A $10 million helium processing plant is under construction near Mankota, Sask.
Weil Group Resources of Virginia is building the facility to supply refined, industrial-grade helium for use in science, medicine and manufacturing in North America. The plant will have capacity of more than 40 million cubic feet per year and is expected to begin operating in April.
The company said the facility will purify inert gas from existing wells to a Grade A industrial helium product. It will be loaded into tube trailers and transported.
Saskatchewan has a history of helium production. The first wells began operating in December 1963 near Swift Current under the name Canadian Helium Ltd. The small production facility was decommissioned in 1977 because of inadequate reserves.
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Weil acquired the wells in 2013 and undertook extensive testing. Enough reserves were found to warrant the facility. There are several other wells in the region with higher helium concentrations, which could mean further exploration and development.
Economy minister Bill Boyd lauded the development.
“Weil Group’s helium project will help redevelop an industry that has been inactive in our province for almost 50 years, serving as one of many examples of our province’s diversified economy,” he said.
Helium has an ultra-low boiling point, making it an ideal coolant for MRI machines. It is also used in semiconductor chips, fibre optic cables and arc welding.
Weil Group said global use of helium is six billion cubic feet per year. Helium for industrial use is a byproduct of natural gas production.
