Constellation Resources Unveils Hydrogen and Helium Evidence at Edmund-Collier

Groundbreaking Gas Discoveries

Constellation Resources Limited has announced preliminary results from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) that confirm the presence of natural hydrogen, helium, and hydrocarbon gases within drill core samples from its Edmund-Collier Natural Hydrogen Project in Western Australia. This discovery is significant as it represents a first-of-its-kind opportunity to explore for natural hydrogen and helium in a large, underexplored sedimentary basin with no prior deep drilling.

Strategic Location and Geological Potential

The Edmund-Collier project covers an expansive 37,288 square kilometres within the Gascoyne Province, bordered by gas transmission pipelines and major mining producers. The basin’s geological architecture, including the extensive Wanna Syncline and Talga Fault, provides promising traps and source rocks for gas accumulation. CSIRO’s analysis detected hydrogen and helium trapped within sandstone and shale formations, suggesting both generation and migration of these gases from basement rocks and organic-rich shales.

Scientific Validation and Exploration Techniques

CSIRO employed advanced crushed rock and fluid inclusion analyses on diamond drill core samples sourced from historic mineral exploration holes. The detection of hydrogen, helium, methane, carbon dioxide, and ethane points to a possible common genetic origin linked to thermal maturation of organic-rich shales, particularly within the Blue Billy and Discovery Formations. The presence of helium, potentially from radiogenic decay or primordial sources, broadens the basin’s exploration potential.

Future Exploration and Development Plans

Constellation Resources holds preferred candidate status for nine Special Prospecting Authority - Acreage Option permits, enabling low-cost, high-value exploration programs. The company is advancing plans for further seismic acquisition, targeted drilling near basement tapping faults, and surface gas sampling to refine drill targets. The Wanna Syncline’s extensive structural traps and overlying seals make it a focal point for upcoming exploration efforts, with the potential to unlock a new energy resource frontier.

Implications for the Energy Sector

This announcement positions Constellation Resources at the forefront of natural hydrogen and helium exploration in Australia, a sector gaining momentum amid global energy transition efforts. While results are preliminary, the confirmation of these gases in multiple drillholes underscores the basin’s prospectivity. The company’s methodical approach, combining geological, geophysical, and geochemical data, sets a solid foundation for future resource definition and potential commercialisation.