Following ongoing concerns regarding the raging demand for helium and insufficient supplies, it appears that market concerns are arising for the supply and cost of xenon as a sharp rise in demand is experienced in Japan – according to a report from The Gas Review.
Xenon is experiencing a sharp rise in demand in Japan for use in the semiconductor and PDP sectors. While this is naturally a good thing for the industry, shadows of gloom are, however, being cast on two extremely important issues in the market for 2008 – securing both the supply required and an agreeable price.
Japanese suppliers are going ahead with wholesaler negotiations regarding supply for 2008 but the issues of quantity and cost are yet to arrive at any conclusion. This is thought to be largely due to the fact that the gas majors cannot envisage what the global market will look like in the forthcoming year and cannot decide upon a supply ratio for each country and the price.
Reflecting on the situation, Japanese rare gas suppliers are believed to have emerged with such statements as, “We probably won’t be able to hold of the amounts we need.” Similarly, when commenting on the subject of prices the vast majority of the gas majors are quoted as having coming out with such statements as, “A doubling is certain. The envisaged range is 3-4 times higher.”
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