I do not think MRT is holding up drilling permits.
As I noted in an earlier post, one of the recent PRs/8-Ks noted that EEGC had not yet submitted a request for a work permit -- absent a request, can't have an approval.
Someone else asked whether you need to have pre-identified vendors to submit a work permit. If so, that would explain no work permit, since a vendor won't commit to EEGC without a substantial early payment, which won't happen without funding.
And we all know where that is -- nowhere, other than an occasional $100K or so to pay for Mr. Bendall's hotel bills and travel here and there.