Notice of Availability of Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Pinedale Anticline Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Project, Sublette County, WY, 75576-75578 [E6-21309]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 241 / Friday, December 15, 2006 / Notices
Reasons: Extensive deterioration
[FR Doc. E6–21155 Filed 12–14–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council;
Notice of Meeting
Office of the Secretary,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Department of the
Interior, Office of the Secretary is
announcing a public meeting of the
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Public Advisory
Committee.
DATES: January 25, 2007, at 8:30 a.m.
ADDRESSES: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Trustee Council Office, 441 West 5th
Avenue, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Douglas Mutter, Department of the
Interior, Office of Environmental Policy
and Compliance, 1689 ‘‘C’’ Street, Suite
119, Anchorage, Alaska, 99501, (907)
271–5011.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Public Advisory Committee was created
by Paragraph V.A.4 of the Memorandum
of Agreement and Consent Decree
entered into by the United States of
America and the State of Alaska on
August 27, 1991, and approved by the
United States District Court for the
District of Alaska in settlement of
United States of America v. State of
Alaska, Civil Action No. A91–081 CV.
The meeting agenda will include review
of the proposed invitation to submit
proposals for the fiscal year 2008 work
plan, an update on the herring
restoration effort, and an orientation for
new Public Advisory Committee
members.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and
Compliance.
[FR Doc. E6–21431 Filed 12–14–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–RG–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
mstockstill on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
[F–14838–B, F–14838–B2; AK–964–1410–
KC–P]
Alaska Native Claims Selection
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of decision approving
lands for conveyance.
AGENCY:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:47 Dec 14, 2006
Jkt 211001
SUMMARY: As required by 43 CFR
2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an
appealable decision approving lands for
conveyance pursuant to the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act will be
issued to Bethel Native Corporation.
The lands are in the vicinity of the
Kwethluk River at Three Step Mountain
and the Tuluksak River, approximately
30 miles east of the Native village of
Tuluksak, Alaska, and are located in:
Seward Meridian, Alaska
T. 10 N., R. 61 W.,
Secs. 5, 6, and 7;
Secs. 8, 16, 17, and 18.
Containing approximately 4,198 acres.
T. 11 N., R. 61 W.,
Secs. 3 to 8, inclusive;
Secs. 17 to 20, inclusive;
Secs. 30 and 31.
Containing approximately 7,524 acres.
T. 12 N., R. 61 W.,
Secs. 31 to 34, inclusive.
Containing approximately 2,528 acres.
T. 10 N., R. 62 W.,
Secs. 1, 12, and 13.
Containing approximately 1,747 acres.
T. 5 N., R. 68 W.,
Secs. 1, 2, and 3;
Secs. 10 to 15, inclusive.
Containing approximately 5,590 acres.
Aggregating approximately 21,587 acres.
The subsurface estate in these lands,
except that in the lands described
below, will be conveyed to Calista
Corporation when the surface estate is
conveyed to Bethel Native Corporation:
Seward Meridian, Alaska
T. 10 N., R. 61 W.,
Secs. 7 and 8;
Secs. 16, 17, and 18.
Containing approximately 2,938 acres.
T. 10 N., R. 62 W.,
Secs. 12 and 13.
Containing approximately 1,107 acres.
Aggregating approximately 4,045 acres.
Calista Corporation received title to
the subsurface estate in the lands
described immediately above in a prior
conveyance.
Notice of the decision will also be
published four times in the Tundra
Drums.
The time limits for filing an
appeal are:
1. Any party claiming a property
interest which is adversely affected by
the decision shall have until January 16,
2007 to file an appeal.
2. Parties receiving service of the
decision by certified mail shall have 30
days from the date of receipt to file an
appeal.
Parties who do not file an appeal in
accordance with the requirements of 43
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00102
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
CFR Part 4, Subpart E, shall be deemed
to have waived their rights.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the decision may
be obtained from: Bureau of Land
Management, Alaska State Office, 222
West Seventh Avenue, #13, Anchorage,
Alaska 99513–7599.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: The
Bureau of Land Management by phone
at 907–271–5960, or by e-mail at
ak.blm.conveyance@ak.blm.gov. Persons
who use a telecommunication device
(TTD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–
8330, 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, to contact the Bureau of Land
Management.
Kara Marciniec,
Land Law Examiner, Branch of Adjudication
II.
[FR Doc. E6–21348 Filed 12–14–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY–100–06–1310–DB]
Notice of Availability of Draft
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Pinedale Anticline
Oil and Gas Exploration and
Development Project, Sublette County,
WY
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Under Section 102(2)(C) of
the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM), Pinedale
Field Office announces the availability
of a Draft Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement (SEIS) on a proposal
for long-term development of natural
gas resources in the Pinedale Anticline
Project Area (PAPA). The BLM
published the Notice of Intent (NOI) to
prepare a SEIS for the Pinedale
Anticline Project in the Federal Register
on October 21, 2005.
DATES: The Draft SEIS will be available
for public comment for 60 days starting
on the date the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes its Notice
of Availability in the Federal Register.
A separate CALGRID airborne ozone
report will be published subsequent to
the release of the Draft SEIS. The BLM
can best utilize your comments on the
supplemental information if they are
received within the 60 day review
period provided above. To provide the
public with an opportunity to review
the proposal and project information,
E:\FR\FM\15DEN1.SGM
15DEN1
mstockstill on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 241 / Friday, December 15, 2006 / Notices
the BLM will host a meeting in
Pinedale, Wyoming. The BLM will
notify the public of the meeting date,
time, and location at least 15 days prior
to the event. Announcement of the
public meeting will be made by news
release to the media, individual letter
mailings, and posting on the BLM
website, listed below, if it is available.
ADDRESSES: Please send written
comments or resource information to
the Bureau of Land Management,
Pinedale Field Office, Matt Anderson,
Project Manager, 432 East Mill Street,
P.O. Box 768, Pinedale, Wyoming
82941. Electronic mail may be sent to:
WYMail_PAPA_YRA@blm.gov. The
SEIS will be posted at https://
web.wy.blm.gov when available.
Your response is important and will
be considered in the environmental
analysis process. If you do respond, we
will keep you informed of decisions
resulting from this analysis. Please note
that public comments and information
submitted regarding this project
including names, e-mail addresses, and
street addresses of the respondents will
be available for public review and
disclosure at the above address during
regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30
p.m.), Monday through Friday, except
holidays. Individual respondents may
request confidentiality. If you wish to
withhold your name, e-mail address, or
street address from public review or
from disclosure under the Freedom of
Information Act, you must state this
plainly at the beginning of your written
comment. Such requests will be
honored to the extent allowed by the
law. All submissions from organizations
or businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public inspection in
their entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bureau of Land Management, Matt
Anderson, Project Manager at (307) 367–
5328, or by e-mail:
matt_anderson@blm.gov; or by the
address above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM
conducted NEPA analysis and issued a
Record of Decision (ROD) for the
Pinedale Anticline Oil and Gas
Exploration and Development Project in
July 2000 in response to the increasing
number of operators requesting approval
to drill and develop oil and gas wells on
the Pinedale Anticline. The NEPA
document analyzed three alternatives
with different levels of required
mitigation, and for each alternative,
there were three exploration and
development scenarios based on the
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:47 Dec 14, 2006
Jkt 211001
density and distribution of well pad
development. The PAPA ROD
established seasonal restrictions on
natural gas development to minimize
adverse effects on wintering big game
and sage-grouse during breeding and
nesting. The PAPA Final EIS did not
include analysis of the potential impacts
of oil and gas development activities
(specifically drilling and completions)
to big game on crucial winter ranges
during the period of November 15
through April 30. Exceptions to this
winter closure period were to be based
on current conditions such as the
presence of wintering animals or depth
of snow cover on a case-by-case basis.
Starting in the winter of 2002–2003,
the BLM authorized Questar Exploration
and Production (Questar) to continue
gas development operations at one well
pad within big game crucial winter
range. Questar was required to
cooperate fully with the Wyoming Game
and Fish Department in the study of the
impact of its operations by supporting
the ongoing Sublette Mule Deer Study.
In November 2004, the BLM issued a
Decision Record allowing Questar to
expand their development activities in
crucial mule deer winter range during
winter while continuing to support the
Sublette Mule Deer Study (Questar
Year-Round Drilling Proposal
Environmental Assessment, November
2004).
Since then, other operators within the
PAPA have expressed interest in
conducting gas development activities
including year-round drilling within big
game crucial winter range. In the
summer of 2005, Anschutz, Shell
Exploration and Production Company
(Shell), and Ultra Resources Inc. (Ultra)
submitted a proposal to the BLM for a
year-round drilling demonstration
project on three well pads within their
leaseholds during 1 year. In September
2005, the BLM issued a Decision Record
to allow them to proceed (ASU YearRound Drilling Demonstration Project,
September 2005). The Decision Record
allowed each of the three operators to
drill year-round on one well pad each
on crucial winter range during the
winter of 2005–2006. The result of that
project led to the current proposal and
to BLM’s determination that a
Supplemental EIS is necessary. The
PAPA encompasses approximately
198,034 acres of primarily Federal lands
(nearly 80 percent), and State and
private land. Approximately 83 percent
of the mineral estate underlying the
PAPA is Federally-owned.
Alternatives: The BLM has received a
proposal for continued development of
natural gas resources in the PAPA from
Questar, Shell, and Ultra, representing
PO 00000
Frm 00103
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
75577
themselves and others who agree to
participate, collectively referred to as
the Operators. There are currently
approximately 460 producing wells in
the PAPA; the Operators’ proposal
would exceed the drilling activity
analyzed in the PAPA ROD (2000). The
NEPA and air quality impact analyses
supporting the PAPA ROD (2000)
addressed 900 total wells and 700
producing well pads.
The PAPA ROD stated that if the level
of development exceeded that analyzed
in the Draft EIS, that BLM would
conduct additional environmental
analysis. The BLM has identified the
following resources that may be
adversely impacted beyond the level
analyzed in the PAPA ROD and the
resources will be analyzed in the Draft
SEIS: surface and ground water; air
quality; wildlife and their habitats;
vegetation; visual resources;
transportation; noxious weeds; grazing;
cultural and paleontological; wetland
and riparian; threatened and
endangered animal and plant species;
and socioeconomics. In addition to the
proposed action, the Draft SEIS analyzes
the effects of the no-action alternative
and the BLM preferred alternative,
which are summarized below.
Proposed Action: The Operators
propose to conduct year-round drilling
and completions in Concentrated
Development Areas within a Core
Development Area (coinciding with the
Anticline Crest) of the PAPA. The
Operators’ proposed development
includes construction of new well pads
and substantial expansion of existing
well pads to allow for multiple wells
drilled from a pad. The Operators
propose an additional 4,399 wells on
approximately 10-acre bottom hole
spacing from an additional 250 well
pads to more effectively recover the
mineral resource. In addition, the BLM
has determined that there is a need for
new pipeline corridors between the
PAPA and processing plants in
southwestern Wyoming. Therefore, the
SEIS includes specific analysis for two
additional gas sales pipelines from the
PAPA, one to the Granger and Blacks
Fork gas plant and one from the PAPA
to the Opal and Pioneer gas plant.
Concurrent with the drilling and
development activities, the Operators
propose 3:1 compensatory mitigation to
offset wildlife impacts and to study and
evaluate the effects of oil and gas
activities on big game using crucial
winter ranges and sage-grouse using
seasonal habitats during the winter
months (November 15 through April
30).
No Action Alternative: This
alternative would continue
E:\FR\FM\15DEN1.SGM
15DEN1
75578
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 241 / Friday, December 15, 2006 / Notices
development within the PAPA as
approved in the PAPA ROD and
subsequent environmental documents
and would not consider the Operators’
proposal to: provide compensatory
mitigation; minimize habitat
fragmentation; and maximize resource
recovery through multi-well pads and
directional drilling.
BLM Preferred Alternative: This
alternative analyzes the same number of
drilled wells, pad expansions, new well
pads, proposed compensatory
mitigation, and pipeline routes as the
proposed action with limitations on
where year-round drilling could occur
at any one time within a core
development area. The preferred
alternative also reduces the size of the
core development area from the
proposed action.
Dated: September 22, 2006.
Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. E6–21309 Filed 12–14–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[AZ 320–06–1610–DP–091A–241E]
Notice of Availability of Yuma Field
Office Draft Resource Management
Plan and Draft Environmental Impact
Statement
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of
Yuma Field Office (YFO) Draft Resource
Management Plan and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement
(DRMP/DEIS).
mstockstill on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft
Resource Management Plan and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement
(DRMP/DEIS) for the Yuma Field Office
(YFO), Arizona, and by this notice is
announcing the opening of the public
review and comment period.
DATES: Written comments on the DRMP/
DEIS will be accepted for 90 days
following the date the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes its NOA in
the Federal Register. Future meetings or
hearings and any other public
involvement activities will be
announced at least 15 days in advance
through local media.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:47 Dec 14, 2006
Jkt 211001
Written comments may be
mailed to Rebecca Heick, Bureau of
Land Management, Yuma Field Office,
2555 East Gila Ridge Road, Yuma,
Arizona 85365 or by e-mail at
AZ_YM_RMP@blm.gov. You may also
hand-deliver comments to the above
listed address. A minimum of five
public meetings will be held during the
90-day public review and comment
period during which oral comments will
be accepted. Exact dates, places, and
times of public meetings will be posted
on the BLM Arizona Web page at
https://www.blm.gov/az/, news releases
and Planning Bulletin, or you may
contact Micki Bailey at (928) 317–3215,
for further information.
Public comments, including names
and street addresses of respondents, will
be available for public review at the
Bureau of Land Management, Yuma
Field Office, 2555 East Gila Ridge Road,
Yuma, Arizona 85365, during regular
business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.),
Monday through Friday, except
holidays. Individual respondents may
request confidentiality. If you wish to
withhold your name or street address
from public review or from disclosure
under the Freedom of Information Act,
you must state this prominently at the
beginning of your comments. Such
requests will be honored to the extent
allowed by law. All submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public inspection in
their entirety.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Micki Bailey, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator, Bureau of
Land Management, Yuma Field Office,
2555 East Gila Ridge Road, Yuma,
Arizona 85365; telephone (928) 317–
3200.
A copy of
the YFO DRMP/DEIS is available for
review via the internet from a link at
https://www.blm.gov/az/LUP/
planning.htm (subject to change),
electronic (on CD-ROM), and paper at
the BLM YFO. Electronic (on CD-ROM)
and paper copies may also be obtained
by contacting Micki Bailey at the
aforementioned address and phone
number.
The planning area encompasses more
than 1.3 million acres of BLMadministered public land. The DRMP/
DEIS includes strategies for protecting
and preserving the biological, cultural,
recreational, geological, educational,
scientific, and scenic values that
balance multiple uses of the BLM-
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
PO 00000
Frm 00104
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
administered lands throughout the YFO
planning area.
The agency-preferred alternative
attempts to accomplish the above while
achieving consistency among the
Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Arizona Department of
Transportation, Arizona State Land
Department, Arizona Game and Fish
Department, California Department of
Fish and Game, the BLM, and other land
managing agencies within the
boundaries of the planning area. The
range of alternatives in this draft
evaluates planning decisions brought
forward from the current BLM planning
documents, the Yuma District Resource
Management Plan (1987), the Lower
Gila South Resource Management Plan
(1988), and the Lower Gila North
Management Framework Plan (1983).
The agency-preferred alternative
identifies one new proposed Area of
Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC):
Dripping Springs Natural and Cultural
ACEC (11,700 acres). One existing ACEC
would be expanded under the agencypreferred alternative: Gila River Cultural
ACEC (3,700 to 28,500 acres). The Gila
River Cultural ACEC would be renamed
the Sears Point Cultural ACEC.
A total of seven ACECs are
represented within the [proposed] range
of alternatives. The existing Big Maria
Mountains Cultural ACEC (4,500 acres)
would be carried forward within
Alternatives A, B, C, and E. An
expansion of this ACEC is proposed
within Alternative D (from 4,500 acres
to 9,200 acres). Dripping Springs
Natural and Cultural ACEC is proposed
within Alternatives C (11,700 acres), D
(9,800 acres), and E (11,700 acres). The
Gila River Terraces and Trails Cultural
ACEC is proposed within Alternative D
only (140,400 acres). The Limitrophe is
proposed as an ACEC within Alternative
D only (4,500 acres). Palomas Plain
Natural ACEC is proposed within
Alternative D only (429,900 acres). The
Gila River Cultural ACEC would be
carried forward within Alternatives A
and B (3,700 acres), and expanded
within Alternatives C, D, and E (28,500
acres). Walter’s Camp Natural and
Cultural ACEC is proposed within
Alternative D only (3,500 acres).
The following types of resource-use
limitations would apply to these ACECs:
(1) Allowable uses would be limited to
those that are compatible with the
natural or cultural resources for which
the area is designated, (2) Recreation
facilities would be limited to projects
that protect ACEC values, and (3) Travel
would be permitted only on designated
open and signed routes. For detailed
information on specific management for
each proposed ACEC, see Chapter 2,
E:\FR\FM\15DEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 241 (Friday, December 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75576-75578]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21309]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY-100-06-1310-DB]
Notice of Availability of Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Pinedale Anticline Oil and Gas Exploration and
Development Project, Sublette County, WY
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Under Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM),
Pinedale Field Office announces the availability of a Draft
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on a proposal for
long-term development of natural gas resources in the Pinedale
Anticline Project Area (PAPA). The BLM published the Notice of Intent
(NOI) to prepare a SEIS for the Pinedale Anticline Project in the
Federal Register on October 21, 2005.
DATES: The Draft SEIS will be available for public comment for 60 days
starting on the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. A separate CALGRID
airborne ozone report will be published subsequent to the release of
the Draft SEIS. The BLM can best utilize your comments on the
supplemental information if they are received within the 60 day review
period provided above. To provide the public with an opportunity to
review the proposal and project information,
[[Page 75577]]
the BLM will host a meeting in Pinedale, Wyoming. The BLM will notify
the public of the meeting date, time, and location at least 15 days
prior to the event. Announcement of the public meeting will be made by
news release to the media, individual letter mailings, and posting on
the BLM website, listed below, if it is available.
ADDRESSES: Please send written comments or resource information to the
Bureau of Land Management, Pinedale Field Office, Matt Anderson,
Project Manager, 432 East Mill Street, P.O. Box 768, Pinedale, Wyoming
82941. Electronic mail may be sent to: WYMail--PAPA--YRA@blm.gov. The
SEIS will be posted at https://web.wy.blm.gov when available.
Your response is important and will be considered in the
environmental analysis process. If you do respond, we will keep you
informed of decisions resulting from this analysis. Please note that
public comments and information submitted regarding this project
including names, e-mail addresses, and street addresses of the
respondents will be available for public review and disclosure at the
above address during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.),
Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may
request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name, e-mail
address, or street address from public review or from disclosure under
the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this plainly at the
beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the
extent allowed by the law. All submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public inspection in their entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management, Matt
Anderson, Project Manager at (307) 367-5328, or by e-mail: matt_
anderson@blm.gov; or by the address above.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM conducted NEPA analysis and issued a
Record of Decision (ROD) for the Pinedale Anticline Oil and Gas
Exploration and Development Project in July 2000 in response to the
increasing number of operators requesting approval to drill and develop
oil and gas wells on the Pinedale Anticline. The NEPA document analyzed
three alternatives with different levels of required mitigation, and
for each alternative, there were three exploration and development
scenarios based on the density and distribution of well pad
development. The PAPA ROD established seasonal restrictions on natural
gas development to minimize adverse effects on wintering big game and
sage-grouse during breeding and nesting. The PAPA Final EIS did not
include analysis of the potential impacts of oil and gas development
activities (specifically drilling and completions) to big game on
crucial winter ranges during the period of November 15 through April
30. Exceptions to this winter closure period were to be based on
current conditions such as the presence of wintering animals or depth
of snow cover on a case-by-case basis.
Starting in the winter of 2002-2003, the BLM authorized Questar
Exploration and Production (Questar) to continue gas development
operations at one well pad within big game crucial winter range.
Questar was required to cooperate fully with the Wyoming Game and Fish
Department in the study of the impact of its operations by supporting
the ongoing Sublette Mule Deer Study. In November 2004, the BLM issued
a Decision Record allowing Questar to expand their development
activities in crucial mule deer winter range during winter while
continuing to support the Sublette Mule Deer Study (Questar Year-Round
Drilling Proposal Environmental Assessment, November 2004).
Since then, other operators within the PAPA have expressed interest
in conducting gas development activities including year-round drilling
within big game crucial winter range. In the summer of 2005, Anschutz,
Shell Exploration and Production Company (Shell), and Ultra Resources
Inc. (Ultra) submitted a proposal to the BLM for a year-round drilling
demonstration project on three well pads within their leaseholds during
1 year. In September 2005, the BLM issued a Decision Record to allow
them to proceed (ASU Year-Round Drilling Demonstration Project,
September 2005). The Decision Record allowed each of the three
operators to drill year-round on one well pad each on crucial winter
range during the winter of 2005-2006. The result of that project led to
the current proposal and to BLM's determination that a Supplemental EIS
is necessary. The PAPA encompasses approximately 198,034 acres of
primarily Federal lands (nearly 80 percent), and State and private
land. Approximately 83 percent of the mineral estate underlying the
PAPA is Federally-owned.
Alternatives: The BLM has received a proposal for continued
development of natural gas resources in the PAPA from Questar, Shell,
and Ultra, representing themselves and others who agree to participate,
collectively referred to as the Operators. There are currently
approximately 460 producing wells in the PAPA; the Operators' proposal
would exceed the drilling activity analyzed in the PAPA ROD (2000). The
NEPA and air quality impact analyses supporting the PAPA ROD (2000)
addressed 900 total wells and 700 producing well pads.
The PAPA ROD stated that if the level of development exceeded that
analyzed in the Draft EIS, that BLM would conduct additional
environmental analysis. The BLM has identified the following resources
that may be adversely impacted beyond the level analyzed in the PAPA
ROD and the resources will be analyzed in the Draft SEIS: surface and
ground water; air quality; wildlife and their habitats; vegetation;
visual resources; transportation; noxious weeds; grazing; cultural and
paleontological; wetland and riparian; threatened and endangered animal
and plant species; and socioeconomics. In addition to the proposed
action, the Draft SEIS analyzes the effects of the no-action
alternative and the BLM preferred alternative, which are summarized
below.
Proposed Action: The Operators propose to conduct year-round
drilling and completions in Concentrated Development Areas within a
Core Development Area (coinciding with the Anticline Crest) of the
PAPA. The Operators' proposed development includes construction of new
well pads and substantial expansion of existing well pads to allow for
multiple wells drilled from a pad. The Operators propose an additional
4,399 wells on approximately 10-acre bottom hole spacing from an
additional 250 well pads to more effectively recover the mineral
resource. In addition, the BLM has determined that there is a need for
new pipeline corridors between the PAPA and processing plants in
southwestern Wyoming. Therefore, the SEIS includes specific analysis
for two additional gas sales pipelines from the PAPA, one to the
Granger and Blacks Fork gas plant and one from the PAPA to the Opal and
Pioneer gas plant.
Concurrent with the drilling and development activities, the
Operators propose 3:1 compensatory mitigation to offset wildlife
impacts and to study and evaluate the effects of oil and gas activities
on big game using crucial winter ranges and sage-grouse using seasonal
habitats during the winter months (November 15 through April 30).
No Action Alternative: This alternative would continue
[[Page 75578]]
development within the PAPA as approved in the PAPA ROD and subsequent
environmental documents and would not consider the Operators' proposal
to: provide compensatory mitigation; minimize habitat fragmentation;
and maximize resource recovery through multi-well pads and directional
drilling.
BLM Preferred Alternative: This alternative analyzes the same
number of drilled wells, pad expansions, new well pads, proposed
compensatory mitigation, and pipeline routes as the proposed action
with limitations on where year-round drilling could occur at any one
time within a core development area. The preferred alternative also
reduces the size of the core development area from the proposed action.
Dated: September 22, 2006.
Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. E6-21309 Filed 12-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P
