HyTerra has confirmed the addition of a third well, McCoy 1, to its 2025 drilling schedule in Kansas, marking a strategic departure from its earlier “twinning” approach toward a more data-driven exploration model.
This expansion signals the company’s confidence in its proprietary subsurface interpretation tools and reflects growing industry interest in naturally occurring — or “white” — hydrogen as a scalable clean energy resource.
McCoy 1 will be drilled approximately 9 km east of the Sue Duroche 3 well on the Nemaha Ridge, a geological structure that has emerged as central to HyTerra’s exploration campaign. The well is scheduled to spud in early July following a planned maintenance period and crew break for the Murfin Rig 116. Its positioning is not based on historical well mimicry but instead derives from HyTerra’s internal modelling using advanced geophysical datasets, including Xcalibur Airborne Gravity Gradiometry and reprocessed legacy seismic data.
The decision to expand the drilling campaign was largely influenced by results from Sue Duroche 3, the first well drilled in HyTerra’s 12-month exploration program at the Nemaha Project. Funded in part by Fortescue Future Industries Technologies, the campaign aims to unlock the white hydrogen potential of the mid-continental U.S. — a region whose deep basement structures are increasingly seen as prospective zones for natural hydrogen migration.
HyTerra’s second well, Blythe 13-20, was completed on schedule and without incident. It reached a total depth of 5,300 feet (1,615 metres) and yielded positive real-time mud gas log readings for both hydrogen and helium across multiple intervals. Although real-time readings are inherently uncertain due to factors such as gas diffusion, drilling dynamics, and atmospheric contamination, HyTerra has sought to mitigate these variables by sending corrected samples to Isotech Laboratories Inc. for compositional analysis. Verified results are expected to provide critical insight into reservoir potential and commercial viability.
By opting to test geological models directly through McCoy 1, HyTerra positions itself as an early leader in the shift toward predictive, rather than retrospective, subsurface exploration in the emerging white hydrogen sector. If validated by independent lab results and subsequent production testing, the presence of hydrogen and helium in the Nemaha Ridge could have far-reaching implications.
Operationally, HyTerra’s exploration program is designed for continuity. The decision to retain the same crew across multiple wells is expected to yield performance efficiencies and reduce handover-related risks. Once Murfin Rig 116 completes routine servicing, it will mobilize directly to the McCoy 1 location. The company has emphasized that maintaining a consistent field team is key to capturing and applying lessons learned in real time.
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