Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. Completes 2026 Diamond Drill Program at its Trident and Pinnacle Copper-Gold Properties

Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (PEMC) has completed its 2026 drilling program, which included 14 diamond holes totaling 4,548.5 meters of NQ core. The company described the scope as approximately 75% more metres than the 2025 programme.

At the Trident project, eight holes were drilled for a total of 2,410.6 meters. These included follow-up holes in the A Zone—DD26TRI007 (268.0 m), DD26TRI008 (265.0 m), and DD26TRI009 (325.0 m)—as well as holes targeting the East IP Anomaly (DD26TRI010: 387.0 m; DD26TRI011: 435.0 m; DD26TRI012: 86.6 m), the East Breccia (DD26TRI013: 447.0 m), and the West Breccia (DD26TRI014: 197.0 m).

Six holes were drilled at the Pinnacle project, totaling 2,137.9 meters. This marks the first diamond drilling at Pinnacle since 2017. The holes included Pinnacle South (DD26PIN015: 410.9 m; DD26PIN016: 282.0 m) and Pinnacle Aplite North (DD26PIN017: 378.0 m; DD26PIN018: 393.0 m; DD26PIN019: 358.0 m; DD26PIN020: 316.0 m).

Core from 13 of the 14 holes has been logged and sampled, with 2,286 samples submitted to ALS Canada Ltd. Hole DD26TRI011, which was collared from the same pad as DD26TRI010 and is the longest Trident hole at 435 meters, has not yet been logged or sampled.

Assay results for the Trident holes are expected by the end of 2026. Assays for the Pinnacle holes, along with previously unsampled 2025 core from holes DD25TRI003, DD25TRI004, and DD25TRI005, are scheduled for early 2027. Core from the remaining hole, DD25TRI006, is to be submitted shortly.

Quality assurance and quality control protocols were managed by Quinn Harper, P.Geo., of inData Geoscience Ltd. Samples were processed at ALS, an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory, using PREP-31B crush/pulverise procedures. Gold was analyzed via Au-AA23 30 g fire assay, and multi-element analysis was conducted using ME-MS61 four-acid ICP-MS. A blank or certified reference material (CRM) was included every 20th sample, representing 5% of the total.

The release described the work as targeting a "district-scale" and "one district-scale copper-gold porphyry system," calling it a "milestone season." The company stated it holds a land position of 16,982 hectares. This figure differs from the 22,541 hectares reported in the company's January 2026 releases and the approximately 22,700 hectares cited in its own investor presentation.

Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (PEMC) is a pre-resource explorer with a market capitalization of approximately C$12 million, reporting no revenue, no mineral resource, and no metallurgical data.

The company’s historical price performance has been anchored by the DD25-TRI-001 intercept, published on 15 December 2025, which reported 183 m @ 1.23% CuEq, including 71.5 m @ 1.80%. This was followed by a completion report on 21 January 2026 detailing 240 m @ 0.93% CuEq. These figures represent the best intercepts ever reported on the property by a wide margin. Following the initial publication, the stock closed at C$0.06 on 15 December 2025, gapped up to C$0.13 on 16 December, and peaked at C$0.20 on 29 December, marking a 233% move. The stock has since round-tripped to C$0.04, an 80% decline from the high and sitting at the 52-week low. The January 21 full-length release coincided with a fall from C$0.14 to C$0.10, and the stock has not recovered since.

This release does not provide a new intercept to compare against the anchor data, as it adds metreage and targets rather than grade or width. Consequently, the market is currently pricing the discovery hole at essentially zero, leaving the optionality for future assay releases.

The current announcement demonstrates the company’s ability to execute a larger exploration programme, totaling 4,548.5 m compared to the previous 2,602 m. The programme is funded and overseen by a competent QP, expanding the tested footprint from one cluster to six targets spanning approximately 14 km. This expansion enlarges the addressable scale of the system on paper, though the geological significance remains to be confirmed by assays.

Regarding the financing backdrop, the company reported a FY2026 net loss of C$2.39 million, with exploration expenses of C$1.06 million and G&A of C$1.48 million, including C$419k in share-based compensation. As of 31 March 2026, cash stood at C$629k and working capital at C$548k. Since that date, PEMC raised approximately C$3.62 million across two tranches in May and June 2026, and C$1.58 million in August 2026 through the sale of 35.2 million units at C$0.045. A C$1.0 million flow-through placement was announced on 4 November 2026 at C$0.045, representing a 12.5% premium to the C$0.04 tape. With an annual burn of approximately C$2 million against a C$3–5 million raise, the company faces roughly 10–20% annual dilution, with warrants at C$0.07 layered on top.

The expected impact on the share price is flat, plus or minus a few percent, as no new information regarding the rock has been delivered.

Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (TSXV: PEMC) is a Vancouver-based copper-gold explorer holding a consolidated land position in the Quesnel Terrane of north-central British Columbia. The company operates in a jurisdiction characterized by existing infrastructure and nearby mining operations.

The firm’s flagship asset is the Trident property, comprising 6,765 hectares. Acquired outright in 2022, the 100%-owned property is subject to a 2% net smelter return (NSR) royalty, half of which can be repurchased for US$500,000. Trident is covered by a three-year area-based permit allowing for 20 drill holes, road building, and geophysics. Historical exploration by Falconbridge, Asarco/Kookaburra, Hudson Bay, Solomon, and OZ Minerals included 73 holes totaling 9,574 meters. Significant intercepts on the property are located in the A Zone, identified through PEMC’s 2025-2026 programs.

Immediately west of Trident lies the Pinnacle property, a 15,929-hectare, 100%-owned asset located approximately 30 kilometers southeast of Northwest Copper’s Kwanika deposit. The property was partner-funded between 2014 and 2023, with the last drilling conducted in 2017. Historical highlights include gold-only intercepts that are modest in grade and non-43-101 compliant, including 94 meters at 0.34 grams per tonne of gold, 41.3 meters at 0.42 grams per tonne of gold, and 77 meters at 0.18 grams per tonne of gold.

Geologically, the area features the Early Jurassic Chuchi Lake succession and Hogem intrusive suite, characterized by shoshonitic and alkalic magmatism. NE-trending transcurrent faults, referred to as "the Elbow," act as fluid conduits, a structural logic the company compares to the New Afton deposit.

According to financial statements for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, Pacific Empire reported a net loss of C$2.39 million. Exploration spending totaled C$1.06 million, while general and administrative expenses were C$1.48 million. The company held C$629,000 in cash and C$548,000 in working capital, with total equity standing at C$711,000. Subsequent funding included approximately C$5.2 million from 2026 equity raises and a pending C$1.0 million flow-through placement. Management has stated that current liquidity may be insufficient for planned budgets.

The company is led by President and CEO Brad Peters and CFO Doug Reed. The board includes Chris Tucker, Peter Schloo, and Andrew Lee, with technical advisors Dr. Paul Johnston and Jennifer Rokowski.