Rift Helium (AIM:RIFT) has received an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate covering both its planned 3D seismic survey and the drilling of up to three exploration wells at its Upepo project.
The AIM-listed company is exploring for primary helium across 283 square kilometres in Tanzania's Rukwa Basin, adjacent to confirmed helium discoveries, independent of hydrocarbon production. The certificate covers the two principal stages of the near-term exploration programme Rift set out at its initial public offering: data acquisition to identify drilling targets, followed by drilling itself.
Preparatory work for the 3D seismic survey is already underway, with the survey itself due to begin later this year.
Rift plans to process and interpret the resulting data to rank priority drilling targets ahead of an exploration drilling campaign scheduled for the first half of 2027.
"Today's award is another tangible delivery point against the plan we set out to shareholders", said Charles FitzRoy, chief executive of Rift Helium.
Helium demand spans semiconductor manufacturing, MRI equipment, aerospace and emerging quantum technologies, sectors where supply is largely tied to hydrocarbon production and concentrated in a small number of regions.
The next marker for investors is the start of the 3D seismic survey later this year, ahead of drilling planned for the first half of 2027.
News Intelligence what this means for the company
Rift Helium has cleared a regulatory gate required to execute its exploration roadmap: the Environmental Impact Assessment certificate covers both the 3D seismic survey now underway and up to three exploration wells planned for H1 2027. This is a procedural win that removes a material permitting risk and keeps the company on the 12-month catalyst schedule it outlined at IPO; the next visible milestone is the seismic survey start later this year, followed by drilling in 2027.
The EIA approval de-risks the near-term exploration programme and validates the company's ability to execute permitting in Tanzania. Rift remains dependent on seismic data quality and drill results to prove the Upepo prospect; regulatory clearance is necessary but not sufficient to establish commercial helium resources.
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