Sprott Inc. (TSX: SII) Friday announced that it has launched a new offshore global mining fund with China-based Zijin Mining Group Company Ltd.
Sprott says all relevant regulatory approvals have been received in Canada and the People’s Republic of China and the fund has been initially seeded with US$100 million from Zijin and US$10 million from Sprott.
“Zijin is the largest gold producer and the second largest mined copper producer in China and is listed on both the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges. We believe the combination of Zijin’s technical strengths and Sprott’s resource investment expertise will prove to be an attractive option for investors looking to invest in the mining sector with a focus on gold,” said Peter Grosskopf, CEO of Sprott, in a release.
The fund management company is a joint venture between Sprott and Zijin and will invest primarily in the publically listed equity and debt instruments of gold, other precious metals and copper mining companies.
The fund will be co-managed by affiliates of Sprott and Zijin. Under the joint venture agreement, Americas Now Resources Investment Management Corp. has agreed to provide technical and marketing services to the fund.
The target size of the fund is US$500 million and the Sprott anticipates receiving additional commitments from onshore Chinese investors beginning in the fourth quarter of 2013.