History
Thompson Creek bought the Mt. Milligan project in 2010, funded its build with heavy debt and gold-stream sales to Royal Gold, then was acquired by Centerra Gold in 2016.
2007-2010: Listing and the Terrane deal
The record begins quietly. In November 2007 the New York Stock Exchange cleared Thompson Creek Metals' securities to begin trading. Nothing else is recorded until 2010, when the company made its big move.
On July 15, 2010 it agreed to buy Terrane Metals, owner of the Mt. Milligan copper-gold project in British Columbia, for about C$650 million: roughly C$413 million in cash plus about 23.9 million new Thompson Creek shares. Alongside it, Royal Gold agreed to buy 25% of Mt. Milligan's payable gold for $311.5 million in staged payments. Terrane holders approved the deal on September 23 and the court issued its final order the next day. It closed on October 20, 2010, with up to 24,296,833 new shares issued and about C$420.5 million paid in cash. Royal Gold's first $226.5 million went toward that payment. This helps explain why shares on issue rose from 139.5 million at the end of 2009 to 165.2 million at the end of 2010.
The company planned to build Mt. Milligan over roughly two and a half years, using cash, gold stream money and up to $450 million of debt.
2010-2012: Building Mt. Milligan on borrowed money
The debt arrived quickly. In December 2010 the company signed a $290 million revolving credit facility (a bank line it can draw on and repay) led by JPMorgan Chase. In March 2011 it arranged up to $132 million of equipment financing with Caterpillar Financial Services for Mt. Milligan machinery. In May 2011 it sold $350 million of 7.375% senior unsecured notes due 2018.
Royal Gold was tapped again. In December 2011 it agreed to take 40% of Mt. Milligan's payable gold, paying $270 million more and lifting its total investment to $581.5 million. In May 2012 the company raised money through tMEDS units, which combine a note with a promise to settle into common shares in May 2015, and $200 million of 12.5% notes due 2019. In August 2012 Royal Gold bought a further 12.25% of the mine's refined gold for $200 million, taking it to 52.25% and its total outlay to $781.5 million.
Each raising came with changes to the bank facility. By August 2012 the banks had set a higher minimum liquidity requirement and a minimum earnings test, and the company said it no longer expected to breach the credit agreement at September 30, 2012. In November 2012 it closed $350 million of 9.75% secured notes due 2017 and terminated the revolver, with nothing drawn on it.
2013-2015: Quiet record and a falling share price
The disclosures say little about operations in these years. Shares on issue rose from 171.5 million at the end of 2013 to 214.1 million at the end of 2014, a jump the beats do not explain. A July 2014 notice recorded the removal of some of the company's securities from an exchange listing, with no detail given.
On July 6, 2015 the NYSE warned that the average share price had been below the $1.00 minimum for 30 trading days, giving the company six months to recover.
2016: Delisting and sale to Centerra
The price did not recover. On January 14, 2016 the NYSE began delisting proceedings and suspended trading, and the company did not appeal. Shares moved to the OTCQX under TCPTF from January 15, while the Toronto listing continued.
On July 5, 2016 the company agreed to be acquired by Centerra Gold. Each share would become 0.0988 of a Centerra share, an implied C$0.79, a 32% premium to the July 4 close, leaving Thompson Creek holders with about 8% of the combined company. Centerra was to pay off about $889 million of debt. Shareholders voted on October 18, and the deal closed on October 20 after the court's final order.
Centerra issued 22,320,127 shares to former holders. The 7.375% and 12.5% notes were redeemed, and the 9.75% notes were called for redemption on December 1, 2016 at par, with US$881,018,180.72 paid in total. Royal Gold's stream became a 35% gold stream plus an 18.75% copper stream. As of October 26, 2016, Thompson Creek was a wholly owned Centerra subsidiary, delisted from the TSX, with new leadership under Dennis Kwong. It had terminated the registration of a class of its securities and planned to end its remaining SEC and Canadian reporting.
Written from the 21 story beats below (2007 to 26 Oct 2016), which come from the company's own announcements and filings.