Australia records first helium capture since 2023 as shortage persists

Australia has recorded its first helium capture since 2023 after Gold Hydrogen extracted the gas at its Ramsay 1 site on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula. The company said the testing took place just outside Port Vincent over the weekend. The development comes as the global helium market remains under pressure from a shortage that has affected supply in Australia and elsewhere.

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The extraction is being described as the first helium capture in Australia since the closure of the Darwin production plant in 2023, which had been the only helium producer in the Southern Hemisphere. Gold Hydrogen said the gas was recovered during testing at Ramsay 1, and that it aims to have a commercial supply available within 18 months. Chief executive Neil McDonald said helium is used in a wide range of applications beyond balloons, including medical imaging, electronics and defence-related systems.

The company linked the current shortage to a disruption in global supply after missile strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan gas plant in March, which it said removed about a third of the world's helium supply. That has added urgency to efforts to restart domestic production in Australia, where helium had not been produced since 2023. The gas is finite and difficult to replace, because once extracted it escapes into the atmosphere and cannot be recovered.

The result matters because helium is a strategic industrial input rather than a niche commodity. Hospitals rely on it for MRI scanners, while manufacturers use it in electronics and other high-technology processes. Gold Hydrogen said some countries have stopped exporting helium, adding to the strain on international supply chains and increasing interest in new sources.

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South Australia has become the focus of that effort through Gold Hydrogen's Ramsay 1 site, which is part of the Yorke Peninsula project area. The company's work suggests Australia may be able to re-enter a market it left when Darwin's plant stopped operating in 2023. If commercial production follows, it could reduce reliance on imported helium and provide a domestic source for sectors that need a stable supply.

What remains unclear is how quickly the project can move from testing to sustained production and whether the company can meet its 18-month commercial target. The scale of future output has not been confirmed in the supplied material. The next stage will be whether Gold Hydrogen can demonstrate consistent extraction and turn the recent capture into a reliable supply line.

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