Empire Petroleum (EP) CAO receives 9,000-share grant and 9,000-share option award

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Empire Petroleum Corp's Chief Accounting Officer, Matthew E. Watson, reported receiving equity-based compensation. He acquired 9,000 shares of Common Stock on June 16, 2026 at a stated price of $0.00 per share, increasing his direct holdings to 19,000 shares.

On the same date, he was also granted an employee stock option for 9,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $2.65 per share, expiring on June 15, 2031. According to the footnote, this option vests in three equal annual installments beginning on June 16, 2027, meaning it becomes exercisable over time rather than all at once.

Insider Trade Summary

2 transactions reported

Mixed 2 txns

Insider Watson Matthew E.

Role Chief Accounting Officer

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	9,000	$0.00	--
Grant/Award	Common Stock	9,000	$0.00	--

Holdings After Transaction: Employee Stock Option (right to buy) — 9,000 shares (Direct, null); Common Stock — 19,000 shares (Direct, null)

Footnotes (1)

1. [object Object]

Key Figures

Stock grant: 9,000 shares Shares held after grant: 19,000 shares Option grant size: 9,000 options +3 more

6 metrics

Stock grant 9,000 shares Common Stock awarded on June 16, 2026 at $0.00

Shares held after grant 19,000 shares Total Common Stock directly held following transaction

Option grant size 9,000 options Employee Stock Option for 9,000 underlying Common shares

Option exercise price $2.65 per share Exercise price for employee stock option

Option expiration June 15, 2031 Expiration date of the employee stock option

Vesting start date June 16, 2027 Option vests in three equal annual installments from this date

Key Terms

Employee Stock Option, exercise price, vests in three equal annual installments, grant, award, or other acquisition

4 terms

Employee Stock Option financial

"Employee Stock Option (right to buy)"

An employee stock option is a promise that lets a worker buy company shares later at a predetermined price, often after they stay for a certain period or meet performance goals — think of it like a coupon that locks in today's price for a future purchase. It matters to investors because options align employees’ incentives with company performance, can increase the number of shares outstanding (dilution) when exercised, and represent a compensation cost that affects reported profits and shareholder value.

exercise price financial

"conversion_or_exercise_price": "2.6500""

The exercise price is the fixed amount at which you can buy or sell an asset, like a stock, when using an options contract. It matters because it helps determine whether exercising the option will be profitable or not, depending on the current market price. Think of it as the set price you agree on today to buy or sell later.

vests in three equal annual installments financial

"The Option vests in three equal annual installments beginning on June 16, 2027."

grant, award, or other acquisition financial

"transaction_code_description": "Grant, award, or other acquisition""

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Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

Available on EDGAR 06/18/2026 - 06:02 PM Accepted by SEC EDGAR 06/18/2026 - 06:02 PM Learn about SEC filing dates

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Watson Matthew E.

(Last) (First) (Middle)

2200 S. UTICA PLACE

SUITE 150

(Street)

TULSA OKLAHOMA 74114

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
EMPIRE PETROLEUM CORP [ EP ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	Chief Accounting Officer

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
06/16/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	06/16/2026		A		9,000	A	$0	19,000	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	$2.65	06/16/2026		A		9,000		(1)	06/15/2031	Common Stock	9,000	$0	9,000	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. The Option vests in three equal annual installments beginning on June 16, 2027.

	/s/ Matthew E. Watson	06/18/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

FAQ

What insider transaction did Empire Petroleum (EP) report for Matthew E. Watson?

Empire Petroleum reported that Chief Accounting Officer Matthew E. Watson received equity awards. He acquired 9,000 shares of Common Stock and an option for 9,000 shares as compensation, both dated June 16, 2026, with no open-market buying or selling involved.

How many Empire Petroleum (EP) shares does Matthew E. Watson hold after this Form 4?

After the reported grant, Matthew E. Watson directly holds 19,000 shares of Empire Petroleum Common Stock. He also holds an employee stock option covering 9,000 additional shares, which represents a potential future ownership increase once the option becomes vested and exercisable.

What are the key terms of Matthew E. Watson’s stock option grant at Empire Petroleum (EP)?

Watson received an employee stock option for 9,000 shares of Empire Petroleum Common Stock at a $2.65 exercise price. The option expires June 15, 2031 and vests in three equal annual installments starting June 16, 2027, providing long-term incentive tied to company performance.

Was Matthew E. Watson’s Empire Petroleum (EP) equity award an open-market purchase?

No, the equity reported was a compensation-related award classified as a grant or other acquisition. The Form 4 shows no open-market purchase or sale; instead, Watson received 9,000 shares and a 9,000-share option as part of his compensation package.

How does the vesting schedule work for Matthew E. Watson’s Empire Petroleum (EP) option?

The option vests in three equal annual installments beginning June 16, 2027. That means one-third of the 9,000-share option becomes exercisable each year over three years, aligning Watson’s potential gain with longer-term company performance and retention incentives.