Copper Quest Bets on Gold, Gains Veteran Leadership in Strategic Deal

VANCOUVER, BC – December 10, 2025 – In a move that signals a significant strategic broadening, Copper Quest Exploration Inc. (CSE: CQX) has finalized its due diligence on a high-grade gold asset, simultaneously fortifying its leadership with a trio of seasoned mining veterans. The acquisition of the past-producing Alpine Gold Property in British Columbia is more than a simple asset purchase; it represents a calculated diversification into the booming gold market, a potential near-term revenue stream, and a substantial infusion of invaluable human capital.

For a company whose identity is tied to copper, this pivot into precious metals is a telling maneuver in today's dynamic resource market. By issuing over 14 million shares and bringing the property's owner onto its board, Copper Quest is not just buying a mine—it's buying experience, a proven resource, and a strategic hedge against the cyclical nature of base metals. The move provides a clear window into how agile junior explorers are navigating the intersection of corporate finance and project development to unlock shareholder value.

A Golden Opportunity with Near-Term Potential

The centerpiece of the transaction is the Alpine Gold Property, located in the historically rich West Kootenay mining district. This is no raw grassroots play. The property comes with a 2018 NI 43-101 compliant inferred resource of 142,000 ounces of gold. What makes this resource particularly compelling for investors is its remarkable grade: an average of 16.52 grams per tonne (g/t) gold. In an industry where 1-2 g/t is often considered economic for open-pit operations and 5-8 g/t is deemed high-grade for underground mines, Alpine's resource grade stands out as exceptional.

Beyond the in-ground resource, the property offers a tangible, near-term catalyst: an estimated 24,000-tonne mineralized stockpile sitting on the surface. This "Run of Mine" material, a remnant of previous operations, presents a rare opportunity for a junior explorer to generate cash flow without the immense capital outlay and long timelines of full-scale mine development. As Copper Quest President & CEO Brian Thurston noted, this positions the company to "create near term value for our shareholders through exposure to an all-time high gold market." Previous tests on this stockpile suggest it can be upgraded to an even higher grade, potentially sweetening the economics of processing it.

The property's upside is not limited to the existing stockpile. The Alpine mine itself has over 1,600 meters of clean, dry underground workings, providing a significant head start for future exploration and development. Crucially, the current resource is based on exploration covering only 300 meters of a vein system believed to be roughly two kilometers long, leaving vast sections of the structure untested at depth and along strike. Furthermore, the 4,611-hectare property hosts at least four other known vein systems, including the past-producing King Solomon, offering a district-scale discovery potential that extends well beyond the main Alpine mine.

The Financial Architecture and Strategic Rationale

Executing a transaction of this nature requires careful financial structuring. Copper Quest will acquire the Alpine property by issuing 14,177,517 shares to the vendor, a private company controlled by Allan Matovich. At a deemed price of $0.175 per share, this values the stock portion of the deal at approximately $2.48 million. The company will also pay $225,000 in cash and grant a 2% net smelter royalty (NSR), half of which can be repurchased for $1 million.

This share-based deal aligns the interests of the vendor with Copper Quest's existing shareholders. By taking a significant equity position with a 24-month escrow period, Mr. Matovich is making a long-term commitment to the project's success under its new ownership. While the share issuance represents a dilution of approximately 19% for current shareholders, the strategic value of acquiring a de-risked, high-grade asset with near-term cash flow potential and seasoned leadership is the clear trade-off. The deemed price of $0.175, set when the deal was first announced, represents a premium to the stock's more recent trading price, indicating the value both parties placed on the asset and the partnership.

To fund the work ahead, Copper Quest has also increased a recently announced private placement, signaling strong investor interest. The additional capital, raised via flow-through shares, will be injected directly into Canadian exploration expenses, ensuring that work can commence promptly at Alpine and its other copper-focused projects. This proactive financing ensures the company is capitalized not just to close the deal, but to immediately begin the value-creation process through exploration and development.

An Influx of Mining Maestros

Perhaps the most significant, and often overlooked, aspect of this transaction is the strategic enhancement of Copper Quest's leadership team. An asset is only as good as the team tasked with developing it, and Copper Quest has secured a formidable lineup of industry expertise.

Joining the Board of Directors is Allan Matovich, the vendor of the Alpine property. With over 60 years in the industry, starting at the Cominco smelter and later building successful mining operations that supplied major players like Halliburton and Newmont, Matovich brings an owner's deep knowledge and an operator's practical wisdom. His comment that he looks forward to helping "create value for all stakeholders" is backed by a career of doing just that.

Appointed as Technical Advisors are two highly respected figures in Canadian mining. Ted Muraro, a 35-year Cominco veteran and former Chief Geologist, was directly involved in the discovery of major mines like Snip and Polaris. His six decades of experience and recognition with the prestigious Spud Huestis award lend immense geological credibility to the project. John Mirko brings over 40 years of experience as a prospector, developer, and operator, having founded multiple public companies and successfully guided projects to commercial production. His receipt of the E.A. Scholtz Medal for Excellence in Mine Development underscores his capability in turning exploration projects into producing mines.

The collective experience of Matovich, Muraro, and Mirko, totaling well over 150 years, provides Copper Quest with an unparalleled technical and operational brain trust. For investors, this infusion of veteran talent serves as a powerful de-risking agent, increasing the probability of exploration success, efficient development, and ultimately, commercial viability for the Alpine Gold project.