Renergen secures helium rights as SA minister dismisses Springbok Solar's appeal

SOUTH Africa's Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has dismissed an appeal by Springbok Solar Power Plant against Renergen's helium extraction rights at the Virginia Gas Project, affirming the company's legal authority to extract and commercialise helium as a by-product of natural gas.

- PHILIPPA LARKIN

The decision, announced on Monday, ends a protracted dispute and strengthens Renergen's position as a key player in South Africa's helium and natural gas sector.

The ruling follows a thorough review of legal and scientific arguments, resolving a contentious debate over whether helium should be classified as a mineral or a petroleum by-product under South African law.

The Minister's decision confirms that helium extraction falls within Tetra4's existing Production Right, a subsidiary of Renergen, aligning with the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act.