Royal Helium announces Val Marie helium project with Sparrow Hawk Developments. This means Saskatchewan will soon have multiple #helium producers, and a year from now, should be 2/3 on the way to its goal of having 15 helium purification facilities by 2030. I’m guessing we’ll have more than that by 2030.
For those who are not aware, helium production is almost indistinguishable from natural gas production, and requires oil and gas service companies to make it happen. Same drilling rig, same service rig, same lease builders, same facility builders, same just about everything. It’s the “other natural gas,” as it were. And Saskatchewan is aiming to hit 10% of the global market by 2030.
Last time Royal Helium was puffed on SDA, I went out and bought some. Right now I’m down 56%, Conclusion: this is interesting, but SDA isn’t the place to look for hot market tips.
Well, since then, Royal has begun producing helium and production volumes continue to ramp up. It’s a long term play.
But you’re right, don’t take investment advice from a former ditch digger reporter!
I remember reading “NEWS” articles telling us how the world was going to run out of helium and “be scared”.
I’m not so sure about being scared, but helium is used in a lot of high tech applications. For instance, did you buy a 20 TB hard drive? Because it likely has helium in it. Just one example.
Yeah, 20 TB must weigh a lot. Especially if there’s more 1’s than 0’s.
I’m curious about helium – it also contains no carbon. I’m guessing that’s why it’s being pushed. That said, it would also then not drop out any valuable liquids. And it would likely then require an outside source of power for equipment, whereas traditional oil and gas operations could use the natural gas from the wells to power gensets, compressors, etc.
Of course, it is also subject to the whims of those who manipulate data to fake the global warming scam. One day, they might also declare He to be as bad or worse than carbon…
it also contains no energy . its inert
No, it is chemically inert. It contains LOTS of energy, as does all mass E=MC^^2.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-alpha_process and many others.
yeah, helium is the definition of an inert gas. That’s what makes it special. You don’t burn it for anything. It’s not a fuel source.
So a cloud of helium floats into a bar.
One of the locals objects aggressively: “Hey! This here’s a working man’s bar! We don’t appreciate noble gasses slummin’ around here!”
And the cloud of helium doesn’t react.
Hydrogen is being pushed, not Helium. Hydrogen, H2, is, according to this fantasy, made from methane, CH4, by removing the C. No mention of how much energy it takes and where that comes from and what one does with that evil Carbon atom.
Whenever one is in the vicinity of a proponent of Hydrogen as a chemical fuel, remind them, voiciferously, that the resultant product of this reaction is water vapour, a greenhouse gas much, much, much worse than CO2.
“He” is surely the alphabetic kiss of death.
It’s going to be hilarious! All those generators, engines, furnaces, etc. making that funny sound.
not a fuel.
In a fusion reactor. But best used for SCUBA diving 🙂 I think he was referring to the high pitched voice sound, Brian.
++++ Tranny gas.
10% of the world’s production? Quebec will soon be plotting ways to get their hands on more of the profits through equalization payments. After all, history shows equalization payments were entrenched in the Constitution Act of 1982, subsection 36(2) by the other guy with the same last name.
Uses for helium.
https://techiescientist.com/uses-of-helium/
The article looks to be using a faulty conversion method between Kelvin and Celsius.
Perhaps it was written by ChatGPT…
Of course, they use the NG industy to harvest helium… You don’t find pockets of pure helium down there underground. What you find are natural gas resources that have small concentrations of helium. NG with just a mere 0.3% helium is considered commercially viable, and there have been some recent discoveries of NG that contained over 10% helium. (I don’t know offhand what the helium content of the Sask NG production might be, but I’m guessing its one of the higher ones)
So, you have to produce NG to produce helium, and once the NG is brought to the surface, NG processing equipment is used to purify the NG and also separate out the helium.
Saskatchewan helium production is largely without natural gas. Other gasses like nitrogen do come up. That’s one of the things that makes it attractive. And these guys are seeking to process those other gases since they have to deal with them anyhow.
The numbers I’ve seen are in the less than 1 per cent concentration, but still viably economic.
It does appear that these He reserves have lower than usual NG content, but still it’s not going to be a zero-carbon production operation. N2 content has been up to 50%, but with just 1% He, there will lots of the other gases, and you can bet that a lot of it will be CO2 and CH4.
Yes, the He will be the moneymaker, but I had to laugh when I saw the quote in the article about hoping to find reserves that had no CO2 or CH4.
Oh no! Not more NITROGEN POLLUTION! Look what they are already demanding of the farmers!
Shut it down. Now. Shut humanity down!
Is a /sarc needed?
This suggests to me that the methane may be of astronomic origin, like the methane elsewhere in the Solar system. Also, it could mean that a source of alpha particles is geologically close to the methane source.
Helium is a shielding gas for TIG and MIG welding (the IG is for Inert Gas). It’s especially useful for welding aluminum.
This is music to the ears of many a “technical” scuba diver.
Hold up… Since MAID is all the rage in government hospitals, and inert gas asphyxiation is a relatively rapid and painless way to off yourself, does this count as a medical initiative?