Empire Metals (LON: EEE) is developing what is believed to be one of the world’s largest sediment-hosted titanium discoveries at its Pitfield Project in Western Australia. Originally exploring for copper, the company instead uncovered a vast titanium-rich system that had gone unnoticed despite decades of exploration by major mining companies.

The focus has now shifted from discovery to development. Continued drilling has confirmed further high-grade titanium mineralisation, while metallurgical test work has demonstrated a processing route capable of producing a premium-grade titanium dioxide product. Together, these milestones are helping to demonstrate the project’s commercial potential.

The scale of Pitfield is what makes it stand out. The mineralised system extends for around 40 kilometres in length and up to 10 kilometres in width, with titanium-bearing rocks mapped to depths of approximately 5 kilometres. Management has described the deposit as an “inverted mountain”, reflecting the enormous volume of mineralised material beneath the surface.

Titanium is a critical mineral used across aerospace, defence, medical and industrial applications thanks to its strength, light weight and corrosion resistance. It is also the key ingredient in titanium dioxide, which is widely used in paints, coatings and pigments. As governments and industry look to secure supplies of critical minerals, projects of this scale are attracting increasing attention.

Empire Metals is continuing to advance Pitfield through drilling, resource definition, metallurgical optimisation and engineering studies, with the aim of developing a large-scale, long-life mining operation. The project also benefits from its location in Western Australia, one of the world’s leading mining jurisdictions, with established infrastructure and access to export markets.

In this interview, Managing Director Shaun Bunn explains how the Pitfield discovery was made, why the project could be globally significant, and what the next stages of development could mean for Empire Metals and its shareholders.