Empire Metals Ltd (AIM:EEE, OTCQX:EPMLF) shares climbed more than 11%, to 33.63p, after it told investors that initial assays from its largest drilling campaign to date have confirmed and expanded the high-grade core at the Thomas prospect within its Pitfield titanium project in Western Australia.
The AIM-quoted explorer completed 712 drill holes for 34,844 metres, taking total drilling at Pitfield to 67,846 metres across 1,104 holes.
Results from the first 88 holes at Thomas showed multiple thick, near-surface titanium intercepts above 7% TiO₂, including 54 metres at 7.08% TiO₂ from surface, 48 metres at 7.90% from surface and 47 metres at 7.77% from surface.
Empire also reported a peak grade of 17.83% TiO₂ over two metres within a wider intercept of 50 metres at 6.78% TiO₂ from 10 metres. Of the first 88 holes, 36 averaged more than 6% TiO₂, while eight returned intervals of 38 to 54 metres grading above 7% TiO₂.
Managing director Shaun Bunn called the campaign “a defining moment for Pitfield”, saying the results confirmed “a continuous, near-surface, high-grade core within a titanium system of genuine district scale”.
More than 17,000 samples have been sent to Intertek Perth for geochemical analysis and follow-up assay work, which Empire expects to support an updated mineral resource estimate for Thomas and Cosgrove targeted for the third quarter of 2026.