Titan Mining to establish critical minerals processing on strategic army installations

Gouverneur, NY – Titan Mining Corporation, an existing zinc concentrate producer in upstate New York and the only end to end producer of natural flake graphite in the U.S., announced a landmark step toward American graphite independence: its wholly-owned subsidiary, Empire State Mines, LLC (“ESM”), has received Conditional Selection Notices from the U.S. Army for Enhanced Use Lease (“EUL”) opportunities at two strategic defense installations — Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas, and Anniston Army Depot, Alabama.

The awards are made under U.S. Army RFP No. DACA27-1-26-204 and the Army’s newly launched Strategic Capital Initiatives (“SCI”) program. Titan is open to other Army sites and will continue to pursue those opportunities.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Historic First: First commercial graphite purification facility to be sited on U.S. Army installations, a landmark effort in ending America’s 100% import reliance on foreign-controlled graphite supply chains
• Executive Order 14241: ESM’s selection is among the first Enhanced Use Lease awards issued pursuant to President Trump’s March 2025 Executive Order directing the deployment of domestic mineral processing infrastructure on U.S. defense installations
• Two Conditional EUL Awards: Pine Bluff Arsenal, AR (~245 acres, primary site) and Anniston Army Depot, AL (~97 acres, secondary site)
• Facility Purpose: Design, finance, build, and operate the Kilbourne Graphite Purification Plant to produce Purified Micronized Graphite (PMG) and Coated Spherical Purified Graphite (CSPG) for defense, energy and industrial applications
• Zero Taxpayer Cost: All development, construction, and operating costs borne by Empire State Mines (“ESM”); U.S. Army retains land title at all times
• Long-Term Strategic Partnership: Lease term up to 50 years under 10 U.S.C. § 2667 Enhanced Use Lease authority
• Supply Chain Independence: Directly challenges China’s near-total control of graphite processing; delivers the domestic supply security that U.S. defense, energy and industrial supply chains require
• National Security Platform: Establishes a public-private partnership model for deploying critical mineral processing infrastructure on U.S. defense installations
• Development Timeline: Business Terms Agreement negotiations underway; construction targeted to commence in H2 2027

These conditional awards give effect to President Trump’s Executive Order 14241, which directed the Department of War to use its Enhanced Use Lease authority to establish commercial mineral refining enterprises on U.S. military bases. ESM’s selection is among the first awards issued under this initiative — a concrete step toward critical mineral independence and a demonstration that domestic mining companies, backed by federal policy and military infrastructure, can end America’s strategic dependence on foreign-controlled supply chains.

Subject to finalization of Business Terms Agreements with the U.S. Army, ESM will design, finance, construct, and operate the Kilbourne Graphite Purification Plant, a commercial-scale facility producing purified graphite critical to U.S. defense and energy storage supply chains. Pine Bluff Arsenal (Site B, ~245 acres) is designated as the primary site, with Anniston Army Depot (Parcel 1, ~97 acres) advancing on a sequenced schedule.