Evrima Plc - Audited Annual Results for the Year Ended 31 December 2023

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS DEEMED BY EVRIMA PLC TO CONSTITUTE INSIDE INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) NO. 596/2014, AS AMENDED ("MAR"). ON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE ("RIS"), THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

20 June 2024

Evrima PLC

(“Evrima” or “the Company”)

AQSE: EVA

Audited Annual Results for the Year Ended 31 December 2023

Evrima Plc, the investment issuer focused on opportunities within the commodities, mineral exploration and development sectors, is pleased to announce its final results for the year ended 31 December 2023.

The financial information below has been extracted from the audited financial statements of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2023, which have been prepared in compliance with United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102, "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland" (“FRS102”) and the Companies Act 2006.  The Annual Report is available from the Company’s website at www.evrimaplc.com.

The Directors of the Company, who have issued this RIS announcement after due and careful enquiry, accept responsibility for its content.

- Ends -

Enquiries: 

Company:
Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi (CEO & Director)
burns@evrimaplc.com
             
Simon Grant-Rennick (Executive Chairman)
simon@evrimaplc.com

Novum Securities Limited (Corporate Adviser):

David Coffman / George Duxberry: + 44 (0) 20 7399 9400

Peterhouse Capital Limited (Corporate Stockbroker):
Lucy Williams: +44 (0) 20 7469 0930

REVIEW OF BUSINESS

The financial year ending 31 December 2023, presented a dynamic landscape for global financial markets. While 2022 was marked by significant volatility and a pronounced shift in risk sentiment, 2023 showed some signs of stabilisation, albeit amidst persistent economic challenges. For Evrima, our strategic focus on the natural resource sector continued to prove resilient supported by more favourable commodity prices and ongoing demand.

Throughout 2023, the global commodities market remained robust, driven by sustained demand and strategic supply constraints. The S&P GSCI, a benchmark for commodity performance, saw moderate gains, reflecting the continued importance of commodities in a diversified investment portfolio. This environment underpinned Evrima's core strategy, as we continued to review investments in the natural resource sector. Our focus on assets ranging from exploration to pre-production stages in jurisdictions such as Botswana aligned with the prevailing market conditions ensured that our portfolio remains well-positioned to benefit from commodity market trends.

Whilst 2023 began to demonstrate the structural challenges within certain key commodities by way of pricing, the allocation of capital to mineral exploration and development assets which include mineral projects that are; pre-discovery, post-discovery studies, pre-production (with the common theme being; high sustaining costs and non-revenue) remained limited and risk-off. Further challenges were felt across wider UK financial markets. Investment issuers and smaller recognised investment exchanges struggled the most, with a notable recovery Q4 continuing into 2024. While challenges such as inflation and monetary policy adjustments persisted, investor sentiment started to improve.

In 2023, Evrima remained steadfast in its commitment to prudent cost management and strategic investment development. For a further consecutive year, the Board of Directors elected to work at a cost of £0 to the Company receiving no £0 cash compensation, £0 in salary sacrifice schemes by way of equity and £0 by way of any stock-based compensation.

By maintaining a disciplined approach to expenses, we ensured that our capital was effectively allocated towards high-potential opportunities. This fiscal prudence allowed us to support the development of our existing investments while also evaluating new prospects. Our operations in Botswana, where we have executed three major investment transactions, continued to advance, demonstrating the potential and resilience of our targeted assets.The Board as ever continue to evaluate suitable investment opportunities that complement the Company’s investment strategy.

As we reflect on the financial period 31 December 2023, Evrima Plc is positioned for continued growth and value creation. Our strategic focus on the natural resource sector, bolstered by a supportive commodities market, coupled with disciplined cost management and a recovering equity landscape, underlines our commitment to delivering long-term shareholder value. We remain vigilant and adaptable, ready to capitalise on emerging opportunities while navigating the evolving market conditions.

We take this opportunity as a Board to thank our shareholders for their continued support of the business and the Company’s underlying strategy.

Investment Interests & Progress to 31 December 2023

Eastport Ventures Inc

Investment Interest as at Year End:

Shareholding at beginning of the Year: 3,596,623

Shares acquired during the Year: 430,289 (Price Paid per/share : $0.20)

Average Price Paid Per Share: CAD$0.22

Resulting Holding: 4,026,912 (Representing ~7.5% of the Issued Share Capital of Eastport Ventures Inc.)

Warrants Held as at Year End:

1,281,265 Strike price: CAD$0.20 / Life to Expiry: June 2027*

215,144 Strike price: CAD$0.20 / 1-Year post admission

215,144 Strike price: CAD$0.30 / 3-Years post admission

*Following the conclusion of Eastport Ventures Inc’s $0.20 Unit Financing opened in, April 2023 an agreement was reached to amend the strike price of the 1,281,265 warrants held in Eastport. The warrants were previously exercisable at CAD$0.30, during the year this was mutually amended to an exercise price of CAD$0.20.

Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi, Chief Executive Officer & Director of Evrima plc is a Founding Partner in Eastport Ventures and the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Eastport Ventures is a mining house, predicated on building and maximising value from its asset base of investments and projects. The Company has a portfolio of six projects in Botswana covering 3,906 sq km’s prospective for copper, nickel, rare earths, uranium, and diamonds.

Over the past year the Company has been focussed on concluding a go-public transaction on a recognised investment exchange in North America. Much work has been done on the key documentation needed to achieve this, including the completion of a 43-101 Technical Report, an independent Legal Opinion on its prospecting licences, and a two-year Group Audit. Eastport envisages completing its key documentation and concluding its go-public transaction during the second half of 2024.

Eastport's three key projects are as follows:

Foley (Uranium)

Foley is located directly to the north of the Letlhakane uranium deposit in Botswana, owned by ASX-listed Lotus Resources (ASX: LOT), and which contains an indicated resource of 42.2 Mlbs of U3O8 at an average grade of 323 ppm (0.0323%) (cut-off 200 ppm), and an inferred resource of 148.2 Mlbs at an average grade of 321 ppm. Letlhakane is one of the world’s largest undeveloped uranium deposits.

At Letlhakane, the uranium is in-part hosted in the Mea Arkose Formation, the basal sandstone of the Karoo’s Ecca Group. The Mea formation extends throughout the Foley project, whilst the base of the shale rich Tlapana Formation that overlies the Mea also contains significant amounts of uranium. Historic drilling on Foley indicates the existence and presence of uranium, with elevated grades observed in the assay results. In conjunction with the favourable stratigraphic similarities with the Lethlhakane deposit, there is a strong degree of confidence that Foley could host a significant high-grade resource.

Matsitama (Copper)

Matsitama is comprised of three known targets within the Matsitama Schist Belt, an accreted terrane thrusted atop an Archean plutonic complex at the western end of the Zimbabwe Craton. The most advanced target is Nakalakwana, which hosts an historic SAMREC resource (non-compliant) of 9.9 Mt at 0.46% Cu, which Eastport is seeking to increase markedly.

Phudulooga, meanwhile, is a shear hosted high-grade hydrothermal deposit with a known 1,600 m x 30 m copper zone within and marginal to the Bushman Fault Zone. The vein mineralisation is reporting high percentages of copper. Moving forward, Eastport intends to better define the extent of the copper zone and to locate areas of increased copper vein density through the use of drilling and infill geophysics.

Semarule (Rare Earths)

The Semarule project is located 40km from the capital of Botswana, Gaborone, and covers 249 sq km’s. Semarule features an outcropping mineral-rich multi-phase syenite with carbonatite dykes. Surface rock sampling has reported up to 5,097 ppm of Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO), with a subset of magnet light and heavy rare earths including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium up to 1,270 ppm. Exposed mineralisation outcrops over a 3 sq km area, reaching 75 metres above regional cover. There is excellent infrastructure on the project, including roads, electricity, and a nearby skilled workforce. Eastport is intending to commence drilling on the project later in 2024, with environmental permitting currently underway.

Other Projects

In addition to its three core projects, Eastport is also progressing the Selebi, Keng, and Jwaneng projects. The Selebi project, targeting nickel and copper, is located immediately to the east (~10 km’s) of the significant past producing Selebi Nickel Mine, owned by Premium Nickel Resources Ltd (TSX-V: PNRL).  Keng, meanwhile, is targeting nickel, copper, and PGM’s, and is located on the northern portion of the mafic-ultramafic intrusive known as the Molopo Farms Complex. Finally, Jwaneng is prospective for diamonds, being 20km’s north of the Jwaneng Mine, known as ìthe world’s richest diamond mineî, producing >11 million carrots per annum.

Key Project Highlights Concluded In 2023

1,500 metre diamond drill program completed at Nakalakwana.

Regional geologic exploration program completed at Lepashe.

Soil sampling at Selebi, which remains ongoing.

Acquisition of Semarule rare earths project.

Premium Nickel Resources Ltd

Investment Interest as at Year End:

Shareholding at beginning of the Year: 1,014,115

Shares sold during the Year: 443,828

Gross Proceeds Realised: $637,212

Book Cost on Shares Purchased: $0.21

Capital Gain/ %-Gain on Sale: $544,008 ($1.23/share sold)/ 583%

Resulting Holding: 570,287

Premium Nickel Resources Ltd. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the discovery and advancement of high-quality Ni-Cu-Co-PGM resources. PNRL is a Canada-based mining company listed on the Toronto Stock Venture Exchange. The Company's Selebi Project encompass two fully permitted, Ni-Cu-Co Mine re-development projects; former BCL Selebi Mine (Selebi Main and Selebi North deposits), dubbed the "Tsholofelo Project" as well as the former Tati Nickel Mining Company (TNMC) Selkirk Mine.

Material Highlights to the Year End Include:

27 Jan 2023 - PNRL Announces Assay Results at its 100% Owns Selebi Mine Including: 16.75 metres of 1.72% NiEq (1.00% Ni, 2.05% Cu, 0.04% Co)

24 February 2023 - PNRL Closes Private Placement Financing: CAD$7,765,072@ CAD$1.75

12 April 2023 - PNRL Announces Filing of NI 43-101 Technical Report on Selkirk Mine

28 June 2023 - PNRL Announces Financing Transactions Totalling CAD$34 Million

14 November 2023 - PNRL Announces Assay Results at its 100% Owns Selebi Mine Including: 9.25 metres of 1.78% NiEq (1.35% Ni; 0.67% Cu; 0.07% Co) and 9.85 metres of 1.28% NiEq (0.77% Ni; 0.95% Cu; 0.04% Co)

14 December 2023 - PNRL Announces Financing Transactions Totalling CAD$21.6 Million

19 December 2023 - PNRL Assays and Extension of Historic Resource at Selebi North Underground Including: 10.45 metres of 1.45% NiEq (0.48% Ni; 1.82% Cu; 0.02% Co)

Kalahari Key Mineral Exploration Company (pty) Ltd ("Kalahari Key")

Investment Interest as at Year End:

Shares held in Kalahari Key: 3,802

Kalahari Key is a private mineral exploration company registered in Botswana, engaged in the development of its Nickel-Copper-Platinum Group Metals (Ni-Cu-PGM) project called the Molopo Farms Complex ("MFC").

The Kalahari Key opportunity developed from a recognition that no historical exploration targeting "feeder" styles of Ni-Cu-PGE mineralisation had been completed within the Molopo Farms ultramafic complex. The founder's group of four seasoned metals explorers identified a number of prospecting licences over a prospective geological feature often associated with feeder-style deposits.

On 6 October 2023 the Company announces that recently completed geophysical inversions led to the identification of the highest priority conductor thus far. The identified conductor is very strong, steeply dipping and multi-kilometre in length and importantly is co-incident with the keel of the feeder zone intrusion within target area T1-14. Significantly, this conductor is geologically located where one would expect to find accumulations of significant nickel sulphides within a mafic/ultramafic complex, giving the Company further confidence in the provenance of this particular conductor.

Announced post year end, the successful completion of the drillhole DDH1-14C at its Molopo Farms Complex Project. Diamond core drillhole DDH1-14C has completed to a final depth of 832.6 metres, with the successful intersection of the targeted steeply dipping geophysical superconductor at high priority Molopo Farms Target Area T1-14. Geophysical superconductor is interpreted to be a sulphide mineralised carbonaceous mudstone unit between 760.5 - 813m downhole depth and from 828.4m - 832.6m (end of hole) where it remains open at depth. The mineralised carbonaceous mudstone contains abundant pyrrhotite-quartz-calcite veining and localised sulphide dominated veins of what appears to be pyrrhotite. Further mostly vein-hosted sulphides are present throughout the intervals including dominantly pyrite. With the drillhole complete, the in-country geological team will now select samples from the intervals for certified laboratory multielement and PGE assay testing, with the assay results expected in the coming months.

Key Corporate Highlights to Year End:

Directors Compensation and Administrative Costs

The Directors of the Company were paid in aggregate £0 to the Year End in a sign of complete commitment to Evrima and its commercial strategy.

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

The Directors consider the key risks to the company to be that of maintaining, augmenting and realising value from its investment positions and the company's reliance on capital markets.

The company seeks to mitigate these risks through adhering to internal protocols that govern the time for which investments should be maintained and their respective liquidity profile to ensure that the company's asset profile is diverse, flexible and importantly not overexposed.

The Directors continue to review investment opportunities that have the potential to generate the company income that would reduce the company's reliance on equity and debt finance to secure the ongoing operations of the business.

Acquiring Less than Controlling Interests

The Company may acquire either less than whole voting control of, or less than a controlling equity interest in, a target, which may limit the Company's operational strategies and reduce its ability to enhance Shareholder value. In recognising the risk in non-controlling investment interests, the Company ensures to categorise an investment based on the desired exit strategy. If a clear exit for the investment is pre-determined save for time to disposal, then the Company is content to invest on the basis that non-control does not impact or create an underlying risk by virtue of percentage ownership. To further protect investment activity where this may occur the Company carefully allocate capital to investments for which the Company have no influence over.

Inability of Investee to Raise Capital Post-Investment

An investee of the company may be unable to raise capital to fund operations and achieve its commercial objectives post-investment by the Company. This may lead to devaluation of the Company's investment interest, dilution or render the investee insolvent. It may also lead the investee to seeking distressed asset funding options that could create irrecoverable damages to the Company's investment. The Company believe in evaluating investment opportunities whereby they are not the sole investor responsible for capitalising the investment ensuring that the investee has a broad shareholder base and access to a wide pool of capital. Additionally in certain circumstances when conducting and structuring investments the Company will do so using a variety of financial instruments and terms that provide protection against risks associated with an investee being unable to secure capital investment.

The Company's Relationship with the Directors and Conflicts of Interest

The Company is dependent on the Directors to identify potential acquisition opportunities and to structure and complete investments consistent with its investment strategy. The Directors are not obliged to commit their whole time to the Company's business; they will allocate a portion of their time to other businesses which may lead to the potential for conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to assign to the Company's affairs. The Company ensures that the Board maintains independence where conflicts may arise both internally with the Board and its advisors. In the event any conflicts should arise, the Board maintain a policy of disclosure and independent opinion.

Risks Inherent in an Investment

Although the Company and the Directors will evaluate the risks inherent in a particular investment, they cannot offer any further assistance that all of the significant risk factors can be identified or properly assessed. Furthermore, no assurance can be made that an investment in Ordinary Shares in the Company will ultimately prove to be more favourable to investors then a direct investment, if such an opportunity were available, in an investment interest. The Company believe that in holding investments through a quoted investment issuer structure the Company can provide sufficient indirect investment protection were they to own the investment directly. Furthermore, through the Company creating a basket of investment interests that in aggregate provide increased optionality in exposure to the underlying the Company is aiming to mitigate downside risk should an event impact the valuation of any of the investments.

Funding

The aim of the investment strategy is to seek capital gains on successful disposals of its investment interests rather than financial investments and instruments that generate income. The absence of income will mean that the company is reliant on the performance of the investee not just in its ability to operate but in its ability to provide the Company a material and liquid exit to ensure the company has capital to progress its investment strategy.

Impact of the business on the environment and other environmental matters

The report does not contain such information, as the nature and principal activity of the business is that of investment, the Board consider environmental matters in forming any investment they may make and ensuring that the potential investment opportunity maintains internal standards and disciplines that demonstrate competence when evaluating their underlying operations.

Within the mineral and natural resource industry, companies operating must comply with legislative and regulatory policy when undertaking such activity, including reclamation and environmental liabilities as a requisite of operating in an industry that involves the extraction of minerals from the environment and the remediation associated.

Company's employees

The employees of the company are the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors must adhere to high standards of operation consistent with managing a quoted company at all times.

Social, community and human rights issues

The report does not contain such information, as the nature and principal activity of the business is that of investment, the Board consider social, community and human right issues in forming any investment they may make and ensuring that the potential investment opportunity maintains internal standards and disciplines that demonstrate competence when evaluating their underlying operations.

Key performance indicators

The company's principal activity is to acquire investment interests in global mineral and natural resource opportunities through mechanisms including direct asset investment, indirect asset investment (including investment in quoted companies operating in the mineral/natural resource industry) and through investing in instruments such as royalties that have the ability to generate the company investment income.

For the year ending 31 December 2023, the company held three unquoted investments in private companies operating in the natural resource sector. The three companies were actively developing their underlying assets through operating exploration and development activities in base and industrial metals.

The company continue to focus on the underlying investments held generating capital returns that can enable the company to consider redeployment of capital in additional opportunities as the Directors see suitable or the distribution of profits to the shareholders of the company in the form of a cash or in-specie dividends.

The company's key investment objectives include:

1. Identification of undervalued opportunities that the Board can augment through capital and direct involvement whether at the Board or Consultancy level.

2. The generation of internal investment opportunities that can be developed through investment and creative commercial structures.

3. To evaluate opportunities that post-investment are not reliant on the company to provide consistent capital investment over a period of time that will isolate and concentrate too much of the company’s investment portfolios capital and focus.

The company's key investment disposal objectives include:

1. For the unquoted investment positions to achieve either a trade sale or consummate a go public transaction that would result in a premium realised to the cost of investment.

2. To redeploy capital where the Directors of the company identify suitable opportunities that can generate sufficient returns for the company and its shareholders.

3. To consider methods where shareholders can benefit in having exposure to the company's underlying assets through in- specie dividends

SECTION 172(1) STATEMENT

The Directors are required to make a statement which describes their attitude with regard to the matters set out in Section 172

(1) of the Companies Act 2006, namely:

Duty to promote the success of the company

(a)  The likely consequences of any decision in the long term

(b)  The interests of the company's employees

(c)  The need to maintain the company's business relationships with suppliers, customers and others

(d)  The impact of the company's operations on the community and environment

(e)  The desirability of the company maintaining a reputation for high business conduct

(f)  The need to act fairly between members of the company

Section 172 Statement

The Directors of the company commit to maintaining high operating standards and fiscal discipline and frequently communicate and engage with each other in order to consider and understand the underlying issues within the organisation. In order to enhance the standards of the business, the Board considers the global landscape that may present impediments to the business.

The Board maintains a disciplined internal evaluation process that is used to identify opportunities consistent with its underlying investment strategy that are determined as suitable investment opportunities. Thorough internal and external analysis is completed and of much significance is a pre-determined exit strategy with an associated timeframe for realisation of value.

The company is committed to the highest levels of integrity and transparency with stakeholders.

Stakeholders include, suppliers, government and regulatory agencies, service providers and shareholders. The Board, both individually and together, consider that they have acted in the way they consider would be most likely to promote the success of the Company as a whole. In order to do this, there is a process of dialogue with stakeholders to understand the uses that they might have. Communications with shareholders occur on an ongoing basis and as questions arise.

Transparency and integrity are central themes for the Company's Directors. The Directors of the company strive to provide our stakeholders with timely and informative responses.

The Board recognises its responsibilities under Section 172 as outlined above and has acted at all times in a way consistent with promoting the success of the Company with regard to all stakeholders.

POST YEAR END REVIEW

Reflecting on key moments for the Company in 2023, I am pleased to report to shareholders that despite challenging capital market conditions the Company has been able to reduce costs and only seek to release capital from its portfolio of investments for key financial obligations and to evaluate new investment opportunities. A significant outcome of this exercise has been in understanding and acknowledging that as a business the Board are committed to using its internal treasury to capitalise growth and create value for our shareholders and not to seek capital investment through equity finance that would be dilutive to our existing shareholders.

This model has required patience and sacrifice from our Board, advisors, management and our shareholders and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all for their continued support of Evrima as we continue to progress our investment mandate concurrent with considering optimal realisation strategies for our shareholders.

When considering the first half of 2024 and looking to the following six months to the year ending 2024 the key objectives at Evrima include:

-          Augmenting the treasury position of the business, primarily our portfolio of marketable securities for which is the main source of the Company's current direct liquidity positions.

-          To evaluate quality investment opportunities in the exploration, development and mining industry both in private and public markets

-          To materialise value in our two substantive private interests being Eastport Ventures Inc. & Kalahari Key for which the Board are actively pursuing with Eastport Ventures Inc. seeking to complete its go public transaction in North America in this year.

-          To consider potential market synergies that would enhance the liquidity profile for our current shareholders.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD:

Mr Simon Grant-Rennick - Director

Date:   19 June 2024

Statement of Comprehensive Income for the year ended 31 December 2023

Statement of Financial Position 31 December 2023

Statement of Changes in Equity for the year ended 31 December 2023

Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 December 2023

Notes to the Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 December 2023

2. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

The amounts disclosed on the Statement of Cash Flows in respect of cash and cash equivalents are in respect of these Statement of Financial Position amounts:

Excluded from the cashflow is the reversal of deferred tax of £54,780.