Alba Mineral Resources Plc announced that Natural Resources Wales has granted the Company's applications for formal variations to its existing discharge and abstraction permits to enable it to dewater the Lower Llechfraith workings, its principal gold target at the Company's 100% owned Clogau-St David's Gold Mine in north Wales, at significantly higher rates. As a result, the Company expects to be able to proceed to a successful completion of the dewatering exercise at the Lower Llechfraith workings in the first two weeks of January. Key Points: Revised discharge and abstraction permits have been granted to Alba, allowing the Company to dewater the Lower Llechfraith workings at a rate of up to 250 cubic metres per day, a significant increase to the previous maximum of up to 100 cubic metres per day.

Safety and access works on Level 3 and towards Level 4 have now been substantially completed. Higher-rate dewatering will commence from early January, with completion of the dewatering exercise targeted for mid-January. Once Level 4 has been fully dewatered, Alba and its contractors will access Level 4 to carry out a risk assessment, plan and execute any further safety works required and carry out initial exploration surveys.

In respect of the airborne geophysical survey being undertaken over Alba's key regional gold targets, Alba's contractors have advised that due to the weather conditions it has not been possible to date to survey the Hafod Owen, Gwynfynydd and Castle Carndochan target areas and that this will now be deferred to January, weather permitting.