The Deal Just Closed
On September 22, 2025, Copper Quest Exploration (CSE: CQX; OTCQB: IMIMF; FRA: 3MX) officially closed the acquisition of the Nekash Copper-Gold Porphyry Project in Lemhi County, Idaho. This isn’t just another land grab—it’s a legit play into one of the most overlooked copper belts in North America. For a junior that’s been busy stacking copper assets, this one feels like a power-up.
Why Nekash Has People Talking
Here’s the juice:
- 70 unpatented federal lode claims = 585 hectares of ground.
- Historic sampling hit 3.8% Cu, 0.9 g/t Au, 25 g/t Ag over 6.4 m.
- Rock chips lit up with numbers as high as 6.6% Cu and 0.6 g/t Au.
- Geos think it’s a blind porphyry system hiding under cover.
Translation? There’s copper and gold at surface, but the big prize might still be buried. District-scale potential is on the table, especially since nearby Montana placer gold suggests a serious mineralizing system in the neighborhood.
CEO Brian Thurston said: “The combination of strong surface results, favourable geology, and district-scale potential make Nekash an ideal addition to our North American portfolio.”
Why Idaho, Why Now
Let’s be real—Idaho hasn’t been top of mind for copper like Chile or Arizona. But that’s changing:
- Hercules Metals’ Grizzly discovery showed this belt is legit.
- Mining-friendly jurisdiction with decent infrastructure.
- U.S. government is sweating about copper supply security.
Idaho is basically underexplored porphyry country with good rocks and less red tape. CQX planting a flag here is a smart move.
The Deal Terms
Keeping it clean:
- Copper Quest scored 100% interest in Nekash.
- Paid with 4.25M shares. No cash, no royalty.
- Finder’s fee? Shares again.
- Tossed in 450k stock options at $0.12, good until 2030.
For a junior explorer, that’s about as shareholder-friendly as it gets.
The Copper Backdrop
Copper prices sit around $3.75/lb right now. Not crazy high, not low either. But demand? Still ripping:
- EVs and renewable energy.
- AI and data centers guzzling electricity.
- Global electrification everywhere you look.
Supply side? A mess. Declining grades, few new mines, slow permits. Add in Trump’s tariff noise on imports and suddenly U.S.-based copper starts looking premium.
Copper Quest’s Other Chips on the Table
CQX isn’t all-in on Idaho. They’ve been busy in BC too:
- Stars Property: 9,693 ha, copper-moly discovery.
- Stellar Property: 5,389 ha right beside Stars.
- Rip Project: 4,700 ha, 80% earn-in JV.
- Thane Project: 20,658 ha with 10 copper/gold targets.
Stack it all up and you’ve got 40,000+ hectares spread across tier-one copper belts.
What To Watch Next
- Drill plans at Nekash – geophysics + geochem could unlock the system.
- Stars + Thane updates in BC.
- Any policy moves in the U.S. around domestic copper could be a rocket booster.
TL;DR
- Copper Quest (CQX) closed the Nekash acquisition Sept 22, 2025.
- Historic samples: up to 6.6% Cu.
- Idaho is heating up (see Hercules’ Grizzly).
- Terms: 4.25M shares, no cash, no royalty.
- Copper macro tailwinds = demand strong, supply weak.
- CQX now has 40k+ ha across BC + Idaho.
Retail angle? CQX just grabbed an early seat in Idaho’s porphyry copper game. Could be nothing, could be massive. That’s the bet.
Marc has been involved in the Stock Market Media Industry for the last +5 years. After obtaining a college degree in engineering in France, he moved to Canada, where he created Money,eh?, a personal finance website.
