Helium One advances southern Rukwa operations, preparing ESP testing at ITW-1 to boost flow rates, refine resources, and improve helium production prospects.
Helium One Global, a leading explorer focused on helium resources in Tanzania and holder of a 50% working interest in the Galactica-Pegasus helium development project in Colorado, USA, has issued a detailed progress update regarding its southern Rukwa Helium Project. The company reports that operational activities have resumed at the site as it prepares for the next major phase of evaluation using an Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP), which is expected to significantly advance understanding of the reservoir’s production capability.
According to the latest project highlights, the company has already mobilised its teams and equipment to the southern Rukwa area, where preparatory work is underway. The ESP system, a crucial component for enhancing flow rates from the ITW-1 discovery well, is scheduled to arrive in Tanzania between mid and late December. Once delivered, it will be immediately deployed to begin formal ESP testing. Ahead of this milestone, associated equipment and rig personnel are already in position, and the company has successfully removed the 2?" completion string from the ITW-1 well using its own Predator 220 drilling rig—a key prerequisite to upcoming downhole operations.
A contract has also been finalised with Digital Borehole Surveying (PTY) Ltd (DS), which is providing wireline services for the project. DS’s team is currently conducting logging operations aimed at capturing vital geological and petrophysical data from the open-hole Basement section of the well. These logs will be critically important for assessing the fracture networks and for fine-tuning the ESP deployment strategy. All logging activities will be finalised before ESP operations officially begin.
To support smooth field execution, the company has completed civil engineering works necessary for managing the water that will be produced during ESP testing, including infrastructure for safe disposal. Road upgrades to ensure consistent accessibility to the site during the region’s wet season have also been finished. Furthermore, the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) has granted Helium One Global a “Certificate of Incentives” for mineral processing—an approval that underscores governmental support for the project’s future development.
Chief Executive Officer Lorna Blaisse emphasised that the upcoming ESP phase represents a significant forward step for the southern Rukwa development. She reiterated that increasing flow rates from the ITW-1 well may help improve helium concentration and gas-to-water ratios, reflecting the company’s assessment that helium originates from the deeper Basement formations. Producing from this zone at higher rates via artificial lift could allow Helium One Global to progress its contingent resource estimates toward fully bookable reserves. Blaisse also expressed appreciation for the dedication of the technical team and the continuing support from local communities, as well as from the Ministry of Minerals and the Mining Commission.
As preparations continue, the ESP equipment is currently en route from China and will be transported to the site once cleared by customs. Since a substantial amount of water is expected during testing, the company has implemented a robust water-handling plan aligned with the production-curve methodology referenced in the Sproule ERCE Competent Person’s Report (CPR) on ITW-1 published in May 2025. In the southern Rukwa Basin, the produced water contains a mixture of meteoric and shallow formation fluids, while helium stays as free gas rather than dissolving into the water. Consequently, understanding water-flow behaviour is essential to accurately determining helium and associated gas flow rates, especially considering reservoir pressure, temperature conditions, and the inert nature of helium.
