Emperor Metals Provides Drilling Update from Duquesne West

Emperor Metals reported progress on a 2026 exploration campaign at the Duquesne West gold project aimed at expanding near-surface, open-pit‑friendly ounces. The program combines 15,000 m of new drilling with ~8,000 m of historical core resampling (≈23,000 m total), with 11,030 m drilled so far and over 5,000 m of core at assay labs. Management highlighted strong continuity of mineralization (notably a prior intercept of 21.7 m at 35.2 g/t Au) and reiterated an inferred MRE of 26.9 Mt containing 1.46 Moz at 1.69 g/t Au. Assay backlogs have constrained early results (only ~4% returned) but are being resolved and deliveries should accelerate. Market impact: the update is supportive for junior‑gold sentiment and for Emperor’s equity prospects as successful drilling and steady assays would de‑risk a phased open‑pit development path; wider implications for the gold price are limited but positive drilling news can bolster investor appetite for exploration names and modestly support gold sentiment.