A large underground reserve of the precious gas was discovered in East Africa in 2016. And now new estimates suggest that there is at least twice as much helium in the reserve than previously thought. Researchers hope to start pumping the precious gas from the reserve by 2020.
- Researchers discovered the reserve in the Great Rift Valley in 2016
- Initial estimates suggested the reserve contained 54 billion cubic feet of helium
- But a new study has tested samples directly at the reserve
- Findings suggest the reserve contains about 98.6 billion cubic feet of helium
- The precious gas has a range of uses, including cooling satellites, and quickly filling vehicle air bags
The reserve was discovered in the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania last year, and initial samples suggested that deposits contained around 2.6 per cent helium, mixed with nitrogen. Based on that estimate, experts from the US Geological Survey predicted that the reserve contained around 54 billion cubic feet (1.5 billion cubic meters) of helium - an amount described as 'life-saving.' But new measurements by experts from Helium One, suggest that the deposits contain up to four times the concentrations of helium than previously predicted. Speaking to Live Science, Thomas Abraham-James, CEO of Helium One, explained that the firm now believes that the Tanzanian reserve contains about 98.6 billion cubic feet (2.8 billion cubic meters) of helium.
He said: 'So it's pretty much doubled in size.' The researchers believe that the initial estimates were off because a small amount of air had diluted the samples in the laboratory.
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