2023 has been a defining moment, a famine-to-feast year for the helium world. Despite the shortages, helium global sales hit about 6 Bscf (170 million scm, 28 million tonnes) in 2023. With the current Qatar 1-3, Exxon USA and Gazprom Amur 1 reliable production, fears of supply shortages are highly likely to be a thing of the past starting in 2024.
Helium is widely used in MRI, semiconductor, aerospace, welding, and laboratory fields. As Asia is one of the critical helium markets, the region plays a crucial role in the industry's future development. LM Intelligas forecasts:
1. Worldwide helium production exceeds 6 Bscf per year starting in 2025
2. Worldwide annual helium production capacity will exceed 7 Bscf by 2030
3. Qatar’s production will reach 4-5 Bscf by 2035, and Qatar retains the world's No.1 exporter position
4. Asia’s demand is about 40% of the worldwide currently, and China, is Asia's No.1 helium importer
5. China, from world’s No.2 at present, is likely to be the world's No.1 helium importer by 2035.
6. Russia’s production will exceed 2 Bscf by 2035
2025 and the upcoming years will be fraught with uncertainties as the helium industry grapples with complex decisions in:
1. New mega projects' timing
2. Existing projects' maintenance scheduling
3. Red Sea logistics threat handling
4. Cryogenic ISO tanks' production capacity planning
5. Mergers and acquisitions strategizing
To better navigate these challenging times, mega producers and industrial gas companies need to restructure and streamline the value chain operations to hedge the risks and become cost-effective, efficient, and responsive to supply-demand dynamics.
Asia Helium Conference 2024
The upcoming event will serve as a platform for mega helium producers, industrial gas companies,distributors, end-users,and cryogenic equipment technologists to collaboratively discuss risk mitigation in the helium value chain. Participants can expect updates on production projects, volatility in supply-demand balance, corrections in semiconductor demand, and logistics challenges in Asia.
Most crucially, the conference will offer participants valuable networking opportunities and prospects for future collaboration, particularly with key players from Qatar and China in the helium market.
