240 Meters of Near Surface Copper Gold Pushes Trident Results Into the Spotlight

1. James Guttman wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. 
2.  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.

1. 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.

Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. (PEMC:TSX.V; PEMSF:OTCMKTS) reported final assay results from diamond drill hole DD25-TRI-001, part of its 2025 fall drilling program at the Trident copper-gold project in north-central British Columbia. According to the company, the full set of results confirms a continuous mineralized interval grading 0.93% copper equivalent (CuEq) over 240 meters from 9.0 to 249.0 meters downhole. The upper 183 meters of this interval, previously reported in December 2025, returned 1.13% CuEq, including a higher-grade section of 71.5 meters grading 1.66% CuEq.

The remaining assays released on January 21, 2026, identified additional mineralized zones between 249.0 meters and the end of hole at 503.0 meters. These included three intervals ranging from 0.1% to 0.3% CuEq over core lengths of 4.5 to 10.5 meters. The hole was drilled to a total depth of 503 meters, with 494 meters of core sampled.

Brad Peters, President and CEO of Pacific Empire, said in a company news release, "What initially stood out was the strength of near-surface mineralization. What stands out now is the scale. Intersecting 240 metres approaching 1% CuEq is a very strong outcome for a first hole in a porphyry system."

The company stated that mineralization in the upper 240 meters is associated with potassic-altered, magnetite-bearing hornblende- and feldspar-phyric porphyry, with copper present as disseminated and fracture-controlled chalcopyrite ± pyrite, and locally bornite. The lower part of the hole intersected several fault zones with hydrothermal alteration, which may relate to post-mineral deformation. At this stage of exploration, true thicknesses and structural relationships remain unknown.

The CuEq values were calculated using assumed metal prices of US$5.00/lb copper, US$3,000/oz gold, and US$35.00/oz silver, with metallurgical recoveries of 92% for copper, 88% for gold, and 85% for silver. No metallurgical testing has yet been completed.

The company also announced that it has initiated a process to explore a potential strategic investment, partnership, or other collaboration to support exploration at Trident and Pinnacle. It emphasized that there is no assurance that a transaction will result from this process.

Copper and Gold Strengthen as Demand, Supply Pressures, and Central Bank Buying Converge

According to a Bloomberg report published on January 19, copper prices extended their rally for a fifth consecutive month, supported by supply shortfalls and rising demand linked to the artificial intelligence sector. The report said copper consumption was being "turbocharged" by its use in wiring and renewable energy equipment. Bloomberg also reported that copper shipments to the U.S. surged ahead of potential tariffs, tightening supplies in other regions. Copper inventories in U.S. warehouses tracked by the London Metal Exchange rose by 950 tons, increasing from zero.

On January 20, Stewart Thomson highlighted gold's role as a hedge against fiat currency instability and debt-driven economic systems. He referred to gold as the currency of "citizen kings" and wrote that demand was being driven by growing distrust in governments and financial institutions. "The fundamentals in favour of gold are 'through the roof'," Thomson stated, citing central bank accumulation and global unrest.

Separately, GoldFix reported on January 21 that Poland's central bank approved the purchase of up to 150 tons of gold, which could raise the country's total reserves to 700 tons. "This will place Poland among the elite 10 countries with the largest gold reserves in the world," the central bank said. The report linked the decision to changing sovereign reserve strategies amid ongoing geopolitical and financial fragmentation.

Analysts Highlight Impact of Initial Drill Results at Trident

On December 18, Jeff Clark of TheGoldAdvisor.com stated that Pacific Empire had "struck paydirt in a major way." He highlighted the company's first 2025 drill results, noting that Hole DD25-TRI-001 intersected 183 meters grading 1.23% copper equivalent, including 71.5 meters at 1.8% CuEq. Clark described the intercept as "225%-meters," which he called "bonanza territory by any reasonable definition."

"This is the strongest copper-gold mineralization ever intersected at Trident," Clark wrote. He said the results materially improved management's ability to understand and model what he described as "a potentially significant porphyry copper-gold system." According to Clark, the company couldn't have hoped for a better start.

At the time, only the upper portion of the hole had been assayed. Clark noted that results from the remainder of the hole, along with five additional drill holes, were still pending. He stated that these results would help define the scale, continuity, and grade of the Trident system. "The upper section alone is already showing all the characteristics of a well-developed porphyry copper-gold system in British Columbia," he wrote.

Clark added that "the market liked the news," stating that shares rose 136% on the first day of trading following the announcement and that Pacific Empire had more than tripled year-to-date. He said he was "overweight the stock" and not taking profits at that time.

On January 22, 2026, Jeff Clark and Daniel Flynn of The Gold Advisor published an update titled Good News from Five Gold Stocks, Plus a BC Explorer Continues to Hit Paydirt. In the report, the authors reviewed recent developments at Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. following the release of final assay results from drill hole DD25‑TRI‑001 at the Trident copper‑gold project in British Columbia.

Clark and Flynn noted that the company had extended the previously reported 183‑meter mineralized interval to 240 meters, grading 0.93% copper equivalent. They referenced the December 2025 release that outlined the upper portion of the hole and stated that the newly released assays strengthened the case for a large, continuous mineralized system. According to the authors, the results displayed characteristics consistent with a well‑developed porphyry copper‑gold system.

The report also discussed mineralization encountered deeper in the hole, where multiple fault zones returned lower copper grades. Clark and Flynn said these structures could provide information relevant to future drilling. They added that assays from five additional drill holes targeting anomalies beyond the A Zone remained pending at the time of publication.

In addition, The Gold Advisor highlighted that Pacific Empire had announced it had commenced a process to evaluate a possible strategic investment, partnership, or other collaboration to support continued exploration at Trident. The authors stated that no details had been disclosed regarding the process.

Clark and Flynn also commented on recent share price movement following the release of the final assay results, noting a pullback after a sharp rise earlier in the exploration campaign. The publication maintained a positive view on the company, with Clark stating he continued to hold an overweight position.

Clark and Flynn also commented on recent share price movement following the release of the final assay results, noting a pullback after a sharp rise earlier in the exploration campaign. The publication maintained a positive view on the company, with Clark stating he continued to hold an overweight position.

On December 22, Bob Moriarty of 321gold.com wrote for Streetwise Reports that he had invested in the company "a while back." Referring to the December 15 news release, he called the results "a grand slam: 183 meters of 1.23% Copper Eq from 9 meters." He noted that it was the first hole of a 2,500-meter program and said the stock price rose from CA$0.06 to CA$0.16 as 10% of shares changed hands.

Moriarty reported that Pacific Empire had approximately 46 million warrants outstanding at an average exercise price slightly over CA$0.08. He said shares traded between CA$0.175 and CA$0.12 later in the week as warrant holders sold stock to exercise in-the-money warrants.

"What does 183 meters of 1.23% CuEq signify for a junior?" Moriarty asked. He compared it to Hercules Metals Corp., which previously reported 184 meters of 0.84% Cu and saw its market cap reach about CA$400 million. At the time of writing, Moriarty noted that Pacific Empire had a market cap of approximately CA$30 million and had only released partial results from the hole.

He also highlighted the proximity of Pacific Empire's Trident and Pinnacle properties to the Mt. Milligan Copper Mine, which he reported produced 168,000 ounces of gold and 54 million pounds of copper in 2024.

Moriarty concluded by stating, "Pacific Empire aims to execute a 10,000-to-15,000-meter phase 2 drill program at Trident in 2026," and said the company's outstanding warrants could generate approximately CA$4 million in funding. He added that the company may look to bring in a major partner to support the program and described copper as "sizzling and scarce."

Pending Assays and Step-Out Drilling at Trident

Pacific Empire completed a total of six diamond drill holes totaling 2,603 meters during the 2025 fall program at Trident. Assays from hole DD25-TRI-001 have now been fully reported, while assay results from five remaining holes are pending. These include:

• Two holes (DD25-TRI-002 and DD25-TRI-003) drilled approximately 400 to 500 meters north of the A Zone to test potential extensions of the system and a previously untested chargeability anomaly.
• One hole (DD25-TRI-004) drilled into a significant resistivity anomaly identified in the 2024 airborne magnetotelluric survey.
• Two additional holes (DD25-TRI-005 and DD25-TRI-006) were completed at the A Zone, following up on historical mineralization and new geological modelling.

According to the company's December 2025 and October 2025 updates, these drill holes were designed to evaluate the geometry, scale, and continuity of mineralization across multiple target areas. All assay results will be released once received and validated.  

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.