Comments on: Consider helium conservation http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/22/consider-helium-conservation/ dispatches from Canada's capital Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:32:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: a sibilant intake of breath » Blog Archive » Scarce resource conservation optimization http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/22/consider-helium-conservation/#comment-46899 a sibilant intake of breath » Blog Archive » Scarce resource conservation optimization Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:16:06 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=2970#comment-46899 [...] is a catch-22 involved in some forms of resource planning. Take, for example, helium (as discussed recently). As of now, we only know of one place from which to get it - certain natural gas deposits. We have [...] [...] is a catch-22 involved in some forms of resource planning. Take, for example, helium (as discussed recently). As of now, we only know of one place from which to get it - certain natural gas deposits. We have [...]

]]> By: . http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/22/consider-helium-conservation/#comment-46859 . Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:52:05 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=2970#comment-46859 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Helium_Reserve" rel="nofollow">The National Helium Reserve</a>, also known as the Federal Helium Reserve, is a strategic reserve of the United States holding over a billion cubic feet of helium gas. The helium is stored at the Cliffside Storage Facility about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Amarillo, Texas in a natural geologic gas storage formation. The reserve was established in 1925 as a strategic supply of gas for airships, and in the 1950s became an important source of coolant during the Space Race and Cold War. After the "Helium Acts Amendments of 1960" (Public Law 86–777), the U.S. Bureau of Mines arranged for five private plants to recover helium from natural gas. For this helium conservation program, the Bureau built a 425-mile (684 km) pipeline from Bushton, Kansas to connect those plants with the government's partially depleted Cliffside gas field. This helium-nitrogen mixture was injected and stored in the Cliffside gas field until needed, when it then was further purified. By 1995, a billion cubic metres of the gas had been collected and the reserve was US$1.4 billion in debt, prompting the Congress of the United States in 1996 to phase out the reserve. The resulting "Helium Privatization Act of 1996" (Public Law 104–273) directed the United States Department of the Interior to start liquidating the reserve by 2005. The National Helium Reserve, also known as the Federal Helium Reserve, is a strategic reserve of the United States holding over a billion cubic feet of helium gas. The helium is stored at the Cliffside Storage Facility about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Amarillo, Texas in a natural geologic gas storage formation. The reserve was established in 1925 as a strategic supply of gas for airships, and in the 1950s became an important source of coolant during the Space Race and Cold War.

After the “Helium Acts Amendments of 1960″ (Public Law 86–777), the U.S. Bureau of Mines arranged for five private plants to recover helium from natural gas. For this helium conservation program, the Bureau built a 425-mile (684 km) pipeline from Bushton, Kansas to connect those plants with the government’s partially depleted Cliffside gas field. This helium-nitrogen mixture was injected and stored in the Cliffside gas field until needed, when it then was further purified.

By 1995, a billion cubic metres of the gas had been collected and the reserve was US$1.4 billion in debt, prompting the Congress of the United States in 1996 to phase out the reserve. The resulting “Helium Privatization Act of 1996″ (Public Law 104–273) directed the United States Department of the Interior to start liquidating the reserve by 2005.

]]> By: Neal http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/22/consider-helium-conservation/#comment-46858 Neal Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:45:25 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=2970#comment-46858 Selling off the National Helium Reserve sure looks like a stupid idea now, doesn't it? Selling off the National Helium Reserve sure looks like a stupid idea now, doesn’t it?

]]> By: Litty http://www.sindark.com/2008/07/22/consider-helium-conservation/#comment-46742 Litty Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:51:05 +0000 http://www.sindark.com/?p=2970#comment-46742 And so the environmentalist War on Fun continues! No more balloons! And so the environmentalist War on Fun continues!

No more balloons!

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