Helium Prospects for the Future: Is There a Crisis?

Abstract

In the 1966–68 period, private industry made a major commitment to the helium business. Plants were built to extract, purify and liquefy helium. Subsequent expansions have more than doubled the original capacity. A completely new distribution system was developed based on bulk transport of liquid helium. This system was extended to Europe, Japan, Australia, Brazil and other countries. During the following decade and a half up through 1981 the availability of helium to users everywhere became more reliable, with greater convenience and stable or declining price. Considering widespread continuing inflation of other commodity prices, helium by 1981 was relatively cheap.