REG - Empire Metals Ltd - Environmental Studies to Commence at Pitfield

Empire MetalsAnnouncement

25/09/2024 07:00

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RNS Number : 4908F  Empire Metals Limited  25 September 2024

 

Empire Metals Limited / LON: EEE / Sector: Natural Resources

 

25 September 2024

Empire Metals Limited

('Empire' or the 'Company')

 

Environmental Studies to Commence at Pitfield

 

Empire Metals Limited (LON: EEE), the AIM-quoted resource exploration and
development company, is pleased to announce the commencement of environmental
impact assessment studies for the Pitfield Project in Western Australia
('Pitfield' or the 'Project'). These studies are an important input into both
project development, permitting planning and project de-risking as the Company
moves through the development and approvals process ahead of
commercialisation.

 

Highlights

 

·    The environmental impact assessment process has commenced for
Pitfield, with ecology (fauna and flora) and baseline dust monitoring being
the first of several studies to be initiated.

 

·    The studies will help inform the project team during the process
design phase and provide important background information as the Company moves
through the various development and approvals phases for the Project.

 

·    The consultants engaged to conduct these studies are highly respected
industry experts who have an in-depth knowledge of environmental policy and
legislation.

 

·    Early engagement with the various stakeholders at Pitfield should
maintain already positive relationships that the Company holds with the local
community and stakeholders, with whom Empire continues to actively engage with
on a frequent and regular basis.

 

Shaun Bunn, Managing Director, said: "I am pleased to announce the
commencement of our environmental studies with the initial focus on ecology
and dust monitoring.  Further studies are planned across a wide range of
important topics, with particular focus on local stakeholders and communities.
These studies will form part of an overall Environmental Impact Assessment, a
critical component of the approval process for the commercial development of
the Project. We have the opportunity at Pitfield to deliver a world-class
asset from both an economic and environmental perspective, these early studies
will help to deliver the optimum route for development for all stakeholders.

 

"At Empire Metals, we recognize the value of the land in which we operate and
we respect the significance of these values to traditional owners, landowners
and our communities. We are committed to conserving and improving these values
through diligent environmental management and innovative project design.
Empire is actively consulting with local community members and stakeholders
and remains committed to making a positive social and economic contributions
to the communities in which we operate."

 

Environmental Studies and Community Engagement

Environmental studies and community and stakeholder engagement is managed by
Empire's Environmental Manager, Ms Carrie Pritchard (B.Sc. (NRM) (Hons)).
Carrie has over 20 years' experience in the mining/processing industry,
working on project development and approvals, environmental impact assessment,
stakeholder consultation, operations environmental management, mine closure
and reclamation. She has managed projects through feasibility, environmental
impact assessment, construction and commissioning, including establishing
compliance and environmental management systems. Carrie has extensive working
experience with the Western Australian mining approvals processes and local
and State Government agencies.

 

The Pitfield landscape has been extensively cleared for agriculture.
 Environmental studies will initially focus on understanding the conservation
value of patches of vegetation across the project.  Agriculture is generally
broadscale grain production with livestock grazing.

 

The Project is located near Three Springs, a small but vibrant Mid-West
community (Figure 1).

 

Figure 1: Three Springs town

Three Springs is well serviced by local businesses including a
supermarket/newsagency/liquor store, chemist, butcher, post office, hotel,
motel and restaurant, cafe, hardware, roadhouse, bank, agricultural machinery
dealership, farm supplies as well as a variety of trades and contractors.

 

Broadacre farming is the primary industry of the Shire, with a variety of
crops (wheat, canola, lupins, oats etc) and stock (sheep and cattle) produced.

 

Mining also contributes strongly to the community, with the largest talc mine
in the Southern Hemisphere situated just 10km east of Three Springs and
employing many local residents (Figure 2).

Figure 2.   Three Springs Talc Mine

 

Empire has already secured exploration access agreements with many of the
local landowners across the Pitfield area, covering an area exceeding 18,000
hectares.

 

Ecological studies

Botanica Consulting ('Botanica') has been engaged to undertake a
reconnaissance Flora and Basic Fauna survey for the Thomas and Cosgrove
prospects. Field-based studies are being undertaken during September 2024.
 Due to the extensive agriculture across the survey area, only pockets of
remnant vegetation require survey. The survey(s) will be conducted in
accordance with the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority's
Statement of Environmental Principles, Factors and Objectives and Technical
Guidance. These studies will provide the Company's project team with an
initial understanding of conservation values across the exploration targets
and will inform options and project design studies over the Pitfield project
development and planning phase.

 

Potential impacts to sensitive receptors from conceptual mining and project
infrastructure will be identified and inform options studies and project
design.

 

Botanica is a well-respected Environmental Consultancy based in Western
Australia with strong technical expertise, combined with in-depth knowledge of
policy and legislation. The consultancy has been established for over 25
years. Jim and Andrea Williams (Directors) head the team with over 40 years
combined experience. Mr. Williams is a current committee member of the
Environmental Consultants Association of Western Australia.

 

 

Figure 3: Inspecting remnant vegetation at the Pitfield Project

Figure 4: Inspecting drill site locations at the Pitfield Project

 

Air quality studies

Environmental Technologies and Analytics ('ETA') have been engaged to develop
a baseline Dust Monitoring Plan and to support the Company in the
establishment and management of a dust monitoring network, with the primary
objective of establishing baseline dust levels prior to commencement of
Project construction and operations.

 

The dust monitoring program will define a baseline of concentrations before
the commencement of construction and operations. This information is critical
to determining any potential changes or impacts resulting from the Project so
that dust mitigation methods can be optimized and effective. The emphasis of
the baseline dust monitoring program will be to characterise the baseline dust
levels in the Three Springs townsite, specifically for background dust levels
associated with natural sources in the region; and the contribution of other
existing anthropogenic sources.

 

ETA are a highly respected team of atmospheric scientists and air quality
specialists who provide technical experience in all aspects of atmospheric
science, air quality, odour and dust assessment and management, including
strategic and technical abatement advice, and innovative solutions. ETA are
Certified Air Quality Professionals (CAQP) with the Clean Air Society of
Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ). The ETA team members each bring over 20
years of individual experience, across a wide variety of industrial sectors
including mining and resources, oil and gas, chemical manufacturing, energy
and waste both locally and globally.

 

Community consultation

Empire Metals are actively consulting with local community members and
stakeholders through proactive engagement. Recently, the Empire team presented
the Pitfield Project to the Three Springs Shire Councillors. This was followed
by an open discussion of the journey that we have ahead of us. The Empire team
have also attended recent community events, including the Mingenew Midwest
Expo and Three Springs Golf Club community day.

Figure 5: Presentation to the Three Springs Shire Councillors

 

The Pitfield Project

Located within the Mid-West region of Western Australia, near the northern
wheatbelt town of Three Springs, Pitfield lies 313km north of Perth and 156km
south of Geraldton, the Mid West region's capital and major port. Western
Australia is ranked as one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world

 

according to the Fraser Institute's Investment Attractiveness Index published
in 2023, and has mining-friendly policies, stable government, transparency,
and advanced technology expertise. Pitfield has existing connections to port
(both road & rail), HV power substations, and is nearby to natural gas
pipelines as well as a green energy hydrogen fuel hub, which is under planning
and development (refer Figure 6).

 

Figure 6. Pitfield Project Location showing the Mid-West Region Infrastructure
and Services.

Since commencing its maiden drill campaign in March 2023, the Company has
completed a total of 107 drillholes for 17,003m (including seven diamond core
holes for 2,025m), of which 67 RC drillholes and six diamond core drillholes
were drilled within the Cosgrove and Thomas prospects (Figure 7). The drilling
shows a high-grade (>5% TiO(2)), more than 1km wide central core running on
a north-south trend through both mineral prospects, which could join between
the two prospects thereby representing a potential total strike length of more
than 20km. Significantly, the RC drillhole results clearly indicate elevated
TiO(2) grades are present within the top 40m (RNS: 15 May 2024).

Figure 7.  Grey-scale magnetics map overlain by airborne gravity survey
results with the location of RC and Diamond Core drillholes and the Cosgrove
and Thomas Exploration Target.

 

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

Certain information contained in this announcement would have been deemed
inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No
596/2014, as incorporated into UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act
2018, until the release of this announcement.

 

**ENDS**

 

For further information please visit www.empiremetals.com
(http://www.empiremetals.com)   or contact:

 Empire Metals Ltd

 Shaun Bunn / Greg Kuenzel / Arabella Burwell                                            Tel: 020 4583 1440
 S. P. Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Nomad & Broker)                                      Tel: 020 3470 0470

 Ewan Leggat / Adam Cowl
 Shard Capital Partners LLP (Joint Broker)                                               Tel: 020 7186 9950

 Damon Heath
 St Brides Partners Ltd (Financial                                                       Tel: 020 7236 1177
 PR)

 Susie Geliher / Charlotte Page

 

About Empire Metals Limited

Empire Metals is an AIM-listed exploration and resource development company
(LON: EEE) with a primary focus on developing Pitfield, an emerging giant
titanium project in Western Australia.

 

Exploration activity at Pitfield has confirmed the discovery of a new giant
mineralised system extending over 40km by 8km by 5km deep. Drilling campaigns
have confirmed high-grade TiO₂ mineralised zones across thick bedded
intervals to a vertical depth of ~350m, confirming Pitfield as a world class,
district-scale titanium mineral system.

 

Empire is now accelerating the economic development of Pitfield, with the
objective of becoming a leading producer of high value titanium dioxide
products.

 

The Company also has two further exploration projects in Australia; the
Eclipse Project and the Walton Project in Western Australia, in addition to
three precious metals projects located in a historically high-grade gold
producing region of Austria.

 

 

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