Interview with Shaun Bunn, Managing Director, Empire Metals

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/empire-metals-loneee-massive-titanium-exploration-target-with-150-year-supply-potential-5528

Recording date: 27th of March 2025

Empire Metals has discovered what it claims is the world's largest titanium deposit in Western Australia, with an exploration target of approximately 26-32 billion tons of ore. The company is positioning itself as an emerging player in the global titanium market with this strategic discovery in a tier-one mining jurisdiction.

A key advantage of the deposit is its weathered surface cap extending 60-80m deep, representing 4-5 billion tons of easily accessible, friable ore that requires no drilling or blasting. This natural feature significantly reduces potential mining costs as there is no overburden or waste to remove.

The company has already achieved early success in metallurgical testing, producing a 92% titanium dioxide product that contains none of the deleterious elements such as uranium, thorium, chromium, or heavy metals that typically plague other titanium sources. This gives Empire's product a significant competitive advantage in the market.

Unlike traditional titanium sources that rely on ilmenite processing, Empire's deposit contains titanium dioxide minerals that require approximately half the acid for processing – about one ton of acid per ton of mineral versus two tons for ilmenite. The company aims to produce high-value, pigment-grade titanium dioxide rather than intermediate concentrates.

Empire Metals is currently working toward a JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate, focusing initially on a smaller high-grade area of the massive deposit. The company recently completed a drilling program in February 2025 with 84 holes on a 100x100 meter grid, which will be expanded in the coming months.

The project benefits from a favorable permitting environment as it's located on private farmland in Western Australia's wheat belt, avoiding native title issues or crown land complications. This location, combined with the strategic importance of titanium for defense and aerospace applications, could enable fast-tracking through the approvals process.

With £4.8 million in cash, Empire Metals is well-funded to advance its development plans. The company expects to move toward production relatively quickly by industry standards, with potential revenue generation possibly beginning by 2026.

As Managing Director Shaun Bunn summarized: "If you wanted to find the perfect source to go and change and disrupt the industry and be able to produce titanium at a lower cost and a higher quality, this is the ore body that you needed to find."

Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/empire-metals

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