Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (PEMC:TSX.V; PEMSF:OTCMKTS), a copper-gold exploration company based in British Columbia, announced initial assay results from the upper portion of the first hole of its 2025 winter diamond drilling program at the Trident copper-gold project in north-central British Columbia in a release on December 15.
These initial results, which represent only the upper portion of Hole DD25-TRI-001, reveal broad, near-surface copper-gold mineralization consistent with the interpreted A Zone porphyry system. Assays for the remainder of Hole DD25-TRI-001, along with results from five additional drill holes completed during the 2025 winter program, are pending and represent near-term catalysts to further define the scale, continuity, and grade distribution of mineralization at Trident, the company said.
The results reported represent the strongest copper-gold mineralization intersected at Trident to date and significantly advance the company's geological understanding and exploration model for a potentially substantial porphyry copper-gold system.
"These findings significantly enhance our understanding of Trident and are precisely the type of results we were aiming for as we continue to advance the project," said President and Chief Executive Officer Brad Peters. "The drilling at the A Zone has revealed broad intervals of robust copper-gold mineralization near the surface, including a notable higher-grade section, which greatly boosts the exploration potential at Trident. Crucially, our step-out drilling to the north and our examination of the large MobileMT resistivity anomaly will yield essential data for the next phase of drilling."
He continued, "The combination of strong copper grades, gold enrichment, potassic alteration, and magnetite is indicative of well-developed porphyry copper-gold systems in British Columbia, and we believe we are operating in the right part of such a system."
Highlights of Results
A Zone (Hole DD25-TRI-001, Upper Portion):
- 183 meters grading 1.23% CuEq (copper equivalent) from 9 meters to 192 meters in Hole DD25-TRI-001 (0.772% Cu, 0.51 g/t gold or Au, 3.4 g/t silver or Ag), demonstrating broad, near-surface copper-gold mineralization consistent with the interpreted A Zone porphyry system.
- Including 71.5 meters grading 1.8% CuEq from 21 meters to 92.5 meters (1.06% Cu, 0.83 g/t Au, 4.6 g/t Ag), representing a higher-grade interval within the broader mineralized zone.
- Including 14.8 meters grading 1.91% CuEq from 22.7 meters to 37.5 meters (1.23% Cu, 0.75 g/t Au, 5.5 g/t Ag), highlighting strong copper-gold-silver grades within the upper portion of the high-grade zone.
- Several high-grade gold-rich intervals, such as: 0.5 meters grading 4.02% CuEq from 34.1 meters to 34.6 meters (2.1% Cu, 2.16 g/t Au, 12.3 g/t Ag); 1 meter grading 2.50% CuEq from 46 meters to 47 meters (1.65% Cu, 0.94 g/t Au, 6.6 g/t Ag); and 1.25 meters grading 11.01% CuEq from 59.0 meters to 60.25 meters (1.32% Cu, 11.45 g/t Au, 10.9 g/t Ag).
- Additional near-surface mineralization includes 19.1 meters grading 1.61% CuEq from 73.4 meters to 92.5 meters (0.923% Cu, 0.77 g/t Au, 4.6 g/t Ag), including 0.65 meters grading 6.87% CuEq from 80.0 meters to 80.7 meters (2.56% Cu, 4.96 g/t Au, 16.8 g/t Ag).
Multiple additional mineralized intervals were intersected deeper in the hole, the release said, including 26.6 meters grading 1.45% CuEq from 99.9 meters to 126.5 meters (0.929% Cu, 0.57 g/t Au, 4.8 g/t Ag), demonstrating continuity of copper-gold mineralization at depth.
Reported results represent only the upper portion of Hole DD25-TRI-001; assays for the remainder of the hole are pending, the company said.
The company said a total of six diamond drill holes were completed for 2,603 meters across three priority target areas: Three holes (DD25-TRI-001, DD25-TRI-005 & DD25-TRI-006) were drilled at the A Zone, following up on historical copper-gold mineralization and new geological modeling; two holes (DD25-TRI-002 & DD25-TRI-003) tested an area 400 meters north of the A Zone, where subsurface geophysical trends suggested potential extensions of the system, and one hole (DD25-TRI-004) targeted a significant resistivity anomaly identified in the 2024 MobileMT airborne magnetotelluric survey, located in the central part of the property.
Geological context suggests that Hole DD25-TRI-001 intersected potassic-altered, magnetite-bearing porphyritic intrusive rocks containing copper-gold mineralization, as evidenced by elevated copper and gold values, consistent iron content, and low lead-zinc-arsenic levels within the reported interval, Pacific Empire noted. While a single drill hole offers only a limited view into the system's geometry, the alteration and geochemical characteristics observed align with mineralization typical of a porphyry copper-gold environment. These results support continued follow-up drilling to assess the lateral and vertical extent of mineralization at Trident.
From the surface to approximately 77 meters depth, Hole DD25-TRI-001 intersected a continuous sequence of monzodiorite and hornblende-feldspar porphyry, characterized by fine- to medium-grained, crowded feldspar-phyric textures, the company said. These intrusive rocks exhibit consistent potassic alteration, marked by fine biotite, abundant magnetite, and localized K-feldspar mottling.
Copper mineralization primarily occurs as disseminated and fracture-controlled chalcopyrite ± pyrite, with locally observed bornite, indicating locally higher copper intensity, and is commonly associated with narrow quartz-magnetite veinlets, according to the release. This alteration and mineralization assemblage is characteristic of the central to proximal portions of an alkaline copper-gold porphyry system. Importantly, the recognition of porphyritic intrusive phases — whether mineralized or weakly mineralized — is a critical element in porphyry exploration, as such intrusions define the plumbing architecture of the system and provide key vectors toward higher-grade or more strongly mineralized domains.
No major lithological or alteration breaks were observed within this near-surface interval, and a locally higher-grade, gold-bearing veinlet occurs within the broader copper-rich zone, highlighting the potential for gold-enriched domains within the Trident system, the company said.
'Paydirt in a Major Way'
In an update on December 18, Jeff Clark of TheGoldAdvisor.com said the company has "struck paydirt in a major way."
He pointed specifically to results from the first diamond drill hole, which revealed an impressive intercept of 183 meters grading 1.23% copper-equivalent, including 71.5 meters at 1.8% CuEq. On a copper-equivalent basis, this translates to 225%-meters, which is considered "bonanza territory by any reasonable definition," he said.
"This is the strongest copper-gold mineralization ever intersected at Trident, materially improving management’s ability to understand, model, and advance what is shaping up to be a potentially significant porphyry copper-gold system," Clark wrote.
Management couldn't have hoped for a better beginning, according to Clark.
The assays only cover the upper portion of the hole. Results from the rest of the hole are still pending, as are assays from five additional drill holes. Together, all these forthcoming results will help define the scale, continuity, and grade of Trident while shaping next year's drill program. For now, as CEO Peters notes, the upper section alone is already showing all the characteristics of a well-developed porphyry copper-gold system in British Columbia, Clark said.
"As you might expect, the market liked the news," Clark said. "Shares closed 136% higher Tuesday, the first day of trading post-release. Pacific Empire has now done more than 3X this year."
The author recommended buying on pullbacks. "Pullbacks are likely, and some profit-taking is normal," he said. "But that provides your opportunity to build a position. I remain overweight the stock and am not taking profits, the reason being there are more assays imminent, what could be more evidence of scale potential. In the bigger picture we could easily see more big gains throughout 2026."
'A Grand Slam'
Writing for Streetwise Reports on December 22, Bob Moriarty of 321gold.com said he had invested in the company "a while back."
"On the 15th, they unveiled their inaugural results from this year's drill program," Moriarty wrote. "It was a grand slam: 183 meters of 1.23% Copper Eq from 9 meters. That was the maiden hole of a 2,500-meter drill program. The shares vaulted from CA$0.06 to CA$0.16 that day as 10% of the shares changed hands."
The company has about 46 million warrants outstanding at an average price just over CA$0.08 each, so the stock fluctuated between CA$0.175 and CA$0.12 for the rest of the week as warrant holders sold shares to exercise their in-the-money warrants.
"What does 183 meters of 1.23% CuEq signify for a junior? Moriarty asked. "Well, when Hercules Metals Corp. (BADEF:OTCMKTS; BIG:TSXV) proclaimed their Idaho discovery hole of 184 meters of 0.84% Cu, the shares surged from CA$0.20 to CA$1.60, endowing the company with a market cap of about CA$400 million."
With PEMC's Friday close at CA$0.155, the company had a market cap of roughly CA$30 million. According to Moriarty, here's the exciting part: PEMC hasn't released the entire hole, just the portion for which they have assays. The remaining segment of the hole should be revealed soon.
The company's Trident and Pinnacle copper/gold properties are located just over 30 kilometers northwest of the Mt. Milligan Copper mine in Northern BC, which in 2024 produced 168,000 ounces of gold and 54 million pounds of copper, the author noted.
"Pacific Empire aims to execute a 10,000-to-15,000-meter phase 2 drill program at Trident in 2026," Moriarty said. "The outstanding warrants could inject about CA$4 million in cash, but ideally, PEMC management would likely aspire to bring in a major or two to bankroll the drilling program and furnish technical assistance. With results like their very first hole, they hold the upper hand. Copper is sizzling and scarce."
The Catalyst: Copper Prices Surge Through 2025
In a December 12 commentary, Frank Holmes explored the effects of ongoing deficit spending and currency debasement on purchasing power, noting that "when money becomes untethered from reality, everything priced in dollars becomes harder to afford." While focused on monetary policy, his analysis provided a broader context in which tangible assets linked to real-world demand maintained their importance amid fiscal challenges.
By mid-December, copper prices had reached several record highs. According to a December 14 report from CNBC, copper prices surged throughout 2025, fueled by supply disruptions and tariff-related stockpiling in the United States. The report described the rally as being "turbocharged by tariff concerns," as shipments into the U.S. reduced availability elsewhere.
Natalie Scott-Gray, senior metals analyst at StoneX, stated that "a huge amount of tightness has to do with U.S. tariff concerns with refined copper inflows into the U.S." The report further noted that inventories outside the U.S., particularly on the London Metal Exchange, had dropped significantly and were nearly 40% lower than at the beginning of the year.
Streetwise Ownership Overview*
Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (PEMC:TSX.V;PEMSF:OTCMKTS)
Supply-side pressures persisted later in the month. Bloomberg reported on December 22 that copper reached a new record, nearing US$12,000 per metric ton amid trade disruptions, unexpected mine outages, and limited processing capacity. The report highlighted that "growing concerns about tightening global supply have outweighed a slowdown in demand," with shipments into the U.S. threatening to leave other regions undersupplied. Bloomberg also mentioned that annual benchmark negotiations resulted in smelters receiving zero dollars per ton in treatment and refining charges, described as "the lowest on record," underscoring stress within the refined copper market.
Ownership and Share Structure1
About 5.53% of Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. is owned by management and insiders. Private companies hold approximately 0.05%, while the rest is retail.
Top shareholders include Brad Peters with 2.6% and Andrew Kian Loong Lee with 2.08%.
Its market cap is about CA$37.46 million with 197.15 million shares outstanding. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.01 and CA$0.2.
| Want to be the first to know about interesting Copper and Gold investment ideas? Sign up to receive the FREE Streetwise Reports' newsletter. | Subscribe |
Important Disclosures:
- Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.
- This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.
For additional disclosures, please click here.
- Ownership and Share Structure Information
The information listed above was updated on the date this article was published and was compiled from information from the company and various other data providers.
