EMP Metals Corp. [EMPS-CSE, EMPPF-OTCQB] has reported a substantial increase in high-grade resources across all categories for its Viewfield and Masur lithium brine projects in Saskatchewan.
The results of the latest mineral resource estimate (MRE) include 931,038 tonnes of indicated lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) with a weighted average of 141 mg/L of lithium, and 1.12 million tonnes of inferred LCE with a weighted average of 112 mg/L lithium. The company said the total resource has increased by over 78.5% from earlier estimates.
Other highlights from the latest upgrades include confirmation of production capabilities from the first horizontal well in the project area, along with production swab tests in multiple zones from EMP test wells.
EMP shares were unchanged at 32.5 cents and trade in a 52-week range of 53 cents and 21.5 cents.
“This is a tremendous increase in resource for EMP,’’ said EMP CEO Karl Kottmeier. “We have been well rewarded for the risk taken in completing the first lithium exploration horizontal well drilled in Canada,’’ he said. “The large increase in our resource, without sacrificing lithium grade, is also a huge achievement and further confirmation of our high-quality brine.’’
Kottmeier said the announcement is perfectly timed to support Project Aurora, the company’s demonstration plant development (see details below).
“Since the last technical update, EMP has expanded its land position by more than 20%, adding over 6,700 hectares of prospective lands in the Viewfield and Mansur permit areas, with total combined landholdings exceeding 83,000 hectares in Southeast Saskatchewan,’’ the company said in a press release.
EMP is a lithium exploration and development company with a focus on large-scale resources using direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology. EMP owns 100% of Hub City Lithium, a private entity which controls the leased land covering the Mansur and Viewfield projects targeting the Duperow formation. It holds that interest following a share exchanged deal with ROK Resources Inc. [ROK-TSXV, ROKRF-OTCQB], which exchanged its 25% stake in Hub City for 17 million shares of EMP.
In a press release on May 29, 2025, EMP said it has entered into a lithium plant demonstration agreement with Saltworks Technologies Inc. to develop, build and operate a lithium refining demonstration plant at EMP’s Viewfield project. It said “Project Aurora” will build on the success of a lithium conversion pilot program already completed and marks a high step forward towards commercializing the company’s lithium-brine portfolio.
The agreement requires Saltworks to design, build, and commission a wellhead connected, continuous flow Demo Plant to process ten (10) m 3/day of raw lithium brine into refined and concentrated lithium chloride (CLC).
Saltworks will also upgrade its already established lithium conversion plant located in Richmond, B.C., to continuously process CLC into lithium carbonate.
At Viewfield, a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) has outlined estimated production (282,090 tonnes) of battery-quality lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) over a 23-year period. The PEA envisages average annual production of 12,175 tonnes.
