Current Helium Shortage

[lloydwatkin]

Just got this email from BOC (although it applies to liquid helium that we use in the lab, but still I'm sure it applies):

GLOBAL HELIUM SHORTAGE

I am writing to inform you of a global helium shortage that is affecting all suppliers and will, unfortunately, impact your liquid helium supplies from BOC.
Pure helium is produced from certain natural gas sources around the world that contain high concentrations of the element. However, for the past few months, the amount produced has been struggling to keep up with market demands. The reasons for this are three-fold:

• Demand for helium has exceeded expectations largely as a result of rapid growth in helium based technologies in China and other Asian territories.
• New sources, namely in Qatar and Algeria, which have been constructed to provide for the market growth, have been slow to reach their name plate capacity output and are still some way off.
• Traditional sources in the USA have suffered extensive equipment failure since the summer. These normally reliable sources still account for the vast majority of global helium production. Very recently the main helium supply system (owned and operated by the US government) has required urgent repair and maintenance. This was always going to stretch the supply chain, however, just as the repair work had started, the second largest production system in the US had an unexpected failure and had to be shut down at the end of last week.

[Scuby]

Well shouldn't need so much for diving over the winter so sure that'll save 0.0000001% of the global demand for the next few months

[scubadoguk]

Macy's thanksgiving day parade has huge helium filled ballons going yesterday the guy gave a figure in the millions of sq feet of h used made me cry as I bet its vented to atmos at the end of the day
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

[The Doctor]

A

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by The Doctor

All the better for having a ybod

Hmm, those 3l cyls look a bit wasteful to me ;-)

Ian

[Lou]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Hmm, those 3l cyls look a bit wasteful to me ;-)

Ian

LOL! Shame about your signature because it would have been the perfect opportunity to have had someone reply with something along the lines of
"Yes, 'coz if you had a Boris you would never use any gas other than what you can breath for free on the boat"

I wonder if we have had the same warning from Linde. I shall have to ask at work on Monday. Be a bit of an issue if we have

[Digger]

Lou, I would be very surprised if BOC and Linde weren't in exactly the same boat, being as BOC Group is now owned by Linde. But I'd be interested to hear if BOC were sending out info that Linde weren't? Or the other way round?

Tip of the iceberg my friends. This is just the beginning.

Digs.

[Garf]

I suspect you're right Digger

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Garf

I suspect you're right Digger

I can give you a try dive on boris on Sunday if you like

Ian

[Scuby]

Deep air anyone?