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 or contact: