Prominence Energy Ltd. has received dollar-matched funding from the CSIRO Kick-Start program to accelerate research into natural hydrogen and helium systems within the company’s Gawler hydrogen project in South Australia.
The collaborative project, commencing this April, will see Prominence work alongside the CSIRO Energy team to conduct targeted sampling and analysis across the Eyre Project (PEL 803).
By tapping into CSIRO’s expertise in geochemistry, petrography, and multi-physics modelling, the company aims to refine exploration workflows and de-risk future drilling decisions.
The Gawler Craton is rapidly emerging as a world-class exploration hotspot for gold hydrogen, or hydrogen generated through natural geological processes.
PEL 803, covering nearly 2,800 square kilometres, sits atop ancient cratonic crust featuring radiogenic granites and uranium deposits, which are key indicators for the generation of both hydrogen and helium.
Dr Krista Davies, Chief Operating Officer of Prominence Energy, said the collaboration would apply innovative techniques to better understand how these gases occur in the region.
“The CSIRO Kick-Start program provides the company with access to specialist expertise and assessment to help test and refine exploration workflows relevant to natural hydrogen and helium systems,” Davies said.
“The work is focused on improving technical understanding to help de-risk future exploration decisions, and aligns with our strategy of grounding project development in robust scientific data.”
The eight-month study will focus on data collected from selected wells to assess gas occurrences and develop practical screening tools. With a total project cost of AU$116,252, and a AU$50,000 grant from the CSIRO, the initiative reflects a lean, data-driven approach to green energy exploration.
Prominence currently holds a 100 per cent interest in the Gawler hydrogen project, which spans 64,000 square kilometres.
Recent regional data has even suggested potential mantle plume activity in the area, which could serve as a highway for primordial hydrogen to migrate to the surface.