Air Products, a global producer of helium, has reported that the company has inked a long-term helium supply agreement with National Helium.
The base-load volume of helium is supplied by the feedstock from National Helium for the liquid helium facility of Air Products situated in Kansas. The Kansas plant is considered to be the home of Air Products’ distribution terminal for helium.
Most of the extraction, production, supply of helium and storage technologies that are utilized in today’s industry has been initiated by Air Products. The company continues to maintain the production of helium, and distribution system and several facilities are operated across the globe.
Air Products’ General Manager of Worldwide Helium, John Van Sloun showed that the company’s new MATHESON, a liquid helium production facility at Wyoming may become operational later this year. The helium production facility at Wyoming will be the first plant built in the United States and 10th liquid plant functioning in the US.
The Wyoming helium facility is specifically designed to manufacture 200 million standard cubic feet in a year initially and is expected to produce 400 M in future. Natural gas obtained from Wyoming’s Riley Ridge field will be processes at the helium plant. Adequate reserves may be present in the Riley Ridge field in order to help helium production.
Helium can be utilized in a variety of valued and unique applications, which include manufacturing of semiconductor and fiber optics, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), metallurgy, party balloons and blimps, raising for high-altitude scientific research balloons, analytical chemistry, leak detection, breathing atmospheres for use in unique blood gas medical mixtures or deep diving, purging and pressurizing pipes, vessels, other advanced applications.
Source: http://www.airproducts.com/