Często zadawane pytania — Helium ACT (2024)

FAQs

What is the helium Conservation Act? ›

The first major development in helium production was the Helium Conservation Act of March 3, 1925. It established a production and sales program under the control of a centralized entity, the United States Bureau of Mines.

The Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 (HSA) seeks to mitigate a helium shortage by enabling the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the BLM to continue to sell crude helium from the Federal Helium Reserve.

Soon after the passage of the Mineral Leasing Act, Congress recognized the need to ensure that helium would be available for defense needs, and created the Federal helium program in 1925. By 1929, the Bureau of Mines began operating helium extraction and purification plants in the Texas panhandle.

A contract for 18 million cubic feet (510,000 m³) of helium was approved, but Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes blocked export of the gas due to its potential for military use. During World War II, military demand for helium rose, so the federal government built a number of new helium extraction plants.

The BLM operates and maintains a helium storage reservoir, enrichment plant, and pipeline system near Amarillo, TX, that supplies over 20% of the domestic and 9% of the global demand for helium.

Similar to economic recessions, it can be difficult to identify the precise start or end of a helium shortage. All the same, Kornbluth Helium Consulting (KHeC) believes that, after winding down gradually during the second half of 2023, Helium Shortage 4.0 (HS-4.0) ended by the end of 2023 or early in Q1 of 2024.

NASA has selected three companies to supply 1.4 million liters of liquid helium and 87.7 million standard cubic feet of gaseous helium for use at facilities across the agency.

NASA uses helium to keep hot gases and ultra-cold liquid fuel separated during lift-off of rockets. Arc welding uses helium to create an inert gas shield. Similarly, divers and others working under pressure can use a mix of helium and oxygen to create a safe artificial breathing atmosphere.

History of Federal Helium Supply

The reserve is managed by The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and supplies ~50% of the US market and ~30% of the world market. The Federal Helium Program started in 1925 to supply the military with a reliable source of helium used in buoyant aircraft such as blimps.

The earth's crust does emit some helium, but it's extremely light and rises into the atmosphere, making it quite difficult to harvest. This is one of the biggest reasons there's a helium shortage. Another factor is the increased demand of advanced tools and technologies throughout the years.

Why do humans need helium? ›

Its low boiling point and thermal conductivity at cryogenic temperatures make it an ideal coolant in the laboratory. As a noble gas, helium is also an inert gas that can be used to protect both humans and sensitive equipment from hazardous atmospheres in chemical reactions or welding processes.

The United States and Qatar are the largest helium producers worldwide.

“However, the good news is that we're not running out of helium,” Trønnes says. The Earth's interior is absolutely enormous, and this is where the helium comes from. “It will continue to seep out through rocks and cracks forever,” he says.

Can helium be made artificially? Helium can be found in abundance all over the universe. In fact, it is the second most abundant element known to man. Because of its chemical composition, it is not possible to produce helium artificially, which is why it is extracted from natural gas wells.

If our supply ran out, it could spell the end of MRI testing, LCD screens and birthday party balloons. Or it could make all of those things much more expensive. Although argon — another inert gas — can be substituted for helium for welding purposes, no other element can do what helium can do in super cold applications.

“However, the good news is that we're not running out of helium,” Trønnes says. The Earth's interior is absolutely enormous, and this is where the helium comes from. “It will continue to seep out through rocks and cracks forever,” he says.

A 1927 amendment to the Helium Control Act of 1925 stated “no helium gas shall be exported from the United States . . . until after application” and approval from the President and the recommendations of the Secretaries of Commerce, War, and Navy.

National defense applications include rocket engine testing, scientific balloons, surveillance craft, air-to-air missile guidance systems, and more. Helium is used to cool thermographic cameras and equipment used by search and rescue teams and medical personnel to detect and monitor certain physiological processes.

If our supply ran out, it could spell the end of MRI testing, LCD screens and birthday party balloons. Or it could make all of those things much more expensive. Although argon — another inert gas — can be substituted for helium for welding purposes, no other element can do what helium can do in super cold applications.