PRECIOUS METALS

K92 announces US$12.5M Barrick agreement

PNG miner addresses "significant impediment"

Staff reporter
 K92 addresses “significant impediment” to its plans for Kainantu in PNG

K92 addresses “significant impediment” to its plans for Kainantu in PNG

The arrangement, which stemmed from the 2014 share sale agreement over Barrick's then-mothballed Kainantu mine in PNG, continued to March 2025.

Under the amended agreement, K92 said yesterday it would pay $12.5 million in cash within 60 days to eliminate the arrangement.

K92 CEO John Lewins described it as a very good outcome for both companies.

"From the perspective of K92 this addresses a significant impediment to K92 being able to fully implement its exploration and development plans for the Kainantu gold mine, while from the Barrick perspective it brings certainty to the realisation of further value from the sale process," he said.

K92 had announced an C$18 million (US$14 million) bought deal offering at $1.90 per share last week, with proceeds to go to general corporate and working capital.

It also secured a US$15 million loan and offtake agreement with Trafigura earlier this month, to fund K92's expansion and cover 100% of copper-gold concentrate production respectively.
 
K92 is aiming to double capacity to 400,000 tonnes per annum and increase annual production to 120,000 ounces gold-equivalent.

It has reported record first-half production of 39,437oz gold-equivalent, compared with 47,237oz for the 12 months of 2018.

K92 shares are around a three-year high, closing up 7.9% yesterday to C$2.18 to capitalise it about $437 million (US$335 million).

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Global Leadership Report 2024: Net Zero

Gain insights into decarbonisation trends and strategies from interviews with 20+ top mining executives and experts plus an industrywide survey.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Project Pipeline Handbook 2024

View our 50 top mining projects, handpicked using a unique, objective selection process from a database of 450+ global assets.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Investor Sentiment Report 2024

Survey revealing the plans, priorities, and preferences of 120+ mining investors and their expectations for the sector in 2024.