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Witwatersrand Basin: From Gold to Helium

An article in GeoExpro looks at the geology behind the helium deposits in South Africa. The Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa, once renowned for its gold deposits, has revealed itself to be a treasure trove of resources. The methane is believed to be biogenic in origin, meaning that microorganisms currently living in the formation water are degrading Archean carbon. The helium present in the produced gas is the product of radioactive decay of uranium and thorium contained within minerals like uraninite. The Vredefort meteorite impact that hit the area 2 billion years ago, likely liberated all helium that had built up to that point and new helium has been accumulating since. Renergen is the newest addition to the global helium supply chain and successfully producing helium.

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