Drilling Completed at Tanzania’s North Rukwa Helium Project, Mbelele-2

Noble Helium Limited (ASX:NHE) recently completed drilling at Mbelele-2, part of the company’s 100% owned North Rukwa Helium Project in Tanzania.

Justyn Wood, the CEO of Noble Helium commented: “It’s extremely pleasing to have completed the drilling stage at Mbelele-2 on time and safely, and with excellent borehole conditions so that we can now proceed to confidently collect the data we need to define the helium associated with the Mbelele structure. Early indications are excellent and consistent with the results at Mbelele-1.”

The company explains that significant helium increases in the mud gas have confirmed multiple zones of interest in the Mbelele2 wellbore, including some pre-drill zones of interest and additionally, open-fractured basement, where the highest mud gas helium readings were encountered at multiples of background.

The wireline logging and sampling program is currently underway and preliminary results are expected to be available in the near term.

The well will then be lined and suspended to allow for potential future flow testing after the coming wet season.

Mbelele-1 downhole samples are now being prepared for export from Dar es Salaam after securing the necessary government approvals for customs clearance.

With the processes and procedures now in place, the Mbelele-2 samples will also be able to be exported shortly after acquisition, and anticipate both Mbelele-1 and Mbelele-2 results to be available from mid-December.

The Rukwa Helium Project

Rukwa is a large-scale, high-grade, primary helium project covering an area of approximately 3,590 km2 in southwestern Tanzania with the potential to become a strategic asset in resolving a supply-constrained market.  

The North Rukwa project boasts a potential helium resource of 176 billion cubic feet, making this the largest known primary helium resource in the world, and positioning this Tanzanian region as a potential major source of helium globally.

Helium is indispensable in various applications, from hospital MRI machines to components in electronics and space missions.