Helium stocks of South Korea's chipmakers to last until June, sources say
Posted by sr_local@reddit | hardware | View on Reddit | 42 comments
Posted by sr_local@reddit | hardware | View on Reddit | 42 comments
CobaltFermi@reddit
The companies mentioned (Samsung, SK Hynix, etc.) have been literally printing money thanks to the explosive growth in demand for memory & logic chips, fueled by AI. Surely they can pay a slight premium to procure helium and bromine to continue doing the same.
neopard_@reddit
you don't just buy industrial amounts of the second most volatile gas on the periodic table on the market. there is refining and logistics involved.
irishchug@reddit
That word does not mean what you think it means, since helium is quite literally the opposite of volatile.
neopard_@reddit
i'm rather sure it means exactly that, and you don't know...
sr_local@reddit (OP)
Yes if the helium is available… for what I know Qatar is one of the biggest producers and now those reserves are stucked before Hormuz.
alexforencich@reddit
Honestly if it's that important they can put it on a truck or a cargo plane that won't be affected by the blockade. The volume is reasonable, compared to something like oil. The real problem is if the production is disrupted significantly.
rusty_borrower@reddit
The only reason why they produce helium is because it is a byproduct of oil production. If the straight is blocked then oil and helium production stops.
arandomguy111@reddit
It's a by product of natural gas production.
GlammBeck@reddit
Did you miss the attacks on the gas fields? Production has been disrupted.
dingo_xd@reddit
True but there several containers seen in ports waiting to be transported. These can be loaded to trucks and sent to ports outside of the conflict area.
kuddlesworth9419@reddit
I don't think you can transport gases on an aircraft. The altitude difference would probably cause the canisters to explode?
logoutcat@reddit
No, not at all the difference between ~15psi sea level and 0 psi space in minuscule compared to the thousands of psi the gas is stored at.
alexforencich@reddit
And the pressure varies with temperature. A temperature change of around 3 degrees C will cause the pressure in a cylinder at 2000 psi to change by about 15 psi. So, launching a cylinder into the vacuum of space is approximately the equivalent of warming it up by about 3 degrees C. Naturally, these cylinders are designed to not explode over a reasonably wide temperature range.
LeahBrahms@reddit
What the hell's 'outside the combat zone' at this point? - Col Tigh
SourceScope@reddit
Yep
Its also needed for MRI machines
And im pretty sure governments will have to go in and .. prioritise peoples lives over chip manufacturing, if/when they run out
eskjcSFW@reddit
You must not live in America
Luggage-Lock@reddit
AI bros have more money than MRI bros.
Zalvren@reddit
You're new on the planet I see.
Nervous-Present-6890@reddit
lol
hackenclaw@reddit
Just put those gas into vessel that trade with not USD and not US ally, it will be allow to pass the strait by Iran.
sr_local@reddit (OP)
If it were that simple, why hasn't it already been done? Instead of risking running out of stock and paying a lot more?
...It's not that simple.
hackenclaw@reddit
what I meant is Qatar sell the gas to Nation Iran consider "Friendly". They can use the same ship. for ex. the ship is headed to China...
sr_local@reddit (OP)
But this implies that China agrees with South Korea to deceive Iran.
And China isnt so friendly with South Korea… moreover, if Iran discovers this trick, there is a risk that they won't even let real Chinese ships pass the strait anymore.
As I said: it’s not that simple!
Jeep-Eep@reddit
Yeah, they'd be better off buying a bunch of renminbi and paying the fee.
ssalp@reddit
From what I understand is that they use a miniscule amount of helium so they could pay whatever and it wouldn't affect them much, it's more about getting it at all. I coukd be wrong though.
Jeep-Eep@reddit
The issue, when the supply chain is enfuckered it isn't gonna be slight. Especially when jetfuel is also badly affected?
SlippyFist_68@reddit
I don't have a helium stock and I'm lacking a frame of reference, is this good or bad?
LuminanceGayming@reddit
helium is critical to most chip manufacturing, without it they'd have to stop production completely. about 1/3rd of the worlds helium is produced in qatar which is currently blocked from shipping by the iran war. most chip manufacturers have 3-6 months of helium supply remaining.
Jeep-Eep@reddit
It's a spectacular failure of industrial policy that every natgas operation isn't required by law to have the ability to capture helium, with how strategic it is.
Danne660@reddit
If everyone captures helium then helium production will outpace consumption. Where will they put all that helium? You can't just dump it in a hole.
unknownohyeah@reddit
Funny you say that, because theyre literally using underground salt caverns as long term helium storage.
Danne660@reddit
That's neat.
Jeep-Eep@reddit
Less being wasted from storage then being vented, and you'll have cushion in case of gestures.
Danne660@reddit
If all helium is captured then more and more will be stored until the amount being that leaks out of the storage will be the same as if it was just vented to start with.
And when it comes to gestures, there are better solutions like a national storage for example.
Jeep-Eep@reddit
Well yeah, one purpose of this policy would be to make that national storage huge on the cheap.
Deciheximal144@reddit
Maybe we should stop putting it in balloons for children. Once helium escapes, it leaves the planet.
Whirblewind@reddit
Ignorant take. Helium is plentiful regardless of it being non-renewable. The cost and availability of helium is directly proportional to demand. The moment someone undertakes harvesting more of it, the cost plummets and it's not affordable for anybody else to do so. The amount available is immense in defiance of your anecdote.
Deciheximal144@reddit
This has been common knowledge for a while. Helium has to be mined in pure form. Unlike hydrogen, which splits off other plentiful elements like water, helium is far more scarce. It's foolish to waste it like this.
Jeep-Eep@reddit
Not to mention balloons are a nightmare from the litter perspective.
Dangerman1337@reddit
And even if the war ended tomorrow we'd have to wait 6 months later for things returning to 'normal' and Iran has little to no incentive barring a JCOPA style agreement.
irrealewunsche@reddit
And then the prices will really start to go up...
GalvenMin@reddit
One could say they will even balloon.