Several months ago, I wrote an article on $QIMC. This is an updated one covering the latest NRs. This is not investment advice, and contains my opinions as well as highlights from news releases.
This is also meant to be a summary to help new investors understand the background of QIMC and history.
A special thanks goes out to the QIMC & INRS team for the work done in the field and for their investors.
Industry and Company Overview
Quebec Innovative Materials Corp (QIMC-CSE, QIMCF-OTC, and 7FJ-Frankfurt) is a Canadian company exploring natural hydrogen. This is being added to their movements in the silica and quartz space in tandem with HPQ and PYR. QIMC is one of the leaders in the early stages of this new industry, one that now has Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos (who alone are investing $ 300 million in Koloma), Mitsubishi, and others rushing to fund these projects as the realization of renewable energy dawns on them. As a very abundant resource, hydrogen is found naturally with helium. QIMC is looking to establish itself in the renewable energy space.
QIMC on its part has been approached by majors, including the Gates Foundation itself (per interview with Mario Nawfal), and Japanese majors, highlighting just how far along they have come. There is potential for QIMC to bring on strategic partners or a buyout. This work has come from years of ground work by the INRS (Institut Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique). QIMC and the INRS in their partnership, have worked together on extensive work that, if it were quantified on other operations such as the european ones, would cost millions of dollars including all expenses. Which means there would be no dilution for next steps needed (drilling, reservoirs, etc). QIMC now has Orvian LLC in the US, with more of them aimed to be set up in the coming months, one for each State of which they’re established, allowing majors to easily partake.
Next Steps for QIMC
Nova Scotia: As of September 12th 2025, QIMC has now identified
Key Discoveries & Results in Nova Scotia
West Advocate Area (Cumberland Township)
Soil-gas survey found very high natural hydrogen (H₂) concentrations.
189 samples collected over more than 4 km along Reid Family Forest Road and Eatonville Forest Road.
Highest H₂ value: 5,558 ppm, a record for the area.
65 samples > 500 ppm; 21 samples > 1,000 ppm.
East Advocate (Bennett Hill Road section)
QIMC reports a second major natural hydrogen zone identified here.
Continuous anomalous soil-gas line ~4 km long.
Average H₂ ~ 623 ppm, median ~520 ppm; peak ~2,247 ppm.
Sample distribution: ~36% of samples between 500-1,000 ppm; ~11% between 1,000-2,000 ppm.
Geological Setting / Fault Zones
Discoveries are close to the Cobequid Fault Zone. This is a major crustal structure in Nova Scotia.
The geology includes sedimentary covers (Horton Group etc.), and structural complexity (faults, reactivation) that may help generate and allow migration of hydrogen.
Exploration Expansion
QIMC have yet to release news on the 2 zones that are left in Nova Scotia. The company, with the support of the local government, is now advancing, with a view to drilling.
Significance & Implications
The hydrogen concentrations are unusually high for soil-gas in Eastern Canada. The 5,558 ppm measurement in West Advocate is especially notable.
The size of the anomalies (multi-kilometre scale) in multiple zones suggests this isn’t just isolated pockets, but part of a more extensive hydrogen system.
Geological fault zones seem to play a critical role in enabling or concentrating the hydrogen. That points to potential predictability: areas along these faults are good exploration targets.
Ontario
QIMC and DMED have sampling being done on their Ontario properties. These sampling results could arrive very shortly and the team is compiling data.
DMED with the INRS and QIMC have a program with 2000 soil gas samples with the goal of identifying natural hydrogen zones. This is on the geological continuation of QIMC’s St-Bruno-de-Guiges asset.
More to come.
United States
Minnesota:
In Minnesota, through Orvian, QIMC secured a 1,600 acre land package. It is close in proximity to Koloma. One other consideration is that QIMC, were unsolicitedly invited by officials from Minnesota to come out and discuss land. The ministry has 12 million acres at their disposal and now, QIMC can narrow it down to the ones that fit the geological profile that the company is aiming for and expand in the US thanks to strong government support.
Houston:
This conference is meant for QIMC to engage with international partners, industry leaders and stakeholders in the hydrogen space. This will help raise awareness to the ongoings of QIMC. A lot of very serious players will be involved at this conference.
My thoughts for the future are that Nova Scotia could move faster and even be drilled this year before Quebec, all things considered that would require a lot of work before winter, but feels attainable given their knowhow. Minnesota and Nova Scotia are very supportive governments and it will be very exciting to watch as this develops.
Black Tree Energy Group: QIMC entered a partnership to bring their expertise to the US in March and develop natural hydrogen projects there, culminating in an Orvian Project (one in every state). QIMC, for their part are now able to capitalize on BTEG connections for financing and other benefits for their expansion. News to follow in this space.
Below, the write-up contains old information from Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.
Next Steps
The processes that QIMC have used for sampling, and those for next steps align with scientific processes to be or that have been used with Marc Richer-Lafleches theories on the hydrogen. Now it is no longer a test on whether there is hydrogen, it is a question of how much hydrogen there is. The hydrogen is a dynamic underground system with constantly flowing hydrogen. Due to the timing of the year, this is the the time where next steps are drilling in the summer of 2025 (pending permits), finding land in the US, working on Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec land. QIMC are also doing work in the land of companies such as QMET (Matane and Nova Scotia), REC (Ontario) and DMED (Ontario). With DMED technology having the ability to be deployed in the US.
Industry Contacts
As a nascent industry, QIMC have a relationship with Avalio, ran by Vitaly Vidavsky and Nikolay Larin. They are experts with years of history working on natural hydrogen and QIMC can benefit off that working relationship.
Pricing Resources
Natural hydrogen is a low-cost resource to exploit, at a cost of $1 per kg for extraction, and selling at about $10 per kg. As Gold Hydrogen has recently discovered, there are possibilities of helium in the grounds where the hydrogen is found. The team at QIMC will be exploring the opportunity for their helium on their property. (sells for about $50/kg)
Determining Natural Hydrogen
From the news release dated September 11th, "The tectonic zone of the graben appears to have been active since more than 546 Ma, as evidenced by the emplacement of alkaline magmatism represented regionally by numerous carbonatites (e.g. St-Honoré carbonatite, Niobec Mine), but also by lamprophyres and kimberlites (Gittins et al., 1975)" notes Prof Richer-Lafleche. "The graben's normal faults were subsequently reactivated between 200 and 250 Ma during the Triassic and Early Jurassic (Tremblay et al., 2013). The graben still exhibits neotectonic activity, as evidenced by the magnitude of the earthquake that struck the Saguenay-Lac St-Jean region in 1988." "In addition," states Professor Richer-Lafleche, "in the western and southwestern parts of Lac St-Jean, normal graben faults cut large volumes of potassic granitic and syenitic rocks, as well as mafic intrusive rocks associated with the Lac St-Jean anorthositic complex. Potassic rocks, which are also rich in actinides, are potential sources for the production of hydrogen by radiolytic processes."
Importance of soil samples, and at the right time/temperature
“NO FALSE POSITIVES FOR QI MATERIALS: Soil samples are key to any hydrogen project and false positives need to be ruled out (something QI Materials does not have a problem with). Some hydrogen exploration companies are looking for H2 in old oil or gas wells and have issues with anthropogenic values where the corrosion of wells create hydrogen. Other hydrogen exploration companies have false positives coming from bio generation caused by the soil type whereby bacteria could break up and produce hydrogen. In QI Material's case, Existence of unique geological settings has been modeled which enables hydrogen to be generated by geochemical reactions deep in the underground where water geochemically reacts with specific type of basement rock that is rich in iron, potassium, radon, etc taking out the "O" from the H20 and generating hydrogen which then seeps up to the surface through seismic faults that are now being explored. As QIMCs last PPM measurements read, over 21,000 PPM at sub zero temperatures, this gives indications that the numbers are higher now and at deeper depths.
Expansions
The above helps to understand the selection of the land QIMC staked, when the land claims for QIMC were made, this came from the realization of the geology in certain parts of the region, of which QIMC claimed. For line 14, they tested the outer extent to see where their property stopped supporting the geology. QIMC have only gone over approximately 20% of their land and have found world beating numbers in their readings.
Per news release from October 3rd,
“Recent soil gas measurements from Line 13 showed high readings of 594, 543, and 463 ppm, the highest levels detected outside of Line 7.”
“in addition to our westward expansion, we are excited to announce new zones in the Duhamel, Fabre-West, and Bearn areas, located to the south of our high ppm findings. These areas align with our geological indicators of our natural hydrogen district.”
From the site visit, there has been plenty of local support, and provincial support as this provides a great resource, with a minimal environmental footprint. Since this trip, insider buying has increased, we have connected to the local community, and have received positive updates in relation to reservoirs, as the belief is one or two main ones, feeding 3-4 secondary reserves.
The company have also received support from local First Nations, and they have aided the company in their drilling efforts not just in Quebec but in Nova Scotia as well.
INRS & Insiders
Minimal to no dilution in the short, medium or long-term timeline for QIMC.
In partnership with the INRS they have access to drilling equipment and funds, leaving the company in a good position to not need massive dilution to get their end goal. This presents a unique opportunity as the INRS are part of it, insiders are very committed, and a CEO (John Karagiannidis) and a team with the know how to bring QIMC in the best direction. At the time of writing, the approximation on their other exploits (quartz/silica) pays for the market cap. As per morningstar reports, the company is also trading at approximately a 65% discount with a price target of $1.10 per share (not incorporating hydrogen per the morningstar valuation). With that being said, Morningstar doesn’t give the full picture. The hydrogen and helium future brings in higher prices. QIMC has expanded their team recently with Andre Turmel. Andre is part of the “Comite Executif” for Hydrogene Quebec, he has a proven track record. Widely recognized in Canada, being named “Lawyer of the Year” in both Oil & Gas and Natural Resources (2024–2025), and earning a top ranking in Energy Law.
https://cdn-ceo-ca.s3.amazonaws.com/1jgu4lk-2647-0P0001M7B8-2HKQC1N5P2C3IFFKK48S7PU13F.pdf
Update on Quebec's Bill 69
With Bill 69 being approved, this means that QIMC fits directly into the province's energy innovational strategy. QIMC can get faster approval through this, as well as power sales being made easier. Not only that, but it becomes easier to work with groups such as Hydro-Quebec and First Nations to get a favourable outcome for all.
For further reading, please see; https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/R-1.01?langCont=fr#se:43
“We are also pleased to provide an update on Quebec's Bill 69, which has recently undergone special consultations and public hearings. The special consultations and public hearings have been conducted to gather stakeholder feedback and ensure that the bill reflects a balanced approach to resource management and environmental stewardship. We have been following these discussions, advocating for policies that support sustainable development and responsible practices. "We are thrilled about the ongoing hearings and public consultations on Quebec Bill 69," said John Karagiannidis, CEO of Quebec Innovative Materials. "This legislation aligns perfectly with our mission to explore and develop clean natural hydrogen and high-grade silica deposits-two vital resources for a sustainable future. At QIMC, we are dedicated to supporting Bill 69's objectives and applying our expertise to drive significant progress in Quebec's energy transition and carbon neutrality.”
Natural hydrogen would not be blocked by Bill 69 as it is not considered a hydrocarbon.
Geophysical Updates:
“The results are in line with our expectations and further confirms Professor Marc Richer-Lafleche hydrogen model of a deep seated hydrothermal source. Even without drilling data, the anomalies seen in the imagery along line 1 suggest a break in the clay horizon's integrity, potentially allowing hydrogen to migrate to the surface. Also, the disturbances on line 3, combined with strong hydrogen soil anomalies, point to the likely presence of gas in the sediments. This geophysics data provides a clear and detailed understanding of the Quaternary geology underlying the hydrogen anomalies and the reservoirs.” As the company notes here, this shows further data to support the theory that there are reservoirs in the area searched by the company as of now.
Objective of these next steps:
One of the objectives of INRS and QIMC is to identify areas of maximum thickening of the sedimentary rock sequence overlying the Archean basement in order to identify the most likely places for the reservoirs. This objective should be easy to achieve, given the difference in density between the Proterozoic and Ordovician sedimentary rocks and the volcanic and intrusive rocks of the Baby Group (greenstone belt).
The data generated by the galvanic and electromagnetic geoelectric surveys will also be used to optimize the injection and recording parameters for the electromagnetic data (TDEM) to be measured in winter 2024 going into early 2025.
QIMC now can use this information to pinpoint their drilling targets and move forward with their program in St.Bruno and begin setting up more programs in other jurisdictions.
New Staked land: QIMC have secured more land since my last write-up, with new claims in the Cumberland Basin, which is strategically near ports and easier to distribute (future thought). QIMC are now in their second stage there, with more than 1000 samples collected in the area. Prof.LaFleche and his team are looking to find the results of the sampling program, to find hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide. Members from the Temiscamingue First Nations are also in this initiative.
DMED development: John Kargiannidis is now the President, CEO and Director of DiagnaMed. Given the government strengthening their budgeting for hydrogen in the province, this is a clever move, with $30 million being put toward their initiatives. QIMC and DMED together can now look to advance the sector not just in Ontario but the US too. DMED are now exploring in Timiskaming, and will be continuing work with the INRS and QIMC to move this program forward. QIMC now have the full Temiscamingue district, and now have the DMED technology.
History of Quebec Sampling:
Based on the soil and geophysics anomalies, they began deploying monitoring / shallow wells. These were placed in anomalous zones identified from lines / electrical tomography. Up to ~50 m deep, in overburden (Quaternary sediments) and shallow fractured rock. Some wells drilled into shallow monitoring holes to sample “below the soil horizon and in shallow fractured rock.”
One major result: a shallow well got 7,119 ppm H₂ at ~50 m depth, with several other wells giving results in hundreds to a few thousands ppm.
Started real-time monitoring of hydrogen flow at “hot spots” using shallow drilled holes (~5 m) with probes. These are shallower than the 50 m wells, intended to monitor dynamic gas flow and see temporal variations. Very shallow (5 m) for flow monitoring; plus continued monitoring wells at 50 m and increasing depths in some cases. Also using headspace gas and possibly dissolved hydrogen in water. Helps see how hydrogen concentration / flow varies over time (season, temperature, etc.) and starts to validate that accumulation is not just a soil/organic effect.
Monitoring wells, deeper sampling, line wells etc. Also increasing depth of wells, and increasing hydrogen concentration readings. Launching larger campaigns in Quebec and other zones.
Conclusion
QIMC represents an intriguing investment opportunity, as the partnership with the INRS will reduce dilution as opposed to other options, and a smartly run company. There is no forseeable cash raise coming in the short, mid or long term future. The drills as mentioned above, are provided for the exploration and provide a clear path to next steps. Utilizations of their resources are wide open, they can transport out to Europe, use for Canadian energy, or they can build server farms, or mine crypto as an example, using the renewable energy source to do so sustainably.
QIMC for their part are now in three provinces and in Minnesota. They have acquired a drill permit and are now awaiting the legislation which should be completed by September 2025.
With a tight float held by insiders and long holding investors, QIMC has the potential, pending more discovery to become more established. Continuation of work with the INRS will provide a clearer path to more findings and establishing reservoir sizes, with proven scientific methods similar to those being used worldwide. QIMC has three prongs to their arsenal, with interests in hydrogen, silica, and potential in helium.
QIMC X account: https://x.com/QIMCSilica
QIMC Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/qimcsilica/
This is not financial advice, all of these are my opinions/research and compilation of news releases from the last year.
