RCS - Mendell Helium PLC - US DOE helium critical material designation

What happened

Mendell Helium PLC welcomed the United States Department of Energy formally adding helium to its official Critical Materials list on 23 October 2026 under the Energy Act of 2020. The company extracts, processes and sells helium at its Fort Dodge and Hugoton assets.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

The designation puts helium on the US government's priority list, which means official attention to securing domestic supply. For Mendell, a US producer already selling helium, that could support demand for its output from chip, quantum computing and defence buyers.

Analyst inference

Helium is hard to substitute in semiconductor and defence work, so supply worries can push buyers toward reliable domestic sellers. Mendell's stated 5.34 Bcf prospective resource at Fort Dodge is not yet proven production, so its value depends on how much can be extracted.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. Helium was added to the DOE Critical Materials list on 23 October 2026, and Mendell says it has sold helium from Fort Dodge and Hugoton since 2024. Confirmed
2. Watch whether the DOE designation brings concrete support, such as funding or faster permits for US helium projects, since the article names no specific programme or money. Proposed
3. Track Mendell's progress converting the 5.34 Bcf prospective Fort Dodge resource into actual sales, because prospective means estimated, not confirmed, and the company must spend capital to develop it, which affects costs and cash available. Analyst inference

Evidence

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