Gazprom Export LLC signed a memorandum of understanding for development of helium reserves in Eastern
Siberia with Matheson, a unit of Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corp. The parent company is Japan’s largest helium supplier.
Plans call for Gazprom to build a pipeline from Yakutia to Vladivostok via Khabarovsk for gas from Chayandinskoye
field, triggering large-scale gas processing development in Eastern Russia.
A new liquid helium plant near Blagoveshensk is scheduled to begin production around 2018.
Matheson said it will provide helium industry expertise and take significant volumes of helium.