The research team of Oxford University and Durham University of United Kingdom discovered gas fields containing such a high percentage of helium as 10.6% in Tanzania. It was made public for the first time in the Goldschmidt Conference of Geochemical Society which was being held from June 26 to July 1 in Yokohama.

According to the HP of the Conference and CNN news, the UK research team started to research in collaboration of Norwegian helium developing firm Helium One, and discovered a huge helium gas source underground of the Tanzanian Great Rift Valley (a huge valley separating north from south of the African Continent). The reserve of even one location amounts to 1.5 billion cubic meter, which is equivalent to the estimated world annual demand for a period of eight years.

The retaining condition of helium is good and they say that a high content of helium is deposited in very shallow areas. The CNN broadcasters take it that the helium trapped inside the bed rocks deep deposited underground from the ancient times turned out discharged by the volcanic activities of the rift valley resulting in retention in the shallow areas.