OilChem: China helium prices surge as Qatar outage disrupts supply

A sustained production halt in Qatar, triggered by ongoing Middle East conflicts, is sending shockwaves through the global helium market, with China experiencing acute price hikes and supply chain strain. OilChem data shows Chinese domestic helium prices have soared 22.2% in just over a week as the market braces for a significant supply crunch expected to intensify through April.

A major Qatari helium plant was completely shut down on March 4. As Qatar accounts for approximately 35% of global helium production and serves as the source for 54.4% of China's imports, the outage has created a severe supply gap that producers are struggling to fill. According to OilChem data,