Helium One Global plc has reduced its licence area by 1,548 km2 ahead of its Phase II exploration drilling of the Tai prospect in early 2023 at the Rukwa project in Tanzania.
FOOTPRINT
Helium One conducted a review on a prospecting licence footprint in the Rukwa Rift Basin totalling 3,448 km2.
Following the review, the company said that relinquishing licences due to lack of prospectivity would see a saving of $309,600 per year in licence fees.
Helium One will now focus more effectively on the remaining, higher ranked acreage.
LICENCE RENEWALS
Helium One has submitted applications to renew 14 of its 18 licences, which are due for second renewal during September and October 2022.
The company chose to retain areas based on existing prospective areas with 2D seismic data coverage; offshore areas with well defined leads; and onshore areas with well defined leads and prospects in areas with known surface helium seeps.
LICENCES RELINQUISHED
Licences relinquished were inaccessible offshore and onshore areas with no, or poorly, defined exploration leads.
Others were onshore areas on outcropping basement, namely no sediment fill and therefore deemed to be non-prospective, were also relinquished.
The company has now fully relinquished PL10728/2015 and PL10711/2015, and partially relinquished PL10727/2015, PL10712/2015, PL10710/2015, PL10725/2015, PL10709/2015 and PL10686/2015.
RIG AUDIT
Phase II drilling will begin in January or February subject to the successful completion of the rig audit, contract agreement and export approval for the rig in Kenya.
Helium One said that its sub-contractor ADC Energy had noticed irregularities in the operation of the rig’s CAT C-27 diesel engine.
ADC stripped the engine and found advanced wear on the engine’s twelve fuel injector nozzles.
Spare parts are due to arrive to Kenya for installation after which ADC will continue and complete the audit.
“While it is disappointing that rig related issues have delayed completion of the ADC audit, Helium One is pleased that these issues are being identified in the rig yard, where they can be easily fixed, rather than in the field in Rukwa, where a delay would be considerably longer and more expensive,” said Helium One in a statement.
“In this way the ADC audit is doing exactly what it is designed to do – identifying and resolving issues that save the company both time and money in the long run.”
BAKER HUGHES
The company has also signed a letter in intent with Baker Hughes to provide integrated services for the campaign.
Baker Hughes has provided “a low-cost solution by mobilising equipment already active in Southern Africa”, added Helium One.
One Reply to “Helium One reduces licence area”
Comments are closed.