QIMC Reports Record 23.5% Natural Hydrogen Within the First 300 Metres of Ongoing DDH-26-05 and Observations Consistent with Free Gas at Bennett Hill at 164 Metres
Rhea-AI Summary
Quebec Innovative Materials (CSE: QIMC, OTCQB: QIMCF) reported record natural hydrogen results from the first ~300 metres of ongoing drill hole DDH-26-05 at the Bennett Hill project in Nova Scotia. Mud-gas readings reached 23.5% H₂ at 170 m, within an approximately 54-metre corridor of sustained percent-level hydrogen (143–197 m), including observations interpreted as free gas entering the borehole at 164 m.
According to the company, DDH-26-05 has surpassed prior Bennett Hill hole DDH-26-04 over the comparable upper interval in peak hydrogen (23.5% vs 16.0%) and in the proportion of readings ≥1% H₂ (~74% vs 37%). The hole remains in progress, with a planned depth of 900 m, and the results are being used to advance evaluation of a potential pilot production pathway for the Advocate Area natural hydrogen system.
Positive
- 23.5% hydrogen peak at 170 m within first 300 m of DDH-26-05
- Approximately 54-metre corridor (143–197 m) of sustained percent-level hydrogen
- Free-gas-type observations at 164 m with strongest readings bracketing the structure
- Hit rate of readings ≥1% H₂ about 74% in DDH-26-05 vs 37% in DDH-26-04
- Second double-digit hydrogen zone with 13.9% H₂ at 263 m below initial corridor
- Two Bennett Hill holes ~700 m apart both show high hydrogen, supporting structural continuity in company’s interpretation
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – QIMCF
In the Aug 11 session, QIMCF gained 18.76%, reflecting a significant positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Observations consistent with free gas at 164 metres, together with a ~54-metre corridor of sustained percent-level hydrogen concentrations (143-197 m), support the interpretation of a robust, structurally controlled natural hydrogen system.
Highlights
- Record
23.5% H₂ encountered within only the first 300 metres of ongoing drill hole DDH-26-05, approximately 540 metres shallower than the Company's previous record of24.3% H₂ at 707 metres in DDH-26-04. - Observations consistent with free gas at 164 metres, together with a ~54-metre corridor of sustained percent-level hydrogen concentrations (143-197 m), support the interpretation of a robust, structurally controlled natural hydrogen system.
- DDH-26-05 has exceeded the Company's previous Bennett Hill drill hole over the comparable upper interval in hydrogen concentrations, hydrogen frequency and geological continuity, while drilling continues beyond the first 300 metres.
Why This Hole Matters
DDH-26-05 has now exceeded the Company's previous Bennett Hill discovery over the comparable upper interval in hydrogen concentrations, hydrogen frequency, structural observations and geological continuity, while remaining open at depth. These results further strengthen the interpretation that Bennett Hill hosts a large, structurally controlled natural hydrogen system.
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - August 11, 2026) - Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (OTCQB: QIMCF) (FSE: 7FJ) ("QIMC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the strongest natural hydrogen results ever reported by the Company from the first approximately 300 metres of ongoing diamond drill hole DDH-26-05 at its Bennett Hill Natural Hydrogen Project in Nova Scotia. These results represent only the initial portion of the hole. Hydrogen concentrations of up to
The combination of record hydrogen concentrations, observations consistent with free gas entering the borehole and the continued validation of the Company's structural geological model represents an important milestone in advancing Bennett Hill from exploration toward pilot production development.
CEO Commentary
"DDH-26-05 has delivered the two things every natural hydrogen developer wants to see: concentrations and free gas — and it delivered them in the first 300 metres," said John Karagiannidis, President and Chief Executive Officer of QIMC. "Hydrogen concentrations of
Summary of Results: 0-300 Metres, DDH-26-05
IsoJar mud-gas hydrogen readings (EAGLE II analyzer) were collected at nominal 3-metre intervals from 32 m to 305 m, with multiple replicate measurements per depth (192 valid readings across 91 sampled depths). Significant results include:
| Depth (m) | Peak H₂ reading | Other readings at depth | Geological context |
| 143 | Base of graphitic fault breccia / faulted contact | ||
| 155 | Siltstone approaching free-gas structure | ||
| 158 | 6-7 m above free gas intersection | ||
| 164-167 | Free gas flow | Mud seam, lost core; void at 167 m | Free gas intersection — no water return |
| 170 | Directly below free gas structure — peak of hole to date | ||
| 176 | Granitized siltstone with syenitic dykes | ||
| 179 | Granitized siltstone | ||
| 182-194 | 5.9 | Multiple 5.9 | Granitized siltstone / plagioclase-rich intrusive |
| 260-263 | Green siltstone below graphitic breccias |
The overall distribution of hydrogen concentrations through the first 300 metres of DDH-26-05 is shown in Figure 1. Rather than representing a single isolated high-concentration interval, the data define an approximately 54-metre corridor (143-197 m) of sustained percent-level hydrogen concentrations culminating in a record
Figure 1. Distribution of hydrogen concentrations through the first 300 metres of DDH-26-05, highlighting the principal hydrogen-bearing corridor, observations consistent with free gas entering the borehole, and continued drilling beyond 300 metres. Note: conceptual image, not to scale.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7968/309171_869666a76456db39_001full.jpg
Free Gas at 164 Metres
At approximately 164 metres, DDH-26-05 intersected a mud seam (164.7-165.1 m, with approximately 40 cm of lost core) within a competent siltstone package. As the drill advanced through this interval, rig-mounted gas monitoring equipment detected elevated hydrogen concentrations in the ambient air at the rig — an observation the Company interprets as a free gas flow from the formation into the borehole. Immediately beyond it, at 167 metres, the drill encountered an open void with complete loss of water return; further voids were encountered at 257 m and 296 m.
The geochemistry underlines the significance of this structure: the two strongest readings of the hole —
Mud-gas geochemistry demonstrates that hydrogen is present in the fractured rock. Free gas deliverability is one of the central assumptions of the pilot production pathway model the Company began evaluating in July 2026, and DDH-26-05 has now provided the first direct drilling evidence in support of that assumption — at a depth shallow enough to be reached by simple, low-cost wells.
Geology of the First 300 Metres: The Structural Plumbing Predicted by R2G2™
Logging of DDH-26-05 (collared at an azimuth of 155° and a dip of -70°, NQ core,
- 35.0-143.5 m — Graphitic fault breccia: a more than 108-metre-thick graphitic fault zone hosting numerous discrete fault gouge intervals, interpreted as a long-lived, reactivated structural conduit — the primary hydrogen migration pathway. Hydrogen readings through this zone ran consistently at 1
-4.2% H₂. - 143.5-175.2 m — Siltstone hosting the free gas intersection: competent, thinly bedded siltstone containing the 164.7-165.1 m mud seam and the 167 m void, bracketed by the
20.8% and23.5% H₂ peaks — a gas-charged conduit and potential trap geometry. - 176.0-251.8 m — Granitized siltstone, syenitic intrusions and graphitic silica-granitic breccias: sustained percent-level hydrogen (peaks of
17.6% ,16.0% and8.0% H₂) through an interval of granitization, syenite dykes and hydrothermal breccias associated with the Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault Zone. - 251.8-300+ m — Green siltstone: a second double-digit hydrogen zone (
13.9% H₂ at 263 m) with an associated void at 257 m, and readings of 2.1-3.5% H₂ continuing toward 300 m.
Building on Record Hole DDH-26-04
DDH-26-05 is the second hole at Bennett Hill, located approximately 15 kilometres from the Company's Eatonville Road drill area (DDH-26-01 to DDH-26-03). The first Bennett Hill hole, DDH-26-04, was completed to 818 metres and returned a peak mud-gas reading of
DDH-26-05 has exceeded that benchmark on every measure over the first 300 metres: substantially higher hydrogen concentrations within the upper 300 metres (
Importance for the Pilot Production Pathway
On July 20, 2026, the Company announced the beginning of a technical evaluation of a pathway toward pilot-scale characterization and clean energy generation of the Advocate Area hydrogen system. The results reported today advance that pathway on four fronts: (i) the free gas intersection at 164 metres provides the first direct evidence of mobile, free-phase gas — the fundamental prerequisite for pilot testing; (ii)
About Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (QIMC)
Québec Innovative Materials Corp. is a North American exploration and development company advancing a portfolio of natural hydrogen and critical mineral projects, with properties in Québec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Minnesota (USA). The Company applies its proprietary R2G2™ (Reactivated Rift and Graben Geostructure) exploration framework, developed in collaboration with INRS, and is focused on responsible exploration, technical innovation, and the advancement of natural hydrogen opportunities that may contribute to future clean-energy development. The Company's exploration in the Advocate Area involves no hydraulic fracturing and no reservoir stimulation.
For Further Information
QUÉBEC INNOVATIVE MATERIALS CORP.
John Karagiannidis
President & Chief Executive Officer
Email: info@qimaterials.com
Tel: +1 514-726-7058
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the continued drilling and anticipated results of DDH-26-05; the interpretation of free gas observations, drilling voids, mud-gas and soil-gas data; the existence, scale and continuity of a district-scale natural hydrogen system; and the potential advancement toward pilot-scale characterization, clean energy generation or any future development pathway. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management considers reasonable, including assumptions regarding field conditions, instrument performance, the continuity of geological structures, the availability of financing, and permitting and regulatory frameworks. Actual results may differ materially. Risks include, without limitation, that preliminary field readings are not confirmed by laboratory analysis or subsequent work; that free gas observations do not reflect sustained deliverability or recoverable accumulations; that the remainder of DDH-26-05 does not deliver results consistent with readings observed to date; that no economically recoverable hydrogen accumulation exists on the Company's properties; that regulatory frameworks for natural hydrogen in Nova Scotia and elsewhere remain under development; and that additional financing may not be available on acceptable terms. No resource estimate has been prepared for the Advocate Area projects, and there is no assurance that the exploration results described herein will translate into a discovery of commercial quantities of natural hydrogen. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by law.
Sampling, Methodology and Data Verification
Mud-gas readings reported in this release are preliminary field readings from co-collected IsoJar headspace samples taken at nominal 3-metre depth intervals during the drilling of DDH-26-05, measured with a portable EAGLE II gas analyzer, consistent with the methodology disclosed by the Company on June 18 and June 29, 2026. A total of 192 valid readings were recorded across 91 sampled depths between 32 m and 305 m; reported statistics count individual replicate measurements. Values are transcribed from original handwritten field records; individual values flagged as unclear on the field sheets have been excluded from headline statistics pending verification against the original records. Real-time readings from rig-mounted monitoring equipment measure hydrogen concentrations in ambient air at the drill rig, are continuous indicative measurements used for safety and operational correlation purposes and are not directly comparable to headspace mud-gas sample values. Preliminary field readings are subject to confirmation by laboratory analysis.
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