MUX Creates McEwen Copper Which Announces $80 Million Series B Private Placement to Advance the Los Azules Copper Project

TORONTO, July 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE and TSX: MUX) announces a non-brokered private placement financing of up to 8,000,000 common shares of its wholly-owned subsidiary McEwen Copper Inc. at a subscription price of US$10.00 per common share, for gross proceeds of up to US$80 million (the "Offering"). McEwen Copper currently has 17,500,000 common shares outstanding.

A lead order to purchase 50% of the Offering has been committed by Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner of McEwen Mining. His investment corporation, Evanachan Limited, will purchase 4,000,000 common shares of McEwen Copper for US$40 million and is prepared to close on this portion of the Offering immediately.

Subscription for the remaining 4,000,000 common shares is available to qualified accredited investors, subject to a US$2 million minimum investment and certain other conditions. The securities sold in the Offering are private and subject to transfer restrictions until such time they become listed on a public exchange.

Pursuant to this transaction, McEwen Copper will hold a 100% interest in the Los Azules copper project in San Juan, Argentina, and a 100% interest in the Elder Creek exploration property in Nevada, subject to a 1.25% net smelter return (NSR) royalty on both assets payable to McEwen Mining.

Assuming completion of the full amount of the Offering, McEwen Mining will be the controlling shareholder and own 68.6% of McEwen Copper. The new investors, including Rob McEwen, will own 31.4%.

McEwen Copper intends to pursue an initial public listing within 12 months from the closing of this Offering. Proceeds from the Offering will be used exclusively by McEwen Copper to advance the Los Azules project to a pre-feasibility study, construction of a new year-round access road to the project, exploration drilling at Los Azules and Elder Creek, environmental permitting and community relations, and general corporate purposes.

"This is a significant and exciting moment for McEwen Mining because of the value it should release. Currently, the market appears to be giving us little value for our Los Azules copper deposit, despite its impressive size and robust economics at present copper prices. Unfortunately, the scale of the required project development expenditures would require McEwen Mining to issue a massive number of additional shares. This share dilution would not be acceptable. However, we believe that by putting our copper assets, Los Azules and Elder Creek, into a separately listed company exclusively focused on copper, we can create an attractive copper investment vehicle. It will allow us to raise the money necessary to fund progress towards the rapid development of one of the world's largest copper resources. We expect that McEwen Copper will compare very favorably to other single-asset copper developers. Within 12 months of closing this Offering we plan to take the company public. In the interim, we will be investigating ways to make a share distribution to you, MUX shareowners, of a portion of McEwen Mining’s holdings of McEwen Copper in a tax-efficient way," stated Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner.

The proposed Offering was reviewed and approved by the disinterested members of the board of McEwen Mining. McEwen Mining will retain management direction over McEwen Copper and has engaged consultants with significant expertise and experience developing and operating copper mines in South America.

Los Azules is an advanced large-scale porphyry copper exploration project located in the prolific Andean Cordillera copper belt, 56 miles (90 km) north of Glencore’s El Pachón project and near the border with Chile. In 2017, McEwen Mining completed a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the project, which is available at www.mcewenmining.com/operations/los-azules. Elder Creek is an early-stage copper-gold porphyry exploration project located in Northern Nevada 6 miles (9 km) from SSR Mining’s Marigold Mine Complex.

The Offering is expected to close by July 30, 2021.

This news release and the information included herein do not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

CAUTION STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, including "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the private securities litigation reform act of 1995. The forward-looking statements are intended to be subject to the safe harbor provided by section 27a of the securities act of 1933, section 21e of the securities exchange act of 1934 and private securities litigation reform act of 1995.

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, including "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements and information expressed, as at the date of this news release, McEwen Mining Inc.'s (the "Company") estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events and results. Forward-looking statements and information are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies, and there can be no assurance that such statements and information will prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and information. Risks and uncertainties that could cause results or future events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuations in the market price of precious metals, mining industry risks, political, economic, social and security risks associated with foreign operations, the ability of the corporation to receive or receive in a timely manner permits or other approvals required in connection with operations, risks associated with the construction of mining operations and commencement of production and the projected costs thereof, risks related to litigation, the state of the capital markets, environmental risks and hazards, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral resources and reserves, and other risks. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information included herein, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to reissue or update forward-looking statements or information as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. See McEwen Mining's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the caption "Risk Factors", for additional information on risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to the forward-looking statements and information regarding the Company. All forward-looking statements and information made in this news release are qualified by this cautionary statement.

The NYSE and TSX have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release, which has been prepared by management of McEwen Mining Inc.

ABOUT MCEWEN MINING

McEwen Mining is a diversified gold and silver producer and explorer focused in the Americas with operating mines in Nevada, Canada, Mexico and Argentina.