Vancouver, Canada-based Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. aims to raise up to US$18.5 million from an overnight marketed public offering of shares and a concurrent private placement.

Proceeds will be used to allow Northern Dynasty's Pebble LP unit to continue work that will support the completion of the environmental permitting process for the Pebble copper-gold project in Alaska in 2020, and for general corporate purposes.

The price and number of shares of the public offering are yet to be determined. Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corp. is the lead underwriter and sole book runner of the offering on behalf of itself and a syndicate of underwriters.

The company granted the underwriters an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the public offering at the same price for up to 30 days from closing.

In case gross proceeds from the public offering and private placement exceed US$20 million, Northern Dynasty said Dec. 12 that it will use C$1.8 million of the proceeds to repay debt.