Tanzania's Noble Helium North Rukwa Helium Project to Start Drilling in August

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Noble Helium Ltd has optimized its helium drilling activities at the North Rukwa project in Tanzania, identifying two optimized firm well locations after completing 3D seismic data reprocessing and gravity anomaly analysis. The company plans to commence drilling in August.

This effort aims to reduce pre-drilling geological risks. Chief Exploration Officer and Co-Founder Justyn Wood stated that the reprocessed seismic data and independently acquired gravity data point to the same interpretation: the presence of gas underground. The company is preparing for the possibility of encountering multiple gas zones during drilling. The first well targets the shallow part of the structure, with a depth range of approximately 0 to 1,000 meters; the second well is expected to test deeper formations, with depths extending from about 1,000 meters to 1,750 meters or nearly 2,000 meters. The spacing between the two wells is estimated to be about half a kilometer.

The project has set four objectives: to prove the existence of helium in gaseous form; to collect sufficient data to support bookable contingent resources; to validate the company's thesis that helium concentration increases with depth; and to use drilling results to unlock the broader North Rukwa asset portfolio. Wood noted that gaseous helium is considered the most likely commercialization pathway. The company is focusing on the deep Karoo formation, where helium concentration is expected to increase with depth. Previous modeling work with the University of Oxford also indicated that gaseous phase should exist at the target depth in this location.

According to estimates by independent experts using the company's existing data, the North Rukwa project holds an average unrisked prospective resource of 225 billion cubic feet. Wood stated that this scale could place North Rukwa among the top three helium resources globally. Before drilling begins, the final long-lead items are about to arrive on site, and camp construction and civil works are underway. The rig is expected to arrive around mid-August, followed by a rapid start of drilling operations.