QIMC Reports 10.77% Hydrogen Mud-Gas Reading at West-Advocate - Five Stacked %-Level Readings in a 69-Metre Methane-Free Hydrogen-Rich Interval in Hole DDH-26-03, West Advocate, Nova Scotia
QIMC Reports 10.77% Hydrogen Mud-Gas
Reading at West-Advocate - Five Stacked %-
Level Readings in a 69-Metre Methane-Free
Hydrogen-Rich Interval in Hole DDH-26-03,
West Advocate, Nova Scotia
102 IsoJar mud samples return peak 10.77% H
₂
at 848 m, five readings ≥5% H
₂
in the 779-848 m
interval, three readings ≥7% in a 33-metre sub-interval (815-848 m); methane and CO2 at or
below detection
Montréal, Québec--(Newsfile Corp. - May 20, 2026) - Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC)
(OTCQB: QIMCF) (FSE: 7FJ) ("QIMC" or the "Company") is pleased to report mud-gas results from
DDH-26-03 at its West-Advocate natural hydrogen exploration project in Cumberland County, Nova
Scotia.
QIMC-26-03 returned the highest H
₂
mud-gas readings recorded to date on the West-
Advocate property
and represents the Company's first lateral step-out test of the H
₂
system, drilled
approximately 2.5 kilometres along the Cobequid-Chedabucto structural corridor from previously
reported DDH-26-01 and DDH-26-02. The intersection of substantially higher-grade percent-level H
₂
readings 2.5 km from the prior drill locations supports the interpretation that the West-Advocate
hydrogen system may exhibit lateral continuity along the structural corridor rather than being confined to a
localized anomaly. The hole was completed to a final logged depth of 932 metres. A total of 102 IsoJar
headspace mud-gas samples were collected over the 473-932 m interval. The dataset returns a peak
reading of 10.77% H
₂
at 848 m — the highest mud-gas H
₂
value recorded to date on the West-
Advocate property — along with five stacked percent-level readings ≥5% H
₂
in a 69-metre interval
(5.10% at 779 m, 5.10% at 806 m, 8.87% at 815 m, 7.29% at 818 m, and 10.77% at 848 m), three
readings ≥7% in a tighter 33-metre sub-interval (815-848 m), and a separate elevated reading of 3.42%
at 668 m. All five ≥5% H
₂
readings are hosted within vuggy, magnetite and pyrrhotite-bearing polymictic
conglomerate. Co-collected gas samples returned methane (CH
₄
) and carbon dioxide (CO2) at or
below detection limit across the entire anomaly interval, a gas signature interpreted by the Company as
consistent with a natural-hydrogen system and not typical of conventional thermogenic hydrocarbon gas
systems.
Highlights
Highest H
₂
mud-gas readings recorded to date on the West-Advocate property:
10.77% H
₂
at
848 m
, with five stacked readings ≥5% H
₂
in a 69-metre interval (5.10% at 779 m, 5.10% at 806
m, 8.87% at 815 m, 7.29% at 818 m, 10.77% at 848 m) — all hosted within vuggy, fractured
polymictic conglomerate. An additional discrete elevated reading of 3.42% H
₂
was recorded at
668 m.
Lateral step-out result:
Hole 3 drilled approximately 2.5 km along the Cobequid-Chedabucto
structural corridor from DDH-26-01 and DDH-26-02
, and returned percent-level H
₂
readings
substantially higher than the peak water headspace value previously reported from DDH-26-02
(8,249 ppmV / 0.82% at 434 m, March 19, 2026). The result supports the interpretation that the H
₂
system may extend laterally along the structural corridor rather than a localized anomaly.
Nearly continuous H
₂
mud-gas anomaly from 473 m to 932 m:
of 102 IsoJar mud samples, 26
readings exceed 1% H
₂
, 7 exceed 3%, 5 exceed 5%, 3 exceed 7%, and 1 exceeds 10% by
volume
. The full-dataset calibration replaces the prior set of field-detector readings (which
included multiple sensor over-range events) with quantified concentrations across the entire profile.
Co-collected gas samples returned
CH
₄
at or below detection (lower than 0.1%) and CO2 at
detection limit
across the anomaly interval — a gas signature interpreted by the Company as
consistent with a natural-hydrogen system and not consistent with thermogenic gas.
Mud-gas readings were acquired during drilling using the Company's RKI Eagle 2 instruments
(initial LEL-range sensor through 485 m, upgraded thermal-conductivity sensor 0-100% v/v for the
balance of the hole), with IsoJar headspace samples co-collected at
≌
3 m intervals.
Hole completed to
932 m TD
and approximately 100% recovery throughout.
Lithology is consistent with the targeted
fault-and-fracture-controlled architecture
of the
R2G2™ exploration model: cataclastic siltstones with repeated mud-seam fault gouges in the
upper hole, transitioning to vuggy, magnetite and sulphide-bearing polymictic conglomerate at
depth with characteristic "poker-chip" fracture style perpendicular to core axis — the same interval
hosting the percent-level H
₂
readings.
All field readings have been
independently verified by Prof. Marc Richer-Laflèche, P.Geo., of
INRS
, who worked on the R2G2™ model and is the independent scientific analyst for the 2026
West-Advocate programme. Independent commentary appears below.
CEO Commentary
John Karagiannidis, Chief Executive Officer of QIMC, commented:
"
DDH-26-03
delivers QIMC's
highest H
₂
mud-gas readings to date on the West-Advocate property, a 10.77% H
₂
reading at 848
metres, with five stacked percent-level readings between 5.10% and 10.77% in a 69-metre interval, and
three readings above 7% in just 33 metres. DDH-26-03 was a deliberate 2.5-kilometre lateral step-out
along the Cobequid-Chedabucto structural corridor from Holes DDH-26-01 and DDH-26-02; recording
substantially higher concentrations 2.5 km from the prior drill locations suggests this is a structurally
extensive hydrogen-bearing system rather than a localized anomaly. The double-digit peak is the
headline number, but the more important findings, in our view, are the apparent lateral continuity
observed over a 2.5-kilometre scale and the near absence of methane and CO2 across the entire
anomaly interval, a gas signature that we interpret as consistent with a natural-hydrogen system rather
than a thermogenic gas pocket."
Selected H
₂
Mud-Gas Field Readings - QIMC DDH-26-03
Depth (m)
H
₂
reading
Host Lithology
Status / Instrument
668
3.42%
Interbedded sandstone / argillite
Discrete elevated zone above main %-level cluster
779
5.10%
Polymictic conglomerate (upper)
First reading ≥5% in main cluster
806
5.10%
Vuggy polymictic conglomerate
815
8.87%
Vuggy polymictic conglomerate
818
7.29%
Vuggy polymictic conglomerate
830
3.39%
Vuggy polymictic conglomerate
Intermediate reading between %-level peaks
848
10.77%
Vuggy, pyrrhotite-bearing polymictic conglomerate
Peak value - highest H
₂
mud-gas reading recorded to
date on the West-Advocate property
Table shows the seven readings ≥3% H
₂
from the 102-sample IsoJar dataset covering 473-932 m. The five ≥5% H
₂
readings (highlighted) sit
within a 69-metre interval (779-848 m) hosted in vuggy polymictic conglomerate; the two 3-5% readings (668 m and 830 m) are intermediate
elevated readings.
Figure 1 - H
₂
Profile vs. Depth, QIMC DDH-26-03
Figure 1. Depth-concentration profile of all 102 IsoJar H
₂
mud-gas samples from QIMC-26-03. Red stars are the five readings ≥5% H
₂
in the main
%-level interval (779-848 m): 5.10% at 779 m, 5.10% at 806 m, 8.87% at 815 m, 7.29% at 818 m, and 10.77% at 848 m. Orange diamonds are the
two readings between 3% and 5% H
₂
(3.42% at 668 m and 3.39% at 830 m). Blue dots are all remaining readings below 3% H
₂
. The shaded zone
marks the main %-level interval hosted within vuggy polymictic conglomerate. Dotted vertical lines mark the LEL of H
₂
in air (4% v/v) and 10% v/v.
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Gas Signature — Consistent with Natural / "White" Hydrogen
Across the 102 IsoJar samples collected from the 473-932 m interval, co-measured methane (CH
₄
)
returned at or below detection limit (maximum 0.1%) and carbon dioxide (CO2) returned at or below
detection throughout. The presence of percent-level H
₂
(up to 10.77% by volume) in a gas mixture
demonstrably free of methane and CO2 is consistent with an abiogenic hydrogen interpretation, typical
of crustal water-rock reactions such as serpentinization of ultramafic protoliths and radiolysis of
formation water — and is not typically characteristic of conventional thermogenic hydrocarbon gas
systems, which would be dominated by methane and accompanying light hydrocarbons. This signature
distinguishes the West-Advocate gas system from conventional petroleum-system gases and supports
the structural-source interpretation underpinning the R2G2™ targeting model.
Geological Context
Hole DDH-26-03 was sited within the Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault Zone ("CCFZ"), a >300 km crustal-
scale shear corridor inherited from the Avalon-Meguma terrane suture and the central structural element
of the Company's Reactivated Rift and Graben Geostructure (R2G2™) exploration model. The model
targets fault-and-fracture systems interpreted to operate as advective pathways for deep-sourced
hydrogen migration and shallow trapping in fracture-porous sedimentary facies.
DDH-26-03 was drilled approximately 2.5 kilometres along the structural corridor from previously
reported Holes DDH-26-01 and DDH-26-02, and represents the Company's first lateral step-out test of
the West-Advocate H
₂
system. The geometry was designed to test whether the H
₂
mud-gas response
observed in Holes 1 and 2 extends laterally along the corridor or is confined to a localized structural
compartment. The intersection in DDH-26-03 of percent-level H
₂
readings to 10.77% substantially above
previously reported Hole 2 headspace readings from DDH-26-02 (0.82% at 434 m, reported March 19,
2026) — supports the interpretation that West-Advocate may represent a structurally-controlled natural-
hydrogen system exhibiting potential lateral continuity at the 2.5-km scale rather than as a localized
anomaly. Hole 3 also extends the depth penetration of the property by approximately 220 metres relative
to DDH-26-01.
Logged lithology in DDH-26-03 supports the targeting thesis. The upper section (3-49.7 m) is a fault-
disrupted fine-grained siltstone with repeated mud-seam fault gouges and brecciated intervals. The mid-
hole interval is a layered siltstone-argillite-sandstone package punctuated by sheared fault breccias,
including a discrete 3.42% H
₂
reading at 668 m above the main %-level cluster. From approximately
780 m to total depth, the hole transitions into a magnetic, pyrrhotite-bearing polymictic conglomerate
exhibiting widespread vuggy texture and "poker-chip" fracturing perpendicular to core axis — a fabric
consistent with structurally-enhanced secondary porosity. All five readings ≥5% H
₂
(5.10% at 779 m,
5.10% at 806 m, 8.87% at 815 m, 7.29% at 818 m, and 10.77% at 848 m) were recorded within this
conglomerate package, clustered in a 69-metre interval that the Company interprets as a hydrogen-
bearing interval. Three of these readings (815, 818 and 848 m) cluster within a tighter 33-metre sub-
interval, all returning ≥7% H
₂
.
Independent Scientific Commentary — Prof. Marc Richer-Laflèche, P.Geo. (INRS)
Data from
drill hole DDH-26-03
provide key insights for natural hydrogen exploration in the West
Advocate area (Nova Scotia). The borehole reveals high H
₂
concentrations (ppmV) in both water and
drilling-mud headspace, with values that increase with depth and toward the magnetic anomalies
mapped on the Government of Nova Scotia's Cobequid Highlands aeromagnetic survey. The strongest
hydrogen anomalies occur within variably fractured conglomerates of the Horton Group (
Fig. 2b
). These
units display elevated magnetic susceptibility, consistent with the presence of magnetite fragments and,
locally, pyrrhotite within the fractured conglomeratic matrix. Spatially, a clear correlation emerges
between magnetite-rich conglomerates and the highest H
₂
concentrations measured in
DDH-26-03
(
Fig. 2c
). This association may reflect a genetic link between hydrogen and magnetite, potentially
through redox reactions involving Fe(II)-Fe(III) mineral phases, and/or a connection to deep magmatic
sources responsible for the observed metasomatism.
The geological context of this sector of the Cobequid Highlands suggests a complex interplay between a
major deformation corridors of the Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault Zone (CCFZ), a permeable, competent,
fractured sedimentary rocks, and magnetite- and sulphide-bearing conglomerates within a sedimento-
plutonic environment. Together, these features point to the possibility of a fossil hydrothermal system with
affinities to intrusion-related IOCG-type mineralization. Notably, several Late Carboniferous IOCG-like
systems are already recognized along the CCFZ in Nova Scotia, including the Londonderry and South
Manchester iron deposits, as well as the Copper Lake and Mount Thom (Cu-Au-Co) occurrences
(Belperio, 2007; MacHattie & O'Reilly, 2008).
Figure 2.
(
A
) Variability of H
₂
concentrations (ppmV) measured in the water-headspace samples from drill hole DDH-26-03. (
B
) Rock Quality
Designation (RQD, %) measured along the drill core. (
C
) Magnetic susceptibility values (SI × 10
⁻
³) obtained from systematic core measurements.
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Next Steps
Hole 2 (DDH-26-02) deepening to
≌
≌
900 m - active
Following the demonstration of percent-level H
₂
readings in the 806-848 m depth window of DDH-26-03,
the Company has remobilized the drill rig to DDH-26-02, which had previously been paused at
approximately 500 m due to spring thaw conditions, with the Company noting at that time that elevated
H
₂
at hole end indicated the system remained open at depth. Hole 2 is now being extended to a planned
final depth of approximately 900 metres in order to test the same depth window that returned the
percent-level readings in QIMC-26-03, at the Hole 2 collar location.
Mud-gas sampling on the deepened section of Hole 2 has already commenced
, using the same
upgraded RKI Eagle 2 (TCD, 0-100% v/v H
₂
) instrument, IsoJar mud sampling at approximately 3-metre
intervals, and field QA/QC protocols applied to DDH26-03. The Company anticipates reporting results
from the deepened section of Hole 2 in a subsequent news release once drilling and sampling are
complete.
Bennett Hill (East Advocate) — Holes 4 and 5 next,
≌
≌
12.5 km along the Cobequid Fault Zone
The Company's next two boreholes of the 2026 exploration programme — referred to here as DDH-26-
04 and DDH-26-05, and constituting the first two holes of the separately-permitted Bennett Hill Phase 1
three-hole programme, will be drilled at the Bennett Hill Project in the East Advocate area, located
approximately 12.5 km along the Cobequid Fault Zone from the QIMC-26-01 / -02 / -03 cluster at West-
Advocate. Drill targets at Bennett Hill were defined through the Company's 2025 soil-gas campaign,
which delineated a nearly continuous 4-km anomalous line along Bennett Hill Road with mean H
₂
of 623
ppm and a peak of 2,247 ppm (47 samples; reported September 3, 2025).
In parallel, an expanded soil-gas field programme has commenced in the extension of the
Bennett Hill area
, building on the methodology and results of the 2025 campaign. The current
programme extends the surveyed footprint farther along the Cobequid Fault corridor and is designed to
refine drill-target definition. The percent-level H
₂
readings recorded at depth in QIMC-26-03, within the
structural setting independently predicted by surface soil-gas and structural mapping,
are interpreted by
the Company as field-scale support for the relationship and repeatability between surface soil-gas
anomalies and subsurface hydrogen accumulations, providing preliminary support for the targeting
workflow being applied to Bennett Hill.
Programme outlook beyond Bennett Hill
Following completion of DDH-26-02 deepening, Bennett Hill DDH-26-04 and DDH-26-05, and the INRS
analyses for QIMC-26-03, the Company will integrate the combined dataset — surface soil-gas,
structural mapping, three West-Advocate boreholes and the forthcoming two Bennett Hill boreholes to
prioritize subsequent drilling targets. QIMC continues to advance permitting and technical review for the
Little Forks and SpringHill areas as the next priority within its district-scale Nova Scotia natural-hydrogen
exploration strategy.
Community Engagement and Community Liaison Committee
QIMC sincerely thanks the residents and community members who attended the well-attended
community open house held in West Advocate on May 11, 2026, and acknowledges the constructive
discussion and feedback received on that occasion. The Company values the time, perspectives and
questions shared by attendees.
As part of the Company's ongoing community engagement strategy, which was already announced,
QIMC is proceeding with the establishment of a Community Liaison Committee to provide a structured,
advisory forum for transparent two-way communication, community feedback, and constructive dialogue
related to the Company's exploration activities in the area. The perspectives shared by community
members at the May 11 open house will help inform the Committee's structure, composition, and
operating priorities as it is established. QIMC remains committed to transparent, two-way
communication with the Advocate community as exploration work continues at West Advocate, Bennett
Hill and across the Company's district-scale Nova Scotia natural-hydrogen programme.
About QIMC
Québec Innovative Materials Corp. is a North American exploration and development company
advancing a portfolio of natural hydrogen and critical mineral projects. The Company is advancing its
district-scale hydrogen exploration model across Québec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Minnesota,
leveraging its proprietary R2G2™ framework.
QIMC is committed to responsible exploration, technical innovation and sustainable development, with
the objective of supporting clean energy and decarbonization initiatives.
For Further Information:
QUÉBEC INNOVATIVE MATERIALS CORP.
John Karagiannidis
President & Chief Executive Officer
Email:
Tel: +1 514-726-7058
Disclaimer
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" and "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, without
limitation, statements regarding the interpretation of drill results, the expected timing and outcome of
laboratory analyses, the geological model underpinning the West-Advocate project, the inferred origin
(abiogenic / thermogenic) of the gas reported herein, the inferred lateral continuity of the H
₂
system
across the structural corridor, plans for additional drilling, and the Company's exploration and
business strategy. These statements are based on assumptions and expectations that QIMC believes
are reasonable as of the date hereof, but they are subject to known and unknown risks and
uncertainties — including but not limited to commodity-price volatility, exploration risk, the risk that
laboratory results may not confirm field readings, regulatory and permitting risk, financing risk, and
general market and operational conditions — which could cause actual results to differ materially.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company
undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.
Mud-gas readings reported in this news release are based on co-collected IsoJar headspace samples
taken at approximately 3-metre intervals during drilling of DDH-26-03 and subsequently calibrated by
Prof. Marc Richer-Laflèche, P.Geo. of INRS against a higher-precision laboratory reference
instrument. The full-dataset calibration was applied to all 102 IsoJar samples and replaces the prior
set of in-field detector readings (which included multiple sensor over-range events) as the reported
values throughout this news release. These measurements are indicative of the presence of gas-
bearing intervals encountered during drilling but should not be taken as representative of in-situ
reservoir gas composition, gas-in-place volumes, sustained-rate flow potential, or any commercial-
quantity hydrogen resource. No flow testing has been conducted. References to "highest H
₂
mud-gas
readings to date" and "peak 10.77% H
₂
" are made with reference to the Company's own historical
record on the West-Advocate property and do not imply comparison to any third-party project or
dataset. All values reported are INRS-calibrated by Prof. Marc Richer-Laflèche, P.Geo. against a
higher-precision laboratory reference. H
₂
values are field mud-gas concentrations and are indicative
of gas-bearing intervals encountered during drilling; they are not equivalent to reservoir composition
at in-situ conditions. The Company has not completed any economic evaluation, resource estimate,
or commercial flow assessment for the West-Advocate project.
Mud-gas readings during drilling were acquired at the rig's gas-trap return line using RKI Instruments
Eagle 2 portable H2 and Ga5000 multi-gas detectors paired with IsoJar headspace samples collected
at approximately 3-metre intervals over the 473-932 m interval. The initial detector unit deployed at
spud was configured with an LEL-range H
₂
sensor (calibrated full-scale response equivalent to
approximately 4% H
₂
by volume / 100% LEL).
Calibration is performed using aluminum foil bags filled with certified gas standards because this
method reproduces the exact sampling conditions used during the routine measurements. By
introducing the calibration gas through the same recirculation pathway as our field samples, we
ensure that the instrument accounts for any effects related to flow rate, tubing, bag material or internal
dilution. This approach provides a more representative and reliable calibration, improves quantitative
accuracy, and ensures that the GA5000 responds consistently to both calibration gases and real
samples. Bump tests were carried out and compiled for all working shifts in the mobile laboratory.
Analytical blanks (atmospheric air) were made to check the proper functioning of the detectors.
At 485 m, that sensor recorded the first sustained over-range condition of the hole. To preserve
quantitative data integrity for the balance of the hole, the Company procured and deployed a second
Eagle 2 unit fitted with a thermal-conductivity (TCD) H
₂
sensor calibrated 0-100% by volume, used for
the remainder of DDH-26-03 under standard field QA/QC protocols including pre-shift calibration
against certified H
₂
-in-N
₂
span gas. IsoJar mud samples were collected for laboratory verification at
INRS.
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