RE: Interesting take in Telegram Group7 Feb 2024 22:16
Taken from Noble Helium - Pearling in the North Rukwa Region ...
Seismic and wells along the EARS have identified numerous thick sedimentary sequences within the
EARS basins of Tanzania, which are overlying and abutting 2–3-billion-year-old crystalline basement
rocks. Refer to figure 10. These basement rocks are rich in radioactive elements which have generated
and stored vast amounts of helium through radioactive decay over 2 billion years.
Through the active rifting and heating of the globally unique EARS, this large inventory of stored helium
is being released from basement and into overlying sediments at high rate. Sealing rocks where present,
may provide the necessary trap to retain the helium in underground layers for commercial production,
just like conventional petroleum gas which has been discovered to the north in EARS basins of Uganda
and Kenya.
Where sealing rocks are either not present or too broken-up to retain gas, the helium produced deep in
the earth can leak through the overlying sediment to the surface. In Tanzania, this leakage to surface
has been measured in hot springs at up to 17.9%, which is significantly higher than the onshore USA
commercial cut-off of 0.3%.
Having helium generated by ancient rocks that can be accessed at reasonable depths, in concentrations
that have not been diminished by Helium leaking away, and from reservoirs with high-rate production
potential is rare. However, this is the setting in Tanzania’s rift basins and the high success rate of oil and
gas discoveries since 2006 suggests that the potential for success is real.
So theoretically depending on how much seepage occurs based on tectonic movements, pressure release below the mantle and possible release from drilling there could be a limitless supply but thats an unknown without understanding the underlying geology in detail (the Oxford Uni bods probably know more). What is understood is there is an existing 'inventory' of trapped gases that will last some years if exhausted and assuming its not replenished naturally.
I was thinking exactly the same about a 'limitless supply of gases' possibility ... mind blown!
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