SEARCH FOR HELIUM

Evening Star, Issue 21633, 31 January 1934, Page 5

SEARCH FOR HELIUM

PAUCITY OF EMPIRE SUPPLIES {P«b United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, January 31. In view of the activity being displayed by other countries, and the paucity o‘f helium supplies in the British Empire, a thorough search is being made to discover a possible area of high helium content among the various natural gas vents in New Zealand. Helium has been’ discovered to be unexpectedly widespread, but for practical development at present it is necessary for tne percentage of helium present in natural gases to be about 0.3. Unfortunately the New Zealand supplies at present discovered in no case show a percentage as high as this, but that does not rule out the possibility of the discovery of a source of supply of commercial value. , _ Dr Farr, professor of physics at Canterbury College, has for some time been examining gases for traces of helium, and has had some samples sent from Australia. So far Hanmer has been found to produce the highest percentage of all known New Zealand sources, but it is only 0.12. The richest mixture that has yet been found in any part of the world is in Colorado, one containing over 7 per cent, of helium.