A significant geological discovery has been made in South Africa, where helium, an essential gas for technology, has accumulated for billions of years beneath the goldfields of the Witwatersrand basin. The Virginia project has identified a deposit that could contain over 11.320 billion cubic meters of helium, with a content of up to 12% helium in the extracted natural gas. Helium is generated through the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium in ancient rocks, and researchers led by Fin Stuart from the University of Glasgow are studying its migration and formation.
The Witwatersrand basin, with gold reefs aged 2.8–3 billion years, provides a natural laboratory to understand how helium forms and is preserved. The project uses advanced techniques to analyze minerals that contain helium and to assess the lifespan of the deposit. Helium is vital for hospitals and the technology industry, and this discovery has global implications, having the potential to address helium supply crises. The company Renergen is working on the production of liquid helium, essential for various industrial applications.
The Witwatersrand basin, with gold reefs aged 2.8–3 billion years, provides a natural laboratory to understand how helium forms and is preserved. The project uses advanced techniques to analyze minerals that contain helium and to assess the lifespan of the deposit. Helium is vital for hospitals and the technology industry, and this discovery has global implications, having the potential to address helium supply crises. The company Renergen is working on the production of liquid helium, essential for various industrial applications.
Sources
Latest News
09:35
Donald Trump signs a decree with new recommendations regarding vaccination, which calls for the vaccination of children to be reduced.
09:12
Hidroelectrica wants to buy health insurance for almost 4,000 employees / Budget of almost 5 million euros
09:02
Turkey: A well-known journalist has been arrested for leaking information about a transfer to Galatasaray that was not true.
08:55
EXCLUSIVE | August 11, 2026. Trends in online searches / last 24 hours
08:47
Four weeks with temperatures above normal values and prolonged drought.
See more news