§167o Low-btu Gas Separation and Helium Conservation

Summary

The Secretary of Energy must fund and run efforts to boost U.S. supply of low-Btu gas and helium, capture helium from natural gas, and cut down on releasing helium into the air during gas drilling and production. Three main programs must be supported. One will develop advanced membrane technology to separate low‑Btu gases and pull out helium and other gases that lower natural gas energy. Another will create ways to separate, gather, and process small amounts of helium from underground sources and to reduce venting. A third, run through the Advanced Manufacturing Office, will make low‑cost ways to recycle and reuse helium for Federal and other uses (for example, medical, scientific, industrial, commercial, and aerospace) and to capture helium from chemical processes like ammonia production. Congress authorized $3,000,000 to carry out these activities.