VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020 / Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (TSXV:SWA) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Non-Executive Directors and restructure of its Board to support the pursuit of a new strategic direction.
Sarama will take a more aggressive approach to maximising the value of its assets either through M&A or pursuing a development scenario.
Simon Jackson has been appointed Non-Executive Chairman which will allow the CEO, Andrew Dinning to fully focus on implementing the changes in strategic direction with the assistance of the Board. Long serving Non-Executive Directors Sean Harvey and David Groves have retired from the Board and experienced mining executives Adrian Byass and Steve Zaninovich have been appointed in their place. Mr Byass and Mr Zaninovich have extensive mining industry experience and have successfully brought assets to account through both project development and corporate routes and their skillsets complement the existing Board and support the Company's new strategic direction.
Mr Byass has more than 25 years' experience in the mining industry and operates in a corporate and market focused capacity on a national and international basis. Adrian has board level experience in mine development, capital raising and M&A and has played key roles in a range of exploration and mining projects across a suite of commodities including gold and base and specialty metals in Australia, Africa, North America and Europe. Adrian is currently on the Board of Galena Mining Ltd, Kaiser Reef Ltd, Kingwest Resources Ltd and Infinity Lithium Ltd.
Mr Zaninovich has spent over 25 years in project development, maintenance and operational readiness in the mining industry and has held Executive and Non-Executive Board roles with public and private companies. Steve has extensive experience in the development of multiple mining operations across various jurisdictions in West Africa including Burkina Faso, Mali and Ghana. He served as COO with Gryphon Minerals prior to their takeover by Teranga Gold where he assumed the role of Vice President of Major Projects and completed the bankable feasibility study on the recently commissioned Wahgnion Gold Project in Burkina Faso. Steve is currently a Non-Executive Director of Canyon Resources Ltd and Indiana Resources Ltd and was previously an Executive Director with Lycopodium Minerals and held Non-Executive Director roles with Centaurus Metals, Gryphon Minerals and Orway Minerals Consultants.
The Board has granted 750,000 options each to Mr Byass and Mr Zaninovich. This granting of options is made in accordance with the Company's stock option plan which was approved by shareholders on September 20, 2019 and allows for the issuance of a number of options up to 10% of its rolling issued and outstanding common shares. The options have an exercise price of C$0.08, will immediately vest and are exercisable for a period of 3 years from the date of the grant thereof. The Company's 10 day and 20 day VWAPs at market close on June 23, 2020 was C$0.074 and C$0.069 respectively.
The Board wishes to thank Mr Harvey and Mr Groves for their long-standing support and significant contributions made whilst serving on the Board of Sarama and wishes them well in their future endeavours.
Sarama's President and CEO, Andrew Dinning, commented:
"We are delighted that Steve and Adrian have joined the Board of Sarama and we look forward to the extensive experience and insights that they will bring. Their experience and skillsets complement our current board and will be invaluable in assisting the Company in realising full value of its assets.
On behalf of the Board and management I would like to welcome Steve and Adrian and we look forward to leveraging their considerable expertise and knowledge as we grow our company.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Sean, who has been involved with Sarama since inception, and Dave for their many years of diligent service as directors and shareholders of the company and wish them well in their future endeavours."
The Company also wishes to advise that Barrick TZ ("Barrick") has agreed to defer the US$1 million payable (the "Payment") under the November 2019 Termination Agreement that returned the Company to 100% ownership of the 2.1Moz(1) South Houndé Gold Project. The Payment due date has been moved back to January 15, 2022 and the amount due increased to US$1.12 million to reflect a 10% annual rate of interest. Sarama would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the flexibility and reasonableness shown by Barrick in deferring this payment.
Further to the news release of June 1, 2020, the Company advises that the TSX-V has approved the issue of 353,967 common shares to its Executives on account of services rendered for the period May 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020 (the "Compensation Shares"). The Company intends to issue Compensation shares on a monthly basis subject to a periodical review in Executive pay structure.
For further information on the Company's activities, please contact:
Andrew Dinning
e: info@saramaresources.com
t: +61 (0) 8 9363 7600
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTD
Sarama Resources Ltd (TSXV:SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer and developer with substantial landholdings in south-west Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on maximising the value of its strategic assets and advancing its key projects towards development.
Sarama's South Houndé and ThreeBee Projects, in which the Company holds a 100% interest(5) , are located within the prolific Houndé Greenstone Belt in south-west Burkina Faso and are the exploration and development focus of the Company. Its exploration programs have successfully discovered an inferred mineral resource of 2.1Moz gold(1) at the South Houndé Project which is complemented by the ThreeBee Project's Bondi Deposit(5) (historical estimate of mineral resources of 0.3Moz Au measured and indicated and 0.1Moz Au inferred(2).
Together, the projects form a cluster of advanced gold deposits, within trucking distance of one another, which potentially offers a development option for a central processing facility fed from multiple sources in the southern Houndé Belt region of Burkina Faso.
Sarama has built further optionality into its portfolio including a 600km² exploration position in the highly prospective Banfora Belt in south-western Burkina Faso. The Koumandara Project hosts several regional-scale structural features and trends of gold-in-soil anomalism extending for over 40km along strike.
Sarama holds approximately 19% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's South Houndé Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Semafo Inc ("Semafo") in which Semafo is the operator of the JV. In February 2020, Semafo declared an updated inferred mineral resource estimate of 709koz gold(4) for the Karankasso Project JV.
The Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound strategy to surface and maximise the value of its property portfolio.
FOOTNOTES
CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Information in this disclosure that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes statements regarding the potential for the Karankassom South Houndé and ThreeBee Projects to host mineralization of economic significance, any potential development of a central processing facility as part of regional project development, the potential for the receipt of regulatory approvals, the potential of the projects to host mineralization of significance to support regional development plans, the timing and prospects for the re-issuance of the Djarkadougou Exploration Permit by the Government of Burkina Faso, plans for exploration and development at the South Houndé, ThreeBee and Karankasso Projects, the potential to expand the present oxide component of the existing estimated mineral resources at the South Houndé Project and the reliability of the historical estimate of mineral resources at the Bondi Deposit.
Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to Mineral Reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. There can be no assurance that any mineralisation that is discovered will be proven to be economic, or that future required regulatory licensing or approvals will be obtained. However, the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration activities, the sufficiency of funding, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold and other precious metals, that the Company will not be affected by adverse political events, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain further financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.
Sarama does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
QUALIFIED PERSONS' STATEMENT
Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to exploration activities on the Company's properties in Burkina Faso is based on information compiled or approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Géologues du Québec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.
Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the preparation of the South Houndé Project mineral resource estimate is based on information compiled or approved by Adrian Shepherd. Adrian Shepherd is an employee of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and is independent of Sarama Resources Ltd. Adrian Shepherd is a Chartered Professional Member in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Adrian Shepherd consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.
Scientific or technical information in this disclosure, in respect of the Bondi Deposit relating to mineral resource and exploration information drawn from the Technical Report prepared for Orezone on that deposit has been approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Géologues du Québec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.
Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the quotation of the Karankasso Project's mineral resource estimate and exploration activities is based on information compiled by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Paul Schmiede and Sarama have not independently verified Savary's or Semafo's mineral resource estimates and take no responsibility for their accuracy.
SOURCE: Sarama Resources Ltd.