香港上市公司中国科技集团（中国科技）近日分别在秘鲁和澳大利亚收购了铜矿项目，为公司转型为一家铜矿产商卖出了重要的一步。中国科技在这些交易中聘请了包括富而德以及诺顿罗氏在内的多家外国律师事务所作为其法律顾问。
该公司以约2.48亿美元收购了一个加拿大上市公司Chariot Resources Limited，该公司拥有的秘鲁铜矿项目。同时，该公司以1.35亿美元的代价从Cape Lambert资源公司购得澳洲Lady Annie铜矿项目。中国科技表示收购完成后，公司将为转型为一家铜矿产商卖出了重要的一步，展望未来，公司仍将寻求高质量的铜矿投资机会。
| CST acquires Peru's Chariot Resources |
Value: US$235m |
|
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong-listed China Sci-Tech to acquire Toronto-listed Chariot Resources, whose primary asset is a copper mine | ||
| Firm | Client | Role |
|
Freshfields |
CST | Hong Kong counsel |
|
Fasken Martineau |
CST | Canadian counsel |
|
Muniz, Ramirez, Perez-Taiman & Olaya |
CST | Peruvian counsel |
| Shearman & Sterling | Chariot | Hong Kong counsel |
| McMillan | Chariot | Canadian counsel |
| Rodrigo, Elias & Medrano, Abogado | Chariot | Peruvian counsel |
| CST acquires Cape Lambert Lady Annie project |
Value: US$120m |
|
|---|---|---|
| China Sci-Tech to acquire the entire share capital of Cape Lambert Lady Annie Exploration, a copper mine project in Australia, from Cape Lambert Resources | ||
| Firm | Client | Role |
|
Freshfields |
CST | Hong Kong counsel |
|
Norton Rose |
CST | Australian counsel |
|
Freehills |
Cape Lambert | Australian counsel |
Following the lead of large oil & gas companies, domestic mining businesses have also been actively seeking resources and investment overseas. Chinalco, Zijin Mining, China Minmetals, Hunan Valin and Yanzhou Coal Ming, among many others, have expanded their mining assets in places such as Africa, Australia and South America. The optimism-filled mining sector has also driven large institutional investors, such as CIC and China Sci-Tech (CST), to invest globally.
CST, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, has recently completed a number of transactions involving copper mining projects in Australia and Peru, worth a combined total of US$1.4bn. It sought out a number of law firms to advise on these transactions, including Freshfields and Norton Rose.
In addition to the acquisitions of Cape Lambert Lady Annie project and Chariot Resources, CST also placed US$1bn worth of shares in total to finance the two acquisitions and for working capital purposes.
It's the first time Freshfields has had a mandate from CST. The firm's team, which was involved in the M&A and financing transactions, was led by Kay Ian Ng, global co-head of equity capital markets and Hong Kong managing partner. Ng said that coordinating two major transactions across many jurisdictions was a major challenge.
| Quick facts: The global market for copper at approximately 19 million tonnes per annum is strong and expanding - about 46% is supplied by Australia and South American countries. |
Related stories: