Mr. Brian Thurston reports

COPPER QUEST RECIEVES KITIMAT COPPER-GOLD PROJECT EXPLORATION PERMIT

Copper Quest Exploration Inc. has received the exploration permit for its 100-per-cent-owned Kitimat copper-gold project, located approximately 10 kilometres (km) northwest of the deepwater port community of Kitimat in British Columbia. The Kitimat copper-gold project covers 6,801.41 hectares within the Skeena mining division of northwestern British Columbia. The project is year-round road accessible via a network of logging and mineral exploration roads extending north from Kitimat. The property benefits from exceptional infrastructure, being within 10 km of tidewater, 1.5 km of rail and six km of high-voltage hydroelectric transmission lines.

Exploration targets

The project is situated within the Stikine terrane, a prolific belt that hosts numerous porphyry copper-gold systems and is underlain by Late Triassic volcanic rocks intruded by Jurassic diorite and granodiorite bodies of the Coast Plutonic complex. The project's target areas include the Jeannette Cu-Au (copper-gold) zone, displaying alteration and mineralization interpreted to represent low-level intermediate to low-sulphidation epithermal expressions of a larger Cu-Au porphyry system (see news release dated Jan. 5, 2026), the Bowbyes target area, interpreted as low-grade disseminated to vein-hosted Cu-Mo (copper-molybdenum) occurrences associated with a porphyry Cu-Au zone (see news release dated March 24, 2026), and an AI-driven (artificial intelligence) anomaly identified by United States-based Exploration Technologies Inc. to be "consistent with a buried porphyry centre." The anomaly measures approximately 1.5 km by 1.5 km in lateral extent with a strong vertical continuity to at least one km depth (see news release dated March 5, 2026).

Historical exploration and highlights

Exploration on the Kitimat property dates back to the late 1960s, with multiple operators conducting geochemical, geophysical and drilling campaigns. The most significant historical work was conducted by Decade Resources Ltd. (2010), which completed 16 diamond drill holes totalling 4,437.5 metres* (m) in the Jeannette Cu-Au zone. Notable results include:

• Hole J-7: 117.07 m grading 1.03 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 0.54 per cent Cu, from 1.52 m to 118.60 m;
• Hole J-1: 103.65 m grading 1.00 g/t Au and 0.55 per cent Cu, from 9.15 m to 112.80 m;
• Hole J-2: 107.01 m grading 0.80 g/t Au and 0.45 per cent Cu, from 6.10 m to 113.11 m;
• Hole J-8: 112.20 m grading 0.41 g/t Au and 0.33 per cent Cu, from 11.89 m to 124.09 m.

The mineralized intervals encountered in the 2010 drilling demonstrate continuous near-surface copper-gold mineralization extending over significant widths, remain open at depth within the Jeannette zone and occur within a broader hydrothermal system that is interpreted to extend laterally beyond the area tested.

* The drill results are historical in nature and have not been confirmed by the company.

Brian Thurston, chief executive officer of Copper Quest, stated: "Copper Quest is pleased with the timely granting of this exploration permit for Kitimat. With historical drilling intersecting near-surface copper-gold mineralization over intervals exceeding 100 metres and grading more than 0.5 per cent Cu and one g/t Au, the Kitimat copper-gold project represents a solid exploration opportunity that is ideally located with exceptional infrastructure, in a proven geological belt known for hosting major copper-gold systems."

Alex Miltenberger, PhD, CEO of ExploreTech, commented: "Our generative AI platform evaluates thousands of geological and geophysical permutations to identify the highest-probability mineralized centers. At Kitimat, the integrated magnetic, VTEM, drilling and geological data sets produce a coherent target architecture consistent with buried intrusive-related mineralization. This platform has been successfully applied on multiple porphyry systems worldwide and we look forward to supporting Copper Quest as they advance this project toward drill confirmation."

Next steps:

• The company is sending a team of geologists to the Kitimat property in September to do a preliminary ground-proofing for planning near-term geological mapping, sampling and geophysical surveys, and to refine priority drill targets as required. Fieldwork could include ground magnetics, induced polarization (IP) and passive seismic to better define subsurface structure and mineralization trends.
• A follow-up drill program would test key targets within the interpreted geology and surrounding high-grade corridors.

Infrastructure advantage

The Kitimat project is supported by outstanding infrastructure that meaningfully strengthens its development potential. The property benefits from established road access via historic logging and exploration roads, proximity to rail infrastructure, access to high-voltage hydroelectric power and deepwater port facilities at Kitimat. Located just 10 km from the city within a stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction, the project is exceptionally well positioned. Collectively, this infrastructure base has the potential to materially enhance project economics in the event of a discovery.

Qualified person

Brian G. Thurston, PGeo, 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 landholdings comprise eight projects that span almost 50,000 hectares in great mining jurisdictions of Canada and the United States. 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 Securities Exchange under the symbol CQX.

Copper Quest has a 100-per-cent interest in the past-producing Alpine gold mine, located approximately 20 km northeast of the city of Nelson, B.C., 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, representing an inferred resource of 142,000 ounces (oz) of gold* (McCuaig & Giroux, March 6, 2018, NI 43-101 technical report for the Alpine property, B.C., 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 four 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 historical inferred resource results.

Copper Quest has a 100-per-cent 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 per cent Cu over 195.07 m in drill hole DD18SS004 from 23.47 m, 0.200 per cent Cu over 396.67 m in drill hole DD18SS010 from 29.37 m and 0.205 per cent Cu over 207.27 m in drill hole DD18SS015 from 163.98 m. This highly prospective, approximately five-by-2.5-kilometre annular magnetic anomaly is interpreted to represent an altered monzonite intrusion and surrounding hornfels.

Copper Quest has a 100-per-cent 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 deepwater port community of Kitimat in B.C. The property benefits from exceptional infrastructure, being within 10 km of tidewater, 1.5 km of rail and six 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 totalling 4,437.5 m in the Jeannette Cu-Au zone, and drill intersection highlights of 0.54 per cent Cu and 1.03 g/t Au over 117.07 m in hole J-7 from 1.52 m, 0.55 per cent Cu and 1.00 g/t Au over 103.65 m in hole J-1 from 9.15 m, 0.45 per cent Cu and 0.80 g/t Au over 107.01 m in hole J-2 from 6.10 m, and 0.33 per cent Cu and 0.41 g/t Au over 112.20 m in hole J-8 from 11.89 m.

Copper Quest has a 100-per-cent interest in the past-producing, road-accessible Auxer gold mine, spanning 1,087 hectares, located in Bonner county, Idaho. 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 m widths averaging 9.42 g/t Au at an 18 m depth.

Copper Quest has a 100-per-cent interest in the Nekash copper-gold project, a porphyry exploration opportunity located in Lemhi county, Idaho, 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-per-cent 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-per-cent 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 per cent 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.

We seek Safe Harbor.