Gold Hydrogen has taken another major step towards becoming Australia’s next domestic helium producer after successfully flowing, purifying and bottling helium from its Ramsay 1 well.
It’s the first time helium has been concentrated and bottled in Australia since the Darwin helium plant closed in 2023, marking a significant milestone for both the company and the country’s critical gas supply.
A world-class reservoir
The Ramsay 1 flow test delivered more than just helium.
Testing confirmed an exceptionally productive reservoir capable of raw gas flow rates of up to 128 Mscf/day and helium flow rates of up to 24.3 Mscf/day from the Kulpara Dolomite.
The reservoir recorded a productivity index of up to 34 bbl/day/psi, well above the sub-2 bbl/day/psi typically seen in commercial low-permeability reservoirs, indicating well performance was limited by pump capacity rather than the reservoir itself.
High-grade helium, proven at surface
Onsite processing achieved helium purity of up to 30%, stabilising around 19%, while raw helium concentrations reached 13% and were still climbing when testing concluded.
Those grades compare favourably with many commercial helium developments globally, where projects can operate with helium concentrations as low as 1%.
The company also successfully separated, purified and bottled helium onsite using Quantum Technology Corporation’s purification system, validating another key piece of the commercial development puzzle.
Table 1: Ramsay 1 measured and modelled flow rates.
Commercial pathway becoming clearer
The results also strengthen the independent commercial development pathway outlined by Worley, which concluded a helium project could potentially be viable with as few as two production wells.
Gold Hydrogen now plans to accelerate Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) studies while progressing towards a maiden Contingent Resource.
Importantly, the Ramsay project follows a dissolved-gas-in-water development model already operating successfully overseas, including in Japan.
What’s next
The flow testing campaign now shifts to Ramsay 2 before moving to Ramsay 3, with both wells set to evaluate additional helium-bearing reservoirs and prioritise testing of the project’s natural hydrogen zones.
With Australia currently importing all of its helium and global supply remaining tight, Gold Hydrogen believes Ramsay could play a key role in restoring domestic helium production.
