BABBITT- Pulsar Helium continues to publish positive results from its geophysical exploration and drilling program southeast of Babbitt. The Canadian firm announced on Oct. 4 that the 12.7-mile vibroseis survey along the Dunka River Rd. showed both eastward and westward extensions of the velocity anomaly associated with the helium-bearing zone.
“The processed seismic data shows a continuous reflective package at the helium-bearing interval encountered in Jetstream No.1,” the helium business said in last Friday’s statement, “which has been imaged to extend approximately 1.5 km to the west and 2 km to the east of the well.”
Seismic surveys use reflected sound waves to make images of how rocks are arranged underground. A vibroseis survey uses the weight of a specialized truck to shake the ground without destructive explosives. Geophones planted along the survey route record the waves reflected off features in the surface. Gas in the subsurface shows up as zones of lower seismic velocity in the reflected data.
The extension of the seismic feature associated with the helium-bearing rocks gives Pulsar “reasonable confidence that future wells could target this zone accurately,” according to the Pulsar press statement. As Pulsar ramps up to drill additional wells this fall, the new seismic results are significant, especially since the minimum cost of a gas production well averages a million dollars according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency.
The firm also revealed other results from the August survey: “Other reflective packages are visible in the processed seismic data suggesting additional fracture zones.” Those fracture zones are the areas filled with gas that the firm needs to target to produce economically viable helium for sale.
“The recently acquired seismic line shows that the productive helium-bearing interval intersected in Jetstream #1 extends laterally,” said Josh Bluett, technical manager for Pulsar. “The additional active seismic data further supports the interpretation of the passive seismic and airborne geophysical data. This new data is very encouraging, and I look forward to the upcoming drill program.” The firm made a passive, ambient noise seismic survey last year which showed the zone of lowered seismic velocity associated with gas in the ground extending to the west.
The announcement that Pulsar hired Capstar Drilling to drill new wells was covered in the Sept. 27 Timberjay.