Proactive Investors - Empire Metals Limited (LON:EEEE) said it has started diamond drilling as part of the next major exploration campaign at the Pitfield Project in Western Australia.
A total of 800 metres of diamond core drilling will start the programme to be followed in March by a 40-hole Reverse Circulation drilling campaign covering 6,000m and that will take approximately 10 weeks.
Empire added that the drilling will help quantify two high-grade titanium-mineralised zones in areas that show potential to support shallow open-pit mining.
The diamond drilling should also provide confirmation confirming the continuation of near-surface, high-grade titanium mineralisation.
Shaun Bunn, Empire’s managing director, said: “The diamond core drilling, the second campaign of diamond drilling at Pitfield, represents the start of a major project development push, aimed at providing key samples for mineralogical and metallurgical characterisation, with a view to establishing an economic processing route to produce high-value products.
"The diamond core holes are focussed in areas of known titanium-enriched mineralisation, based on the results of our previous drilling campaigns, and the information we will gain from these four, 200m deep, drill cores will be invaluable in terms of increasing our understanding of the nature of the titanium minerals and their metallurgical characteristics."
To incentivise its staff Empire added it has agreed to issue options at a 14p and 18p strike price.