Most people think helium is mainly for party balloons. It makes sense that folks think that because that’s the use of helium that we actually see. But the vast majority of helium is used in medical diagnostic imaging instruments and computer chip manufacturing.
Helium is an inert gas element and can’t be manufactured. It’s not in the air we breathe because it’s so light it escapes the atmosphere – so it basically needs to be mined – but not in the conventional sense.
Terrestrial helium forms deep underground over millions of years from the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium. Those reactions release helium atoms, which slowly move through rock and sometimes get trapped alongside methane gas.
But most methane fields have no helium because there isn’t any uranium around too. Only places with moth methane and radiologicals around have Helium in the gas mix.
Once extracted from the methane, helium must be captured and transported in unusual ways. When it’s being used for medical instrument purposes it needs to be cooled to only 4 degrees above absolute zero (-269°C) and shipped as a liquid cylinders.
Even then, it doesn’t transport well because it constantly loses mass – even when it’s not being used. As the cylinders warm, the helium “boils off” as a gas. As it escapes, it rises and escapes the atmosphere.
That’s why steady supply matters. Helium can’t be stored without losing mass even when it’s not being used.
Until the war we started with Iran, supply chains for medical helium were stable and prices were about $6.50 per kg. Over the last few weeks the spot price of helium has gone to more than $20 per Kg (because a big chunk of helium comes from Qatar which had their field damaged by missiles and also ships can’t move what helium is there through the Gulf of Hormuz. Qatar supplies about 1/3 of the global supply of helium – and it’s offline right now.
This matters to public health because helium is essential for MRI imaging instruments. Their superconducting magnets only work when kept super cold, and only liquid helium can do that.
Without it, MRI machines can’t run and maintenance gets harder. If a machine loses its cooling, getting it back online can take time, money, and access to new liquid helium.
As helium becomes increasingly scarce and expensive, large hospital systems will likely see slower maintenance, delayed refills, and fewer scans completed each day resulting in bottlenecks and diagnostic delays.
But large systems are insulated a bit in the short run. They often buy helium through long-term contracts at set prices and get priority delivery. But those protections have limits, especially if disruptions continue.
Smaller hospitals and rural facilities will have a bigger problem. They are more likely to rely on shorter contracts or the spot market, where prices have risen the fastest. That puts them at a disadvantage just as supply tightens.
Helium shows how war affects things in ways most people don’t see. A conflict affecting natural gas production can ripple outward and affect access to MRI scans.
Patients at rural hospitals may end up blaming staff for the fact they need to drive a couple hours when they need an MRI… few if any will connect the dots and understand that the war we started is the real reason.
That’s the common thread.