Russia Set to Boost Helium Production as U.S. Sells Stockpile

[phantom power]

Russia, already the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas, is weighing up plans to become the biggest supplier of helium, the inert gas vital for medical scanners, welding tools and rocket fuel, as the U.S. sells reserves from storage.

Russia’s remote, undeveloped gas fields in eastern Siberia, are helium rich and could hold a third of the world’s remaining resources, said Vadim Udut, head of OAO Geliymash, a Moscow- based helium research company that advises gas-export monopoly OAO Gazprom. The country may build storage caverns, he said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-09/russia-aims-for-top-spot-in-helium-production-as-u-s-depletes-stockpiles.html

[liberal N proud]

1. Feel that

It is America slipping a little more down that scale of significance.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

2. Fox News responds:

Thanks to Obama, we now have a dangerous "balloon and squeaky-voice gap."

[On the Road]

3. Wow -- Used to be That Kansas Had a Monopoly

According to John McPhee, the only reason the Hindenberg blew up is that the US wouldn't sell helium to the Nazis. Now we're not the only game in town.