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Global helium shortage impacts East Texans

Helium is used in the medical industry, for scientific research, by many small businesses and more

TYLER, Texas — A helium shortage that has affected global and national markets is now being felt by many in East Texas.

Gloria Washington owns Lyons Ave. Florist & Gifts, and said with business so good right now, this is the worst time not to have helium.

"We're going to be in a scramble trying to get these balloons together," Washington said about the upcoming Valentine's holiday. “You used to be able to get it for $25 but now that price has drastically increased to $300.”

She said often her helium suppliers are completely out of the gas.

"Some places may have a little reserve but some places do not have it so you just have to move on, talk to your customers and let them know there is a shortage right now and we have to improvise your order,” she said.

It is also affecting universities across the country that rely on liquid helium to maintain equipment vital to teaching and research. Jason Distefano is the Laboratory Supervisor for the department of chemistry and biochemistry at UT Tyler and said their Nuclear Magnetic Resonance instrument is one such piece of equipment that analyzes chemical compounds.

“It aligns all the molecules in a very specific arrangement so that the computer can then take a picture of that chemical,” Distefano said.

He said 30% of the world’s helium supply comes from an underground pocket in Amarillo, controlled by the federal government. But he said the supply is dwindling, and more has not been found.

"The owner of the gas supply company itself drove to Dallas in his truck, picked up a dewar of liquid helium and then drove it all the way back to us and dropped it off in his own truck and it probably increased our cost 10-fold," he said. "There was nothing that we could do, we had to pay the price no matter what because it was going to essentially break a $400,000 piece of equipment.”

Right now, he says the government allows the military to have helium first, then the medical industry which uses it to perform MRI’s.

"Our supplier said 'Hey, we can’t get it,' and so now I’m stressing out and freaking out about, where am I going to get this now because this company that we have a contract with, can’t get it to me,” he said. “We’re between a rock and a hard place, that’s for sure.”

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