| Address: US 66, 3 mi W of Amarillo | |
| Directions: From Amarillo, take US 66 about three miles west of city limit. | |
| Marker #: 5375000144 | |
| Year Dedicated: 1965 | |
| Size, type: 27" x 42" | |
| Last reported condition: Refinish. | |
| Amarillo Helium Plant - This plant, operated by the United States Bureau of Mines, was the first to produce helium from the extensive helium resources in the Texas Panhandle. From 1929 until 1943, it furnished almost all of the world's supply of helium. Operating around the clock, the plant extracts helium by liquefying the natural gas and separating helium from it at temperatures 300 degrees below zero. The natural reserves in these fields and in extensions into adjacent states contain more than 95 percent of the world's known supply of helium. This is also the site of the world renowned research center which provides fundamental data on the production and uses of helium. Helium is used for a variety of purposes: lighter-than-air craft, low-temperature research, shielded-arc welding; and in national defense, nuclear energy programs and space exploration. (1965). | |
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Decimal degrees: N 35.119215 W -101.952612
Degrees, minutes: N 35 07.153 W 0101 57.157 UTM: Zone 14, Easting 230920, Northing 3890254 |
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Maps: Mapquest Terraserver (Aerial Photos) Texas Highway Department TopoZone Yahoo |
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Nearby: Geocaches Geodashing Dash Points Navicaches Terracaches Historical Markers Cemeteries Parks |
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