Mineral Resources: Federal Helium Purity Should Be Maintained
RCED-92-44
Published: Nov 08, 1991. Publicly Released: Dec 11, 1991.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined various proposals on how the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Mines could best meet federal needs for helium, focusing on how the accelerated degradation of stored federal helium could result in additional costs to the government.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Interior | So that the helium cloud at the Cliffside field can be maintained at the highest level of purity possible, thereby avoiding additional Bureau costs to extract and refine federal helium, the Secretary of the Interior should require the Director of the Bureau of Mines to complete his review of the Bureau's 1989 study and any related documentation, including that which private industry can provide, and, if warranted, specify an acceptable extraction rate. If an extraction rate is specified, the Bureau should either: (1) restrict private company extractions of helium from Cliffside so that they do not cause total daily extractions to exceed this rate; or (2) impose a charge on the private companies that store helium in Cliffside each time their extractions, combined with Bureau extractions, exceed the established acceptable rate. |
Closed – Not Implemented
P.L. 104-273, October 9, 1996, terminated the federal helium program. The law provides for gradual sale of the federal helium being stored at Cliffside.
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Cost analysisExtractive industryFederal property managementGas resourcesNatural gasNatural gas storageNatural gas supply shortagesNatural resourcesPrivate sectorProperty and supply management