In front of a trade war, Suskechewan stops lifting the helium industry
Swift current, Sansk. In a farmer’s field nearby, Claten Venas is checking the flow of a helium.
The system of bright metal pipes runs about two kilometers under the Priori soil and sends the gas to the nearby plant. This oil is already one of more frequent popping in a scenario with pumpjack.
“It is still discussed around helium,” Venas said, who works as a field engineer for the North American helium in Calgary. “We are scratching the surface on our exploration and production at this point.”
The company has invested half a billion dollars in wells and processing plants in South -West of Suskechewan since 2013. It is the largest firm in the emerging region of about a dozen Canadian helium businesses.
The demand for gas at party shops is beyond the balloon. It is used in MRI machines in hospitals, creating semiconductors and fiberoptic cables, and aerospace industries.
Suskechewan companies are placing big bets on helium, which is an emerging natural resources. While the current supply chain depends more on the United States, producers in the province are expecting to change it.
In the Antelope Lake Facility of North American Helium, Helium from Wales is pipe in a large processing plant surrounded by fields. It is an intensely loud and large -scale automatic operation, with a system of valves and vessels that remove nitrogen, water, and other substances.
Venas said, “On some of our sites, less than one percent of the gas coming out of the ground is helium.” “A lot is learning that has been done and has to learn a lot to move forward yet.”
The field team conducts operations from a gas lab and control center, allowing them to take samples of helium at various stages of the purification process. With the help of a computer, they analyze molecules inside a test tube within minutes, and quickly respond to any changes in temperature or pressure.
In the final stages of the purification process, pure helium is pipe into special transport trucks, which is sent to the south of the border to the colorado and south of the Oklahoma.
Canada does not have the facility capable of liquid the helium, forcing producers to rely on the United States.
In front of a business war, now there is a growing push to reduce the supply chain.
Chris Bakr, co-head of the Helium Developers Association of Canada, said that the industry sees a Canadian Liquor as a second step.
“To justify a helium liqueurization facility here, we think we need more investigation to create more stores,” he said.
“For canadian domestic use in hospitals here, we have to send it beyond the range, to be liquefied and bring it back to Canada. A Canadian liquidarization plant will eliminate that problem.”
The industry is calling the federal exploration tax from the federal government to add helium to its list of 15 important minerals eligible for credit, which can make it easier to attract investment.
An official of the Finance Department told CBC News that he was always examining ways to improve the tax system, but did not say whether Helium was being considered to include in the list.
Since 2006, Helium has passed through a series of global deficiency, except for laboratories and hospitals, and is paying top dollars for it.
Filly Kore, a helium industry advisor located in Bridawatter, NJ, stated that the supply is abundant since the end of 2023.
“This is a more challenging environment because after a period where the margin was expanding, the margin is now shrinking,” he said.
Kornbluth said that a single Canadian liquidar would be worth investment and allowed to export directly from Canadian ports to foreign markets – instead of the US border only.
“I think it sends an indication that Canada is in the helium business for a long race, that they are more than a feed gas supplier for American sources,” he said.
Bakar, who is also the CEO of Avanti Helium Corp at Calgary, said that despite the more abundant supply, the competitive advantage of the Canadian helium industry could come into global politics. Currently the largest producers include Qatar, Russia, Algeria and America, and Asian buyers have expressed interest in sourcing helium from Canada.
“These are nations that look at things in the 100-year horizon and they understand the importance of having a safe, safe supply, which can provide Canada.”
