QIMC Reports Results From Hole 1 DDH-26-01 At West-Advocate Natural Hydrogen Project, Nova Scotia; R2G2(TM) Exploration Model Applied

R2G2(TM) Exploration Model Applied to the 300-km Cobequid-Chedabucto Structural Corridor

Discovery Highlights — West-Advocate Natural Hydrogen Project

• Hole 1 DDH-26-01 completed as part of QIMC's five-hole 2026 drilling program

• R2G2™ exploration model applied to drill targeting within the Cobequid-Chedabucto structural corridor - trademark filed

• Scientific commentary by Prof. Marc Richer-Laflèche (INRS) discusses geological observations from drilling within the Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault Zone

• Core observations indicate extensive fault-related fracturing, consistent with structural pathways capable of facilitating fluid migration

• Multiple structural configurations described, including thrust-related compartments, hanging-wall anticlines and reverse-reactivated extensional faults

• Regional geological framework extends more than 300-km along the Cobequid-Chedabucto structural corridor

• Drilling of Hole DDH-26-02 has reached approximately 500 metres.

Completion of Hole 1 Provides Key Geological Data from West-Advocate

Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2026) - Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (OTCQB: QIMCF) (FSE: 7FJ) ("QIMC" or the "Company") today reports further results following completion of Hole 1, borehole DDH-26-01, at its West-Advocate natural hydrogen exploration project in Nova Scotia, located within the Cobequid-Chedabucto structural corridor.

Hole DDH-26-02 Drilling Update

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Drilling of Hole DDH-26-02 has reached approximately 500 metres depth. The hole targets structurally favourable zones west of DDH-26-01 where geophysical anomalies, elevated soil hydrogen readings and elevated radon and thoron concentrations have been identified and publicly disclosed in our previous press releases.

Drilling of DDH-26-02 continues to target structurally favourable zones associated with hydrogen migration as part of the Company's ongoing exploration program.

CEO Statement

"The completion of our first drill hole at West-Advocate marks an important milestone for the project and provides valuable scientific data for our ongoing exploration program. As drilling progresses on Hole 2, our technical team continues to collect structural, geochemical, and geological data related to hydrogen-bearing zones while advancing the next phases of drilling across the project area," stated John Karagiannidis, President & CEO of QIMC.

Why This Matters — West-Advocate Natural Hydrogen Project

The completion of Hole 1 DDH-26-01 provides new subsurface scientific data from the West-Advocate project area within the Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault Zone, one of eastern Canada's most significant crustal structural corridors.

The drilling results and associated scientific observations provide insight into the structural architecture and geological conditions present within the project area and contribute to the Company's ongoing exploration of geological environments for natural hydrogen occurrence and accumulation. No hydraulic fracking or reservoir stimulation is involved in the exploration process.

These results form part of QIMC's broader R2G2 clean natural hydrogen program drilling geological environments associated with large-scale fault systems across eastern Canada.

Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault Zone — Prof. Marc Richer-Laflèche (INRS)

The Exploration Model

The drilling data from Advocate (Nova Scotia) are used to evaluate the exploration framework based on the Reactivated Rift and Graben Geostructure (R2G2™) model, worked on by Prof. Richer-Laflèche and the QIMC technical team following earlier work in the Témiscamingue region of Québec and Ontario.

In Nova Scotia, the model considers the geological context of the Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault Zone (CCFZ), a major tectonic boundary inherited from the Avalon-Meguma terrane suture.

This geostructure extends for more than 300 kilometres and records a polyphase tectonic evolution through geological time.

Comparison with the Lorraine Basin in France highlights important structural differences. The CCFZ is strongly fault-focused, concentrating deformation and magmatism along a narrow crustal-scale shear corridor, whereas the Lorraine Basin exhibits a broader extensional architecture.

Fault-focused environments such as the CCFZ tend to generate localized conduits and vertical migration pathways, whereas basin-scale extensional environments favour widespread fracturing and large-scale hydrocarbon and hydrogen generation.

Early Phases of the Tectono-Magmatic Evolution of the CCFZ

The R2G2 model applies to geological environments that exhibit both major fault systems and significant volcanism associated with extensional tectonics.

In continental settings, such magmatism reflects partial melting of the Earth's mantle, typically driven by adiabatic mantle upwelling.

These processes may allow mantle rocks to be incorporated into fault zones. Ultramafic rocks such as harzburgites and lherzolites, rich in olivine, contain iron-bearing minerals which are known in geological settings to be capable of generating hydrogen through serpentinization reactions.

Evidence of these deep processes may be inferred through surface volcanism. In the Advocate-Parrsboro area, volcanic rocks associated with Early Carboniferous rifting belong to the Fountain Lake Group, which includes continental tholeiitic basalts and high-temperature rhyolites.

Late Phases of the Tectono-Magmatic Evolution of the CCFZ

The Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault Zone experienced two major magmatic phases.

The first occurred approximately 355 million years ago during Early Carboniferous transtensional deformation.

A second magmatic event occurred during the Early Jurassic (~201-202 million years ago) and is represented by the North Mountain Basalt Formation, part of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP).

Regional geological studies indicate that mantle-derived ultramafic rocks may occur at depth along portions of the Cobequid Fault Zone.

Hydrogen Dynamics

The R2G2™ model also considers the presence of highly fractured rock volumes capable of generating significant fracture porosity and permeability.

Such conditions promote deep groundwater circulation and may facilitate the upward migration of gases produced from reactions involving iron-bearing minerals such as olivine, pyroxene, biotite, and magnetite, or from radiolytic processes.

The geological context of the Cumberland region is also influenced by an elevated geothermal gradient, which may enhance chemical reactions within the crust.

From the Continental to the Borehole Scale

Large wrench fault systems such as the CCFZ extend deeply through the crust and may penetrate into the upper mantle.

Strike-slip systems commonly develop flower structures, Riedel shears, pull-apart basins and extensive damage zones, generating fracture porosity and permeability that can facilitate fluid migration.

Structural Observations from Borehole DDH-26-01

Core recovered from DDH-26-01 reveals a large volume of highly deformed grey siltstones characterized by abundant cataclastic textures and numerous fault surfaces.

Variations in dip within these brittle structures, together with a thrust fault zone between 142 m and 198 m, indicate a transpressional tectonic regime associated with wrench faulting along the Cobequid-Chedabucto Fault Zone.

Such deformation environments favour the development of cataclasites, microbreccias, gouge zones and pervasive fracturing, enhancing fracture porosity and permeability.

Structural Framework in the Advocate Sector

Within this geological framework, hydrogen anomalies observed in DDH-26-01 may reflect vertical migration through long-lived fault networks, with possible accumulation within structural compartments of the Carboniferous cover.

Structural configurations described in the Advocate area include:

• thrust-related compartments within Carboniferous sandstones and shales

• hanging-wall anticlines and duplex structures

• reverse-reactivated extensional faults forming structural closures

These features define a structurally complex geological setting within the Advocate sector.

Stock Option Grant

The Company also announces that it has granted 5,400,000 stock options to certain directors, employees and consultants of the Company in accordance with its stock option plan. Each option is exercisable at a price of $2.00 per common share for a period of 2 years, subject to the terms and conditions of the Company's stock option plan and applicable securities laws. The grant of stock options is subject to the approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange.

R2G2™ Exploration Model Trademark Filing

The Company also announces that it has filed a trademark application for the term "R2G2™" (Reactivated Rift and Graben Geostructure), the exploration framework developed and applied by the Company and worked on by its scientific partner Professor Marc Richer-Laflèche from the INRS for natural hydrogen exploration and development within major crustal fault systems.

The R2G2™ exploration model integrates regional tectonic analysis, structural geology, geophysical anomalies, and soil gas geochemistry to identify geological environments favourable for natural hydrogen occurrences and accumulations.

ABOUT QUÉBEC INNOVATIVE MATERIALS CORP.

Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (OTCQB: QIMCF) (FSE: 7FJ) is a mining exploration and development company dedicated to unlocking the potential of North America's abundant natural resources. With properties in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Minnesota (USA), QIMC specializes in the exploration of white (natural) hydrogen and high-grade silica assets. QIMC is committed to sustainable development, environmental stewardship, and innovation, with the objective of supporting clean energy solutions for the AI-driven and carbon-neutral economy.

Source: https://www.qimaterials.com/