BABBITT- Pulsar Helium Inc. announced an update on their Topaz helium exploration project southeast of Babbitt. The firm is in the process of changing the drilling method on the Jetstream #1 exploratory boring off of Dunka River Road from mud rotary to air rotary. Pulsar began drilling at the beginning of February.
Drilling the borehole has taken longer than expected. The mud rotary rig experienced drilling fluid losses, which happens when large voids are encountered underground. When the drilling fluids are lost, the gases trapped in the fluids and the drill cutting are also lost, preventing the geologists on the rig from creating an accurate log of downhole condition. Mud rotary drilling circulates “drilling mud,” which is a water-based slurry of bentonite clay and natural thickeners like corn starch and xanthum gum.
Because of the problem with the lost drilling fluids, Pulsar has decided to change over to air rotary drilling. Air rotary drilling instead uses pressurized air to recover the gasses and drill cuttings from the borehole. The current drill rig will stay on the site but will be reconfigured to circulate pressurized air.
Tom Abraham-James, with Pulsar, explained the switch to air rotary. “The void spaces were not unexpected, as we spoke to other drilling companies in the area about drilling conditions. Additionally, voids were encountered during the drilling of the [boring that originally discovered the helium in 2011]. With this knowledge in mind, switching to air drilling was always a contingency … if the voids could not be mitigated with the water-based mud system.”
Since the spud date, local residents, local media and a film crew from Reuters have been given tours of the borehole. The Reuters crew collected footage and conducted interviews that will become part of their upcoming Global Health 2024 documentary series. Helium is a critical component for cooling the superconducting magnets used in magnetic resonance imaging, or MRIs. It has no substitute and the demand for helium is greater than the supply.