A vast field of helium has been discovered in a section of the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania, scientists are reporting.
The scarce gas, which is used in high-tech devices such as MRI medical scanners and radiation monitors, is currently priced at about $70 per 1000 cubic feet.
A team of British and Norwegian researchers estimate that the deposit they located in Tanzania could contain about 54 billion cubic feet of helium, which puts the potential value of the find at more than $3.5 billion.
The discovery was reported on Monday in the US journal Popular Science and is being formally presented at the Goldschmidt geology conference taking place this week in Yokohama, Japan.
“This is a game changer for the future security of society’s helium needs,” University of Oxford earth scientist Chris Ballentine said in a statement.
This is what i don’t get about exploration of minerals in Africa…the find is being announced in Japan by an Oxford scientist…it is even being touted as game changer for ‘society’ not Tanzania… where are our brothers the Tanzanians in the mix of all these…are they bystanders? will they even benefit from this find except from government taxes ? Ditto with Tullow in Kenya…
Hadi sahii twapitisha hizo Tanzanite toka miaka ya sabini, bila ushuru. Nyerere, Ali, Mkapa, Jakaya…wote kaja, wote kaenda, bado twapora, na tutapora tu!