Pinedale Anticline Natural Gas Field Development Project EIS and Notice of Field Tour and Public Meeting, Sublette County, Wyoming

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-040-05-1310-01]

Pinedale Anticline Natural Gas Field Development Project EIS and

Notice of Field Tour and Public Meeting, Sublette County, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to conduct public scoping and prepare an

environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The action is to conduct scoping and to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Ultra Resources, Inc., McMurry

Oil Company, Alpine Gas Company, Amoco Production Company, and other

companies potential natural gas development in the area referred to as

the Pinedale Anticline. Those interested in participating in the

process and who have concerns, issues, or alternatives they would like

to see addressed in the EIS, should respond with written comments

within 30 days of the date of this Notice.

DATES: A Scoping Notice will be distributed by mail on or about the

date of this notice. Responses and comments will be accepted for 30

days following the date of this notice. The proponents of this action

and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cordially invite those

interested to attend a public tour of the project area on July 23,

1998. Attendees will leave from the BLM Office, 432 E. Mill Street,

Pinedale, Wyoming, at 1 p.m. (parking is available), and the tour will

end by 5 p.m. Transportation and refreshments will be provided as long

as you RSVP by 4:30 p.m., July 17, 1998, by calling 307-367-5300.

BLM will also hold a public meeting at the Pinedale Public School

Auditorium, Pinedale, Wyoming, starting at 7 p.m., July 23, 1998. BLM

will be soliciting representatives from affected interests and

stakeholders to participate in the environmental analysis process. All

comments received at the public meeting or through written comments

submitted by mail will aid the BLM in identifying alternatives and

assuring all issues are analyzed in the environmental impact analysis.

ADDRESSES: Information and a copy of the Scoping Notice for the

Pinedale Anticline Natural Gas Field Development Project EIS can be

obtained by writing or visiting the following offices:

BLM, Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, P.O. Box 1828,

Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003.

BLM, Rock Springs District Office, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs,

Wyoming 82902-1869.

BLM, Pinedale Resource Area Office, 432 East Mill Street, P.O. Box 768,

Pinedale, Wyoming 82941.

Scoping comments should be sent to: Bureau of Land Management, Rock

Springs District Office, ATTN: Bill McMahan, Project Manager, 280

Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bill McMahan, Project Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs

District Office, phone 307-352-0224.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The total project area includes

approximately 197,170 acres. This acreage includes approximately

157,330 acres Federal surface, 30,130 acres private surface, and 9,710

acres State surface. The subsurface mineral estate is comprised of

approximately 164,200 acres Federal minerals, 21,980 acres of private

minerals, and 10,990 acres State minerals.

The Pinedale Anticline Project area is located in the central part

of Sublette County, Wyoming, bordered by Pinedale on the north, Highway

191 on the east, the northern border of the Jonah II Project area on

the south, and the Green River on the west. Access to the project area

is from U.S. Highway 191, Wyoming Highway 351, County roads and other

roads via existing rights-of-way.

The companies would like to proceed with implementing the potential

field development within the area beginning in the summer of 1999. They

do not know at this time the number of wells reasonably expected to

adequately extract the natural gas. Currently, the companies are

drilling exploratory wells, the results of which will give the

companies the necessary information upon which to project the potential

number of wells reasonably possible. The information from the

exploratory drilling should be available by fall of this year. Once

this information is available, the companies will develop a drilling

program, based on the level of exploratory drilling success, including

estimated miles of access road, pipelines, and compressors that will be

needed to develop the resource. The area currently has 23 wells located

along 27 miles of the Pinedale Anticline. Also, two pipelines currently

serve the Pinedale Anticline area. This field development project will

address additional pipeline needs for transporting natural gas. The

potential development would include the following associated

facilities:

At each surface well location: separator, dehydrator,

production tanks, and tinhorns (for holding produced water).

To each surface well location: access road and a 3 to 4

inch gas gathering pipeline.

Water supply wells.

Natural gas transmission pipeline extending southwest to

tie in to an existing pipeline transportation system.

Compressor facilities to transport the natural gas through

pipelines to a gas processing facility.

The Companies will be allowed to drill a limited number of

exploratory wells while the EIS document is being prepared in

accordance with the May 7, 1998, decision by the Pinedale Resource Area

Manager. The exploratory drilling will include evaluating the

feasibility of pad drilling (multiple wells from a single pad) by some

companies. The exploratory drilling will be allowed so long as there is

no significant impact, no irreversible or irretrievable commitment of a

resource, and/or no compromising the selection of an alternative

identified through the environmental analysis process. Results from the

exploratory wells will assist the BLM and the companies in determining

the likely level of development necessary to achieve the Federal

mandate of maximum ultimate recovery of Federal mineral resources.

[[Page 37904]]

The intent of the natural gas development is to extract and recover

natural gas from the Pinedale Anticline lease area, allowing the

companies to provide more natural gas to companies distributing and

supplying natural gas to consumers. This would benefit consumers by

making additional supplies of clean-burning natural gas available.

Land and resource management issues and concerns associated with

the construction of roads, well pads, and pipelines; the drilling and

completion of wells; and the operation and maintenance of a producing

well field that will be analyzed in the EIS will include;

* Potential impacts to nesting raptors.

* Potential impacts to Threatened/Endangered/Candidate species

(plant and animal).

* Potential impacts to Threatened/Endangered Colorado River fish

from water depletions.

* Potential impacts to sage grouse breeding, nesting, and winter

range habitat.

* Potential impacts to Sublette antelope herd migration.

* Potential impacts to Sublette mule deer herd migration.

* Potential impacts to wildlife habitat and fish habitat.

* Potential impacts to State Priority One birds and mammals.

* Potential conflicts with livestock and range improvements.

* Potential impacts on cultural resources (prehistoric and historic

resources).

* Potential impacts from increased drilling related traffic on

Federal and State highways and increased public access to the area.

* Potential social and economic affects to the local communities

(increased Federal, State, and local revenues).

* Potential impacts to surface and groundwater resources.

* Potential impacts to air quality and air quality related values

of the Bridger-Teton and Fitzpatrick Wilderness Areas.

* Potential impacts on wetlands, floodplains, and/or riparian

areas.

* Potential impacts on paleontology.

* Potential impacts from hazardous substances.

* Potential impacts to visual resources (e.g., conformance with

visual resource management classifications; potential impacts from

development on the natural landscape).

* Potential impacts to current land use (industrialization).

* Revegetation and restoration of short-term disturbances and long-

term stabilization, and control of noxious weeds.

* Potential impacts to human health and safety.

* Potential impacts to domestic animal health and safety.

* Potential cumulative impacts from the development when added to

other energy-related activities ongoing or planned in the vicinity of

the project.

* Split-estate concerns.

* Potential impacts to the National Historic Trail System.

* Potential impacts to sites sensitive to American Indians.

Opportunities that may be derived from the natural gas development

include: increased royalties and tax revenues to local, State and

Federal Governments; added employment and economic benefits to

communities near the natural gas field; increase in Wyoming's share of

new and existing markets; and development of natural gas to assist in

the attainment of clean air in conformance with Presidential and

Congressional direction.

Dated: July 8, 1998.

Alan L. Kesterke,

Associate State Director.

[FR Doc. 98-18671 Filed 7-13-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-22-M