Caitlin Menadue, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

Gold Hydrogen has started drilling a new well, Ramsay 3, on farmland east of Minlaton in search of natural hydrogen.

The company has previously drilled two wells on Yorke Peninsula — Ramsay 1 and Ramsay 2 — which delivered world-leading results.

Natural hydrogen was found at air-corrected purity levels of up to 95.8 per cent, with helium concentrations reaching 36.9 per cent.

Ramsay 3 is located just a few kilometres from the original sites.

Gold Hydrogen managing director Neil McDonald said the company verified its initial drilling data before engaging a firm to conduct 2D seismic testing.

“This combination of work identified Ramsay 3 as more optimal than the original two wells,” he said.

“Significantly, it is on a high point.”

Mr McDonald said the team is confident it is drilling in a more promising location.

“We found hydrogen and helium at record levels in 2023,” he said.

“Will we hit on a better result now, allowing commercialisation?

“That’s the beauty of exploring — there’s no guarantee.”

Drilling is expected to finish in December, with early results to follow.

“We’ll be back in quarter one to do the main tests like flow testing, which help determine the commerciality of the project,” Mr McDonald said.

Last week, the Ramsay 3 site hosted over 30 Japanese investors and officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security, and industry representatives from Iwatani Corporation, Tokyo Gas, Eneos Xplorer, Toyota and Mitsubishi.

Visitors observed the drill rig being assembled.

METI spokesperson Hasegawa Yuya said the visit was crucial due to Japan’s reliance on imported energy.

“If we had an abundance of natural hydrogen, it could be a game changer,” he said.

Mr Yuya noted Japan’s existing dependence on Australian energy exports and its ongoing vulnerability to natural disasters such as earthquakes.

A projected 20 per cent increase in electricity demand over the next 20 years — driven by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies — makes energy diversification a priority.

“We are lacking natural resources,” Mr Yuya said.

“We need to diversify our energy sources.

“Hydrogen is a potential candidate for our energy.”

With green hydrogen still years away from being commercially viable, Gold Hydrogen’s exploration holds significance.

“Natural hydrogen could be really important,” Mr Yuya said.

“If it’s economically viable, Japanese companies will start to show interest.”

Gold Hydrogen will assess the new well’s results to determine if commercialisation is possible.

If successful, a pilot project will follow.

For more information, visit goldhydrogen.com.au/ramsay-project.

This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 11 November 2025.