Global helium production prospects received a fillip today at gasworld’s Helium Super Summit in Houston, with QatarEnergy confirming its QatarEnergy LNG helium plant is on course to be online by 2027, with work on its replica Helium 5 plant set to begin thereafter. Both plants are copies of the state-owned operator’s successful Helium 2 plant.
The energy giant’s Helium 4 plant, at Ras Laffan Industrial City, was formally commenced in recent weeks, and Abdulaziz Saud Al-Tamimi of QatarEnergy told delegates that progress on all fronts was on track, with engineering work on Helium 4 already more than half-completed.
The plants should add significant capacity to global helium production, with each one capable of producing 1.5bcf annually once optimised – which equates to nearly 10% of global helium production today.
Helium 4 will boost QatarEnergy LNG’s helium production capacity to 4.1bcf annually from 2.6bcf currently. Helium 5 would then boost capacity to 5.6bcf once it came online.
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