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Form 8-K

sec.gov
EP The article is a Form 8-K filing detailing corporate actions such as the approval of a new stock and incentive compensation plan, election of directors, advisory vote on executive compensation, and ratification of the accounting firm. These are routine corporate governance events.

8-K — EMPIRE PETROLEUM CORP

Accession: 0001072613-26-000535

Filed: 2026-06-22

Period: 2026-06-17

CIK: 0000887396

SIC: 1311 (CRUDE PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS)

Item: Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers: Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

Item: Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

Item: Financial Statements and Exhibits

Documents

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UNITED

STATES

SECURITIES

AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington,

D.C. 20549

_________________

FORM

8-K

_________________

Current

Report

Pursuant

To Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date

of Report (date of earliest event reported):

JUNE

17, 2026

_______________________________

EMPIRE

PETROLEUM CORPORATION

(Exact

name of registrant as specified in its charter)

_______________________________

Delaware

001-16653

73-1238709

(State or Other Jurisdiction

(Commission

(I.R.S. Employer

of Incorporation)

File Number)

Identification No.)

2200

S. Utica Place, Suite

150, Tulsa,

Oklahoma

74114

(Address

of Principal Executive Offices)       (Zip Code)

Registrant’s

telephone number, including area code:   (539) 444-8002

(Former

name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check

the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under

any of the following provisions:

☐

Written communications

pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐

Soliciting material

pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐

Pre-commencement

communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐

Pre-commencement

communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities

registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title

of each class

Trading

Symbol(s)

Name

of each exchange on which registered

Common

Stock $0.001 par value

EP

NYSE

American

Indicate

by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405

of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging

growth company ☐

If

an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying

with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item

5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment

of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

(e)        On

June 17, 2026, the stockholders of Empire Petroleum Corporation (the “Company”) approved the Company’s 2026 Stock

and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2026 Plan”). The 2026 Plan reserves 1,200,000 shares of the Company’s common

stock for issuance thereunder. As a result of such approval, no further awards will be made under the Company’s 2024 Stock and

Incentive Compensation Plan.

All

employees and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries and all non-employee directors of the Company are eligible to receive awards

under the 2026 Plan, as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”) or the Board

of Directors. The Committee will administer the 2026 Plan. Awards under the 2026 Plan may be granted in any one or a combination of the

following forms: incentive stock options; non-qualified stock options; stock appreciation rights; restricted stock; restricted

stock units; performance shares; performance units; cash-based awards; and other stock-based awards.

A

more detailed description of the 2026 Plan is contained in the Company’s Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the Annual Meeting

of Stockholders filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2026. The 2026 Plan is filed as Exhibit 10 to

this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.

Item

5.07 Submission

of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

On

June 17, 2026, the Company held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”). A total of 39,779,537 shares

of the Company’s common stock were entitled to vote as of April 20, 2026, the record date for the Annual Meeting. There were

30,408,848 shares present, in person or by proxy, at the Annual Meeting (or 76.44% of the outstanding shares), at which the stockholders

were asked to vote on four proposals. Set forth below are the matters acted upon by the stockholders at the Annual Meeting, and the final

voting results of each such proposal.

Proposal

One — Election of Directors

The

stockholders voted to elect three directors to serve for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders in 2027 and until their

successors are duly elected and qualified. The results of the vote were as follows:

For

Withheld

Broker

Non-Votes

Michael

R. Morrisett

20,291,265

878,573

9,239,010

Vice

Admiral Andrew L. Lewis (Ret.)

20,509,740

660,098

9,239,010

J.

Kevin Vann

20,564,930

604,908

9,239,010

Proposal

Two — Advisory Vote to Approve

Named

Executive Officer Compensation

The

stockholders voted to approve, on an advisory basis, named executive officer compensation. The results of the vote were as follows:

For

Against

Abstain

Broker

Non-Votes

20,676,312

425,115

68,411

9,239,010

2

Proposal

Three – Approval of the Empire Petroleum Corporation

2026

Stock and Incentive Compensation Plan

The

stockholders voted to approve the 2026 Plan. The results of the vote were as follows:

For

Against

Abstain

Broker

Non-Votes

20,679,661

489,113

1,064

9,239,010

Proposal

Four – Ratification of Appointment of

Independent

Registered Public Accounting Firm

The

stockholders voted to ratify the appointment of Grant Thornton LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm

for 2026. The results of the vote were as follows:

For

Against

Abstain

Broker

Non-Votes

30,104,778

2,163

301,907

-0-

Item

9.01 Financial

Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

The

following exhibits are furnished or filed herewith.

Exhibit

Number

Description

10

Empire Petroleum Corporation 2026 Stock and Incentive Compensation Plan (filed as Annex A to the Company’s Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 30, 2026, and incorporated herein by reference).

104

Cover

Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

3

SIGNATURES

Pursuant

to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by

the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

EMPIRE

PETROLEUM CORPORATION

Date:

June 22, 2026

By:

/s/ Michael

R. Morrisett

Michael

R. Morrisett

President

and Chief Executive Officer

4

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