Ramsay 1 and Ramsay 2, learnings from the first natural hydrogen exploration wells in Australia
Josh Whitcombe A , Neil McDonald A , Roger Cressey A , Billy Hadi Subrata A , Steve Falloon A , Neil Carr A and Frank Glass A *A
Dr Josh Whitcombe was appointed the Chief Operating Officer at Gold Hydrogen Limited in July 2023, having started with the business in May. He commenced his career with Shell International, in drilling offshore developments in the North Sea before moving to coal seam gas exploration and development in Australia. Prior to joining Gold Hydrogen, he held a number of Executive roles at various small to mid-sized gas companies. Josh has had a varied career managing frontier exploration and appraisal projects to managing more mature integrated brown field conventional assets. Dr Whitcombe is an RPEQ and chartered Chemical Engineer. |
Neil McDonald has more than 20 years of extensive commercial experience across the energy and minerals sectors in multiple Australian states. He has been involved from greenfield exploration to early development in projects across Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia. He has worked on and helped commercialise some of Australia’s largest exploration projects for private and public companies. As a commercial lawyer, Neil has a strong legal grounding in commercial and regulatory compliance in the resources industry. Neil is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. |
Roger Cressey has more than 35 years of experience in the resources industry, predominantly in gas exploration and production. Roger has held CEO, COO and other executive roles within upstream and downstream operations across Australia, in Queensland, the NT and before that PNG. He has also held senior roles with companies active in Indonesia and Uganda. Roger’s strengths lie in managing multi-discipline teams, strategy development and delivery. He has a strong focus on engagement with both external and internal key stakeholders. |
Billy Hadi Subrata has 20 years of experience working with Australian and international energy operators across multiple basins in Australia, New Zealand, East Africa, and Papua New Guinea. A petroleum and reservoir engineer by background, Billy has developed a substantial skill in both exploration and development mainly for reservoir simulation and modelling, field appraisal and development planning, reserves and resources estimation, project management and economics, subsurface to surface integration, hydrogen, and energy transition. Billy is a Qualified Petroleum Reserves and Resources Evaluator (QPRRE) and a member of SPE and Engineers Australia. |
Steve Falloon is a Petroleum and Energy industry Operations and Wellsite Geologist with over 30 years’ experience, working in Australia and across the globe for both majors and juniors. Steve is excited to be contributing to the nascent hydrogen exploration industry, which demands some thinking and trying things outside of the box. |
Neil Carr is a highly skilled Senior Drilling and Completions Advisor, with expertise in design, drilling, completions, well intervention, and pilot project management. He ensures projects are executed successfully while maintaining high safety standards. With experience in both the Australian and international energy sectors, including positions at Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia, Neil possesses a comprehensive understanding of the global energy industry landscape, allowing him to navigate diverse challenges and deliver effective solutions. He has completed studies in Engineering and Business at both Queensland University of Technology and University of South Australia and currently is undertaking Executive Management in Energy Studies at the BI Business School of Norway. |
Frank Glass has been working in the Petroleum and Energy Resources industry for over 34 years, exploring for major international and Australian operators in various locations around the world. He has been part of the growing industry exploring for natural hydrogen in Australia since 2021 and as the Exploration Manager for 2H Resources has been working to develop natural hydrogen plays in South Australia. In August 2023, he joined Gold Hydrogen as the Chief Exploration Advisor, to support them in drilling the first natural hydrogen exploration wells in Australia. |
Abstract
In October and November 2023, Gold Hydrogen, an ASX listed natural hydrogen explorer, drilled Ramsay 1 and Ramsay 2, the first natural hydrogen exploration wells in Australia. Twinning an historic well, the Ramsay Oil Bore 1 well in PEL687 in South Australia, the objective of the Ramsay 1 and Ramsay 2 wells was to find movable naturally generated hydrogen in the subsurface and establish the presence of a commercially attractive natural hydrogen resource base. This paper highlights some of the learnings from the process of designing and executing these natural hydrogen exploration wells and how the initial hurdles of demonstrating the presence of a hydrogen resource were overcome during the drilling phase. Using modified standard drilling technology and dedicated hydrogen detection tools (calibrated real time mud gas analysis), Gold Hydrogen has shown that exploration for natural hydrogen resources can be done safely and cost effectively. The main learnings included the application of a calibrated hydrogen detection methodology to derive a pseudo hydrogen saturation log and the successful selection of drilling mud and casing compliant with long term hydrogen exposure. As global drilling for natural hydrogen is still in its infancy, these modifications to the exploration well design and execution could have a significant impact on future drilling for this highly attractive carbon free energy source. With a program of seismic data acquisition and follow-up wells planned for 2024, Gold Hydrogen is leading a group of Australian natural hydrogen explorers, who are trying to unlock commercial natural hydrogen resources in the world.
Keywords: energy transition, exploration drilling, helium, mud gas, natural hydrogen, Ramsay Oil Bore 1, Yorke Peninsula.
Dr Josh Whitcombe was appointed the Chief Operating Officer at Gold Hydrogen Limited in July 2023, having started with the business in May. He commenced his career with Shell International, in drilling offshore developments in the North Sea before moving to coal seam gas exploration and development in Australia. Prior to joining Gold Hydrogen, he held a number of Executive roles at various small to mid-sized gas companies. Josh has had a varied career managing frontier exploration and appraisal projects to managing more mature integrated brown field conventional assets. Dr Whitcombe is an RPEQ and chartered Chemical Engineer. |
Neil McDonald has more than 20 years of extensive commercial experience across the energy and minerals sectors in multiple Australian states. He has been involved from greenfield exploration to early development in projects across Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia. He has worked on and helped commercialise some of Australia’s largest exploration projects for private and public companies. As a commercial lawyer, Neil has a strong legal grounding in commercial and regulatory compliance in the resources industry. Neil is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. |
Roger Cressey has more than 35 years of experience in the resources industry, predominantly in gas exploration and production. Roger has held CEO, COO and other executive roles within upstream and downstream operations across Australia, in Queensland, the NT and before that PNG. He has also held senior roles with companies active in Indonesia and Uganda. Roger’s strengths lie in managing multi-discipline teams, strategy development and delivery. He has a strong focus on engagement with both external and internal key stakeholders. |
Billy Hadi Subrata has 20 years of experience working with Australian and international energy operators across multiple basins in Australia, New Zealand, East Africa, and Papua New Guinea. A petroleum and reservoir engineer by background, Billy has developed a substantial skill in both exploration and development mainly for reservoir simulation and modelling, field appraisal and development planning, reserves and resources estimation, project management and economics, subsurface to surface integration, hydrogen, and energy transition. Billy is a Qualified Petroleum Reserves and Resources Evaluator (QPRRE) and a member of SPE and Engineers Australia. |
Steve Falloon is a Petroleum and Energy industry Operations and Wellsite Geologist with over 30 years’ experience, working in Australia and across the globe for both majors and juniors. Steve is excited to be contributing to the nascent hydrogen exploration industry, which demands some thinking and trying things outside of the box. |
Neil Carr is a highly skilled Senior Drilling and Completions Advisor, with expertise in design, drilling, completions, well intervention, and pilot project management. He ensures projects are executed successfully while maintaining high safety standards. With experience in both the Australian and international energy sectors, including positions at Saudi Aramco in Saudi Arabia, Neil possesses a comprehensive understanding of the global energy industry landscape, allowing him to navigate diverse challenges and deliver effective solutions. He has completed studies in Engineering and Business at both Queensland University of Technology and University of South Australia and currently is undertaking Executive Management in Energy Studies at the BI Business School of Norway. |
Frank Glass has been working in the Petroleum and Energy Resources industry for over 34 years, exploring for major international and Australian operators in various locations around the world. He has been part of the growing industry exploring for natural hydrogen in Australia since 2021 and as the Exploration Manager for 2H Resources has been working to develop natural hydrogen plays in South Australia. In August 2023, he joined Gold Hydrogen as the Chief Exploration Advisor, to support them in drilling the first natural hydrogen exploration wells in Australia. |
