Posted on 02 Nov 2023
Australian natural hydrogen explorer Gold Hydrogen on Tuesday claims to have found an “active hydrogen system” in its Ramsay project area in South Australia.
The hydrogen, produced naturally in the earth’s crust and also known as white or gold hydrogen, garnered renewed interest in recent years after the rediscovery of historical results detecting high-purity hydrogen from two wells drilled in Australia in the 1930s. In early 2021, Gold Hydrogen secured a petroleum exploration licence to explore natural hydrogen in Kangaroo Island and the Southern portion of the Yorke Peninsula.
The Brisbane-based firm has now drilled 1,005 metres of so-called Ramsay 1 – Australia’s first natural hydrogen exploration well. Preliminary laboratory analysis has returned an air-corrected hydrogen concentration of 73.3% at a depth of 240 metres below ground level, in line with the 76% hydrogen historically reported in the well.
The company also detected a “relatively high concentration” of helium at an air-corrected content of 3.6% at 892 metres, Kallanish learns from a company statement earlier this week. A “rare and valuable resource,” the discovery of helium could add further value to the project if found in commercial grades and quantities, Gold Hydrogen said.
“It is incredibly exciting that we have replicated the results of 100 years ago at 240 m,” says Gold Hydrogen managing director Neil McDonald. “With the additional find of helium, which could be a significant value-add to the project, we view these results as being better than planned.”
While the company continues to analyse the drilling and sampling results at the Ramsay 1 well, it is also preparing to drill the Ramsay 2 well on the project. It says the second well is expected to spud in mid-November.
Source:Kallanish
