Rockfire Resources plc (LON: ROCK) has resumed diamond drilling at its 100%-owned Molaoi zinc project in Greece, while preliminary comminution test work has indicated that the ore falls within a typical energy-consumption range for mining projects.
Drilling restarted on schedule following the summer break, with hole HMO-021 currently in progress.
Preliminary results from SLR Consulting classified the Molaoi ore as “Medium-Hard”, with a Drop Weight Index of 8.66 kWh/t.
Rockfire said this sits within the normal range for global mining projects and supports further assessment of a Semi-Autogenous Grinding, or SAG, mill as part of the future processing flowsheet.
SAG mills typically consume around 6 kWh/t to 12 kWh/t, meaning the Molaoi result falls within the expected operating range. The company said the work will feed into future feasibility studies and processing design.
Rockfire is also preparing to expand its own drilling capability. Its Epiroc drill rig is now expected to arrive in Athens around the end of October or early November 2026, slightly later than previously scheduled.
The company has begun interviewing experienced drillers for subsidiary Hellenic Minerals and is also recruiting drilling assistants ahead of further work later in the year.
Chief executive David Price said preliminary SLR Consulting test work classified the Molaoi ore as “Medium-Hard”, with a Drop Weight Index of 8.66 kWh/t, placing it within the typical range seen across global mining projects.
He said the result supports Rockfire’s consideration of a SAG mill rather than a conventional ball mill, potentially offering lower operating costs by reducing reliance on high-wear steel grinding media.
Price added that the ore’s expected energy requirement sits within the normal operating range for SAG milling and that the results will feed directly into processing flowsheet design and future feasibility work at Molaoi.
