Australian firm extracts helium on Yorke Peninsula amid worldwide shortage
Gold Hydrogen successfully captured helium at its Ramsay 1 site in South Australia, marking the first domestic production since 2023 and responding to a global supply crunch.
Gold Hydrogen announced that it has extracted helium from its Ramsay 1 test site on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula, the first domestic capture since the Darwin LNG plant ceased operations in 2023. The achievement comes as a global helium shortage deepens after Iranian missile strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan gas plant removed about a third of worldwide supply. CEO Neil McDonald warned that many everyday technologies, from MRI scanners to smartphones and submarine systems, depend on the scarce gas.
The firm aims to deliver a commercial helium stream within the next 18 months, with ongoing trials to gauge extraction rates and scalability. The project sits on a 75,000-square-kilometre tenement where natural hydrogen was first identified in the early 20th century. Local farmer Brendan Moloney, whose land lies nearby, expressed support, citing limited surface disturbance and potential job creation. If successful, the venture could reduce Australia’s reliance on imports and bolster global helium availability.
Why it matters
Helium is critical for medical imaging, electronics and defence, and the new Australian source could ease a tightening global supply.
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