Rift Helium has secured environmental approval for a planned 3D seismic survey and the drilling of up to three exploration wells at its Upepo Project in Tanzania’s Rukwa Basin, marking a major step towards an exploration drilling campaign planned for the first half of 2027.
By Ajong Mbapndah L
Rift Helium plc has received an Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate covering the next major stages of exploration at its Upepo Project in Tanzania, clearing the way for a 3D seismic programme and the drilling of up to three exploration wells.
The AIM-listed primary helium exploration company said the approval covers both the acquisition of 3D seismic data and subsequent exploration drilling, giving it environmental clearance for the two principal phases of its near-term exploration programme.
Preparatory work for the seismic programme is already underway, with survey commencement planned for later this year. The resulting data will be processed and interpreted to define and rank priority drilling targets ahead of an exploration campaign scheduled for the first half of 2027.
For Rift Helium Chief Executive Officer Charles FitzRoy, the EIA certificate represents a significant step in moving Upepo from planning towards field execution.
“Securing an EIA that covers both our 3D seismic programme and up to three exploration wells is a particularly important milestone for Rift,” FitzRoy said.
“It means the environmental assessment now covers the two principal stages of the exploration programme we set out at IPO: first, acquiring the data to identify the best drilling targets; and second, testing those targets through drilling.”
The approval builds on months of regulatory, operational and community engagement as Rift prepares to advance exploration across its licence position in southwest Tanzania.
A Primary Helium Play in Tanzania
Rift holds prospecting licences covering approximately 283 square kilometres in Tanzania’s Rukwa Basin, adjacent to confirmed helium discoveries. Its strategy centres on finding and developing primary helium rather than recovering the gas as a by-product of hydrocarbon production.
FitzRoy said this distinction sits at the heart of the company’s proposition as global industries increasingly depend on helium for sophisticated technological and medical applications.
“The Rift investment case remains straightforward. We are targeting primary helium rather than a hydrocarbon by-product across 283 km² in Tanzania’s proven Rukwa Basin, adjacent to confirmed helium discoveries,” he said.
“Helium is critical to some of the world’s most advanced industries, from semiconductors and MRI to aerospace and emerging quantum technologies, while global supply remains concentrated and largely linked to hydrocarbon production.”
The company believes successful exploration at Upepo could eventually establish Tanzania as a new source of primary helium serving major international markets.
“Successful exploration at Upepo has the potential to establish a new, strategically located source of primary helium from Tanzania,” FitzRoy said.
The potential goes beyond Rift itself. Helium’s importance to semiconductor manufacturing, healthcare, aerospace and emerging quantum technologies has increased the strategic value of new supply sources, particularly those that are independent of conventional hydrocarbon production.
A successful Upepo development could therefore give Tanzania a stronger foothold in a specialised global commodity market and potentially serve high-value international markets, including Asia.
Seismic First, Drilling Second
Rather than moving directly into exploration drilling, Rift intends to use high-resolution 3D seismic data to develop a clearer picture of the geological structures beneath its acreage.
The strategy is designed to identify and rank the structures most likely to contain helium before substantial drilling capital is committed.
FitzRoy described the approach as deliberately disciplined.
“Our plan is deliberately disciplined: acquire 3D seismic, use the data to reduce uncertainty and rank the strongest structures, then focus drilling capital on the best targets,” he said.
The seismic campaign therefore represents the next major operational catalyst for the company. Once the data has been acquired, Rift will move into processing and interpretation, using the results to determine where its exploration wells should be drilled.
The approach also reflects a wider strategy the company has pursued since its April 2026 listing: using geological information and lessons from exploration elsewhere in the Rukwa Basin to sharpen its targeting before drilling.
“With the EIA now secured and preparatory work for the 3D programme underway, our immediate focus is execution and delivering the catalysts that progressively de-risk Upepo as we move towards drilling in H1 2027,” FitzRoy said.
“Today’s award is another tangible delivery point against the plan we set out to shareholders.”
From Environmental Approval to Field Execution
The EIA Certificate followed an environmental and social assessment process and provides environmental approval for both the planned 3D seismic programme and drilling of up to three exploration wells.
The award means the company has secured environmental clearance covering the two principal stages of its immediate exploration strategy rather than having to address the seismic and drilling phases separately.
Rift had previously indicated that preparations were advancing across field operations, suppliers and engagement with government and communities as it awaited the environmental certificate.
With that approval now secured, the focus shifts increasingly towards execution.
The 3D programme will seek to reduce subsurface uncertainty, refine structural closures and provide the technical basis for selecting the strongest drilling locations. Rift then intends to test those targets through exploration drilling during the first half of 2027.
FitzRoy also credited Tanzanian institutions and communities for their role in bringing the environmental assessment process to completion.
“We would like to thank the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), the Ministry of Minerals, the Mining Commission, our local communities, and Regional, District, and Ward authorities in Songwe for their constructive engagement throughout the process,” he said.
Tanzania’s Helium Potential Moves Closer to the Drill Bit
The latest milestone comes as Tanzania’s Rukwa Basin continues to draw attention as an emerging frontier for primary helium exploration.
For Rift, the next stage will be less about regulatory preparation and increasingly about what the seismic data reveals beneath Upepo.
The company’s strategy is sequential: secure the necessary approvals, acquire detailed subsurface data, rank the most promising structures and then commit drilling capital to the targets offering the strongest geological case.
That makes the coming seismic campaign particularly important. Its results will shape where Rift drills and provide a clearer indication of whether the geological promise identified across its 283 km² licence position can ultimately translate into commercially recoverable helium.
If exploration is successful, Upepo could eventually contribute to the emergence of Tanzania as a new source of primary helium at a time when the gas is increasingly important to some of the world’s most advanced industries.
For FitzRoy, however, the immediate priority remains delivering the programme step by step.
The environmental certificate provides another piece of that pathway. With preparations for 3D seismic underway and exploration drilling targeted for the first half of 2027, Rift is moving closer to the stage that will ultimately determine the scale of the opportunity beneath Upepo.
