View Full Version : Looking for information on Helium industry
xoomboy
January 9th, 2003, 05:04 PM
Does anyone have any links or information pertaining to current players in the Helium industry's private sector?
Also, I'm looking for info on what the government is intending to do with the national helium reserve (~46 billion cu.ft.) now that the reorganization has taken place. Supposedly 1/2 was going to the DoD, and 1/2 was going to the private sector.
Thanks,
Matt
chickdiver
January 9th, 2003, 05:09 PM
Honestly, I know NOTHING about this, but I just had to say....
If the gov. is looking for somewhere in the "private sector" to put some HE, I'll be happy to clean out my garage (and kitchen, and bath, and bedroom, heck, all I need is acouple square feet for me and my laptop!)
xoomboy
January 9th, 2003, 05:20 PM
Well, I imagine they're going to SELL it to the private sector, not give it away :)
chickdiver
January 9th, 2003, 05:22 PM
One can always dream.....
Drew Sailbum
January 9th, 2003, 08:02 PM
One half of that reserve works out to 23 billion cuft. That makes for quite a bit of bottom gas.
How much? Take a hypothetical scuba tank the size of the Goodyear Blimp and fill it to 3000psi with 18-50 trimix. And then repeat another 1,095 times.
Scubaroo
January 9th, 2003, 08:06 PM
erm, how and where is this national reserve stored? Are these calculated natural helium reserves, or processed helium reserves in tanks somewhere? :confused:
omar
January 9th, 2003, 09:58 PM
The Bureau of Mines used to own gas rights on the 50,000_acre, helium-bearing natural gas structure known as the Cliffside Field, in Potter County near Amarillo, TX. Now the Bureau of Land Management, in the Department of the Interior manages the helium storage in the Cliffside facility.
See:
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/helium/
The cost of production will make you sick when you compare it to the price to buy the stuff at typical suppliers.
omar
detroit diver
January 9th, 2003, 10:07 PM
omar once bubbled...
The Bureau of Mines used to own gas rights on the 50,000_acre, helium-bearing natural gas structure known as the Cliffside Field, in Potter County near Amarillo, TX. Now the Bureau of Land Management, in the Department of the Interior manages the helium storage in the Cliffside facility.
See:
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/helium/
The cost of production will make you sick when you compare it to the price to buy the stuff at typical suppliers.
omar
From the report:
Events, Trends, and Issues: During 2001, BOC Gases, Inc., Air Products and Chemicals Inc., and Praxair, Inc.,
announced helium price increases. The increases were in response to rising costs of purchasing, producing and
distributing helium. The higher costs for helium are due to increased worldwide helium demand which has shifted
supply to higher cost natural gas used for helium refining and from which helium is extracted. It is anticipated that the
trend toward higher costs will continue as the industry experiences helium shortages. The helium shortages will result
from continued depletion of U.S. helium reserves and the worldwide increase in demand for helium. It is anticipated
that demand for helium will grow at a rate of about 8% per year through the end of 2002. During 2001, helium exports
increased significantly due to continued increased European demand for helium. In early 2001, the AMFO initiated
work on the drafting of helium regulations to provide guidance for the Federal helium program. Prior to starting the work
on the regulations, several public meetings were conducted to obtain feedback from any and all interested parties;
drafting of the regulations was underway in late 2001.
and:
Hydrogen is also
being investigated as a substitute for helium in deep-sea diving applications below 1,000 feet.
That is interesting. The Hindenberg comes to mind.
Divesherpa
January 9th, 2003, 10:31 PM
Drew Sailbum once bubbled...
How much? Take a hypothetical scuba tank the size of the Goodyear Blimp and fill it to 3000psi with 18-50 trimix.
We would have a blimp with a 70 foot END @220 fsw. That's a lot of lead, but at least the head is clear.
detroit diver
January 9th, 2003, 10:34 PM
Does this require a blimp diving specialty card?:)
merkin
January 11th, 2003, 06:35 PM
Out of curiousity I asked at work - we get liquid helium for $4 per liter, liquid nitrogen for about $0.30 per liter. A liter of each is probably more than enough to fill several tanks for trimix....
detroit diver
January 11th, 2003, 06:57 PM
That's cheap, but a couple of problems arise.
How do you handle it?
How do you store it?
How do you pressurize it?
DocRCH
January 14th, 2003, 03:54 PM
Earlier I had started a thread on He costs. A friend of mine works for Praxair, and they (at this time) are doulbling the price of the He that they sell. Apparently, there are only about 3 companies in the world that mine He and they can set whatever price the market will take. Its industrial uses is why they can charge what they want to.
Robert:doctor:
