Avant-monts
franc-comtois exploration license
Valorise localy the strategic resources of franche-comté
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The Avant-Monts franc-comtois project
Following bibliographic research and encouraging preliminary field measurements, 45-8 ENERGY is considering that the Jura foreland area, located in the Doubs department (25), is a promising prospective area for helium, in association with non-combustible gases highlighted by several drillings carried out in the 1960s and 1970s.
In order to deepen the geological knowledge of the area and precise the helium and carbon dioxide contents, 45-8 ENERGY applied for the Avant-Monts franc-comtois exploration license to the French Ministry of Ecological Transition for a 306 km² area located in the North-West of the Doubs.
This license was awarded by decree signed by the Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty and the Minister for Energy Transition dated August 5, 2022.
License perimeter is voluntarily large in order to comprehensively understand the geology of this particular region with the objective to reduce it at later stage once most promising areas have been spotted. If geological hypotheses are validated, a joint valorisation of helium, carbon dioxide and any other valuable resource is targeted in order to produce them and supply locally and in an eco-responsible way two high demand markets, through small size production units.
The license was awarded for a period of 5 years in order to progressively deploy the exploration program on the entire permit.
Exploration area size
306 km²
Exploration area size
13
Municipalities
5 years
Valid period of the license
02
The license goals
Deepen our geological knowledge of the area
Assess the origin and the migration paths of the gases to locate the most promising areas.
Demonstrate the technical and economic viability of a joint gases valuation project in the area
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Our hypotheses about the gases involved
Between the 1950s and 1960s, wells were drilled in several communes in the “Avant-Monts” area, and found to contain non-combustible gas.
Although helium was not measured at that time, we do know that helium has a certain affinity with the non-combustible gases found. In similar geological contexts, they were associated with helium.
Our first field measurements confirmed the significant presence of helium in the region.
High nitrogen levels have been recorded in several wells in the region. Nitrogen is the most abundant element in the earth’s atmosphere (representing around 78% of its composition). Because nitrogen is so abundant in the air, its appeal is limited and its economic use unlikely. However, its release into the atmosphere poses no risk to people (inert, odorless, invisible) or the environment (it does not contribute to the greenhouse effect, already present in high concentrations in the earth’s atmosphere).
Helium and nitrogen have a strong affinity, which is why it is very likely that a fraction of the helium is associated with it.
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The exploration area
The exploration license area covers 306 km² of the French Doubs region, spread over 58 municipalities:
Audeux, Avanne-Aveney, Berthelange, Besançon*, Beure, Bonnay, Braillans, Burgille, Busy, Chalezeule, Champagney, Champvans-les-Moulins, Châtillon-le-Duc, Chaucenne, Chemaudin et Vaux, Corcelles-Ferrières, Corcondray, Courchapon, Dannemarie-sur-Crète, Decevey, Ecole-Valentin, Etrabonne, Ferrières-les-Bois, Fontain, Franey, Franois, Geneuille, Grandfontaine, Jallerange, Lantenne-Vertière, Larnod, Lavernay, Le Moutherot, Les Auxons, Mazerolles-le-Salin, Mercey-le-Grand, Mérey-Vieilley, Miserey-Salines, Montferrand-le-Château, Noironte, Pelousey, Pirey, Placey, Pouilley-Français, Pouilley-les-Vignes, Pugey, Rancenay, Recologne, Ruffey-le-Château, Saint-Vit, Serre-les-Sapins, Tallenay, Thise, Thoraise, Torpes, Velesmes-Essarts, Vieilley et Villers-Buzon.
* The Besançon urban area is not directly targeted. It has been included in application permiter for the sake of integration and communication with all stakeholders. This urban and economix area represents in particular a possible outlet for the resources that can be produced.
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The work program
The planned work program is of limited extent and will have a very limited and strictly temporary impact on the environment. It mainly involves data acquisitions carried out with portable, indirect equipment, aiming at caracterising the subsurface without any risk for the surrounding populations.
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Ongoing operations
Medium-depth drilling
One well has being drilled in the municipality of Mazerolles-le-Salin.
August-September 2025
To confirm the presence of helium and to recognize and characterize the geological formations in which helium could be contained.
Drilling is carried out using a well-established technique that is widely used in various fields, including geothermal energy and water.
Drilling on Mazerolles-le-Salin municipality
- 1 well is being drilled and will reach a depth of 300 meters.
- The well began in August and will take approximately two months.
If the drilling results are encouraging, the well will undergo a well test. This operation involves equipping the well to measure its production flow rate and record the pressure rise in the reservoirs.
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Key steps
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What's next?
If the drilling campaign proves positive and confirms the helium potential, further work may be carried out. Ultimately, the aim is to develop the economic value of helium, to produce this strategic resource in the French Doubs region and to supply local industries.
A pilot production unit could eventually be envisaged, as is the case at our Fonts-Bouillants site in the French Nièvre region, with commercial production scheduled to start in September 2024.
We could envisage the same type of unit for the Avant-Monts franc-comtois project. Once the economic and technical potential has been validated, long-term industrial production could be envisaged. The infrastructure would then be very modest in size, equivalent to a farm shed. They would have to reconcile industrial activity with respect for the environment.
The Fonts-Bouillants helium production pilot unit in the Nièvre region (France) is nearing completion.
A supported project
45-8 ENERGY has received €2,88M in funding as part of the France 2030 investment plan’s “Russian, Belarusian or Ukrainian dependence” call for expressions of interest.
45-8 ENERGY’s proposal to produce helium in France would contribute to national sovereignty, a highly topical issue given that helium’s position as a strategic resource has been reinforced in the European Union’s latest list of critical resources, published in early 2023.
