Global shortage of helium?

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Stupid question: How can we process helium from an LNG plant? We have good relationship with an LNG plant (ie. subcontractors for them). We are also in a remote part of Indonesia.. but would like to introduce tech diving.

We can't make helium, at least not until we have fusion reactors... and even those only make a little bit of helium (from smashing hydrogen atoms together.)

All the helium we will ever have is already here, trapped underground in the same places as natural gas (i.e. "methane".) So the companies that drill for natural gas have the opportunity to collect helium at the same time. But if they only collect the natural gas, the helium just floats away.

This is why helium comes from the same companies that "produce" natural gas, but it's not created from the natural gas.
 
the problem is most NG fields have such a low concentration or located such that it either is not economical or practical
 
Around mid 2019 I was unable to get even 300cf of helium now mid way through 2020 I am able to order as much as I want and my suppliers are saying there is no shortage for our area (great lakes). I believe some more helium projects have started up in recent months.

That said I will never dive helium willingly on OC ever again. Gas logistics have become quite easy thanks to ccr.

I wonder what the landscape will look like 10-20 years from now.
 
Around mid 2019 I was unable to get even 300cf of helium now mid way through 2020 I am able to order as much as I want and my suppliers are saying there is no shortage for our area (great lakes). I believe some more helium projects have started up in recent months.

That said I will never dive helium willingly on OC ever again. Gas logistics have become quite easy thanks to ccr.

I wonder what the landscape will look like 10-20 years from now.

Well there isn't a way to make Helium and the United States no longer stocks up on it, and controls the market. So indeed it will be interesting 10-20 years.

I was just going to purchase a liquid helium tank and keep it as my life time supply.
 
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?

No.

Max 150...165 ft for me because of the effects of narcosis on short term memory, reasoning, motor control, hearing, vision, balance, awareness... I've done tests in a dry chamber at 50m/150ft and my short term memory (and hence, logic too) was failing already. I could not calculate expressions like (1+2+3 - 4) / 2 because storing intermediate results in my brain and memorizing the upcoming operation just simply failed. I've been at depth on air too (although only a few times), and what it does to ones senses (delay) is not pleasant. The old 120ft limit is a sensible one.

I know that there are people far more experienced in diving than me, who are more used to the effects of deep air, and can dive to greater depths, though. There are also some certifications available: https://psai.com/2016/01/29/psai-narcosis-management/ :D

And I would bring an action cam, as my brain fails to record well at great depth. Performing tasks probably becomes possible if the task is a straight forward one that can be memorized on the surface.
 
dive on air!

it's canned and spaceballs would be proud


(sorry this is happening :( )
 

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Max 150...165 ft for me because of the effects of narcosis on short term memory, reasoning, motor control, hearing, vision, balance, awareness... I've done tests in a dry chamber at 50m/150ft and my short term memory (and hence, logic too) was failing already. I could not calculate expressions like (1+2+3 - 4) / 2 because storing intermediate results in my brain and memorizing the upcoming operation just simply failed. I've been at depth on air too (although only a few times), and what it does to ones senses (delay) is not pleasant. The old 120ft limit is a sensible one.

I know that there are people far more experienced in diving than me, who are more used to the effects of deep air, and can dive to greater depths, though. There are also some certifications available: https://psai.com/2016/01/29/psai-narcosis-management/ :D

And I would bring an action cam, as my brain fails to record well at great depth. Performing tasks probably becomes possible if the task is a straight forward one that can be memorized on the surface.

The fact of the matter is that there is a way to get helium to any corner of the globe if you are determined. There is absolutely zero reason to do deep dives on air anymore. I'm good until 180' on air but that's just stupid to do deep air dives.
 
There is absolutely zero reason to do deep dives on air anymore.

65 USD per dive is 65 good reasons. It's a dollar or two per minute.
Not all divers are middle class first world citicens.

The price given above is based on:
- a simple short mine dive at 48m or 157ft (temp +3C or 38F and visibility between zero and ten feet)
- double 12 litre 232 bar cylinders = ~5570 litres or 196 cuft of TMX 21/35 as bottom gas (I've been there on air but I want to see more)

It's true that I will only consume 2/3 of the gas, but on successive dives I am still heavily gravitating towards "optimal mix" which would be almost 30% cheaper. Cost is a real factor.

Some people may say that "don't do it unless you can do it 110% safely" but in life generally we take calculated risks (such as fatty food, candies, alcohol, tobacco, the list goes on) for pleasure.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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