Helium is indispensable, yet remains one of the least talked-about critical materials. Without it, there would be no rocket launches, no MRI scanners, no advanced chipmaking. For decades, the U.S. government maintained a strategic helium reserve in Amarillo, Texas. But in June 2024 the “Federal Helium System” was sold to industrial gases company Messer, formally ending federal stewardship and raising urgent questions about future supply security.
Until now, most helium in the U.S. has come as a byproduct of natural gas production. This so-called secondary helium is stripped out during gas processing. But reliance on such byproduct supply is increasingly fragile. The industry is now shifting to what experts call a “helium revolution”: producing primary helium, fields rich enough in helium to be developed on their own, without hydrocarbons.
Minnesota’s Unique Geology
Minnesota may prove pivotal in this transition. The state sits on one of the oldest cratons on Earth, the Superior Craton that extends across Minnesota, Ontario, Manitoba, and into parts of Wisconsin and Michigan. Rocks in the northeast of Minnesota, such as the Giant’s Range Batholith, are about 2.7 billion years old and enriched in uranium and thorium. Over immense timescales, the radioactive decay of these elements generates helium.
Approximately 1.1 billion years ago, the continent nearly broke apart along the Midcontinent Rift, a 2,000-kilometer-long fissure extending from Kansas through Iowa to Minnesota, and then further north into Wisconsin and Michigan. The rift eventually failed and was sealed by massive basalt flows. This created a natural vault: an ancient helium source in the bedrock, trapped beneath impermeable volcanic caps that prevented the gas from escaping for over a billion years.
By contrast, the East African Rift in Tanzania is tectonically hyperactive. There, helium also forms but often vents into the atmosphere via active faults. Minnesota’s geological “boringness” may be its greatest asset, enabling helium to accumulate and stay put.
Pulsar Helium: A First Mover
This is where Pulsar Helium (TSXV/AIM: PLSR; OTCQB: PSRHF; FRA: Y3K) comes in. The company is the first to systematically explore for helium in Minnesota. In September 2025, Pulsar announced plans to expand its footprint by acquiring Quantum Hydrogen’s 59,100 acres (239 km²) of non-hydrocarbon gas rights, a nearly 1,000% increase in Pulsar’s land position.
Being a pioneer comes with both advantages and challenges. Unlike Texas, Minnesota has no history of oil and gas production and therefore few historical data to draw upon. Primary helium reservoirs also behave differently from hydrocarbon deposits: the gas has migrated into the source rock over time, meaning pressure is generally lower. Pulsar’s geologists are just beginning to decipher the reservoir’s fluid dynamics.
Jetstream #1 Delivers World-Class Grades
Even so, the first results are striking. Pulsar’s Jetstream #1 well, drilled in 2024–25, reported helium grades ranging from 8.7% to 14.5%, among the highest ever publicly disclosed worldwide. In August 2025, the well delivered a peak gas flow of ~1.3 million cubic feet per day under compression.
In the months ahead, Pulsar plans up to ten additional core wells to test the regional potential of its acreage, alongside a detailed gas analysis from Jetstream #1.
Strategic Importance for US Supply
The implications are clear. The United States, once the world’s leading helium exporter, risks becoming a net importer as traditional reserves decline. In 2024, imports came mainly from Qatar, Algeria and Canada. A scalable primary helium discovery in Minnesota could dramatically reduce exposure to geopolitical supply risks and restore a measure of U.S. independence.
If Pulsar can demonstrate that Minnesota hosts a commercial, stand-alone helium system, it would not just be a company milestone. It could reshape the way America, and the world, sources one of the most critical elements of the 21st century.
