Helium

AHS has developed a unique process of analyzing helium and collecting helium data through the Rock Volatiles Stratigraphy (RVS) system. Analysis of the entrained volatiles in rock samples represents an opportunity to stratigraphically evaluate helium distributions by a direct measurement via mass spectrometry

Three key advantages:

• Using legacy materials to understand prospects
• Using non-helium data to better understand helium system in subsurface
• Identifying compartments identifying GWC)

The helium data can be used in several district ways including:​

• Inform on relative saturations throughout the reservoir​
• Evaluate the effects of different structural features on helium content; seals, baffles, and migration conduits​
• Assess rock properties in terms of helium movability/permeability​

• Aerospace – purging lines and fuel tanks​
• Cryogenic cooling – cooling high end magnets (MRI and scientific) and semiconductor manufacturing​
• High end for arc and laser welding as a shield gas​
• Balloons – lifting gas for high altitude atmospheric studies

Rock Volatiles Stratigraphy- RVS is a non-intrusive technique uses a novel cyro-trap mass spectrometry system developed by AHS to gently extract, identify, and quantify volatiles in geological materials.

Functions regardless of age of sample or mud system

1-1.5 g of rock sample is subjected to a gentle vacuum extraction at room temperature.

All compounds are measured at two different vacuum extraction conditions providing information on permeability and grain surface interactions.

The mechanical strength of the rock is also measured by uniaxial crushing.

Over 120 different direct measurements per sample provide a detailed description of the subsurface geochemistry.

• Recently AHS has recently significantly improved its helium sensitivity​
• The ~ 5 ppm of helium in air can readily be detected well above baseline levels for the instrumentation​
• This enables the ready measurements of sub-nanomole quantities of helium in small volume rock samples – RVS is suitable for analyzing helium in addition to other compounds in legacy rock samples

Learn More About RSV and Helium Analysis- Case studies below show helium data acquired by Rock Volatiles Stratigraphy – early helium work in support of other oil and gas work