Helium One Global Ltd (AIM:HE1, OTCQB:HLOGF)’s exploration efforts in Tanzania has been backed up by a study at the University of Oxford and Durham University, which integrated data from last year’s programme at the Rukwa project.
The academic study, entitled 'The Principles of Helium Exploration', was published in the Petroleum Geoscience journal.
In a stock market statement the company highlighted that the study supports its exploration thesis through identification of helium 'play fairway' within Tanzania.
"We are pleased to be able to report on the publication of research by the University of Oxford and Durham University that supports our exploration thesis in Tanzania,” said David Minchin, Helium One chief executive.
“The research is the result of data-sharing and collaboration dating back to 2016 and stems from a PhD funded by Norwegian state oil company Equinor."
Professor Jon Gluyas, of Durham University’s Department of Earth Sciences, said: "The Tanzanian East African Rift contains most, if not all, of the prerequisites for an economic helium province.
“Noble gas data from gas seeps in the west and east branches of the Tanzanian section of the East African Rift System contain 4He concentrations of up to 10.5% and essentially free of greenhouse gases unlike other known helium provinces.
“This, combined with the potential 4He generated by the Tanzanian Craton and surrounding mobile belts of circa. 700,000 billion cubic feet (Bcf), implies that even with inefficient release, migration and trapping, these regions could provide high-helium content reservoirs.”
Gluyas said that the Rukwa basin has the potential to be a globally strategic asset for the provision of high-grade primary helium.
“Two exploration wells, Tai 1 and Tai 2, completed by August 2021 have proved the presence of seal and reservoir horizons with the reservoirs containing significant helium shows," the Professor said.