SolGold expansion plans won’t cop capital issues, says Darryl Cuzzubbo
SolGold boss Darryl Cuzzubbo says the in-demand copper hopeful has enough cash to get through at least the end of the year.
SolGold boss Darryl Cuzzubbo says the in-demand copper hopeful has enough cash to get through at least the end of the year, playing down the impact of a stalled capital raising effort on the company’s future.
Shares in London-listed SolGold dipped sharply last week amid rumours some of the company’s shareholders had baulked at proposed capital raising, aimed at funding the next round of work at SolGold’s copper project in Ecuador.
Speaking on the sidelines of Kalgoorlie’s annual Diggers and Dealers conference on Wednesday, Mr Cuzzubbo confirmed the company had “tested the market” on a raising, but had not gone ahead amid tension between shareholder groups over the structure.
SolGold has had somewhat a fractious relationship with its two biggest shareholders – BHP & Newcrest Mining, who each control about 13.5 per cent of the company – for much of the last two years after a falling out over the debt-focused funding strategy of former boss Nicholas Mather.
Mr Mather also remains a major shareholder, partly through DGR Global, and the company also has a number of activist funds on its register.
“BHP and Newcrest have a view on how we should be raising capital funding. Other shareholders have a different view on that. And we need to work through what’s best for all typical shareholders. But we have time,” Mr Cuzzubbo said.
Mr Cuzzubbo said SolGold had about $26m in the bank, enough to get the company through until the end of the year, but acknowledged the company would prefer to head to the market sooner rather than later.
SolGold is chasing big copper and gold targets in Ecuador and has been the subject of ongoing takeover speculation after both BHP and Newcrest took substantial equity positions in the company a few years ago.
Mr Cuzzubbo said that, despite the ongoing speculation about potential bids, his focus remained on the development of the company’s Cascabel tenement group.
“I’m not worried about getting funding through the definitive feasibility study. I’ve had multiple calls with investors. I’m not worried about it. And DFS, by the way, and the bankable feasibility study, that then opens up offtake options and funding related to that as well. So you get to that point, it opens up other options,” he said.
“When you talk to people they always ask him about the acquisition angle. But our primary focus is to optimise Cascabel and derisk it. That’s how you build value.”
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