Australia's Western Australia Helium Discovery Bolsters Global Supply
Liberty Petroleum Corporation has identified significant helium resources in Western Australia's Officer Basin, potentially easing global supply crunch concerns. Through its affiliate Petro Quest Australia, Liberty holds exploration permits covering over 20 million acres.
The company estimates that the area could contain up to 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent and approximately 7.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, including potential helium volumes of as much as 959 billion cubic feet.
The global helium supply situation is under pressure due to a March 2026 disruption at Qatar's Pearl GTL facility, which reduced the country's LNG export capacity by around 17% and may require three to five years for repairs. Qatar accounts for nearly one-third of global helium supply.