ECR Mineral’s (LON:ECR) reinvention as an Australian gold miner has taken a step forward with permission to start drilling at Byron on the Bailieston project.
Drilling will start once the licence transfer to ECR subsidiary Mercator Gold Australia (MGA) has been completed.
In addition, ECR has applied to renew the Avoca project exploration licence, while it is waiting on applications for two licences in Victoria.
Craig Brown, ECR’s chief executive, said Bailieston project is not only in close to two large operating gold mines but has a history of producing high-grade material from underground workings, including Byron.
The company has the original nineteenth and early twentieth century production records as well as the results of relatively recent exploration work, including drilling and trenching, carried out in the 1980s, he added.
ECR’s recently announced plan to drill the El Abra and JV prospects in Argentina is in addition to the drilling planned in Victoria, said Brown.
Shares rose 20% to 1.32p.