The escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted global helium supplies, raising concerns for the semiconductor industry

Due to the ongoing War in Gulf/Middle East, QatarEnergy halted most liquefied natural gas (LNG) production at the facility. Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City hosts major helium purification plants, where helium is extracted as a byproduct of natural gas liquefaction. Helium production ceased alongside LNG operations, as the two are linked.

Qatar accounted for approximately 30-36% of global helium supply in recent years, producing around 63 million cubic meters in 2025 out of a worldwide total of about 190 million cubic meters, according to U.S. Geological Survey data and industry reports. Qatar holds the largest recoverable helium reserves at 10.1 billion cubic meters.

Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has prevented shipments from leaving the Persian Gulf, further isolating available helium volumes.

Helium serves critical roles in semiconductor manufacturing, including cooling silicon wafers during fabrication to maintain stable temperatures, acting as a carrier gas in deposition and etching processes, enabling leak detection in vacuum systems, and supporting precise temperature control in extreme ultraviolet lithography. No viable substitutes exist at the required scale and purity levels for advanced chip pr...