Copper Quest Partners with ExploreTech for AI-Driven Resource Exploration and Development

Rhea-AI Summary

Copper Quest (OTCQB: IMIMF) announced a strategic partnership with ExploreTech to apply generative AI to its exploration datasets, starting at the Kitimat Copper-Gold Project in British Columbia. Copper Quest completed a November 2025 reconnaissance program at Kitimat with 24 soil and eight rock samples (assays pending) and observed quartz monzonite, strong silicification and disseminated sulphides consistent with a porphyry system.

The company also closed a fully subscribed non-brokered flow-through financing of 10,142,104 shares at $0.19 for gross proceeds of $1,927,000 to fund Canadian exploration expenses.

Positive

• Flow-through financing: $1,927,000 gross proceeds
• 10,142,104 Flow-Through Shares issued at $0.19
• Historic drill intercepts: 117.07 m @ 1.03 g/t Au, 0.54% Cu
• ExploreTech AI to deliver probability-ranked drill targets

Negative

• Flow-through issuance will cause shareholder dilution
• Insider participation triggers a related party transaction
• Assays for 24 soil and 8 rock samples are pending

Key Figures

Soil samples 24 samples Kitimat reconnaissance field program, November 2025

Rock samples 8 samples Kitimat reconnaissance field program, November 2025

Historic drilling 16 diamond holes, 4,437.5 m Jeannette Cu-Au Zone, 2010 program

Hole J-7 interval 117.07 m @ 1.03 g/t Au, 0.54% Cu Jeannette Cu-Au Zone, from 1.52 m to 118.60 m

Hole J-1 interval 103.65 m @ 1.00 g/t Au, 0.55% Cu Jeannette Cu-Au Zone, from 9.15 m to 112.80 m

Flow-through shares 10,142,104 shares Non-brokered flow-through private placement

Flow-through price $0.19 per share Pricing for flow-through private placement

Gross proceeds $1,927,000 Flow-through financing to fund Canadian exploration expenses

Market Reality Check

$0.0990 Last Close

Volume Volume 3,000 vs 20-day average 32,043 indicates trading well below typical levels ahead of this news. low

Technical Price at $0.096, trading above the $0.08 200-day moving average and about one-third below the 52-week high of $0.145.

Peers on Argus

While IMIMF was up 0.94%, several peers saw much larger gains (e.g., CDMNF up 400%, LBSR up 52.54%, PEMSF up 7%), suggesting company-specific rather than broad sector momentum.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 01	AI partnership & financing	Positive	-4.9%	AI partnership at Kitimat plus fully subscribed $1.93M flow-through financing.
Nov 14	Mine acquisition option	Positive	-4.4%	Option to acquire Alpine Gold Property with high-grade inferred resource.
Oct 30	Project acquisition	Positive	+15.7%	Deal to acquire 100% of Kitimat Copper-Gold Project with strong historic drilling.

Pattern Detected

Recent news has produced mixed reactions: the Kitimat acquisition saw a strong positive move, while an AI partnership/financing and a separate mine acquisition both saw modest declines, indicating inconsistent follow-through on seemingly positive catalysts.

Recent Company History

This announcement builds on Copper Quest’s recent expansion strategy. On Oct 30, 2025, the company agreed to acquire a 100% interest in the Kitimat Copper-Gold Project, which delivered historical wide, near-surface Cu-Au intercepts and drove a 15.65% price gain. On Nov 14, 2025, Copper Quest agreed to acquire the Alpine Gold Property, but shares fell 4.42%. Today’s AI partnership and fully subscribed $1,927,000 flow-through financing on Dec 1, 2025 previously coincided with a 4.88% pullback, highlighting uneven market reception to growth initiatives.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement advances Copper Quest’s Kitimat Copper-Gold Project by applying ExploreTech’s generative AI to historic and new datasets, aiming to refine drill targeting in a porphyry-style system. The fully subscribed flow-through financing of $1,927,000 at $0.19 per share strengthens funding for Canadian exploration expenses. Recent acquisitions and the Kitimat option highlight a growth-focused strategy. Key metrics to watch include assay results from 2025 sampling, new drill plans, and how efficiently the AI-driven models translate into tangible discoveries.

Key Terms

generative artificial intelligence technical

"to deploy generative artificial intelligence across its project portfolio, beginning"

Generative artificial intelligence is a type of computer system that learns patterns from large datasets and produces new content—text, images, audio, designs, or code—rather than just sorting or summarizing existing information, like a virtual apprentice that invents drafts based on what it has seen. Investors pay attention because it can lower costs, speed product development, create new revenue streams and competitive advantages, while also introducing risks around accuracy, intellectual property and regulation that can affect valuation.

porphyry technical

"The technology has been successfully applied on multiple porphyry systems."

A porphyry is a type of large, underground mineral deposit that contains valuable metals such as copper, gold, or molybdenum, often spread over a wide area. Think of it as a giant underground treasure chest, where the metals are embedded in rock formations. These deposits are important to investors because they can be the source of significant resource extraction projects with the potential for substantial economic returns.

flow-through share financial

"10,142,104 common shares of the Company to be issued on a flow-through basis"

Flow-through shares are a type of equity where a company transfers the tax deductions from certain qualifying expenses (often exploration or development costs) directly to the investor, who can then claim those deductions on their own tax return. For investors this can reduce taxable income and boost after-tax returns—think of buying stock that also comes with a coupon for future tax savings—so these shares can make financing cheaper for companies and more attractive to tax-aware buyers.

non-brokered private placement financial

"a non-brokered private placement financing of 10,142,104 common shares"

A non-brokered private placement is when a company raises money by selling securities (such as shares or bonds) directly to a small group of chosen investors without using a broker or dealer as a middleman. For investors it matters because it can provide faster, lower-cost access to new investment opportunities but may bring higher risk, less liquidity and potential dilution of existing holdings compared with public offerings.

Canadian exploration expenses financial

"used to incur “Canadian exploration expenses” that qualify as “flow-through"

Canadian exploration expenses are costs incurred to look for and evaluate mineral resources in Canada that Canadian tax rules allow to be claimed as deductible exploration spending. Investors care because these expenses can be flowed through as tax benefits or deductions, lowering taxable income for eligible shareholders and effectively acting like a tax rebate that can improve after‑tax returns and reduce a mining company's net capital needs — similar to getting a future tax coupon for money spent today.

statutory hold period regulatory

"subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance"

A statutory hold period is a legally required time window during which newly issued securities or shares received by insiders cannot be sold. It matters to investors because it affects when those shares can enter the market, influencing supply, short-term liquidity and potential price pressure—think of it like a temporary “no-sell” tag that prevents an immediate flood of items onto a store shelf after a big restock.

Multilateral Instrument 61-101 regulatory

"as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security"

Multilateral Instrument 61-101 is a securities regulation that sets rules for certain corporate deals—like mergers, asset sales, or related-party transactions—to protect minority shareholders by requiring extra disclosure, independent valuation and, in many cases, formal shareholder approval. Think of it as an impartial referee and checklist that forces companies to show the full playbook and get a vote or an independent price opinion, so investors can judge whether a proposed deal is fair and avoid being overridden by insiders.

related party transaction regulatory

"constitute a “related party transaction” as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101"

A related party transaction is any deal or transfer of value between a company and people or entities with close ties to it — such as executives, major owners, family members, or affiliated businesses. Investors watch these transactions because they can favor insiders over outside shareholders, skirt fair market pricing, or hide risks; like selling your car to a relative at a friendly price, they require clear disclosure and scrutiny to judge impact on value.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

AI study to begin with Kitimat Copper-Gold Project; Copper Quest completes initial site visit and work program

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copper Quest Exploration Inc. (CSE: CQX; OTCQB: IMIMF; FRA: 3MX) (“Copper Quest” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce it has entered into a strategic partnership with U.S. based Exploration Technologies Inc. (“ExploreTech”) to deploy generative artificial intelligence across its project portfolio, beginning with the Kitimat Copper-Gold Project in British Columbia. The Company has also completed an initial work program at Kitimat and expanded its geological thesis based on historical datasets and updated field observations.

EXPLORETECH PARTNERSHIP OVERVIEW

ExploreTech integrates drilling, IP/magnetics, geochemistry, structural data, satellite imagery, and field observations into a unified 3D geological framework. The system generates thousands of subsurface model scenarios, evaluates probability, and optimizes drill plans for the highest-priority copper-gold targets. The technology has been successfully applied on multiple porphyry systems.

ExploreTech will collaborate with Copper Quest's team on their portfolio of projects, with the Kitimat Copper-Gold Project being processed first.

ExploreTech will:

• Conduct AI-driven reprocessing and inversion of historical geophysical datasets
• Generate geological simulations to resolve concealed intrusive centers, alteration, and mineralization
• Produce probability-ranked target clusters
• Recommend optimized drillhole placement, orientations, and depths
• Integrate Copper Quest’s 2025 soil and rock geochemical data
• Provide a fully integrated drill targeting package for the Kitimat Project

The technology is ideally suited for covered porphyry systems such as Kitimat, where limited outcrop and shallow till cover obscure significant subsurface features.

KITIMAT WORK PROGRAM SUMMARY

Copper Quest engaged Hardline Exploration to complete a reconnaissance field program at Kitimat in November 2025, collecting soil and rock samples, documenting structural and lithological observations, and assessing access routes.

Field Highlights

• 24 soil samples collected along two soil lines (assays pending)
• Eight rock samples collected from outcrop and historical working exposures (assays pending)
• Bedrock consists of quartz monzonite
• Strong silicification
• 5–10% disseminated fine-grained pyrite
• Traces of chalcopyrite
• Local molybdenum
• Orange-rusty weathering, consistent with sulphide-rich alteration
• Access roads on the claims are intact
• Historical logging/exploration roads provide excellent future drill access

These observations are indicative of the presence of a large altered intrusive system consistent with a productive porphyry environment.

HISTORICAL DRILLING: CONFIRMATION OF A SIGNIFICANT CU-AU SYSTEM

Exploration at Kitimat dates to the late 1960s. The most significant work was completed by Decade Resources Ltd. in 2010, which drilled 16 diamond holes totaling 4,437.5 m at the Jeannette Cu-Au Zone.

Notable Drill Intervals (2010)

• Hole J-7: 117.07 m @ 1.03 g/t Au and 0.54% Cu (from 1.52 m to 118.60 m)
• Hole J-1: 103.65 m @ 1.00 g/t Au and 0.55% Cu (from 9.15 m to 112.80 m)
• Hole J-2: 107.01 m @ 0.80 g/t Au and 0.45% Cu (from 6.10 m to 113.11 m)
• Hole J-8: 112.20 m @ 0.41 g/t Au and 0.33% Cu (from 11.89 m to 124.09 m)
  (Kruchkowski, E., 2010, BC Assessment Report #31807)

Interpretation

• Long, continuous, near-surface copper-gold intervals
• Mineralization remains open at depth
• Geological indicators suggest the system extends laterally beyond the drilled area
• Vectoring from 2010 drilling trends northeast toward a concealed porphyry center
• No systematic follow-up drilling has been completed in 15 years

Copper Quest believes these results represent a strong opportunity for discovery within a larger, buried hydrothermal system.

2010 Drilling – Collar Location Data:

Hole ID	Easting	Northing	Elevation	Depth (m)	Dip	Azimuth
J-7	517657.0	6001864.5	366	167.38	-50	070
J-1	517662.0	6001843.0	359	192.07	-45	045
J-2	517662.0	6001843.0	359	304.88	-50	045
J-8	517657.0	6001864.5	366	295.43	-60	070
Coordinates given in NAD83, UTM Zone 9N. Data from Kruchkowski, E., 2010, BC Assessment Report #31807.

MANAGEMENT COMMENTS

Brian Thurston, CEO of Copper Quest

“The Kitimat Project hosts excellent, historic mineralized intervals interpreted to represent a buried porphyry system. The long, near-surface copper-gold intercepts drilled in 2010 remain open and were never systematically followed up. ExploreTech’s AI platform will allow us to integrate decades of fragmented datasets and directly target the buried porphyry center that the geological evidence strongly supports.”

Alex Miltenberger, CEO of ExploreTech

“Our generative AI technology evaluates thousands of geological and geophysical scenarios to identify the most probable mineralized centers. We look forward to supporting Copper Quest in unlocking the full potential of their portfolio of projects starting with the Kitimat Copper-Gold project.”

NEXT STEPS

1. Deliver all historical datasets to ExploreTech
2. Begin AI-driven modeling and geophysical inversion
3. Integrate 2025 soil and rock geochemical results
4. Receive probability-ranked target clusters and drillhole trajectories
5. Finalize the 2025–2026 exploration and drilling program
6. Assess applying ExploreTech’s technology to additional Copper Quest properties

NON-BROKERED FULLY-SUBSCRIBED FINANCING

Copper Quest is pleased to announce that the Company has arranged a non-brokered private placement financing of 10,142,104 common shares of the Company to be issued on a flow-through basis (the “Flow-Through Shares”) at a price of $0.19 per Flow-Through Share for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,927,000 (the “Flow-Through Offering”).

The Flow-Through Offering is fully subscribed and finder’s fees will be applicable.

Each Flow-Through Share will be designated as either a “flow-through share” or “critical mineral flow-through share”, as applicable, within the meanings of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The gross proceeds from the issuance of the Flow-Through Shares will be used to incur “Canadian exploration expenses” that qualify as “flow-through mining expenditures” or “flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures”, as applicable, as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada), which will be renounced to subscribers with an effective date no later than December 31, 2026, all in accordance with the Income Tax Act (Canada) and applicable provincial legislation.

All securities to issued in connection with the Flow-Through Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable Canadian securities legislation. Closing of the Flow-Through Offering is anticipated to occur within a week from the date hereof and is subject to the receipt of all requisite approvals, including the acceptance of the Canadian Securities Exchange.

An insider of the Company will be participating in the Offering. The issuance of Flow-Through Shares to an insider will constitute a “related party transaction” as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”). The Company will be relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of the securities to be purchased by the insider, nor the consideration for the securities to be paid by such insider, will exceed 25% of the Company market capitalization. The Company will not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the Flow-Through Offering, which the Company deems to be reasonable in order to complete the Offering in a timely manner.

The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to available exemptions therefrom. This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States.

ABOUT EXPLORETECH

ExploreTech is a geological technology company specializing in AI-driven geological modeling, geophysical inversion, and drill-target optimization. Its platform is designed to rapidly identify concealed intrusive centers and mineralized systems with improved accuracy and efficiency.

COPPER: GLOBAL DEMAND & SUPPLY

Globally, copper demand continues to surge, driven by electrification, electric vehicles, renewable energy, and the massive expansion of AI and data center infrastructure. Yet supply remains constrained, with declining grades at existing mines, limited new discoveries, and prolonged permitting timelines. The resulting supply-demand imbalance underscores the importance of advancing new porphyry discoveries in stable jurisdictions like the U.S. and Canada. Copper Quest is aligned with this macro trend, positioning its North American portfolio of projects to become part of the next generation of copper and critical mineral discoveries.

QUALIFIED PERSON STATEMENT

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jeremy Hanson, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”). Mr. Hanson is independent of Copper Quest Exploration Inc. for the purposes of NI 43-101 and has verified the data disclosed in this news release, including sampling methods, geological descriptions, and historical exploration information.

ABOUT COPPER QUEST EXPLORATION INC.

Copper Quest (CSE: CQX; OTCQB: IMIMF; FRA: 3MX) is focused on building shareholder value through project acquisition, and exploration and development of its North American Critical Mineral portfolio of assets. The Company’s land package currently comprises five projects that span over 40,000+ hectares in great mining jurisdictions as well as the Kitimat Cu-Au Project and the past-producing Alpine Gold Mine that are both pending acquisition following due diligence.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Stars Property, a porphyry copper-molybdenum discovery, covering 9,693 hectares in central British Columbia’s Bulkley Porphyry Belt. Contiguous to the Stars Property, Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the 5,389 hectare Stellar Property. CQX also has an earn-in option up to 80% and joint-venture agreement on the 4,700 hectare porphyry copper-molybdenum Rip Project, also in the Bulkley Porphyry Belt.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Nekash Copper-Gold Project, a porphyry exploration opportunity located in Lemhi County, Idaho, along the prolific Idaho-Montana porphyry copper belt that hosts world-class systems such as Butte and CUMO. The project is fully road-accessible via maintained U.S. highways and forest service roads and currently consists of 70 unpatented federal lode claims covering 585 hectares.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Thane Project located in the Quesnel Terrane of Northern BC which spans over 20,658 ha with 10 high-priority targets identified demonstrating significant copper and precious metal mineralization potential.

Copper Quest’s leadership and advisory teams are senior mining industry executives who have a wealth of technical and capital markets experience and a strong track record of discovering, financing, developing, and operating mining projects on a global scale. Copper Quest is committed to sustainable and responsible business activities in line with industry best practices, supportive of all stakeholders, including the local communities in which it operates. The Company’s common shares are principally listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange under the symbol “CQX”. For more information on Copper Quest, please visit the Company’s website at www.copper.quest.

On behalf of the Board of Copper Quest Exploration Inc.

Brian Thurston, P.Geo.
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Tel: 778-949-1829

For further information contact:

Investor Relations
info@copper.quest

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, including without limitation, statements regarding the terms and completion of the Flow-Through Offering, the payment of finder's fees and issuance of Finder's Warrants, the anticipated closing date and the planned use of proceeds of the Flow-Through Offering, and future operations and activities of Copper Quest, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “potential”, “possible”, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results “will”, “may”, “could”, or “should” occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to obtain regulatory approval of the Flow-Through Offering, risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of exploration results, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FAQ

What did Copper Quest (IMIMF) announce on December 1, 2025 about ExploreTech?

Copper Quest announced a partnership to apply ExploreTech's generative AI to Kitimat exploration datasets to produce probability-ranked drill targets.

How much financing did Copper Quest (IMIMF) raise in the December 2025 flow-through offering?

The company arranged a fully subscribed flow-through private placement of 10,142,104 shares at $0.19 for $1,927,000 gross proceeds.

What key 2010 drill results at Kitimat support Copper Quest's exploration (IMIMF)?

Notable 2010 intercepts include 117.07 m @ 1.03 g/t Au and 0.54% Cu (Hole J-7) and similar long, near-surface intervals.

What exploration work did Copper Quest complete at Kitimat in November 2025?

A reconnaissance program collected 24 soil and 8 rock samples, recorded structural observations, and confirmed access roads; assays are pending.

How will ExploreTech's AI change drill planning for Copper Quest (IMIMF)?

ExploreTech will reprocess datasets, generate 3D geological simulations, and recommend optimized drillhole placements and trajectories.

Is there any conflict of interest in the Copper Quest (IMIMF) financing?

An insider is participating; the company will rely on exemptions under MI 61-101 for valuation and shareholder approval.