Problems and Prospects of the Helium Industry in Russia

Abstract

The transition to an innovative way of development in the gas industry is associated with deep, comprehensive processing of natural gas, the start-up of manufacturing products with high added value. In terms of proven reserves of natural gas, Russia ranks number one in the world, the demand is constantly growing both at the domestic market and for exports. Natural and associated petroleum gases of many oil and gas condensate fields in Russia are multicomponent systems that contain a number of components important for the gas chemical industry (ethane, propane, butane, etc.). The most valuable of these is helium. The purpose of this work is to study the problems and prospects for the development of the helium industry in Russia and in the world. Using the methods of economic analysis, generalization and synthesis, the authors estimated the volume of reserves of helium-saturated gases in the fields of the country and Eastern Siberia, the state of helium production, the potential for using helium in the sectors of the Russian economy, the possibility and conditions of competitive entry into the world market. As a result, they detected Russia’s technological inferiority in a number of industries, coming from the low demand for helium, the location of potential consumers far from production centers, the high cost of helium production, the lack of reliable methods of its transportation, etc. At the same time, full-scale helium demand satisfaction of Russian industries is associated with the construction of the Amur Gas Processing Plant. The demand for helium in the countries of the world is constantly growing, an increase in consumption is observed in traditional industries and in the field of innovative technologies. The US dominance in the production of helium is gradually declining due to the depletion of some deposits. The authors make a conclusion that after 2030 Russia can satisfy domestic consumption of helium to bring the industry to an effective economic and environmental level and, while reducing the cost of production, become a major participant in its world market.