Jayhawk Helium Plant

The Jayhawk Helium Plant is one of two along the Federal Helium Pipeline that are operated by Praxair, Inc. It is located east of the town of Ulysses, on a site shared with a gas plant. The gas plant was originally built by Amoco in 1998, replacing a smaller one on site. It was later owned by BP, and now is owned by Linn Energy. It generates natural gas, along with some crude helium (which is around 70% helium, 30% other gas). Linn Energy bought this plant, and another down the road, along with 2,400 wells in the surrounding gas fields, for $1.2 billion in 2012. The Jayhawk Helium Plant has three production units, and has been operating since 1968. Praxair has operated it for a few decades. Praxair, already one of the largest industrial gas companies in the world, merged with one of its rivals, Linde, in 2018.