Empire undertook several drill programmes, field work and confirmatory surveys at each project between 2011 and 2014.  The projects are now being held at a minimal cost with a view to divestment.

The Company has completed several drill programmes at the Rotgulden gold and precious metals project. This prospective 51 sq km licence area has four principal target areas – Rotgulden, Altenberg, Schurfspitze, and Wandstollen. Multiple targets were identified from aerial VTEM surveys over a strike length of 27km.  Empire completed a 1,350 metre surface drill programme in 2011 and 1,335m of underground resource drilling in over 25 holes in 2013, with some excellent high-grade intercepts (including 3.9m @ 51.5 g/t Au, 238 g/t Ag, and 2.69% Cu), but grades are highly variable reflecting the complex nature of the mineralised structure.

In 2020 the Company completed a programme at Altenberg comprising sampling of old mine waste dumps, confirming and extending previous results with high grades of gold, silver, copper and lead.  Estimation of mine dump volumes was also completed.  The results indicate the presence of an extensive hydrothermal system with stockwork mineralisation and local enrichment zones.  Of the 58 samples collected, 19 had gold grades between 4.79 g/t Au and 31.9 g/t Au.

At Schonberg the Company completed extensive soils surveys, underground chip and channel sampling, and surface reverse circulation drilling. A 3,000m drill programme in 2014 tested for deep massive sulphide mineralization at three targets, with results including, 2m @ 2.26 g/t Au and 0.8% Cu from 129.5m

At Kleining, previous exploration confirmed the presence of parallel vein swarms, veins up to 2.5m wide and grades to 23.6g/t Au. Encouraging shallow high grade gold results including 2m @ 4.47 g/t Au including 12.52 g/t Au over 0.5m at a depth of 4.5 metres.