Article written by Go-Eun Lee – Korea Economic Daily (29 August 2019)
Article: https://www.hankyung.com/finance/article/2019082974881
- Canada-based Almonty Industries Inc moves forward to KOSDAQ listing
- Tungsten accounted for over a half of the national export in the past
- Halt on mining due to the low price of Chinese tungsten flooding the market
- The value of tungsten mine is being spotlighted in the middle of the US-China trade war
According to the investment banking market sources on August 29, Almonty has executed an engagement agreement with KB Securities (“KB”), for the lead management of the IPO of Almonty on the KOSDAQ section of the Korean Exchange (the “KRX”) and will proceed with the formal process of listing application preparation. It is the Company’s goal to complete the secondary listing on the KOSDAQ next year. If the application and listing go forward as planned, Almonty will be the first case of Canadian company listed on KRX.
Almonty’s Korean Representative, Mr. Tiger Yongwoo Kim stated the reason for the application of the KOSDAQ listing: “Almonty believes that Sangdong Mine will become the major growth engine of Almonty Group” Almonty owns the mining right of Sangdong Mine in addition to its operating tungsten mines in Spain and Portugal.
The market is paying attention to Almonty’s Korean listing as the Sangdong Mine has special meaning to the Korean capital market.
The History of Sangdong Tungsten Mine
The history of Sangdong Mine goes back one hundred years to the period of Japanese occupation. Tungsten ore was found in 1916 and Japanese exploited tungsten enabling Japan to wage the World War ll based on the Sangdong tungsten. After the Korean War, Korea Tungsten had made great contribution to the economic development of Korea. Tungsten produced in Korea accounted for 17-19% of global production and over a half of the national export between 50s and 70s.
At that time, Korea Tungsten, a state owned company and operator of the Sangdong Mine was one of representative blue-chip companies on the Korea Stock Exchange. The company had strong financials as seen in its participation in the foundation of Pohang Iron & Steel (POSCO).
The Mine faced crisis in 1990s when the tungsten price declined sharply due to the Chinese tungsten flooding the market. Sangdong Mine had to suspend the mine operation in 1992. Korea Tungsten was sold to Geopyeong Group in 1994 to become the first case of public company privatization in Korea, then went through the process of delisting.
The back-end tungsten processing of Korea Tungsten continued by TaeguTec. After rounds of changing hands, the mining right of Sangdong was acquired by Almonty in 2015.
Mr. Tiger Yongwoo Kim said:
“Tungsten is a critical material used in key industries such as semiconductors, display units like LCD/LED, robots and aerospace. It is a scarcity metal along with rare earth elements of China, getting particular attention in the recently intensifying US-China trade war”.
He added,
“It is expected that China, the largest tungsten producer, is going to focus on meeting its own domestic demand so the value of the Sangdong tungsten will be spotlighted”.
The investment banking market sources commented that the reappearance and success of Sangdong Mine in the Korean Stock Market through the listing of Almonty will largely depends on the ‘economic feasibility of tungsten deposit in Sangdong Mine, the minable resource quantity and the prospect of tungsten price’.
Article written by Go-Eun Lee – Korea Economic Daily (29 August 2019)
Article: https://www.hankyung.com/finance/article/2019082974881
About Almonty
The principal business of Toronto, Canada-based Almonty Industries Inc. is the mining, processing and shipping of tungsten concentrate from its Los Santos Mine in western Spain and its Panasqueira mine in Portugal as well as the development of its Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, South Korea and the development of the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in north western Spain.
The Los Santos Mine was acquired by Almonty in September 2011 and is located approximately 50 kilometres from Salamanca in western Spain and produces tungsten concentrate. The Panasqueira mine, which has been in production since 1896, is located approximately 260 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, Portugal, was acquired in January 2016 and produces tungsten concentrate.
The Sangdong mine, which was historically one of the largest tungsten mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade tungsten deposits outside of China, was acquired in September 2015 through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining Corp.
Almonty owns 100% of the Valtreixal tin-tungsten project in north-western Spain.
Further information about Almonty’s activities may be found at www.almonty.com and under Almonty’s profile at www.sedar.com.
Legal Notice
The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions.
Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Statements
When used in this press release, the words “estimate”, “project”, “belief”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan”, “predict”, “may” or “should” and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. These statements and information are based on management’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and reflect Almonty’s current expectations.
Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected use of proceeds of the Debenture Offering. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the intentions of management. Such statements and information reflect the current view of Almonty with respect to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Almonty to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the receipt of all required approvals, unanticipated costs and expenses, general market and industry conditions and perational
risks, including large project risk and contractual factors, any specific risks relating to fluctuations in the price of ammonium para tungstate (“APT”) from which the sale price of Almonty’s tungsten concentrate is derived, actual results of mining and exploration activities, environmental, economic and political risks of the jurisdictions in which Almonty’s operations are located and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, forecasts and assessments relating to Almonty’s business, credit and liquidity risks, hedging risk, competition in the mining industry, risks related to the market price of Almonty’s shares, the ability of Almonty to retain key management employees or procure the services of skilled and experienced personnel, risks related to claims and legal proceedings against Almonty and any of its operating mines, risks relating to unknown defects and impairments, risks related to the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, risks related to governmental regulations, including environmental regulations, risks related to international operations of Almonty, risks relating to exploration, development and operations at Almonty’s tungsten mines, the ability of Almonty to obtain and maintain necessary permits, the ability of Almonty to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements, lack of suitable infrastructure and employees to support Almonty’s mining operations, uncertainty in the accuracy of mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates, production estimates from Almonty’s mining operations, inability to replace and expand mineral reserves, uncertainties related to title and indigenous rights with respect to mineral properties owned directly or indirectly by Almonty, challenges related to global financial conditions, risks related to future sales or issuance of equity securities, differences in the interpretation or application of tax laws and regulations or accounting policies and rules of the TSX.
Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to, the receipt of all required final approvals, no unanticipated delays in the project financing, no material unanticipated costs and expenses, no material adverse change in general market and industry conditions and no unanticipated material operational risks, including large project risk and contractual factors, no material adverse change in the market price of APT, the continuing ability to fund or obtain funding for outstanding commitments, expectations regarding the resolution of legal and tax matters, no negative change to applicable laws, the ability to secure local contractors, employees and assistance as and when required and on reasonable terms, and such other assumptions and factors as are set out herein. Although Almonty has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results, level of activity, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and even if events or results described in the forward-looking statements are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, Almonty. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and are cautioned that actual outcomes may vary.
Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Almonty cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on Almonty’s forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.
Almonty has also assumed that material factors will not cause any forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors.
THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF ALMONTY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE ALMONTY MAY ELECT TO DO SO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.
For further information, please contact:
Lewis Black
Chairman, President and CEO
Telephone: +1 647-438-9766
E-mail: info@almonty.com
The head office of Almonty is:
100 King Street West
Suite 5700
Toronto, Ontario
M5X 1C7
