Doha, Qatar - 23 February, 2016

RasGas Company Limited (RasGas), the operator of Ras Laffan's helium production, storage, loading and sales facilities, reached a significant milestone recently when it delivered its 5,000th cargo of helium from Helium-1 plant, further cementing Qatar's position as one of the world's leading helium producers and exporters.

This achievement marks a key moment in RasGas' optimisation of Qatar's North Field resources and demonstrates that Qatari helium is playing its part in shaping the world of the future.

Reflecting on the company's success in helium production and export, RasGas' Chief Marketing & Shipping Officer, Mr. Khalid Sultan R. Al Kuwari said, "Qatar has two key advantages as one of the most prominent helium exporters. First, our liquefied natural gas (LNG), and thus helium, is derived from multiple upstream projects, positioning us as a reliable choice in the market and setting us apart from single-source suppliers. Second, our multiple LNG trains and two helium plants make Qatar uniquely flexible in our production capabilities."

RasGas, which recently awarded the Sales and Purchase Agreement and Engineering, Procurement and Construction Agreement for the Helium 3 plant, has successfully diversified into the production of helium, a non-hydrocarbon, non-renewable resource.

Market studies show that world demand for helium has increased by 2.7 per cent since 2013, and demand in Asia is expected to grow at 4.5 per cent per year to 2020.

Helium has high value applications in science, medicine and high-tech industries, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fibre optics and metallurgy.

-Ends- 

About RasGas
RasGas Company Limited (RasGas) is a Qatari joint stock company established in 2001 by Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil RasGas Inc. RasGas acts as the operating company for and on behalf of the owners of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects RL, RL (II) and RL3 (Project Owners).  With operations facilities based in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, RasGas' principal activities are to extract, process, liquefy, store and export LNG and its derivatives from Qatar's North Field. RasGas, on behalf of the Project Owners, exports to countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas with a total LNG production capacity of approximately 37 million tonnes per annum.

For pipeline sales gas to the domestic market, RasGas also operates the Al Khaleej Gas Projects, AKG-1 and AKG-2 supplying approximately 2.0 billion standard cubic feet (Bscf) per day. RasGas is currently adding production capacity by managing the construction of the Barzan Gas Project which when fully operational, is expected to supply approximately 1.4 Bscf of additional sales gas per day to the Qatari market to meet growing demand for energy at power stations and downstream industries.

RasGas currently operates the Ras Laffan Helium Plant which was established in 2003 and came on stream in 2005. The plant extracts, purifies and liquefies helium from the North Field. The second helium plant entered production in June 2013 bringing the total liquid helium production capacity to 1.96 Bscf per year.

www.rasgas.com

© Press Release 2016