Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by stuart anderson on September 20, 2009 at 2:26pm

It's pretty much standard to 'Reclaim' most Helium used,due to the high costs, whilst doing Sat work. (not just in the North sea, but pretty much everywhere.) I'd imagine that the expense and extra capability required to Reclaim on a Surface gas job makes it less prevalent.
There's still a shedload of Helium out there, some would even bet that there's enough to see large scale Deep commercial diving out. Different mixes have been trialled through the years, eg Hydrox, but to be honest, 'IF' (and it's a big 'if') Helium came close to running out, I'm guessing you'd just see more ROV's, manned 1ATA suits, and deep Air. Sat ticket would be a bit of a waste of money, though.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bill Gardner on September 20, 2009 at 3:20pm

Arrrrgh.You're right Stuart, There is helium around but mostly in Russia I believe. A quick browse thru the trade magazines have lots of literature, photos & diagrams, Ethan. Have a look, there is a lot of interesting history of guys like Alan Krasberg, Hanns Keller, Dan Wilson, etal. Early on there were different gases they messed with too.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by stuart anderson on September 21, 2009 at 1:06am

Yeah, funny isn't it- the two main locations for Helium mining- USA and USSR- You would almost think someone WANTED a war in the 60's! But looking at the current 'Russian Federation' if there's Roubles, there's Gas- not quite the Idealogical nightmare it once was. A nightmare, certainly, but run by crooks, and crooks can be bought!!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael Cook on September 21, 2009 at 2:41pm

Helium can be extracted from the atmosphere, its just expensive. We aren't gonna run out anytime soon.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Toby Dodd on September 21, 2009 at 3:10pm

By 1995, a billion cubic meters of the gas had been collected and the reserve was US$1.4 billion in debt, prompting the Congress of the United States in 1996 to phase out the reserve. The resulting "Helium Privatization Act of 1996" directed the United States Department of the Interior to start emptying the reserve by 2005. For many years the United States produced over 90% of commercially usable helium in the world, while extraction plants in Canada, Poland, Russia, and other nations produced the remainder. In the mid-1990s, a new plant in Arzew, Algeria producing 600 million cubic feet (17 million cubic meters) began operation, with enough production to cover all of Europe's demand. Meanwhile, by 2000, the consumption of helium within the US had risen to above 15,000 metric tons. In 2004–2006, two additional plants, one in Ras Laffen, Qatar and the other in Skikda, Algeria were built, but as of early 2007, Ras Laffen is functioning at 50%, and Skikda has yet to start up. Algeria quickly became the second leading producer of helium. Through this time, both helium consumption and the costs of producing helium increased. In the 2002 to 2007 period helium prices doubled, and during 2008 alone the major suppliers raised prices about 50%.
Commercial extraction from air is impractical because helium's concentration is only about five parts per billion. Commercially, helium is obtained from the small fraction of natural gas deposits that contain helium volumes of 0.3 percent or higher. Most of the world's helium comes from the Texas panhandle, Oklahoma, Kansas and the Rocky Mountains' eastern flank, other sources include the mid-east and Russia. These natural gas deposits contain more than 3,000 ppm of helium. Geological conditions in Texas, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Kansas make the natural gas in those areas the most helium rich in the United States (from about 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent).

• ▶ Reply