LONDON: Rift Helium, a company focused on the exploration and development of primary helium in southwest Tanzania, has announced it is in the final stages of securing admission of its ordinary shares to trading on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market.
The listing, expected to take place in mid-April, will see the company trade under the ticker symbol RIFT.
The helium explorer has already secured commitments to raise approximately £8.0 million (gross) through a placing and direct subscription. The net proceeds will be used to strengthen Rift’s balance sheet and advance its flagship Upepo Project, where near-term milestones include environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval, 3D seismic-led prospect definition, and well drilling.
Rift’s board emphasized that its position in the proven Tanzanian basin allows for a more focused and capital-efficient exploration strategy compared to earlier entrants. The company believes this approach will enable it to unlock significant value as global demand for helium — a critical element for industries ranging from medical imaging to space exploration — continues to rise.
Investment Highlights
| ● | Direct exposure to primary helium in a proven basin: Rift offers investors exposure to a primary helium exploration opportunity in the Rukwa Basin, where adjacent exploration and drilling success has helped validate a working helium system and materially reduce basin risk. |
| ● | Strategically located acreage: the Upepo Project comprises 283 km² of licence acreage in southwest Tanzania, adjacent to confirmed helium discoveries within an established and highly prospective helium basin. |
| ● | Third-mover advantage: Rift believes it is well positioned to apply lessons from earlier basin entrants to pursue a more targeted, capital-efficient and lower-risk exploration strategy. |
| ● | Meaningful resource potential: the independent CPR prepared by NSAI indicates a potentially sizable prospective helium resource, including a gross, unrisked P50 estimate of approximately 19 Bcf helium and a mean estimate of approximately 41 Bcf on the flagship licence block. |
| ● | Clear near-term catalysts: the Group is targeting 3D seismic-led prospect definition in summer 2026, supporting well targeting and drilling planned for H1 2027. |
| ● | Critical commodity with strong demand growth: helium is essential to a range of high-value applications, including semiconductors, medical imaging, scientific research, defence and aerospace, while global demand is projected to grow at 5-7% CAGR through to 2030 against constrained supply. |
| ● | Infrastructure supporting future development: the Upepo Project benefits from access to existing transport infrastructure, including road and rail links to the port of Dar es Salaam, supporting future export routes to major international helium import markets with 90% of it split between Asia (~60%) and the EU (~30%). Tanzania is located on the eastern side of Africa, offering a clear route to Asia, the largest and fastest growing market for helium imports. |
| ● | Experienced team with relevant experience: the Board, founding shareholders, senior management and technical team bring extensive experience across helium, critical minerals, natural resources, capital markets and in-country execution. |
| ● | Supportive local positioning: development of the Upepo Project is supported by the local community. |
Commenting, Rift Helium CEO, Charlie FitzRoy, said: “Rift Helium is seeking to enter the market at a time when helium has become more strategically important than ever. Recent disruption to Qatar’s natural gas supply has highlighted how concentrated and vulnerable global helium supply can be, reinforcing the need for new primary helium sources.
“We believe Rift offers investors direct exposure to helium exploration upside in the Rukwa Basin, a basin that is now proven to host a working helium system. Our strategic position, alongside adjacent discoveries, combined with our third-mover advantage, allows us to pursue a smarter, more targeted and capital-efficient exploration strategy.
“With a CPR highlighting a gross, unrisked P50 prospective resource estimate of approximately 19 Bcf recoverable helium on our flagship licence, clear near-term catalysts in 3D seismic and drilling, and a Board and management team with deep helium and capital markets experience, we believe Rift is well positioned as we move toward Admission and to execute on its strategy after IPO.”