Empire Resources Reports Promising April 2026 RC Drilling Results at Yuinmery, Revealing New Copper-Gold and PGM Targets

April RC Drilling Confirms Hillside as a Significant Copper-Gold Prospect at Yuinmery

Before the April 2026 RC drilling, Hillside was considered a potential shallow gold target based on six air core holes drilled in 2025 that tested historic oxide gold anomalies. Those earlier air core results were modest, with copper values below 2,000 ppm. However, the nine RC holes drilled at Hillside in April 2026, totaling 1,266 metres, revealed a markedly different mineralisation profile at depth, reshaping the prospect’s outlook.

The highlight was drill hole YRC26-26, which intersected 8 metres grading 1.24% copper and 1.13 grams per tonne gold from 80 metres depth, along with a broader 40-metre interval at 0.33% copper from 140 metres. Hole YRC26-21 also returned 24 metres at 0.52% copper. These results indicate that the oxide gold zone identified in 2025 overlies a more extensive primary copper-gold mineralised system in fresh rock. The company described this as evidence of a mineralised system "much larger and more complex" than previously understood from historic and recent drilling.

Hillside North Reveals PGM-Iron Anomaly, Introducing New Exploration Potential

A single hole drilled 200 metres north of Hillside’s main area, YRC26-27, targeted an iron-rich surface outcrop and returned an intriguing result. It intersected 40 metres containing 233 parts per billion palladium, 166 parts per billion platinum, 45 parts per billion gold, and 24.2% iron. This identifies Hillside North as an early-stage platinum group element and iron prospect in a geological setting distinct from the low-grade PGM mineralisation at the nearby Constantine prospect.

Non-Executive Chairman Michael Ruane noted that Hillside North’s geological setting differs from Constantine, and the company is investigating how this may affect PGM grades. Empire also completed three follow-up RC holes at Hillside in June 2026 as part of the second drilling program, with results pending. The discovery of PGM mineralisation alongside copper-gold at Yuinmery adds a multi-commodity dimension that could broaden the project’s investment appeal if confirmed by further drilling.

Microbe Well Emerges as a New Gold Discovery Hosted in Porphyry Intrusive

Described as an early-stage gold discovery, Microbe Well yielded drill hole YRC26-35 with 4 metres at 1.14 grams per tonne gold from 34 metres, within a broader 17-metre interval grading 0.54 grams per tonne gold from 24 metres. The hole also recorded 84 metres at 161 parts per billion gold from 16 metres, suggesting a large volume of low-grade gold mineralisation within a porphyry intrusive more than 100 metres thick.

This marks the first significant gold mineralisation identified within a porphyry intrusive at Yuinmery, with fresh drill chips containing disseminated pyrite and variable low-grade gold. Chairman Ruane highlighted that Microbe Well appears linked to the regional Yuinmery shear and exposes over five kilometres of previously unexplored, undercover terrain within the company’s tenure. Six surrounding RC holes were drilled at Microbe Well in June 2026, with assay results still awaited.

High-Grade Copper-Gold Intercept at Just Desserts Transition Zone

The April 2026 program also delivered strong copper-gold mineralisation from the Just Desserts transition zone, an established deposit area at Yuinmery. The standout intercept was 8 metres grading 5.33% copper and 0.57 grams per tonne gold from 72 metres. This result adds to the significant mineralisation known in this zone.

Just Desserts forms part of the broader Yuinmery resource, which includes the Just Desserts and A-Zone volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits. The combined JORC 2012 resource totals 3.59 million tonnes at 1.25% copper and 0.46 grams per tonne gold, based on a 0.5% copper cut-off. The recent transition zone intercept indicates that mineralisation extends beyond previously defined resource boundaries, potentially impacting future resource updates depending on follow-up work.

April 2026 Program Covered 13 Prospects Including Five New Targets

The April RC program was designed to both validate established prospects such as YT01, YT12, and YT19 with fresh drilling into primary rock, and to test new targets not previously drilled with RC methods. In total, 13 prospects were drilled, including five brand-new targets, making this one of the company’s most extensive exploration efforts at Yuinmery in recent years.

The 37-hole, 4,401-metre program produced preliminary composite assay results. Empire noted that single-sample metre assays will follow, providing more detailed grade information. Composite assays offer initial grade averages over intervals, while single-sample results will allow finer geological interpretation and identification of higher-grade zones within those intervals. The broad scope of the April program reflects a strategy to prioritize targets warranting focused follow-up.

June 2026 RC Program of 22 Holes Completed; Results Pending

A second RC drilling program was completed in June 2026, consisting of 22 holes for 2,638 metres. This program primarily focused on follow-up drilling of promising April results, including three holes at Hillside and six holes around Microbe Well. Assay outcomes from this campaign are awaited.

Conducting two drilling programs in quick succession demonstrates Empire’s commitment to advancing exploration rapidly during the field season. For investors, the June results represent a key near-term catalyst, especially given the promising early-stage nature of the Hillside copper-gold-PGM system and the Microbe Well porphyry gold discovery. The company has not provided a timeline for when June assay results will be released.

Geological Context of Yuinmery and Its Location in the Archaean Greenstone Belt

Yuinmery is situated about 470 kilometres northeast of Perth and 80 kilometres southwest of Sandstone in Western Australia, accessible via the Great Northern Highway and Paynes Find-Sandstone Road. The project covers the eastern portion of the Archaean Youanmi greenstone belt, a geological terrane known for diverse mineral deposit types, including volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) copper-gold deposits that underpin Yuinmery’s existing resource.

The project lies between two major structural features: the Youanmi Shear Zone to the west and the Yuinmery Shear Zone to the east. The new Microbe Well discovery appears spatially associated with the Yuinmery Shear. The area’s geological diversity—comprising felsic and intermediate volcanics, ultramafic units, banded iron formations, cherts, and porphyry intrusives—renders Yuinmery prospective for multiple deposit styles beyond the original VMS mineralisation. The PGM mineralisation at Hillside North, distinct from that at Constantine, further underscores this complexity.

Empire Resources’ Strategic Focus Guided by April 2026 Results

Chairman Michael Ruane explained that the April program was partly a strategic assessment to identify which prospects across Yuinmery offer the greatest potential to advance exploration. The results have highlighted two promising new targets at Hillside and Microbe Well, alongside ongoing potential at established zones like Just Desserts.

Ruane emphasized that Microbe Well reveals over five kilometres of previously unexplored, undercover ground within the company’s tenure, potentially opening a major new exploration corridor. Should June follow-up drilling confirm the porphyry gold system’s extent, it could significantly influence market perceptions of Yuinmery’s value. Empire has not provided guidance on exploration expenditure or a timeline for resource updates in this announcement.

Contextualizing Hillside and Microbe Well Results Relative to Yuinmery’s Existing JORC Resource

The current JORC 2012 combined resource for Yuinmery totals 3.59 million tonnes grading 1.25% copper and 0.46 grams per tonne gold, based on the Just Desserts and A-Zone VMS deposits. The new intercepts at Hillside and Microbe Well remain at the prospect stage and are not yet incorporated into this resource. However, the Hillside intercept of 8 metres at 1.24% copper and 1.13 grams per tonne gold compares favorably with the existing resource grades, which may interest investors evaluating the significance of these discoveries.

It is important to recognize that early-stage drill intercepts do not constitute a mineral resource estimate. Extensive additional drilling and technical evaluation are required before any new resource can be declared. The company has not commented on the potential size or economic viability of Hillside or Microbe Well beyond these preliminary assay results. The immediate impact on the company’s share price was not evident from publicly available information at the time of publication.

Investor Watchpoints as Empire Awaits June 2026 Assay Results

The primary near-term catalyst for investors is the release of assay results from the June 2026 RC program, which includes follow-up drilling at Hillside—the newly confirmed copper-gold-PGM prospect—and Microbe Well, where six surrounding holes were drilled to delineate the porphyry-hosted gold system. These results will clarify whether the April intercepts represent isolated occurrences or the edges of significant mineralised systems warranting resource development.

Additionally, investors may anticipate the release of single-sample metre assay data from the April program, which could refine grade profiles beyond the preliminary composite figures. The company has indicated that the Hillside mineralised system is likely larger and more complex than current drilling suggests, and the PGM-iron anomaly at Hillside North adds further exploration interest. Empire Resources has not provided financial guidance, capital expenditure forecasts, or production targets in relation to this update, with the project remaining in the exploration phase.