Empire Metals shares jumped on Thursday after announcing a major ‘breakthrough’ in processing technology at its Pitfield Project in Western Australia.
The company achieved exceptional titanium recoveries and produced ultra-high purity titanium dioxide through conventional processing methods, with the initial rougher stage flotation achieving 77% recovery rates, while the cleaning stage performance reached an impressive 90% from fine, weathered ore samples.
The results represent a significant milestone for the AIM-quoted exploration company and shares reacted accordingly with a 17% gain.
Empire Metals shares are over 700% higher in 2025.
Testing confirmed that weathered ore at Pitfield can be processed using standard separation and refining techniques, delivering industry-leading performance metrics.
The final titanium dioxide product exceeded industry standards with 99.25% purity. Negligible impurities make the product suitable for both titanium sponge metal production and pigment manufacturing applications.
This purity level positions Empire’s potential product at the premium end of the titanium market, and the high-grade material commands superior pricing compared to standard titanium feedstock. Today’s announcement will go a long way to justifying meteoric gains in Empire’s shares.
“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,” said Shaun Bunn, Managing Director.
“Pitfield already stands out for its exceptional scale, continuity of high-grade near-surface mineralisation, and Tier 1 location with access to infrastructure. With this breakthrough in process development, we can now demonstrate a highly efficient and environmentally responsible route to producing multiple high-value titanium products.”