Blasting Restarted at Clogau

Clogau update: controlled underground blasting has restarted at the Llechfraith Target. 

Controlled underground blasting has restarted at the Llechfraith Target, and the first blast has been successfully completed. Around 15 tonnes of blast material is now being removed from underground.

This restart builds on the technical groundwork completed in late 2024/ early 2025, when Alba carried out a limited programme of underground drilling and blasting to expose accessible ore. Material from that work was processed through Alba’s mobile plant: from approximately 11.6 tonnes of crushed ore, around 108.6 kg of gravity concentrate was produced, helping validate the processing route being employed.

In the period since, the focus has been on preparing the mine for the next step in the underground bulk sampling programme. Ahead of restarting blasting, the team cleared out material from the previous test blast so rock faces were clean, access was improved, and the blast area was ready for the next round of work.

In parallel, Alba has progressed key safety and compliance measures for underground operations, following recommendations from HM Inspectorate of Mines. With preparation complete, the programme has now moved back into active drilling and blasting, with follow-on work scheduled.

Next steps:
Work continues on mine maintenance and at the pilot processing plant, with further drilling and blasting planned to resume in the first full week of January 2026.