US EditionThe war in Iran is about to hit the helium supply, which is critical for more than just party balloons
Damage to helium facilities near Gulf oil sites risks shortages critical for MRI and chip production, with party balloons accounting for only 10% of use, analysts say.
- Iranian missiles crippled QatarEnergy's Ras Laffan Industrial City plant on Wednesday, taking one-third of global helium supplies offline as a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz halts operations.
- Qatar produces 30% of the world's helium, a critical input for MRI machines, semiconductors, and medical imaging. The disruption threatens industries dependent on this specialized gas.
- South Korea and Taiwan, the world's largest chipmakers, are particularly vulnerable, having sourced 55% and 69% of helium from Gulf nations respectively. Phil Kornbluth, president of Kornbluth Helium Consulting, told CNBC on Monday that spot prices surged 70% to 100%.
- Despite current reliance on existing reserves, Kornbluth warned that "there's going to be price increases," with even priority buyers facing higher costs during the transition period.
- Restarting production would take at least five weeks after any ceasefire, though analysts estimate the current supply deficit is closer to 15% than 30% due to past oversupply acting as a cushion.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The war in Iran is about to hit the helium supply, which is critical for more than just party balloons
The cost of gasoline may be getting a lot of the attention, but blockages in the Strait of Hormuz impacts other industries too. Doctors are warning about the possibility of generic drugs being in short supply soon. Farmers are concerned about the cost of fertilizer, which in turn could change food prices.And continued blockages in the strait could lead to shortages of helium the gas that is used in party balloons, and a lot more besides.Phil Kor…
The conflict in Iran has begun to shift its effects beyond oil and gas, with a direct impact on a critical input that rarely occupies headlines.The helium, which is fundamental to the technological industry, faces a disruption that introduces tensions in prices, supply chains and industrial production.See more: Gold and silver collapses: what is behind the turn that shakes the metal marketsThe closure of the Strait of Ormuz has restricted export…
The Iran struggle is threatening provide of a little-thought-of useful resource — helium. What it means for markets
The struggle within the Center East might pose a risk to the semiconductor business and different sectors depending on a useful resource produced within the Gulf — helium. Helium is a little-known however key enter in lots of industries, most notably know-how. In semiconductor manufacturing, its cooling properties are used to switch warmth. Helium can also be indispensable in photolithography, a method used to print every chip’s intricate circui…
Although concerns about the supply of crude oil and gas have been drawn attention since the beginning of the conflict, the shortage of helium endangers the semiconductor industry
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