Massive Helium Deposit Found in Minnesota Could Be the Biggest in North America; Can It Boost the Dwindling Global Supply?

A Canadian company celebrates after making a groundbreaking discovery in Minnesota. It has confirmed a reservoir of lucrative helium, which could be the highest concentration of the gas in North America.

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ Mobile Objective)

A Dream Discovery

Resource exploration company Pulsar Helium, Inc. made the discovery at its drill site outside Babbit, a city located within Minnesota's Iron Range, an iron-ore mining district that covers 175 miles (282 kilometers). Named Jetstream #1, the drilling rig reached a total depth of 2,200 feet (671 meters) three weeks before beginning its operations.

In a statement, the company revealed that the drill encountered helium between 1,750 - 2,200 feet (522 - 671 meters) before reaching total depth. At these drilling levels, helium concentrations at 12.4% were measured by an on-site mass spectrometer.

Pulsar Helium, Inc. president and CEO Thomas Abraham-Jones reported that their discovery was a big day for helium exploration, confirming the original discovery in the new jurisdiction of Minnesota. Abraham-Jones also added that 12.4% is a perfect concentration, highlighting that the amount they measured was higher than anticipated. More importantly, this concentration is about 30 times the industry standard for commercial helium.

The team responsible for the extraction reported a consistent geology throughout the drilling well. However, Jetstream #1 stopped drilling 50 feet (15 meters) higher than the planned total depth of 2,250 feet (686 meters). It was found to be due to abnormally high winter temperatures and the impending start of Spring Local Restrictions on local road systems.

Pulsar Helium, Inc. revealed that it would gather additional pressurized gas samples as soon as the road conditions turn favorable for heavy traffic.

The potential of the site to turn into a full-service extraction plant depends on the reservoir's site. Nevertheless, the discovery holds significant value given the extremely high concentrations of helium measured by the extraction team. As the global demand for helium quickly depletes known reserves, this unexpected discovery in Minnesota could potentially increase the growing pressure on the world's helium supply.

A Sought-After Element

Helium has long been a desired resource due to its unique properties. The colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas is not only highly sought-after for inflating balloons, but it is a vital component in different industries. It serves as an important coolant in nuclear reactors, rockets, superconductors, and medical diagnostic equipment like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.

Despite being the second most abundant element in the universe, helium remains a rare gas on Earth, comprising only 5.2 ppm of its atmosphere. Its scarcity on our planet is attributed to its formation through nuclear fusion as well as the radioactive decay of thorium and uranium.

Here on Earth, the race for helium reserves has intensified amid an increasing demand that outpaces known supplies. Historically, the US has been a major exporter of helium, relying on reserves in Kansas and the Texas panhandle.

However, domestic reserves got depleted, so other nations such as Qatar, Russia, and Tanzania have emerged as key players in the global market. In 2016, Tanzania made headlines with the discovery of a huge helium gas field.