technology
Qatar helium cuts threaten Asian chipmakers
Damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas facilities after Iranian attacks has cut helium supplies vital to semiconductor production, threatening slowdowns in South Korea and Taiwan and broader economic fallout.
Apr 3rd 2026 · Qatar
Insights
- Qatar supplies about one third of the world’s helium.
- Iranian attacks damaged the Ras Laffan LNG complex, reducing LNG export capacity by roughly 17%.
- Helium is produced as part of evaporation gas in LNG storage and is essential for cooling and contamination control in semiconductor manufacturing.
- South Korea and Taiwan together account for about 20% of global semiconductor capacity and rely largely on Qatari helium.
- Analysts warn the helium shortfall could trigger production disruptions and wider economic ripple effects.
- Qatar’s LNG output recovery is expected to take three to five years, prolonging the supply shock.