Voyager water well yields chart-topping helium results

Blue Star’s water well program continues to pay off with analysis of gas in the BBB-1 well in the Voyager prospect returning a helium concentration of 8.8%.

Notably, this represents a similar gas composition to that reported from historical production at the Model Dome helium field about 10km to the south, and is one of the highest in-situ helium concentrations in the world.

This highlights Voyager’s potential to be an analogue to Model Dome, a significant result given the scarcity of helium and its high demand.

With the strong initial outcomes to date, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Blue Star Helium (ASX:BNL) is in talks with other ranchers regarding the funding of further low-cost water wells.

“The whole Blue Star team is incredibly proud of this result. Historic wells in the Voyager area were reported as dry holes, and plugged and abandoned, however our interpretation was that gas had been missed,” managing director Trent Spry said.

“This result proves that gas is trapped in the Voyager prospect and is a strong validation of that interpretation and our prospect mapping.

“Encouragingly we have also interpreted gas from historic well data in the Argo, Galactica and Pegasus prospects, which we have yet to confirm with new drilling activity and data.”

He also attributed the company’s improved water well gas sampling protocol with allowing for less diluted samples to be collected and air-free gas calculations to be performed.

The company has also submitted the final permit to drill for its maiden Enterprise 16-1 helium exploration well with approval and drilling commencement expected next month.

Water well and the Voyager prospect

The BBB-1 well, which was drilled by the ranch owner, intersected the top of the Lyons formation at 888 feet depth, with wireline logs confirming a gas column in high quality reservoir from the top of the Lyons formation to a depth of 922 feet, which was also where the well ended.

Gas analysis returned 8.8% helium, 78.7% nitrogen and 12.5% carbon dioxide, which is very similar to the historical gas composition produced at Model Dome (8% helium).

Voyager is associated with a dome feature mapped in the area around Thatcher – the historical location for the helium processing facility for Model Dome – in Las Animas County, Colorado.

This article was developed in collaboration with Blue Star Helium, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.