Empire Metals Ltd (AIM: EEE, OTCQX: EPMLF) has provided an update on development work at its Pitfield titanium project in Western Australia, where multiple workstreams are progressing in parallel as the company accelerates the project’s development.
Empire said flotation testing has confirmed the selective recovery of titanium minerals while rejecting high levels of gangue. Whole-of-ore flotation delivered concentrate grades above 34% TiO₂ with recoveries of around 70%, while also simplifying the overall separation flowsheet.
The company also reported positive results from atmospheric sulphuric acid leaching of flotation concentrates. This approach requires lower operating temperatures and simpler equipment than the acid bake–water leach route previously tested, offering potential benefits to both capital and operating costs.
Managing director Shaun Bunn said the results highlight the pace and quality of work being delivered across the project. He added that metallurgical programmes are advancing rapidly toward a defined process flowsheet, with flotation performance and low-temperature atmospheric leaching having the potential to materially enhance project economics.
Engineering, mining and marketing studies are now under way to support a scoping study targeted for later in 2026. Empire expects the mineral separation flowsheet to reach a stage by early February that will allow larger-scale batch testing, with a preferred process flowsheet targeted by the end of the first quarter of 2026 ahead of continuous pilot-scale testing.
Separately, the company confirmed it has signed a non-binding cooperation agreement with the Mid West Ports Authority to facilitate discussions on future port access. The Pitfield project is located near Three Springs, around 313 kilometres north of Perth.
Bunn said the latest milestones further strengthen Pitfield’s position as a globally significant titanium development project, with multiple downstream product pathways including pigment and titanium metal feedstock.
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