Kansas exploration drive targets natural hydrogen
Australian player will drill two wells ahead of decision on whether to proceed with production testing programme
Australia’s Hyterra is to begin drilling natural hydrogen exploration wells in Kansas, in the US, April, with a view to firming up its resources of both natural hydrogen and helium, the company said on Monday.
“The primary objectives of the drilling program are to obtain key subsurface data for hydrogen and helium, including mud gas samples, wireline logs, and an in-depth understanding of reservoir characteristics,” Hyterra said in an announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange, on which it is listed.
Further wells are also set to be drilled in the second half of 2025, forming part of a 12-month exploration programme running to the end of December this year.
The data from the wells will then be analysed, alongside that from geophysical and aerial data, ahead of a decision on whether to proceed with extended production testing on selected wells “to assess the potential for sustained hydrogen production”.
Permits for all potential well sites have been secured from the local regulator, the Kansas Corporation Commission, and Hyterra plans in the meantime to continue amassing leases on land in between its existing wells.
“This drilling campaign marks a major milestone for HyTerra as we leverage our significant lease position through a comprehensive staged exploration program targeting both hydrogen and helium gases,” said Hyterra executive director Benjamin Mee.
Hyterra’s Nemaha project encompasses 9,600 acres (3,885 hectares) of land, across which natural hydrogen and helium has been detected at more than ten hotspots.
It includes the Sue Duroche-2 well, which when drilled by CFA Oil Company in 2009 saw concentrations of up to 92% hydrogen and 3% helium.