US Designates Helium as Critical Material Amid Supply Concerns

The U.S. government has designated helium as a critical material, citing its indispensable role in semiconductor manufacturing and the increasing risk of global supply disruptions. The move by the Energy Department will make more federal financing available for helium producers and subject the gas to closer government monitoring.

Helium is primarily extracted as a byproduct of natural gas processing. The United States is the world's largest producer of both natural gas and helium, with Qatar and Russia also being significant global suppliers. However, exports from Qatar have been curtailed due to geopolitical tensions, and Russia has imposed temporary export controls on helium to protect its domestic supply.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that this designation aims to free America from reliance on foreign sources of critical materials, bolster domestic manufacturing, support American jobs, and secure materials essential to U.S. economic and national security. "President Trump is bringing back America’s manufacturing industry, and that means making sure we have the materials needed to build things in America again," Wright said in a statement.

To qualify for the critical materials list, a substance must serve an essential function in energy technologies and face a high risk of supply chain disruption. Helium's unique properties, such as being non-combustible and having the lowest boiling point of any gas, make it irreplaceable for various applications. These include wind, solar, and nuclear energy production, space exploration, medical imaging, quantum and supercomputing, and superconducting magnets, according to Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson.

Robertson emphasized the importance of a stable helium supply for future competitiveness and energy security, noting that it could represent a "single point of failure" if not adequately secured. "We need to make sure that we can build those here. And helium is one of those components that could be a single point of failure, where we cannot let that happen," she said.

While the U.S. Geological Survey previously included helium on a list of critical minerals, it was omitted from later lists due to a perceived secure domestic supply. However, recent global events have highlighted vulnerabilities in the supply chain.

Helium extraction, though linked to natural gas processing which carries environmental concerns, also presents opportunities. Greeshma Gadikota, director of the Lenfast Center for Sustainable Energy at Columbia University, noted that while natural gas extraction releases CO2, the use of extracted helium itself does not necessarily contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. She suggested that using natural gas for hydrogen and solid carbon production, rather than just burning it, could offer climate benefits.

Historically, the U.S. maintained a strategic national stockpile of helium in Texas, similar to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This stockpile was privatized by congressional mandate in 2013, with the federal helium system sold to the industrial gas company Messer in 2024.

In 2025, the U.S. produced approximately 81 million cubic meters of helium, accounting for 43% of the global supply, with 38 million cubic meters exported. U.S. production has remained relatively stable at around 80 million cubic meters annually since 2021. Abundant helium reserves exist in states like Wyoming, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Utah. Despite these reserves, production is constrained by the capacity of existing extraction plants and the lengthy process of permitting and building new facilities.

Some industry stakeholders, such as Avanti Helium Corp., have urged the government to formally designate helium as a critical resource to avoid dependence on foreign sources and encourage domestic production. "We can effectively consolidate everything from raw materials to finished product in terms of manufacturing in the United States and rely less on overseas," Gadikota stated, advocating for increased refining and recovery capabilities within the U.S.