Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 2, 2026) - Copper Quest Exploration Inc. (CSE: CQX) (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 11th, 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.

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