• Unexpectedly high helium concentrations of up to 4.4% were recorded in mud gas
samples at Blythe 13-20, a level not previously observed in this part of Kansas.
Hydrogen concentrations peaked at 16.5%1
.
• Extends the Helium play in Eastern Kansas from the Sue Duroche 3 area
significantly.
• Helium is critical to future-facing industries including semiconductors, aerospace,
MRI technology, and quantum computing, with no viable substitutes due to its
unique inertness and cryogenic properties.
• Kansas is the leading producer of helium in the US with decades of continued
production from the Hugoton natural gas field with concentration ranges of 0.25
to 2.5% helium2
.
• Blythe 13-20 will now be converted to an appraisal well in coming weeks to clean
the well up and install downhole monitoring equipment to provide information to
assist in the design of an initial testing program planned to be after the wells have
been drilled and the subsurface data has been analysed.
HyTerra Limited (HyTerra or the Company) has increased the firm wells in the
drilling sequence to a total of three wells drilled from April through July 2025 at the Nemaha Project
in Kansas, USA. This exploration program funding is sourced from an investment in the Company
by Fortescue Future Industries Technologies Pty Ltd.
Avon McIntyre, Executive Director says “The discovery of high helium concentrations in an area
previously untested for this potential is a highly encouraging result. While hydrogen concentrations
peaked at 16.5%, lower than historical highs nearby, additional data will be acquired as we
proactively monitor the well downhole. This well is located at a midpoint between the Mid-Continent
Rift and the Nemaha Ridge, and we may have drilled into a helium and hydrogen migration pathway
between these two main features. Now we move away from twinning historic wells to drill McCoy 1
on the crest of the Nemaha Ridge to further unlock the broader potential of this system”.
Blythe 13-20 Update
The Company is pleased to announce that Blythe 13-20 was drilled to a total depth of 5,300ft MDKB
(1,615m) on time, on budget, with no HSE incidents. The well was drilled into a new geological play
in the Company’s acreage, and drilled through approximately 3,028ft (923m) of sedimentary rocks
and 2,260ft (689m) of Pre-Cambrian basement. The Blythe 13-20 well site is located around 1,400m
east of the historic Scott-1 well drilled in 1982 (Figure 1), which reported hydrogen concentrations
of up to 56% in the sedimentary section3
. Blythe 13-20 was drilled 3,100 ft (945m) MDKB deeper
than Scott-1. The Company has 6,860 net acres in the vicinity of the well site.
An extensive formation evaluation program was executed by Schlumberger (SLB). This program
entailed recording mud gas log data in real time while drilling, taking mud gas samples at surface,
extensive wireline logging, and collecting cuttings samples. The learnings from Sue Duroche 3 and
detailed pre-planning resulted in a successful data acquisition program.
The real time mud gas log recorded hydrogen and helium gas at different intervals during drilling.
The mud gas samples collected at surface were sent to an independent laboratory (Isotech
Laboratories Inc.) for verification and quantification.
Hydrogen concentrations peaked at 16.5% in the sedimentary section and 4.1% in the basement
(Table 1). Helium was not detected in the sedimentary cover. In the basement, helium
concentrations peaked at 4.4%. Based on these results, the Company has decided to convert the
Blythe 13-20 well into an appraisal well with a work over rig to be mobilised to site in July. This will
include down-hole drilling fluid cleanup and the installation of downhole monitoring equipment to
provide information to assist in the design of an initial testing program planned to be after the wells
have been drilled and the subsurface data has been analysed.
Kansas: America's Helium Powerhouse
Kansas is a strategic hub for helium production in the USA. The supportive regulatory environment
and industry demand is coupled with local skills and equipment that has been producing and
transporting helium from Kansas reservoirs for decades.
The first globally significant discovery of helium, with a volume concentration of 1.84%, dates back
to 1903 in Dexter, Kansas4
. The Dexter helium discovery is located due south of Blythe 13-20 well
site, near the southern extent of the Nemaha Ridge. Currently, Kansas dominates domestic USA
helium production with eight production plants5
.
Helium, a valuable and useful resource
Helium, a non-renewable and vital natural resource, holds significant global importance due to its
unique physical and chemical properties. It is inert, non-flammable, non-toxic, lighter than air, and
has the lowest boiling point of any element. It is critical for medical applications, aerospace and
military purposes, electronics and semiconductor manufacture, as well as scientific analyses and
many other industries.
Healthcare applications consume approximately 32% of U.S. helium production, primarily for
cooling MRI magnets and specialized breathing treatments. A single MRI machine requires initial
filling of approximately 1,700 litres of liquid helium and regular top-ups due to boil-off.
The electronics industry uses about 18% of domestic helium for semiconductor manufacturing,
where it provides inert atmospheres for silicon wafer production and cooling during various
fabrication steps.
Aerospace and defence applications account for 17% of consumption, including rocket
pressurization, satellite instrument cooling, and leak detection in high-performance systems.
The remaining helium supplies diverse applications including welding (13%), research and
development (10%), and other industrial uses (10%)7
.
This announcement has been authorised for release by the Board of Directors.