Helium: Properties, Historical Data, and the Viability of 4He Concentrations in Coalbed Solids in the Powder River Basin
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Date
2016-12
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
The properties of helium make it a valuable resource in many industrial and scientific fields. Market volatility, scarcity, and legislative decisions all affect the future of helium refinement, production, and resources. Recently, studies examined the implications of privatizing the federal helium reserve, which is effectively the global supply of helium. Secondary sources of helium, such as extraction from conventional natural gas and responsible practices likely remain the best possible solution to a potential helium crisis. This study aims to examine the potential for helium extraction from coal as an additional alternative. To accomplish this, I conducted a pilot study that examined the potential helium resources in coals in the Powder River Basin located in Wyoming and Montana. I used recently measured concentrations of helium in the Fort Union Formation, Knobloch Coal, and the Flowers-Goodale Coal by thermal fusion of coal seam solids followed by noble gas mass spectrometry from the Ohio State University Noble Gas Laboratory. Remaining, technically feasible coal resources in the Powder River Basin total 1.15 trillion cubic feet with an average helium-4 (4He) concentration of 16,319.93 µcc/kg, or 16.3 ppm. With this figure applied to the entirety of available resources at the Powder River Basin, total helium potential for the basin is 14.4 million cubic meters of 4He. Based on current prices, this indicated a total net worth of approximately 102 million USD. While this number might initially appear high based on present technologies and prices, this volume does not represent a viable or practical source of helium considering the amount of coal that would need to be harvested to obtain this helium. At best, this field only has the potential to fulfill a regional helium demand or serve as a resource with anticipated increased prices in a global crisis. Under certain circumstances, such as CO2 sequestration during the burning of coal, small amounts of helium could be harvested from the emission stream of coal combustion plants and may warrant further consideration with the advent of future technologies.
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Keywords
Powder River Basin, Helium Shortage, Coalbed Solids, Federal Helium Reserve, Helium Privatization Act 1996, Helium Stewardship Act of 2013