Critical Mineral Resources PLC (“CMR”, “CMRS” or the “Company”) is pleased to report its first assay results from its 2026 drill program at Agadir Melloul. As previously reported, drilling rates increased during February and March as the weather improved and CMR is now achieving rates of approximately 1,200 meters per month, the drill program is fully funded and is expected to reach first resource by the third quarter of 2026.
Going forward, CMR is expected to release routine assay results once every four to five weeks.
Assay results reported today demonstrate consistent copper mineralization including areas of excellent thickness and copper grade. In some areas, the average width of copper mineralized drill intercepts was approximately 5 metres, significantly exceeding the Company’s average-width target of 2 metres. These near-surface, high-grade results represent an opencast mineable mining opportunity at this district-scale deposit.
highlight
- Excellent drill results include:
- 5.0m from 24m at 1.20% copper, 0.77g/t Au and 1.4g/t silver,
- 3.7 million at 1.76% copper and 6.3 million to 8.6 g/t silver, and
- 4.0m at 1.20% Cu and 0.9g/t Ag from 18m.
- As the company targets publication of its first resource estimate during the third quarter of 2026, sediment-based mineralization is increasingly being delineated.
- The development potential is very significant with drilling in less than 3% of the project area.
- Management maintains its base case medium-term exploration target of 25 million tonnes 1 .
|
bh100 |
at 5.0m 1.20% Cu, 0.77g/t Au 2 and 1.42 g/t Ag from 24M Inc. 3.0m at 1.64% Cu, 1.16g/t gold and 1.85g/t Ag from 25.1m. |
|
bh107 |
5.0m at 0.77% Cu and 1.13g/t Ag from 24m inc. 3.0m at 1.04% Cu and 1.22g/t Ag from 25.0m |
|
BH108 |
4.0m at 1.03% Cu and 1.0/t Ag from 22m |
|
bh110 |
3.0m at 0.8% Cu and 1.0g/t Ag from 20m |
|
bh111 |
7.0m at 1.06% Cu and 1.0g/t Ag from 24m inc. 3.0m at 1.49% Cu and 1.0g/t Ag from 27m |
|
bh114 |
7.0m at 0.91% Cu and 0.9g/t Ag from 17m inc. 4.0m at 1.20% Cu and 0.9g/t Ag from 18m |
|
bh119 |
2.5m at 1.4% Cu and 8.6g/t Ag from 27m |
|
BH10 |
3.7m at 1.76% Cu and 1.0g/t Ag from 6.3m |
|
BH11 |
0.95% Cu at 2.6m and 1.1g/t Ag at 1.27m from 17.4m Inc. 0.73g/t Ag at 1.6m and 18.4m |
|
bh15 |
1.5m from 41.0m 1.32% Cu and 20.31g/t Ag and 1.0m from 44.5m 1.45% Cu and 23.5g/t Ag |
|
bh17 |
1.7m at 0.92% Cu and 1.78g/t Ag from 38m |
1 The potential quantity and grade of the exploration target is conceptual in nature. Insufficient exploration or modeling work has been conducted to estimate the Mineral Resource and it is uncertain whether further exploration will result in an estimated Mineral Resource.
2 More than 2 meters of gold was found in holes BH11, BH15, BH17, BH118, BH119.
CEO Charlie Long commented:
“These results continue to confirm a shallow, consistent copper system with widths and grades that are consistent with an open pit development scenario. Importantly, many of the intercepts exceed our initial thickness assumptions, which has a positive impact on potential mine inventory and economics.
Our immediate focus is on systematically expanding these and other fields ahead of first resource in Q3, while advancing metallurgical work to validate processing assumptions. With less than 3% of the target area drilled, we see significant scope to grow both tonnage and confidence in the system.
Russell Tucker NED commented:
“We invested in Agadir Melloul and the CMR management team based on clear evidence of large-scale copper and silver reserves at near-surface. Today’s drill results, along with previously announced results, support our initial assessment. We are particularly encouraged by the thick zones and the fact that only a fraction of the project has been drill tested”
conversion share
The Company has received conversion notices of 33,721,061 and 45,273,349 shares from strategic investors, as a result of which our largest shareholder will retain a position of 28.5%. Of these shares, 35,121,879 have been issued today and the entry of the remaining and new shares will take place after our AGM, which is expected to be held in late June. The total number of voting rights in the company is 376,699,158.
2026 development timeline
|
milestone |
target time |
|
Metallurgical Test Work Program (Laboratory and Pilot Plant) |
May-June 2026 |
|
Process flowsheet development and preliminary plant design |
By July 2026 |
|
geotechnical studies |
By July 2026 |
|
Processing plant environmental impact assessment submitted |
By August 2026 |
|
Maiden JORC Mineral Resource Estimate |
September 2026 |
|
Mine Planning and Production Scheduling Study |
October-November 2026 |
|
Completion of definitive feasibility study |
Target December 2026 |
|
Processing Plant EIA Approval |
Target December – 2026 (subject to regulatory timelines) |
details of competent person
The technical exploration and mining information contained in this announcement has been reviewed and approved by Mr Robert Nigel Chapman. Mr Chapman has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and the activity for which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 edition of the Australian Code for the Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and as a Competent Person under the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies. Mr Chapman is an employee of Luna Recursos Naturals SAC, an independent geological consultancy established in 2014, and a member of the Australasian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG). Mr Chapman has visited Agadir Melloul and has agreed to include such information in this announcement in the form and context in which it appears.
The information contained in this announcement is considered by the Company to be inside information determined under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as amended by the Market Abuse (Amendment) Regulation 2019.
ends up
|
Critical Mineral Resources PLC Charles Long, Chief Executive Officer |
info@cmrplc.com |
|
Shard Capital LLP Eric Woolgar damon heath |
+44 (0) 207 186 9952 |
Notes to editors
Critical Mineral Resources (CMR) plc is an exploration and development company focused on the development of assets producing minerals critical to the global economy, including minerals essential to the electrification and clean energy revolution. Many of these commodities are widely recognized as the beginning of a supply and demand super cycle.
CMR is building a diverse portfolio of high quality metals exploration and development projects in Morocco focusing on copper, silver and potentially other critical minerals and metals. CMR identified Morocco as an ideal mining-friendly jurisdiction that meets its acquisition and operational criteria. The country is perfectly situated to supply raw materials to Europe and has excellent prospective geology, good infrastructure and attractive permitting, tax and royalty terms. In 2023, the company acquired an 80% stake in Atlantic Research Minerals SARL, a leading Moroccan exploration and geological services company.
The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (CMRS.L). More information on the company can be found here www.cmrplc.com
