Colleagues,
I wanted to alert NMR-MR folks to something that came across my desk. We all know that helium costs have been increasing for some time which squeezes budgets.
We have had a decade for helium prices increasing at >10% a year. Who knows what the proposed Airgas-Air Liquide combo will do to all gas prices. My guess is not good. Nonprofits, health care and research institutions use such large quantities of these commodities. Stable prices require robust markets and we have had neither lately. This merger would appear to exacerbate the problem. Currently there are a big three in international helium - Air Products, Praxair and Exxon (Airgas buys here and re-packadges).
If you wish to see the FTC filing it is on this page:
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2016/07/ftc-requests-public-comment-american-air-liquide-holdings-incs
If you wish to comment on the merger of Airgas-Air Liquide you can go to this page:
https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/airliquideairgasdivest/
August 8 is expiration date.
Thanks for listening.
DL
Donald Linn
Professor of Chemistry
Indiana U Purdue U Fort Wayne
2101 Coliseum Blvd. E.
Fort Wayne, IN 46815
Ph 260-481-6813
http://users.ipfw.edu/linn
Donald Linn
Professor of Chemistry
Indiana U Purdue U Fort Wayne
2101 Coliseum Blvd. E.
Fort Wayne, IN 46815
Ph 260-481-6813
http://users.ipfw.edu/linn
Received on Fri Jul 22 2016 - 08:58:16 MST