Hoarty NE3 — First U.S. Natural Hydrogen Wildcatter Well, Fillmore County, Nebraska
The proof event that changed Larin Energy from thesis to platform.
In 2019, the Hoarty NE3 well in Fillmore County, Nebraska validated the Larin scientific framework in the field — returning 44% H₂ in produced gas samples and establishing the first U.S. wildcatter natural hydrogen proof event.
Hoarty NE3 is not just a project. It is the company's origin proof event.
Hoarty NE3 was drilled and managed by Larin Energy through its subsidiary, Natural Hydrogen Energy LLC. HyTerra Ltd. (ASX: HYT) holds a 16% joint venture interest — an independently listed ASX company whose own disclosures corroborate the results.
Before Hoarty NE3, natural hydrogen exploration in the United States was theoretical. The Hoarty NE3 well changed that. It demonstrated that the scientific framework advanced by V.N. Larin and V.M. Shestopalov — applied to real geological structures — could produce measurable, verifiable results at concentrations with genuine commercial and strategic significance.
Request Investment Summary →Hoarty NE3 findings vs. public performance thresholds
Measured against peer-reviewed commercial viability thresholds for natural geologic hydrogen and USGS/National Academies helium commercial thresholds — two independently established benchmarks for subsurface gas concentrations.
Hoarty NE3 in the field
From scientific thesis to field proof to platform
The Hoarty NE3 program followed a disciplined sequence — from geological thesis through structural targeting, permitting, drilling, and verification — that is now the operational template for Larin Energy's broader portfolio.
Scientific and institutional sources
The Hoarty NE3 program is grounded in published geological science. The references below underpin the exploration methodology, the benchmark thresholds cited on this page, and the classification of Hoarty NE3 as a commercially relevant proof event.
Shestopalov's 2020 peer-reviewed paper documents the geological mechanisms of subsurface hydrogen migration, fault-controlled accumulation patterns, and the surface indicators central to the exploration methodology applied at Hoarty NE3. DOI: 10.24028/gzh.0203-3100.v42i6.2020.222278
Peer-reviewed techno-economic analysis of natural geologic hydrogen (GH) production economics. Detailed sensitivity analysis identifies wellhead gas purity and production flow rate as the primary cost drivers. Findings establish that natural GH requires wellhead purity above 40% to achieve commercial viability (<$1/kg at wellhead) — the threshold against which the Hoarty NE3 result of 44% H₂ is benchmarked. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.038728
USGS and National Academies publications commonly describe approximately 0.3% helium concentration as a commercial/economic threshold for helium-bearing natural gas systems. Hoarty NE3's independently verified result of 12.8% He is approximately 40× above this threshold.
Third-party laboratory analyses independently confirm the gas concentrations returned by the Hoarty NE3 wellbore: 44.02% hydrogen (Job 54092, isotopic analysis) and 12.80% helium (Job 50745). These reports are independently commissioned and constitute the primary evidentiary basis for the results cited on this page. View lab reports in the Resources section →
One wellhead.
Two revenue streams.
Hydrogen generates clean power. Where helium is present, co-recovery may generate a possible secondary revenue stream. No manufactured hydrogen process offers this upside potential.
Extracted hydrogen converted to electricity on-site. No liquefaction, no pipeline, no grid dependency. Power delivered directly to end users — behind the meter for industrial and commercial facilities.
Two products.
Where helium co-occurs with hydrogen — as at Hoarty NE3 — it may provide a secondary revenue stream, subject to separation and market conditions. Co-occurrence is geology-dependent and represents upside potential, not a guaranteed feature of every site.
Review the investment summary, flagship proof, and portfolio roadmap.
Hoarty NE3 is the foundation of Larin Energy's investment case. The investor center includes proof documentation, portfolio context, benchmark data, and gated access to deeper technical materials.
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The geological framework validated at Hoarty NE3 is the basis for Larin Energy's portfolio expansion and power conversion strategy. Strategic partner conversations start here.
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