1. (a) Stockpile sales

   1. (1) Commencement Not later than January 1, 2005, the Secretary shall commence offering for sale crude helium from helium reserves owned by the United States in such amounts as would be necessary to dispose of all such helium reserves in excess of 600,000,000 cubic feet on a straight-line basis between such date and January 1, 2015.
   2. (2) Times of sale The sales shall be at such times during each year and in such lots as the Secretary determines, in consultation with the helium industry, to be necessary to carry out this subsection with minimum market disruption.
   3. (3) Price The price for all sales under paragraph (1), as determined by the Secretary in consultation with the helium industry, shall be such price as will ensure repayment of the amounts required to be repaid to the Treasury under section 167d(c) of this title.
2. (b) Discovery of additional reserves The discovery of additional helium reserves shall not affect the duty of the Secretary to make sales of helium under subsection (a) of this section.

(Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 426, § 8, as added Pub. L. 86–777, § 2, Sept. 13, 1960, 74 Stat. 922; amended Pub. L. 104–273, § 5, Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3318.)

Amendments 1996—Pub. L. 104–273 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to condemnation proceedings under Federal helium refining program.