Southwestern Region 3 Carson National Forest Jicarilla Ranger District

Transcription

1 United States Department f Agriculture Frest Service Suthwestern Regin 3 Carsn Natinal Frest Jicarilla Ranger District 664 East Bradway Blmfield, New Mexic (505) FAX (505) File Cde: Date: March 22, 2013 Dear Interested Party: The Frest Service is prpsing t authrize tw Surface Use Plans f Operatins (SUPO) submitted by Burlingtn Resurces Oil & Gas Cmpany, LP (BROG) fr tw natural gas wells n its existing leases lcated n the Jicarilla Ranger District f the Carsn Natinal Frest. The existing leases are part f the 27-4 Unit. The SUPOs were submitted by BROG as part f the San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P and San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B Applicatins fr Permit t Drill (APD). Bth natural gas wells wuld directinally drill t the Blanc Mesaverde and Basin Dakta frmatins. Pursuant t the Mineral Leasing Act f 1920, as amended, the decisin t be made is nt t determine whether t drill, but rather, in what manner drilling wuld ccur. We are asking whether yu may have any issues r cncerns regarding the prpsed actin (described in detail belw). Based n a preliminary assessment, we intend t categrically exclude the prpsed prjects frm dcumentatin in an envirnmental impact statement r envirnmental assessment using Categry 1 under Sectin 390 f the 2005 Energy Plicy Act. Categry 1 is described as, Individual surface disturbances f less than 5 acres s lng as the ttal surface disturbance n the lease is nt greater than 150 acres and site-specific analysis in a dcument prepared pursuant t NEPA has been previusly cmpleted. The prpsed actin is tiered t the Final Envirnmental Impact Statement and Recrd f Decisin (7/25/2008) fr Surface Management f Gas Leasing and Develpment n the Jicarilla Ranger District. This categrical exclusin (CE) is subject t the Frest Service s Ntice, Cmment, and Appeal prcedures (36 CFR 215), which require a frmal 30-day cmment perid and an pprtunity t administratively appeal the decisin. We are infrming yu f the 30-day cmment perid fr the prpsed actin and hw yur cmments qualify yu t appeal the subsequent decisin. Purpse and Need fr Actin The purpse and need fr the prpsed actin is t further develp valid and existing federal il and gas lease NMSF and NMSF in a manner cnsistent with the leases; including lease stipulatins, federal law, and the current apprved frest land and resurce management plan. The submitted San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P and San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B SUPOs detail the prpsed surface disturbance and assciated mitigatin measures. Bth SUPOs and assciated mitigatin measures supprt sund energy develpment, while minimizing surface resurce impacts. This prpsal is cnsistent with the Carsn Natinal Frest Plan, as amended. Caring fr the Land and Serving Peple Printed n Recycled Paper

2 Prpsed BROG San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P and San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B Natural Gas Wells and Ancillary Facilities 2 Lcatin The San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P natural gas well (see Figure #1), wuld be lcated in Ri Arriba Cunty f nrthwestern New Mexic within the existing federal lease NMSF San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P: Surface lcatin: Sectin 32, Twnship 27 Nrth, Range 4 West, New Mexic Principal Meridian (NMPM) feet frm suth line (FSL) and 1780 feet frm west line (FWL). Bttm hle lcatin: Sectin 32, Twnship 27 Nrth, Range 4 West NMPM FSL and 885 FWL. The San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B natural gas well (see Figure #2), wuld be lcated in Ri Arriba Cunty f nrthwestern New Mexic within the existing federal lease NMSF San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B: Surface lcatin: Sectin 24, Twnship 27 Nrth, Range 4 West, New Mexic Principal Meridian (NMPM) feet frm suth line (FSL) and 1859 feet frm east line (FEL). Bttm hle lcatin: Sectin 24, Twnship 27 Nrth, Range 4 West NMPM FSL and 730 FEL. Prpsed Actin San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P: The prpsed San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P natural gas well will invlve cnstructin f a 330-ft by 400- ft well pad, which includes a 50-ft wide cnstructin zne arund the entire prpsed well pad, t accmmdate cuts and fills. The prpsed San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P wuld be lcated n an existing well lcatin. BROG wuld subsequently drill, prduce, perate, and ultimately plug, abandn, and reclaim the prpsed well lcatin. In cnjunctin with the prpsed San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P natural gas well, Williams Fur Crners, LLC (WFC) wuld cnstruct, wn, and perate a ft natural gas well-tie pipeline. This well-tie will cnnect the prpsed well int an existing pipeline gathering system. WFC s existing special use authrizatin wuld be amended t reflect this pipeline. The pipeline amendment is based n a 40 ft crridr. The entire pipeline wuld be cnstructed within the prpsed well pad and wuld nt require any additinal new surface disturbance.

3 Prpsed BROG San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P and San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B Natural Gas Wells and Ancillary Facilities 3 Pursuant t Categry 1 under Sectin 390 f the 2005 Energy Plicy Act individual surface and ttal lease disturbance (NMSF ) are as fllws: Ttal new surface disturbance fr the individual prject will be apprximately 0.46 acre: 330 ft. x 400 ft. = 3.03 acres minus 2.57 acres f existing well pad = 0.46 acres. Ttal un-reclaimed lease disturbance cnsists f apprximately acres: acres: 37 existing active well pads (43 ttal active wells) acres: Rads used fr lease peratins. San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B: The prpsed San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B natural gas well will invlve cnstructin f a 330-ft by 400- ft well pad, which includes a 50-ft wide cnstructin zne arund the entire prpsed well pad, t accmmdate cuts and fills. The prpsed San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B wuld be lcated n an existing well lcatin. BROG wuld subsequently drill, prduce, perate, and ultimately plug, abandn, and reclaim the prpsed well lcatin. In cnjunctin with the prpsed San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B natural gas well, Williams Fur Crners, LLC (WFC) wuld cnstruct, wn, and perate a ft natural gas well-tie pipeline. This well-tie will cnnect the prpsed well int an existing pipeline gathering system. WFC s existing special use authrizatin wuld be amended t reflect this pipeline. The pipeline amendment is based n a 40 ft crridr. The entire pipeline wuld be cnstructed within the prpsed well pad and wuld nt require any additinal new surface disturbance. Pursuant t Categry 1 under Sectin 390 f the 2005 Energy Plicy Act individual surface and ttal lease disturbance (NMSF ) are as fllws: Ttal new surface disturbance fr the individual prject will be apprximately 1.74 acres: 330 ft. x 400 ft. = 3.03 acres minus 1.29 acres f existing well pad, the abandned lcatin that is partially utilized is cnsidered fully reclaimed = 1.74 acres. Ttal un-reclaimed lease disturbance cnsists f apprximately acres: acres: 11 existing active well pads (17 ttal active wells) acres: Rads used fr lease peratins. All pipeline crridrs and abandned well pads in the leases are cnsidered fully reclaimed and are nt included in the disturbance calculatins. Als, Mtr Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) rads and nn-lease peratin rads are nt cnsidered in the disturbance calculatins. Upn cmpletin f cnstructin and drilling activities, all areas nt required fr well prductin wuld be reclaimed and seeded. Apprximately ne acre f the well pad disturbance wuld remain fr safe well peratins. All f the pipeline disturbance wuld be reclaimed. Frest Service and BROG representatives visited the prpsed well lcatins. During the field visit gelgy, tpgraphy, archelgy, visual impacts, vegetatin types, and threatened/endangered species cncerns were reviewed and addressed. Fr each lcatin a draft f site specific cnditins f apprval

4 Prpsed BROG San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P and San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B Natural Gas Wells and Ancillary Facilities 4 (COAs) integrating best management practices (BMPs) were develped as a result f the field visit and are available n the web at: Hw D Yu Submit Cmments? Cmments must meet the requirements f 36 CFR Cmments (written r ral) must be submitted t District Ranger Anthny Madrid, Jicarilla Ranger District. Cmments may be submitted by: US Pstal Service t: 664 E. Bradway, Blmfield, NM FAX: (505) Please include SUPOs fr the prpsed BROG San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P and San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B Natural Gas Wells in the cver sheet. t: cmments-suthwestern-carsn-jicarilla@fs.fed.us. Cmments must be in: Adbe (.pdf), MS-Wrd (.dc r.dcx), rich text frmat (.rtf), text (.txt), r hypertext markup language (.html). Please include SUPOs fr the prpsed BROG San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P and San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B Natural Gas Wells in the subject line. Hand delivery t: 664 E. Bradway, Blmfield, NM. Hand delivered cmments will be accepted n weekdays between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm Phne: (505) Oral cmments may be presented t Anthny Madrid, District Ranger, Cmments received, including names and addresses, will be part f the public recrd and available fr public inspectin. Cmments submitted annymusly will be cnsidered; hwever, thse wh submit cmments annymusly will nt have standing t appeal the final decisin. Als, when cmments are submitted annymusly the Frest Service is unable t prvide the cmmenter with the subsequent decisin dcument. Hw is the Cmment Deadline Calculated? The cmment perid ends 30 days fllwing the date f publicatin f a legal ntice in The Daily Times. This publicatin date is the exclusive means fr calculating the time t submit cmments n the prpsed actin. Thse wishing t cmment n this prpsal shuld nt rely upn dates r timeframes prvided by any ther surce.

5 Prpsed BROG San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P and San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B Natural Gas Wells and Ancillary Facilities 5 Wh May Appeal the Decisin? Only thse wh prvide cmments r therwise express interest in the prpsed actin during the cmment perid will be eligible t appeal the decisin (36 CFR ). Each individual r representative frm each rganizatin submitting cmments must either sign the cmments r verify identity upn request t have standing t appeal. If yu have any questins related t the SUPOs fr the prpsed BROG San Juan 27-4 Unit #030P and San Juan 27-4 Unit #156B Natural Gas Wells, please cntact J.J. Miller at (505) Sincerely, /s/ Anthny Madrid ANTHONY MADRID District Ranger Jicarilla Ranger District, Carsn Natinal Frest