Shared Helium Caverns Could Widen Industry Access

Caliche Development Partners CEO Dave Marchese outlined a shared salt cavern model for helium storage at gasworld's Helium Super Summit in Houston.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Oil and Gas

Isometric editorial illustration of a pale salt dome beside cylindrical storage vessels and a pipe on a flat plain, in oxblood, teal, and mustard. — Caliche Development Partners CEO Dave Marchese proposed shared salt-cavern helium storage of 1 to 2 Bcf that could widen industry access beyond three major gas companies. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Caliche Development Partners CEO Dave Marchese discussed a shared helium salt cavern business model at gasworld's Helium Super Summit in Houston. Shared caverns with 1 to 2 Bcf of storage capacity could broaden industry participation beyond three major industrial gas companies.

Why it matters

The industry is examining how helium salt caverns have softened the impact of supply insecurity amid geopolitical instability in the Middle East. Projections tied to a potentially closed Strait of Hormuz show the stakes for Texas-based helium storage.

Shared helium salt caverns could hold 1 to 2 Bcf, while Linde's Beaumont cavern holds over 3 Bcf. Projections show global supply near 5.3 Bcf against 6 Bcf demand if the Strait of Hormuz stays effectively closed.

The players

Caliche Development Partners

Caliche Development Partners is a company that develops and operates helium salt cavern storage, including Linde's cavern in Beaumont, Texas.

Linde

Linde is a major industrial gas company that uses helium salt caverns in Beaumont, Texas, and has signed new long-term helium supply agreements.

Air Products

Air Products is a major industrial gas company that sources a large share of its helium volumes from its Beaumont, Texas storage cavern.

The details

Shared caverns would allow participating companies to adopt common quality standards and financial balancing, with processing potentially involving compression, pressure swing adsorption, and liquefaction. Helium can be stored in salt caverns for decades and withdrawn quickly when demand spikes, and Air Products drew 40% of its Q3 helium volumes from its Beaumont cavern.

Q3 2026: Air Products sold helium volumes, 40% of which came from its Beaumont, Texas cavern.
November 3, 2026: gasworld published its discussion from the Helium Super Summit in Houston.

Industry Context

The Beaumont, Texas salt cavern storage used by Linde and Air Products is the existing model that the proposed shared caverns would extend to broader industry participation. Its role in buffering supply disruptions is now being weighed against Middle East geopolitical risk.

For helium-dependent businesses in Texas, the shared cavern model could eventually widen the pool of suppliers with storage access. Any resulting change in helium pricing or availability has not been established in the source.

The takeaway

Shared helium storage could make supply more resilient if disruptions continue. Whether the model moves beyond discussion will depend on how participating companies resolve quality standards and financial balancing.