Prominence Energy Validates Active Helium, Hydrogen and Methane System at PEL 803

Prominence Energy Confirms Active Gas System at PEL 803 with Helium, Hydrogen, and Methane

Prominence Energy Ltd (ASX: PRM) has delivered an early but meaningful technical milestone at its PEL 803 licence area on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. The company announced initial results from a soil gas survey confirming that Prominence Energy confirms active gas system at PEL 803 with helium, hydrogen, and methane all present across the project area. The results validate the company's geological model and provide a concrete foundation for advancing exploration toward drill-ready targets.

This is a high-materiality announcement for a company at this stage of exploration — not because resources have been defined, but because the survey has confirmed what the geological thesis predicted: an active, structurally controlled subsurface gas system with identifiable source rocks and migration pathways. For investors following the natural hydrogen and helium exploration space, this represents a meaningful de-risking event.

What Was Found and Why It Matters

The soil gas survey covered PEL 803 and measured concentrations of three gases — helium, natural hydrogen, and methane — at multiple points across the licence area. The results exceeded background levels by a significant margin across all three gases.

*Instantaneous hydrogen measurements may be subject to artefact generation from the sampling process.

These readings are not isolated data points. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of each gas correlates with distinct geological features, lending significant credibility to the interpretation that these signals reflect a functioning subsurface system rather than surface noise.

• Helium anomalies are spatially associated with interpreted Hiltaba Granite bodies — ancient basement rocks enriched in uranium and thorium, which are the known radiogenic source of helium
• Methane anomalies are concentrated in areas of increased sedimentary thickness, with the highest anomaly linked to a regional gravity high that suggests structural control on gas migration or trapping
• Hydrogen anomalies align along major structural lineaments interpreted from magnetic data, consistent with basement-rooted faults acting as primary migration conduits

Taken together, these spatial patterns indicate a geologically coherent system — not random scatter — which is precisely what exploration teams look for when deciding whether to commit further capital.

"The confirmation of hydrogen, helium and methane across PEL 803 is a significant early-stage de-risking milestone for the project. These results are what we were hoping to see, as they validate our geological model and demonstrate the presence of an active subsurface gas system across the licence area. While these are early results, the data positions PEL 803 as a highly prospective asset for both natural hydrogen and helium."

— Dr Krista Davies, Chief Operating Officer, Prominence Energy

The Autonomous Monitoring Result — A Standout Data Point

Beyond the discrete soil gas sampling, Prominence deployed autonomous monitoring devices at five locations across PEL 803. This is technically important because it distinguishes between static, one-off readings and a continuously replenishing subsurface source — a critical distinction in natural hydrogen exploration.

At Point 37b, under high soil moisture conditions of approximately 70% — conditions that are known to suppress gas migration — an initial hydrogen reading of 50 ppm was recorded. An autonomous IVY monitoring device then tracked gas concentrations at 15-minute intervals over approximately 24 hours.

The results were telling:

• Hydrogen concentrations rose from 18 ppm to 84 ppm within one hour of installation
• Concentrations then declined overnight, before rising again the following day
• This cyclic recharge pattern is characteristic of dynamic natural hydrogen seepage systems

The significance here is considerable. The fact that hydrogen continued to recharge under conditions that should suppress migration strongly suggests an active, continuously replenished subsurface source. This is one of the most important technical signals an exploration team can observe at this stage — it indicates the anomaly is not an artefact or a one-time event, but a reflection of an ongoing gas system.

Understanding the Key Concept: Soil Gas Micro-Seepage

For investors less familiar with geochemical exploration methods, soil gas surveying is worth understanding briefly.

What Is Soil Gas Micro-Seepage?

When gases accumulate in subsurface geological structures, small quantities migrate upward through rock and soil over time, eventually reaching the surface. This movement — called micro-seepage — can be detected using sensitive instruments at the soil surface, even when concentrations are well below what a human could smell or detect unaided.

Why Does It Matter for Exploration?

Soil gas surveying is a low-cost, non-invasive exploration technique that provides a geochemical "fingerprint" of what may exist at depth. When multiple gases — in this case helium, hydrogen, and methane — appear in elevated concentrations and their spatial distribution aligns with known geological features, it provides strong evidence of a working subsurface system. It doesn't confirm a commercial accumulation, but it significantly narrows the exploration risk before committing to the expense of drilling.

Glossary of Key Terms

The Multi-Commodity Angle — Three Gases, One System

One of the more strategically interesting aspects of the PEL 803 results is the co-occurrence of three distinct gases with separate but complementary economic profiles.

Helium is a critical industrial mineral with no synthetic substitute. It is essential in medical imaging (MRI machines), semiconductor manufacturing, space technologies, and cryogenics. Global supply has faced structural constraints, with major helium-producing fields declining. New sources are actively being sought worldwide. Helium derived from uranium- and thorium-rich granites — exactly the geological setting at PEL 803 — represents a well-understood and proven genetic model.

Natural hydrogen (also called white or geologic hydrogen) is formed by natural processes within the Earth. When combusted, it produces only water vapour, making it a zero-carbon fuel. The industry is in early-stage exploration globally, with analogues beginning to be identified in several geological provinces. Notably, the fact that PRM's COO, Dr Krista Davies, has published peer-reviewed academic work on natural hydrogen exploration methods — several of which are cited in this very announcement — is a notable technical credential for the team leading this work.

Methane adds a conventional energy dimension to the project. Its association with areas of sedimentary thickness and structural gravity highs is consistent with a conventional hydrocarbon system operating alongside the hydrogen and helium system.

This multi-commodity profile means that a single drill hole at PEL 803, if successful, could potentially test for all three gases simultaneously — a capital-efficiency consideration that is material for a company of Prominence's current size.

What's Next — Near-Term Catalysts and Upcoming Work Programme

The announcement outlines a clear pathway from current early-stage validation toward drill-ready targets. Investors should monitor the following milestones:

1. Laboratory Gas Chromatography Results

• 63 soil gas samples have been collected and sent for third-party laboratory analysis
• This will provide higher-precision compositional data to validate and refine the field results
• Results are described as an important near-term catalyst and are expected to further confirm the strength and consistency of the observed anomalies

2. Geophysical Data Integration

• The geochemical dataset will be combined with existing gravity and magnetic interpretations
• This integrated analysis is aimed at refining the geological model and defining, risking, and ranking high-priority leads

3. Follow-Up Field Programmes

• Designed to focus on structurally controlled anomalies and areas of multi-gas coincidence
• Objective is to improve targeting confidence and reduce exploration risk

4. Drill-Ready Target Definition

• The stated goal is to progress PEL 803 from early-stage validation to drill-ready prospect definition
• Drilling represents the next major value inflection point for the project

The Investment Thesis — Early-Stage but Technically Grounded

Prominence Energy describes its investment strategy as identifying high-ROI opportunities at early-stage, near ground-floor valuations. PEL 803 fits this profile precisely — it is early, but the technical work being done is methodologically sound and the results to date are consistent with what a working gas system should look like.

Several factors support continued investor attention:

• Validated geological model: The co-occurrence of helium, hydrogen, and methane, each aligned with distinct geological features, is not coincidental. It reflects a coherent subsurface system — source, migration, and potential accumulation
• Conservative measurements: Survey conditions were characterised by elevated soil moisture (average 20%), which suppresses gas migration. The recorded concentrations are therefore considered conservative, meaning the underlying system may be more strongly charged than what has been measured
• Autonomous monitoring confirmation: The cyclic recharge behaviour observed at Point 37b under high moisture conditions is a technically meaningful signal — it demonstrates an active, continuously replenished source rather than a static or one-off anomaly
• Technical team depth: The COO's published academic work on natural hydrogen exploration methodology is directly relevant to the exploration approach being applied at PEL 803
• Clear pathway forward: The next steps are logical, sequential, and capital-efficient — laboratory results, geophysical integration, and follow-up targeting before committing to drilling

Why Investors Should Keep Watching Prominence Energy

The natural hydrogen and helium exploration space is early globally, and first-mover advantage in identifying prospective acreage is genuinely valuable. Prominence has secured a licence over an area that has now returned soil gas results validating the geological thesis that underpinned the acquisition.

The company has not yet defined resources, and drilling remains ahead. However, the technical work being done — rigorous methodology, autonomous monitoring, multi-gas co-occurrence, alignment with geological structure — positions PEL 803 as a project with a credible, data-supported path to the drill bit.

The near-term laboratory results from the 63 collected samples represent the most immediate catalyst to watch. If those results confirm and extend the field observations, the case for advancing to drill-ready targets strengthens considerably.

"Prominence Energy has delivered a technically credible early validation of an active gas system at PEL 803, with helium, hydrogen, and methane all confirmed in soil gas surveys and their distributions aligned with distinct geological features. With laboratory results from 63 samples pending as a near-term catalyst and a clear pathway toward drill-ready targets, PEL 803 is a project that warrants close attention from investors following the natural hydrogen and helium exploration space."

Ready to Dig Deeper Into Prominence Energy's PEL 803 Project?

With soil gas results confirming an active helium, hydrogen, and methane system at PEL 803 — and laboratory results from 63 collected samples pending as a near-term catalyst — Prominence Energy (ASX: PRM) is advancing a technically credible, multi-commodity exploration project toward drill-ready targets. Investors seeking early-stage exposure to the natural hydrogen and helium space may want to keep a close eye on this one. To learn more about Prominence Energy and the PEL 803 project, visit www.prominenceenergy.com.au.