Helium One plunges on US project acquisitions

Investing.com -- Helium One (LON:HE1H) shares were down on Tuesday following the announcement of an acquisition and a fundraising plan.

At 4:28 am (0828 GMT), Helium One was trading 10.7% lower at £1.5536.

The company in an exchange filing on Tuesday said it has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire a 50% stake in Blue Star Helium's Galactica-Pegasus project in Colorado, USA.

This acquisition also includes a similar interest in a vast helium-rich area covering 61,000 gross acres in Las Animas County. To finance this acquisition, Helium One raised £6.43 million through a direct subscription, issuing new shares at a discounted price.

The Galactica-Pegasus project, situated in a known helium-rich area, has wells with helium concentrations as high as 6%, with an average of 3%. This acquisition grants Helium One access to this valuable resource and places the company near existing helium facilities.

The full development of the Galactica Project will involve a comprehensive program, including the drilling and tie-back of 15 wells and the commissioning of helium and carbon dioxide processing facilities. 

“Our projects in Tanzania remain our primary focus, but this development opportunity enables the Company to potentially secure near-term cash flow to aid with progressing our Tanzanian asset.  We now have a portfolio of two potential near term revenue projects in our portfolio,” said Lorna Blaisse, chief executive at Helium One in a statement.

The initial phase of this development, funded by the recent capital raise, includes drilling six wells, which are scheduled to commence in Q4 2024. The company expects these initial wells to be on stream and producing by the first half of 2025. 

As per an independent third-party report, the project could generate about US$2 million per annum from helium production alone, with potential additional revenue from CO2 sales.

The acquisition is contingent on several conditions, including the execution of definitive agreements and approval by the Colorado Energy and Carbon Management Commission for the development plan.

Blue Star will continue to operate the project, and Helium One has secured a right of first refusal on additional Blue Star helium acreage, excluding the Serenity prospect.