Helium One Global plc has completed analysis of data ahead of generating helium gas exploration targets over the Balangida Rift Basin in Tanzania.
BALANGIDA
The project is the company’s smallest and comprises one prospecting licence covering 260km2 in the north central part of the country.
Balangida lies near established infrastructure and is 69km from the port of Dar es Salaam via a sealed arterial road, and 100km from the regional capital Singida.
Helium One said that the Balangida Rift Basin had high-grade helium macro seeps enriched with other high-value noble gasses.
PROGRAMME
The company partnered with gravity and magnetic geophysical specialists Getech to complete a 3D inversion study of high resolution Falcon AGG and aero-magnetic data over the Balangida Rift Basin.
In June-July 2022, Helium One also undertook seep sampling which identified numerous helium soil-in-gas anomalies.
ANALYSIS
The company said that macro-seep sampling identified high-grade helium of 6.2% to 6.4%, with a predominantly nitrogen carrier gas.
The results also included “elevated” readings for argon (2.0% Ar), a high-value noble gas used in high-temperature industrial processes where ordinarily non-reactive substances become reactive.
“The completed study has generated a detailed series of maps, increasing our knowledge of depth to basement and sediment thickness across the Balangida Rift Basin, and allowed greater understanding of rift geometry, basin evolution and subsurface structure to aid the development of our ongoing exploration programme.”
Helium One added it could develop argon as a by-product to any future helium discovery.
EYASI BASIN
Getech is now applying the technique developed at Balangida to the available data for the Eyasi Basin project in north central Tanzania, comprising four prospecting licences over 910km2.
Technical reviews of the results will allow Helium One to draft a work programme for both basins to acquire 2D seismic during 2023.
The company said that successful drilling at Tai in the Rukwa Rift Basin in southwest Tanzania would allow exploration to accelerate across Balangida and Eyasi towards drill-ready status.
SALT DEPOSITS
Chief executive David Minchin added that Eyasi and Balangida had the potential to hold salt deposits in the younger stratigraphy, and that the Balangida Rift Basin was likely to contain volcanic tuffs, both of which could be effective top seals.
The company’s licences total 2,966km2 across the Tanzanian helium fairway.