Announcement • Jun 03
Emperor Metals Reports High-Grade Gold Mineralization Results At Duquesne West Project
Emperor Metals Inc. reported on the progress of its 2026 exploration campaign at its Duquesne West Project, integrating 15,000 meters of new drilling with 8,000 meters of targeted resampling of historical core; together contributing an additional 23,000 meters of data to refine and expand the current geological model. Broad high-grade bulk-tonnage gold intercepts continue to demonstrate the project’s ability to rapidly add ounces in support of the Company’s vision of advancing toward a multi-million-ounce gold deposit in the Main Pit, highlighted by 35.9 meters grading 3.1 g/t Au. These holes are represented by drillholes DQ26-03, 04, and 45. Ongoing drilling continues to expand the deposit footprint eastward, with encouraging mineralized intercepts encountered in holes DQ26-05, 06, 07, and 08. Phase 1 pit infill drilling is targeting near-surface mineralization that could support a staged development approach, potentially accelerate future project development timelines and enhance overall project economics. This is represented by holes DQ26-11, 12, 13, 17, 33, 34, and 35. Assay results received to date represent 16 of the 47 holes drilled so far, accounting for roughly 35–40% of the current drilling program and only about 20% of the total assays expected from the broader 2025–2026 exploration season, including ongoing drilling and historical core resampling. Results have been reported for approximately 6,500 meters to date, while the Company has successfully completed around 15,300 meters of drilling and remains well below budget for the work completed. As the company continue to expand the deposit footprint along strike and at depth, the company is also enhancing the opportunity within the existing mineralized envelope by demonstrating increased thickness and grade. By systematically targeting the key structural controls of the deposit, the company continue to build ounces and unlock additional growth potential across the project. DQ26-45 demonstrates that multiple high-grade gold lenses hosted within a broader low-grade auriferous system can materially increase in both thickness and grade. The hole located approximately 75–80 meters down dip of Kinross’s 2002 drill hole DQ02-10, which intersected 13.4 meters grading 4.9 g/t Au, returned a threefold increase in mineralized thickness, highlighted by 35.9 meters grading 3.1 g/t Au. These results support the continuity and expansion potential of the high-grade system at depth while reinforcing the broader bulk-tonnage opportunity. Importantly, the identification of free gold within the system further enhances the project’s upside potential, representing a characteristic that had not previously been recognized or systematically targeted. The Duquesne West Gold Property is located 32 km northwest of the city of Rouyn-Noranda and 10 km east of the town of Duparquet. The property lies within the historic Duparquet gold mining camp in the southern portion of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in the Superior Province. Emperor is targeting a multi-million-ounce gold resource at Duquesne West through a combination of conceptual open-pit and underground mining scenarios. The Property currently hosts an updated inferred mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 26.9 million tonnes (Mt) containing 1.46 million ounces (Moz) of gold at an average grade of 1.69 g/t Au. The sensitivity table in the MRE shows various grade scenarios for a higher-grade open pit for an underground mining scenario. Under an Option Agreement, Emperor agreed to acquire a one hundred percent (100%) interest in a mineral claim package comprising 38 claims covering approximately 1,389 ha, located in the Duparquet Township of Quebec (the “Duquesne West Property”) from Duparquet Assets Ltd., a 50% owned subsidiary of Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. A reinterpretation of the existing geological model was created using AI and Machine Learning. This model shows the opportunity for additional discovery of ounces by revealing gold trends unknown to previous workers and the potential to expand the resource along significant gold-endowed structural zones. The technical content for the Duquesne West Project in this news release has been reviewed and approved by John Labrecque, B.Sc., P.Geol., OQLF, a Qualified Person pursuant to CIM guidelines.
