Exploration and development company 80 Mile has reported what it believes to be Finland’s first published occurrence of helium at its Outokumpu Belt project, with concentrations of up to 10.7%.
80 Mile described the results as promising as it intensifies its exploration activities.
To get the readings, a portable helium detector was used to measure gas concentrations at the surface, directly from the historical drill holes. The readings have been described as a “promising indicator” of the deeper subsurface potential in the region.
In addition to its helium findings, the company also reported findings of up to 46% geological, or white, hydrogen at the Outokumpu Belt.
Geological hydrogen describes the gas when it is formed by natural processes within the Earth’s crust, where it can accumulate, as well as keep being produced, in underground reservoirs.
Read more: Natural hydrogen is gaining ground – and political interest
Eric Sondergaard, Managing Director of 80 Mile, said the results exceeded expectations and provide strong evidence of the regions potential as a source of helium and other industrial gases.
“We are committed to accelerating our work programme and leveraging these findings to further delineate the helium and hydrogen potential of the Outokumpu Belt. Our goal is to advance towards commercial viability in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.”
80 Mile has started to plan a proof-of-concept study to assess the commercial recovery of helium and hydrogen from existing deep drill holes. The study will evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of extracting helium and hydrogen with modern recovery techniques.
The success of the study could be a step towards generating cash flow from the project.
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