Notice of Availability of the Draft Order of the Secretary on Oil and Gas and Potash Development Within the Designated Potash Area, Eddy and Lea Counties, NM, 41442-41444 [2012-16909]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 135 / Friday, July 13, 2012 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. Geological Survey
[GX12LC00BM6P2BB FY12/13]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Comment Request
AGENCY:
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
Interior.
Notice of an extension of an
information collection (1028–0082).
ACTION:
To comply with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), we are notifying the public that
we will submit to OMB an information
collection request (ICR) to renew
approval of the paperwork requirements
for ‘‘Bird Banding Lab (4 USGS forms).’’
This notice provides the public and
other Federal agencies an opportunity to
comment on the paperwork burden of
this form. This collection is scheduled
to expire on November 30, 2012.
DATES: You must submit comments on
or before September 11, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Please send your comments
concerning the IC to the USGS to the
Information Collection Clearance
Officer, Shari Baloch, U.S. Geological
Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive MS
807, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); 703–648–
7199 (fax); or smbaloch@usgs.gov
(email). Use Information Collection
Number 1028–0082 in the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Bruce Peterjohn, (301)
497–5646 (phone) or
bpeterjohn@usgs.gov (email).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Bird Banding Laboratory.
OMB Control Number: 1028–0082.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Abstract: The USGS Bird Banding
Laboratory is responsible for monitoring
the trapping and marking of wild
migratory birds by persons holding
Federal permits. The Bird Banding
laboratory collects information using
three forms: (1) The Application for
Federal Bird Marking and Salvage
Permit, (2) The Bird Banding Permit
Renewal Form, (3) The Bird Banding
Recovery Report, and one electronic
database, Bandit.
We will protect information from
respondents considered proprietary
under the Freedom of Information Act
(5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing
regulations (43 CFR part 2), and under
regulations at 30 CFR 250.197, ‘‘Data
and information to be made available to
the public or for limited inspection.’’
Responses are voluntary. No questions
of a ‘‘sensitive’’ nature are asked.
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SUMMARY:
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Affected Public: General Public.
Respondent Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Estimated Number and Description of
Respondents: 152,500 individuals
encountering a banded bird and
volunteer bird banders.
Annual Burden Hours: 28,150 hours
(300 hours for permit applications, 100
hours for renewals, 4,250 hours for
banding recovery reports, and 23,500
hours for the Bandit software).
Estimated Annual Reporting and
Recordkeeping ‘‘Hour’’ Burden: The
currently approved ‘‘hour’’ burden for
this collection is 28,048 hours. We
estimate the time to complete each form
is: 30 minutes for the Permit
Application form, 2 minutes for Bird
Banding Permit renewal form, 5 minutes
for Recovery Report form, and 4 hours
for the Bandit software.
Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’
Burden: We have not identified any
‘‘non-hour cost’’ burdens associated
with this collection of information.
Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA
(44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an
agency may not conduct or sponsor and
you are not required to respond to, a
collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number. Until OMB approves a
collection of information, you are not
obligated to respond.
Comments: We are soliciting
comments as to: (a) Whether the
proposed collection of information is
necessary for the agency to perform its
duties, including whether the
information is useful; (b) the accuracy of
the agency’s estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information;
(c) how to enhance the quality,
usefulness, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d) how
to minimize the burden on the
respondents, including the use of
automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Please note that the comments
submitted in response to this notice are
a matter of public record. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment, including your
personal identifying information, may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask OMB in your
comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that it will
be done.
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Dated: July 2, 2012.
Anne Kinsinger,
Associate Director for Ecosystems, USGS.
[FR Doc. 2012–17088 Filed 7–12–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4311–AM–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNM910000 L13100000.EJ0000]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Order
of the Secretary on Oil and Gas and
Potash Development Within the
Designated Potash Area, Eddy and Lea
Counties, NM
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
Under the authority of the
Mineral Leasing Act, as amended, the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
prepared a draft Order of the Secretary
of the Interior (Secretary’s Order) to
address oil, gas, and potash leasing and
development within the Designated
Potash Area in Eddy and Lea counties
in New Mexico. The draft Secretary’s
Order would supersede the current
Secretary’s Order that addresses those
issues. By this notice, the BLM
announces the opening of a 30-day
public comment period regarding the
draft Secretary’s Order. The revised
guidelines in the draft Secretary’s Order
are designed to further promote the
efficient development of potash, oil, and
gas resources, while minimizing conflict
between the industries and ensuring the
safety of operations. Among other
benefits, the revised guidelines are
expected to enhance the safety of
underground potash miners and allow
for full development of oil and gas
leaseholds with fewer environmental
impacts.
SUMMARY:
To ensure that comments will be
considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the draft
Secretary’s Order within 30 days
following the date this Notice of
Availability is published in the Federal
Register.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
related to the draft Secretary’s Order by
any of the following methods:
• Email: therrell@blm.gov;
• Fax: 505–954–2115; or
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management,
New Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur
Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508.
The draft Secretary’s Order is
available at the following Web site:
https://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/info/
potash.html.
DATES:
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 135 / Friday, July 13, 2012 / Notices
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tony Herrell, Deputy State Director,
Mineral Resources; telephone 505–954–
2222; address 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa
Fe, NM 87508; email: therrell@blm.gov.
Persons who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Information Relay Service
(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to contact the
above individual during normal
business hours. The FIRS is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a
message or question with the above
individual. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An area
near the town of Carlsbad in
southeastern New Mexico has large
deposits of potash, oil, and gas. Oil and
gas have been produced from this area
since the early twentieth century.
Potash (potassium bearing salts
primarily used for fertilizer) was
discovered in this area in 1925 and has
been mined since 1930.
The Secretarial Potash Order was first
issued by the Department of the Interior
(Department) in 1939 (4 FR 1012,
February 25, 1939). That Order
withdrew 43,000 acres of public land
from oil and gas leasing in order to
protect potash deposits. The Order was
amended in 1951 (16 FR 10699, October
18, 1951) to allow for multiple mineral
development in a larger area and
established special lease terms for use in
both potash leases and oil and gas
leases. Such lease terms were designed
to facilitate the protection of mineral
resources and the safety of miners. The
Order was also amended in 1965 (30 FR
6692, May 15, 1965), 1975 (40 FR 51486,
November 5, 1975), and 1986 (51 FR
39425, October 28, 1986). A correction
to the 1986 Order was issued in 1987
(52 FR 32171, August 26, 1987). The
potash area designated by the corrected
1986 Order comprises approximately
497,000 acres, and the draft Order
would not alter the boundaries of the
area.
The potash deposits in this area occur
from 800 feet to over 2,000 feet beneath
the surface and are mined by both
conventional and solution mining
methods; conventional methods require
miners to be underground. The oil and
gas in the area is found in formations
below the potash bearing formations, so
oil and gas wells must extend through
potash formations. If potash mining
breached a well casing, or if a well
casing near a potash mine failed for
other reasons, gas could enter the mine
workings, thus endangering the miners.
Additionally, such a breach would raise
the costs of potash mining due to the
need for enhanced ventilation
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17:08 Jul 12, 2012
Jkt 226001
techniques and specialized equipment
needed to mine in a gassy environment.
Accordingly, given these safety risks,
while potash and oil and gas are found
in the same area, they cannot readily be
produced at the same time. Thus, there
has been a long history of conflict
between the potash and the oil and gas
industries.
This conflict has resulted in a great
deal of litigation in this area regarding
decisions made by the BLM on a variety
of development applications.
Nevertheless, over the past several
years, the two industries have initiated
efforts to work together. There have
been productive meetings and
discussions between many of the parties
involved in these previous disputes.
Additionally, there have been
significant advances in the technology
of oil and gas drilling that could be used
to reduce the conflict between such
drilling and the extraction of potash.
Further, the economic outlook for both
the oil and gas industry and the potash
industry has recently improved. All of
these factors have combined to
encourage coordination between these
two industries. The BLM has also
worked with Sandia National
Laboratories to investigate well logging
technology, gas migration in the potash
formations, and standards to use for
estimating the mineability of potash and
potash cutoff grades. These
circumstances have led to this current
review of the 1986 Secretary’s Order.
The draft Secretary’s Order differs
from the 1986 Order in several
important ways. First, the formatting is
modified to be consistent with the
Department’s style requirements for
Secretary’s Orders. These requirements
were changed in 1992. See 012 DM 1 in
the Departmental Manual.
Next, the draft Secretary’s Order is
built on a foundation of ‘‘codevelopment.’’ This new term is used to
describe concurrent development of
potash and oil and gas from the
Designated Potash Area through a
cooperative effort between the
industries under this draft Secretary’s
Order.
Next, the draft Secretary’s Order
authorizes the BLM to establish
‘‘Development Areas.’’ Development
Areas are blocks of Federal oil and gas
leases, to be identified by the BLM, that
could be developed as a unit from one
or more ‘‘Drilling Islands.’’ The draft
Secretary’s Order envisions that the oil
and gas leases in a Development Area
would be unitized under the regulations
found at 43 CFR subpart 3180, and
developed by a unit operator or
operated under a communitization
agreement as authorized under 43 CFR
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41443
subpart 3105. This would lead to more
orderly development of the oil and gas
resources in the Development Area and
minimize impacts to surface resources
and potash resources.
The draft Secretary’s Order also
defines new terms for classifying lands
with regard to their potash values.
‘‘Barren Areas’’ are defined as lands
within the designated Potash Area
where sufficient data is available to
establish that the area lacks mineable
potash resources. ‘‘Unknown Areas’’ are
areas within the Designated Potash Area
where there is an absence of data to
classify the potash mineralization of the
lands. While Barren Areas may be
preferred locations for Drilling Islands,
Unknown Areas may warrant protection
from oil and gas drilling until such time
as data is available to properly classify
the potash mineralization.
It is envisioned that the majority of
the Designated Potash Area will
eventually be divided into Development
Areas designed to minimize the impacts
to potash mining while allowing for the
development of oil and gas resources. It
is intended that Development Areas will
be developed with extended reach
horizontal wells using the most current
technology, consistent with applicable
laws and regulations.
As described in the draft Secretary’s
Order, wells would be drilled from a
Drilling Island established within the
Development Area. In most cases, a
single Drilling Island would be
established for each Development Area.
However, when circumstances dictate,
BLM could establish additional Drilling
Islands. Drilling Islands would be
situated in such a manner that
extended-reach horizontal wells could
access oil and gas within the associated
Development Areas. Under the draft
Secretary’s Order, in areas leased for
potash or containing ‘‘Measured
Reserves’’ (i.e., areas where potash is
known to exist in sufficient thickness
and quality to be mineable), the
Development Areas would generally be
larger, potentially requiring the most
aggressive use of extended-reach
horizontal wells. In other areas,
Development Areas could be smaller,
and the use of extended-reach
horizontal wells would likely be less.
By further utilizing a drilling island
concept for oil and gas development
that was first introduced in the 1986
Secretary’s Order, full development of
oil and gas leaseholds would occur with
less impact to the environment because
of the reduction in the number of drill
pads and associated roads, power lines,
and other ancillary facilities required to
develop the oil and gas resource. The
safety of the underground potash miners
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41444
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 135 / Friday, July 13, 2012 / Notices
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
would also be enhanced by a reduction
in the number and spacing of oil and gas
drilling locations where wells penetrate
the potash formation.
The draft Secretary’s Order retains
several important features of the 1986
Order, including the boundaries of the
Designated Potash Area established in
the 1986 Order, as corrected in 1987.
The draft Secretary’s Order also retains
language of the 1986 Order for special
terms and conditions for oil and gas
leases and potash leases issued,
readjusted, or reinstated in the
Designated Potash Area. The draft
Secretary’s Order seeks to retain the
wording of the 1986 Order to the extent
practicable.
The provisions in this draft
Secretary’s Order are consistent with the
Department’s regulations, onshore
orders, and the oil and gas lease form.
The Department’s existing regulations
and onshore orders allow the BLM to
impose conditions of approval on
permits to drill and require protection of
other mineral resources, other natural
resources, environmental quality, life,
health, safety, and property. See 43 CFR
subparts 3162.1, 3164.1, and 3165.1.
The oil and gas lease form (BLM form
3100–11) provides that the rights
granted in the lease are subject to the
Secretary’s subsequent formal orders
when not inconsistent with the lease
rights. The lease form also provides that
lessees will take reasonable measures
that BLM deems necessary to minimize
adverse impacts to other resources and
to other land uses or users. The
provisions in the draft Secretary’s Order
are also consistent with the regulations
governing potash leasing, exploration,
and development. See 43 CFR part 3500
and subpart 3190.
Before including your phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information with the
submission of your comments, you
should be aware that your entire
submission—including your personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you may ask us to withhold your
personal identifying information from
public review, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so.
Authority: 43 CFR 3164.1, 43 CFR 3590.2.
Jesse Juen,
New Mexico State Director.
[FR Doc. 2012–16909 Filed 7–12–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–VC–P
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNMA01200 L16100000.DP000/
LXSS034G0000]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Resource Management Plan and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Rio Puerco Field Office, New
Mexico
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976, as
amended, the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft
Resource Management Plan (RMP) and
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the Rio Puerco Field Office and
by this notice is announcing the
opening of the public comment period.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be
considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft RMP/
Draft EIS within 90 days following the
date the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes this notice of the
Draft RMP/Draft EIS in the Federal
Register. The BLM will announce future
meetings or hearings and any other
public participation activities at least 15
days in advance through public notices,
media releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
related to the Rio Puerco Draft RMP/
Draft EIS by any of the following
methods:
• Web site: https://www.blm.gov/nm/
riopuerco.
• Email:
BLM_NM_RPFO_Comments@blm.gov.
• Fax: 505–761–8911, attn.: Angel
Martinez.
˜
• Mail: 435 Montano Road NE.,
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107, attn.:
Angel Martinez.
Copies of the Rio Puerco Draft RMP/
Draft EIS are available at the Rio Puerco
Field Office, at the above address; the
New Mexico State Office at 301
Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico;
and the Grants Field Station at 202
Smokey Circle, Grants, New Mexico.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information contact Angel
Martinez, Planning and Environmental
Coordinator; telephone 505–761–8918;
˜
address 435 Montano Road NE.,
Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87107;
email a1martinez@blm.gov. Persons
who use a telecommunications device
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00095
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at
1–800–877–8339 to contact the above
individual during normal business
hours. The service is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message
or question with the above individual.
You will receive a reply during normal
business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Rio
Puerco Draft RMP/Draft EIS, the BLM
analyzes the environmental
consequences of four alternative landuse plans under consideration for
managing approximately 744,387 acres
of surface estate and 3.4 million acres of
subsurface mineral estate. These lands,
administered by the BLM Rio Puerco
Field Office, are located within
Bernalillo, Cibola, McKinley, Sandoval,
Torrance, and Valencia counties in
central New Mexico.
This land-use plan would replace the
current Rio Puerco RMP, which was
approved in 1986. The RMP revision is
needed to provide updated management
decisions for a variety of uses and
resources, including land-tenure
adjustments, land-use authorizations,
mineral resources, recreation, areas with
special management designations, lands
with wilderness characteristics,
livestock grazing, transportation access,
renewable energy, visual resources,
wildland/urban interface, and others.
The approved Rio Puerco RMP will
apply only to the BLM-administered
public lands and Federal mineral estate.
The four alternatives analyzed in
detail in the Draft RMP/Draft EIS are as
follows:
• Alternative A, No Action, or a
continuation of existing management;
• Alternative B, which would
emphasize resource conservation and
protection;
• Alternative C, the BLM’s Preferred
Alternative, which would provide for a
balance of resources uses with
protections; and
• Alternative D, which would allow
for a greater opportunity for resource
use and development.
Among the special designations under
consideration within the range of
alternatives, Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern (ACEC) are
proposed to protect certain resource
values. Pertinent information regarding
these ACECs, including proposed
designation acreages and resource-use
limitations, is summarized below. Each
alternative considers a combination of
resource-use limitations for each ACEC.
A more detailed summary of the
proposed ACECs by alternative is
available at the project Web site.
• Bluewater Canyon ACEC (currently
97 acres; Alternatives B–D would
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 135 (Friday, July 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41442-41444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16909]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNM910000 L13100000.EJ0000]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Order of the Secretary on Oil
and Gas and Potash Development Within the Designated Potash Area, Eddy
and Lea Counties, NM
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Under the authority of the Mineral Leasing Act, as amended,
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a draft Order of the
Secretary of the Interior (Secretary's Order) to address oil, gas, and
potash leasing and development within the Designated Potash Area in
Eddy and Lea counties in New Mexico. The draft Secretary's Order would
supersede the current Secretary's Order that addresses those issues. By
this notice, the BLM announces the opening of a 30-day public comment
period regarding the draft Secretary's Order. The revised guidelines in
the draft Secretary's Order are designed to further promote the
efficient development of potash, oil, and gas resources, while
minimizing conflict between the industries and ensuring the safety of
operations. Among other benefits, the revised guidelines are expected
to enhance the safety of underground potash miners and allow for full
development of oil and gas leaseholds with fewer environmental impacts.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the draft Secretary's Order within 30 days
following the date this Notice of Availability is published in the
Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the draft Secretary's
Order by any of the following methods:
Email: therrell@blm.gov;
Fax: 505-954-2115; or
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office,
301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508.
The draft Secretary's Order is available at the following Web site:
https://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/info/potash.html.
[[Page 41443]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tony Herrell, Deputy State Director,
Mineral Resources; telephone 505-954-2222; address 301 Dinosaur Trail,
Santa Fe, NM 87508; email: therrell@blm.gov. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above
individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An area near the town of Carlsbad in
southeastern New Mexico has large deposits of potash, oil, and gas. Oil
and gas have been produced from this area since the early twentieth
century. Potash (potassium bearing salts primarily used for fertilizer)
was discovered in this area in 1925 and has been mined since 1930.
The Secretarial Potash Order was first issued by the Department of
the Interior (Department) in 1939 (4 FR 1012, February 25, 1939). That
Order withdrew 43,000 acres of public land from oil and gas leasing in
order to protect potash deposits. The Order was amended in 1951 (16 FR
10699, October 18, 1951) to allow for multiple mineral development in a
larger area and established special lease terms for use in both potash
leases and oil and gas leases. Such lease terms were designed to
facilitate the protection of mineral resources and the safety of
miners. The Order was also amended in 1965 (30 FR 6692, May 15, 1965),
1975 (40 FR 51486, November 5, 1975), and 1986 (51 FR 39425, October
28, 1986). A correction to the 1986 Order was issued in 1987 (52 FR
32171, August 26, 1987). The potash area designated by the corrected
1986 Order comprises approximately 497,000 acres, and the draft Order
would not alter the boundaries of the area.
The potash deposits in this area occur from 800 feet to over 2,000
feet beneath the surface and are mined by both conventional and
solution mining methods; conventional methods require miners to be
underground. The oil and gas in the area is found in formations below
the potash bearing formations, so oil and gas wells must extend through
potash formations. If potash mining breached a well casing, or if a
well casing near a potash mine failed for other reasons, gas could
enter the mine workings, thus endangering the miners. Additionally,
such a breach would raise the costs of potash mining due to the need
for enhanced ventilation techniques and specialized equipment needed to
mine in a gassy environment. Accordingly, given these safety risks,
while potash and oil and gas are found in the same area, they cannot
readily be produced at the same time. Thus, there has been a long
history of conflict between the potash and the oil and gas industries.
This conflict has resulted in a great deal of litigation in this
area regarding decisions made by the BLM on a variety of development
applications. Nevertheless, over the past several years, the two
industries have initiated efforts to work together. There have been
productive meetings and discussions between many of the parties
involved in these previous disputes. Additionally, there have been
significant advances in the technology of oil and gas drilling that
could be used to reduce the conflict between such drilling and the
extraction of potash. Further, the economic outlook for both the oil
and gas industry and the potash industry has recently improved. All of
these factors have combined to encourage coordination between these two
industries. The BLM has also worked with Sandia National Laboratories
to investigate well logging technology, gas migration in the potash
formations, and standards to use for estimating the mineability of
potash and potash cutoff grades. These circumstances have led to this
current review of the 1986 Secretary's Order.
The draft Secretary's Order differs from the 1986 Order in several
important ways. First, the formatting is modified to be consistent with
the Department's style requirements for Secretary's Orders. These
requirements were changed in 1992. See 012 DM 1 in the Departmental
Manual.
Next, the draft Secretary's Order is built on a foundation of ``co-
development.'' This new term is used to describe concurrent development
of potash and oil and gas from the Designated Potash Area through a
cooperative effort between the industries under this draft Secretary's
Order.
Next, the draft Secretary's Order authorizes the BLM to establish
``Development Areas.'' Development Areas are blocks of Federal oil and
gas leases, to be identified by the BLM, that could be developed as a
unit from one or more ``Drilling Islands.'' The draft Secretary's Order
envisions that the oil and gas leases in a Development Area would be
unitized under the regulations found at 43 CFR subpart 3180, and
developed by a unit operator or operated under a communitization
agreement as authorized under 43 CFR subpart 3105. This would lead to
more orderly development of the oil and gas resources in the
Development Area and minimize impacts to surface resources and potash
resources.
The draft Secretary's Order also defines new terms for classifying
lands with regard to their potash values. ``Barren Areas'' are defined
as lands within the designated Potash Area where sufficient data is
available to establish that the area lacks mineable potash resources.
``Unknown Areas'' are areas within the Designated Potash Area where
there is an absence of data to classify the potash mineralization of
the lands. While Barren Areas may be preferred locations for Drilling
Islands, Unknown Areas may warrant protection from oil and gas drilling
until such time as data is available to properly classify the potash
mineralization.
It is envisioned that the majority of the Designated Potash Area
will eventually be divided into Development Areas designed to minimize
the impacts to potash mining while allowing for the development of oil
and gas resources. It is intended that Development Areas will be
developed with extended reach horizontal wells using the most current
technology, consistent with applicable laws and regulations.
As described in the draft Secretary's Order, wells would be drilled
from a Drilling Island established within the Development Area. In most
cases, a single Drilling Island would be established for each
Development Area. However, when circumstances dictate, BLM could
establish additional Drilling Islands. Drilling Islands would be
situated in such a manner that extended-reach horizontal wells could
access oil and gas within the associated Development Areas. Under the
draft Secretary's Order, in areas leased for potash or containing
``Measured Reserves'' (i.e., areas where potash is known to exist in
sufficient thickness and quality to be mineable), the Development Areas
would generally be larger, potentially requiring the most aggressive
use of extended-reach horizontal wells. In other areas, Development
Areas could be smaller, and the use of extended-reach horizontal wells
would likely be less.
By further utilizing a drilling island concept for oil and gas
development that was first introduced in the 1986 Secretary's Order,
full development of oil and gas leaseholds would occur with less impact
to the environment because of the reduction in the number of drill pads
and associated roads, power lines, and other ancillary facilities
required to develop the oil and gas resource. The safety of the
underground potash miners
[[Page 41444]]
would also be enhanced by a reduction in the number and spacing of oil
and gas drilling locations where wells penetrate the potash formation.
The draft Secretary's Order retains several important features of
the 1986 Order, including the boundaries of the Designated Potash Area
established in the 1986 Order, as corrected in 1987. The draft
Secretary's Order also retains language of the 1986 Order for special
terms and conditions for oil and gas leases and potash leases issued,
readjusted, or reinstated in the Designated Potash Area. The draft
Secretary's Order seeks to retain the wording of the 1986 Order to the
extent practicable.
The provisions in this draft Secretary's Order are consistent with
the Department's regulations, onshore orders, and the oil and gas lease
form. The Department's existing regulations and onshore orders allow
the BLM to impose conditions of approval on permits to drill and
require protection of other mineral resources, other natural resources,
environmental quality, life, health, safety, and property. See 43 CFR
subparts 3162.1, 3164.1, and 3165.1. The oil and gas lease form (BLM
form 3100-11) provides that the rights granted in the lease are subject
to the Secretary's subsequent formal orders when not inconsistent with
the lease rights. The lease form also provides that lessees will take
reasonable measures that BLM deems necessary to minimize adverse
impacts to other resources and to other land uses or users. The
provisions in the draft Secretary's Order are also consistent with the
regulations governing potash leasing, exploration, and development. See
43 CFR part 3500 and subpart 3190.
Before including your phone number, email address, or other
personal identifying information with the submission of your comments,
you should be aware that your entire submission--including your
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any
time. While you may ask us to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Authority: 43 CFR 3164.1, 43 CFR 3590.2.
Jesse Juen,
New Mexico State Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-16909 Filed 7-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VC-P
