HyTerra Limited (ASX: HYT), a company focused on exploring for natural hydrogen and helium resources near major industrial hubs and the first company to list on the ASX with a focus on white hydrogen, has announced encouraging results from its Blythe 13-20 well in Kansas, USA. The company reported unexpectedly high helium concentrations of up to 4.4% in mud gas samples, a level not previously observed in this part of Kansas. Hydrogen concentrations also peaked at 16.5%.
The Blythe 13-20 well was drilled to a total depth of 5,300 feet, encountering approximately 3,028 feet of sedimentary rocks and 2,260 feet of Pre-Cambrian basement. The well site is located around 1,400 metres east of the historic Scott-1 well, which previously reported high hydrogen concentrations. An extensive formation evaluation program was executed by Schlumberger, including real-time mud gas logging, mud gas sampling, wireline logging, and cuttings collection.
The company plans to convert Blythe 13-20 into an appraisal well in the coming weeks. This will involve cleaning up the well and installing downhole monitoring equipment to gather data for designing an initial testing program. The aim is to acquire additional data and proactively monitor the well downhole to further assess its potential.
Avon McIntyre, Executive Director, stated that the discovery of high helium concentrations in a previously untested area is a highly encouraging result. McIntyre added that the well’s location between the Mid-Continent Rift and the Nemaha Ridge suggests it may have intersected a migration pathway for helium and hydrogen. The company will now drill McCoy 1 on the crest of the Nemaha Ridge to further unlock the broader potential of this system.
