ONGC launches helium extraction plant

Chennai: The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)launched India's first pilot plant to extract helium from natural gas at Kuthalam in Nagapattinam district.

The pilot project was launched with the technical assistance from Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

'The entire requirement of helium (around 180,000 cubic metre a year) in India is currently met through imports at a cost of nearly US $2 per cubic metre. The supply-demand imbalance in global market could grow into a big crisis. This pilot plant could play a significant role in ensuring the energy security of the nation,' said RS Sharma, CMD, ONGC. The company has set up the plant with an initial investment of Rs 6.5 crore.