QIMC Announces Landmark Discovery of Hydrogen Soil Samples over 1000ppm on Recently Completed 9.7km North-South Line, Outlining Highly Charged 70km2 Hydrogen Area
- Written by Media Outreach
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC - Newsfile Corp. - 4 September 2024 - Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (FSE: 7FJ) ("QI Materials", "QIMC" or the "Company"), is proud to announce a landmark discovery made in collaboration with our Quebec partner, the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS). The findings from the recently completed 9.7km north-south line 7 have uncovered hydrogen soil samples with concentrations exceeding 1000 parts per million (ppm). Significantly, we observed 8 readings exceeding 600 ppm, with 2 of those surpassing 1000 ppm. Additionally, the average measured 531.9 ppm over a 450 ms interval between the readings above 1000 ppm (Fig. 1). Professor Marc Richer-Laflèche, Scientific Head of Applied Geoscience Laboratory comments, "These highly anomalous values can be considered first-class given the absolute values that, locally, exceed the instrumental detection limit of 1000 ppm. The results from Line 7 validate the geological hydrogen model interpretations we outlined in previous announcements." The data distribution is illustrated in Figure 2, which maps the anomalies against a backdrop of satellite imagery. 
Figure 1. Section showing the variability of H2 concentrations measured in the soils of line 7 at St-Bruno-de-Guigues. Data are given as a function of distance in meters To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7968/222081_817f3f7364ef2850_001full.jpg
Figure 2: Map of the distribution of hydrogen anomalies in the soils of the St-Bruno-de-Guigues area. Data projected onto satellite image background. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7968/222081_817f3f7364ef2850_002full.jpgExceptional natural hydrogen levels "We are thrilled to announce this transformative discovery outlining a highly charged 70km2 hydrogen area within our 250km2 Ville Marie property," said John Karagiannidis, CEO of QIMC. "The hydrogen concentrations identified by INRS mark a significant advancement in our pursuit of clean, renewable energy solutions. This breakthrough highlights our leadership in the hydrogen sector and strengthens our commitment to advancing sustainable technologies that support Quebec's clean emission goals. We eagerly anticipate the next steps in developing and commercializing this remarkable hydrogen resource." Strategic Impact To delineate the area of high hydrogen values observed along line 1 of the July 2024 soil gas survey, the INRS field crew extended line 1 westward during the first week of August 2024. This extension begins at the boundary between forest and agricultural land and ends near the chemin des secondes et troisième rangs of St-Bruno-de-Guigues (line 7). "As initially predicted in our hydrogen model, the intensity of the soil hydrogen anomalies gradually decreased towards the west (Figure 3)", notes Professor Marc Richer-Lafleche. "This decrease in concentration emphasizes a westward closure of the hydrogen anomaly domain. This spatial variability may reflect, among other things, the presence of contrasting geological units (arkosic sandstones, Cobalt Group conglomerates, Ordovician dolomitic limestones) and also the probable presence of the Rivière-Blanche fault, which may be present in the St-Bruno-de-Guigues area beneath the thick glacial-lacustrine sediments", states Professor Marc Richer-Lafleche. 
Fig. 3: Location map of the soil gas survey for Line 7 (North-South) and East-West Lines 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7968/222081_817f3f7364ef2850_003full.jpg "We believe that this fault is partly responsible for the emplacement of hydrogen in the St-Bruno-de-Guigues area," said John Karagiannidis, CEO of QIMC. The location of this fault is a priority for QIMC and INRS and will be the subject of a high spatial resolution audiomagnetotelluric survey to be carried out in the fall of 2024. "In the area of the sampling stations containing the hydrogen anomalies, there is no evidence in the field (or in the MRNF databases) of the presence of wells (former mining or oil wells), which could explain, among other things, the presence of H2 anomalies from anthropogenic sources. What's more, unlike the false H2 anomalies regularly reported in the scientific literature, the H2 anomalous zones at St-Bruno-de-Guigues extend for more than one kilometer (along north-south or east-west axes), which cannot be explained by anthropogenic sources. It is also unlikely that the gas anomalies are the result of subsurface biogenic processes, as the glaciolacustrine sediments hosting the H2 anomalies and also the H2-depleted zones (background) are very similar from one sampling site to another. These Quaternary sediments are essentially dominated by a mineral matrix with little potential to generate significant amounts of hydrogen through fermentation reactions...
Figure 1. Section showing the variability of H2 concentrations measured in the soils of line 7 at St-Bruno-de-Guigues. Data are given as a function of distance in meters To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7968/222081_817f3f7364ef2850_001full.jpg
Figure 2: Map of the distribution of hydrogen anomalies in the soils of the St-Bruno-de-Guigues area. Data projected onto satellite image background. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7968/222081_817f3f7364ef2850_002full.jpgExceptional natural hydrogen levels "We are thrilled to announce this transformative discovery outlining a highly charged 70km2 hydrogen area within our 250km2 Ville Marie property," said John Karagiannidis, CEO of QIMC. "The hydrogen concentrations identified by INRS mark a significant advancement in our pursuit of clean, renewable energy solutions. This breakthrough highlights our leadership in the hydrogen sector and strengthens our commitment to advancing sustainable technologies that support Quebec's clean emission goals. We eagerly anticipate the next steps in developing and commercializing this remarkable hydrogen resource." Strategic Impact To delineate the area of high hydrogen values observed along line 1 of the July 2024 soil gas survey, the INRS field crew extended line 1 westward during the first week of August 2024. This extension begins at the boundary between forest and agricultural land and ends near the chemin des secondes et troisième rangs of St-Bruno-de-Guigues (line 7). "As initially predicted in our hydrogen model, the intensity of the soil hydrogen anomalies gradually decreased towards the west (Figure 3)", notes Professor Marc Richer-Lafleche. "This decrease in concentration emphasizes a westward closure of the hydrogen anomaly domain. This spatial variability may reflect, among other things, the presence of contrasting geological units (arkosic sandstones, Cobalt Group conglomerates, Ordovician dolomitic limestones) and also the probable presence of the Rivière-Blanche fault, which may be present in the St-Bruno-de-Guigues area beneath the thick glacial-lacustrine sediments", states Professor Marc Richer-Lafleche. 
Fig. 3: Location map of the soil gas survey for Line 7 (North-South) and East-West Lines 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7968/222081_817f3f7364ef2850_003full.jpg "We believe that this fault is partly responsible for the emplacement of hydrogen in the St-Bruno-de-Guigues area," said John Karagiannidis, CEO of QIMC. The location of this fault is a priority for QIMC and INRS and will be the subject of a high spatial resolution audiomagnetotelluric survey to be carried out in the fall of 2024. "In the area of the sampling stations containing the hydrogen anomalies, there is no evidence in the field (or in the MRNF databases) of the presence of wells (former mining or oil wells), which could explain, among other things, the presence of H2 anomalies from anthropogenic sources. What's more, unlike the false H2 anomalies regularly reported in the scientific literature, the H2 anomalous zones at St-Bruno-de-Guigues extend for more than one kilometer (along north-south or east-west axes), which cannot be explained by anthropogenic sources. It is also unlikely that the gas anomalies are the result of subsurface biogenic processes, as the glaciolacustrine sediments hosting the H2 anomalies and also the H2-depleted zones (background) are very similar from one sampling site to another. These Quaternary sediments are essentially dominated by a mineral matrix with little potential to generate significant amounts of hydrogen through fermentation reactions...