As of 2023 Australia no longer produces the gas by-product that is Helium.

Helium is not only used for scaring small children at parties,
It’s a critical component for MRI Machines, Semiconductors and defence research (something the world is heavily investing in)

Currently the Australian government is only just scratching the surface of Australian made drone and Anti-drone tech, which is leading to a loss of skill and revenue to overseas competitors.

You may of heard that the US is investing in Australia’s critical mineral infrastructure, which is essential for tech and to which the US most certainly will benefit from.
But Helium is also a vital component in ensuring the quality of future technologies.

It’s essentially a small particle cooling gas that stabilises temperatures, flushes out contaminants and acts to test vacuum/seal systems when building progressive technology.

Without it, it increases the rate of defective or inefficient microchips, which is a progressive cost to companies like Nvidia, BYD and Tesla.
Where the tech requires high quality over capital risk.

Especially in the emerging industry of new defence technology, failing or inefficient chips are not an option for emerging drone or missile defence manufacturers in this current geopolitical environment.

Now, the largest exporters of Helium are
The united states, Qatar and Russia, with Canada growing a small export base.

However the tech manufacturers and largest importers of Helium are positioned in Australasia.
This is China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

Australia currently has an estimated untapped potential of 6.3 Billion m3 of helium in gas fields.

Or as us Australian’s call it, the metric equivalent of a “shit tonne” of Helium.

We currently have 3 early exploration sites.

1. South Australia, (Gawler Craton, Officer Basin, Otway Basin)
There’s “multiple companies” running soil gas surveys and drilling programs in the gawler region

2. Northern Territory (amadeus basin, south of Alice Springs)
This area has had known gas shows, with multiple permits targeting “pure helium” systems.

3. Western Australia (canning)
Too early to call yet, there is a helium presence but no commercial helium discoveries yet.

Overall the most promising site to provide Helium in Australia again is the Northern Territory.

Santos and Central Petroleum are already working on the site.
With Peak Helium and Georgina Energy holding exploration permits
it already has oil and gas infrastructure implemented, confirmed helium shows in multiple wells (6-9% in some samples)
Feasability studies for helium recovery plants had already started but paused due to market softening pre oil crisis.

Coming in second on strong exploration is Gawler, South Australia.
Whilst still in very early stages, despite zero infrastructure the exploration location is in proximity for faster infrastructure development and skilled staff.
with dominant players like prominence energy, the appropriately named Thor Energy leading the way in Gawler, with Gold Hydrogen testing the waters.

It could potentially become a longer term penny stock investment with wait and watch attention focused toward the South Australian Government as our national economy starts to make sizeable taxation reforms and will require revenue from other government focuses over non-productive assets.

The Iran war has exposed a large market gap the Australian Government should be providing a focus on.
We see tanker and shipping vessel re-routes leading to inflationary pressures, bad for emerging tech’s bottom line.

We are in real time noticing the exposed shipping delay vulnerabilities of chip required materials before they lead to sizeable bottlenecks in Asian markets and the impacts warfare has on logistics insurance alone.

Whilst we’ve seen quick multilateral talks take place between asian nations as a means of emergency, longer term, Asia’s ally (Australia) should look towards a unified effort of producing Helium in the near term and fulfilling those market gaps to generate healthy revenue for our nation longer term.


No AI was used for writing, thought of, written and published in just under three hours.