VANCOUVER, BC, July 17,
2023 /PRNewswire/ - Entrée Resources Ltd. (TSX: ETG)
(OTCQB: ERLFF) (the "Company" or
"Entrée") wishes to respond to comments made by its
joint venture partner Oyu Tolgoi LLC ("OT LLC") and Rio
Tinto at an investor site visit to the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in
Mongolia on July 11, 2023. During the Q&A session when
asked about the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture, representatives of
OT LLC and Rio Tinto stated that the parties were "nearing the
close of the negotiations", and "finalizing the final touches on
the definitive agreement". The transcript of the Q&A session
has been made available to the markets via Rio Tinto's
website.
As previously disclosed, Entrée has been engaged in negotiations
with OT LLC and Rio Tinto to amend or restructure the joint venture
agreement ("Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA") that has governed the
relationship between the parties since 2008 and transfer the Shivee
Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licenses to OT LLC as contemplated in
the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA. The Company believes that amending or
restructuring the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA to align the interests of
all stakeholders would be in the best interests of the Company and
its shareholders, provided there is no material net erosion of
value to Entrée.
While the parties have made good progress, several key items
still need to be resolved before any definitive agreement could be
finalized or signed, including with respect to the potential
acquisition by the Government of Mongolia of 34% of the Company's economic
interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture property
("Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property"). The Minerals Law of
Mongolia provides the State may
share in up to 34% of the economic benefit derived from
exploitation of a mineral deposit of strategic importance where
proven reserves were determined through funding sources other than
the State budget. The Hugo North Extension copper-gold deposit on
the Shivee Tolgoi mining license and the Heruga
copper-gold-molybdenum deposit on the Javhlant mining license are
mineral deposits of strategic importance.
The Company will provide further updates on negotiations as
developments warrant. Any amendment to or restructuring of the
Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA would be subject to Toronto Stock Exchange
acceptance and the requirements of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 –
Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special
Transactions applicable to a related party transaction. There
are no assurances that a definitive agreement will be signed, or if
signed, that a transaction would close.
ABOUT ENTRÉE RESOURCES
LTD.
Entrée Resources Ltd. is a well-funded Canadian mining company
with a unique carried joint venture interest on a significant
portion of one of the world's largest copper-gold projects – the
Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia.
Entrée has a 20% or 30% carried participating interest in the
Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture, depending on the depth of
mineralization. Horizon Copper Corp. and Rio Tinto are major
shareholders of Entrée, beneficially holding approximately 25% and
16% of the shares of the Company, respectively. More information
about Entrée can be found at www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com.
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This News Release
contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and
forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable
Canadian securities laws with respect to corporate
strategies and plans; the Company's negotiations with OT LLC and
Rio Tinto regarding a potential restructuring or amendment of the
Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA; the Company's discussions with the
Government of Mongolia regarding a potential acquisition by the
Government of Mongolia of 34% of the Company's economic interest in
the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property; the Company's ability to
transfer the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences to OT LLC
either in conjunction with finalization and execution of a
restructured or amended agreement with OT LLC, or enforcement of
certain provisions of the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JVA pursuant to binding
arbitration proceedings; the potential for Entrée to be included in
or otherwise receive the benefits of the Oyu Tolgoi Investment
Agreement; discussions with the Government of Mongolia, Erdenes Oyu
Tolgoi LLC, Rio Tinto, and OT LLC on a range of issues including
Entrée's interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, the Shivee
Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences and certain material
agreements; potential actions by the Government of Mongolia with
respect to the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences and
Entrée's interest in the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property; anticipated
business activities; proposed acquisitions and dispositions of
assets; and future financial performance.
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In certain cases,
forward-looking statements and information can be identified by
words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is
expected", "budgeted", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts",
"intends", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or
variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain
actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will
be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". While the Company has based
these forward-looking statements on its expectations about future
events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the
statements are not a guarantee of Entrée's future performance and
are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future
business strategies; the correct interpretation of agreements, laws
and regulations; the commencement and conclusion of arbitration
proceedings, including the potential benefits, timing and outcome
of arbitration proceedings; the potential benefits, timing and
outcome of negotiations with the Government of Mongolia, Erdenes
Oyu Tolgoi LLC, OT LLC, and Rio Tinto; that the Company will
continue to have timely access to detailed technical, financial,
and operational information about the Entrée/Oyu Tolgoi JV
Property, the Oyu Tolgoi project, and government relations to
enable the Company to properly assess, act on, and disclose
material risks and opportunities as they arise; local and global
economic conditions and the environment in which Entrée will
operate in the future, including commodity prices, projected
grades, projected dilution, anticipated capital and operating
costs, including inflationary pressures thereon resulting in cost
escalation, and anticipated future production and cash flows; the
anticipated location of certain infrastructure and sequence of
mining within and across panel boundaries; the construction and
continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine; the
status of Entrée's relationship and interaction with the Government
of Mongolia, Erdenes Oyu Tolgoi LLC, OT LLC, and Rio Tinto; and the
Company's ability to operate sustainably, its community relations,
and its social licence to operate.
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Other risks,
uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results,
performance or achievements of Entrée to differ materially from
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by
forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others,
unanticipated costs, expenses or liabilities; discrepancies between
actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and
metallurgical recoveries; development plans for processing
resources; matters relating to proposed exploration or expansion;
mining operational and development risks, including geotechnical
risks and ground conditions; regulatory restrictions (including
environmental regulatory restrictions and liability); risks related
to international operations, including legal and political risk in
Mongolia; risks related to the potential impact of global or
national health concerns, including the COVID-19 pandemic; risks
associated with changes in the attitudes of governments to foreign
investment; risks associated with the conduct of joint ventures,
including the ability to access detailed technical, financial and
operational information; risks related to the Company's significant
shareholders, and whether they will exercise their rights or act in
a manner that is consistent with the best interests of the Company
and its other shareholders; inability to upgrade Inferred mineral
resources to Indicated or Measured mineral resources; inability to
convert mineral resources to mineral reserves; conclusions of
economic evaluations; fluctuations in commodity prices and demand;
changing foreign exchange rates; the speculative nature of mineral
exploration; the global economic climate; dilution; share price
volatility; activities, actions or assessments by Rio Tinto or OT
LLC and by government stakeholders or authorities including Erdenes
Oyu Tolgoi LLC and the Government of Mongolia; the availability of
funding on reasonable terms; the impact of changes in
interpretation to or changes in enforcement of laws, regulations
and government practices, including laws, regulations and
government practices with respect to mining, foreign investment,
royalties and taxation; the terms and timing of obtaining necessary
environmental and other government approvals, consents and permits;
the availability and cost of necessary items such as water, skilled
labour, transportation and appropriate smelting and refining
arrangements; unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes to
assumptions as to the availability of electrical power, and the
power rates used in operating cost estimates and financial
analyses; changes to assumptions as to salvage values; ability to
maintain the social licence to operate; accidents, labour disputes
and other risks of the mining industry; global climate change;
global conflicts; title disputes; limitations on insurance
coverage; competition; loss of key employees; cyber security
incidents; misjudgements in the course of preparing forward-looking
statements; and those factors discussed in the
Company's most recently filed MD&A and in the Company's Annual
Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2022,
dated March 31, 2023 filed with the Canadian Securities
Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. Although the Company
has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual
actions, events or results to differ materially from those
described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors
that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated,
estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that
forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual
results and future events could differ materially from those
anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not
place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company is
under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking
statements except as required under applicable securities
laws.
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SOURCE Entrée Resources