Global shortage of helium?

[Marie13]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/...valuable-helium-deposit-discovered-in-africa/

That huge helium deposit under Tanzania is even bigger than we thought

Thanks for posting that. I thought I had heard of something about a big helium discovery sometime in the last year or two.

 

[michael-fisch]

Other areas with large supplies of Helium are Libya/Algeria, Poland, Russia, and Venezuela. Too bad we have ****** relationships with 3 of the 4, or was that 2 of the 4.

Michael

 

[Couv]

If there was something really grand to see at 200’ in some very remote part of the world, and there was no helium, only air and O2 (meaning any nitrox mixtures you desire) and O/C with any tank configuration you want, would you guys do it?

Yes
Going past 200' That would depend on what's there, and if I have time to work up (or should that be down) to it.

 

[Griffo]

Other areas with large supplies of Helium are Libya/Algeria, Poland, Russia, and Venezuela. Too bad we have ****** relationships with 3 of the 4, or was that 2 of the 4.

Michael

We've also got massive LNG projects that could potentially become a He source if someone bothered to invest in it. The one facility we have that does extract it from the LNG has contracted to sell all of it to China. Very typical.

Current and future LNG projects across Australia offer the opportunity to deliver a helium-enriched by-product suitable for economic through downstream helium extraction.
Additionally, natural gas for domestic use also provides a ye to be tapped helium extraction potential. Australia has large volumes of natural gas containing variable helium concentrations with many above the lower limit of 0.04% helium in the raw gas used for helium extraction in other parts of the world. This study has shown that there is no significant loss of helium and nitrogen throughout the LNG process. This, together with estimated natural gas field remaining resources, resulted in a helium volumetric analysis whereby the Greater Sunrise (Bonaparte Basin), Ichthys (Browse Basin) and Goodwyn–North Rankin North West Shelf Venture (Northern Carnarvon Basin) gas accumulations potentially have a higher untapped value in helium extraction (i.e. resulting from current and future LNG production) compared with Australia’s sole commercial onshore helium extraction facility in Darwin, based on Bayu-Undan (Bonaparte Basin) natural gas. Of particular importance is that 14 of the 18 current and proposed/potential LNG projects also offer a helium-rich tail gas (>0.5% He) that could be considered suitable for helium extraction with appropriate technologies and economic environment for onshore and/or offshore helium production facilities. Hence, Australia has the potential for significant growth in the extraction of helium from natural gas to provide a reliable supply of this critical commodity now and into the future.

https://www.publish.csiro.au/AJ/pdf...FjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw3t2wY9b3tZG55KBve7CA1S

 

[Scubadude_LA]

Damn, not good news. I'm gonna order up some to bank.

 

[Degenerate]

Just curious, how much are you paying for helium in the US?
My 12L 232 bar doubles hold about 5,56k liters of air, or about 196cuft.
If I were to fill them with 21/35 to 232 bar the helium alone would be about the equivalent of 120usd.
If I were to fill them with 18/45 the helium would be the equivalent of 156usd.
About 1,76usd per cuft, that's crazy expensive for one dive when you factor in the other costs as well.

 

[Wookie]

Just curious, how much are you paying for helium in the US?
My 12L 232 bar doubles hold about 5,56k liters of air, or about 196cuft.
If I were to fill them with 21/35 to 232 bar the helium alone would be about the equivalent of 120usd.
If I were to fill them with 18/45 the helium would be the equivalent of 156usd.
About 1,76usd per cuft, that's crazy expensive for one dive when you factor in the other costs as well.

I sold helium for $1 a cubic foot pumped. So if you were diving 21/35 in 200 ft3 doubles, the fill price was $66 or so. I charged O2 at $.50 pumped.

 

[Vicko]

We had to start asking customers to bring their own bailout for 100+ meter dives when possible.
In Europe in general at the moment the prices are either crazy high or they won't sell to divers.

 

[Degenerate]

I sold helium for $1 a cubic foot pumped. So if you were diving 21/35 in 200 ft3 doubles, the fill price was $66 or so. I charged O2 at $.50 pumped.

Interesting, helium is way more expensive here but O2 would be a lot cheaper.
Local club charges ~$0.17 per cu ft of O2, converted from liters and SEK.

 

[Wookie]

Interesting, helium is way more expensive here but O2 would be a lot cheaper.
Local club charges ~$0.17 per cu ft of O2, converted from liters and SEK.

I paid $15,000 for the booster. It wasn’t just the cost of the gas, it was also the labor to pump it and wear and tear on the equipment. And I paid $95 for 300 cubic feet of ABO. I did not serve my guests welding grade. I don’t use welding grade myself.