Qatar helium shutdown puts chip supply chain on a two-week clock — SK hynix forced to diversify after 30% of global supply removed from the market

QatarEnergy's Ras Laffan helium facility has been offline since March 2 following Iranian drone strikes, removing roughly 30% of global helium supply from the market. South Korea is particularly exposed, having sourced 64.7% of its helium from Qatar in 2025. Helium is critical for cooling silicon wafers during chip fabrication with no viable substitute. SK hynix has diversified its helium supply and secured inventory, while TSMC says it doesn't anticipate a notable impact. South Korea's Ministry of Trade has launched an investigation into 14 semiconductor materials with high Middle Eastern dependence. Industry experts warn that if the outage extends beyond two weeks, industrial gas distributors may need to relocate cryogenic equipment and revalidate supplier relationships, a process that could take months. The situation parallels a 2022 helium and neon shortage triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.