D3 Energy secures new Free State permit, expanding helium and gas acreage and strengthening exploration and resource growth potential.
D3 Energy Limited has announced that it has secured a new Technical Cooperation Permit (TCP), designated as TCP273, in the Free State Province of South Africa. The newly awarded permit area is situated adjacent to the Company’s existing exploration and application blocks, further consolidating its position within a highly prospective helium and natural gas region.
TCP273 spans approximately 82,777 acres. With this addition, D3 Energy’s combined granted and applied-for exploration acreage in the Free State now totals around 478,699 acres. The newly acquired ground lies along well-defined structural trends that are considered highly prospective and are known to host the Company’s previously identified discoveries. The award follows encouraging results from appraisal activities at ER315, where shallow boreholes delivered helium concentrations of up to 6.2% at sustained flow rates. These results have reinforced confidence in the broader geological potential of the surrounding acreage, including the newly granted TCP273.
David Casey, Managing Director and CEO of D3 Energy, stated that the granting of TCP273 aligns with the Company’s ongoing strategy to secure high-value helium and natural gas acreage along proven structural corridors in the Free State. He noted that the award represents the outcome of extensive geological modelling work undertaken by the Company, incorporating proprietary in-house algorithms. According to Casey, the addition of this permit significantly enhances D3 Energy’s exploration upside and strengthens its standing as a leading helium explorer and developer in the region. He further highlighted that the permit complements the broader momentum building across the Company’s asset portfolio, including the commencement of Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) activities for PR016. The new permit also offers an opportunity to deepen the Company’s geological understanding of what is considered a highly prospective basin.
The Technical Cooperation Permit has been granted for an initial one-year term. During this period, D3 Energy will carry out cost-effective, desktop-based geological and geophysical evaluations. These studies are designed to refine subsurface models, assess prospectivity, and determine the most promising targets for further exploration. Upon successful completion of this technical work, the Company expects to submit an application for a full Exploration Right (ER) covering the TCP273 area.
D3 Energy has previously demonstrated this progression pathway from TCP to ER status. A similar process was followed at ER386, where the Company advanced from a Technical Cooperation Permit to an Exploration Right application. That application is currently under review by the relevant regulatory authorities.
If D3 Energy decides to proceed with an ER application for TCP273 and subsequently secures approval, the Company anticipates the potential to expand its existing inventory of Contingent and Prospective Resources for both helium and methane. The additional acreage could contribute meaningfully to future resource growth and further establish the Free State as a strategic hub for helium and natural gas development within the Company’s portfolio.
