BLM helium sales generate $130 million for American taxpayer
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Amarillo, T.X. – The Bureau of Land Management today announced that $130 million generated from the 2017 sale and auction of crude helium from the Federal Helium Reserve is being transferred to the U.S. Treasury. The Federal Helium Reserve is a resource owned by the American people and managed by the BLM’s Amarillo, Texas, Field Office. The helium revenues were received in accordance with the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, which provided for market-based pricing and competitive auctions for the sale of Federal helium.
The BLM's Federal Helium Program has returned over $1.86 billion dollars to the U.S. Treasury from the sale and auction of crude helium between Fiscal Year 2005 through Fiscal Year 2017. The Program is entirely revenue funded, operating using a revolving fund with all revenue generated being deposited into the fund and therefore no taxpayer money is used in its operations.
The Federal Helium Reserve is the Nation’s leading producer of crude helium for both the public and private sectors. Crude helium is an important resource for technology development and other important uses related to national defense, energy, medicine, industry, and space exploration. Currently, the BLM’s crude helium plant satisfies approximately 42 percent of the U.S. helium demand, and approximately 15 percent of the global demand.
For more information, contact Samuel R.M. Burton, Field Manager, at 806-356-1002.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.