Global shortage of helium?

[Eric Sedletzky]

I just heard on the news that there is a global shortage of helium in progress. What are you deep tech divers planning to do?
Maybe re-visit deep air, or scale back?
Or pay dearly...get a second on your house...sell the kids?

 

[tbone1004]

CCR.... My gas supplier has a 8-10 week backlog to get high purity helium in for me

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I do gas chromatography at work, and newer analyzers like I use are moving to argon as the carrier instead of helium. The shortage seems real and likely not to go away.

Now if we could just get cold fusion going....

 

[Wookie]

Huh. I just gave away 15 t's of 5.0. Someone got a good deal.

 

[sea_ledford]

It's super annoying. Helium is a byproduct of natural gas, and we are in the biggest natural gas boom ever. The extractors are just not capturing the helium so it floats out into space. There are few production facilities for helium, and apparently difficult (or cost prohibitive more likely) to permit develop and build.

Stupid Macys Day Parade...

 

[tbone1004]

@sea_ledford they reclaim a lot of the helium from the parade as an FYI.

 

[sea_ledford]

@sea_ledford they reclaim a lot of the helium from the parade as an FYI.

That's good at least!

When I was working for the state, I never actually had too terrible of a time getting helium storage bottles. Had to wait a few days for the "diver grade helium" to ship from Houma LA, but never a multiple week long process. I had a harder time getting O2. They always wanted a doctor to come pick it up. Should have sent to programs chief scientist, she has a PhD.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

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?

 

[lermontov]

200

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?

200 feet on air is very doable

 

[Wookie]

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?

Yes