Award success for research paper: The principles of helium exploitation

The paper identifies that the history of helium exploration is one of serendipity, helium only being discovered as a small fraction of the produced natural gas (methane). Traditionally, petroleum companies vent helium alongside other waste gases either because they do not know there is helium in their gas mixture.

The paper adapted the six established petroleum exploration questions to be relevant to identify helium reservoirs throughout the world. The answers to these questions were used to create a helium exploration strategy which would enable regions globally to be assessed for their helium prospectivity. 

Two exploration wells in the Rukwa Basin were completed by August 2021. They have proved the presence of helium in the area and that it was essentially free of hydrocarbon gases.  Further appraisal drilling will occur during 2023. 

This paper is open access, which means that you can download for free and have unlimited access.

Find out more

• Read the paper in Petroleum Geoscience here
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