Helium One Global (AIM: HE1), Tanzania’s leading helium explorer, has received an offer letter from the Tanzania Mining Commission for the grant of the country’s first-ever Mining Licence (ML) for helium.
The potential ML covers approximately 480km2 in the Momba and Sumbawanga Districts of the southern Rukwa Basin. This area aligns with the company’s initial application and will allow the full development of the project.
The offer follows approval by the Ministry of Minerals (MoM), which granted permission for an ML larger than standard to accommodate the unique geological potential of the project.
Lorna Blaisse, CEO of Helium One, stated: “This marks a milestone for both the Company and Tanzania, as it is the first ML to be offered for helium in the country and of such a significant size. We appreciate the support from the Ministry of Minerals and the Mining Commission in making this possible and for recognizing the potential of helium as a flagship commodity sector in Tanzania.”
The ML application was submitted in September 2024, accompanied by a feasibility study detailing the helium resource’s potential. The approval allows the company to leverage its findings at Itumbula West-1, where discoveries were made last year.
Helium One is currently reviewing the offer letter and its terms, with further announcements expected in due course.
The Rukwa Helium Project
Helium One’s flagship southern Rukwa helium project is located in the Rukwa rift basin in southwest Tanzania. This geological basin occupies the western branch of the East Africa Rift System and is associated with surface helium seeps that contain helium concentrations of up to 10.4%, with no association with hydrocarbons or CO2 and only nitrogen as the carrier gas.
