Bear Creek sells Tassa project for $3.5-million (U.S.)

On December 11, 2025, Bear Creek Mining announced the sale of its non-core Tassa Project in Peru to Colque Holding Pty Ltd. The total consideration is US$3.5 million plus a 2% net smelter return (NSR) royalty.

The payment schedule is heavily deferred: - US$500,000 has been received upon signing and execution. - US$500,000 is due in 6 months. - US$1,000,000 is due in 18 months. - US$1,500,000 is due in 30 months.

Bear Creek retains a 2% NSR on the Tassa Project, of which 1% can be repurchased by the buyer for US$2.5 million. The payments are secured by a first-ranking security interest over the Tassa concessions.

This news is positive in isolation, as it brings in cash and streamlines the company's focus. However, in the context of Bear Creek's dire financial and operational situation, the impact is minimal and does not alter the company's precarious position. It is a routine move for a company desperate for liquidity, not a solution to its fundamental problems.

The timing of this sale, exactly one month after disastrous Q3 2025 results, underscores the company's urgent need for cash. The Q3 report on November 11 revealed: - A staggering net loss of US$30.8 million. - Unsustainable All-In Sustaining Costs (AISC) of US$3,563 per gold ounce. - Negative operating cash flow of US$6.0 million for the quarter. - A cash balance of only US$2.3 million as of September 30, 2025. - Total current liabilities of US$132.8 million against total current assets of only US$19.7 million, with negative total equity of US$22.1 million.

The US$500,000 received upfront from this sale is insignificant compared to the company's quarterly cash burn. It provides a very short-term lifeline but fails to address the core issue: the Mercedes mine is hemorrhaging cash. The remaining US$3.0 million is spread over 2.5 years, providing no meaningful near-term relief.

This transaction appears to be a minor development within the ongoing "Strategic Review" process initiated in March 2025. While monetizing a non-core asset is logical, this deal's size and structure suggest it was likely the best they could get in a distressed situation. It does nothing to fix the persistent operational failures at the Mercedes mine, which have plagued the company all year, from contractor underperformance to ventilation issues and lower-than-expected production.

Therefore, the sale of the Tassa project is a small, necessary step for survival but does not change the high-risk investment thesis. The company remains on the brink of insolvency, heavily dependent on the outcome of its strategic review and the support of its major creditors and shareholders, Sandstorm Gold and Equinox Gold.

Bear Creek Mining is a precious metals mining company with two principal assets: the producing Mercedes gold-silver mine in Sonora, Mexico, and the development-stage Corani silver-lead-zinc project in Peru, one of the world's largest undeveloped silver deposits.

Throughout 2025, the company's focus has been on the Mercedes mine. However, the operational transition from bulk mining to narrow-vein mining methods has been a disaster, resulting in missed production targets, soaring costs, and significant financial losses. This has put the company in severe financial distress and forced it to initiate a strategic review.