Natural hydrogen exploration is returning to the investment conversation in Australia following the award of new exploration licences in the Otway Basin. The acreage positions Thor Energy and its joint venture partner H2EX in a region with historical drilling evidence of hydrogen occurrences, bringing renewed attention to a resource that has received limited commercial focus until recently.
Two regulated substance exploration licence applications covering approximately 4,123 square kilometres have been granted in the onshore Otway Basin in south-eastern South Australia. The licences are held through a 50:50 joint venture between Thor Energy and H2EX and represent a significant footprint for early stage exploration targeting natural hydrogen and helium.
The Otway Basin has a long exploration history linked to conventional oil and gas activity and already contains energy infrastructure and geological data sets that may reduce some of the early stage uncertainty typically associated with frontier exploration projects.
Interest in the area has been reinforced by historic drilling records that identified hydrogen concentrations long before the resource attracted commercial attention. A frequently referenced example is the Robe-1 well drilled in 1915, which recorded gas containing around 25.4 percent hydrogen. At the time the finding had little practical significance, but it is now being revisited as possible evidence of naturally occurring hydrogen systems within the basin.
Thor Energy PLC (LON:THR) is a leading exploration company focused on natural hydrogen and helium, with a significant footprint in the highly prospective South Australian region.
