Empire Metals Limited (LSE:EEE) announced plans to begin pilot-scale metallurgical testing at its Pitfield Titanium Project in Western Australia in November 2026, as the company advances process development and engineering studies ahead of a pre-feasibility study.
The programme will use bulk ore samples collected from Pitfield to assess mineral separation, titanium extraction and titanium dioxide (TiO2) production using the company’s previously developed processing flowsheet, known as the Empire Process.
Testing will take place at existing metallurgical laboratories in Perth, with initial mineral separation work scheduled for late November or early December and subsequent titanium recovery testing planned for the first quarter of 2027.
Empire Metals also confirmed that its scoping study, being managed by DRA Global Limited, remains on schedule for completion in Q1 2027.
Pilot-Scale Testing to Assess Titanium Processing Flowsheet
Empire Metals plans to commence pilot-scale metallurgical testing following approximately two years of bench-scale process development work.
The programme will assess the performance of the Empire Process, a flowsheet designed to recover titanium and produce high-purity titanium dioxide from Pitfield’s weathered ore.
The process uses established mineral processing and hydrometallurgical technologies, with two principal stages covering ore preparation and mineral separation, followed by titanium recovery and TiO2 production.
The initial testing programme is intended to confirm process design parameters, assess equipment suitability and provide information on the scalability of individual processing stages.
Results will support further engineering work and the development of an integrated continuous pilot plant.
The company intends to use the findings to inform its planned transition from the scoping study to the pre-feasibility study phase.
Mineral Separation Testing Scheduled for Late November
The first stage of the programme will take place at Strategic Metallurgy’s laboratory in Perth.
Mineral separation testing is expected to begin in late November or early December 2026 using existing continuous pilot-scale equipment.
The programme will include ore crushing and grinding, particle sizing and froth flotation.
The selected feed material consists of a blend of saprolite-zone ore samples collected from the Thomas deposit during Empire Metals’ 2025 air-core drilling programme.
The circuit will process crushed ore continuously to produce a flotation concentrate and tailings.
The resulting concentrate will be filtered and stored for subsequent titanium extraction and TiO2 production testing.
Samples of coarse rejects and flotation tailings will also be collected to support preliminary engineering studies.
Strategic Metallurgy has previously undertaken bench-scale and bulk batch mineral separation testing for the project.
Titanium Recovery Testing Planned for Q1 2027
The second stage of the pilot programme will be conducted at Simulus Group’s metallurgical laboratory in Perth during the first quarter of 2027.
This phase will assess titanium extraction and recovery processes using the flotation concentrate produced during the initial mineral separation programme.
The principal continuous pilot-scale operations will include acid baking and water leaching to recover titanium.
Acid pre-leaching will be conducted as a bulk batch process, supported by additional bench-scale tests using recycled acid streams.
Other processing stages, including titanium hydrolysis and calcination, will be undertaken through larger-scale batch operations.
Empire Metals said this approach reflects the proposed operating configuration for these stages in a commercial processing facility.
The programme will also examine the recycling of spent liquor from the hydrolysis process back into the acid pre-leaching circuit.
Data collected from the tests will be used to update process design models and inform preliminary engineering work.
The company also intends to collect samples of potential by-products and waste streams for further evaluation.
Titanium Dioxide Samples to Support Product Development
The combined pilot-scale testing programme is expected to produce raw anatase titanium dioxide pigment for downstream product development.
Empire Metals intends to use the material to assess several potential applications and processing routes.
These include calcination testing to convert anatase into rutile pigment and coating tests intended to support customer product evaluations.
The company will also conduct agglomeration testing to assess whether the material is suitable for use as chlorinator feedstock or in the Kroll process for titanium sponge production.
Additional samples will support research into producing titanium metal directly from titanium dioxide through molten salt electrolysis.
That research is being conducted with Murdoch University and the Critical Metals for Critical Industries Cooperative Research Centre.
Empire Metals previously reported that rutile pigment had been produced from Pitfield’s anatase-rich weathered ore.
The company said those results indicated that processing conditions could determine the final pigment’s crystalline form, rather than the mineral composition of the original ore.
The pilot programme will provide further material for assessing these processing routes and potential end products.
Pitfield Scoping Study Expected in Q1 2027
Empire Metals confirmed that its Pitfield scoping study remains on schedule for completion during the first quarter of 2027.
DRA Global Limited has been appointed as lead study manager.
The company expects process design and initial engineering work to be completed before the end of 2026.
The scoping study will examine the technical and economic viability of developing Pitfield as an integrated mining and processing operation producing high-purity titanium dioxide products.
The assessment will include a proposed mining schedule based on the project’s weathered ore resource, a processing plant design using the Empire Process flowsheet, and estimates of capital and operating costs.
The study will also examine Pitfield’s potential operating cost position relative to existing titanium dioxide producers.
Empire Metals identified the project’s near-surface weathered mineralisation and proposed use of conventional processing technologies as factors to be considered in the economic assessment.
The results will provide a basis for the subsequent pre-feasibility study.
No updated project capital expenditure estimate, operating cost forecast or economic valuation was disclosed in the announcement.
Australian Securities Exchange Listing Plans Continue
Empire Metals also confirmed that preparations for its proposed dual listing on the Australian Securities Exchange remain on schedule.
The company is targeting completion of the listing during the second half of 2026.
Canaccord Genuity Australia is leading the process.
Empire Metals currently trades on London’s AIM market and the US OTCQX market.
The proposed ASX listing forms part of the company’s corporate development plans alongside the technical work being undertaken at Pitfield.
The announcement did not provide a confirmed listing date or details of any associated financing arrangements.
Managing Director Comments on Pitfield Development
Shaun Bunn, managing director of Empire Metals, commented on the planned testing programme and upcoming project milestones:
“The imminent commencement of pilot-scale testwork, the first stage of our piloting programme aimed at validating the recently developed “Empire Process” flowsheet, represents an important and exciting new chapter in the remarkable story that has been rapidly unfolding at the Pitfield Titanium Project. The fact that we can carry out these pilot-scale runs at local, internationally recognised metallurgical laboratories, without significant construction delays or capital investment, is testament to the wealth of mining development experience and expertise that we have at our disposal here in Western Australia.
“We remain on track to carry out the process design and initial engineering scoping work before year-end, alongside our ASX dual listing, which is also progressing to schedule, with the scoping study to be finalised in Q1 2027. These are major milestones for the Company. As pilot scale results become available over the coming months, these results along with the scoping study results will help optimise and advance the process design and lay the groundwork for the pre-feasibility study work to follow.”
Next Steps for the Pitfield Titanium Project
Empire Metals expects the initial mineral separation pilot programme to commence in late November or early December 2026.
The resulting flotation concentrate will then be used for titanium extraction and TiO2 production testing during Q1 2027.
The company plans to use the technical results to refine its process design, evaluate equipment performance and produce samples for downstream product testing.
The scoping study is also expected to be completed in Q1 2027, incorporating engineering assessments and preliminary project economics.
These activities are intended to establish the technical basis for progressing Pitfield into pre-feasibility work.
More About Empire Metals
Empire Metals Limited (LSE:EEE) is an AIM-quoted and OTCQX-traded exploration and development company focused on mineral projects in Western Australia.
Its Pitfield Titanium Project is being evaluated for the production of high-purity titanium dioxide and potential titanium metal feedstocks.
The company has developed the Empire Process flowsheet to recover titanium from Pitfield’s weathered mineralisation using established processing technologies.
Empire Metals is progressing pilot-scale metallurgical testing, engineering assessments and a scoping study as part of the project’s development.
The company is also pursuing a dual listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.
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