Project Profile
Value: US$500 million
Location: Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar
Start-up year: 1 - August 2005, 2 - October 2013, 3 - early 2018
Helium 1
Announced in 2003 and started production in August 2005.
Designed production capacity of 700 million standard cubic feet per year reached in 2008.
Production currently stands at more than 500 containers a year.
Helium feed stock streams from eight LNG processing trains: RasGas Trains 1- 5 and Qatargas Trains 1-3
Helium 2
Twice the capacity of Helium 1.
Construction began in June 2011 and production started in June 2013.
100 per cent production reached in October 2013
Annual capacity of 1.3 billion standard cubic feet making it the world\'s largest helium refining facility.
Helium feed stock streams from six LNG processing trains: RasGas’ mega trains 6 and 7, and Qatargas’ mega trains 4-7.Helium 2’s construction was completed without a single lost time incident (LTI).
Helium 3
Produce up to 0.4 billion standard cu ft of liquid helium per annum
Located in Qatar\'s Ras Laffan Industrial City
Expected to start operations in early 2018.
The Qatar Helium 2 project will be the world\'s largest helium refining facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. The US$500m project broke ground in May 2010. The facility will produce 38 million cubic metres of helium a year to position Qatar as the second-largest helium producer in the world. With a combined annual production of 58 million cubic metres, Qatar will account for 25% of the world\'s helium production. The first Qatar helium facility, launched in 2005, contributes about 20 million cubic metres a year. RasGas Company will manage and operate the facility production begins in 2013. The project is a partnership between Qatar Liquefied Gas Company 2 (Qatargas 2), Qatar Liquefied Gas Company 3 (Qatargas 3), Qatar Liquefied Gas Company 4 (Qatargas 4) and Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company (3). Off-take agreements were signed with AirLiquide, Iwatani Corporation and Linde Gases, a Linde Group division, in the second half of 2010. AirLiquide will procure 50% of the total helium produced. Linde Gases will acquire 30% of the output while Iwatani Corporation will get 20% of the annual production up to 2032.
The new Helium 3 plant, expected to produce up to 0.4 billion standard cu ft of liquid helium per annum, will be located in Qatar\'s Ras Laffan Industrial City and is expected to start operations in early 2018. In addition to being awarded the SPA contract for the long-term helium supply, Air Products also won the technology licence to supply the helium licensor package equipment for the new Helium 3 plant. The Helium 3 Project will be managed and operated by RasGas on behalf of Barzan shareholders, Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil in recognition of RasGas’ vast experience in the execution and operation of Helium plants in the State of Qatar.
Operators:
RasGas Company: Operator
Qatar Gas Operating Company
Contractors:
Air Liquide Qatar: EPC contract
Alderley plc: Delivered four helium gas metering skids
Chiyoda Al Mana Engineering Company: EPC management services