VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imperial Metals Corporation (“Imperial& or the “Company&) (TSX:III) is pleased to report that all nine drillholes of the 2025 Huckleberry mine diamond drilling program, totalling 1,743 metres, intersected copper, molybdenum, silver, and gold mineralization. Drillhole MZ-25-1 intersected an elevated gold interval of 22.6 metres of 0.23 g/t gold from 73.7 to 96.3 metres.
The Huckleberry mine (100% owned by Imperial) located in west-central British Columbia operated from 1997 to 2016, when it was placed on care and maintenance due to low copper prices. While the mine is currently inactive, the property remains an exploration target for the Company.
The 2025 diamond drilling program at the Huckleberry mine tested an underexplored area southwest of the Main Zone pit. Angled diamond drill holes were designed to intersect the southern contact between the Main Zone intrusive stock and the surrounding host volcanic rock. Historically, the bulk of ore mined from the Main Zone occurred near this contact in the volcanic rock east and northeast of the Main Zone stock. The 2025 drilling expands upon and infills the Main Zone mineral resource to the southwest. The program was successful in intersecting some higher-grade mineralization at relatively shallow depths.
The historic drilling (pre-2020) at Huckleberry was not assayed for gold or silver. However, gold and silver were recovered and were present at payable levels in all the copper concentrate produced at Huckleberry. Gold and silver assay results from the 2025 drilling and the resampling of 18 historic holes from the Main Zone will be included in the block model for the Main Zone deposit and will enable gold and silver values to be integrated into mine planning.
Significant intervals include:
| Hole ID | From (m) | To (m) | Width (m) | Cu % | Mo % | Ag (g/t) | Au (g/t) |
| MZ-25-1 | 73.7 | 126.4 | 52.7 | 0.50 | 0.005 | 1.80 | 0.14 |
| including | 73.7 | 96.3 | 22.6 | 0.81 | 0.007 | 2.51 | 0.23 |
| MZ-25-2 | 48.0 | 157.5 | 109.5 | 0.21 | 0.020 | 1.18 | 0.08 |
| MZ-25-3 | 51.0 | 201.0 | 150.0 | 0.24 | 0.007 | 2.40 | 0.05 |
| MZ-25-4 | 42.5 | 132.0 | 89.5 | 0.37 | 0.011 | 1.07 | 0.06 |
| including | 42.5 | 105.0 | 62.5 | 0.48 | 0.011 | 1.41 | 0.08 |
| MZ-25-5 | 55.0 | 234.0 | 179.0 | 0.28 | 0.005 | 1.95 | 0.06 |
| including | 142.5 | 217.5 | 75.0 | 0.35 | 0.005 | 3.08 | 0.06 |
| MZ-25-6 | 45.0 | 87.0 | 42.0 | 0.22 | 0.002 | 0.79 | 0.05 |
| MZ-25-7A | 96.0 | 354.0 | 258.0 | 0.22 | 0.011 | 1.61 | 0.08 |
| including | 197.5 | 270.0 | 72.5 | 0.41 | 0.012 | 3.66 | 0.16 |
| MZ-25-8 | 100.0 | 234.0 | 134.0 | 0.32 | 0.010 | 1.54 | 0.07 |
| MZ-25-10 | 72.0 | 204.0 | 132.0 | 0.32 | 0.006 | 1.28 | 0.05 |
| including | 142.5 | 190.0 | 47.5 | 0.45 | 0.005 | 1.68 | 0.08 |
Most of the mineralization from 2025 drilling is hosted in the volcanic rock surrounding the Main Zone stock, but some mineralization, especially molybdenum, continued into the stock itself.
Additional drilling is being considered for 2026.
Figure 1: Location Plan Map showing the Huckleberry Main Zone Expansion Pit relative to the new 2025 diamond drill holes. Also shown is the section line A – B& which controls the location of Figure 2.
Figure 2: Section A – B& showing the interpreted geology in section with the new drilling (MZ-25-1 and MZ-25-7a). Looking West.
The Whiting Creek prospect is part of Huckleberry and is a significant copper-molybdenum exploration target located in west-central British Columbia.
At Whiting Creek, located 8.5 kilometres north of the Huckleberry mill, three step-out drill holes totalling 1,870 metres were completed during the 2025 exploration program. The prospect is a classic calc-alkalic porphyry system related to the Bulkley plutonic suite, similar in style to Huckleberry and is centered on the biotite-rich Whiting Creek stock.
Drillholes WC-25-1 and WC-25-2 were step out holes and targeted a historic copper soil anomaly to the east of the Creek Zone. Both holes intersected broad zones of low-grade copper and molybdenum mineralization.
Drillhole CW-25-006, drilled west of the Creek Zone, was a follow up to 2023 drilling. This hole intersected primarily andesitic volcanic rocks cut by plagioclase porphyry diorite dykes and dykes of granodioritic composition.
Copper and molybdenum mineralization is widespread both within the Whiting Creek stock and in the surrounding volcanics. The system remains open to the east, west, south and to depth with locally elevated molybdenum grades such as the 12.5 metre interval of 0.16% molybdenum from 352.5 metres in hole WC-25-002.
Jim Miller-Tait, P.Geo., Imperial&s VP Exploration, has reviewed this news release as the designated Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for the Huckleberry and Whiting Creek exploration programs.
Samples reported were analyzed at Activation Laboratories Ltd. located in Kamloops. A full QA/QC program using blanks, standards and duplicates was completed for all diamond drilling samples submitted to the labs. Significant assay intervals reported represent apparent widths. Insufficient geological information is available to confirm the geological model and true width of significant assay intervals.
About Imperial
Imperial is a Vancouver based exploration, mine development and operating company with holdings that include the Mount Polley mine (100%), the Huckleberry mine (100%), and the Red Chris mine (30%). Imperial also holds a portfolio of 23 exploration properties in British Columbia.
Company Contacts
Brian Kynoch | President | 604.669.8959
Jim Miller-Tait | VP Exploration | jim.miller-tait@imperialmetals.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this news release are not statements of historical fact and are “forward-looking& statements. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the Company&s management&s expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company&s expectations with respect to current and planned exploration drilling programs at the Huckleberry mine, including the Whiting Creek prospect; the planned inclusion in the Main Zone block model of the gold and silver assay results from the 2025 drilling and the resampling of 18 historic holes from the Main Zone, and the integration of their associated gold and silver values in mine planning; the potential for surrounding altered volcanics to host mineralization; and the extension of mineralization and exploration potential at the Huckleberry mine and Whiting Creek.
In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "outlook", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. By their very nature forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on information currently available to the Company as well as the Company&s current beliefs and assumptions. These factors and assumptions and beliefs and assumptions include the risk factors detailed from time to time in the Company&s annual information form, interim and annual financial statements and management&s discussion and analysis of those statements, all of which are filed and available for review on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, many of which are beyond the Company&s ability to control or predict. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and all forward-looking statements in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements.
Figures accompanying this announcement are available at
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