Having helium as a resource in Saskatchewan provides another employment opportunity for those who would usually work in oil and gas, because the two are functionally identical. That, from the President and CEO of Royal Helium, a company which made a major discovery of the inert gas near Climax last year.

Andrew Davidson says just about every service provider and every contractor Royal Helium uses is from the oil and gas industry, and the equipment is the same, including the drilling rigs. So, as governments and the industry work towards net-zero carbon targets, helium can be a part of the solution. Davidson adds that his company has the potential to be a good sized employer in the areas where they operate, including Climax, Weyburn, Estevan, Frontier and Shaunavon.

There is also the trickle down economic effect, where Royal Helium’s projects will lead to indirect jobs for contractors and service providers, and from using the local services. Helium is used in high tech manufacturing, which includes building microchips, semiconductors, and fibre optics.