Orenburg helium refinery – helium-producing enterprise, the leading manufacturer of helium and methane in Russia. The refinery is located in Orenburg Region, in Kholodnye Klyuchi village.

The rationale behind this refinery construction was shortage of helium in Russia and great need for helium in various industries (mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering, rocket engineering, nuclear engineering and space engineering). In 1978 the first unit was put on stream processing 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas. The total of 6 units were built capable of processing up to 18 billion cubic meters recovering up to 8.8 million cubic meters of helium, 400 thousand tons of ethane, 900 thousand tons of NGL.

Natural gas produced from the Orenburg field and stripped from H2S and CO2 at amine plants of the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant is the feedstock for helium production. Besides, not containing helium gas from Karachaganak oil and gas condensate field (Kazakhstan) and de-ethanization gases from Orenburg GPP are also used as feedstock. Currently annual throughput of the helium refinery is 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas (5 operating units).