HELIUM GAS | Heologic

Helium shows what

seismic cannot —

resource saturation.

SUBSOIL HELIUM GAS

HELIUM GAS AND ITS' CONCENTRATIONS

Noble gas Exceptional chemical inertness
Second most abundant element in the Universe after hydrogen (~25% by mass)
Extremely light (second only to hydrogen) with a very small atomic size (~0.2 nm)
Physically stable; does not form compounds under normal conditions
Lowest solubility in water among all gases
Non-biogenic origin, unlike methane or hydrogen
Highly mobile, enabling efficient migration through geological formations ⁴He (radiogenic) is generated by alpha decay of U–Th series elements in crustal rocks
³He (primordial, rare) originates from mantle processes or was trapped during Earth’s accretion

NOBLE GAS ISOTOPES in PETROLEUM SYSTEMS

Organic matter is commonly enriched in uranium (U), enabling radiogenic noble gas generation.
Hydrocarbons are enriched with radiogenic noble gases: ⁴He, ⁴⁰Ar, ¹³⁶Xe, Rn
During hydrocarbon migration, noble gases undergo fractionation, modifying their relative abundances.
Hydrocarbon reservoirs exhibit excess radiogenic helium (⁴He).
He/Ne/Ar ratios differ significantly from atmospheric and crustal signatures.
These deviations provide diagnostic fingerprints of subsurface processes.
Well-established scientific fact: radiogenic noble gases—especially ⁴He—are reliable indicators of hydrocarbon generation, migration, and accumulation.

HELIUM MIGRATION

(1) self-migration, where helium moves independently through porous media, and

(2) carrier-gas transport, where it ascends with gases such as methane (CH₄), carbon dioxide (CO₂), or nitrogen (N₂).

Helium distribution is controlled by proximity to helium-generating sources, their geological age, reservoir porosity and permeability, and the presence of effective trapping structures.
Helium accumulates in reservoirs with sufficient storage capacity and trapping conditions.
However, all reservoirs continuously leak excess helium, which migrates vertically toward the surface.
Even microfractures, combined with favorable physicochemical conditions, are sufficient to initiate this process.
Seal rocks such as clays or evaporites may retard migration but rarely prevent it due to helium’s high mobility.
Migration rates can reach up to ~1,000 meters per day.
Helium is detectable at the surface only by high-precision instrumentation even at very low concentrations, providing a reliable indicator of active subsurface processes.

TRUE HELIUM ANOMALIES

True helium anomalies in near-surface gases are associated with subsurface reservoirs containing natural resources.
Anomalies are detectable at the earth’s surface only with Digital Geochemistry-based high-precision instruments and deep data processing.
Heliometric Data is collected in real-time in-situ through high-density onshore and offshore field surveys.
Each survey point generates large datasets (hundreds–thousands of data rows).
Collected field digital data includes helium concentration, environmental parameters, diagnostics, and GPS location etc.
Real-time quality control ensures reliable and consistent datasets during field operations.
Spatial data analysis and AI creates high-resolution helium concentration maps.
Helium anomalies integrated with geological and geophysical data indicate potential prospects and resource saturation at the depth.
Helium anomalies around existing production wells may be disturbed under effect of depression from the well operations.