Essay/Term paper: "how is helium produced?"

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Science

"How Is Helium Produced?"


Production: Although Helium is one of the most common elements in the universe
it is a rare gas on earth. It exists in the atmosphere in such small quantities
(less than five parts per million) that recovering it from the air is
uneconomical. Helium is produced as a by-product of the refining of natural gas,
which is carried out on a commercial scale in the USA and Poland. In these areas
natural gas contains a relatively high concentration of Helium which has
accumulated as a result of radioactive decay of heavy elements within the
earth's crust. Helium is supplied to distribution centres throughout the world
in liquid form in large cryogenic containers. The Helium is filled into liquid
containers, gas cylinders and cylinder packs as necessary.

History of Helium Production: Government involvement in helium conservation
dates to the Helium Act of 1925 which authorized the Bureau of Mines to build
and operate a large-scale helium extraction and purification plant. From 1929
until 1960 the federal government was the only domestic helium producer. In 1960,
Congress amended the Helium Act to provide incentives to natural gas producers
for stripping natural gas of its helium, for purchase of the separated helium by
the government, and for its long-term storage. With over 960 million cubic
meters (34.6 billion cubic feet) of helium in government storage and a large
private helium recovery industry, questions arise as to the need for either the
federal helium extraction program or the federally maintained helium stockpile.

In a move which would take the federal government out of the helium business,
Congress passed the Helium Privatization Act (H.R. 873) as part of the Seven-
Year Balanced Budget Reconciliation Act of 1995 (H.R. 2491). Although the
measure died when the President vetoed the Budget Act on December 6, 1995, the
Administration has made a goal the privatization of the federal helium program.
On April 30, 1996, the House suspended the rules and passed H.R. 3008, the
Helium Privatization Act as agreed to in the House-Senate conference on the
Budget Act. Subsequently, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
amended the bill to provide for the National Academy of Sciences to study how
best to dispose of the helium reserve. On September 26, 1996, with limited time
remaining for the 104th Congress, the House again suspended the rules and passed
H.R. 4168, a new bill containing the Senate Committee language. This would avoid
the need for a conference if the Senate would also pass the same bill. The
Senate did so on September 28, 1996. This report reviews the origin and
development of the Federal Helium Program; analyzes the choices that Congress
faced in terminating the program; reviews the issues that the National Academy
of Sciences will study, and summarizes H.R. 4168.

Federal interest in helium began with World War I when its military value as an
inert lifting gas was recognized by the Army and Navy. The Bureau of Mines'
involvement in the Helium Program dates back to passage of the Helium Act of
1925 under which the Bureau was authorized to build and operate a large-scale
helium extraction and purification plant. This plant went into operation in 1929
at Amarillo, Texas. Demand increased significantly during World War II and four
more plants were built, including the Exell, Texas plant, which is now the
Bureau's only operating plant. Private helium operations followed passage of the
Helium Act Amendments of 1960 (P.L. 86-777) which authorized the Secretary of
the Interior (authority delegated to the Bureau of Mines) to enter into long-
term contracts for the acquisition and conservation of helium to be stored in
the Cliffside Reservoir near Amarillo, Texas. The Act directed the Secretary of
the Interior to operate and maintain helium production and purification plants
and related storage, transmission, and shipping facilities. The Act also
authorized the Secretary to borrow from the Treasury up to $47.5 million per
year, at compound interest, to purchase helium in lieu of direct appropriations.
The 1960 Act required the Secretary of the Interior to determine the net worth
of assets of the Helium Program acquired prior to 1960 ($40 million) and
establish this as debt in the Helium Fund to which subsequent borrowing would be
added. The Act stipulated that the Bureau of Mines set prices that would cover
all of the program's costs, including debt and interest, and provided a period
of 25 years to pay back the debt (with a 10-year extension to 1995). In addition,
federal agencies and contractors were required to buy helium from the Bureau of
Mines.

As a result of the 1960 Act, four private natural gas producing companies built
five helium extraction facilities and entered into 22-year contracts with the
Bureau of Mines. Because demand for helium did not meet the forecast of the late
1950s, the Bureau of Mines began to borrow from the Treasury as authorized to
pay for helium purchases. In 1973, the government had 970 million cubic meters
(35 billion cubic feet) of helium in storage, which was far in excess of
projected government needs, and canceled the purchase contracts. This led to
several years of litigation during which most private helium extraction plants
remained idle.

Where is Helium Produced: World helium resources exclusive of the United States
are estimated at 18 billion cubic meters (650 billion cubic feet) of which 9.2
billion cubic meters are in the former Soviet Union, mostly in Russia. Other
helium resources are located in Algeria, 2.1 billion cubic meters; Canada, 2.1
billion cubic meters; China, 1.1 billion cubic meters; Poland, 0.8 billion cubic
meters; and the Netherlands, 0.7 billion cubic meters.

The helium resources of the United States are estimated to be about 13 billion
cubic meters (470 billion cubic feet). This includes 1.0 billion cubic meters
(34 billion cubic feet) in storage in the government stockpile, 6.8 billion
cubic meters (250 billion cubic feet) in helium-rich natural gas (0.3% helium or
more), and 5.2 billion cubic meters (190 billion cubic feet) in helium-lean
natural gas (less than 0.3% helium). Other than the two major helium-rich
natural gas fields (Riley Ridge in southwestern Wyoming and Hugoton extending
from southwest Kansas through the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles), most of the
helium-rich natural gas fields in the United States will be exhausted by the
year 2000. As these fields deplete, future production will probably shift to
extracting helium from helium-rich natural gas with little fuel value and from
helium-lean resources.

Uses of Helium: Liquid Helium is used for several things, including Chilling
powerful magnets in Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Cryogenic
Research. Gaseous Helium is used for Gas Chromatography, Leak Detection, Scuba
Diving, Medical Therapy, Controlled/Modified Atmospheres Balloons (including the
ones in the Macy's Parade) and Airships. It is also used in Welding, and as a
heat transfer medium. Liquid Helium is an ideal source of cold for
superconductivity and for low temperature applications. In particular liquid
Helium enables the development of the high strength magnetic fields required in
NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imagery) Spectroscopy and MRI (Magnetic
Resonance Imagery) medical body scanners. Liquid Helium is also used extensively
in low temperature research.