The province says Saskatchewan is now officially home to the largest helium purification facility in Canada. The new $32 million facility, near Battle Creek in the province’s southwest, is owned and operated by North American Helium Inc. It is expected to produce more than 50 million cubic feet per year of purified helium for commercial sale; enough to fill about 400,000 party balloons a day.

Helium is used in medical research, semiconductor manufacturing, space exploration, fibre optics, and advancements in nuclear power generation.

Helium is included on both the Canadian and American lists of critical minerals, considered necessary for the modern economy, and emerging technologies, or which face supply chain risks.

There are now nine active helium wells in the province and 24 in the drilling process. The Government of Saskatchewan expects the number of helium wells will eventually surpass 100.

Saskatchewan is one of the few jurisdictions in the world that can support the drilling of dedicated helium wells, rather than as a by-product of hydrocarbon production. The provincial government says this makes helium production significantly more environmentally friendly in Saskatchewan than in competing jurisdictions.

Prices for helium have risen by more than 160 per cent since 2017, as a result of increased global demand and shortage of supply. Canada currently has the fifth-largest helium resources in the world, with significant underground reserves in Saskatchewan.