Helium & Hydrogen Play Design

Two case studies every explorer should know

Case Study 01

Bourakébougou, Mali

Pure hydrogen prototype

The well that lit itself on fire in 1987 and returned in 2011 with lab data showing 98% hydrogen, negligible helium, and an actively recharging system under igneous seals.

• Village water well hit a gas pocket in 1987; Petroma (now Hydroma) re-opened it decades later to run full composition tests.
• Gas stream is ~98% H₂ with only trace nitrogen/methane, proving that hydrogen can persist underground when the system keeps generating.
• Kitchen sits in weathered Paleoproterozoic basement; stacked dolerite sills act as the multi-layer seal that refuses to leak.
• Showed the industry that igneous lids can trap even the lightest molecules—fueling interest in similar seals inside helium provinces.

Outcome: Mali made 'gold hydrogen' real and cemented igneous seals as analogs for helium-tight structures elsewhere.

Case Study 02

Nebraska & the Mid-Continent Rift

Hybrid hydrogen-helium economics

Nemaha Uplift wells are drilled because helium shows up first; that cash flow buys time to develop hydrogen offtake tied to fertilizer and industrial users.

• Operators such as Natural Hydrogen Energy and HyTerra chase helium anomalies along the rift and uplift.
• Mixed gas streams are common: hydrogen ranges from notable to dominant, while helium holds a 1–4% share—high grade by helium standards.
• Serpentinization inside iron-rich volcanics makes hydrogen; radiogenic decay in the granitic basement supplies helium; both migrate into salt/anhydrite traps.
• Helium at $400+/Mcf underwrites drilling, so hydrogen can be produced 'for free' while nearby ammonia or industrial demand scales.

Outcome: Helium is the anchor tenant, hydrogen is the upside, and both rely on the same structural model.

Pure hydrogen vs hybrid hydrogen-helium

Feature

Mali (Bourakébougou)

Nebraska / Mid-Continent

Primary Gas

98% Hydrogen (pure)

Mixed hydrogen with 1–4% helium

Geologic Driver

Active serpentinization/radiolysis in Paleoproterozoic basement

Serpentinization in rift volcanics + radiogenic decay in surrounding granites

Recharge Potential

Hydrogen recharge observed (pressure rebounds, ongoing generation)

Helium is non-renewable—radiogenic supply is finite; hydrogen flux depends on continued serpentinization

Seal

Stacked igneous dolerite sills

Tight salt and anhydrite (with shale assists)

Commercial Model

Hydrogen-to-power for electrification

Helium sales cover wells; hydrogen is long-term upside

Mali proved the physics (hydrogen can recharge and stay put); Nebraska proved the business model (helium covers the capital while hydrogen markets mature).

Translate analogs into workflow decisions

Exploring over old granitic basement (New Mexico, Rockies, western Kansas) usually means Nebraska-style charge—assume a mixed system until proven otherwise.

Never walk away after a helium-rich soil-gas survey: the same seal that protects helium likely hides hydrogen just below it.

Design economic models with helium as a finite mineral reserve and hydrogen as either a renewable flux or a conventional gas reserve depending on recharge data.

Next step: request instrument guidance so your mud-loggers and wireline teams can distinguish H₂ from He without expensive re-drills.

Two case studies every explorer should know

Case Study 01

Bourakébougou, Mali

Pure hydrogen prototype

The well that lit itself on fire in 1987 and returned in 2011 with lab data showing 98% hydrogen, negligible helium, and an actively recharging system under igneous seals.

• Village water well hit a gas pocket in 1987; Petroma (now Hydroma) re-opened it decades later to run full composition tests.
• Gas stream is ~98% H₂ with only trace nitrogen/methane, proving that hydrogen can persist underground when the system keeps generating.
• Kitchen sits in weathered Paleoproterozoic basement; stacked dolerite sills act as the multi-layer seal that refuses to leak.
• Showed the industry that igneous lids can trap even the lightest molecules—fueling interest in similar seals inside helium provinces.

Outcome: Mali made 'gold hydrogen' real and cemented igneous seals as analogs for helium-tight structures elsewhere.

Case Study 02

Nebraska & the Mid-Continent Rift

Hybrid hydrogen-helium economics

Nemaha Uplift wells are drilled because helium shows up first; that cash flow buys time to develop hydrogen offtake tied to fertilizer and industrial users.

• Operators such as Natural Hydrogen Energy and HyTerra chase helium anomalies along the rift and uplift.
• Mixed gas streams are common: hydrogen ranges from notable to dominant, while helium holds a 1–4% share—high grade by helium standards.
• Serpentinization inside iron-rich volcanics makes hydrogen; radiogenic decay in the granitic basement supplies helium; both migrate into salt/anhydrite traps.
• Helium at $400+/Mcf underwrites drilling, so hydrogen can be produced 'for free' while nearby ammonia or industrial demand scales.

Outcome: Helium is the anchor tenant, hydrogen is the upside, and both rely on the same structural model.

Pure hydrogen vs hybrid hydrogen-helium

Feature

Mali (Bourakébougou)

Nebraska / Mid-Continent

Primary Gas

98% Hydrogen (pure)

Mixed hydrogen with 1–4% helium

Geologic Driver

Active serpentinization/radiolysis in Paleoproterozoic basement

Serpentinization in rift volcanics + radiogenic decay in surrounding granites

Recharge Potential

Hydrogen recharge observed (pressure rebounds, ongoing generation)

Helium is non-renewable—radiogenic supply is finite; hydrogen flux depends on continued serpentinization

Seal

Stacked igneous dolerite sills

Tight salt and anhydrite (with shale assists)

Commercial Model

Hydrogen-to-power for electrification

Helium sales cover wells; hydrogen is long-term upside

Mali proved the physics (hydrogen can recharge and stay put); Nebraska proved the business model (helium covers the capital while hydrogen markets mature).

Translate analogs into workflow decisions

Exploring over old granitic basement (New Mexico, Rockies, western Kansas) usually means Nebraska-style charge—assume a mixed system until proven otherwise.

Never walk away after a helium-rich soil-gas survey: the same seal that protects helium likely hides hydrogen just below it.

Design economic models with helium as a finite mineral reserve and hydrogen as either a renewable flux or a conventional gas reserve depending on recharge data.

Next step: request instrument guidance so your mud-loggers and wireline teams can distinguish H₂ from He without expensive re-drills.

The Hydrogen–Helium Play Is One Map, Two Business Cases

Two case studies every explorer should know

Bourakébougou, Mali

Nebraska & the Mid-Continent Rift

Pure hydrogen vs hybrid hydrogen-helium

Translate analogs into workflow decisions

Ready for a joint helium-hydrogen project review?

The Hydrogen–Helium Play Is One Map, Two Business Cases

Two case studies every explorer should know

Bourakébougou, Mali

Nebraska & the Mid-Continent Rift

Pure hydrogen vs hybrid hydrogen-helium

Translate analogs into workflow decisions

Ready for a joint helium-hydrogen project review?