Show Rare Gas bas Resources Co Official Leaves for Eastern Conferences M M. E. E Baird vice president of Rare Hare Gas Resources Inc of S Salt lt Lake City was in Moab Monday prior to leaVing leaving leav leave ing for a series of meetings at Washington D C c. and the company's nome home offices at Pittsburgh Pa Interest in the Rare Gas Gag Resources proposal to con conr construct construct a multi million dollar helium complex at Crescent Junction was t received recently recent recent- ly after alter Secretary of the Interior In tenor Stewart Udall an aw the governments government's In Intention intention In to sell helium hellum from public lands In southeastern Utah to Rare Gas Resources The Salt Lake City firm was in the national spotlight following the announcement as is indicated by the fol following following lowing story published In the Wall Street Journal W WASHINGTON Interior Secretary Udall announced a Government offer to sell helium he hum lium from public lands in southeast Utah to Rare Gas Resources Inc Salt Lake City Merton E E. E Baird a vice president of ot Rare Gas s said ld agreement on on such sales would clear the way for lor private private private vate financing of ot an Industrial Industrial industrial Indus indus- trial complex of several plants producing pure helium hellum fuel gasses fertilizers and other products Mr Baird estimated that total Investment in these facilities plus a new communIty community commune ity for employees would come cometo cometo cometo to more than 40 million Government officials explained explained ex explained that the Interior Department Department Department De De- which holds title to all helium hellum on public lands would only transfer ownership ownership owner owner- ship E to Rare Gas or any othel other other oth oth- er el company In return for lor or a reasonable royalty as the company actually extracts the helium at its processing plant While details must still be worked out Mr Udall said In Ina a letter to Ernest E E. Swarts Swarts- welter Rare Gas president that the department was wile wil willing ling to enter agreements h I for the sale of ot Utah helium barring circumstances not now forseen Under the Governments Government's helium conservation program program the Interior Department buys helium from four private concerns concerns concerns con con- cerns and produces Its own at five federally owned plants The department in turn sells the gas at wholesale to too other Government agencIes J and to private buyers at a 35 a thousand thousand thousand and cubic feet f et The government acquires I such helium however from fromes reserves es on non-Federal non land Rare Gas proposes proposes to acquire helium bearing gas from oil and gas operators holding leases on Federal land In Utah Utah Utah Ut Ut- ah process It it and m market r et It to private buyers Mr Udall Indicated In 10 his letter that the government has no plans to establish plants in the area area ar are areca ea ca to produce helium for its own use The Governments Government's Interest In helium arose a few years when the than air gas once used principally for Navy blimps proved to have important uses in missiles mis silos siles and nuclear reactors It ItI Itis Itis I is also in Increasing demand for welding chromatography I and scientific research The Federal pr program gram launched in 1960 to acquire helium hellum for Immediate use or conservatIon conservation conserva conserva- tion was aimed at preventing waste of the gas by oil and gas operators weren't Int Interested e t Jn Jrr extracting and 1 marketing It commercially A Aside from Baird and the theman man man- management management roster roster of of bf Rare Gas includes includes- the s secretary Ed Edward Ed Edward Edward ward J. J McCormack Jr of Boston a nephew of House Speaker John W W. McCormack Among directors according to Mr Baird are Frank Smathers ers of Miami of brother Flo- Flo rI rIIda Ida lda fda Sen George Smathers and Philip R R. R Dixon of Walnut Walnut Wal Wal- nut Grove California th y y a p i. i M is for Moab's Red Devils the chic red and white clad Girls Girl's Pep Club of Grand County High School spell out in one of their intricate drill formations The group will perform at half time ceremonies at Fridays Friday's game with San Juan High School Sponsor of the Pep Club is PE instructor Miss Bonnie Dice Spencer photo |