- Helix Secures First Helium Transport Trailer
- Further Update re the Global Helium Supply Chain
Helix Exploration, the helium exploration and development company advancing the Rudyard Helium Project in northern Montana, has executed a lease agreement for a high-pressure jumbo tube trailer, marking a key operational milestone for the Company.
Highlights:
- First transport asset secured: Helix has leased a ten-cylinder jumbo tube trailer with a service capacity of 156,300 standard cubic feet ("SCF") of compressed helium at a working pressure of 2,669 PSI, providing the Company with dedicated helium transport capability.
- Fleet build-out underway: This is the first of several tube trailers the Company expects to lease or acquire over the coming months as it scales transport capacity in line with production ramp-up at Rudyard.
- Production readiness advancing: The securing of dedicated transport infrastructure assists the Company's transition from a pure exploration business into the operational phase of the Rudyard Helium Project.
- Critical timing amid global supply crisis: All three helium production facilities in Qatar, the world's second-largest helium producer accounting for approximately one-third of global supply are currently offline following Iran's strike on the Ras Laffan LNG complex and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Helium spot prices have surged 35-50% in the past week alone.
Tube Trailer Specifications
The Company has executed a lease for an ISO-specification ten-cylinder jumbo tube trailer designed for the transport of compressed helium gas. The trailer specifications are as follows:
This high-pressure configuration is purpose-built for the transport of compressed helium and is sized to support the Company's initial delivery requirements at the Rudyard Helium Project. The Company anticipates securing additional tube trailers in the coming months as production volumes increase and customer delivery schedules are established.
Global Helium Market Under Severe Strain
The Company notes further constraints to the global helium supply. Following Iran's strike on Qatar's Ras Laffan complex - the world's largest LNG export facility - all three of Qatar's helium production plants are now offline. One facility was already shut down for pipeline repairs; the remaining two ceased production as a direct result of the strike. Qatar is the world's second-largest helium producer, accounting for approximately one-third of global output.
The continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz has further compounded the issue, as most Qatari helium exports transit through this critical waterway. Helium spot prices have surged 35-50% in the past week, according to industry consultant Phil Kornbluth of Kornbluth Helium Consulting. The Wall Street Journal reported on 6 March 2026 that the disruption poses direct risks to the global semiconductor supply chain, with South Korean officials warning of potential impacts on chip production at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, both of which source helium from the region.
Helium is essential for semiconductor fabrication, MRI medical imaging, fibre optic manufacturing, scientific research, space launch systems, and national defence applications. Unlike most industrial gases, helium cannot be synthesized, it can only be extracted from underground geological formations or recovered as a byproduct of natural gas and LNG processing. When LNG production shuts down, the associated helium supply is lost entirely.
The Board believes this environment underscores the strategic importance of developing domestic helium production assets within the United States. The Rudyard Helium Project in Montana is one of a very limited number of pure-play helium projects globally and is not dependent on natural gas or LNG processing for its helium supply.
Bo Sears, CEO of Helix Exploration, commented: 'The lease of our first tube trailer is a tangible step toward commercial production at Rudyard. We are building out the transport infrastructure necessary to deliver helium to customers, and this is the first of several trailers we expect to add to our fleet in the near term.
'The timing could not be more critical. The global helium market is facing what may be its most severe supply disruption in history. With all Qatari production offline and the Strait of Hormuz closed, approximately one-third of global helium supply has been removed from the market virtually overnight. Spot prices have spiked and major technology companies are already warning of potential impacts on semiconductor production.
'Rudyard represents exactly what the market needs - a dedicated, domestic US helium source that is not reliant on LNG processing or exposed to geopolitical shipping risks. We are moving with urgency to deliver security of supply to American industry.'
Source: Helix Exploration
