QatarEnergy has signed a long-term sales and purchase agreement (SPA) under which it will supply 2.8 mcm (100 mcf) per year of helium to German gas company Messer, QatarEnergy announced on Monday.
The agreement is the first direct long-term SPA between the companies. Volumes will be sourced from QatarEnergy’s Ras Laffan facility and will be delivered to Messer customers worldwide. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Messer is a leading global supplier of helium with a strong reputation and diverse assets. We are delighted to enter into our first direct agreement with Messer and to continue providing high-quality helium to the world through reliable partners,” said Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs.
Helium is a rare gas used in the manufacture and operation of technologies such as MRI scanners, semiconductors, optical fibre, quantum computers and space exploration equipment.
Located 80 kilometres northeast of Doha, QatarEnergy’s Ras Laffan facility obtains helium from Qatar’s North Field gasfield. Although present only in trace amounts, due to the field’s vast size, QatarEnergy estimates its helium reserves to be enough to meet global demand for the next 30 years.
Ras Laffan helium offtakers include Linde, Air Liquide and Iwatani Corporation. Based in Bad Sonen, Germany, Messer is the world’s largest privately held industrial gases company. It supplies gases for sectors including healthcare, electronics, food processing and manufacturing.
Source: Theenergyyear.com