Helium in the US has historically been produced as a by-product of natural gas or from large reserves of methane and carbon dioxide (CO2). The tight global helium supply situation of 2012/13, together with the declining US helium reserves, caused helium prices to increase substantially.
This situation sparked the interest of a number of companies to invest in helium supply. Interestingly, some of those companies are able to invest in recovering helium as the main product, as opposed to a by-product, to justify the development economics. If the price of helium remains elevated, some in the industry believe helium will increasingly become a primary drilling target over the next five years, especially in North America where there are several regions with sources of high contained helium.
Some of the first non-conventional producers investing in this niche market include IACX Energy, Weil Group Resources, and Quantum Helium Management Corporation.
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