REG - Alba Mineral Resrcs. - Clogau Operational Update

Alba Mineral ResourcesAnnouncement

18/09/2023 08:00

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RNS Number : 7446M  Alba Mineral Resources PLC  18 September 2023

Alba Mineral Resources Plc / EPIC: ALBA / Market: AIM / Sector: Mining

 

18 September 2023

Alba Mineral Resources Plc

("Alba" or the "Company") 

 

Clogau Operational Update

Alba Mineral Resources Plc (AIM: ALBA) provides the following update regarding
the dewatering and associated safety and access works at its primary target
within the Clogau-St David's Gold Mine in north Wales ("Clogau" or the
"Mine"), the Lower Llechfraith workings.

Key points

·      Applications progressing for formal variations to the discharge
and abstraction permits.

 

·      Company refused its request for temporary extension to higher
rate abstraction to take account of exceptionally heavy rains in July and
August.

 

·      Company has commenced emergency abstraction to protect safety and
access works completed on Levels 2 and 3 prior to workings reflooding.

 

·      Final bat exclusion and noise mitigation measure required to be
put in place prior to the Company commencing exploration activities at Level
4, post dewatering, namely installation of cabin structure on Llechfraith Adit
level, has been completed.

 

·      Due to ongoing delays in CAA approval, Company now advised that
proposed airborne geophysical survey over some of Company's key regional gold
targets likely to be pushed back to October 2023.

  Dewatering of Lower Llechfraith Workings

As announced on 16 August 2023, the Company has applied to the environmental
regulator, Natural Resources Wales ("NRW"), for formal variations to the
Company's water discharge and water abstraction (or transfer) permits for the
dewatering of the Lower Llechfraith workings, in order to increase the
applicable thresholds under both permits.  While the Company is not yet able
to advise of the likely timeline for the determination of its applications,
the Company has responded fully to all requests received to date from the
appointed case officers for both applications. Upon obtaining the revised
approvals, the Company expects to proceed to a successful completion of the
dewatering process.

NRW has refused the Company's request for a temporary extension to the higher
rate (100m3/day) abstraction rate to take account of the exceptionally heavy
and unseasonal rainfall experienced in north Wales during July and August,
which was some three times higher than the average rainfall for the time of
year and which resulted in the reflooding of the workings.

As a consequence, the Company has commenced an emergency abstraction of water
pursuant to the Water Resources Act 1991, in order to safeguard the safety and
access works which were completed by Alba at Levels 2 and 3 of the Lower
Llechfraith Workings prior to those levels reflooding (Figure 1).  Notice of
the emergency abstraction has been given to the regulator.

Alba's contractors have completed installing a cabin structure on the
Llechfraith Adit level, this being the final bat exclusion and noise
mitigation measure in advance of the carrying out of exploration activities at
Level 4, following completion of the dewatering (Figure 2).

Regional Exploration

Regarding the planned geophysical survey by unmanned aerial vehicle (or "UAV")
over some of the Company's key regional gold targets, further to the
announcement on 16 August 2023 that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
Operational Authorisation, which sets out the agreed safety case for operating
the UAV in the target area, had been approved, the Company now advises that
the CAA has yet to complete the final step in the permitting process by
formally approving and notifying the proposed survey area. The Company is
advised, however, that this approval is expected in the coming days. Given
this further delay and the revised availability of the Company's contractors,
UAVE Limited, the current advice is that the survey is now expected to be
undertaken in October 2023.

 

 

 

 

Figure 1: Completed safety, access and bat exclusion measures on Levels 2 and
3.

Figure 2: Completion of cabin construction at Llechfraith Adit Level.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the UK
Market Abuse Regulation and the Directors of the Company are responsible for
the release of this announcement.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements relating to expected or
anticipated future events and anticipated results that are forward-looking in
nature and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, such
as general economic, market and business conditions, competition for qualified
staff, the regulatory process and actions, technical issues, new legislation,
uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans,
uncertainties resulting from working in a new political jurisdiction,
uncertainties regarding the results of exploration, uncertainties regarding
the timing and granting of prospecting rights, uncertainties regarding the
timing and granting of regulatory and other third party consents and
approvals, uncertainties regarding the Company's or any third party's ability
to execute and implement future plans, and the occurrence of unexpected
events.

Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a
result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other
factors.

**ENDS**

For further information, please visit www.albamineralresources.com
(http://www.albamineralresources.com/)  or contact:

 Alba Mineral Resources plc                   +44 20 3950 0725

 George Frangeskides, Executive Chairman
 SPARK Advisory Partners Limited (Nomad)      +44 20 3368 3555

 Andrew Emmott
 CMC Markets plc (Broker)                     +44 (0) 20 3003 8632

 Thomas Smith / Douglas Crippen
 St Brides Partners (Financial PR)            alba@stbridespartners.co.uk

 Isabel de Salis / Catherine Leftley

 

 Alba's Projects & Investments
 Projects Operated by Alba          Location   Ownership
 Clogau (gold)                      Wales      100%
 Dolgellau Gold Exploration (gold)  Wales      100%
 Gwynfynydd (gold)                  Wales      100%
 Investments Held by Alba           Location   Ownership
 GreenRoc Mining Plc (mining)       Greenland  42.97%
 Horse Hill (oil)                   England    11.765%

 

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