The helium stockpile of South Korean chip manufacturers is reportedly sufficient to last until at least June.

Two people familiar with the matter said South Korea’s helium reserves can last at least until June, and the minister of industry, trade and resources of South Korea ruled out the possibility of a supply disruption in the first half of the year, easing concerns that a conflict involving Iran could affect supplies of helium—an essential gas for chip manufacturing.

Helium is a byproduct of natural gas processing, and its price surged after a U.S.-led attack on Iran disrupted Qatar’s natural gas processing business (Qatar is the world’s largest LNG supplier).

But a government official said South Korea has helium inventories sufficient to handle market fluctuations in the first half of the year, given that it is home to some of the world’s largest chipmakers, including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

He also said these companies are paying a premium to secure their inventories, mainly to the largest helium producer in the United States. He added, “Putting aside price factors, ensuring the current inventory is the top priority.”

On Tuesday, South Korea’s minister of industry, trade and resources, Kim Jeong-kwan, told President Yoon Suk-yeol during a cabinet meeting that the likelihood of a helium supply disruption in the first half of the year is not high, but he did not elaborate.

According to people familiar with Samsung’s helium suppliers, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix (which supplies about two-thirds of the world’s memory chips) have enough helium inventory to last four to six months.

A massive flow of information and precise analysis—right in the Sina Finance app

Editor: Yu Jian SF069