ACFT FEATHERS 1 ENG OF A 2 ENG ACFT. FLIES BACK TO HOME BASE OVERFLYING 2 ARPTS THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE THE ACFT.

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AT AB47 LCL TIME FLT DEPARTED LAS WITH 8 PAX AND MYSELF ON A SCHEDULED FLT TO GCN VIA THE BLUE-1 RTE THROUGH THE SFAR 50-2. A CRUISE ALT WAS REACHED OF 7500 FT MSL; NORMAL PWR SETTINGS AND INDICATIONS WERE NOTED. WHILE IN THE SFAR OVER THE SHIVWITS PLATEAU; THE R ENG BEGAN TO RUN VERY ROUGH WITHOUT ANY WARNING; CAUSING A VERY NOTICEABLE VIBRATION BOTH FELT AND HEARD. ENG INDICATIONS WERE ABNORMAL/FLUCTUATING. FUEL QUANTITY INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. THE MIXTURES; PROPS; AND THROTTLES WERE MOVED FULL FORWARD AND THE AUX FUEL PUMP FOR THE R ENG SET TO HIGH. AFTER A FEW SECONDS; WHILE VERIFYING POS OF MAGNETOS AND FUEL SELECTORS; THE R ENG WAS SLOWING DOWN RAPIDLY AND I HAD A CONCERN ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO FEATHER THE PROP; SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SHUT IT DOWN AND SECURE THE ENG. DURING THIS TIME I MADE A L 180 DEG TURN TO REMAIN N OF THE BLUE-1 RTE AND REDUCE CONFLICT WITH OPPOSING TFC ON THE SAME RTE BEHIND ME AT THE SAME ALT. AT THIS TIME; THE FIRST OF MANY POS RPTS WERE GIVEN TO ALERT OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA OF OUR SIT/INTENTIONS. I FIRST TOOK UP A COURSE TOWARDS A DIRT LNDG STRIP ON TOP OF A MESA (PEARCE FERRY) APPROX 21 NM AWAY AND; WHILE ENRTE; RESET PWR ON THE L ENG; MONITORED ITS INDICATIONS; TRIED 1 AIRSTART ON THE R ENG AND CONTACTED FLT CTL (COMPANY) OF THE SIT. BY THE TIME I ARRIVED AT PEARCE FERRY AIRSTRIP (WHICH IS ON THE WAY BACK TOWARDS LAS) I WAS ABLE TO EVALUATE THE ACFT'S PERFORMANCE AND FELT MORE COMFORTABLE IN ITS ABILITY TO MAINTAIN ALT WHILE HOLDING APPROX 10 KTS ABOVE VYSE (104 KTS). BECAUSE I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE CONDITIONS AT PEARCE FERRY (DIRT STRIP; 3800 FT LONG; NO EMER EQUIP OR PERSONNEL FOR MI AWAY; AND IT SITS ON A MESA); I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TOWARDS LAS VIA THE NEXT SMALLER ARPT ALONG THE RTE; WHICH WAS U30. BY THE TIME I REACHED U30 (APPROX 3 MI N) I HAD ATTEMPTED A SECOND AIRSTART; CONTINUED TO TALK TO COMPANY AND MONITOR THE L ENG. AGAIN; THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE TO LAS BASED ON THE ACFT'S PERFORMANCE; KNOWING THERE WAS EMER EQUIP AT LAS; IF REQUIRED; AND BECAUSE I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND VERY COMFORTABLE WITH RWY LENGTHS; ETC. AGAIN; I ONLY WANTED TO CONSIDER U30 IF THINGS INDICATED THEY WOULD GET WORSE; BECAUSE OF THE RWY LENGTH (3500 FT) AND NO EQUIP I WAS AWARE OF. FINALLY; AT AC40 LCL TIME; I LANDED SAFELY AT LAS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENTS. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT A GEAR DRIVEN BY THE CAMSHAFT; WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE GOVERNOR MECHANISM; HAD SHEARED; CAUSING A VARIATION IN THE PITCH OF THE R PROP. ACCORDING TO THE MECHS I TALKED TO; I WAS JUSTIFIED IN THE ENG SHUTDOWN. MY BIGGEST CONCERN; LOOKING BACK ON ALL THIS IS; WAS IT JUSTIFIABLE TO RETURN TO LAS CONSIDERING ACFT PERFORMANCE; RWY LENGTHS; AND EQUIP AVAILABLE; OR WOULD THESE OTHER ARPTS/AIRSTRIPS HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED SUITABLE ARPTS.