Imperial Drilling Intersects 257.5 Metres Grading 0.71% Copper and 0.39 g/t Gold at Mount Polley

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imperial Metals Corporation (“Imperial” or the “Company”) (TSX:III) reports diamond drill results from three more holes of the Mount Polley 2024 exploration program, including a notable interval of 257.5 metres grading 0.71% copper and 0.39 g/t gold from 35.0 metres in diamond drill hole SD-24-180. This phase of drilling is ongoing and is following up on the significant results obtained in the 2023 drill programs.

Hole SD-24-180 was a vertical hole located 33 metres northwest from previously released hole SD-24-179 which intersected 270 metres grading 0.65% copper and 0.48 g/t gold from 22.5 metres on section 3230N. Holes SD-24-180 and SD-24-179 were planned to target gaps in the southwest edge of the Springer Pit at both shallow and deep levels. The first 135.5 metres of this intercept are within the current ultimate pit design for the Springer Pit. The portion of this hole beneath the ultimate pit tests an area that has been studied for potential underground mining.

Significant intercepts:

Hole ID	From (m)	To (m)	Width (m)	Copper (%)	Gold (g/t)
SD-24-180	35.0	292.5	257.5	0.71	0.39
including	187.5	292.5	105.0	1.13	0.58
including	202.5	287.5	85.0	1.29	0.65

Hole SD-24-180 had 18 metres of casing and encountered the first recoverable core at 33 metres. The lithology throughout the entire hole closely resembles hole SD-24-179 and alternates between intense crackle breccia to moderately pseudo-brecciated monzonite to monzodiorite, with strong potassium feldspar, biotite, calc-silicate, albite and magnetite alteration. Copper mineralization throughout the hole is dominantly disseminated with veinlet-controlled chalcopyrite and trace bornite. Similar to hole SD-24-179, hole SD-24-180 intersects pervasive calc-silicate and magnetite alteration three times, providing pockets with a higher percentage of chalcopyrite.