EMPIRE PETROLEUM CORP 10-Q

Item 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures As of the end of the period covered by this report, the Company carried out an evaluation under the supervision and participation of the Company’s Principal Executive Officer/Principal Financial Officer, along with our management, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e). Based on this evaluation, the Company’s Principal Executive Officer/Principal Financial Officer concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures were effective, as of the end of the period covered by this report, in ensuring the information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer/Principal Financial Officer), to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting While we continue to implement design enhancements to our internal control procedures, we believe there were no changes to our internal control over financial reporting during the three months ended March 31, 2026, which were identified in connection with the evaluation that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Inherent Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls The Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their desired objectives. Management recognizes that a control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of their inherent limitations, disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect all errors or misstatements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. ​ 29 Table of Contents PART II. OTHER INFORMATION Item 1. Legal Proceedings ​ For information regarding legal proceedings, see Note 14 – Commitments and Contingencies of the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Item 1A. Risk Factors ​ Not applicable. Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds ​ None. Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities ​ None. Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures ​ Not applicable.