In this chapter:

(1) Cliffside Field The term “Cliffside Field” means the helium storage reservoir in which the Federal Helium Reserve is stored.

(2) Federal Helium Pipeline The term “Federal Helium Pipeline” means the federally owned pipeline system through which helium for the Federal Helium Reserve may be transported.

(3) Federal Helium Reserve The term “Federal Helium Reserve” means helium reserves owned by the United States.

The term “Federal Helium System” means—

(A) the Federal Helium Reserve;

(B) the Cliffside Field;

(C) the Federal Helium Pipeline; and

(D) all other infrastructure owned, leased, or managed under contract by the Secretary for the storage, transportation, withdrawal, enrichment, purification, or management of helium.

(5) Federal user The term “Federal user” means a Federal agency or extramural holder of one or more Federal research grants using helium.

(6) Low-Btu gas The term “low-Btu gas” means a fuel gas with a heating value of less than 250 Btu per standard cubic foot measured as the higher heating value resulting from the inclusion of noncombustible gases, including nitrogen, helium, argon, and carbon dioxide.

(7) Person The term “person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, public or private institution, or State or political subdivision.

(8) Priority pipeline access The term “priority pipeline access” means the first priority of delivery of crude helium under which the Secretary schedules and ensures the delivery of crude helium to a helium refinery through the Federal Helium System.

The term “qualified bidder” means a person the Secretary determines is seeking to purchase helium for their own use, refining, or redelivery to users.

(A) In general The term “qualified bidder” means a person the Secretary determines is seeking to purchase helium for their own use, refining, or redelivery to users.

(B) Exclusion The term “qualified bidder” does not include a person who was previously determined to be a qualified bidder if the Secretary determines that the person did not meet the requirements of a qualified bidder under this chapter.

(10) Qualifying domestic helium transaction The term “qualifying domestic helium transaction” means any agreement entered into or renegotiated agreement during the preceding 1-year period in the United States for the purchase or sale of at least 15,000,000 standard cubic feet of crude or pure helium to which any holder of a contract with the Secretary for the acceptance, storage, delivery, or redelivery of crude helium from the Federal Helium System is a party.

(11) Refiner The term “refiner” means a person with the ability to take delivery of crude helium from the Federal Helium Pipeline and refine the crude helium into pure helium.

(12) Secretary The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior.

(Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 426, § 2, as added Pub. L. 86–777, § 2, Sept. 13, 1960, 74 Stat. 918; amended Pub. L. 113–40, § 2, Oct. 2, 2013, 127 Stat. 534.)