CALGARY, Alberta, March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Helium Inc. (“First Helium” or the “Company”) (TSXV: HELI) (OTCQB: FHELF) (FRA: 2MC) today announced two discoveries at its Worsley Project:

Shallow Heavy Oil Discovery

• In the recently completed 7-30 well, approximately 50 barrels of 15-degree API oil was recovered in the two calendar days following an acid stimulation, demonstrating vertical well, cold flow heavy oil capability.  
• The 7-15 well, without stimulation, also produced small quantities of heavy oil from the same formation and was shut-in for further evaluation following spring breakup.
• This discovery confirms the Company’s ongoing evaluation of this zone (“Heavy Oil Zone”), which occurs repeatedly over the Company’s 53,000-acre (~83 square miles) Worsley land base as a potential shallow heavy oil development play. The Company is now proceeding to prepare a plan to develop this potentially large, repeatable play.

Helium Enriched Natural Gas Play

• Successfully tested the Blue Ridge Formation in its 7-15 well, which flowed natural gas with helium content of 1.0%.  
• Results confirm the eastern extension of the Blue Ridge helium enriched natural gas regional play concept established on the Company’s West Worsley lands.

"Our recent drilling program has validated what we've long understood about the multi-zone potential of our Worsley property," said Ed Bereznicki, President & CEO of First Helium. “While our primary oil target in the Leduc formation did not test as commercially viable, our secondary target for heavy oil has exceeded our expectations for inflow of cold flow heavy oil from a vertical well bore. We are very excited to proceed with the development of this potentially large, shallow heavy oil play utilizing contemporary horizontal drilling methods. Our initial economic analyses indicate attractive rate of return estimates for a large, lower risk development play,” added Mr. Bereznicki.  

“In addition to the heavy oil play, we are pleased to confirm the extension of our Blue Ridge helium enriched natural gas play to the eastern block of First Helium’s land base. This has the potential to significantly increase the size of this regional play at Worsley, making it attractive to potential partners for large scale development”, concluded Mr. Bereznicki.

The Company provides additional details on these two development opportunities:

Shallow Heavy Oil Opportunity

The Heavy Oil Zone has been recognized by the Company in numerous existing wellbores across the Worsley land base, representing the potential for a large, attractive, lower-risk oil development opportunity utilizing contemporary horizontal drilling technology. Based on the Company’s evaluation, including results of the 7-15 and 7-30 wells, potential project highlights would include:

• Large volumes of oil in place, with management’s initial estimate of approximately 5 million barrels of original oil in place per square mile.
• Application of contemporary, proven horizontal drilling techniques to maximize oil recovery.
• Management analyses indicate attractive rate of return estimates and payback periods for a lower risk, cold flow heavy oil development play.
• Company owned oil battery and water disposal facilities nearby to reduce operating costs.
• Evaluation work has begun to prepare a plan for an area development project across Worsley.
• Next steps include bringing the 7-30 heavy oil zone into production and preparing to drill a horizontal test well into the shallow formation to kickstart the development plan – both activities are being planned for early Q3.

Blue Ridge Opportunity

The Company has confirmed the extension of the Blue Ridge Formation from West Worsley to the eastern portion of its property through recent drilling. Highlights include:

• Blue Ridge first identified at West Worsley, where two historical vertical wells produced natural gas with ~0.8% helium content.
• 5-27 Blue Ridge horizontal well (100% owned by First Helium) at West Worsley is cased and ready for completion.
• 7-15 well gas sample analysis returned an average helium content of 1.0%, which is notably higher than the 0.8% results at West Worsley - confirming the observed trend of increasing helium content from west to east across the Company’s Worsley land base.
• Based on results from drilling the 7-30 and 7-15 wells, the Company confirmed that the Blue Ridge play extends to East Worsley.
• Company-owned pipeline network provides an infrastructure advantage for development across Worsley.
• Next steps include completing and testing the 5-27 horizontal well and preparing an area development plan in collaboration with potential project partners.

Leduc Formation Targets Update

The Company's recent drilling program also continues to advance its Leduc Formation targets:

• Higher risk play for light oil, natural gas and helium.
• Individual vertical exploration wells target discrete structures, complementing the lower-risk, more expansive, overlying horizontal development plays represented by the Heavy Oil Zone and the Blue Ridge Formation.
• While the Leduc Formation structure target was reached as planned in each of 7-30 and 7-15, neither opportunity demonstrated commercial potential during testing, though valuable geological data was obtained to refine future targeting. The Company will incorporate the data into a fresh evaluation of the Leduc play, incorporating the prior successes at the15-25, 1-30, and 4-29 wells.
• Interpretation of the Company’s proprietary 3D Seismic, incorporating the recent wells 7-15 and 7-30, validates the Company’s technical approach, reducing risk on future locations.   

"Our multi-formation approach at Worsley represents a balanced portfolio of opportunities," noted Mr. Bereznicki. "The combination of higher-impact Leduc targets along with more systematic development opportunities in the Heavy Oil Zone and Blue Ridge Formation provides both near-term potential and longer-term, scalable growth across our extensive land base."

The Company will be providing more detail regarding its development plans for each opportunity over the course of the next quarter.

ABOUT FIRST HELIUM

Led by a core Senior Executive Team with diverse and extensive backgrounds in Oil & Gas Exploration and Operations, Mining, Finance, and Capital Markets, First Helium seeks to be one of the leading independent providers of helium gas in North America.

First Helium holds over 53,000 acres along the highly prospective Worsley Trend in Northern Alberta which has been the core of its exploration and development drilling activities to date.

Building on its successful 15-25 helium discovery well, and 1-30 and 4-29 oil wells at the Worsley project, the Company has identified numerous follow-up drill locations and acquired an expansive infrastructure system to facilitate future exploration and development across its Worsley land base. Cash flow from its successful oil wells at Worsley has helped support First Helium's ongoing exploration and development growth strategy. Further potential oil drilling locations have also been identified on the Company's Worsley land base.

For more information about the Company, please visit www.firsthelium.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Edward J. Bereznicki
President, CEO and Director

CONTACT INFORMATION

First Helium Inc.
Investor Relations
Email: ir@firsthelium.com
Phone: 1-833-HELIUM1 (1-833-435-4861)

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words “anticipate”, “plan”, “continue”, “expect”, “estimate”, “objective”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should”, “predict”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward looking statements concerning the completion of future planned activities. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company cannot give any assurance that they will prove correct. Since forward looking statements address future events and conditions, they involve inherent assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of assumptions, factors and risks. These assumptions and risks include, but are not limited to, assumptions and risks associated with the state of the equity financing markets and regulatory approval.

Management has provided the above summary of risks and assumptions related to forward looking statements in this press release in order to provide readers with a more comprehensive perspective on the Company’s future operations. The Company’s actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive from them. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.