Empire Metals Shares Surge on Breakthrough Titanium Processing Results

Empire Metals (LON:EEE) shares surged Thursday following the release of highly promising metallurgical test results from its Pitfield Project in Western Australia.

The company announced that it has achieved industry-leading titanium dioxide (TiO₂) recoveries and purity levels using conventional separation and refining techniques on weathered ore from the site.

The headline numbers showcase exceptional flotation performance, with rougher stage recoveries reaching 77% and cleaning stage recoveries hitting 90% from fine, weathered ore samples. Direct acid bake and hot-water leach processes resulted in a remarkable 98% titanium dissolution, leaving behind inert quartz residues.

Overall titanium recovery from flotation feed to final product is approximately 67%, and Empire Metals anticipates further improvements with optimization of mineral separation stages.

The resulting TiO₂ product boasts a high purity grade of 99.25% with negligible impurities, making it suitable for titanium sponge metal or pigment production. This high purity, coupled with low iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) content (around 5%), translates to reduced acid consumption, minimized waste, and supports higher recoveries compared to typical ilmenite feedstock processing.

These developments are said to be particularly significant as they simplify and expedite the development pathway for the Pitfield Project.

The amenability of the ore to standard mineral separation eliminates the need for a costly bespoke demonstration plant, paving the way for a lower-cost continuous pilot program using accredited commercial laboratories.

Driver Breakdown:

• Efficient Processing: Conventional separation methods reduce capital expenditure.
• High-Purity Product: 99.25% TiO2 purity opens doors to high-value applications.
• Environmental Advantages: Low Fe₂O₃ content minimizes waste and acid usage.

Shaun Bunn, Managing Director of Empire Metals, emphasized the transformative nature of these results: “These results mark a step change in Pitfield's development. We now have clear evidence that the ore is ideally suited to conventional mineral separation and refining, producing a high-purity titanium product with strong recoveries. This sets Pitfield apart from ilmenite-based projects, which typically face lower recoveries, higher costs, and significant environmental challenges.”

Empire Metals has committed substantial financial resources to developing a metallurgical flowsheet that can economically extract titanium and produce a high-value titanium product. The company's approach has included extensive mineralogical investigations, wide-ranging literature reviews, and rigorous laboratory testing.

Initial testwork on fresh, titanite-rich bedrock mineralisation at Pitfield yielded encouraging results. However, the identification of the extensive in-situ weathered cap, which represents a substantial mining opportunity, led to subsequent testwork programs focused on this material. The weathered cap, containing mainly anatase and rutile, offers significant advantages due to its soft, friable texture, elevated titanium grades, and near-surface exposure.