Robert harrison helium shortage

A major shortage of helium has begun to make its impact felt across a number of industries, as a combination of dwindling resources and increasing prices take their toll.

The gas, one of the lightest substances in the world, can be harvested from natural underground deposits and from the production of natural gas, in which helium is a by-product.

But there are currently no cost-effective ways of artificially producing the gas, which has left a host of sectors scrambling.

While helium usage is widespread, its sources are relatively limited, and the U.S. has provided the lion's share of the world's supply for decades.

According to Gasworld, more than three-quarters of the globe's helium is produced across three different locations—Texas, Wyoming and Qatar.

The U.S. will exit the helium business by the end of September , as established by the Helium Stewardship Act of Also, resources in Texas have dwindled because of a combination of different factors.

Helium production in th