50 U.S.C. § 167o — Low-Btu gas separation and helium con-

Page 60 TITLE 50—WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE § 167o entific and medical research, commercial, manufacturing, space technologies, cryo- genics, and national defense; and (C) an inventory of medical, scientific, in- dustrial, commercial, and other uses of he- lium in the United States, including Federal uses, that identifies the nature of the helium use, the amounts required, the technical and commercial viability of helium recapture and recycling in that use, and the avail- ability of material substitutes wherever pos- sible; and (4) submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Com- mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report describing the results of the assessments required under this para- graph. (b) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000. (Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 426, § 16, as added Pub. L. 113–40, § 6(3), Oct. 2, 2013, 127 Stat. 542.) Editorial Notes PRIOR PROVISIONS A prior section 167n, act Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 426, § 16, as added Pub. L. 86–777, § 2, Sept. 13, 1960, 74 Stat. 923, di- rected the Secretary of the Interior to make annual re- ports to Congress, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105–362, title IX, § 901(q), Nov. 10, 1998, 112 Stat. 3291. § 167o. Low-Btu gas separation and helium con- servation (a) Authorization The Secretary of Energy shall support pro- grams of research, development, commercial ap- plication, and conservation (including the pro- grams described in subsection (b))— (1) to expand the domestic production of low-Btu gas and helium resources; (2) to separate and capture helium from nat- ural gas streams; and (3) to reduce the venting of helium and he- lium-bearing low-Btu gas during natural gas exploration and production. (b) Programs (1) Membrane technology research The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with other appropriate agencies, shall support a civilian research program to develop ad- vanced membrane technology that is used in the separation of low-Btu gases, including technologies that remove helium and other constituent gases that lower the Btu content of natural gas. (2) Helium separation technology The Secretary of Energy shall support a re- search program to develop technologies for separating, gathering, and processing helium in low concentrations that occur naturally in geological reservoirs or formations, includ- ing— (A) low-Btu gas production streams; and (B) technologies that minimize the atmos- pheric venting of helium gas during natural gas production. (3) Industrial helium program The Secretary of Energy, working through the Advanced Manufacturing Office of the De- partment of Energy, shall carry out a research program— (A) to develop low-cost technologies and technology systems for recycling, reprocess- ing, and reusing helium for all medical, sci- entific, industrial, commercial, aerospace, and other uses of helium in the United States, including Federal uses; and (B) to develop industrial gathering tech- nologies to capture helium from other chem- ical processing, including ammonia proc- essing. (c) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000. (Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 426, § 17, as added Pub. L. 113–40, § 6(3), Oct. 2, 2013, 127 Stat. 542.) Editorial Notes PRIOR PROVISIONS A prior section 17 of act Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 426, was re- designated section 20 and is set out as a Separability note under section 167 of this title. § 167p. Helium-3 separation (a) Interagency cooperation The Secretary shall cooperate with the Sec- retary of Energy, or a designee, on any assess- ment or research relating to the extraction and refining of the isotope helium-3 from crude he- lium and other potential sources, including— (1) gas analysis; and (2) infrastructure studies. (b) Feasibility study The Secretary, in consultation with the Sec- retary of Energy, or a designee, may carry out a study to assess the feasibility of— (1) establishing a facility to separate the iso- tope helium-3 from crude helium; and (2) exploring other potential sources of the isotope helium-3. (c) Report Not later than 1 year after October 2, 2013, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on En- ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report that contains a description of the results of the assessments conducted under this section. (d) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000. (Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 426, § 18, as added Pub. L. 113–40, § 6(3), Oct. 2, 2013, 127 Stat. 543.) § 167q. Federal agency helium acquisition strat- egy In anticipation of the implementation of Phase D described in section 167d(d) of this title, and not later than 2 years after October 2, 2013, the Secretary (in consultation with the Sec- retary of Energy, the Secretary of Defense, the