QIMC Further Derisks Nova Scotia Natural Hydrogen Multi-Gas System with New Thermogenic Gas and Helium Results

The new sampling covers previously untested ground within the completed seismic survey, with four stations exceeding the regional helium threshold.

Rhea-AI Summary

Québec Innovative Materials (QIMCF) reported a thermogenic wet-gas signature in 99% of new soil-gas samples at New Salem-Apple River, Nova Scotia.

The September 2026 survey covered 147 stations across eight lines. Wet gas, containing methane and heavier hydrocarbons, appeared in 145 samples, compared with 86% in samples reported October 6. Station 6033-700 recorded 1,287 ppmv methane and the dataset's highest helium concentration, 5.573 ppmv; ppmv means parts per million by volume. Four stations exceeded the regional helium anomaly threshold of 5.48 ppmv.

All new lines lie within the completed 63.7-kilometre seismic survey, now being processed. QIMC is integrating the results into its hydrogen, helium and natural gas pilot production pathway. Soil-gas measurements are indirect indicators of gas migration, not confirmation of a reservoir or commercial viability; no resource or reserve estimate has been prepared.

Positive

• Minor pointWet gas appeared in 145 of 147 samples (99%), versus 86% in samples reported October 6, 2026.
• Minor point147 new stations across eight lines extended sampling onto previously untested ground over 13.9 line-kilometres.
• Minor pointMethane reached 1,287 ppmv at station 6033-700; nearby stations recorded 80 ppmv and 9.8 ppmv.
• Minor pointMethane exceeded 5 ppmv at 51 stations (35%); 124 (84%) exceeded 2 ppmv, and nine exceeded 10 ppmv.
• Minor pointFour helium anomalies exceeded 5.48 ppmv, including the dataset peak of 5.573 ppmv at station 6033-700.

6 minor points

• Minor pointLine 6000A was anomalous across 4.0 km, with 27 of 41 stations above 5 ppmv methane.
• Minor pointLine 6000A contained seven of the dataset's ten highest helium concentrations.
• Minor pointLine 6000A recorded program-high ethane of 1.00 ppmv and combined C2–C4 hydrocarbons of 1.30 ppmv.
• Minor point63.7 line-kilometres of seismic surveying completed, expanded from about 50 planned line-kilometres after new hot zones emerged.
• Minor pointHydrogen reached up to 30% in Bennett Hill drill holes, 10 to 15 km east of New Salem-Apple River.
• Minor pointTesting continues at DDH-26-05 within QIMC's multi-gas pilot production pathway.

Negative

• Minor pointSoil-gas results are indirect indicators and do not confirm reservoir presence, size, grade or commercial viability.
• Minor pointNo resource or reserve estimate has been prepared for the Cumberland Basin project.

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147 new soil-gas stations at New Salem-Apple River return a thermogenic wet-gas signature in 99% of samples and helium anomalies peaking at 5.573 ppmv, strengthening QIMC's natural hydrogen multi-gas system within the footprint of its recently completed 63.7-kilometre 2D seismic program.

Montréal, Québec--(Newsfile Corp. - October 26, 2026) - Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (OTCQB: QIMCF) (FSE: 7FJ) ("QIMC" or the "Company") is pleased to report results that further derisk its Cumberland Basin clean natural hydrogen system in Nova Scotia and reinforce the strategic advantage of its multi-gas approach. Results from 147 new soil-gas stations sampled in September 2026 along eight new lines in the New Salem-Apple River area returned a wet thermogenic gas signature in 99% of samples, together with the highest helium concentration recorded in the current dataset. Because hydrogen, helium and thermogenic natural gas are being evaluated as one integrated system within a common structural framework, each of these gases independently corroborates the others: the consistency of the new data on ground that had never been sampled confirms that the system is continuous rather than localized, and it does so directly on top of the seismic lines now being processed. This is the core advantage of the multi-gas clean natural hydrogen system - every dataset reduces risk for all three gases at once and advances a single pilot production pathway rather than three separate exploration efforts. All C1-C4 hydrocarbon and helium analyses were performed by GeoFrontiers Corporation (Texas), the same independent laboratory used for the Company's prior Nova Scotia programs. The new data have been classified using the same Bernard-ratio, wetness-index and Pixler-ratio framework applied by Prof. Marc Richer-Laflèche (INRS) in the Company's October 6, 2026, release, and they extend the thermogenic wet-gas fairway described in that release onto ground that was not previously sampled.

The eight new lines sit directly within the footprint of the 63.7 line-kilometre 2D seismic program completed by Echo Seismic Ltd. on October 14, 2026, and now being processed by Earth Signal Processing Ltd. of Calgary. Together, the surface geochemistry and the seismic imaging form the subsurface dataset for QIMC's clean hydrogen, helium and natural gas multi-gas pilot production pathway.

Management commentary

"On October 6, we reported a wet thermogenic gas signature across an 18-kilometre corridor over a regional gravity low. These 147 new stations were placed on ground we had not yet sampled, and 99% of them returned the same wet thermogenic signature. The system is not fading at its edges; it is getting more consistent. Every result like this further derisks the district," said John Karagiannidis, President and CEO of QIMC. "Line 6000A is anomalous for four straight kilometres. Station 6033-700 gave us 1,287 ppmv of methane and the highest helium concentration in this September dataset at the same sampling station."

"The U.S. Department of Energy's October 23 designation of helium as a critical material puts a spotlight on its role in semiconductor manufacturing and advanced energy technologies, and on the need for reliable North American supply. This designation reinforces the strategic relevance of evaluating helium alongside clean natural hydrogen and natural gas in Nova Scotia. Today's results add another strong layer of evidence, which we are now integrating with 63.7 kilometres of new seismic data. We are advancing this work without hydraulic fracturing or reservoir stimulation," added Mr. Karagiannidis.

Highlights

• 147 new stations, eight new lines, 13.9 line-km sampled at 100 m spacing in September 2026 (lines 5020, 5021, 5025, 5034 and 5006A in the New Salem sector; lines 6000A, 6008 and 6033 in the Apple River sector).

• Wet thermogenic gas in 145 of 147 samples (99%) by wetness index, with a median wetness of 7.7% and a median Bernard ratio C1/(C2+C3) of 14. This compares with 86% wet gas in the samples reported on October 6, 2026.

• Methane above 5 ppmv at 51 stations (35%) and above the 2 ppmv atmospheric ceiling at 124 stations (84%). Nine stations exceed 10 ppmv.

• 1,287 ppmv methane at station 6033-700, one of the highest single soil-gas methane values recorded by the Company in Nova Scotia to date, with nearby readings of 80 ppmv at 6033-800 and 9.8 ppmv at 6033-900. The same station, identified as 6033-700M in the laboratory reports, returned the highest helium concentration in the current 147-station dataset, 5.573 ppmv, exceeding the previously published regional anomaly threshold of 5.48 ppmv.

• Four of 147 stations exceed the regional helium anomaly threshold of 5.48 ppmv, including three stations on line 6000A and one on line 6033. Helium concentrations range from 5.264 to 5.573 ppmv, with a mean of 5.386 ppmv. These localized responses provide locations for follow-up and integration with seismic interpretation.

• Line 6000A, the longest new line at 4.0 km, is anomalous along its full length: 27 of 41 stations above 5 ppmv methane, the highest ethane concentration (1.00 ppmv) and combined C2-C4 concentration (1.30 ppmv) of the program, and seven of the ten highest helium concentrations in the current dataset.

• Every new line lies within the 63.7 km 2D seismic footprint now in processing at Earth Signal, allowing the surface anomalies to be tied directly to imaged faults and structures as the seismic sections are delivered.

• No hydraulic fracturing and no reservoir stimulation are contemplated for any part of the Nova Scotia program.

Classification framework

The new samples were classified with the same three tools used for the Company's October 6, 2026, results: the Bernard ratio C1/(C2+C3) (Bernard et al., 1978), the wetness index (C2+C3+C4)/(C1+C2+C3+C4) × 100 (Haworth et al., 1985), and the Pixler ratios C1/C2, C1/C3 and C1/C4 as a cross-check. Pentane is not analyzed. First-quartile, median and third-quartile wetness values for the 147 new samples are 6.6%, 7.7% and 8.9%, and the corresponding Bernard ratios are 12, 14 and 17, all within the thermogenic wet-gas field. Isotopic analysis is being performed by an independent laboratory.

Tying the gas results to the seismic

The eight new soil-gas lines were laid out within the footprint of the 2D seismic program conducted by Echo Seismic Ltd. across the Apple River-Advocate-Bennett Hill-Port Greville multi-gas district. QIMC announced completion of the program on October 14, 2026. That program was planned at about 50 line-kilometres and was extended to 63.7 line-kilometres after the Company's helium, geophysical and C1-C4 results identified new hot zones for clean natural hydrogen, helium and natural gas, including the New Salem-Apple River corridor sampled here. Field health, safety and environmental oversight was provided by Strum Consulting.

The full dataset is now with Earth Signal Processing Ltd. of Calgary, engaged on October 1, 2026. Earth Signal has processed more than 27,600 2D seismic lines in over 63 countries since 2000, including earlier work in the Cumberland Basin, and will apply its proprietary noise-attenuation and imaging technology to sharpen faults and formation boundaries, integrating the Company's drill-core and geological data.

Clean gas project and the multi-gas pilot pathway

The New Salem-Apple River results form part of QIMC's clean energy and clean natural hydrogen system in Cumberland County, where clean natural hydrogen (up to 30% H₂ in drill holes at Bennett Hill, 10 to 15 km east), helium and thermogenic natural gas are being evaluated within a common regional structural framework. The Company's approach is a multi-gas pilot production pathway built on complementary datasets gathered across the broader Cumberland Basin district: direct surface detection (more than 10,000 soil-gas samples and over 1,000 independent helium and C1-C4 analyses), subsurface imaging (63.7 km of 2D seismic, gravity, airborne and ground magnetics, radon-thoron), and drilling (more than 3,500 m of core, with ongoing testing at DDH-26-05).

No hydraulic fracturing or reservoir stimulation is used or contemplated in any part of the Nova Scotia program.

Sampling and analytical method

Soil-gas samples were collected in September 2026 by probe at 100 m station spacing along eight lines totalling 13.9 km, using the same types of GeoFrontiers sampling equipment and sealed containers as those used in the Company's 2025 and earlier 2026 programs. Station coordinates were recorded in UTM Zone 20N. Methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, i-butane and n-butane were determined by gas chromatography at GeoFrontiers Corporation, Texas, an independent laboratory. Helium concentrations were reported in ppmv by the same laboratory. For helium, the adopted atmospheric reference of 5.240 ppmv is distinguished from the regional background of 5.40 ppmv and the anomaly threshold of 5.48 ppmv published by QIMC on September 22, 2026. Helium summary statistics and threshold counts were calculated from the stored, unrounded laboratory values; concentrations are presented to three decimal places. The methane background is the atmospheric range of 1.7 to 2.0 ppmv.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Prof. Marc Richer-Laflèche, Ph.D., P.Geo., of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), Québec, who has advised the Company on the Cumberland Basin since the inception of the program.

Soil-gas geochemistry is an indirect indicator of hydrocarbon, hydrogen and helium migration; it does not confirm the presence, size, grade or commercial viability of a reservoir, trap or seal. No resource or reserve estimate has been prepared for the Cumberland Basin project.

About QIMC

Québec Innovative Materials Corp. is a North American exploration company advancing district-scale clean natural hydrogen, helium and natural gas projects across Québec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Minnesota. QIMC applies its proprietary R2G2 exploration framework, developed with INRS, to identify multi-gas systems and advance them toward pilot production without hydraulic fracturing or reservoir stimulation.

For further information:
John Karagiannidis, President and CEO
Tel: +1 514-726-7058
Email: info@qimaterials.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the interpretation of soil-gas and seismic data, the timing and results of seismic processing and isotopic analyses, the identification of drill targets, future drilling and testing, and the Company's multi-gas pilot production pathway. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including that soil-gas anomalies and seismic images do not establish the presence, size or commercial viability of any hydrogen, helium or natural gas accumulation; that seismic processing does not measure gas concentrations, pressure, flow, deliverability or recoverable volumes; that further drilling and subsurface testing are required; and that there is no assurance pilot production will proceed or succeed. Actual results may differ materially. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/320904

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did QIMCF's new Nova Scotia soil-gas sampling find?

The survey found a wet thermogenic gas signature in 145 of 147 samples (99%). Station 6033-700 recorded 1,287 ppmv methane and the highest helium concentration in the current dataset, 5.573 ppmv. Four stations exceeded the regional helium anomaly threshold of 5.48 ppmv.

How were QIMCF's New Salem-Apple River gas samples tested?

GeoFrontiers Corporation, an independent Texas laboratory, analyzed the samples, using gas chromatography for hydrocarbons and reporting helium concentrations in ppmv. Samples were collected at 100 m station spacing. Classification used the Bernard ratio, wetness index and Pixler ratios; independent isotopic analysis is ongoing.

How do QIMCF's helium results compare with regional background levels?

Helium concentrations ranged from 5.264 to 5.573 ppmv, with a mean of 5.386 ppmv, compared with regional background of 5.40 ppmv. The adopted atmospheric reference is 5.240 ppmv, distinct from the regional anomaly threshold of 5.48 ppmv.

Does QIMCF plan hydraulic fracturing for its Nova Scotia gas program?

No hydraulic fracturing or reservoir stimulation is used or contemplated in any part of QIMC's Nova Scotia program.