The US Government has designated helium as a critical material, as supply chain concerns continue amount amidst growing demand and uncertainties around the Iran war. For companies like Quantum Helium , which has a substantial helium resource safely inside the USA in Colorado, the new designation is very welcome. Not only is it likely to make permitting easier, but it also focusses minds. Quantum recently attended a major helium conference in the US, where the sentiment was said to be "buoyant". Chief executive Howard McLaughlin joins Vox to tell us more about that, and about the ongoing development work at the company's Sagebrush and Coyote Wash fields.