GoldQuest Provides Update on 2025 Drilling and Metallurgical Program at Romero Gold-Copper Project, Dominican Republic

Rhea-AI Summary

GoldQuest (OTCQX: GDQMF) reported progress on its 2025 drilling and metallurgical program at the 100%‑owned Romero gold‑copper project in the Dominican Republic.

Key facts: 1,906 m of metallurgical drilling completed across five holes, with ~1,600 m of representative core selected for locked‑cycle and variability testing at ALS Kamloops; first metallurgical results expected in March 2026 and a final report by late April/early May 2026. Geotechnical (five holes ≈1,600 m) and hydrogeological (12 holes; 2 completed, 2 in progress) drilling support Feasibility Study and are on schedule for completion by February 2026.

The company is mobilizing additional rigs to begin resource delineation at the Cachimbo discovery in December 2025 and will integrate new structural, geophysical and geological datasets into machine‑learning targeting for 2026 exploration.

Positive

• Completed 1,906 m metallurgical drilling across five holes
• Selected ~1,600 m representative core for locked‑cycle tests
• Locked‑cycle first results expected in March 2026
• Geotech program of five holes (~1,600 m) on schedule
• Mobilizing rigs to start Cachimbo resource delineation in Dec 2025

Negative

• No assay results available yet from 2025 metallurgical drill holes
• Final metallurgical report not expected until late Apr/early May 2026

Key Figures

Metallurgical holes 5 drillholes 2025 metallurgical drilling at Romero

Metallurgical drilling 1,906 metres Total metallurgical drilling completed in 2025 program

Core for testwork ≈1,600 metres Representative core selected for locked‑cycle and variability tests

Geotechnical holes 5 holes ≈1,600 metres Geotechnical drilling for Feasibility Study design

Hydrogeological holes 12 holes 2 completed, 2 in progress for hydrogeological data

Metallurgy first results March 2026 Expected first locked‑cycle and variability test results

Final metallurgy report Late April / early May 2026 Anticipated completion of metallurgical report

Program start September 2025 Commencement of 2025 drilling and metallurgical program

Market Reality Check

$1.21 Last Close

Volume Volume 1,000 is far below the 20‑day average of 34,206, indicating limited pre‑news participation. low

Technical Price at 1.0465 is trading above the 200‑day MA at 0.59, despite being 22.48% below the 52‑week high.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 03	Project update	Positive	+18.5%	Update on metallurgical, geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling for feasibility work.
Nov 26	Listing upgrade	Positive	+1.2%	Began trading on OTCQX under GDQMF to broaden U.S. investor access.
Oct 16	Market‑making deal	Neutral	-2.2%	Engaged DS Market Solutions for liquidity and market‑making services on TSXV.
Oct 09	Drilling start	Positive	+2.6%	Commenced 2025 drilling at Romero and outlined 5,000 m Cachimbo program.

Pattern Detected

Recent operational and listing updates have generally seen positive next‑day moves, suggesting investors have rewarded progress at Romero and capital‑markets milestones.

Recent Company History

Over the past few months, GoldQuest has focused on advancing the Romero project and its market presence. The company commenced the 2025 drilling program in October 2025, added market‑making support in mid‑October, and upgraded to the OTCQX in late November 2025. The current update on 1,906 m of metallurgical drilling and feasibility‑related work continues this trajectory of de‑risking and technical advancement at Romero.

Market Pulse Summary

The stock surged +18.5% in the session following this news. A strong positive reaction aligns with the stock’s history of favorable responses to Romero project news, as seen after prior drilling and feasibility updates. However, the pre‑news volume of 1,000 versus a 34,206 average suggests liquidity can be thin, which may amplify moves. Investors have previously rewarded de‑risking steps, but thin trading can also make sharp gains harder to sustain if follow‑through demand fades.

Key Terms

metallurgical technical

"update on its ongoing 2025 drilling and metallurgical testwork program"

Metallurgical describes the processes and techniques used to extract, separate, refine and test metals from ore or recycled material, including crushing, melting, chemical separation and quality assays. For investors, metallurgical performance determines how much saleable metal a project yields, how costly and risky production will be, and whether a mine or plant can meet product and environmental standards—like the recipe and kitchen that turn raw ingredients into a marketable product.

geotechnical technical

"Geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling advancing on schedule: 5 dedicated geotech holes"

"Geotechnical" relates to the study of Earth's materials and how they behave, especially soil and rock, to assess how stable and suitable land is for construction or development. For investors, understanding geotechnical conditions helps evaluate the safety, feasibility, and potential costs of building projects or infrastructure, influencing the value and risk associated with real estate and development ventures.

hydrogeological technical

"plus 12 hydrogeological holes (2 completed, 2 in progress)"

Relating to the distribution and movement of groundwater beneath the surface and the properties of the soils and rocks that hold or transmit that water. For investors, hydrogeological information matters because it affects water supply, pollution risks, construction foundations, mining and energy projects, and cleanup costs — think of it as the earth’s plumbing system that can make projects work smoothly or create costly surprises.

variability testwork technical

"representative core selected from all holes for advanced locked-cycle and variability testwork"

Variability testwork is a program of laboratory and pilot tests that measures how differences in raw material or input (for example, ore, chemical feedstock or recycled content) affect a process’s performance, yield and costs. For investors, it reveals how consistent future production, recovery rates and operating expenses are likely to be — like testing several batches of a recipe to see how ingredient changes alter the final cake — and so it helps assess project risk, capital needs and earnings predictability.

massive sulphides technical

"including massive sulphides, silicification, brecciation and other favorable alteration styles"

Massive sulphides are dense bodies of rock made mostly of sulphide minerals, which are compounds of sulfur and metals such as copper, zinc, lead, nickel or gold. Think of them as rich “clumps” of metal-containing material within host rock, like chunks of chocolate in a cookie; their size, concentration and depth determine whether they could be mined economically. For investors, they signal the potential for high-grade metal resources, but also carry exploration, processing and permitting risks.

machine learning (AI) technical

"datasets into machine learning (AI) targeting software now underway"

Computer systems that improve their performance by finding patterns in data instead of following only fixed instructions; often called AI, they learn from examples and new information to make predictions, classify things, or automate decisions. Investors care because these systems can lower costs, speed decision-making, and uncover trends—like a weather forecast improving with more observations—but they also create risks when trained on poor data, make mistakes, or face regulatory limits.

Qualified Person regulatory

"a Qualified Person for the technical information in this news release under NI 43‑101"

A qualified person is someone with specialized knowledge, experience, and training in a particular field, allowing them to accurately assess and verify information or work. Their expertise helps ensure that reports, evaluations, or decisions are trustworthy and meet required standards. For investors, a qualified person provides confidence that the information they rely on is credible and properly validated.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 3, 2025) - GoldQuest Mining Corp. (TSXV: GQC) (OTCQX: GDQMF) ("GoldQuest" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its ongoing 2025 drilling and metallurgical testwork program at the 100%-owned Romero Gold-Copper Project in the Dominican Republic.

• Completed 5 metallurgical drillholes totalling 1,906 metres; approximately 1,600 m of representative core selected from all holes for advanced locked-cycle and variability testwork at ALS Kamloops, with first results expected in March 2026 and final report anticipated by late April/early May 2026.
• Geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling advancing on schedule: 5 dedicated geotech holes (approximately 1,600 m) plus 12 hydrogeological holes (2 completed, 2 in progress), all expected to be finished by February 2026 to support Feasibility Study engineering design.
• One additional rig mobilizing in December and more in January to the high-priority Cachimbo discovery target to initiate resource delineation drilling and test additional early-stage targets along the Romero-Cachimbo mineralized corridor.
• Once the geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling is completed, GoldQuest plans to transition these drills to Romero resource expansion drilling and to test proximal targets including the Romero Gap target.
• Integration of new structural, geophysical and geological datasets into machine learning (AI) targeting software now underway following completion of district-scale structural review - expected to help refine and add additional quality exploration targets for 2026.

Since the program commenced in September 2025, the Company has successfully completed five metallurgical drill holes totalling 1,906 metres (Figure 1). These holes were specifically designed to provide fresh core from the already recognized Mineral Reserves area for advanced metallurgical testing and obtain detailed geotechnical information and samples in support of the ongoing Feasibility Study.

All the first five holes have visually confirmed high-grade mineralization at the core of the Romero deposit, showing multiple mineralization events, including massive sulphides, silicification, brecciation and other favorable alteration styles. Figure 2 shows different examples at different depths and locations of the orebody. In addition, assay results for these holes will be obtained as part of the metallurgical test work program currently underway.

Figure 1: Drill Progress at Romero

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1663/276661_goldquest.jpg

Figure 2: Selected core from 2025 drilling. a) Favorable multi-event hydrothermal alteration (Hole LTP-171 - 289 m). b) Multiple overprinting hydrothermal pulses related to Cu-Au mineralization (Hole LTP-172 - 252 m). c) Massive Cu-Au sulfide matrix breccia within tuff sequence (LTP-173 - 159.2 m). d) Hydrothermal quartz injection associated with favorable mineralization (LTP-174 - 192.3 m)

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1663/276661_goldquest3.jpg

Approximately 1,600 metres of representative core have been selected from all five holes. Sample distribution ensures full representativity of the mineralized body across the planned mining sequence and different lithological and alteration domains. The sampling protocol was based on the definition of geo-metallurgical units (GMUs) and the construction of variability and life-of-mine composites. Locked-cycle tests and variability testing on these composites is expected to provide detailed processing parameters throughout the life of the mine and enable accurate sizing of plant equipment.

The selected laboratory for this advanced testwork program is ALS Kamloops (Canada), one of the world's most respected metallurgical facilities.

First results from the locked-cycle and variability testwork are expected in March 2026, with the final metallurgical report anticipated by the end of April or early May 2026.

In parallel, three additional drill rigs continue with a geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling program at the planned plant, waste dump, tailings facility areas, and critical infrastructure (Figure 2). This campaign consists of five dedicated geotechnical holes (approximately 1,600 metres in total) and twelve hydrogeological holes (2 completed and 2 ongoing) and is on schedule for completion by February 2026. Data from these holes will support detailed engineering design for the Feasibility Study.

One additional rig is being mobilized to Cachimbo to start the exploration program during December, with the objective of delineating a Mineral Resource in this target, and drill test other early-stage targets along the mineralized belt defined between Romero and Cachimbo. One additional rig is expected to be deployed in this area by January 2026.

With the completion of an integral review of district and local structural geology, which improved the understanding of gold-copper mineralization controls, 3D structural modelling, reprocessing and reinterpreting historical geophysical datasets, we are now focused on integrating all the datasets generated into a machine learning (AI) software to assist with the targeting.

Luis Santana, CEO of GoldQuest Mining Corp., commented: "We are very pleased with the rapid and safe progress of our 2025 program. Completing the metallurgical drilling campaign on schedule and securing representative samples from across the deposit marks an important de-risking milestone for the Romero Project. We now look forward to commencing greenfield exploration drilling at the Cachimbo target, with the first rig scheduled to start in early December and a second rig expected to be mobilized by late January 2026."

Figure 3: Drill Location and Program Detail.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1663/276661_goldquest2.jpg

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Leandro Sastre, P. Geo., VP of Exploration of GoldQuest and a Qualified Person for the technical information in this news release under NI 43‐101-Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About GoldQuest

GoldQuest Mining Corp. (TSXV: GQC) (OTCQX: GDQMF) is a Canadian exploration and development company with strong participation from Dominican investors, focused on advancing its gold and copper assets in the Dominican Republic. With a Board and Management Team that have previously developed a mine still operating in the country.

The Company is well funded to carry out its exploration programs and to advance the development of its Romero gold/copper discovery, also located in the Tireo Formation of the Dominican Republic.

Additional information can be viewed at the Company's website www.goldquestcorp.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of GoldQuest Mining Corp.,

"Luis Santana"

Director & CEO

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

Forward‐looking statements:

Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward‐looking information that involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward‐looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's drill programs, the results of such drill programs and the interpretation of the results of the drill programs, further drilling, the timing of drilling and assay results, the mobilization of drill rigs, metallurgical testwork and the timing of results thereof, the Feasibility Study and engineering studies in support thereof, mineral resources at Romero and Romero South, the merits of the Company's mineral properties, future drill programs and studies, the Company's plans and exploration programs for its mineral properties, including the timing of such plans and programs, and the Company's belief that Dominican Republic authorities will support the development of the Romero gold-copper project. In certain cases, forward‐looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "potential", "likelihood", "appears", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "at least", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "objective", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved".

Forward‐looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward‐looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to uncertainties inherent in drill results and the estimation of mineral resources; commodity prices; changes in general economic conditions; market sentiment; currency exchange rates; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to raise funds through equity financings; risks inherent in mineral exploration; risks related to operations in foreign countries; future prices of metals; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals; government regulation of mining operations; environmental risks; title disputes or claims; limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of litigation. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could affect the Company and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward‐looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward‐looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, do not place undue reliance on forward‐looking statements. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward‐looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. Forward‐looking statements are based on assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable, including expectations regarding mineral exploration and development costs; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral resource estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained and that there will be no significant disruptions affecting the Company or its properties.

For further information, please contact:

Luis Santana, Chief Executive Officer
1 (809) 224-0629
lsantana@goldquestcorp.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/276661

FAQ

What drilling did GoldQuest complete at Romero in 2025 (GDQMF)?

GoldQuest completed five metallurgical drill holes totalling 1,906 m and selected ~1,600 m of core for advanced testing.

When will GoldQuest (GDQMF) release the first metallurgical test results?

First locked‑cycle and variability test results are expected in March 2026.

What is the timeline for geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling supporting the Romero Feasibility Study?

Five geotechnical holes (~1,600 m) and 12 hydrogeological holes are scheduled for completion by February 2026.

When will GoldQuest start resource drilling at the Cachimbo target (GDQMF)?

One rig is mobilizing in December 2025 with an additional rig expected by January 2026 to begin delineation drilling.

Which laboratory is conducting the Romero metallurgical testwork for GoldQuest (GDQMF)?

Advanced locked‑cycle and variability tests are being performed at ALS Kamloops in Canada.

Has GoldQuest released assay results from the 2025 Romero drill holes (GDQMF)?

No; assay results will be obtained as part of the metallurgical testwork and have not yet been released.