LOOK OUT BELOW...here comes .10c
Alderon Iron Ore Corp. (TSX: ADV) (NYSE MKT: AXX) ("Alderon" or the “Company”) reports that it has implemented a comprehensive cash preservation program that will allow the company to maintain a healthy working capital position into 2017 without the need to access equity or debt financing during the intervening period, aside from the financing required to commence construction at the Kami Iron Ore Project. Measures associated with this program include a number of voluntary vendor payment deferrals and relief from debt servicing requirements such as those outlined in the transaction with Liberty Metals & Mining Holdings, LLC (“LMM”) described below, and workforce reductions. The Company has kept its core team of executives intact which will allow it to continue to advance the Kami Project construction financing efforts and to commence construction in a rapid and seamless manner once such financing has been obtained.
“These cost savings measures do not mean we are now on care and maintenance,” says Mark Morabito, Executive Chairman of Alderon. “We are working more closely than ever with our partner Hebei Iron and Steel (“HBIS”) on increasing Chinese participation in the project in order to increase access to available capital from China. Earlier this year, The China National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”) said Chinese steelmakers should keep building up stakes in global iron-ore assets in the interests of China's strategic security and "speaking rights," or influence, in global trade. China's ore imports rose 10% in 2013 to a record 819 million metric tons, according to customs data. The NDRC also said that China's iron-ore demand will still rise, its reliance on imports won't change, and the degree of monopoly in global iron-ore resources will still keep increasing.” Mr. Morabito adds, “this continuing commitment from our Chinese partners under NDRC mandate gives us confidence that we will be able move the Kami project into construction.”
One of the critical payment deferrals is in regards to the loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) that Alderon and its affiliate, The Kami Mine Limited Partnership, previously entered into with LMM for an amount of $22 million (the “LMM Loan”). The LMM Loan has interest payable semi-annually on June 30 and December 31 of each year at a rate of 8% per annum. The principal and interest amounts of the LMM Loan are convertible into common shares of Alderon. LMM has agreed to defer the next two interest payments due under the LMM Loan. These payments total $1,795,200 with $880,000 payable on December 31, 2014 and $915,200 payable on June 30, 2015. The deferred interest payments will be added to the principal amount of the LMM Loan and paid at maturity on December 31, 2018.
As consideration for the deferral of these interest payments, it has been agreed that LMM will receive common share purchase warrants. The number of warrants that will be received by LMM for each interest payment will be calculated by dividing the amount of the interest payment by the volume weighted average trading price of the Alderon common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the five trading days prior to the date of each interest payment, plus a 10% premium (the “Warrant Price”). Each warrant will be exercisable until December 31, 2018 to acquire an Alderon common share at the Warrant Price.