Il y a un gros projet au Qatar.
J' ai vu ca mentionné dans ''La Recherche'' du mois dernier, aussi un petit coup de Google donne :
Mon résumé ,
Le projet ''Qatar Helium II'' est en cours, cout de 500 millions de $, commencé en 2010. Capacité de production de 38 millions de m3 d' Hélium, mise en service en 2013.
le chiffre II accolé au projet, c' est parce que le Qatar a déjà une usine de 20 millions de m3 en service.
Air Liquide (cocorico !) est sur le cout qui améne sa technologie. L' Hélium est retiré du Gaz naturel extrait par la techno Air Liquide. Il est purifié à 99.99 %. Tout ca en relation avec les trains de liquéfaction de Gaz existants.
Le ''North Field reservoir'' du Qatar contient la plus grande reserve prouvée d' Hélium au monde.
Qatar Helium II Refining Facility, Qatar
The Qatar Helium 2 project will be the world's largest helium refining facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. The $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.
Companies
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).
RasGas Company will manage and operate the facility production begins in 2013.
Process technology
The plant will capture and process helium gas recovered from Qatar's North Field. Crude helium extracted by the helium extraction units will be sent to the Air Liquide-manufactured helium liquefier.
Processing will involve purifying and liquefying of the crude helium using Air Liquide's patented advanced technology. Helium will be separated from the raw gas stream in two phases.
In the first phase the crude helium will be separated within the liquefaction area of the plant. All impurities including nitrogen, hydrogen and methane will be removed during the second phase. Within the upgrader unit, helium will be purified to 99.99% purity following a pressure swing adsorption process.
The pure gas will be liquefied using a number of turbo expanders and brazed aluminium plate heat exchangers. Following liquefaction, the gas will be stored in a Dewar or storage drum at –269°C. The storage drum will be equipped with a vacuum jacket and a thermal shield.
Qatar Helium II design
The new facility will be constructed adjacent to the Qatar Helium I facility. It will include an extraction unit, a purification unit and the world's largest helium liquefier that will be manufactured by Air Liquide.
Helium extraction units in RasGas LNG trains 6 and 7 will recover the helium generated as a byproduct from the facilities.
Engineering, procurement and construction
The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project was awarded to Air Liquide on 6 May 2010. Chiyoda Al Mana Engineering Company (Chiyoda) was appointed as the EPC management services provider for the helium extraction units and utilities of the project in September 2010.
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.
...........
Market growth
The global demand for Helium has, since 2000, witnessed a 20% increase. Helium is used for a number of industrial and medical applications including MRI scanners, welding and fibre optics. By 2020 the global demand for helium is expected to rise by 30% from the current six billion cubic feet a year. A large portion of this rising demand will be met by Qatar's North Field reservoir, which hosts the world's largest proven helium reserves
http://www.chemicals-technology.com/pro ... helium-ii/
Le spectre de la pénurie d' Hélium s' éloigne.
Il n' en reste pas moins que d' ici la mise en service les prix de l' Hélium sont tendus.
Comme le dit cet article du 14 Sept 2012 :
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=22147145
