Strategic Minerals PLC (AIM:SML) has begun drilling on what it believes is the largest continuous diamond drilling programme undertaken from surface in Cornwall, and in Great Britain, this century.
The mineral exploration and production company said two further rigs had been mobilised to its Redmoor tungsten-tin-copper project, taking the total on site to three.
The 22,500-metre programme is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2027.
Redmoor is held through Cornwall Resources, a wholly owned subsidiary, which secured final clearance from the local planning authority after completing pre-commencement submissions.
Planning permission covers seven drill pad locations, from which at least 44 resource infill drillholes and a further nine metallurgical holes are planned.
Rigs two and three, supplied by Priority Drilling UK, have started holes CRD046 and CRD047, with multiple holes to be drilled from each pad.
Infill drilling tightens the spacing between holes in order to raise confidence in an existing resource estimate, a necessary step before feasibility work.
Dennis Rowland, managing director of Cornwall Resources, said site preparation had been accelerated once planning and pre-commencement conditions were cleared.
Mark Burnett, executive director of Strategic Minerals, said the scale of the programme reflected the opportunity at Redmoor and the company's intention to advance the project through feasibility studies and towards mining as quickly as possible.
Tungsten, used in cutting tools, armaments and industrial alloys, is classified as a critical mineral by both the UK and the European Union.
Separately, the company has granted share options over 13,150,000 ordinary shares to directors and to employees of Cornwall Resources.
The grant was made in recognition of contributions to recent progress and the meeting of certain key performance indicators in the 2025-26 year, as well as to retain staff as Redmoor moves towards development.
