RE: RNS22 Sep 2021 08:04
Alba's Executive Chairman, George Frangeskides, commented:
"We wanted to provide a fuller update than usual in this release, as we know that shareholders are keen to learn in detail of the progress of works at Clogau. As Mark has highlighted above, we believe we are now in a strong position to move this project into the development phase, with no less than three significant new target zones identified within the existing envelope of the mine and, no less importantly, being target zones which should be accessible by putting in a relatively modest amount of new development.
It is because of the success of the unprecedented drilling campaigns we have designed and executed at Clogau over the past two years, which have unearthed several genuine development targets within the mine, together with the dedication and skill of our technical team in making sense of what is a highly complex structural setting, that we can now seriously begin to plan the work which is needed to access these new target development zones.
At the same time, none of us should shy away from the fact that there will always be challenges along the way as one seeks to build the technical and economic case for reopening a historic mine. It will not always be plain sailing! It is true, for instance, that the processing of our application for the permits to dewater the Llechfraith Shaft, one of the three development zones highlighted in this release, has taken considerably longer than we ever envisaged. It is understandable that the regulator should exercise all due care and caution when considering any application for the discharge of water into the watercourse.
However, in respect of the specifics of our dewatering proposal, as shareholders can read for themselves in this release, the thoroughness of the technical work completed by our highly experienced consultants, the robustness of the dewatering scheme they have devised and the extensive supporting data we have compiled over the past 18 months give us a great deal of confidence in the merits of our application. We therefore look forward to it proceeding to a determination soon."