Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) has announced the extension of diamond drill hole DDH-26-05 at its Bennett Hill project in Nova Scotia to a planned depth of more than 1,000 metres, alongside the launch of an in-situ hydrogen characterisation and extraction program at the site. The company states that drilling will be carried out by Maritime Drilling and is scheduled to resume in November 2026, while Strum Consulting of Halifax has been engaged to manage hydrogeological measurement and sampling. The release describes the launch of the extraction program as a major milestone, marking a step from exploration toward in-situ clean natural hydrogen production at Bennett Hill.

Key Points

  • Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC, OTCQB: QIMCF, FSE: 7FJ)
  • DDH-26-05 will be extended beyond 1,000 metres to intersect the principal fault imaged on seismic Line 1 at Bennett Hill
  • Mud-gas headspace hydrogen readings reached 30.0% at 413 metres in DDH-26-05; DDH-26-04 recorded 24.3% H₂ at 707 metres
  • Investors may be watching for results from the in-situ characterisation program and pending laboratory porosity and permeability data from both drill holes

DDH-26-05 Extension Targets Principal Fault at Depth

DDH-26-05 was paused at approximately 416 metres after pressurised free gas and a mud-gas headspace hydrogen reading of 30.0% at 413 metres. The hole will now be extended beyond 1,000 metres — approximately 945 metres vertical — to intersect the principal south-dipping fault identified on processed seismic Line 1. The company states the extension will establish the depth, width, and character of that fault, further calibrate the seismic dataset's time-to-depth conversion, and carry the hole below the competent granite block into the deep altered zone previously identified in DDH-26-04, allowing direct comparison between the two holes at depth for the first time.

Bennett Hill System Architecture Defined by DDH-26-04

Completed in July 2026 at 818 metres, DDH-26-04 established a vertically layered architecture at Bennett Hill: a fractured upper corridor to approximately 250 metres, a low-porosity syenogranite confining block from roughly 250 to 640 metres, and a deep altered zone below 665 metres returning readings of 12.4% to 24.3% hydrogen between 665 and 707 metres. Statistical analysis of 284 mud-gas samples confirmed breccia zones as the principal conduits. Both drill holes have produced pressurised water at surface during drilling, which the company interprets as consistent with a connected, confined, and artesian system.

Seismic Corroborates Two Distinct Hydrogen Systems Along the Cobequid Corridor

The 2026 seismic program supports the company's modelling of two separate hydrogen settings. The Cobequid Highlands host a fault-bound hybrid hydrogeological system at Bennett Hill, where hydrogen is interpreted as occurring both dissolved in formation water and as free gas in open fractures. North and east of the Highlands, the Cumberland Basin presents a conventional reservoir-and-seal system, where porous reservoir units are overlain by salt and shale membranes. The company states it intends to pursue both targets using methods suited to each geological setting.

Characterisation Program Scope and Exploration-Stage Cautions

Strum Consulting has been engaged as program manager and hydrogeological lead to conduct well control, in-situ sampling, and post-drilling testing. The company cautions that all hydrogen concentrations cited are preliminary mud-gas headspace measurements and do not establish in-situ dissolved concentrations, formation pressure, sustained flow rates, or recoverable volumes. Laboratory porosity and permeability results on core from both holes remain pending. No resource or reserve has been defined for the Bennett Hill project, and the characterisation program is described as the step needed to produce quantitative measurements.