Pacific Empire Reports Strong Market Interest and Completion of First Hole at Trident Gold-Enriched Copper Project

The October 23, 2025 news release announces that Pacific Empire has completed the first drill hole, DD25TRI001, to a depth of 503 metres at its flagship Trident copper-gold project. The company reports that the drill hole successfully intersected a mineralized porphyry intrusion, with visual observations of sulphides and copper mineralization in portions of the core. The core is now being prepared for shipment to ALS Laboratories for assay. The second drill hole, DD25TRI002, has been started approximately 500 metres north-northeast of the first hole. The company also notes a significant increase in trading volume and share price since the drill program commenced.

This news is materially positive as it represents the first physical confirmation of the company's refined geological model at the Trident project. For over a year, the company has been communicating its thesis that a large, untested copper-gold porphyry system exists north of historical drilling. This first drill hole hitting the target rock type (mineralized porphyry intrusion) is a significant de-risking event for the geological concept.

The progression of news over the past year shows a systematic and logical execution of their strategy: - Late 2024 - Early 2025: The company defined its targets based on re-interpreting historical data, identifying a northward-dipping porphyry system. - Mid-2025: They secured the necessary capital through small financings for preliminary work, obtained a crucial multi-year drill permit, re-assayed historical core to confirm mineralization style, and hired a drilling contractor. - September-October 2025: Pacific Empire successfully raised over C$1.5 million at C$0.035 and C$0.04, providing full funding for the current 2,500-metre drill program. They promptly mobilized the drill rig and commenced drilling on October 15.

The latest news is the direct result and culmination of these efforts. It is a positive first step that meets expectations. However, it is critical to remain cautious. Visual estimates are notoriously unreliable and are not a substitute for assay results. The market has already reacted positively, with the share price nearly doubling from the C$0.04 financing level to C$0.07 on high volume. This prices in a degree of success. The ultimate impact of this drill program will be determined by the grade and thickness of mineralization reported in the upcoming assays. While this news validates the exploration concept, it does not yet confirm an economic discovery.

Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. is a Canadian junior exploration company focused on discovering and developing copper-gold porphyry deposits in British Columbia. Its flagship asset is the 100%-owned Trident project, a 6,618-hectare property located in the prolific Quesnel terrane. The project is strategically situated approximately 50 km northwest of Centerra Gold's Mt. Milligan mine. Despite nearly 80 historical drill holes on the property since the 1970s, the company's primary porphyry and breccia targets have never been tested due to historical access issues, which have now been resolved with a new multi-year permit. The current drill program is the first-ever test of these core targets. The Trident property is subject to a 2% Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalty, half of which (1%) can be purchased for C$500,000.