Word out of Brussels this week is that the 14th sanctions package proposed by the EU would include a ban on imports of Russian helium into the EU.
While the sanctions package is still under review and details are not yet available, it seems likely that a ban on helium imports will be included in the final package.
Russia currently produces bulk liquid helium from three different sources. Gazprom produces helium at its Amur gas processing plant in Eastern Siberia and another gas processing plant located in Orenburg, while Irkutsk Oil Company produces helium from its Yaraktinsky Plant located in the Ural Region. Presently, these sources account for approximately 12-13% of global supply.
It is not clear how impactful a ban on Russian helium imports would be on Russian helium production, since, at present, the majority of Russia’s helium production is exported to China and other non-EU countries including Korea, India and the UAE.
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