A massive helium reservoir discovered in Minnesota earlier this year could alleviate the critical shortage of the gas across several industries in the U.S., experts say. This discovery, announced by resource exploration company Pulsar Helium on August 21, could have a significant impact on the global helium supply chain, which has been struggling to meet demand for over a decade.
The announcement followed an independent evaluation of Pulsar Helium’s drilling site near Babbitt, Minnesota. The evaluation, conducted by a third-party, estimated that a single well tapping into 13% of Pulsar Helium’s land in Minnesota holds a remarkable 22.9 million cubic feet (649,000 cubic meters) of recoverable helium. This amount represents roughly 1% of US helium production in 2023 and 0.4% of total global production for the same year, according to the US Geological Survey.
The discovery has generated significant excitement within the industry. “Such positive estimations received from a single and comparatively shallow well are hugely encouraging ahead of further exploration,” said Thomas Abraham-James, president and CEO of Pulsar Helium, in a statement. Further exploration and deeper drilling of the existing well are scheduled for later this year.
Laboratory results in June revealed that helium concentrations at the Minnesota site are the highest ever recorded in the industry, reaching up to 14.5%. Jon Gluyas, a professor of geoenergy, carbon capture, and storage at the University of Durham in the UK, emphasized the significance of this discovery: “That’s phenomenally high.” Gases with helium concentrations of 0.3% and above are considered commercially viable, making the Minnesota site a promising source of helium.
While the exact volume of the entire reservoir remains uncertain, experts estimate that Pulsar’s land position could hold up to 176 million cubic feet (5 million cubic meters) of helium. This potential volume could contribute an additional 8.3% to the US’s current helium production of 2.1 billion cubic feet (60 million cubic meters).
Helium, a highly sought-after gas, is crucial for various industries, including scientific research, medical technology, space exploration, and high-tech manufacturing. Its use in cooling systems and other critical applications makes it indispensable for numerous fields. However, the global helium shortage has resulted in supply chain challenges and rising prices, hindering research and development in many areas.
“The situation is bad enough that many users are not receiving their full allocation of helium ordered, and with there being no substitute for helium, technical applications and research are stalling,” Abraham-James said in an email to Live Science. “Our near-term objective is to provide stable domestic helium supply for the U.S. market.”
The discovery in Minnesota offers a beacon of hope for alleviating this global shortage and ensuring a more stable supply of this vital resource. The potential for commercialization of Pulsar’s drilling site is high, and if extraction begins, it is expected to significantly boost US helium production, potentially benefitting industries worldwide.
