Duane West project is located 8-10 kilometers from the town of Duparquet in Quebec, close enough to provide employment opportunity for local workers (who can work and return home nightly) but far enough to avoid urban conflicts; the area has a mining-dependent economy that is receptive to mining operations.

Emperor Metals operates within Quebec's permitting framework which has good First Nations relations protocols; the company has met with relevant First Nations multiple times, drill permits are approved, and no historical issues exist; the CEO implements an MOU-level communication standard even where formal agreements are not required.

GNA (General & Administrative) costs at Emperor Metals have increased due to marketing and shareholder awareness efforts, but the company expects to bring GNA down to $60-100k/month in the future as the company becomes better known; marketing represented ~54% of the ~$200k/month GNA in recent quarters.

Emperor Metals is targeting 1+ million ounces in the updated mineral resource estimate planned for Q1 2025; this threshold is important for institutional investment because most strategic investors require 1M+ ounces to justify equity participation.