Bennett-Cottonwood Oil and Gas Development EIS; Custer National Forest, McKenzie County, ND

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Bennett-Cottonwood Oil and Gas Development EIS; Custer National

Forest, McKenzie County, ND

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; withdrawl of intent to prepare an environmental impact

statement.

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SUMMARY: A Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register [60

FR 1765] on Thursday, January 5, 1995, indicating that an environmental

impact statement (EIS) would be prepared on the proposal to develop

thirteen additional oil wells in the Bennett-Cottonwood area by

Meridian Oil, Inc. and Apache Corporation. That Notice of Intent is

hereby withdrawn.

The development of the thirteen proposed wells was contingent upon

the successful production of oil from approved wells approved and

drilled since 1993. In March 1995, Meridian Oil, Inc. and Apache

Corporation withdrew their proposals because of four unsuccessful wells

drilled in the area the last two years and for other corporate reasons.

Originally the draft environmental impact statement was scheduled

to be released to the public on May 1, 1995 with the final statement to

be filed by July 1, 1995. A letter was mailed on March 24, 1995 to all

who commented during the scoping period, as well as all other

individuals or groups on the project scoping mailing list, notifying

them of the withdrawl of this project.

DATES: This action is effective on June 13, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Lesley W. Thompson, District Ranger, McKenzie Ranger

District, Little Missouri National Grassland, Custer National Forest,

HC02 Box 8, Watford City, ND 58854.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lesley W. Thompson, District Ranger,

McKenzie Ranger District. Telephone number: (406) 657-6361.

Dated: June 2, 1995.

Lesley W. Thompson,

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 95-14418 Filed 6-12-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M