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Fortescue Metals Group/Wyloo Metals

Forrest v BHP may be start of green M&A fights – by James Thomson (Australian Financial Review – October 19, 2021)

https://www.afr.com/

BHP and Andrew Forrest’s battle over a small Canadian nickel hopeful isn’t going to be the last M&A fight sparked by the energy transition.

Tick. Tick. Tick. BHP has just five days to decide whether it wants to try to top Andrew Forrest’s offer for Canadian nickel hopeful Noront Resources, which won the backing of the minnow’s board on Monday night.

The smart money is on the Global Australian striking back, despite the full-court press Forrest has put on the Noront board. BHP chief executive Mike Henry is chasing future-facing commodities hard, and nickel, which is crucial to the production of batteries, is a prime target.

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Wyloo Metals has inside track to acquire Ring of Fire’s Noront Resources – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – October 18, 2021)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Australian mine developer tables ‘superior’ proposal, BHP given five days to match

Wyloo Metals has tabled a “superior” offer over BHP’s in the bidding war to acquire Ring of Fire junior miner Noront Resources.

Wyloo, a Western Australian-based mine developer, announced it has reached an agreement with the Toronto company to acquire its nickel, copper, platinum group metals and chromite assets in the James Bay region.

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NEWS RELEASE: Wyloo Metals Submits Conversion Notice for US$15 Million Convertible Loan (September 22, 2021)

PERTH, Australia, Sept. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wyloo Metals Pty Ltd (“Wyloo Metals”) has today submitted a conversion notice to Noront Resources Ltd (TSXV:NOT) (“Noront”), notifying Noront to convert its US$15m convertible loan (“Convertible Loan”) into common shares of Noront. Conversion of the loan will increase Wyloo Metals’ ownership from 24.2% to approximately 37.3% of the outstanding common shares of Noront.

ABOUT WYLOO METALS

Wyloo Metals is the metals and mining subsidiary of Tattarang, one of Australia’s largest private investment groups. Led by a multidisciplinary team of geologists, engineers and financial professionals, Wyloo Metals manages a diverse portfolio of exploration and development projects and cornerstone interests in a number of public and private companies.

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Miners race for nickel as electric car revolution looms – by Henry Sanderson (Financial Times – September 12, 2021)

https://www.ft.com/

Western groups compete for assets to secure supplies of key battery metal

In remote northern Ontario, hundreds of kilometres from the nearest railway or paved road, the world’s largest mining group and an Australian metals tycoon are in a bidding war for a deposit containing millions of tonnes of nickel.

The battle between BHP and Andrew Forrest’s Wyloo Metals for the asset’s owner Noront Resources comes as miners race to meet surging demand for battery metals as electric vehicles go mainstream.

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What’s to become of Sault Ste. Marie’s ferrochrome plant? Wait for the bidding war to settle, says Noront CEO – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – September 10, 2021)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Chromite production plans, smelter plan in limbo until new ownership takes control of Noront’s Ring of Fire metal assets

Ask Alan Coutts what’s to become of a proposed ferrochrome processing plant for Sault Ste. Marie and the president of Noront Resources gives a straightaway answer.

“That will ultimately be a question that will be answered by the new owners.” Noront selected Sault Ste. Marie in 2019 is its preferred location for a high-tech smelting operation, settling on a brownfield site at Algoma Steel.

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Wyloo Metals makes formal bid for Noront – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – September 7, 2021)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Australian miner formalizes proposal at 70 cents per share

Wyloo Metals has made a formal bid to acquire Noront Resources and the company’s interests in the Ring of Fire. The Australian miner said it submitted its official proposal to Noront on Sept. 3.

According to the bid, Wyloo is offering 70 cents per share of Noront, a deal it calls “superior” to that of its rival bidder, BHP, which is offering 55 cents per share.

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NEWS RELEASE: Noront Receives Arrangement Agreement From Wyloo and Executes Confidentiality Agreement

TORONTO, Sept. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Directors of Noront Resources Ltd. (“Noront” or the “Company”) (TSXV: NOT) acknowledges receipt of a form of Arrangement Agreement from Wyloo Metals (“Wyloo”) on the evening of Friday September 3, 2021 (the “Arrangement Agreement”), which provides the terms and conditions of the potential transaction proposed by Wyloo to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Noront for C$0.70 per share.

Noront and its advisors are reviewing the Arrangement Agreement and the Noront Board and Special Committee remain focused on fulfilling their fiduciary duties and on surfacing maximum value for the Noront shareholders.

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NEWS RELEASE: Wyloo Submits Arrangement Agreement to Noront (Source: Wyloo Metals – September 6, 2021)

PERTH, Australia, Sept. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wyloo Metals Pty Ltd (“Wyloo Metals”) confirms it submitted an Arrangement Agreement to the Board of Noront Resources Ltd (TSXV:NOT) (“Noront”) for consideration on September 3, 2021. In submitting the agreement, Wyloo Metals calls upon the Noront Board to act in the best interest of shareholders and progress the formalization of Wyloo Metals’ superior proposal in line with its fiduciary obligations.

Wyloo Metals restricted on due diligence

Wyloo Metals received a revised confidentiality agreement from the Noront Board on August 31, 2021. Wyloo Metals was surprised to learn that the removal of the standstill provision required the consent of BHP Western Mining Resources International Pty Ltd. (“BHP”).

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Noront stands its ground against Wyloo over Ring of Fire assets – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – September 3, 2021)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Eagle’s Nest nickel, copper project is the prize in looming bidding war between two Australian mining heavyweights

Alan Coutts is ignoring the posturing from Wyloo Metals. The president-CEO of Noront Resources said he’s more keenly interested in receiving legitimate bids to secure the best deal for shareholders.

“It’s one thing to put out a press release, it’s another to table a formal binding offer.”

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NEWS RELEASE: Noront Responds to Wyloo’s Non-binding Indication of Interest (August 31, 2021)

TORONTO, Aug. 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Noront Resources Ltd. (“Noront” or the “Company”) (TSXV: NOT) acknowledges receipt on August 30, 2021 of a non-binding letter from Wyloo Metals (“Wyloo”). The letter describes Wyloo’s interest in potentially acquiring all of the common shares of Noront that Wyloo does not currently own, subject to a number of conditions, including due diligence, and negotiating and executing a definitive arrangement agreement.

Responding to the Wyloo Proposal

Noront is party to a July 27, 2021 support agreement with BHP Western Mining Resources International Pty Ltd (“BHP”) and its parent, BHP Lonsdale Investments Pty Ltd (the “Support Agreement”), under which Noront agreed to support an offer by BHP to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Noront that BHP does not already own (the “BHP Offer”). As is customary, the Support Agreement defines the circumstances in which Noront is permitted to engage with, and provide confidential information to, another party that makes a proposal to acquire the common shares of Noront.

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OPINION: Forrest and BHP go to war over a company no one has ever heard of – by Elizabeth Knight (Brisbane Times – August 31, 2021)

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/

BHP versus Andrew Forrest was once a David and Goliath fight confined to the Pilbara. Today the battle between the two titans of iron ore, has moved to the far reaches of Northern Canada and the quarry they both seek is a nickel company no one has ever heard of.

So small and financially embattled is Noront Resources, that nine months ago it was worth just around $70 million dollars – little more than the petty cash held in the head offices of BHP and Forrest’s Fortescue.

Thanks to the bidding war between Forrest and BHP, Noront is now capitalised at $380 million and counting. Forrest lifted his offer this week to C70 cents per share – trumping BHP’s C55 cents.

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Wyloo hikes bid for Ring of Fire explorer Noront Resources, trumps BHP offer – by Naill McGee (Globe and Mail – August 31, 2021)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Wyloo Metals Pty Ltd. has bumped up its offer for Noront Resources Ltd., trumping BHP Group Ltd.’s bid, and in a highly unusual move is proposing to keep the struggling Ring of Fire exploration company as a publicly traded entity.

Since May, Toronto-based Noront has been the subject of a takeover tussle between Australian private equity firm Wyloo and BHP, the world’s biggest mining company, which is also based in Australia.

Both are extremely well funded. BHP’s market valuation is US$165-billion. Wyloo is backed by Andrew Forrest, founder and chair of Fortescue Metals Group, and one of the richest individuals in Australia.

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Chanticleer: Forrest won’t let BHP snatch his nickel prize – by James Thomson (Australian Financial Review – August 31, 2021)

https://www.afr.com/

Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has hit back at BHP in their battle for a Canadian nickel explorer with big dreams and big challenges.

He might have a $27.5 billion fortune and a $2.35 billion dividend cheque coming from Fortescue Metals Group, but Andrew Forrest still has plenty of the underdog mentality that’s marked his career.

So having watched BHP waltz in and try to pinch Canadian nickel junior Noront Resources out from under him, Forrest was never going to take things lying down.

On Monday night, he launched a fresh bid for the Canadian business, beating BHP’s offer of C55¢ a share with a C70¢ pitch – and throwing in a history lesson to boot.

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Wyloo Metals wants to sweep the board clean at Noront Resources – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – August 30, 2021)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Australian miner boosts offer to Noront shareholders as take-over battle with BHP continues

The Ring of Fire is now a hands-on project for Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest. Wyloo Metals, a subsidiary company of Forrest’s Tattrarang private investment outfit, is promising new leadership to bring the promise of the James Bay mineral belt to reality as part of its takeover bid of Noront Resources.

In its latest pitch to Noront investors, Perth-headquartered Wyloo wants to clean house at Noront and appoint Forrest as chair of a new board of directors.

While in the early stages of a bidding war with rival BHP, Wyloo issued a new acquisition offer to Noront shareholders on Aug. 30 to acquire the Toronto junior miner’s assets in the remote mineral belt 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay.

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NEWS RELEASE: Wyloo Proposes Offer to Participate in Noront’s Future Under New Leadership, While Offering Attractive Cash Alternative (Wyloo Metals – August 30, 2021)

PERTH, Australia, Aug. 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

  • Wyloo Metals’ proposal will provide each Noront shareholder with the option of either accepting a superior price for their shares or participating in Noront’s growth potential by remaining as a shareholder
  • Noront shareholders have a unique opportunity to participate in Canada’s next great mineral hub led by Dr. Andrew Forrest AO, the Founder and Chairman of Fortescue Metals Group (ASX:FMG), who intends to replicate his success at Fortescue with Noront’s Ring of Fire assets
  • Consideration of Cdn$0.70 in cash per share represents a 192% premium to Noront’s unaffected closing price on May 21, 2021 and a 27% premium to BHP’s Cdn$0.55 per share take-over bid price1

Wyloo Metals Pty Ltd (“Wyloo Metals”) has today submitted a proposal (the “Acquisition Proposal”) to the Board of Noront Resources Ltd. (TSXV:NOT) (“Noront” or the “Company”) as part of a comprehensive strategy to rebuild the Company and unlock the future of the Ring of Fire. Under its Acquisition Proposal, Wyloo Metals will provide each Noront shareholder with the option of either participating in Noront’s growth potential by remaining as a holder under a new and proven leadership team, or accepting a superior price for some or all of their shares.

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