Prominence Energy (ASX:PRM) has identified new follow-up targets for its inaugural drilling program aimed at natural helium and hydrogen resources in South Australia, with a mid-2027 timeline.

The company has reached another scheduled technical milestone following the completion of a major gravity and magnetic inversion and interpretation study across its Eyre and Northern Hinge projects.

Helium is classified as a critical mineral in several jurisdictions due to its irreplaceable role in medical imaging, semiconductor manufacturing, and scientific research, while natural hydrogen—also referred to as white or geological hydrogen—has emerged as a globally significant exploration frontier driven by demand for low-emission energy sources. South Australia has positioned itself as one of the more active jurisdictions for these resources, with a regulatory framework that specifically accommodates hydrogen and helium exploration.

Chief Operating Officer Dr Krista Davies said the results confirmed key elements of the company's geological interpretation and revealed additional targets for further investigation.

"We are continuing to tick the boxes towards drilling. The completed geophysical work confirms much of our existing interpretation, strengthens several leads and has identified new opportunities across Eyre and Northern Hinge," Dr Davies said.

"With the Eyre prospective resources review now underway and Northern Hinge advancing, our focus is on ranking the best drilling opportunities and maintaining momentum towards a disciplined mid-2027 drilling campaign."

The gravity and magnetic interpretation study encompassed both the Eyre and Northern Hinge areas, leveraging existing datasets to refine subsurface structural understanding, geological boundaries, and stratigraphic architecture relevant to helium and natural hydrogen accumulation.

Specifically, the study involved reprocessing and interpreting available gravity and magnetic data to enhance Prominence's understanding of subsurface features that may influence the generation, migration, and accumulation of helium, natural hydrogen, and associated gases.

RISC Advisory has commenced an independent prospective resources review of the Eyre project, with completion targeted for the end of this month. The assessment will evaluate the potential scale of identified exploration opportunities and provide an independent foundation for subsequent technical, commercial, and drilling decisions.

The Eyre exploration model is underpinned by multiple datasets. These datasets, combined with the completed geophysical work, will support the resource review and ongoing prospect ranking.

Separately, Prominence continues to advance its Northern Hinge prospects and leads portfolio following the finalisation of a Native Title Land Use Agreement. The agreement paves the way for the grant of approximately 20,000 sq. km of prospective acreage and enables the next phase of technical work and prospect definition.

Current efforts at Northern Hinge are focused on refining existing leads, evaluating newly identified leads, and preparing the portfolio for an independent prospective resources review targeted for September 2026.

PRM shares were steady at 0.2¢, with a market capitalisation of $4.013 million.