RE: WSJ - Iran War Chokes Off Helium Supply Critical for AI31 Mar 2026 11:50
The disruptions to Qatar’s shipments of liquefied natural gas have directly curtailed helium feedstock. Qatar exports virtually all of its helium via the Strait of Hormuz, the vital commodities superhighway paralyzed by the conflict.
Even if the war ends swiftly and the strait reopens, some of the losses won’t be easily reversed. Qatar said Iranian strikes on its Ras Laffan LNG plant earlier in March caused extensive damage that cut its annual helium exports by 14% and could take up to five years to repair.
Some suppliers are already rationing.
Citing the Qatari outage, U.S. industrial gas supplier Airgas declared a force majeure earlier this month, telling one customer that it would only meet up to half of their normal monthly helium demand, according to a letter to the customer reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Airgas also told the client that it would add a surcharge of $13.50 per hundred cubic feet above the contracted price.
Airgas and its parent company Air Liquide didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Pulsar’s Cain said helium buyers as far apart as India and Brazil have also received force majeure notices in recent days from their suppliers.
Because helium’s industrial uses are so broad, shortages are ricocheting through multiple sectors and countries at once. South Korean officials have warned that a prolonged supply crunch would hurt its output of semiconductors. The country sourced about two-thirds of its helium imports from Qatar last year, according to Fitch Ratings.
In recent days, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, an arm of the country’s Trade Ministry, approached U.S. helium suppliers about supply options in response to rising demand from Korean companies, according to an email reviewed by the Journal.
Taiwan faces similar risks because it relies on Qatar for a large chunk of its helium supplies, Fitch said. In Germany, chemical industry group VCI said the conflict was raising concerns about supply bottlenecks in raw materials, including helium.
The U.S., the world’s largest producer of the gas, is more insulated for now, though analysts say a prolonged Qatari outage would hit it hard, too.
Chip companies keep inventories of helium on hand. There were also shipments en route to Asia when the conflict began. Both will help delay the onset of a shortage.
Chip maker GlobalFoundries, which has a manufacturing footprint across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, said it is actively monitoring developments in the Middle East but doesn’t anticipate a near-term impact. “The situation remains fluid,” the company said.
One problem is that helium, particularly in the supercooled liquid form used for transport, has an effective shelf life.
Liquid helium continually absorbs heat and gradually turns back into a gas, building pressure in its container. If the maximum pressure is exceeded, the helium escapes—a process known in industry parlance as “boil-off.” Most containers have a hold time of between 35 and
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