Zeroing in on the East African Rift Valley in Tanzania for its initial major probe, Noble Helium has secured first rights to 6,115 square kilometers of mineral exploration rights in the country, through its 100%-owned Tanzanian subsidiary.
Walter Jennings, Chairman of Noble Helium, Walter Jennings, told gasworld that the company’s development strategy in Tanzania is aimed at commercial reality by 2024 and represented the biggest investment opportunity in 100 years of helium exploration.
“Since launch two years ago, Noble Helium has secured funding to get to Certified Prospective Resources (CPR) expected in Q2 this year; established an international team of hydrocarbon helium exploration experts and business experts to oversee the project; researched existing resources and future markets; and gained access to the right geology in the East African Rift Valley,” he said.
Jennings said the next step was to define and independently certify the resource base and further refine the basin structures and their potential helium content with airborne geophysical and land-based geochemical surveys.
“Beyond that is a two-year work programme, including 3D seismic searches and exploration wells, to prove and define the helium reserves,” he said. “Our prospective licences cover more than 6,115 square kilometers of the Rukwa basin which we believe to be the most likely place on earth to find helium as the primary product.”
The Rukwa basin in Tanzania is also the subject of exploration by Helium One Ltd.
