Helium: The “gold gas” of natural gas

Helium is extensively used in the fields of aerospace, low-temperature superconductivity, medicine and high tech. It is a kind of irreplaceable strategic rare resource and is called “gold gas”. At present, the global helium resources are mainly concentrated in a few countries such as the United States, Qatar, Algeria, Russia and Canada. China has a few helium resources, low helium production, and is heavily dependent on imports. Some attention has been paid to helium in China, and different scholars have put forward different modes of helium enrichment and accumulation, which provide a reference for the rule of helium enrichment in recent years. With the successive commissioning of helium extraction projects in China, the production of helium will continue to increase, but far below demand, external dependence will remain at a high level. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the protection, exploration and development of helium carriers such as helium-rich natural gas reservoirs and geothermal water, continue to promote the high-quality development of helium extraction technology, increase the import, and improve the reserve of helium resources.