Alba Minerals Resources PLC: A diversified portfolio with serious production potential

What it does

Alba Minerals Resources PLC‘s (LON:ALBA) activities are split between minerals exploration which it is carrying out itself and stakes in two onshore oil prospects in the UK’s Weald Basin in the Home Counties.

Oil and gas

Horse Hill

Alba holds 11.765% of the Horse Hill project near Gatwick Airport in the UK’s Weald Basin.

The shallower Portland reservoir has been deemed commercially viable but is being rilled horizontally currently.

In October, Alba confirmed that oil well sampling has started at the Horse Hill project’s second well.

A second deep well testing the Kimmeridge Clay is also expected to be drilled later in 2019.

“We know the operator has got plans to get it into production, subject to consents and everything else and obviously we’d be very supportive of that as an objective."

Brockham

Alba also owns 5% of Brockham, another prospect in the Weald Basin where Angus Energy PLC (LON:ANGS) is the operator.

Mining

Greenland

The company owns extensive mining acreage in Greenland.

At Inglefield Land (100%), samples from two targets (Kap Agassiz/Bear Island and Four-Finger) have indicated gold, copper, cobalt, lead.

Alba also owns the Thule Black Sands licence (100%), which adjoins Bluejay Mining’s Dundas minerals sands project and has a 90% stake in Amitsoq graphite project.

In north-west Greenland, Alba is entitled to a 51% interest in the iron ore mineral exploration licence 2017/41 in Melville Bay.

Wales

Alba has also started exploration at the Clougau gold project in North Wales, where it has a 90% stake and where it has recently undertaken extensive geochemical, electromagnetic and magnetic geophysical surveys. Welsh gold sells for a substantial premium to the spot price.

Ireland

Alba owns 100% of the Limerick base metal project.

What the boss says

“Alba has concentrated on acquiring diversified assets in stable jurisdictions with serious production potential.”

Inflection points

In early November, Alba said the Horse Hill-2z well had successfully drilled 2,016 feet into the Portland reservoir’s most oil-productive zone, and that the remaining 1,200 ft of drilling to be completed by mid-November
In late October, the company said testing at its Amitsoq project in southern Greenland confirms the potential for an attractive graphite product. The second phase of testing found 36% of the refined product consists of higher-value large, jumbo and super-jumbo flake sizes
Oil well sampling has started at the Horse Hill project, with the first 60 ft core, starting at a drilled depth of 2,049 ft below rig floor, landed at the surface to be sent for analysis at a Surrey-based laboratory