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Stranded shareholders of AVZ Minerals have been thrown a lifeline after the delisted West Perth outfit inked a sale deal for its Congolese lithium project before Chinese interests could seize control.
thewest.com.au
AVZ Minerals strikes Manono sale agreement with US firm backed by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates
Stranded shareholders of AVZ Minerals have been thrown a lifeline after the delisted West Perth outfit inked a sale deal for its Congolese lithium project before Chinese interests could seize control.
AVZ has signed an agreement to transfer its rights in the Manono lithium project in the Democratic Republic of Congo for an undisclosed sum to California’s KoBold Metals, which counts the uber-rich Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates as investors.
KoBold notably uses artificial intelligence to hunt commodities like lithium and copper with more than 70 projects across the world.
The deal comes as Donald Trump looks to make a minerals-pact with the DRC despite China having a foothold in the impoverished nation’s untapped mineral wealth, setting the stage for a standoff between the world’s two superpowers.
The DRC is in dire need of military muscle to stave off a rebel assault funded by neighbour Rwanda.
A signed statement by AVZ chief executive Nigel Ferguson and his KoBold counterpart Kurt House said the two companies were working with the US and DRC government to get the deal wrapped up.
The DRC’s rulers have reportedly already given their thumbs up to the deal.
“This framework entails AVZ selling its commercial interest in the Manono lithium deposit to KoBold for fair value,” the statement read.
“The agreement will enable KoBold to rapidly deploy more than $US1 billion ($1.55b) to bring the Manono lithium to Western markets.”
AVZ was developing Manono— touted as “the biggest lithium discovery on the planet” — but in 2023 the DRC’s government controversially revoked and split the licence, giving China’s Zijin Mining the northern portion.
Zijin looked likely to strike a deal with the DRC government and annex AVZ’s portion of Manono.
The value of AVZ, listed on the ASX until May last year, was savaged by the licence drama and its shares are currently delisted.
AVZ has fought a bitter legal battle in hopes of winning back the whole deposit. Adding to the drama, The West Australian in December revealed that AVZ is under investigation by the Australian Federal Police over bribery allegations.
AVZ denied the allegations.