QIMC Identifies Second Hydrogen Associated Structural Zone at 313m, Supporting Multi-Zone H2 System at West Advocate in Nova Scotia
Vertical Structural Continuity Emerging in DDH-26-01
Nova Scotia Introduces Purpose-Built Natural Hydrogen Legislation
Montreal, Quebec–(Newsfile Corp. – February 26, 2026) – Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (OTCQB: QIMCF) (FSE: 7FJ) (“QIMC” or the “Company”) reports that drill hole DDH-26-01 has intersected a second hydrogen-associated structural zone at approximately 313 metres depth at its West Advocate Project, Nova Scotia. This interval from approximately 313 metres to 330 metres depth is distinct from the previously reported 40-metre hydrogen-bearing fault corridor encountered between 142 and 191 metres.
The identification of two vertically separated hydrogen-associated structural zones within a single borehole supports the interpretation of a structurally controlled, multi-zone natural hydrogen system and further strengthens QIMC’s H2 geological model. Drilling at DDH-26-01 remains ongoing toward the planned total depth of 650 metres.
This development coincides with the Government of Nova Scotia’s introduction of the Powering the Economy Act (Bill No. 193), proposed legislation that regulates natural hydrogen as a subsurface energy resource within the Province. This legislative development directly enhances investment certainty and long-term planning capability and demonstrates the Province’s and Premier Houston’s commitment to establishing Nova Scotia as a hub for responsible clean energy development. The Company’s exploration at West Advocate involves no hydraulic fracturing and no reservoir stimulation.
What This Means for Investors
DDH-26-01 has now intersected hydrogen-associated structural intervals at approximately 142 metres and 313 metres depth within a single borehole, supporting the interpretation of a multi-zone, structurally controlled natural hydrogen system rather than an isolated occurrence. In natural hydrogen exploration, structural repetition across depth is a recognized indicator of system continuity and scale. This result further strengthens QIMC’s working geological model and provides a defined, systematic, data-driven pathway for the next phases of its Nova Scotia natural hydrogen exploration program.
CEO Commentary
John Karagiannidis, President & CEO of QIMC, stated:
Intersecting a second hydrogen-associated structural zone at 320 metres while Hole 1 continues drilling toward 650 metres significantly strengthens our geological interpretation of West Advocate as a structurally controlled, multi-zone system.
We are observing vertically separated brecciated intervals within a single borehole that exhibit geochemical characteristics consistent with hydrogen-bearing environments.
The Province of Nova Scotia’s introduced regulatory framework provides the clarity necessary to responsibly advance multi-well exploration strategies and support long-term planning and investment. As we continue defining structural continuity through drilling and logging, this regulatory certainty underpins our disciplined, systematic approach and we commend the Province for its proactive clean energy leadership.”
Project Geologist Commentary
Edward Procyshyn, Project Geologist, commented:
Drill logging has identified within the second structural fault zone three separate brecciated shear zones that are progressively more altered and sheared downhole.
With progressive alteration, the breccia fragments become more completely replaced by finely crystalline massive dark carbon-graphite and dark mica. Each underlying shear zone is more highly altered than the overlying shear zone. The middle and lower altered shear zones were most highly altered and develop dark, very finely granular, massive carbon-rich intervals 0.5 to 1 metre thick. These highly altered core intervals contain the highest measured hydrogen gas values.
The host rock within the structural fault zone is also progressively altered as the intensity of shear deformation increases downhole. Thinly bedded, finely granular siltstone, dark carbonaceous mudstone, and fanglomerate are progressively recrystallized to form, within the structural fault zone, massive white, very fine-grained porcelain-like units cut by darker web to lenticular fractures. As shear fracturing and alteration increase in intensity downhole, the intervening porcellanite-like host changes colour from white to pale green and finally to darker greenish grey, indicating mineralogical changes due to increasing conditions of alteration.”
Edward Procyshyn, continued:
The progressive hydrothermal alteration of this structural fault shear zone supports the model that white native hydrogen is being increasingly generated at lower crustal levels by degassing of a magmatic system and being transported by advective hydrothermal fluids into the fault-related shear structures.
This suggests that the degassing may be generated by injection of mantle plumes into the upper crust within the West Advocate area and that this process may have contributed significant amounts of white hydrogen gas that was and is presently being measured in the intersected structural zones and at surface in the soil-gas samples. The very low to absent quantities of methane contained in the measured gases support the concept that hydrogen is being generated from crustal sources in a naturally occurring hydrogen system rather than from a conventional hydrocarbon occurrence.”
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QIMC Identifies Second Hydrogen Associated Structural Zone at 313m, Supporting Multi-Zone H2 System at West Advocate in Nova Scotia, source
