Empire Metals Limited (LON: EEE, OTCQX: EPMLF) has launched its largest-ever drilling campaign at the Pitfield Project in Western Australia, targeting a major expansion of its titanium dioxide (TiO₂) mineral system.
The fully funded programme will comprise 754 drill holes for a total of 41,250 metres, designed to evaluate the scale of mineralisation and grow the company’s Cosgrove and Thomas mineral resource estimates. Drilling will be carried out using three Air Core rigs and two Reverse Circulation rigs, with completion expected by mid-April.
Empire said the campaign aims to upgrade the Thomas resource into the Measured and Indicated categories, while also delivering a significant increase in the Cosgrove resource base.
An updated Mineral Resource Estimate is expected in the third quarter of 2026, supporting further technical and development studies. The Pitfield Project currently hosts a resource of around 2.2 billion tonnes grading
Highlights
· A total of 754 drill holes are planned:
o 683 Air Core (‘AC’) drillholes for approximately 34,150 metres, and
o 71 Reverse Circulation (‘RC’) drillholes for approximately 7,100 metres,
o totalling 41,250 metres of drilling.
· The fully funded campaign will utilise 3 AC drill rigs and 2 RC rigs and drilling is expected to be completed by mid-April.
· The key outcome of the drilling will be an updated MRE at Thomas, with increased resource classification into the Measured and Indicated categories, and a significantly larger updated MRE at Cosgrove.
· Updated MRE anticipated in Q3 2026 to support ongoing engineering and study work.
Shaun Bunn, Managing Director, said: “We are pleased to commence this important drilling campaign at Pitfield, focused on upgrading our maiden MRE from the Thomas and Cosgrove Prospects (announced 14 October 2025) and extending the exploration target area. This fully-funded campaign is the largest undertaken to date at Pitfield and will significantly improve our understanding of the scale and grade of the Pitfield MRE, and also increase the confidence levels of Measured and Indicated Resources in readiness for developing mine design and Ore Reserves.”
