The Race To Space

1960-

1960 Space race helium jumbo gas tube trailer invented by Jack Bryson Kelley (the Kelley family of companies).

1960 Congress passed the Helium Act Amendments, establishing the first federal helium stockpile. The act directed the Bureau of Mines to manage helium production and purification plants, as well as associated facilities.

It also incentivized private companies to manufacture helium as a byproduct of natural gas processing, after which the government would purchase the helium and provide for its long-term storage and conservation at Cliffside. The act specified that all federally funded projects were required to use federally sourced helium, ensuring the Cliffside reserve would not be subjected to shortages impacting national security.

1962 the Bureau of Mines established at the Bush Dome Reservoir the Cliffside Field Terminal, consisting of an administrative office building, a laboratory, and helium quality testing facilities. The Cliffside Gas Field was converted from just production to a more expansive and simultaneous natural gas production/crude helium injection operation. Twenty-three wellheads were recompleted and installed underground in vaults with camouflaged earth-colored covers that concealed them from aerial and ground-level views. The changes helped safeguard the strategic resource’s location from potential threats.