News Summary

• Qatar supplies a third of the world’s helium, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
• The nation had to halt production shortly after the war erupted three weeks ago.
• Spot prices for helium have doubled since the crisis erupted and will probably rise further.
• Helium is essential for manufacturing semiconductors, including the cutting-edge chips used for artificial intelligence models.
• The medical industry uses helium to cool super-conducting magnets powering magnetic resonance imaging machines and space rocket fuel.