Blue Dragon Energy & Environmental Blog 2.0: Rift Helium Plans Seismic and Drilling on Its Updip Helium Position in Tanzania’s Rukwa Basin

Thursday, October 15, 2026

Rift Helium Plans Seismic and Drilling on Its Updip Helium Position in Tanzania’s Rukwa Basin

Tanzania’s Rukwa Basin is a verified source of economical helium. Helium One has drilled wells encountering 5% helium. Noble Helium has also been exploring and drilling. As the geology becomes better understood, a third player, Rift Helium, has entered the picture and hopes to verify its updip position as a more ideal structural trap.

Mariël Reitsma for GeoExPro recently talked to Rift Helium’s CEO, Charles FitzRoy, about the project. The company recently received an environmental impact certificate from Tanzanian government regulators. The initial plan is for a 3D seismic survey and to drill its exploration wells.

“Rift Helium’s Upepo project comprises three license blocks on the south-eastern shore of Lake Rukwa. The most promising part of the acreage is adjacent to where Helium One drilled the Itumbula West-1 well. The Itumbula discovery found around 5 % helium dissolved in water and trapped within fault zones that extent into the basement. “Our seismic analysis shows that we are updip from Itumbula-West,” Charles explains, “Helium One is looking at the migration path, while we think the helium is accumulating in structural traps on our acreage.” Rift Helium’s data interpretation shows multiple three-way dip closures in the rift sediments that cover the faulted basement. The expectation is that helium is migrating from deeper levels and pooling as free gas at about 600 m depth.”

Structural closure, preferably the four-way closure of domes, makes up the best helium accumulation traps.

The company plans to immediately reprocess some existing seismic data and begin drilling in the first half of 2027. The company is emphasizing its “third mover advantage” to target the best structural closure prospects in a proven helium system.