Yuinmery Drilling Returns Up to 43m at 0.5% Copper with Gold Anomalies

Promising Drilling Results at Yuinmery

Empire Resources Limited (ASX: ERL) has delivered a compelling update from its ongoing exploration activities at the Yuinmery Copper-Gold Project in Western Australia. The recent aircore drilling campaign, completed during the December 2024 quarter, returned wide intercepts of copper mineralisation accompanied by anomalous gold values, underscoring the project's potential to host significant base and precious metal resources.

The standout results came from targets YT01 and YT19, where intercepts ranged from 20 to 45 metres with copper grades between 0.2% and 0.5%, alongside gold grades up to 0.28 g/t. Notably, hole YAC24-29 at YT01 intersected 43 metres grading 4294 ppm copper from 16 metres depth, including a high-grade 8-metre section at 8230 ppm copper from 28 metres. These results affirm the presence of a substantial mineralised envelope extending at least 700 metres east-west and open to further expansion.

Geological Context and Exploration Strategy

The Yuinmery Project is strategically located within the Youanmi greenstone belt, a region known for hosting volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) copper-gold deposits. The project area features a complex geological setting with altered felsic and intermediate volcanic units, sulphidic sediments, and significant structural controls such as the Youanmi and Yuinmery shear zones. Empire’s drilling has targeted multiple prospects along these prospective horizons, with the recent program testing four key targets.

While the aircore rig encountered limitations due to hard ground conditions, the assay results received have been sufficiently encouraging to warrant an immediate follow-up drilling campaign. Scheduled for late January 2025, this next phase will employ a more powerful rig to test mineralisation continuity along strike and at depth, particularly to the west of the current YT01 zone, where copper grades may improve.

Broader Project Portfolio and Financial Position

Beyond Yuinmery, Empire Resources continues to hold interests in several other projects, including the Penny’s Find Gold Project near Kalgoorlie, where it retains royalty interests. The company also maintains exploration tenement applications in the Eastern Goldfields region, targeting gold mineralisation near established deposits.

Financially, Empire reported expenditure of approximately $202,000 during the quarter, primarily on exploration and evaluation activities. The company ended the period with $553,000 in cash and secured a $300,000 loan from its chairman, Dr Michael Ruane, providing a runway of nearly three quarters at current burn rates. This solid financial footing supports the planned drilling programs and ongoing exploration efforts.

Outlook and Market Implications

Empire’s recent drilling results at Yuinmery mark a significant step forward in delineating the copper-gold mineralisation potential of the project. The combination of wide intercepts and encouraging grades, coupled with the geological setting and open-ended strike, positions the company well to advance resource definition. Investors will be watching closely as the upcoming drilling results could materially enhance the company’s resource base and valuation.