In an updated projection, Pulsar Helium aims to begin production in 2027, according to founder Thomas Abraham-James in a recent statement.
Several key steps remain before an official decision can be made in 2026 to enact this timeline the following year.
Currently, Pulsar is engaged in the testing process with its Jetstream #1 and #2 wells, with several more wells proposed to be drilled later this year.
After sampling is complete and the company has looked over the results, they can confirm and better understand resource availability, which will allow them to commence with a pre-feasibility study.
Chart Industries - an industry equipment manufacturer - will assist with this study.
If pre-feasibility results provide a positive view of the project’s economic outlook, Pulsar will complete a final study to confirm the project’s overall feasibility. Additionally, Abraham- James said the company will lead both environmental and social assessments.
Before production, Pulsar will finish setting up financing for the plant’s construction, and will also obtain contracts with buyers who will purchase the helium produced.
Abraham-James does not anticipate any regulatory hurdles, although this is a first-of-a-kind helium extraction project for Minnesota.
“We have a good working relationship with the legislators and regulators, and do not anticipate challenges,” he said. “The permanent regulatory rules are to be in place no later than May 2026, well in advance of our targeted production timeframe.”
In a recent article in the industry publication Gasworld, Abraham-James reported that helium end users face frustrations with the “volatility of supply” in the helium industry, he said.
This problem is driven partly by helium’s current status as a byproduct of other industries, rather than a primary product. Ever-shifting international politics provide another challenge - especially given current tensions with Iran, according to Abraham-James, which could lead to closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-third of the world’s helium passes through.
The Topaz project provides a solution to both issues, as there is security in U.S.-sourced helium, Abraham-James said.
With Topaz, Pulsar aims to tap into one of the world’s highest discovered concentrations of the gas- right under the soil near Babbitt - and provide a stable supply of helium as a primary product.
