides that completion of the
Transaction is subject to certain conditions, including receipt of
all regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSX Venture
Exchange ("TSXV"), the approval of the shareholders of each of
Veraz and Momentus, including the approval of Veraz shareholders to
the name change and consolidation described below, the approval of
the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta and the completion of the
Proposed Financings for minimum gross proceeds of not less than $10
million. The Transaction is anticipated to close on or around the
middle of June, 2014 and, the Arrangement Agreement contemplates
that each of Veraz and Momentus will hold a meeting of their
respective shareholders around such time to permit such
shareholders to vote on the Arrangement.
Veraz
Meeting
At the Veraz meeting, in addition to being asked to vote on the
Arrangement and certain other matters, Veraz shareholders will also
be asked to vote on a share consolidation providing that every
eighty (80) pre-consolidation Veraz Shares (including the Veraz
Shares issued pursuant to the Transaction) will be consolidated
into one (1) post-consolidation Veraz Share ("Post-Consolidation
Share") and a name change of Veraz to "Momentus Energy Ltd." or
such other name as the board of directors of Veraz shall determine,
such name change to become effective upon the consummation of the
Transaction.
Proposed
Financings
Prior to completion of the Transaction, Momentus intends to
complete a non-brokered private placement financing (the
"Non-Brokered Financing") of Momentus Shares for gross proceeds of
up to $2 million which shares will be exchanged for Veraz Shares
pursuant to the Transaction.
Further, Momentus has entered into an engagement agreement with
Canaccord Genuity Corp. ("Canaccord") pursuant to which Canaccord
will act as exclusive agent for the offering of, on a reasonable
commercial efforts basis, subscription receipts of Momentus for
gross proceeds of up to $20 million, such subscription receipts
being ultimately convertible into Veraz Shares pursuant to the
Transaction without further action or consideration on the part of
the holders of the subscription receipts.
Veraz will issue a subsequent news release with further
particulars of the Proposed Financings once the particulars of same
have been settled, including the price per security, the terms of
same, the anticipated use of proceeds and compensation of Canaccord
pursuant to the financing described above.
Joint Information
Circular and Board of Directors
Further information regarding the Transaction will be provided
in a joint information circular of Veraz and Momentus which is
expected to be mailed to both Veraz shareholders and Momentus
shareholders and filed on SEDAR in mid-May in connection with the
special meeting of Momentus shareholders and the annual general and
special meeting of Veraz shareholders to be held to consider and
approve the Transaction, amongst other things.
Following the completion of the Transaction, the board of
directors of Veraz is expected to be reconstituted with six
members, consisting of one nominee from Veraz and the balance to be
comprised of nominees of Momentus, and the management of Momentus
will become management of Veraz.
Business of
Momentus
As Veraz currently has no active operations, following the
consummation of the Transaction, it is anticipated that the
business of Veraz will be the business now conducted by Momentus,
which has been in business since 2011.
Momentus, through its subsidiary Momentus Energy LLC, has signed
a farm out agreement to earn a 50% working interest and
operatorship of approximately 43,600 contiguous acres (the "Farmout
Lands") and two existing wells in Roosevelt County in Northeastern
Montana. The 50% working interest and operatorship in the Farmout
Lands will be earned by acquiring approximately 20 square miles of
three dimensional seismic data and drilling a well horizontally
within the Bakken Formation to a minimum lateral length of 4,900
feet. The 50% working interest and operatorship in one or both of
the existing wells can be earned by conducting work-over operations
on the wells.
The Farmout Lands are immediately north of the Elm Coulee field
which is one of the largest producing Bakken oil fields. This oil
field has been extending to the north and producing Bakken oil
wells have reached the southern boundary of the Farmout Lands.
Producing Bakken oil wells also exist to the east of the Farmout
Lands.
The acquisition of the 20 square miles of three dimensional
seismic data should be commenced in April 2014 and the first
horizontal well is expected to be drilled in the 3rd quarter of
2014.
Further information about Momentus, including details about the
Proposed Financings, key financial information, its assets and
operations and details concerning the directors and officers will
be included in a further news release.
Momentus intends to make an application for exemption from the
sponsorship requirements of the policies of the TSXV but there can
be no assurance that such exemption will be granted in the form
requested or at all.
Shares of Veraz are currently halted and will remain so until
the receipt and approval of all necessary documentation by the
TSXV.
Disclaimer
Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of
conditions, including TSXV acceptance and disinterested shareholder
approval. The Transaction cannot close until the required
shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that
the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.
Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the
Joint Information Circular to be prepared in connection with the
Transaction, any information released or received with respect to
the reverse take-over transaction described herein may not be
accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the
securities of Veraz should be considered highly
speculative.
The TSXV in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed
transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents
of this press release.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain statements which constitute
forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking
statements"), including statements regarding Momentus' business and
the anticipated timing of its seismic program and drilling plans,
the Transaction including the impact thereof on Veraz shareholders,
the timing of the Veraz shareholders meeting and the Momentus
shareholders meeting, the closing of the Transaction and the
anticipated timing thereof, and the anticipated size and closing of
the Proposed Financings. Such forward-looking statements are
subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are
beyond Momentus' and Veraz's control, including the ability of
Momentus and Veraz to satisfy the conditions to completion of the
Transaction, the successful completion of the Proposed Financings
and the final terms thereof, the impact of general economic
conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices,
currency fluctuations, environmental risks, operational risks in
exploration and development, competition from other industry
participants, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or
management, stock market volatility and the ability to access
sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Although
Momentus and Veraz believe that the expectations in their
respective forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are
based on factors and assumptions concerning future events which may
prove to be inaccurate. Those factors and assumptions are based
upon currently available information. Such statements are subject
to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that
could influence actual results or events and cause actual results
or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or
implied in the forward looking information. As such, readers are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward looking
information, as no assurance can be provided as to future results,
levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements
contained in this document are made as of the date of this document
and, except as required by applicable law, neither Veraz or
Momentus undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise
any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking
statements contained in this document are expressly qualified by
this cautionary statement.
About Momentus Energy Corp.
Momentus is a private junior oil and gas company engaged in the
exploration for oil and natural gas reserves in Montana.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
Momentus Energy Corp.Paul StarninoPresident and Chief Executive
Officer(403) 862-2143Veraz Petroleum Ltd.Paul BaayChairman of the
Board(403) 619-8407