Alba Mineral Resources plc said it had submitted a new permit application to dewater the Llechfraith shaft and associated workings at its 100% owned Clogau-St David’s gold project in North Wales.
RENEWED APPLICATIONS
The company also submitted renewed applications for a water discharge permit and a European Protected Species licence for the proposed dewatering exercise and subsequent safety and exploratory works.
Alba added that Natural Resources Wales (NRW), which refused the company’s initial application in November 2021, had recently visited the Clogau site.
LLECHFRAITH SHAFT
The company’s main target in the mine is the projected Llechfraith shaft lode extension in the lower Llechfraith workings, situated below the Llechfraith adit level.
Surface drilling campaigns in 2020 and 2021 confirmed vein (or lode) continuity up to ~122m below the existing lower Llechfraith workings.
Alba must first dewater the flooded Llechfraith shaft to gain access to the target.
ECOLOGICAL SURVEYS
Since NRW’s refusal, the company said it had submitted additional data and analysis to the regulator.
Following further feedback, Alba extended its programme of ecological and species surveys to expand the ecological dataset generated during the past three to four years.
On completion, Alba integrated the analysed results into the company’s overall dataset before submitting to NRW a revised version of its previous and extensive ‘Report to Inform a Habitat Regulations Assessment’.