The Large Hadron Collider, a welder’s workshop, a nuclear reactor, an MRI, and a birthday party all share a common element. Literally: All of them need helium. Liquid or gaseous, room temperature or near absolute zero, the world uses up about 8 billion cubic feet of this noblest of gases every year. And you may have heard that we’re running out.
Which is why the discovery of a huge pocket of helium in Tanzania, revealed yesterday at a conference in Japan, has received so much press. Researchers from the University of Oxford found helium released from rocks by underlying volcanic heat, and they found a lot of it. There’s at least 54 billion cubic feet of the stuff (enough to make everyone on Earth sound squeaky for about 20 minutes) and likely much more. That’s just under seven times the annual global demand. But it’s a reach to say that these researchers have resolved the global helium shortage---because there isn’t one.
Earth does have a finite supply of helium. Gravity can’t hold onto the tiny element once it’s moving quickly in the upper atmosphere, so it escapes into space. And because it’s small enough to slip through holes in rocks, helium would escape from Earth whether or not humans were sucking it up. Which they are---though it’s not as easy as sticking a straw in the ground. While some helium is made naturally through radioactive decay, it’s not a huge amount and it’s generally spread out over the crust. So scientists have to look for natural pockets that are a millions or billions of years old.
If quickly using up supplies of a resource millions of years in the making sounds like a job for the fossil fuel industry, you’re not wrong. Most of the world’s helium comes from natural gas, where it can exist in very small quantities. A good source will be about 3 percent helium, but more often helium hovers between 0.1 percent and 0.5 percent---nothing compared to the relatively astronomical 10 percent pocket found in Tanzania. But worldwide, helium is about a thousand times less lucrative than gas, so even though removing (inert) helium makes the gas burn better, companies don’t usually bother to take it out. “Normally, it’s an afterthought,” says Samuel Burton, assistant field manager at the Federal Helium Program. “It’s something that they don’t even consider because the natural gas makes so much more money for them.”
When helium’s price goes up---like it has for most of the past few years---natural gas companies are incentivized to sell extracted helium on its own. Countries like Qatar mine so much natural gas that even though it has relatively little helium, they can crank out a decent percentage of the world’s demand as an afterthought.
Most of the remainder currently comes from the Federal Helium Program’s underground tanks in Amarillo, Texas---though that’s changing. The US government started stockpiling helium back in the 1920s (when blimps were a viable wartime strategy) but they really got serious about it in the 1960s. “From ’62 to about ’75, they purchased about 34 billion cubic feet of crude helium,” Burton says. They’ve sold most of that off over the last 20 years or so, with the aim of closing their doors in 2021. Inconsistent and last-minute legislation about the rate of the selloff has helped to drive helium prices up over that time.
Increased prices usually mean lower supply, but that’s not true for this gas. “There is actually so much helium that’s flooding the market that it’s not in short supply at all,” Burton says. And as for the future, “I’ve seen a lot of talk about this global shortage of helium---that’s actually not the case. In the United States, we’ve got at least 20 years of known supplies that are easily, readily available.” There’s far more worldwide---including now this new rich deposit found in Tanzania. In 2014, the US Department of Interior estimated that there are 1,169 billion cubic feet of helium reserves left on Earth. That's enough for about 117 more years.
Helium isn’t infinite, of course, and it remains worth conserving. Many research labs, for instance, have developed ways of catching and recycling helium instead of letting it escape through cracks in (or just the outlet of) their experiments. But next time you see someone with helium balloons, don’t berate them. Enjoy the party instead.
As an enthusiast with a deep understanding of the topic, I bring to light the intricacies of helium production, consumption, and the recent discovery in Tanzania. My expertise is grounded in a comprehensive knowledge of the scientific principles governing helium, its industrial applications, and the global supply dynamics.
Firstly, let's dissect the article's key concepts:
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Helium's Importance Across Industries:
- The Large Hadron Collider, a welder’s workshop, a nuclear reactor, an MRI, and even a birthday party are mentioned as diverse applications that rely on helium.
- Helium is crucial for various technological and scientific processes, owing to its unique properties, such as its low boiling point and inert nature.
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Global Helium Demand and Supply:
- The world consumes approximately 8 billion cubic feet of helium annually, highlighting its widespread use.
- The article emphasizes the perception of a helium shortage, debunking it by introducing the discovery of a substantial helium reservoir in Tanzania, estimated at 54 billion cubic feet.
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Helium's Finite Nature and Escaping Mechanisms:
- The finite nature of helium on Earth is explained, primarily due to its ability to escape into space once it reaches the upper atmosphere.
- Gravity cannot retain helium moving quickly, and its small size enables it to escape through rocks, making it a challenging resource to retain.
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Helium Production from Natural Gas:
- Most of the world's helium is obtained from natural gas reservoirs, where it is found in varying concentrations, typically between 0.1 percent and 3 percent.
- The profitability of helium extraction is discussed, highlighting that helium, though enhancing the combustion of natural gas, is often considered an afterthought by companies due to its lower profitability compared to natural gas.
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Global Helium Market and Pricing:
- The global helium market is influenced by factors such as increasing prices and the business decisions of natural gas companies.
- Despite the rise in helium prices, there is a surplus in the market, challenging the notion of a helium shortage.
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Role of the Federal Helium Program:
- The Federal Helium Program in Amarillo, Texas, plays a significant role in supplying helium, and the article notes a shift in the helium supply landscape.
- Historical background, starting from the 1920s, highlights the U.S. government's involvement in helium stockpiling.
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Future Helium Supply and Conservation Efforts:
- The article challenges the idea of a global helium shortage, citing at least 20 years of known helium supplies in the United States.
- Conservation efforts are acknowledged, with mentions of research labs developing ways to catch and recycle helium.
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Helium Reserves and Estimates:
- The US Department of Interior's estimate from 2014 suggests there are 1,169 billion cubic feet of helium reserves on Earth, providing a substantial outlook for future supply.
In conclusion, my expertise in this field allows me to affirm that the recent discovery in Tanzania, coupled with existing helium reserves, challenges the narrative of a global helium shortage. The dynamics of helium production, market forces, and conservation efforts collectively contribute to a nuanced understanding of the helium landscape.
