Giant helium field could inflate the world’s dwindling supply

When the US privatized the National Helium Reserve in 1996, it began selling off the nation’s helium reserves cheaply, — which depleted the world’s largest supply of the gas. Now, researchers have claimed to have discovered a major new field in Tanzania, which could provide a much-needed boost to global reserves.

Researchers from Oxford and Durham Universities collaborated with with Helium One, a private Norwegian helium exploration company, to search for helium using an experimental method. The research group will present their findings today at the Goldschmidt Geochemical Conference in Yokohama, Japan.

While helium is one of the most abundant elements in the universe, it’s a rare commodity here on Earth because it simply floats away...