Drill Rig Arrival

Critical Mineral Resources plc (“CMR”, “Company”) is delighted to announce the arrival of its diamond core drilling rig at Agadir Melloul, marking a major step forward that puts the project in an excellent position to accelerate drilling activity. The team is now focused on commissioning the rig as quickly as possible, with the first bore hole expected to be drilled during the first half of December.

Highlights

The Company’s fully refurbished Discovery HD track-mounted diamond core drill has arrived at Agadir Melloul. Some important features:

Fitted with brand new Caterpillar 308E steel tracks for rapid moves between drill pads

Compact, robust design with a heavy-duty telescopic mast and powerful hoisting winch capable of pulling the complete drill string from the ground and pulling in 20 ft sections

Drilling depth capacity of 1400m NQ (47.6mm core), 876m HQ (63.5mm core)

Delivered with new consumable parts such as jaws, bushings and comprehensive remote site spares kit to minimise risk of downtime

The rig is expected to be operational during the first half of December, almost immediately doubling our drilling capacity.

Charlie Long CEO commented:

“It has been quite a journey for our Discovery HD rig and its arrival represents an important milestone for the project. The rig has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment and is effectively as good as new. With proper care, we expect it to deliver consistent performance for the next decade and provide significant per metre cost savings.

Multi Power, the manufacturer, was extremely supportive, generously installing a brand new feed cylinder, instead of resealing the original, replacing key components including foot clamp, and completely stripping and professionally repainting the mast. New Cat 308E tracks were also sourced and installed to ensure maximum efficiency.

The additional refurbishment and some shipping complications meant the rig arrived later than originally planned. It is a testament to our team on the ground, and the advantages of operating in Morocco, that once we knew of the delay, we were quickly able to secure the services of a trusted drilling contractor who began work immediately, ensuring that progress continued uninterrupted.

We are now carefully unpacking and inspecting all components, and with our newly appointed drill operator already in place, the team is ready to commission and bring the rig into operation without delay. The arrival of our rig puts us in an excellent position to significantly accelerate drilling and to advance on all fronts, simultaneously drilling both the sedimentary copper deposit and the exciting new Rhyolite discovery.

We look forward to seeing the Discovery HD drill its first holes in the first half of December”.

Fig.1 Discovery HD track-mounted diamond drill at Agadir Melloul

Source: Company