Drill Hits 30% Hydrogen as Gas Reaches Surface

Sponsored:

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Natural hydrogen exploration is moving from an emerging geological concept toward a race to determine whether naturally occurring underground accumulations can support commercial production. For explorers, concentration is only part of that equation. Evidence that gas can actually move through the subsurface is another critical piece.

Shares of Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (OTCQB: QIMCF) are moving higher Tuesday after the company reported its strongest hydrogen results yet from drill hole DDH-26-05 at the Bennett Hill Natural Hydrogen Project in Nova Scotia. The latest sampling returned a company record 30.0% hydrogen at 413 meters, while drilling immediately below that interval encountered pressurized free gas reaching the surface.

The new preliminary results extend an increasingly persistent sequence of elevated readings. Eleven of 12 sampled depths between 380 and 413 meters returned at least one double digit hydrogen measurement, and nine exceeded 20%. Results included 25.7% at 380 meters, 28.4% at 389 meters, 29.5% at 395 meters and the new record at 413 meters.

Those readings extend a zone the company established higher in the same hole. Earlier sampling returned 19.1% hydrogen at 368 meters and as much as 27.8% at 374 meters. Taken together, results from approximately 368 through 413 meters now represent the strongest sequence of high concentration hydrogen measurements QIMC has encountered at Bennett Hill.

What happened immediately below may prove equally important.

Between approximately 413 and 416 meters, crews observed pressurized free gas reaching the surface and triggering the site's hydrogen alarm system. Drilling was paused, and when crews attempted to restart, the introduction of drilling water was accompanied by increased pressurization and free gas again reached the surface, triggering additional alarms.

Pressurized water subsequently reached the surface before drilling was halted.

The reported gas composition also remained notably clean. Methane measured 0.0% across the reported samples and carbon dioxide stayed at or below 0.1%, continuing the profile observed throughout the hole.

QIMC now plans to continue DDH-26-05 using drilling equipment and procedures adapted to the conditions encountered. The company is also evaluating equipment capable of measuring pressure and gas flow, an important next step because the surface observations are qualitative and do not establish sustained flow, reservoir pressure, recoverable volumes or commerciality.

Shares of QIMC are up 4.6% to C$0.69 halfway through Tuesday's session, while QIMCF is up 3.3% to $0.5013.

Sponsored: