Highlights

  • Diamond drilling programme begins at Thomas Prospect to collect geological, metallurgical, and geotechnical data.
  • Planned 1,000m of drilling across 10 holes, with assay results anticipated in January 2026.
  • GBP 7m capital raise and GBP 4m existing cash reserves fund upcoming work programmes and testwork.

Empire Metals Limited (LSE:EEE) has commenced a diamond drilling campaign at the Thomas Prospect within its Pitfield Project in Western Australia. The programme is intended to test the high-grade TiO₂-rich core identified from previous drilling and included in the recently announced Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE).

The drilling campaign, scheduled from 17 November to 22 December 2025, will cover approximately 1,000m across 10 holes. The data collected will provide detailed geological, geochemical, metallurgical, and geotechnical information to support ongoing resource development studies and potential expansion of the MRE. Wallis Drilling Pty Ltd has been contracted to conduct the programme, with geochemical results expected in late January 2026.

Funding and Workstreams

Following the GBP 7m capital raising and combined with GBP 4m in existing cash reserves, Empire Metals has secured full funding for the planned programmes. Over the next three to six months, work will focus on metallurgical testwork, pilot-scale testwork initiation, and planning the next phase of resource expansion drilling.

Pitfield Project Resource Overview

The Pitfield Project hosts a substantial titanium resource, with an MRE of 2.2 billion tonnes grading 5.1% TiO₂, representing 113 million tonnes of contained titanium dioxide. This estimate covers only the Thomas and Cosgrove deposits and accounts for 20% of the known mineralised footprint.

The MRE includes a weathered zone of 1.26 billion tonnes at 5.2% TiO₂ and an Indicated Resource of 697 million tonnes at 5.3% TiO₂, mainly from the Thomas deposit. Titanium mineralisation occurs from surface, with grade continuity along strike and down dip.

Diamond Drilling Focus

The November-December 2025 drilling programme is designed to:

  • Generate detailed geological and structural data from the weathered zone into fresh bedrock.
  • Provide geochemical analytical results to support MRE upgrades.
  • Deliver PQ drill core for metallurgical testing.
  • Collect geotechnical data to inform mining and engineering studies.

Development Pathway

The upcoming months will see the transition from targeted drilling to a larger scale-up phase. By early 2026, Empire Metals aims to complete metallurgical and initiate pilot-scale testwork programmes while preparing for large-scale drilling to expand the current resource. Early engineering, environmental, and permitting studies are also planned to support future development at Pitfield.

Share Performance of EEE

EEE was trading 7.35% lower at GBX 31.50 per share as of 12 November 2025 at the time of writing.