Swift Current could be home to $100 million helium liquefier

The construction of a helium liquefier plant is possible in Swift Current’s foreseeable future.

With the new Stewart Valley Helium Purification Plant, Canada’s largest helium production facility, operating at full capacity, North American Helium has confirmed that a liquefier is in the works for Swift Current.

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A liquefier plant would allow extracted gases to be turned into liquid form without leaving southwestern Saskatchewan, instead of transporting the product to the United States as the company currently does.

Nothing finalized yet

Nicholas Snyder, North American Helium’s chairman and CEO, said everyone is looking forward to a lot more discoveries and a lot more facilities like this being built in the region.

“We are actually going to be building a liquefier,” he said on Thursday. “There’s a lot of considerations there, and we’re working on it on all fronts. We are not making the announcement today, so stay tuned on that.”

Snyder said a liquefier would cost somewhere in the neighbourhood of $100 million, and could be operational within two years of the start of the project, bringing in temporary construction employment and permanent operator jobs.

Defying the odds

According to Chris Beaudry, Saskatchewan’s minister of energy and resources, Saskatchewan accounts for more than 95 per cent of Canada’s helium production, something North American Helium has significantly contributed to.

He said companies investing in the exploration and development of helium are at a disadvantage, as helium does not receive the same treatment as other critical minerals under federal tax structures.

Helium is an increasingly valuable resource, and recent tensions in the Middle East could have a significant impact on the growing helium shortage.

‘An industry with long-term potential’

Swift Current Mayor Al Bridal said the new Stewart Valley Helium Purification Plant represents something bigger than a new facility. He said it reflects the growing confidence large companies are placing in southwestern Saskatchewan.

“This facility provides enough helium to actually warrant seriously looking at a liquifier,” he said. “Hopefully we’re going to see some difference in the tax structure for critical minerals in this coming budget from the federal government.

“What also excites me is that we’re seeing the emergence of an industry with long-term potential, and that creates opportunities not only for today’s economy, but for the next generation as well.”

Bridal said North American Helium is investing in local communities, and recently provided a $100,000 donation to the Southwest Facility Foundation.

A news conference and tour of the new facility was held on Thursday, and photos from the tour can be viewed here.