However, with demand for helium having continued to increase, shortage 2.0 was experienced in many global regions throughout 2019 and into 2020 as gas suppliers restricted supply, causing labs to experience further shortages and price increases. This stabilized global supply and gave other global helium producers time to increase production and improve supply chain efficiency. These factors, coupled with an increasing demand for helium from newly industrialized countries such as China, meant that as supply became short, customers faced stark price increases and supply problems as private companies struggled to meet demand.įollowing shortage 1.0, the US government rushed through the helium stewardship act in 2013, which prolonged the operation of the NHR through to 2018, by which time all helium stocks were mandated to be auctioned to private gas suppliers. Helium shortage 1.0, in 2013, was caused by a perfect storm of worldwide refinery equipment failures and shutdowns and scheduled maintenance in several of the world’s natural gas refineries disrupting supply. In 2012, the US produced an estimated 78% of the world’s helium, of which around 30% came from the NHR 2. The HPA was an attempt to wipe out the site’s $1.4 billion debt (equivalent of $2.4 billion 2021), through a planned sell-off of the US national reserves by 2015. However, post-war federal helium demand was lower than predicted and with private demand far exceeding federal demand, in 1996 the US government passed the Helium Privatization Act (HPA). Much of this helium was stored at the NHR and prices were fixed with a view to cover the costs of the program and to pay off debts. In 1960, Congress amended the Helium Act to provide natural gas producers with incentives to extract crude helium and sell it to the government. Helium was primarily produced for military use and until 1960 the federal government was the sole producer of helium in the US. In 1921, the US established the National Helium Reserve (NHR), and from 1929 the US was the world’s largest producer of helium, with the Bureau of Mines coordinating extraction and refining programs 1. Ed Connor, GC Product Specialist at PEAK Scientific, explores the current status of global helium supply and looks at how GC labs can adapt to reduce reliance on helium. As the US Bureau of Land Management, which manages the Federal Helium Reserve in Texas, prepares to dispose of all assets by the end of 2021, this guest editorial by Dr. Ed Connor, GC Product Specialist at PEAK Scientificįor almost a decade, helium availability and price have been a key area of concern for analytical laboratories worldwide.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |