RE: Pie in the sky2 Jun 2023 11:57
Completion of drilling Tai-1A Exploration Well
Helium One (AIM: HE1) is pleased to announce the completion of drilling of the Tai-1A exploration well to a depth of 1121m at its 100% owned Rukwa Project in Tanzania.
Highlights:
· Tai-1A completed to a depth of 1121m with helium shows identified in all three target formations
· Helium shows encountered over five intervals in the Karoo Formation.
· A 130m thick claystone unit was encountered above the top Karoo sands, indicating good seal presence for the Karoo reservoir.
· Wireline logging of the uppermost Karoo indicates good reservoir potential with 15-20% porosities.
· Petrophysical analysis indicates no free gas in the uppermost thinly bedded Karoo sands associated with helium shows.
· Helium shows within the deeper and thicker sandstone units of the main Karoo reservoir were not able to be logged due to poor and deteriorating hole conditions.
· Results of Tai-1A to be evaluated and incorporated into our ongoing exploration strategy which may include redrilling of Tai to test identified targets.
David Minchin, Chief Executive Officer, commented:
"We are encouraged to see multiple zones with helium shows whilst drilling through the Karoo Formation. Tai-1 has successfully identified helium shows within all three target formations which confirms the presence of a working helium system in the Rukwa Basin.
"Frustratingly, due to poor and deteriorating hole conditions, including large washouts across much of the Karoo, we were not able to run wireline tools downhole beyond 882m and have subsequently not been able to log the main Karoo Formation.
"Thinly-bedded sands in the uppermost Karoo that we were able to log have no indications of free gas. Petrophysical analysis indicates that these helium shows are associated with gas-cut-brine or 'fizz-gas', which is formation water saturated with helium. These were the only helium shows that we could reach with wireline tools. Deeper show intervals identified in thicker and cleaner sandstone units of the main Karoo Formation were not logged.
"With deteriorating hole conditions and no free gas identified, we could not drill stem test at Tai-1A leaving untested shows. We have learnt a lot about the subsurface of the Rukwa Basin which we can carry forward into planning our ongoing exploration programme, which may include redrilling of Tai prospect to test identified targets."
Tai-2 drill followed and that was all a bit weird. The drill only lasted for 7 days and ended with the comment: "Tai-2, although completed without identifying helium gas, has provided valuable information on shallow trap and seal potential".
There is no guarantee that the bigger rig will get past the poor hole conditions. The end result might be exactly the same.