Membrane unit for helium extraction from natural gas wins top Science and Technology Prize

The award ceremony for the 2021 edition of Gazprom's Science and Technology Prize took place at the meeting of the Company's Management Committee.

The total economic benefit from the award-winning solutions and technologies exceeds RUB 102 billion.

“The high level of the Company's technological development and the speed of innovation are among the most important competitive advantages of Gazprom. For many years, we have been systematically developing our own research-intensive technological solutions. In close alignment with Russian research institutions and industrial enterprises, we have been creating advanced technologies that are often miles ahead of their foreign equivalents. In some cases, they are not one but two generations ahead. The corporate contest in the field of science and technology is an important part of this work,” said Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee.

The top prize went to the paper entitled “Scientific substantiation, development and implementation of the innovative membrane unit for helium extraction from natural gases of Eastern Siberia and Russia's Far East.” The work was presented by Gazprom Proyektirovaniye. Its co-authors include Gazprom, Gazprom Dobycha Irkutsk, and Gazprom Dobycha Noyabrsk.

The unit makes it possible to regulate helium content in the extracted multi-component gas directly at the production site prior to feeding the gas into the gas pipeline. This reduces helium content in the gas down to the amount to be subsequently extracted at the processing facilities and delivered to consumers.

Russia's first membrane unit was put in operation at the Chayandinskoye field.

Second place went to Gazprom Transgaz Tomsk for the paper entitled “Development of next-generation digital radio relay equipment and its implementation on the Power of Siberia gas trunkline.”

The author teams of the following papers were also awarded:

• “Methodology for maintaining the required reliability of pipelines at compressor stations with the use of robotic diagnostic complexes” by Gazprom Transgaz Yugorsk.
• “Development and implementation of an innovative method of well workover to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adverse environmental impacts” by Severneftegazprom.
• “Development and implementation of innovative algorithms for processing the results of ultrasonic control and diagnostics of pipelines of the Unified Gas Supply System on the basis of performance evaluation models during the repairs and operation of facilities of Gazprom” by Gazprom Transgaz Tchaikovsky.
• “Development and implementation of a package of innovative solutions for automated control of electromagnetic suspension of compressor rotors to improve the performance of gas compressor units” by Gazprom Transgaz Nizhny Novgorod.
• “Comprehensive systematic studies of dangerous hydrometeorological, ice and lithodynamic phenomena on the Sakhalin shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk” by Gazprom VNIIGAZ.
• “Creation of a digital space for the pre-qualification procedure” by Gazprom Purchases.
• “Package of sci-tech solutions for increasing the energy efficiency of the gas heating technology at gas distribution stations” by Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta.
• “Development of the innovative hybrid stand-alone power supply system SAE-110 for remote low-power facilities of Gazprom” by Gazprom Nedra.