NOT every commodity contributes both to the gaiety of existence and life-saving technology.
Helium does not just fill balloons and render voices squeaky. In gaseous form the inert, lighter-than-air gas is used in a range of applications from welding and fibre-optic technology to deep-sea diving. Super-cold liquid helium is essential to making and running the superconducting magnets for MRI scanners and to manufacturing electronic devices from TVs to phones. The world stands on the edge of a “helium cliff” precisely because the gas has always proved so useful.
Unless American politicians can come to an agreement by October 7th, supplies could face a sudden and dramatic shortfall. A third of the world’s helium comes from an underground reservoir in Texas built up under government auspices and run by the Bureau of Land Management. Such was the supposed strategic value of helium, a by-product of natural gas, that a reserve was created in 1925 to supply the gas to inflate airships. So jealously did America guard its helium that other countries had to fill dirigibles with flammable hydrogen—the Hindenburg was one of dozens that went up in flames as a result.
Once airships had drifted out of fashion, helium remained crucial to the space race and nuclear-weapons development. Nonetheless overall demand tapered. By the mid-1990s the cost of running the Federal Helium Reserve, which bought all the helium that gas firms could produce, was too steep to justify a buffer that was not needed. Lawmakers decided to close it and sell most of the accumulated helium to pay off debts of $1.4 billion.
Because these debts are now paid, federal funding will be cut unless Congress agrees on a deal before October 7th to keep financing the reserve. Such a deal ought to be doable: the Senate agreed to keep the reserve going on September 19th. But given the bitter fight over the entire federal budget, helium may be overlooked. If so, supplies of 2.1 billion cubic feet a year until the reserve is emptied in 2019, out of a global market of 6.3 billion, will stop.
The Latest Bing News on:
Helium
- Helium-3: Mining the fuel of the future on the Moonon May 11, 2024 at 8:40 pm
Plans are already underway to harvest this material from the lunar surface where lunar water will also be available from its craters ...
- BlockDAG Marks Its Debut on CoinMarketCap at London’s Iconic Piccadilly Circus, Outshining Helium and ApeCoinon May 11, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Unveil the future of Helium and stay updated on ApeCoin, while delving into BlockDAG's standout characteristics that position it as the leading investment option.
- Helium and hydrogen company set to join stock market in boost for Cityon May 11, 2024 at 1:50 pm
We understand a reverse takeover of Georgina Energy by shell company Mining Minerals and Metals will be confirmed within days.
- Next Cryptocurrency To Explode Friday, May 10 — The Graph, dogwifhat, Fantom, Heliumon May 10, 2024 at 10:48 am
According to today's market data, this article explores cryptocurrencies with explosive potential. Below are details of what makes these coins promising.
- Best Crypto to Buy Now May 10 – Pepe, Helium, Aaveon May 10, 2024 at 8:56 am
Identifying the top cryptocurrency to invest in at any given moment is an ongoing challenge, given the daily launch of numerous tokens.
- Majors grapple with fragmenting global helium marketon May 9, 2024 at 3:29 am
Air Liquide CEO François Jackow said the overall picture in helium in the first quarter was positive for the company, but noted how that solid overarching picture was only a part of the story, with ...
- Royal Helium Licensing High Impact Helium Well at Forty Mile, Southern Albertaon May 9, 2024 at 1:31 am
SASKATOON, SK, May 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Royal Helium Ltd. (TSXV: RHC) (TSXV: RHC.WT.A) (OTCQB: RHCCF) ("Royal" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has begun licensing and permitting for the ...
- The EU’s sanctions odyssey: Understanding the proposed restrictions on Russian LNG and heliumon May 8, 2024 at 5:00 pm
On 8 May, EU ambassadors met to discuss options for the bloc’s 14th sanctions package against Russia, which the European Commission hopes can be adopted by July. The European Union’s most impactful ...
- A Hidden Helium Bonanza Has Suddenly Appeared in Minnesotaon May 8, 2024 at 7:51 am
Helium is an important resource for many applications, especially MRI machines, but the gas is hard to come by on planet Earth. While the world has been suffering a helium shortage for more than a ...
- Royal Helium Announces Closing of $6 Million Bought-Deal Public Offeringon May 8, 2024 at 7:13 am
CNW/ - Royal Helium Ltd. (TSXV: RHC) (OTCQB: RHCCF) ("Royal" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Helium
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Helium” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Helium supply
- Helium-3: Mining the fuel of the future on the Moonon May 11, 2024 at 8:40 pm
Plans are already underway to harvest this material from the lunar surface where lunar water will also be available from its craters ...
- Pulsar Helium Inc’s Topaz Minnesota Project Is Well Positioned to Help Alleviate Global Shortageon May 10, 2024 at 12:55 pm
Pulsar Helium Inc (Pulsar) announced extraordinarily high helium concentrations of up to 13.8% from its Jetstream #1 appraisal well ...
- Best Crypto to Buy Now May 10 – Pepe, Helium, Aaveon May 10, 2024 at 8:56 am
Identifying the top cryptocurrency to invest in at any given moment is an ongoing challenge, given the daily launch of numerous tokens.
- Majors grapple with fragmenting global helium marketon May 9, 2024 at 3:29 am
Air Liquide CEO François Jackow said the overall picture in helium in the first quarter was positive for the company, but noted how that solid overarching picture was only a part of the story, with ...
- A Hidden Helium Bonanza Has Suddenly Appeared in Minnesotaon May 8, 2024 at 7:51 am
Although helium is very abundant throughout the universe, a quarter of our sun is made up of the stuff, the element on Earth is devilishly hard to come by. Because the element is so precious, the U.S.
- Helium, polyethylene and more: Australia loses basic-materials industrieson May 6, 2024 at 7:26 pm
Australia is losing its ability to manufacture basic materials, with recent plant closures spelling the end to local production of polyethylene and the industrial gas helium, while the future of ...
- Helium ($HNT) Price Targets New Highs With Wallet Updateon May 5, 2024 at 10:23 am
Helium's latest surge to $5.43 and the pivotal wallet update signal robust growth, enhancing network reliability and HNT's market stance.
- Helium shortage bursting more than balloons at Disneylandon April 29, 2024 at 5:00 pm
SUPPLY SHORTAGE IN U.S. Helium is found underground and mined along with natural gas. But a growing focus in recent years on shale gas mining in the United States has led to a sharp drop in the ...
- Astronomers discover the most metal-poor extreme helium staron April 16, 2024 at 5:01 pm
Using the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), astronomers have performed high-resolution observations of a recently detected extreme helium star designated EC 19529–4430. It turned out that ...
- It’s rare, pricey and irreplaceable -here’s why helium’s on the riseon April 8, 2024 at 5:00 pm
“As a good example of how the Ukraine situation has disrupted helium supply, Algeria, which had two big LNG plants that supplied about 8 per cent of the world’s helium supply, is now feeding ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Helium supply
[google_news title=”” keyword=”helium supply” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]