US Adds Helium to Critical Materials List
The Department of Energy's designation follows supply disruptions and highlights helium's role in semiconductors and quantum computing.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Oil and Gas
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Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced on 23 October that helium has been added to the Department of Energy's list of critical materials under the Energy Act of 2020, with a formal notice published in the Federal Register four days later. Helium is the 20th material on the DOE list, while the US Geological Survey dropped helium from its own critical minerals list in 2022.
Why it matters
The designation signals federal recognition of helium's importance to semiconductor manufacturing, pipeline leak testing, and quantum computing. It comes after Iranian strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan gas complex in March disrupted global supply.
The US produced 81 million cubic metres of helium in 2025, compared with 63 million from Qatar and a world total of 190 million cubic metres. Qatar's share was reduced after the March strikes, and the designation's effect on US output remains unquantified.
The players
Chris Wright
Chris Wright is the US Energy Secretary, who announced the helium designation under the Energy Act of 2020.
Helix Exploration
Helix Exploration is a small helium producer that bought the Keyes plant in Oklahoma and began output at its Rudyard project in Montana.
Messer
Messer is an industrial gases company that acquired the federal helium system from the Bureau of Land Management in 2024.
The details
Helix Exploration used part of £17.6 million raised in July to buy the Keyes plant in Oklahoma for US$11 million. Blue Star Helium's Galactica project in Las Animas County, Colorado, and Pulsar Helium's Topaz project in Minnesota are among the smaller producers positioned to benefit from the designation.
Timeline
March 2026: Iranian strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan gas complex
February 2026: Helix began output at its Rudyard project in Montana
23 October 2026: Energy Secretary announced the critical material designation
27 October 2026: Formal notice published in the Federal Register
March 2027: Helix's Rudyard helium sales agreement expires
Market Landscape
The designation extends the Energy Act of 2020 critical materials framework to helium, which the US Geological Survey dropped from its critical minerals list in 2022. It places US helium producers in a more competitive position relative to Qatar after supply was disrupted in March.
Industrial users of helium, including semiconductor and pipeline testing operators, may see supply conditions shift as US producers expand output. The extraction does not confirm any specific change in helium pricing or availability for consumers.
The takeaway
Helium's designation as a critical material shows how supply shocks abroad can prompt domestic policy responses in sectors that rely on it. Readers tracking energy supply chains should watch whether US producers can expand output fast enough to offset disruptions.
Further reading
Explore more Oil and Gas coverage for context on how helium supply connects to the wider energy sector.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Proactiveinvestors NA.
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