10 April 2024
GOLDSTONE RESOURCES
LIMITED
("Goldstone" or the
"Company")
Conditional
Fundraising
Gold Loan Standstill
Amendment and
Notice of Annual General
Meeting
Goldstone Resources Limited (AIM:
GRL) is pleased to announce that it has conditionally raised £1.82
million before expenses by way of a subscription by new and
existing investors (the "Subscription") for, in aggregate,
182,000,000 new ordinary shares of 1 penny par value each in the
capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") (the "Subscription Shares") at a price of 1 penny per
share (the "Subscription
Price"). Participants in
the Subscription will also receive, for each Subscription Share,
one warrant over a further new Ordinary Share exercisable at a
price of 2 pence per share for 24 months from the date of issue
(the "Warrants").
In addition, the Company has entered
into an agreement (the "Amendment
Agreement") with Asian Investment Management Services
Limited ("AIMSL") to extend
to 31 December 2025 the standstill period in the Standstill
Agreement dated 29 December 2023 relating to the exercise of
certain of AIMSL's rights under the gold loan agreement entered
into with the Company on 19 June 2020 ("Gold Loan Agreement"). Pursuant
to the Amendment Agreement, AIMSL has also agreed to accept
settlement of the interest accrued under the Gold Loan Agreement to
31 December 2023 by the issue to AIMSL of 101,803,680 new Ordinary
Shares (the "Conversion
Shares"). Following and subject to issue of the Conversion
Shares, the outstanding balance in respect of the Gold Loan and
accrued interest will be reduced to the principal of 1,871.43 troy
ounces and will accrue interest at 14% from 1 January
2024.
The Subscription Shares and
Conversion Shares represent approximately 23% and 13% respectively
of the Company's share capital as enlarged by the issue of the
Subscription Shares and the Conversion Shares.
The Subscription Price of 1 penny
represents a discount of approximately 53% to the mid-market
closing price on AIM of 2.15 pence per Ordinary Share on 30 June
2023, being the latest trading day prior to suspension of the
Company's Ordinary Shares from trading on AIM.
The issue of the Subscription
Shares, the Warrants and the Conversion Shares will be
conditional, inter
alia, on the Company obtaining the requisite shareholder
approvals in respect of the issue of such shares from
its shareholders at the Company's forthcoming annual
general meeting to be convened shortly (the "AGM").
The net proceeds of the Subscription
will be used to partially settle the Company's overdue creditor
balances in line with payment plans agreed with the Company's major
creditors, to progress the Company's strategy of developing and
improving production at its Homase Mine in Ghana and for general
working capital purposes.
It
is noted that, in the event the resolutions related to the
Subscription (the "Resolutions") are not passed at the AGM, the
Board would, in light of the Company's significant overdue creditor
balances, likely have to file insolvency of the Company under
Jersey Law. Accordingly, the Board strongly encourages all
shareholders to vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at
the AGM.
Directors' Anticipated Participation
It is noted that certain of the
Company's directors and a senior employee also intend to convert
certain outstanding cash fees on the same terms as the
Subscription, following publication of the Company's Annual Report
and Accounts in respect of the year to 31 December 2022 and interim
results for the 6 months to 30 June 2023 (the "Accounts"), expected later today (the
"Director Subscription").
Recommendation and Irrevocable Undertakings
The Board intends to recommend that
shareholders vote in favour of the Resolutions at the AGM and each
director intends to vote in favour of the Resolutions in respect of
the shareholdings owned or controlled by them.
It is also noted that the Company
has received irrevocable undertakings to vote in favour of the
Resolutions to be proposed at the AGM from Paracale Gold Limited
and AIMSL in respect of their holdings of, in aggregate,
247,656,575 Ordinary Shares representing approximately 49.7% or the
Company's currently issued share capital.
Related Party Transaction
Entering into the Amendment
Agreement (including the agreement to accept the Conversion Shares
in settlement of accrued interest) with AIMSL, as a substantial
shareholder of the Company, is deemed to constitute a related party
transaction under the AIM Rules for Companies. Having consulted
with the Company's Nominated Adviser, Strand Hanson Limited, the
directors consider the terms of such arrangement to be fair and
reasonable insofar as the Company's shareholders are
concerned.
Circular and Notice of AGM
A circular relating, inter alia, to the Subscription (the
"Circular") will be posted
to shareholders shortly and will be made available to view on the
Company's website at: www.goldstoneresources.com, once
published. The Circular will contain formal notice convening the
AGM to approve, inter
alia, issue of the
Subscription Shares and the Conversion Shares. The AGM is to be
held on Friday, 26 April 2024 at 11.00 a.m. at the offices of
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, at 7 Pilgrim Street, London
EC4V 6LB.
Admission and Total Voting Rights
Completion of the Subscription is
conditional, inter alia,
on receipt by the Company of the Subscription proceeds and
admission of the Subscription Shares to trading on AIM by 8.00 a.m.
on Thursday 2 May 2024 (or such later time as the Company may
agree, being not later than 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday 7 May
2024).
Application will be made for the
Subscription Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM. A further
announcement regarding the enlarged share capital following the
Subscription for the purposes of the Financial Conduct Authority's
Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules will be made following
publication of the Accounts.
Operational Update
During 2023 and Q1 2024 the Company
has continued to maintain operations and has produced some 1,900
troy ounces of gold. The Subscription is expected to enable the
Company to improve recovery rates and increase total production
over the coming months, by bringing in new operational managers and
accelerating operational developments on site at the Homase Mine.
The Company will provide further operational updates in due course,
as appropriate.
Emma Priestley, Chief Executive Officer,
commented:
"Despite a period of significant challenges during 2023 and
into the start of this year, I believe the opportunity exists for
the Company to reset its goals and restore value for shareholders.
The Board of Directors are confident that we will have a year of
progress in the remainder of 2024. We very much appreciate
the continued patience and support of our shareholders during this
difficult period and look forward to installing a new operational
team and accelerating operational progress during the remainder of
2024."
For
further information, please contact:
GoldStone Resources Limited
|
|
Emma Priestley
|
Tel: +44 (0)1534 487 757
|
Strand Hanson Limited
|
|
James Dance / James
Bellman
|
Tel: +44 (0)20 7409 3494
|
S.
P. Angel Corporate Finance LLP
|
|
Ewan Leggat / Charlie
Bouverat
|
Tel: +44 (0)20 3470
0501
|
St
Brides Partners Ltd
Susie Geliher
|
Tel: +44 (0)20 7236 1177
|
|
|
The information contained within this announcement is deemed
by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under
the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of
United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended by virtue of the Market Abuse
(Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
About GoldStone Resources Limited
GoldStone Resources Limited (AIM:
GRL) is an AIM quoted mining and development company with projects
in Ghana that range from grassroots exploration to
production.
The Company is focused on developing
the Akrokeri-Homase project in south-western Ghana, which hosts a
JORC Code compliant 602,000oz gold resource at an average grade of
1.77 g/t. The existing resource is confined to a 4km zone of
the Homase Trend, including Homase North, Homase Pit and Homase
South.
The project hosts two former mines,
the Akrokerri Ashanti Mine Ltd, which produced 75,000 oz gold at 24
g/t recovered grade in the early 1900s, and the Homase Pit which
AngloGold Ashanti developed in 2002/03 producing 52,000 oz gold at
2.5 g/t recovered. Production is currently focussed on the
Homase Mine however it is the Company's intention to build a
portfolio of high-quality gold projects in Ghana, with a particular
focus on the highly prospective Ashanti Gold Belt.