Blue Star Helium Ltd (ASX:BNL, OTC:BSNLF) has identified significant gas columns in water well drilling at the Voyager and Enterprise prospects in Las Animas County, Colorado.
The helium explorer has confirmed a gas column of 134 feet at the redrilled BBB#1 well in the Voyager prospect, which is four times greater than the original BBB#1 hole.
At Enterprise prospect, benefitting from the new logs at BBB#1, results from the Hill#2 water well have also been reinterpreted, resulting in the identification of a 29 feet gas column.
Previously, analysis of gas obtained during drilling of original BBB#1 well determined a calculated air-free gas composition of 8.8% helium in the Lyons formation.
This represents a similar gas composition to the historic Model Dome analogue production and one of the highest in-situ helium concentrations both in the US and globally.
“Great result”
Blue Star managing director and CEO Trent Spry said: “This is a great result for Blue Star, confirming a 134-feet gas column with high helium concentration in the Voyager prospect.
“We are very pleased to deliver this exploration success and validation of our prospect mapping.
“The average gas column height for wells in the historic Model Dome field is approximately 50 feet, making the column height at Voyager of 134 feet very significant in terms of supporting structural definition and seal capacity.”
Logging at BBB#1 water well
At the Voyager prospect, the BBB#1 water well was not conventionally tested, rather the company ran a suite of logs including gamma-ray, resistivity (induction), density and neutron logs.
Gas analysis of samples obtained while drilling was performed using mass spectrometry with an estimated air-free gas composition from the Lyons formation in BBB#1 of 8.8% helium, 78.7% nitrogen and 12.5% carbon dioxide has been calculated after backing out air.
The redrilled BBB#1 well was offset by 40 feet to the south of the original hole and redrilled to retest the aquifer potential at the location where geologic and wireline logging was conducted.
Hill#2 water well reinterpretation
At Enterprise, with the benefit of new logs at BBB#1, results from the Hill#2 water well have also been reinterpreted, resulting in the identification of a 29 feet gas column
The Hill #2 well intersects the top of the Lyons formation at 809 feet depth, with wireline logs interpretation of a gas column in the high-quality reservoir from the top of the Lyons formation to a depth of 838 feet.
Notably, this is in a location interpreted to be downdip from the Enterprise 16#1 well location, which if the current interpretation is validated should see a thicker gas column again.
Spry adds “In particular, by applying the data from BBB#1 at Voyager to our interpretation of logs from the prior Hill#2 well associated with Enterprise, we have been able to identify a 29 feet gas column.
“Hill#2 is in a location interpreted to be downdip from our maiden Enterprise 16#1 well location and is targeting what is expected to be a considerably thicker gas column.”
Data acquisition
In the process of drilling these wells, Blue Star is seeking to gather data from the wells that might aid in the further definition of its helium prospects.
Importantly, the water wells are drilled and owned by the ranchers and Blue Star does not have any interest in them.
However, the company does own a mineral lease interest at each of the well locations.
Spry adds: “We are looking forward to acquiring similar data over our other key prospects Argo, Galactica and Pegasus, where we have also interpreted gas from historic well data and where the Gov. Cynthia True well located on the same greater structure tested 8.8% helium.
“The modern data acquired from recent water well drilling at the Enterprise and Voyager locations is adding significant value to our understanding of the play."