Pretivm to Refinance Construction Credit Facility; Secures Commitment Letter for US$480 Million

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pretium Resources Inc. (TSX/NYSE:PVG) (“Pretivm” or the “Company”) is pleased to report the signing of a commitment letter for a fully underwritten US$480 million debt facility (the “Loan Facility”) with The Bank of Nova Scotia, Societe Generale and ING Capital LLC. Upon execution of the loan documentation and satisfaction of conditions precedent, the Loan Facility will be available by way of a US$250 million senior secured amortizing non-revolving credit facility (the “Term Facility”) and a US$230 million senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Facility”).

The Loan Facility will be used to refinance the existing construction credit facility, approximately US$423 million due on December 31, 2018, (the “Construction Facility”) for the construction of the Brucejack Mine. Funds from the Revolving Facility will also be available for general corporate purposes including, if necessary, the repurchase of 100% of the existing 8% precious metals stream.  The Loan Facility will mature four years from the closing date, which is expected this quarter.

“We are focused on execution and delivery at Pretivm, and securing a signed commitment letter to refinance our construction credit facility is another 2018 milestone we have delivered on,” said Joseph Ovsenek, President and CEO of Pretivm.  “With a strengthened balance sheet and a focus on operational efficiency we will continue to build free cash flow.”

The Term Facility will be repaid in equal quarterly installments of principal and accrued interest starting the second full quarter following the closing date.  The Revolving Facility will reduce to US$200 million six months after the closing date and shall be repayable as a bullet (principal and accrued interest) on the maturity date.  The Loan Facility will bear interest at LIBOR + margin (depending on leverage ratios and is expected to be lower than the Construction Facility), and includes standard and customary finance terms and conditions including with respect to fees, representations, warranties, covenants and conditions precedent prior to closing. 

About Pretivm

Pretivm is a low-cost intermediate gold producer with the high-grade underground Brucejack Mine in northern British Columbia.

Pretium Resources Inc.
Suite 2300, Four Bentall Centre, 1055 Dunsmuir Street
PO Box 49334 Vancouver, BC V7X 1L4
(604) 558-1784
invest@pretivm.com
(SEDAR filings: Pretium Resources Inc.)

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking information”, “forward looking statements”, “future oriented financial information” and/or “financial outlooks” within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively herein referred to as “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information”).  The purpose of disclosing future oriented financial information and financial outlooks is to provide a general overview of management’s expectations regarding the anticipated results of operations and costs thereof and readers are cautioned that future oriented financial information and financial outlook may not be appropriate for other purposes. Wherever possible, words such as “plans”, “expects”, “guidance”, “projects”, “assumes”, “budget”, “strategy”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “modeled’, “targets” and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative forms of any of these terms and similar expressions, have been used to identify forward-looking statements and information.  Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information may include, but is not limited to, information with respect to: the Loan Facility, including its terms and conditions, its purpose, and anticipated closing date; the Company’s precious metals stream, including the anticipated repurchase thereof and the expected date of repurchase; production and cost guidance (including without limitation, all-in sustaining cost guidance); anticipated results of our operations; our planned mining, exploration and development activities; our operational grade control program, including plans with respect to our infill drill program and our local grade control model; the reconciliation of the global resource model for the Valley of the Kings and the anticipated timing thereof; capital and operating cost estimates; production and processing estimates; the future price of gold and silver; the adequacy of our financial resources; our intentions with respect to our capital resources; our financing activities, including plans for the use of proceeds thereof; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources including the 2016 Valley of the Kings Mineral Resource estimate and the Brucejack Mineral Reserve estimate; realization of mineral reserve and resource estimates; timing of further development of our Brucejack Mine; costs and timing of future exploration and development; results of future exploration and drilling and timing of such results; capital and operating cost estimates; timelines and similar statements relating to the economic viability of the Brucejack Mine, including mine life, total tonnes mined and processed and mining operations; timing, receipt, and anticipated effects of approvals, consents and permits under applicable legislation; our executive compensation approach and practice; our relationship with community stakeholders; litigation matters; environmental matters; and statements regarding USD cash flows currency fluctuations and the recurrence of foreign currency translation adjustments.  Statements concerning mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those related to: the accuracy of our mineral resource and reserve estimates (including with respect to size, grade and recoverability) and the geological, operational and price assumptions on which they are based; uncertainties relating to inferred mineral resources being converted into measured or indicated mineral resources; commodity price fluctuations, including gold price volatility; general economic conditions; the inherent risk in the mining industry; significant governmental regulations; currency fluctuations, and such other risks as are identified in Pretivm’s Annual Information Form dated March 28, 2018, Form 40-F dated March 28, 2018 and other applicable disclosure documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and in the United States through EDGAR at the Security and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov (collectively, the “Pretivm Disclosure Documents”). Our forward-looking statements are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, many of which may be difficult to predict and beyond our control.  In connection with the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, we have made certain assumptions about our business, including about our exploration, development and production activities, and the results, costs and timing thereof; timing and receipt of approvals, consents and permits under applicable legislation; the geopolitical, economic, permitting and legal climate that we operate in; the price of gold and other commodities; exchange rates; market competition; the adequacy of our financial resources, and such other material assumptions as are identified in the Pretivm Disclosure Documents. We have also assumed that no significant events will occur outside of our normal course of business. Although we believe that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date of this news release, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX nor the NYSE has approved or disapproved of the information contained herein.