Hydrogen production breakthrough: Whitebark’s Rickerscote certified for 1.2 billion kg H₂ & 209 Bcf helium
Whitebark Energy Limited has announced a landmark resource certification: Sproule ERCE, an independent evaluator, has confirmed 1.2 billion kg of prospective hydrogen resource (3U) plus 209 Bcf of helium at the Rickerscote Prospect in the Officer Basin, Australia.
Rickerscote lies beneath a large subsalt trap (about 200 km²), and recent 2D/3D seismic surveys have revealed promising signs of gas accumulations. Hydrogen Fuel News The discovery is based partly on legacy fluid samples from older wells that flagged hydrogen and helium presence in past testing. Hydrogen Fuel News
Whitebark holds a 67% interest, corresponding to about 851 million kg H₂ and 140 Bcf He, with the potential to expand its share to full ownership of the license areas PEL 253 and 81. Hydrogen Fuel News
An appraisal campaign is planned for late 2025, involving directional drilling, downhole pressure gauges, and flow testing to convert resource estimates into deliverability metrics. Hydrogen Fuel News
What This Could Mean
If Rickerscote’s resources are confirmed and economically recoverable, it would be a major step forward for geological (natural) hydrogen production, bypassing the need for large-scale electrolysis. Hydrogen Fuel News The presence of helium adds a valuable co-product route, potentially strengthening the commercial case. Hydrogen Fuel News
The site’s subsalt trap and mixed-gas column (hydrogen + helium) suggest an interesting natural accumulation. Hydrogen Fuel News But separation is complex; Whitebark plans to use Siqens’ membrane electrochemical cell technology (demonstrated at CSIRO in Victoria) to separate H₂ and He from mixed gas streams. Hydrogen Fuel News
Challenges remain: community engagement with traditional landowners, environmental impacts on groundwater, managing reservoir pressures, and strict regulatory regimes in South Australia. Hydrogen Fuel News
Nevertheless, a successful outcome could shift the economics of hydrogen production, especially in regions with favorable geology, by lowering costs relative to conventional “gray” or “blue” hydrogen with CCS. Hydrogen Fuel News
