Helium One Global (AIM: HE1) and the government of Tanzania have finalised the agreements supporting the country’s first-ever helium mining licence, activating the 480 km² Southern Rukwa Project—the largest mining licence area ever awarded in Tanzania—and clearing it for development.
The signing ceremony took place on Saturday, 2 May 2026, in the Songwe region, close to the company’s flagship project.
The event marks the formal completion of the mining licence originally awarded to Helium One in July 2025, which until now lacked the supporting legal and commercial framework needed to become fully operative.
The two parties have executed the Framework Agreement and the Shareholders’ Agreement under the newly formed joint venture company Songwe Helium Ltd, in which Helium One holds an 83% interest.
The licence is the first ever issued for helium in Tanzania and covers an area of 480 km², making it the largest mining licence area ever awarded in the country.
Helium One CEO Lorna Blaisse and Commercial and Finance Director Graham Jacobs attended the ceremony together with the directors of Songwe Helium Ltd and the company’s senior in-country team, alongside representatives from the government of Tanzania, the Ministry of Minerals, and the Mining Commission.
In parallel with the signing, Helium One announced the appointment of PVE Consulting Ltd (PVE) to lead the farm-out process for the Southern Rukwa Helium Project.
The advisory firm has more than 20 years of experience providing management services across the upstream sector and has been engaged by multiple companies across Africa and other regions on transaction support and exploration and production mandates.
Its mandate is to progress discussions with potential industry partners and to seek external investment to advance the project towards development.
Lorna Blaisse, CEO of Helium One, commented: “This event marks a historic milestone for both the company and for the Government of Tanzania. It marks the continuation of a ten-year relationship between Helium One and the Ministry of Minerals and Mining Commission.”
She added: “This milestone comes at a time where we are also focused on launching our strategic farmout process for the Southern Rukwa Project to select a suitable industry partner and we are pleased to have appointed PVE to lead this process.”
The Southern Rukwa Project
The Southern Rukwa Project is located within the southern Rukwa Rift Basin in south-west Tanzania and is entering a full appraisal and development stage following the success of the 2023/24 exploration drilling campaign.
That campaign proved a helium discovery at Itumbula West-1 and, following an extended well test, successfully flowed 5.5% helium continually to surface in Q3 2024.
The mining licence application was filed with the Tanzania Mining Commission in September 2024, and the 480 km² licence was awarded to Songwe Helium Ltd in July 2025.
Helium One is the primary helium explorer in Tanzania and also holds a 50% working interest in the Galactica-Pegasus helium development project in Las Animas County, Colorado, USA, operated by Blue Star Helium Ltd (ASX: BNL), which completed a six-well development drilling campaign in H1 2025 and tied initial Galactica wells into first gas in Q4 2025.
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