MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC--(Marketwired - March 3, 2017) - Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd ("Osisko") (TSX:OR)(NYSE:OR) is pleased to announce today that it has closed the previously announced acquisition of a silver stream with reference to silver produced at the Gibraltar copper mine ("Gibraltar"), located in British Columbia, Canada, from Gibraltar Mines Ltd. ("Gibco"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Taseko Mines Limited ("Taseko"). Gibco owns a 75% joint-venture interest in Gibraltar.
Under its agreement with Taseko, Osisko has acquired 100% of Taseko's attributable share of payable silver production from Gibraltar until the delivery of 5.9 million ounces of silver to Osisko, and thereafter 35% of Taseko's attributable share of payable silver production from Gibraltar. Osisko has paid Taseko a one-time cash consideration of US$33 million for the silver stream and will make ongoing payments of US$2.75 per ounce of silver delivered.
The acquisition is expected to increase Osisko's production by approximately 200,000 ounces of silver for the next 14 years, increasing to an average of 350,000 ounces of silver for the remainder of the 23-year reserve life of Gibraltar. The transaction effective date is January 1, 2017.
About Osisko
Osisko Gold Royalties is an intermediate precious metal royalty company focused on the Americas that commenced activities in June 2014. It holds over 50 royalties, including a 5% NSR royalty on the Canadian Malartic Mine (Canada) and a 2.0-3.5% NSR royalty on the Éléonore Mine (Canada). It maintains a strong financial position with cash resources of $499.2 million at December 31, 2016 and has distributed $30.8 million in dividends to its shareholders during the past nine consecutive quarters.
Osisko also owns a portfolio of publicly held resource companies, including a 14.9% interest in Osisko Mining Inc., a 13.3% in Falco Resources Ltd, and a 16.9% interest in Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd.
Osisko's head office is located at 1100 avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal, Suite 300, Montréal, Québec, H3B 2S2.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and the United States Private Securities Legislation Reform Act of 1995, respectively. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address future events, developments or performance that Osisko expects to occur including management's expectations regarding Osisko's growth, results of operations, estimated future revenues, requirements for additional capital, mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates, production estimates, production costs and revenue, future demand for and prices of commodities, business prospects and opportunities are forward looking statements. In addition, statements (including data in tables) relating to reserves and resources and gold equivalent ounces are forward looking statements, as they involve implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, and no assurance can be given that the estimates will be realized. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled" and similar expressions or variations (Including negative variations), or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur including, without limitation, the performance of the assets of Osisko, the realization of the anticipated benefits deriving from its investments and the transaction with Taseko. Although Osisko believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may accordingly differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, without limitation: fluctuations in the prices of the commodities that drive royalties held by Osisko (gold and silver); fluctuations in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar; regulatory changes in national and local government, including permitting and licensing regimes and taxation policies; regulations and political or economic developments in any of the countries where properties in which Osisko holds a royalty or other interest are located or through which they are held; risks related to the operators of the properties in which Osisko holds a royalty, influence of macroeconomic developments; business opportunities that become available to, or are pursued by Osisko; continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions; litigation; title, permit or license disputes related to interests on any of the properties in which Osisko holds a royalty or other interest; development, permitting, infrastructure, operating or technical difficulties, delays or adverse climatic conditions on any of the properties in which Osisko holds a royalty or other interest; rate and timing of production differences from resource estimates or production forecasts by operators of properties in which Osisko holds a royalty or other interest ; risks and hazards associated with the business of exploring, development and mining on any of the properties in which Osisko holds a royalty or other interest, including, but not limited to unusual or unexpected geological and metallurgical conditions, slope failures or cave-ins, flooding and other natural disasters or civil unrest or other uninsured risks. The forward looking statements contained in this press release are based upon assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including, without limitation: the ongoing operation of the properties in which Osisko holds a royalty or other interest by the owners or operators of such properties in a manner consistent with past practice; the accuracy of public statements and disclosures made by the owners or operators of such underlying properties; no material adverse change in the market price of the commodities that underlie the asset portfolio; no adverse development in respect of any significant property in which Osisko holds a royalty, stream or other interest; the accuracy of publicly disclosed expectations for the development of underlying properties that are not yet in production; and the absence of any other factors that could cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.
For additional information with respect to these and other factors and assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements made in this press release, see the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the most recent Annual Information Form of Osisko which is filed with the Canadian securities commissions and available electronically under Osisko's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov . The forward-looking information set forth herein reflects Osisko's expectations as at the date of this press release and is subject to change after such date. Osisko disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
