Copper Quest Provides 2026 Exploration Update

Copper Quest Exploration Inc. (CSE: CQX,OTC:IMIMF) (OTCQB: IMIMF) (FSE: 3MX0) ("Copper Quest" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update from its 2026 exploration programs including an extensive 20 square kilometer geophysical program at its 100% owned Stars property, permitting and structuring of several properties, and a phase 2 drill program at the Rip property.

Brian Thurston, CEO of Copper Quest, stated, "Copper Quest has had a productive summer of exploration, working several of our properties. We are looking forward to the results of this labour and using the collected data to advance each of our projects. The Company is now focused squarely on the advancement and development of its seven 100% owned properties, advancing past-producing gold mines as well as taking previously drilled exploration targets to the next level of exploration and discovery stage."

STARS Geophysical Program

Copper Quest is pleased to announce that it has completed a 20 km² 3D induced polarization ("IP") geophysical survey on its 100% owned Stars Property ("Stars"). Stars is a porphyry copper-molybdenum ("Cu-Mo") project covering 9,693 hectares ("ha") in the Stikine region of British Columbia, situated approximately 60 km north of Imperial Metals Corporation's ("Imperial Metals") past producing Huckleberry Cu-Mo mine, 50 km north-northeast of Surge Copper Corp's advanced stage Berg copper project, and 30 km north-northwest of Vizsla Copper Corp's Poplar copper-gold project. Imperial Metals is exploring Huckleberry and its surrounding claims for additional Cu-Mo resources.

This very large IP survey has been applied across the full extent of the main Stars Property, including over the Tana Zone discovery area and its along-strike extensions. Induced polarization is a proven method for detecting sulphide mineralization, the type of copper-bearing material found at Stars, at depth and at distance from known drill holes. By imaging the full 20 km² footprint of the magnetic anomaly, the Company aims to determine the true scale of the mineralized system in terms of strike length, width, and depth, and to identify potential new drill targets both in and beyond the current Tana Zone. The Company is awaiting the final report from this work and will update shareholders once that report is received and interpreted.

Alpine Permitting

The Company has been moving forward with permitting on its 100% owned Alpine Project which includes the extension of our current exploration and drilling permit, as well as permitting of the road access from two different routes.

The Company has been engaged with consultants and manufacturers regarding sorting and processing equipment for ore from the Alpine property. Further, the Company has actively been pursuing both partnerships and potential ownership opportunities with various milling operations.

Kitimat Permitting

The Company has been moving forward with permitting on its 100% owned Kitimat Project which includes plans to complete geophysical and drilling programs over the Jeannette Cu-Au target area as well as the AI generated target proposed by Exploration Technologies Inc and described in a previous press release by the Company posted on March 24, 2026. 

Thane Permitting

The Company plans to commence permitting of its 100% owned Thane property and is actively looking for a partner to explore this property.

Auxer & Nekash Properties

The Company has formed a wholly owned subsidiary to hold its 100% owned US properties. The transfer of ownership of both the past-producing Auxer Gold Mine and the Nekash copper project is now in process and expected to complete shortly. The Company is actively looking for partners to explore these properties.

Rip Phase 2 Drilling

The phase 2 drill program of the Rip project was first announced by the Company on May 11^th, 2026. The Company successfully completed 1,654 meters of drilling from 5 holes on the property. Samples from this drill program have been sent to ALS laboratory in Terrace, BC, for storage prior to preparation and assaying. On June 2, 2026, the Company and ArcWest Exploration Inc. began negotiations on amending the current Option Agreement entered into on November 27, 2023, where Copper Quest has the option to acquire up to 80% of the Rip property. Until the negotiations are concluded, the Company does not plan to complete assaying the samples from this most recent drill program.

Qualified Person

Brian G. Thurston, P.Geo., the Company's President and CEO and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

About Copper Quest Exploration Inc.

The Company's land holdings comprise 8 projects that span almost 50,000 hectares in great mining jurisdictions of Canada and the USA. Copper Quest is committed to building shareholder value through acquisitions, discovery-driven exploration, and responsible development of its North American portfolio of assets. The Company's common shares are principally listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange under the symbol "CQX". For more information on Copper Quest, please visit the Company's website at www.copper.quest.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the past-producing Alpine Gold Mine located approximately 20 kilometers northeast of the City of Nelson British Columbia, spanning 4,611.49 hectares with a 2018 National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects historical inferred resource of 268,000 tonnes, estimated using a cut-off grade of 5.0 g/t Au and an average grade of 16.52 g/t Au, that represents an inferred resource of 142,000 oz of gold* (*McCuaig & Giroux, March 6, 2018, NI43-101 Technical Report for the Alpine Property, BC, Canada. Further drilling is necessary by the Company to upgrade/verify the estimate. The QP has not done sufficient work to make the resource current and the Company is not treating the estimate as current.). Apart from the Alpine Mine itself the property hosts 4 other less explored significant vein systems including the past-producing King Solomon vein workings, the Black Prince and the Cold Blow veins system, and the Gold Crown vein system. *The Company has not yet completed sufficient work to verify the 2018 historic inferred resource results.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the road accessible Stars Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum Property, spanning 9,693 hectares in central British Columbia's Bulkley Porphyry Belt with Tana Zone discovery drill intersection highlights of 0.466% Cu over 195.07m in drill hole DD18SS004 from 23.47m, 0.200% Cu over 396.67m in drill hole DD18SS010 from 29.37m, and 0.205% Cu over 207.27m in drill hole DD18SS015 from 163.98m. This highly prospective, approximately 5X2.5-kilometer annular magnetic anomaly is interpreted to represent an altered monzonite intrusion and surrounding hornfels.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the road accessible Kitimat Copper-Gold Property, spanning 6,801.41 hectares within the Skeena Mining Division of northwestern British Columbia located northwest of the deep-water port community of Kitimat, British Columbia. The property benefits from exceptional infrastructure, being within 10 km of tidewater, 1.5 km of rail, and 6 km of high-voltage hydroelectric transmission lines. Exploration on the Kitimat property dates to the late 1960s, with the most significant historical work conducted by Decade Resources Ltd. (2010), which completed 16 diamond drill holes totaling 4,437.5 meters in the Jeannette Cu-Au Zone, and drill intersection highlights of 0.54% Cu and 1.03 g/t Au over 117.07 m in Hole J-7 from 1.52 m, 0.55% Cu and 1.00 g/t Au over 103.65m in Hole J-1 from 9.15 m, 0.45% Cu and 0.80 g/t Au over 107.01m in Hole J-2 from 6.10 m, and 0.33% Cu and 0.41 g/t Au over 112.20m in Hole J-8 from 11.89 m.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the past-producing, road accessible Auxer Gold Mine, spanning 1,087 hectares located in Bonner County, Idaho, USA. This orogenic gold opportunity is positioned along one of the region's most significant structural corridors located within the prolific Hope Fault system. Historical exploration has demonstrated exceptional gold grades, with the 1936 Platts report documenting up to 21.0 g/t Au in surface samples and underground workings showing consistent mineralization over 4.3-meter widths averaging 9.42 g/t Au at an 18-meter depth.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Nekash Copper-Gold Project, a porphyry exploration opportunity located in Lemhi County, Idaho, USA, along the prolific Idaho-Montana porphyry copper belt that hosts world-class systems such as Butte and CUMO. The project is fully road-accessible via maintained U.S. highways and forest service roads and consists of 70 unpatented federal lode claims covering 585 hectares.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the road accessible Stellar Property, spanning 5,389-hectares in British Columbia's Bulkley Porphyry Belt contiguous to the Stars Property.

Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Thane Project located in the Quesnel Terrane of Northern British Columbia spanning over 20,658 hectares with 10 priority targets identified demonstrating significant copper and precious metal mineralization potential.

Copper Quest has an earn-in option of up to 80% and joint-venture agreement on the road accessible Rip Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum Project, spanning 4,700-hectares located in the Bulkley Porphyry Belt in central British Columbia.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, including without limitation, future operations and activities of Copper Quest, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of exploration results, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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