One of the most abundant elements in universe has become rare- Helium

Okay I think I remember hearing something about this a few months back but it did not come to reality till this weekend.

My mom is celebrating her 80th birthday and I went to get some balloons.  As I was having the clerk fill the balloons I choose she goes on to tell me that I was lucky, they did not know if they would be getting a tank in due to the Helium Shortage.

                                      Helium Atom Wenatchee Home Inspection

So what gives?

Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe. Helium is so abundant in outer space it makes up about 23% of the mass of the visible universe. Stars produce Helium via nuclear fusion every moment in time. It is used worldwide for everyone from physicists to computer chip makers to my balloon vendor who was worried about her supply.

 

                                      

It turns out that the federal government is getting out of the “Helium” business after more than eighty years of production (hey that’s my Mom’s age… coincidence?). It was hoped that the private sector would step in and fill the void. But this has not been the case.

As it turns out the United States is to Helium as what Saudi Arabia is to oil. The US produced about 90% of the commercially available Helium in the world until recently. The US has been producing helium since 1929.

                                            Helium from periodic table Wenatchee Home Inspection

In 1996, Congress passed the Helium Privatization Act.  This was to allow private industry to take over Helium production from the government. Well that has not turned out as well as they hoped.

Though helium is not rare in the universe it is rarer on our planet and it is somewhat costly to extract. The US has wells in Texas as part of the Federal Helium Reserve that was established in 1925 near Amarillo. Oklahoma and Kansas are the principal world sources. Algeria, Canada, Poland and Russia also are producers at lower levels.  It has been calculated that helium makes up only about 0.000001% of the combined weight of the earth's atmosphere and crust. But most of it is concentrated in the exosphere, which is the outermost region of the atmosphere. This is 600-1500 miles above the earth's surface.

Some helium is extracted directly from the atmosphere but the majority of “Crude Helium” is separated from natural gas production through liquefaction and purification.

Helium Production Worldwide


New plants are scheduled to come online in the coming year but till that happens we could still be facing some shortages.

Ancora Imparo


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10 Comments on One of the most abundant elements in universe has become rare- Helium

DEC
02

Wow!  Extremely interesting and one of those things I have taken for granted of course and never thought about it.
9:07am • #1
106,206 Points 3 Featured Posts

Just another example of how privitization isn't the panacea that some people think it is.
9:26am • #2
293,069 Points 66 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Cooper, I did not think of it till this weekend.

Leslie, This can be true at time. Turns out there is a private company in Wyoming that was suppose to be online by now but they have had several setbacks and delays.

 

Here is an interesting article I found

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/helium/mcs-2012-heliu.pdf
9:39am • #3
917,068 Points 178 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Don, now how am I going to talk in a squeaky voice?
10:17am • #4
207,188 Points 3 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

There goes the budget for heliem balloons.  I may have to cutback a few balloons here or there.  Just having some fun.

Another two elements that are in abundant supply here in San Francisco. Hydrogen and Oxegen.  Lots of H2O this weekend.
10:20am • #5
155,778 Points 13 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Just use air in the balloons and get used to hanging them upside down. Lead balloons, no where have I heard that before...
11:04am • #6
293,069 Points 66 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

No more high pitchin for you Charlie.

Frank what a party pooper I am.

 

Robert, you can heat em up.
6:04pm • #7
DEC
03
975,584 Points 350 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

For the private sector to take over something there has to be profit in it.  When the gubment does something, it's with somebody else's money - like mine.  They don't care about the profit part.

There's a shortage of bees too.  Maybe the two shortages can be combined and they can symbiotically produce each other?
1:35am • #8
293,069 Points 66 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Jay, I understand your sentiment but in some cases just not about money. Remember these companies are already making money off of natural gas.

Also sometimes the private sector just does not do that good of job. I know many believe that if the gubment does something that it will more costly and a poorer job but that is just not the case in some areas.

My brother worked for NOAA performing the costal survey. He had been there long enough to go from NOAA doing it all to having much of the work being performed by private companies. The gubmet thought it could save money by privatizing. The end result was that the cost savings was never achieved and quality went downhill. They spent more money correcting bad information and auditing the companies to ensure compliance. 

So it is not always best for private industry to do some things as counter intuitive it may seem.
6:26am • #9
975,584 Points 350 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Don, are you saying that if there is not profit in something it will be pursued by a private entreprenuer?  Profit encourages the pursuit.  If the producers of natural gas, which are abundantly supplied as you know, cannot integrate horizontally to ALSO provide helium (I suggest it wouldn't require much change in the way of procedures and equipment) there must be a reason they are not.

I suggest the reason is money.
11:07am • #10


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