Drilling Accident Leads To Never Seen Before Discovery In Minnesota

Sometimes, some of the biggest things are discovered by accident. This is exactly what has happened in Minnesota, and it's big news not just for Minnesota, but the entire world as well.

Scarce Resource Found By Accident

Duluth Metals was drilling test holes in Northern Minnesota, trying to find precious metals. Nickel was what they were looking for in this drill. According to a story from WDIO, one of the geologists working on the project was Jack Gibbons. He describes the incident. They were drilling at 1700 feet when the core barrel blew out and blew the rock into the forest.

What happened was the well was degassing, and they worried at first that it might be a combustible gas. Fortunately, they were able to determine it was helium.

Biggest Helium Deposit In North America

The area has now become the Topaz Project site near Babbitt, Minnesota. They currently have two wells with some of the highest concentrations of helium anywhere in the world. It's owned and operated by Puslar Helium.  Minnesota is an emerging area for helium. Pulsar also operates wells in Greenland, another emerging helium resource.

Read More: Helium Discovery In Minnesota Could Help Save Space Exploration

Why Is Helium So Important?

There's been a helium shortage for the last 10 years, and usage is expected to quadruple in the future. Helium is used in medical machines like MRIs. It's used in technology to cool superconductors. It's used in rockets, space technology, and is even important for supercomputers that power artificial intelligence.

Topaz Project Continues To Progress

WDIO reports that the flow tests are going well. The threshold for helium concentration to be economically viable is .3%. The Topaz Project site in Babbitt, Minnesota, has concentrations up to 14.5%, which is incredible.

Minnesota Lawmakers Working With DNR For Never Done Before Projects

Helium projects are brand new to Minnesota, and with it being such a high-demand item, lawmakers are working to set up a system for permitting and regulation. With so many industries needing helium gas, a successful operation will no doubt bring more helium projects to the area.