Russia's Gazprom Initiates Amur Gas Plant Production, China as Major Buyer

September 11, 2023 - Vitali Malkolov, Vice Chairman of Gazprom, made a significant announcement during the Eastern Economic Forum, stating that Gazprom has initiated the operation of two production lines at the Amur Gas Processing Plant and has commenced the transportation of helium to the helium center.

He further disclosed that these two production lines were put into commercial operation on August 28, 2023, and the helium production line has also been initiated. The first batch of helium was transported from the plant to the helium center on September 5th. According to the plan, two more production lines are set to be put into operation early next year, with the goal of having all production lines operational by 2026. China is expected to be the primary buyer of the plant's resources.

Miller, the CEO of Gazprom, emphasized that the Amur Gas Processing Plant would be one of the world's largest helium production facilities when viewed on a global scale, underlining the significance of this project.

The Amur Gas Processing Plant project is located in the Svobodny District of Amur Region, Russia, and is one of the largest natural gas processing enterprises globally. Located approximately 200 kilometers from Heihe, China, it serves as the starting point for the China-Russia Eastern Gas Pipeline, with an annual raw gas processing capacity of 42 billion cubic meters and the capability to deliver 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China each year.

This announcement signifies the deepening of energy cooperation between Russia and China and presents new growth opportunities for the global helium market.