Geo Associates has confirmed gas, light oil, condensate and helium deposits in Muzarabani, Mines and Mining Development Minister Zhemu Soda has said.
GeoAssociates is the licence holder of the special grant 4571 where the gas discovery has been confirmed.
Australia Stock Exchange-listed Invictus Energy holds 80 percent of GeoAssociates while the balance is owned by the indigenous group, One Gas Resources.
Speaking at a press conference in Harare on Monday, 04 March, Soda said that exploration activities in Muzarabani have resulted in further discoveries of gas, condensate, helium, and hydrogen. He said (via The Herald):
Today we are here to make further announcements about the exploration activities that continue to happen in Muzarabani.
We are pleased to announce that from the 11 samples that were extracted, Geo Associates reported to Government yesterday that they made further discoveries of gas, condensate, helium, and hydrogen.
The hydrogen which they discovered does not contain hydrogen sulphide which is an undesirable constituent of our petroleum products and there is potential from the light oil which was discovered to be beneficiated to produce diesel, petrol and Jet A1.
This is a huge step in the realisation of our Vision 2030 where we aspire to become an upper-middle-income economy.
We do encourage the investors to roll out their commercialisation and monetising activities which they have intimated to Government.
The results are that the natural gas is of high quality with minimal impurities and that there is no hydrogen sulphide in the samples (which is an undesirable constituent in oil and gas).
Above all, the oil discovered falls into the light oil classification. This is the oil classification that produces diesel, petrol as well as jet A1.
The presence of helium and hydrogen which has also been confirmed becomes a welcome bonus from the Mukuyu deposit.
Zimbabwe is on course to be counted as a player in the oil and gas industry. There are unimaginable spinoffs for the economy and for Zimbabweans at large from oil and gas extraction and the attendant value chain activities.
