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All three targets are tucked neatly beneath 300m of marine mudrocks and locked down by a first-class salt seal. This setup is common for the broader Alinya formation and has already proven an excellent indicator of natural gas traps elsewhere in the basin.
Adding more fuel to the fire, Rickerscote sits on a bed of radioactive granites that have been cooking away for more than 700 million years, steadily generating hydrogen and helium.
This is the same recipe that drove discoveries at Gold Hydrogen’s Ramsay project on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula and in the nearby Amadeus Basin. It now underpins Whitebark’s big bet on Rickerscote.
Whitebark Energy chief operating officer Nik Sykiotis said: “The data from this survey will help select the final well location for Rickerscote 1, which we are planning to spud by the end of 2026. An important part of the well spud will be to secure a suitable farm-in partner who brings technical expertise and financing capability. We remain confident of attracting the right organisation.”
Whitebark says it is also taking the opportunity to talk with the Maralinga Tjarutja traditional owners to get permission to use existing water bores within its project grounds.
If approved, the company will test the water for extra signs of hydrogen, helium, oil and gas that could back up their hopes of a massive underground discovery. The work is expected to conclude by October, around the same time as the sensor data is analysed.
While the sensors do their thing onsite, Whitebark is hustling in the background to reel in a farm-in partner. And with Rickerscote shaping up as a potential basin-opener, the company says serious players are already knocking at the door.
With sensor data due soon, bore sampling underway and a 2026 drill target locked in sight, Whitebark’s Rickerscote campaign is gathering steam.
If the volumes stack up, Rickerscote could be the play-opener the Officer Basin has been waiting for and the massive shot in the arm Whitebark needs to rocket out of small-cap territory.
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