Copper Quest Exploration Inc. (CSE: CQX | OTCQB: IMIMF | FRA: 3MX) announced the completion of an AI-driven geological analysis at its 100% owned Kitimat Copper-Gold Project located in northwestern British Columbia. The modeling demonstrated a large conductive anomaly consistent with a buried porphyry center, reinforcing the company’s belief that the Kitimat project may contain a large copper-gold hydrothermal system.
Brian Thurston, CEO of Copper Quest, noted that the large anomaly created through AI represents an important advancement in exploration development. According to Copper Quest, the conductive body is situated along a structural magnetic boundary within fertile arc volcanics and could be indicative of a hidden intrusive porphyry center associated with copper-gold mineralization.
Partnership for AI-Driven Exploration
Copper Quest partnered with U.S.-based Exploration Technologies Inc. (ExploreTech) to complete the analysis. Copper Quest and ExploreTech announced their strategic partnership on December 1, 2025, to apply generative artificial intelligence across Copper Quest’s exploration portfolio; starting with the Kitimat project.
ExploreTech’s platform combines multiple geological datasets into a single 3-D probabilistic model to identify concealed mineralized systems.
Inputs to the AI Model
- Diamond drilling history, including the 2010 Jeannette Cu-Au drilling program
- Airborne magnetic surveys by government agencies
- VTEM conductivity data
- Structural and lithological interpretations
- Field observations and alteration mapping conducted during 2025
- Geochemical analyses of soils and rocks
Based upon these datasets, the AI platform generated thousands of possible subsurface geological models and ranked the most probable targets for concealed intrusive centers and sulfide-rich alteration zones.
Identification of Large Conductive Anomaly
The AI modeling identified a large buried conductive body approximately 1.5 km by 1.5 km in lateral extent. According to the modeling, the anomaly commences about 50 meters beneath the surface and exhibits strong vertical continuity to at least 1 km depth, which was the maximum modeling depth of the study.
Characteristics of the Anomaly
- Located within a prominent magnetic gradient corridor
- Associated spatially with intrusive contact(s) or alteration boundary(ies)
- Located proximal to known volcanic-hosted sulfide mineralization
Taken together, these attributes suggest to Copper Quest (CSE: CQX | OTCQB: IMIMF | FRA: 3MX) that they indicate the presence of a concealed sulfide-rich hydrothermal center consistent with porphyry copper-gold systems.
Support for Geological Context of Porphyry System
The Kitimat project occurs in the Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group volcanic rocks intruded by Coast Plutonic intrusions; a geological environment widely considered to be favorable for the formation of porphyry copper-gold systems.
The AI results also support Copper Quest’s belief that the mineralization encountered historically at the Jeannette Zone may be indicative of the periphery of a larger intrusive system.
Highlights of Historical Drilling Results at Jeannette Zone
- 117.07 m @ 0.54% Cu and 1.03 g/t Au (Hole J-7)
- 103.65 m @ 0.55% Cu and 1.00 g/t Au (Hole J-1)
- 107.01 m @ 0.45% Cu and 0.80 g/t Au (Hole J-2)
- 112.20 m @ 0.33% Cu and 0.41 g/t Au (Hole J-8)
All of the near-surface intercepts mentioned above remain open and are believed by the Company to represent the outer halo of a larger porphyry system which may be equivalent to the newly identified conductive anomaly.
Advantages of Infrastructure
One of the primary advantages of the Kitimat project is its ideal location in terms of infrastructure in northwestern British Columbia.
Infrastructure Highlights
- Approximately 10 kilometers from the City of Kitimat
- Deep-water port facilities nearby
- Railway infrastructure in close proximity
- High-voltage hydroelectric power available
- Access to roads through historic logging and exploration roads
Having this type of infrastructure in place could greatly enhance project economics should a major copper-gold discovery be made.
Future Exploration Plans
Following the AI modeling results, Copper Quest is currently obtaining permits for additional geophysics and drilling.
Planned exploration includes:
- Induced polarization (IP) survey in 2026 to further refine the target
- Diamond drill program to test the kilometer-scale conductive anomaly
The Company expects that these next steps will confirm whether there is a concealed porphyry center at the Kitimat project.
Demand for Copper and Global Supply Deficits
There is rapidly increasing demand for copper due to electrification, renewable energy deployments, electric vehicles, AI infrastructure, and large scale grid modernizations. Simultaneously, the industry is facing lower ore grades at existing mines, longer permitting times, and a lack of major new discoveries. This combination is expected to result in significant global supply deficits in the coming decade, making it increasingly important to discover new copper deposits in relatively stable mining jurisdictions like Canada and the United States.
Copper Quest (CSE: CQX | OTCQB: IMIMF | FRA: 3MX), believes its North American exploration portfolio is well-positioned to be part of the next generation of copper discoveries.
Copper Quest Exploration Overview
Copper Quest controls eight exploration properties covering more than 46,000 hectares in Canada and the United States. The Company is focused on discovery driven exploration and creating value through the development of copper and gold assets in favorable mining jurisdictions.
The Company owns 100% interest in several properties, including the Kitimat Copper-Gold Project, the Stars Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum Project, the Nekash Copper-Gold Project in Idaho, and the Alpine Gold Mine near Nelson, British Columbia. Copper Quest also maintains exploration exposure to additional porphyry systems in British Columbia’s Bulkley Porphyry Belt and other prospective areas.
Conclusion
The identification of a kilometer-scale conductive anomaly using AI-driven modeling is an important exploration milestone for Copper Quest. Through the integration of historical datasets with modern AI-based geological analysis, the Company has significantly improved its exploration model for the Kitimat project and identified a high-priority drill target. Upon completion of permitting and subsequent additional geophysical work, the project could be advanced towards drill testing of what may represent a large, concealed copper-gold porphyry system.
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.
