Helium shortage risk widens

Helium is an invisible gas, but a disruption in Qatar has turned it into a visible risk for chip plants, data centers and other high-tech supply chains. (cen.acs.org) On March 2, QatarEnergy halted helium production at Ras Laffan after attacks tied to the Iran war, according to Chemical & Engineering News. The publication said Qatar accounts for roughly one-third of world helium supply and that a shutdown lasting more than two weeks could take months to unwind for customers. (cen.acs.org) Helium is used in semiconductor production to find leaks and control vacuum systems, which are the sealed low-pressure chambers where wafers are processed. Agilent says those chambers must hold a precise pressure range, and Inficon markets helium leak detectors specifically for semiconductor manufacturing. (agilent.com / inficon.com) The United States Geological Survey said U.S. helium sales were about 81 million cubic meters in 2025, with controlled atmospheres, fiber optics and semiconductors taking 17% of use. The agency also put 2025 net import reliance for helium at 52%, leaving U.S. buyers exposed to overseas shocks. (usgs.gov) That exposure increased after the federal government exited a century-old role in the market. The Bureau of Land Management closed the sale of the Federal Helium System to Messer on June 27, 2024, completing a privatization process set by the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013. (blm.gov) The United States Geological Survey said Qatar supplied 40% of U.S. helium imports from 2020 through 2023, ahead of Canada at 36% and Algeria at 10%. In 2024, the agency estimated domestic apparent consumption at 56 million cubic meters and said producers were already posting surcharges on top of a base price of about $14 per cubic meter. (usgs.gov) Qatar has been signaling both strain and expansion at the same time. On January 26, 2026, QatarEnergy signed a long-term deal to supply Air Liquide with about 300 million cubic feet of helium a year and said output is set to more than double through North Field liquefied natural gas expansion projects. (qna.org.qa) That leaves buyers balancing a near-term shipping and production shock against a longer-term promise of more supply. The immediate question is not whether helium exists underground, but whether plants in Qatar can run and whether cargo can move through the Strait of Hormuz. (cen.acs.org / qna.org.qa) For chipmakers and the companies buying graphics processors for artificial intelligence, the pinch point is upstream and physical: a specialty gas, a vacuum seal and a shipping route. If those three hold, helium stays obscure; if they do not, it moves to the front of the production schedule. (agilent.com / usgs.gov / cen.acs.org)