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'Game Changer': Giant Helium Field Found in Tanzania
Newser ^ | Jun 28, 2016 | Jenn Gidman

Posted on 06/28/2016 2:40:26 PM PDT by sparklite2

What scientists are calling a "game changer" for society has been discovered deep in Tanzania's Rift Valley: a massive helium gas field with enough of the precious commodity to fill more than 1.2 million MRI scanners, Phys.org reports.

Besides the sheer amount of gas, the discovery is notable because it appears to be the first time that stores of helium have been purposely found (they're usually stumbled upon during oil and gas drilling). And the find, which will be presented Tuesday by Durham University PhD student Diveena Danabalan at a Japanese geochemistry conference, could help restock nearly depleted stockpiles. Researchers figure there's about 54 billion cubic feet of helium in just one section of the valley. To put that in context, the Federal Helium Reserve in Texas, which supplies more than 40% of domestic helium needs and contains about 30% of the world's total helium supply, right now holds about 24.2 billion cubic feet, per Live Science.

(Excerpt) Read more at newser.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: 2016; 201606; africa; diveenadanabalan; durhamuniversity; helium; heliumreserves; japan; jenngidman; tanzania; tanzaniamri
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To: Wonder Warthog

Me KNOWS you are wrapped too tight to comprehend a light-hearted comment conflating helium & munchkins.

Lighten up, Francis....and loosen that turban!

Good grief....get a life, nerdo.


81 posted on 06/29/2016 4:33:33 AM PDT by newfreep
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To: Wonder Warthog

To me it seems the abiotic theories are given pretty short shrift. The biotic theory seems implausible. How do “vast sheets of primordial biological mats” get suddenly plunged from the surface to the depths required to create petroleum? Asteroids, plate tectonics seem unlikely to create the volume necessary to explain the huge amounts found. It perhaps could explain the formation of some rare gems but billions of barrels of oil are a different matter.


82 posted on 06/29/2016 4:51:21 AM PDT by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
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To: newfreep
"Me KNOWS you are wrapped too tight to comprehend a light-hearted comment conflating helium & munchkins."

Oh, I comprehend your supposed humor just fine...such as it is (which isn't much).

But there is a very serious side to this discovery. I mentioned this to my wife last night (PhD chemist), and she told me that they simply could not get helium in small quantities (single pressure tank), unless they were a "continuing customer" of the vendor.

Balloon vendors, being continuing customers, can get all the helium they need, but serious science cannot. Somehow, I think these relative priorities are out of order.

83 posted on 06/29/2016 6:44:33 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel and NRA Life Member)
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To: newfreep

” Obviously, you cannot grasp levity”

Your prolly right. Been breathing way too much helium.


84 posted on 07/01/2016 5:55:00 PM PDT by Captain7seas (UNexit. Make America Great Again!)
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