Where Does Helium Come From?

Helium comes from two main sources: cosmic nucleosynthesis during the Big Bang and radioactive decay of uranium and thorium within the Earth’s crust. It’s relatively rare on Earth because its low atomic weight allows it to escape Earth’s gravity and disappear into space. 

In this article, we’ll explore helium’s from its cosmic origins, as well as its extraction and processing for industrial and medical applications.

Cosmic Origins of Helium

Most helium in the universe was created about 13.8 billion years ago during the Big Bang. In the first three minutes after the Big Bang, conditions were perfect for nuclear fusion to create helium-4 nuclei from hydrogen.

This process is called Big Bang nucleosynthesis, and it produced about 25% of all the mass in the universe as helium. The remaining 75% was mainly made up of hydrogen, with trace amounts of lithium and other light elements.

Stars continue to produce helium through nuclear fusion of hydrogen atoms. Approximately 600 million metric tons of hydrogen in our sun fuse into helium every second through a process called the proton-proton chain reaction.

Despite this ongoing stellar production, most of the helium in the universe today remains from that initial creation period shortly after the Big Bang.

Terrestrial Sources of Helium

On Earth, helium is primarily formed through radioactive decay, where uranium and thorium (naturally occurring in granite and other rocks) undergo alpha decay.

Each alpha particle emitted is actually a helium-4 nucleus (two protons and two neutrons). These helium nuclei eventually pick up electrons from their surroundings to become helium atoms.

Over millions of years, this radioactive decay has produced helium that becomes trapped in the same underground pockets that contain natural gas. The rocks above these reservoirs are impermeable, preventing the helium from escaping into the atmosphere.

The concentration of helium in natural gas deposits varies significantly. Rich deposits typically contain up to 7-8% helium, while most contain less than 0.3%.

The United States has historically been the world’s largest producer of helium, with significant deposits in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Other countries with substantial helium reserves include:

• Qatar
• Algeria
• Russia
• Canada
• Tanzania

Commercial Extraction and Processing

Extracting helium from natural gas is a complex process that begins at gas processing plants. The natural gas mixture first undergoes removal of impurities, such as:

• Water
• Carbon dioxide
• Hydrogen sulfide

Next, the gas is cooled to extremely low temperatures in a process called cryogenic distillation. At approximately -200°C (-328°F), most gases in the mixture liquefy, but helium remains in a gaseous state due to its extremely low boiling point.

This difference in physical properties allows for the separation of helium from the natural gas mixture. The helium-rich gas is then further purified using pressure swing adsorption technology.

The final purification steps can produce helium with purity levels up to 99.9999%, which is essential for certain scientific and medical applications. Most commercial grade helium is available at 99.995% purity.

Helium processing plants are typically located near natural gas fields with helium concentrations high enough to make extraction economically viable. The entire process requires considerable energy input and specialized equipment.

Conservation Challenges and Future Supply

Unlike many resources, helium cannot be artificially manufactured on a commercial scale. Once released into the atmosphere, it escapes into space and is lost.

This non-renewable nature makes helium conservation particularly important. Many industries and research facilities now implement helium recovery systems to capture and reuse this valuable gas.

The medical sector (particularly MRI facilities) has become increasingly efficient at recycling the helium used to cool superconducting magnets. These closed-loop systems can recover over 90% of the helium used.

Geological surveys continue to identify new helium reserves globally, with promising discoveries in countries like:

• Tanzania
• Canada
• Russia 

These new sources may help meet growing demand in the electronics, aerospace, and medical industries.

Scientists are also exploring alternative methods of helium production. The most notable ones include extraction from air (where helium exists at about 5 parts per million) and harvesting helium-3 from the lunar surface, though both remain economically and technologically challenging.

Helium: Finite and Crucial for Industrial Operations

Helium’s journey from the Big Bang to industrial gas cylinders represents one of nature’s most remarkable stories. This lightweight noble gas was formed in the earliest moments of our universe and has become indispensable to modern technology and medicine.

As we continue to develop better methods for extraction, purification, and conservation, the future of helium supply looks promising despite its finite nature on Earth. Understanding where helium comes from helps us appreciate why this unique element deserves careful management as one of our most valuable natural resources.