Cyprium Metals Ltd (ASX:CYM, OTC:CYPMF) has closed the senior secured loan facility with Glencore (LON:GLEN) International AG and its affiliates and executed offtake agreements for copper products with the major mining company.
The funds of US$27.3 million advanced under the facility will go towards repayment of a prior senior secured loan and working capital to advance early works at the Nifty Copper Mine, as well as funding feasibility studies and general corporation purposes.
“We are pleased to help accelerate Cyprium’s development plans through commercial partnership and financial support,” said Jyothish George, Glencore’s head of copper marketing.
“By supporting our local and regional miners as they bring critical minerals and metals to market, we are helping maintain a vibrant Australian copper production base.”
Upstream-downstream processing integration
“This is an important moment,” said Cyprium executive chair Matt Fifield.
“This closing cements our strategic commercial partnership with Glencore, enables additional investment in the restart planning for our flagship asset, and extends the maturity of our senior secured debt to October 2028.
“Strategically, our offtake agreements give Cyprium access to Glencore’s downstream processing assets in Mt. Isa and Townsville, Queensland.
“This upstream-downstream integration allows us to jointly offer copper consumers a copper product produced and refined wholly within Australia – ensuring the best in provenance and security of supply.”
Strong interest from copper consumers
In finalising the loan agreement, two changes were made by mutual agreement.
First, the currency of the senior loan facility was changed from Australian dollars to US dollars – the final facility amount is US$27.3 million.
Second, Cyprium has retained the ability to sell a minority ownership interest in the Nifty copper complex and to offer proportionate physical offtake to an incoming joint venture party, subject to certain limitations and timelines.
“This is an important funding tool that Cyprium expects to use to accelerate concentrate production at Nifty,” said Fifield, commenting on the loan facility adjustment.
“Copper consumers correctly identify our Nifty brownfield copper complex as being among a small group of copper mines that can come online at scale in the near-term.
“We have already had discussions with copper consumers who have expressed interest in vertically integrating into the Nifty copper complex.
“This is not surprising – copper is the ultimate critical mineral, and the current market outlook shows new demand for copper outstripping visible new supply.
“Forward-thinking copper consumers are investing in new sources of supply and have expressed interested in an end-to-end Australian provenance that we can now offer.
Fifield says the company’s focus remains on building strong forward plans based on solid foundations.
“We’re deep into the work around a prefeasibility study and expect this to conclude before the end of the year,” he continued.
“Early next year our eyes will turn towards execution planning on concentrate production – that’s the right time and sequencing to consider bringing in a copper consumer as a co-sponsor.”