Alba Mineral Resources plc has received permission to continue dewatering and exploring the lower Llechfraith workings in the Clogau-St David’s gold mine, north Wales.
EXCLUSION ZONE
Natural Resources Wales (NRW)’s grant of an extension to the company’s European Protected Species licence allows the operations to continue until 31 September 2024.
“This is significant as it means that once the company has completed the dewatering of the workings down to level 4, it will be able to roll out its planned exploration programme at level 4 without interruption, including throughout the winter hibernation period,” said Alba.
“This is testament to the robustness of the exclusion zone which has been constructed by the company in order to seal off the lower Llechfraith workings from protected species, notably bats.”
Alba’s specialist acoustic consultants have further tested the exclusion zone by recording the noise levels of exploration activities such as rock loading and tipping, drilling, jet washing, channel sampling and blasting.
The company said that “all noise levels were confirmed to be well within the permitted levels”.
Alba’s application to vary its existing abstraction permits to enable it to dewater the workings at higher rates, following heavy rain during the summer, entered the 28-day public consultation on 8 November.
Emergency abstraction measures will continue within the reflooded lower Llechfraith workings at Clogau to safeguard the safety and access works installed on levels 2 and 3.
The company’s discharge permit application is not subject to public consultation.
CAERWYCH
Alba also reported assay results of five samples taken from the historic Caerwych mine site, with one “notable” spoil tip sample returning 1.365% copper.
The company’s sub-contractors are awaiting lower wind rates before performing an unmanned aerial vehicle geophysical survey over key regional gold targets across the wider Dolgellau project.