Air Products and Matheson Begin Helium Production in Wyoming
US industrial gases producer Air Products and Matheson Tri-Gas, a member of the Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (TNSC) group, have begun filling and shipping of the first two 11,000 gallon helium ISO containers from their jointly-owned liquid helium production plant near Big Piney, Wyoming in the US.
The plant is designed to produce 200 million standard cubic feet of helium per year initially, with expectations for future expansion to 400 million standard cubic feet per year.
The Big Piney facility purifies and liquefies a helium feedgas stream supplied by Denbury Resources' Riley Ridge gas processing plant.
The Denbury plant processes a raw gas stream produced from the LaBarge Field in Wyoming, one of the largest helium-rich gas fields in the US, believed to contain sufficient helium reserves to support production for decades.
"This plant is beginning operations at a good time as both suppliers and manufacturing end-users of helium are still recovering from a global helium supply shortage. Big Piney alone will help to provide additional helium at this critical time and further diversify Air Products' helium source portfolio" said Walter Nelson, general manager - Worldwide Helium, at the US gases supplier.
Air Products maintains what it says is the world's largest helium production and distribution system.
"Helium produced at the Big Piney plant will help to ensure long-term security of supply for Matheson's existing helium customers, and provides us with an exciting opportunity to expand our business," said John Bigham, vice president, Global Helium
The location in southwest Wyoming, close to Matheson's existing supply from ExxonMobil, provides logistics synergies and promotes a stable, efficient and reliable supply chain for customers located in the US and abroad," he added.
Matheson manages the global helium business of TNSC under the name Matheson Global Helium. TNSC is the leading helium supplier in Japan, and is one of only five major industrial gas companies in the world with direct access to helium sources.
