Pan American Silver completed its acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Yamana Gold following the sale by Yamana of its Canadian assets, including certain subsidiaries and partnerships which hold Yamana’s interests in the Canadian Malartic mine, to Agnico Eagle Mines, by way of a plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act.
“This acquisition is transformative for Pan American, significantly increasing the scale of our operations in Latin America where we have been operating for nearly three decades,” Michael Steinmann, president and CEO of Pan American, said. “We expect a material increase in our production of silver and gold, while we continue to provide a preferred way to invest in silver through large silver mineral reserves and growth opportunities, further enhanced by the increase in our market capitalization and trading liquidity. The acquisition is firmly aligned with our strategy of creating value by pursuing attractive growth opportunities, improving operating margins and extending mine life.”
The arrangement adds four producing mines to Pan American’s portfolio: the Jacobina mining complex in Brazil, the El Peñón and Minera Florida mines in Chile, and the Cerro Moro mine in Argentina. It also adds the MARA development project in Argentina.
Pan American plans to provide a 2023 operating outlook inclusive of the Latin American assets acquired through the arrangement, as well as a consolidated forecast for annual general and administrative, exploration and project development costs, in the mid-second quarter of 2023.
Additionally, Pan American has further amended and restated its existing $500 million sustainability-linked credit agreement, which has been increased to $750 million. In addition, a delayed-draw term loan facility in the amount of $500 million has been established, which will be permanently cancelled and reduced to zero if it is not drawn within 60 days of today’s date. Pan American’s new amended and restated sustainability-linked credit facility is led by BMO Capital Markets, The Bank of Nova Scotia and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce as Joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners, and Bank of Montreal, as administrative agent.
As at March, 31 2023, Pan American had drawn $325 million under the amended revolving credit facility, which was used to repay the $103 million drawn on the existing credit facility, fund closing costs associated with the arrangement and to repay, in full, and cancel Yamana’s revolving credit facility, under which $205 million had been drawn.
