Helium

NG & Other Industrial Gases

An essential ingredient in MRI machines, wafer manufacturing, welding, and more, helium is increasingly scarce and valuable. VVC targets recognized helium reserves by leasing mineral rights in oil and gas fields in the southwestern US by reactivating old gas wells, and drilling new ones, in fields that had previously tested for helium.

Helium & NG Production

VVC continues to activate discovered resources, permit and drill new well sites, and increase current helium and NG production. 


VVC produces helium & NG at its project in Kansas, Syracuse; the company’s focus helium & NG project. The company’s near production project is Stockholm; VVC’s top drilling priority property. 


Syracuse and Stockholm both connect to the Tumbleweed pipeline that connects to the Tumbleweed Midstream Ladder Creek Processing Plant. 

Helium Production Process

A diagram showing the process of completing a well and connecting to a pipeline.
A flow chart showing the steps of a process.

Helium & NG Exploration

In line with our leasing successes to date, VVC is actively acquiring additional leases in areas with proven production. VVC targets recognized helium & NG reserves in the Western United States in areas with wells that have been previously drilled with known helium & NG concentrations. The team focuses on evaluating data from previously drilled wells and geologic mapping in areas of interest to increase our drilling inventory.

A diagram showing known helium concentrations promising geologic formations and previously producing wells

Other Industrial Gases

Helium is a by-product other gas production, usually natural gas and nitrogen. Green nitrogen is in high demand. VVC is studying the possibility of processing and commercializing nitrogen and hydrogen from current properties.


VVC has drilled 98-99% pure nitrogen from Syracuse project. 


Natural gas contains methane (CH4) that can be used to produce hydrogen from VVC properties applying thermal processes. Today, 95% of the hydrogen produced in the United States is made by natural gas reforming in large central plants. This is an important technology pathway for near-term hydrogen production.

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Helium News & Updates

Summit Carbon Solutions’ CO2 pipeline approved in Iowa

October 15, 2024
The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) has approved Summit Carbon Solutions base pipeline project that will span around 688 miles and capture and store 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually. Summit Carbon Solutions’ project has seen extensive scrutiny in the US state previously. The IUB carried out an extensive review process over the last 34 months, which was made up of 33 public informational meetings, a public hearing, and a review of around 50,000 pages, among other processes.

Air Products could ‘deprive’ companies of privately-owned helium access, says Messer

September 25, 2024
Messer Americas has said that fellow industrial gas giant Air Products could deprive numerous third parties’ access to privately-owned helium stored at the Federal Helium System. This comes as Messer Helium Cliffside LLC (MHC) has been granted a temporary restraining order to prevent the shutdown of the former Federal Helium System that it recently acquired from the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Visualizing Natural Gas Reserves By Country

July 30, 2024
Natural gas is used to generate electricity, heat homes and buildings, and power vehicles. It is also a raw material in various industrial processes. In this graphic, creator Gopalakrishnan Ravichandran ranks natural gas reserves by country. He uses data from the bp Statistical Review, as of September 2023.
More announcements and updates→

VVC’s helium operations fall under its wholly-owned subsidiary, Plateau Helium.