EMP METALS BEGINS OPERATIONS OF DIRECT LITHIUM EXTRACTION PILOT PLANT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KOCH TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS AND SALTWORKS TECHNOLOGIES IN SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN

VANCOUVER, BC, April 18, 2024 /CNW/ - EMP Metals Corp. (CSE: EMPS) (OTCQB: EMPPF) ("EMP Metals" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement and commissioning of its Direct Lithium Extraction ("DLE") Field Pilot Facility (the "Facility") located in Estevan, Saskatchewan. The Facility represents the first Koch Technology Solutions ("KTS") DLE pilot skid to be commissioned and operated in Canada.

The operation of the Facility will closely resemble field operating conditions, receiving high lithium concentration feed brine from the Viewfield area. Swab testing in the area has tested lithium concentrations upwards of 259 mg/L in one of the targeted zones. The Facility also features a pre-filtration skid and a heater skid designed by Saltworks Technologies to deliver on spec feed brine at elevated temperatures of approximately 60 degrees Celsius. The Facility is expected to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, over the next few months to gather valuable performance data that will provide the foundation for continued detailed engineering work on the stage 1 commercial facility.

Initially, the Facility operated over several days with lab results confirming the feed brine is meeting required specifications and the DLE skid is optimized for lithium recovery. The Facility will process approximately 4,500 L per day of feed brine. The lower daily throughput is representative of higher lithium concentrations in the feed brine. This results in lower volume required to fully load the pilot column with lithium on each cycle. Average feed brine lithium concentrations of 185 mg/L have been confirmed through third party lab testing and is representative of the producing zones isolated for the pilot testing.

Paul Schubach, COO of EMP Metals, stated, "The commencement, commissioning, and continuous run time at the pilot facility is a substantial milestone for EMP Metals and ROK Resources. The efforts by our local team, vendors, and contractors supporting the project have been instrumental in our early success. The data set we will collect over the next few months is expected to add significant value to our detailed engineering work for the initial stage 1 commercial facility located in Southern Saskatchewan."

The Company also announces that the board of directors has authorized the grant of an aggregate 300,000 incentive stock options (the "Options") to certain employees and consultants of the Company, at an exercise price of $0.40 per common share. The Options are exercisable for a five-year period from the date of grant and may be subject to certain vesting provisions as determined by the board of directors.  All Options were granted pursuant to the Company's stock option plan and are subject to the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE").

EMP Metals is a Canadian-based lithium exploration and development company focused on large scale resources using direct lithium extraction.  EMP Metals, in partnership with ROK Resources Inc., currently holds greater than 200,000 net acres of Subsurface Dispositions and strategic wellbores in Southern Saskatchewan.  For more information, please go to the Company's website at www.empmetals.com

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. EMP Metals cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond EMP Metals' control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to EMP Metals' limited operating history, ability to obtain sufficient financing to carry out its exploration and development objectives on its mineral properties, obtaining the necessary permits to carry out its activities and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations.  Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, EMP Metals undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE EMP Metals Corp.