REG - Helix Exploration - Company Update

Helix ExplorationAnnouncement

Today 07:00

For best results when printing this announcement, please click on link below:
https://newsfile.refinitiv.com/getnewsfile/v1/story?guid=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20260309:nRSI8367Va&default-theme=true

RNS Number : 8367V  Helix Exploration PLC  09 March 2026

9 March 2026

 

Helix Exploration PLC

("Helix Exploration" or "Helix" or the "Company")

 

Helix Secures First Helium Transport Trailer

Further Update re the Global Helium Supply Chain

 

 

Helix Exploration PLC (AIM: HEX, OTCQB: HEXFF), the helium exploration and
development company advancing the Rudyard Helium Project ("Rudyard") in
northern Montana, is pleased to announce that it has executed a lease
agreement for a high-pressure jumbo tube trailer, marking a key operational
milestone for the Company.

Highlights:

•     First transport asset secured: Helix has leased a ten-cylinder
jumbo tube trailer with a service capacity of 156,300 standard cubic feet
("SCF") of compressed helium at a working pressure of 2,669 PSI, providing the
Company with dedicated helium transport capability.

•     Fleet build-out underway: This is the first of several tube
trailers the Company expects to lease or acquire over the coming months as it
scales transport capacity in line with production ramp-up at Rudyard.

•     Production readiness advancing: The securing of dedicated
transport infrastructure assists the Company's transition from a pure
exploration business into the operational phase of the Rudyard Helium Project.

•     Critical timing amid global supply crisis: All three helium
production facilities in Qatar, the world's second-largest helium producer
accounting for approximately one-third of global supply are currently offline
following Iran's strike on the Ras Laffan LNG complex and the continued
closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Helium spot prices have surged 35-50% in the
past week alone.

Tube Trailer Specifications

The Company has executed a lease for an ISO-specification ten-cylinder jumbo
tube trailer designed for the transport of compressed helium gas. The trailer
specifications are as follows:

 

 Type              Ten Cylinder Jumbo Tube Trailer
 Configuration     ISO UN (OAL: 40′; OD: 22″)
 Service           Helium, Compressed
 Service Capacity  156,300 SCF
 Working Pressure  2,669 PSI
 Water Volume      397.5 cubic feet
 Tare Weight       55,910 lbs

 

This high-pressure configuration is purpose-built for the transport of
compressed helium and is sized to support the Company's initial delivery
requirements at the Rudyard Helium Project. The Company anticipates securing
additional tube trailers in the coming months as production volumes increase
and customer delivery schedules are established.

Global Helium Market Under Severe Strain

The Company notes further constraints to the global helium supply. Following
Iran's strike on Qatar's Ras Laffan complex - the world's largest LNG export
facility - all three of Qatar's helium production plants are now offline. One
facility was already shut down for pipeline repairs; the remaining two ceased
production as a direct result of the strike. Qatar is the world's
second-largest helium producer, accounting for approximately one-third of
global output.

 

The continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz has further compounded the
issue, as most Qatari helium exports transit through this critical waterway.
Helium spot prices have surged 35-50% in the past week, according to industry
consultant Phil Kornbluth of Kornbluth Helium Consulting. The Wall Street
Journal reported on 6 March 2026 that the disruption poses direct risks to the
global semiconductor supply chain, with South Korean officials warning of
potential impacts on chip production at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, both
of which source helium from the region.

 

Helium is essential for semiconductor fabrication, MRI medical imaging, fibre
optic manufacturing, scientific research, space launch systems, and national
defence applications. Unlike most industrial gases, helium cannot be
synthesized, it can only be extracted from underground geological formations
or recovered as a byproduct of natural gas and LNG processing. When LNG
production shuts down, the associated helium supply is lost entirely.

The Board believes this environment underscores the strategic importance of
developing domestic helium production assets within the United States. The
Rudyard Helium Project in Montana is one of a very limited number of pure-play
helium projects globally and is not dependent on natural gas or LNG processing
for its helium supply.

 

Bo Sears, CEO of Helix Exploration, commented: "The lease of our first tube
trailer is a tangible step toward commercial production at Rudyard. We are
building out the transport infrastructure necessary to deliver helium to
customers, and this is the first of several trailers we expect to add to our
fleet in the near term.

 

"The timing could not be more critical. The global helium market is facing
what may be its most severe supply disruption in history. With all Qatari
production offline and the Strait of Hormuz closed, approximately one-third of
global helium supply has been removed from the market virtually overnight.
Spot prices have spiked and major technology companies are already warning of
potential impacts on semiconductor production.

 

"Rudyard represents exactly what the market needs - a dedicated, domestic US
helium source that is not reliant on LNG processing or exposed to geopolitical
shipping risks. We are moving with urgency to deliver security of supply to
American industry."

 

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the UK
Market Abuse Regulation, and the Directors of the Company are responsible for
the release of this announcement.

Enquiries

Helix Exploration

 Bo Sears           via Camarco
 Keith Spickelmier  info@helixexploration.com (mailto:info@helixexploration.com)

Cairn - Nominated Adviser

 Liam Murray          +44 (0)20 7213 0880
 Ludovico Lazzaretti
 James Western

 

Hannam & Partners Brokers

 Neil Passmore  +44 (0)20 7907 8502
 Leif Powis

Camarco - Financial PR

 Tilly Butcher  +44 (0)20 3757 4980
 Billy Clegg    helixexploration@camarco.co.uk (mailto:helixexploration@camarco.co.uk)

 

Notes to Editors

Helix Exploration is a helium exploration company focused on the exploration
and development of helium deposits within the 'Montana Helium Fairway'.
Founded by industry experts with extensive experience of helium systems in the
US, the Company listed in April 2024.

Helix is focused on production at its Rudyard Project in northern Montana,
taking advantage of existing infrastructure and low-cost processing. The
Company has four production wells targeting up to 236ft Helium / Nitrogen gas
in the Souris and Red River formations, flowing up to 3,800 Mcf/day at 1.2%
helium. Rudyard field can support multiple production wells and has potential
to generate net revenue of $115 - $220 million over a 12.5 year life of field.

Helix is committed to open and transparent communication with investors and
the wider market as the project progresses through development into
production.

"Our approach is simple: build scale efficiently, develop resources
strategically, and deliver near-term cash flow." CEO - Bo Sears

The Company's Admission Document, and other information required pursuant to
AIM Rule 26, is available on the Company's website
at https://www.helixexploration.com/ (https://www.helixexploration.com/) .

Caution regarding forward looking statements

Certain statements in this announcement, are, or may be deemed to be, forward
looking statements. Forward looking statements are identified by their use of
terms and phrases such as ''believe'', ''could'', "should" ''envisage'',
''estimate'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''plan'', ''potentially'', "expect",
''will'' or the negative of those, variations or comparable expressions,
including references to assumptions. These forward-looking statements are not
based on historical facts but rather on the Directors' current expectations
and assumptions regarding the Company's future growth, results of operations,
performance, future capital and other expenditures (including the amount,
nature and sources of funding thereof), competitive advantages, business
prospects and opportunities. Such forward looking statements reflect the
Directors' current beliefs and assumptions and are based on information
currently available to the Directors.

 

 

 

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact
rns@lseg.com (mailto:rns@lseg.com)
 or visit
www.rns.com (http://www.rns.com/)
.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our
Privacy Policy (https://www.lseg.com/privacy-and-cookie-policy)
.   END  UPDAKFBDDBKBDNK



            Copyright 2019 Regulatory News Service, all rights reserved