Samarco to sound out bondholders for debt plan, sources say

Samarco Mineração, the Brazilian iron-ore joint venture that stopped operations after a dam burst last year, plans to seek bondholder consent to change terms on $2.2-billion of securities or pursue an exchange offer, two people with knowledge of the situation said on Wednesday. According to one of the people, Samarco is looking for a so-called solicitation agent to help contact and sound out bondholders on potential alternatives. The three people said the agent could be New York-based consultancy firm DF King & Co Inc.