Today, the helium explorer Helium One (HE1 ) has published the results of a recent study which collected drill cuttings from the Tai-1/-1A wells at its Rukwa (100%) project area.
The results of the “QEMSCAN” study - that’s for Quantitative Evaluation of Minerals by Scanning Electron Microscopy - has provided information on reservoir quality, mineralogy, seal potential and grain size distribution of entire sedimentary sequence at Tai-1/-1A.
The results of the study, which was targeting the Rukwa Basin and started in 3Q21, have indicated the presence of good to excellent quality reservoirs within all three target horizons.
This is typified by clean sands with low clay content, supporting potential for reservoirs with high porosity and permeability, while the QEMSCAN study has also provided critical information on the presence of potential sealing units within the stratigraphic sequence.
Today’s results indicate a ‘good to excellent quality reservoir’ demonstrating ‘clean sands with very low clay content.’ Results also confirm the presence of thick claystone units at Top Karoo Group and Base Lake Bed Formation, as well as multiple intraformational claystone units.
Helium One said the results include a 130m thick claystone unit at the Top Karoo Group, as well as up to 30m thick claystone unit identified at the base of the Lake Bed Formation.
The company explained to investors that drilling at Tai had prioritised targeting the main Karoo closure and so was suboptimal in testing any Lake Bed closures further up the sequence.
Meanwhile, the improved data on reservoir and seal distribution may allow the Company to consider targeting a Base Lake Bed closure in future exploration drilling, it highlighted.
The data also demonstrated intraformational claystone units within the Lake Bed Formation and Lower Karoo Group ‘which may allow the potential for stacked reservoir and seal units.’
Stratigraphic information gained from today’s analysis is expected to assist in the ongoing interpretation of Phase II 2D Seismic to allow Helium One to correlate specific geological units at Tai to seismic character away from the wellbore and into the wider study area, it noted.
Shares in Helium One were trading 1.79% higher today at 11.4p following the news.
The company added that the interpretation of depositional facies will allow it to better understand distribution of reservoirs and seals within the Rukwa Basin helium system.
Commenting on the results, David Minchin, CEO of Helium One stated: “The identification of claystones within a predominantly reservoir rich and sandy sequence offers potential sealing horizons throughout our target stratigraphy. Claystone units are best developed at the Top Karoo Group and
Base Lake Bed Formation, however several intraformational clays also allow the potential for stacked seals to develop within these formations and helium to be encountered on multiple horizons from near surface to basement - as it was at Tai.”
The correlation of claystone horizons to specific seismic reflectors enables us to map the lateral extent of these potential sealing units across to other mapped leads and prospects.
The HE1 team are already reaping the benefits of integrating this new information with our recently acquired 2D seismic data. This analysis maximises the value from the drilling at Tai by providing additional geological data to reduce risk in planning our 2022 drilling campaign.”
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