Gold Hydrogen Flows and Purifies Helium at Ramsay 1, Reigniting Australian Production

First Australian Surface Helium Capture Since 2023

Gold Hydrogen Limited (ASX:GHY) has successfully flowed Helium to surface, separated, purified, and bottled it at the Ramsay 1 well in South Australia, marking the first such achievement on Australian soil since the closure of the Darwin Helium plant in late 2023. This milestone is a critical step toward re-establishing domestic Helium production, which Australia has lacked since the Bayu-Undan gas field depletion forced the Darwin plant’s shutdown.

High Purity Helium Demonstrated at Low Pumping Rates

During flow testing commencing 25 July, Gold Hydrogen recorded world-leading air-corrected Helium purities exceeding 30%, with stabilized purities around 19% without any purification. These figures were measured at a pumping rate of up to 2,000 barrels of fluid and gas per day, a fraction of the 20,000 barrels per day planned for the upcoming Ramsay 3 well test. The purification system, supplied by Quantum Technology Corporation of Canada, successfully enriched the Helium from the separator outlet gas stream, which also contains Nitrogen and Natural Hydrogen, enabling onsite storage and demonstration activities such as gas bottling and balloon filling.

Operational Insights and Next Steps in Ramsay Campaign

The Ramsay 1 well, drilled in 2023 and designated as a reinjection well for the remainder of the 2026 campaign, provided valuable operational data on the purification process at these initial rates. This experience is expected to de-risk equipment and process parameters ahead of the more intensive zonal flow testing planned at Ramsay 2 and Ramsay 3, where pumping rates will scale up significantly. Gas samples from Ramsay 1 are being dispatched for detailed compositional and isotopic analysis, including Helium-3, in partnership with CSIRO and Oxford University.

Cautious Optimism Amid Geological and Commercial Uncertainties

Gold Hydrogen emphasizes that this test is not commercial production but a proof-of-concept for Helium purification technology at field scale. The company cautions that geological and development risks remain, and the results do not confirm commercially recoverable Helium or sustained flow rates. Independent laboratory confirmation of purity figures is pending, and the success of subsequent tests at Ramsay 2 and 3 will be critical to advancing a contingent resource assessment and finalizing design and costs for a modular commercial Helium plant.

Positioning for Australian Helium Supply Revival

With Australia currently reliant on imports for all Helium consumption, the Ramsay Project’s progress could signal a strategic shift toward domestic supply. The purification success at Ramsay 1 follows a series of developments positioning Gold Hydrogen at the forefront of Helium and Natural Hydrogen exploration, including prior confirmation of high Helium concentrations and advancing commercialisation pathways. The company’s measured approach to scaling and analysis reflects the complexity of translating early-stage flow tests into viable production, but the milestone achieved at Ramsay 1 offers a tangible foundation for future development.