[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 19 (Monday, January 30, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5904-5905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01852]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GX23GS00EMMA900]


Request for Comments on Helium Supply Risk

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of opportunity for public comment.

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SUMMARY: In light of recent geopolitical events and concurrent with the 
return of primary helium data-collection responsibility from the Bureau 
of Land Management (BLM) to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the USGS 
is soliciting input from the public, including domestic helium users, 
that will aid the USGS in analyzing whether there is an increasing risk 
of helium-supply disruption; whether that risk stems from supply from 
countries that may be unwilling or unable to continue to supply the 
United States; and whether those risks pose a significant likelihood of 
increasing the Nation's import reliance or creating a concentration and 
risk of permanent or intermittent supply disruptions from a small 
number of international or domestic supply sources. The USGS is also 
soliciting input that will aid the USGS in analyzing whether potential 
disruptions to helium supply would jeopardize manufacturing or use of 
products vital to the defense, healthcare, aerospace, consumer 
electronics, and other industries.

DATES: Please submit written comments by March 16, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments online at http://www.regulations.gov by entering ``DOI-2022-0012'' in the Search bar and 
clicking ``Search,'' or by mail to Request for comments on Helium 
Supply Risk, MS-102, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, 
Reston, VA 20192.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Mosley, (703) 648-6312, 
[email protected]. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, 
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 
(TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. 
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services 
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Helium is important to the U.S. economy, 
with uses including magnetic resonance imaging, lifting gas, analytical 
and laboratory applications, electronics and semiconductor 
manufacturing, welding, engineering and scientific applications, and 
various minor applications.\1\ At present, the United States is the 
world's leading helium producer and is a net exporter of helium. In 
2021, fifteen plants in the United States extracted helium from natural 
gas and produced crude helium; two plants extracted helium from natural 
gas and produced Grade-A helium; and three plants purified helium from 
other sources to produce Grade-A helium. Helium production outside the 
United States was concentrated primarily in Qatar and Algeria. Both 
countries, as well as Canada, Russia, and Tanzania, have the

[[Page 5905]]

technical capacity to increase their production in the future.
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    \1\ U.S. Geological Survey, 2022, Mineral commodity summaries 
2022: U.S. Geological Survey, 202 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/mcs2022.
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    Helium did not meet the criteria for inclusion on the 2022 final 
list of critical minerals (87 FR 10381). However, the USGS has noted 
that several factors make helium a commodity that warrants watching. 
The Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 directed the sale of the Federal 
Helium System by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The global shift 
from conventional natural gas toward shale gas, which lacks recoverable 
quantities of helium, has the potential to reduce the supply of helium. 
While the United States has significant domestic helium-production 
capacity, recent geopolitical events may impact foreign production 
capacity.
    Given the factors described above related to helium, the USGS is 
soliciting public comments that will aid the USGS in analyzing:
    (1) whether there is an increasing risk of supply disruption,
    (2) whether that risk stems from supply from countries that may be 
unwilling or unable to continue to supply the United States,
    (3) whether those risks pose a significant likelihood of increasing 
the Nation's import reliance or create a concentration and risk of 
permanent or intermittent supply disruptions from a small number of 
international or domestic supply sources,
    (4) potential disruptions to helium supply due to foreign 
geopolitical uncertainty, military conflict, civil unrest, or anti-
competitive behaviors, and
    (5) whether such supply disruption would jeopardize manufacturing 
or use of products vital to the defense, healthcare, aerospace, 
consumer electronics, and other industries.
    In conjunction with the sale of the Federal Helium System, the BLM 
is returning responsibility for collecting data and reporting helium 
production and consumption statistics to the USGS. Therefore, the USGS 
is also seeking comments that will aid the USGS in:
    (1) conducting comprehensive analyses of the helium supply chain,
    (2) determining domestic helium consumers and their primary uses 
for helium,
    (3) identifying points of contact for helium producers, suppliers, 
and consumers who might collaborate with the USGS in data collection 
and survey development, and
    (4) identifying additional types of information that might aid in 
future USGS data collection on helium.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personally identifiable information (PII) in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire comment, including your PII, may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold your PII from public review, we cannot guarantee 
that we will be able to do so. Please be aware that public comments 
submitted in response to this Federal Register notice will have no 
bearing on the closure of the federally managed helium reserve by the 
BLM as directed by the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013. Additionally, no 
person is required to respond to this request for comments. Consistent 
with 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(4), no person is asked to supply specific 
information pertaining to themselves other than information necessary 
for self-identification to receive USGS's full consideration of their 
comment(s). The U.S. Government will not pay for any comments or 
administrative costs incurred by those responding to this request for 
comments.
    Authority: Energy Act of 2020, (div. Z, Pub. L. 116-260; 30 U.S.C. 
1606).

James D. Applegate,
Director, U.S. Geological Survey.
[FR Doc. 2023-01852 Filed 1-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P