Last month, 45-8 Energy announced the discovery of helium at its Fonts-Bouillants site in the Nièvre department. Today, the Ad Terra Group company announced that its second exploratory well, this time drilled in the Franche-Comté region, has also revealed the presence of the precious gas.
Helium is essential to many sectors: medical (MRI), telecommunications (fiber optics), electronics and semiconductors (particularly for AI), aerospace (pressurization and purging of rocket and satellite tanks), industry (welding), and more. Currently, the United States and Qatar together produce 75% of the world’s helium.
Located in the municipality of Mazerolles-le-Salin, the 45-8 Energy well reached a depth of approximately 500 meters. In its press release, the company states that it has encountered strong indications of helium in two major geological formations in the region: Muschelkalk and Buntsandstein.
Several geological and geophysical surveys, conducted in collaboration with the French Geological Survey (BRGM) and the University of Franche-Comté, had been carried out since 2023. During the summer of 2025, 45-8 Energy drilled an exploratory well to confirm the historically known helium potential in the region. Analyses show that the levels in each geological formation far exceed assumptions based on historical data.
These discoveries confirm the potential for industrial development and reinforce the interest in expanding exploratory work. The next step: to drill further wells in the geological structures already historically drilled and in those identified by 45-8 Energy during its geophysical surveys. To be continued!
Source : 45-8 Energy