Red Rock Resources
PLC
("Red Rock" or the
"Company")
Update of Major
Interests
7
October 2024
Red Rock Resources Plc is a natural
resource development company with interests in gold and base
metals, principally in Africa and Australia.
The following is an update of key
points only in relation to the Company's assets and current
developments. For a more comprehensive summary of the Company's
assets, the Company's website may be referred to.
Highlights:
o Red
Rock expects the most important near-term developments to
be:
o Gold
production in Burkina Faso
o Release of arbitration result in the Democratic Republic of
Congo ("DRC")
o Further updates on New Ballarat Gold Corporation
Comment: Red Rock CEO Andrew Bell states:
"Our confidence in the gold price has meant that our strategy
has been to secure and not to let go of good gold ground. We now
have a diverse portfolio of gold interests with the potential -
subject to all the usual caveats - to go into mined production.
We have had to wait for the result of our arbitration in the
DRC but are now told we are about to receive an invitation to a
concluding meeting. We are also invited to the DRC for meetings
with Governmental parties on another matter and have been
approached by a European private sector party about partnership in
their project in the DRC which at first glance looks highly
prospective.
On
the basis that we receive and repatriate the arbitration award, we
do not exclude the possibility of looking at projects presented to
us as a result of our enhanced profile in the DRC. Any such
opportunities would have to undergo substantial due diligence
before consideration. It is worth noting that in the event of a
successful resolution in the DRC, which we anticipate, our position
there will be a strong one and this appears to be gaining some
recognition.
We
have pursued a resolution through multiple channels, and it is only
recently that a new and direct channel opened at the highest levels
has given new impetus to this long-drawn out process, where
decisions may have been taken in principle but they have not
been carried through. A settlement will have several important
effects, including a more rapid advance of activity on other
fronts, where we have been held back by a lack of the expected
capital, as well as dealing with accumulated
liabilities
We
continue to move towards gold production in Burkina Faso. The
consultants with which we have been working have to pass
through time-consuming regulatory hurdles in India in order to
bring Indian staff to site, and so to bypass this uncertainty we
have entered into an agreement with an experienced South
African-Congolese mine management team operating mines in the DRC
for a carefully costed 'quick start' operation which will then be
replicated in Cote d'Ivoire and we hope will lead to first gold
sales in both jurisdictions before the end of
2024.
Positive developments are occurring elsewhere in our
operations.
We
will continue to update the market."
PROJECT
|
2024 UPDATE
|
Former Copper-Cobalt Joint Venture,
DRC
|
The Company has been notified that
it is about to receive an invitation to a final session of the
arbitration leading to release of the award. Red Rock remains open
to and is discussing the possibility of agreeing an earlier outcome
direct with the other party by an Acte Transactionnel.
As of today there has been no
recovery by Red Rock and there is no certainty that there will be
until documents are executed and released. Also, Red Rock will seek
further advice on remedies that may be available through further
actions, including in other jurisdictions.
|
Other DRC
|
The Company has received an
invitation to go to the DRC for discussions with a Governmental
agency advancing a major and potentially cash-generative
project.
The Company has also received an
offer of co-operation on significant projects from a non-Congolese
party.
Advancing any such projects would
require prior settlement of the matter under arbitration, payment
and repatriation of any award, and technical and legal due
diligence. That such offers and invitations are being extended
might on one view however be considered an indication of the
Company's local standing and expectations that it will exit from
the arbitration process shortly.
|
New Ballarat Gold Corporation
Plc
Gold: Victoria, Australia
100% interest
|
The payment of £250,000 due
under para 5(c) of the Heads of Terms as previously announced
("Terms") has not been made
by Red Rock by 18 September 2024 as required, and therefore the
provisions of para 6(b)(3) of the Terms apply, by which a 60 day
cure period is allowed for the payment to be made, in default of
which the vendor may reacquire its sold interest for $1 plus a Note
for any cash consideration paid.
A number of major shareholders have
indicated their support for the increase in capital necessary to
satisfy its purchase commitments under the Terms (should funds from
a settlement or award in the DRC not be received in a timely
manner) and subject to this, Red Rock's intention is to place
equity sufficient to enable it to fulfil the payment within the
cure period.
The Company has been engaging with
brokers and listed companies in Australia to discuss possibilities
for achieving a listing for the assets but has no binding
commitments to report at this stage.
|
Faso Minerals Ltd
Gold: Boromo and Banfora greenstone
belts, SW Burkina Faso
Subsidiary
|
The Company has signed a consultancy
agreement with Greypoint International ("Greypoint"), a company incorporated in
the Democratic Republic of Congo, represented by Michael Billings acting as Project
Director to provide project management services as required for the
Company's alluvial gold projects in Burkina Faso and Ivory
Coast.
Greypoint responsibilities will
include:
· Planning and overseeing all stages of the alluvial gold mining
process.
· Coordination with local teams, subcontractors, and
suppliers.
· Ensuring compliance with local laws and
regulations.
· Reporting regularly on the progress, budget, and safety
performance of the Projects.
· Advising on operational improvements and risk mitigation
strategies.
· Managing project timelines, resources, and workforce
allocation.
In an initial 16 day period, the
Consultant will:
·
Procure equipment, negotiate with suppliers and
manage logistics.
·
Engage the Burkina Faso Embassy through the South
African Chamber of Commerce to facilitate the logistical movement
of the equipment, and open diplomatic and economic communication
channels in Burkina Faso.
·
Engage the South African Embassy and the British
Consulate in Burkina Faso to create a presence and assist and
facilitate the effective communication and functioning within the
Burkina Faso mining space.
·
Liaise with Red Rock representatives on permitting
and licence issues
The Consultant will then mobilise
plant to site and start operations, including a continuous
programme of geological sampling and testing, the production of
dore bars, and export.
The consultant referred to in the
announcement of 27th February 2024, whose brief report
was announced on 29th April 2024, has been unable to
provide equipment on site according to the original and revised
timetables, and has continuing delays resulting principally from
the length, cost and complexity of the bureaucratic procedures
required for permitting the Indian workforce intended to operate
the consultant's concentrators and equipment on site.
To bring the assets into immediate
scaleable production and ensure activity sufficient to ensure
retention of the licences the Company has engaged Greypoint who are
specialised in operations of this type.
The possibility remains of a larger
scale operation involving the original consultant at a later date,
but in the short term the Company took the swift action necessary
to ensure delivery of the key objectives.
|
Mikei Gold Project
Western Kenya
Gold: 723,000 oz Mineral Resource
Estimate at 1.49 g/t (JORC 2012)
100% economic interest
|
Red Rock has engaged lawyers to
ensure the integrity of the process of licence renewal, which
continues.
|
LacGold Minerals Ltd
Gold: greenstone belts in Côte
d'Ivoire
Subsidiary
|
Red Rock has identified alluvial
potential within its granted licences.
Greypoint personnel are familiar
with and have operated in Côte d'Ivoire and after taking initial
steps to set up the gold operation in Burkina Faso (see above) will
follow the same course and timelines on the Company's licences in
Côte d'Ivoire
|
Elephant Oil Corporation
|
Plans for an early listing have been
dropped, but RRR expects finance to be secured which would mean
that EOC will be capitalised to build value from the next phases of
onshore exploration and if successful exit opportunities may still
be available.
|
Zimbabwe Lithium
|
Although there are signs of
improvement in the lithium market, it is too early to recommence
operations and therefore no production is expected until otherwise
advised.
|
Colombian Gold Royalty
|
Soma Gold Corporation, the owner of
the El Limon mine, has announced the intention to restart gold
processing in this quarter.
|
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes
of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it
forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with
the Company's obligations under Article 17 of
MAR.
For
further information, please contact:
Andrew Bell 0207 747
9990
Chairman Red Rock Resources
Plc
Roland Cornish/ Rosalind Hill Abrahams
0207 628
3396
NOMAD Beaumont Cornish
Limited
Bob Roberts 0203
8696081
Broker Clear Capital Corporate
Broking
Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the Company's
Nominated Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA.
Beaumont Cornish's responsibilities as the Company's Nominated
Adviser, including a responsibility to advise and guide the Company
on its responsibilities under the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM
Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Stock
Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and will not be
responsible to any other persons for providing protections afforded
to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation
to the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any
matter referred to in it.