[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3243-3244]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1292]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-040-00-1330-DB]


Kemmerer and Rock Springs Field Office Areas, Wyoming, Planning 
Review Concerning Proposed Closure to Oil and Gas Leasing in Trona 
Mining Areas to Protect Health and Safety

AGENCY:  Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION:  Notice of intent to conduct a planning review and request for 
public participation concerning closing portions of the trona mining 
areas to oil and gas leasing for protection of health and safety, with 
potential to amend the Kemmerer and Green River (Rock Springs) Resource 
Management Plans (RMPs) to modify mineral management objectives.

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SUMMARY:  Notice is hereby given in accordance with 43 CFR 1610.2(C) 
that the Rock Springs and Kemmerer Field Offices of the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) are proposing to close the Special Sodium Drilling 
Area--A in southwest Wyoming to oil and gas leasing and coincidental 
development of oil and gas reserves on existing oil and gas leases to 
provide for the continued health and safety of underground miners. A 
planning review of existing land-use decisions would be conducted to 
evaluate how to best manage mineral resource and to provide for the 
recognized health and safety of underground miners. Any needed changes 
in existing management or any new management actions to be prescribed 
for the area will be identified and if necessary, the Kemmerer and 
Green River RMPs amended.
    The Joint Industry Committee (JIC), representing trona, and oil and 
gas industry groups and interests, has worked for four years addressing 
issues on the complexities of coincidental development of underground 
trona and deep oil and gas within the Mechanical Mining Trona Area 
(MMTA). Technical studies and analysis with safety and economic 
comparisons show that the mineable trona within the MMTA should be 
completely extracted before development of deep natural gas resources. 
The JIC has recommended the following approach:
     Expand the MMTA boundary to include a one-mile lateral 
safety buffer, known as the Special Sodium Drilling Area-A (SSDA-A). 
The SSDA-A consists of 218,613 acres of Federal minerals managed by the 
BLM, 30,959 acres of State of Wyoming-owned mineral estate, and 223,873 
acres of privately held minerals.
     Amend the RMPs to close the SSDA-A to oil and gas leasing 
and development of deep natural gas wells. Drilling of deep natural gas 
wells would be prohibited until completion of conventional underground 
trona mining and abandonment of the underground trona mines. 
Hydrocarbon resources in the MMTA would be conserved for future 
development.
     Adopt special rules for drilling operations, well 
completion, production, and abandonment of shallow natural gas wells 
within the SSDA-A. Shallow gas drilling could be allowed within the 
SSDA-A on existing oil and gas leases, subject to special rules 
currently under development.
     Outside of the SSDA-A but within the Known Sodium Leasing 
Area, allow oil and gas leasing, and drilling of deep natural gas wells 
utilizing the special rules for drilling operations, well completion, 
production, and abandonments procedures as adopted by the Wyoming Oil 
and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) for the entire Special Sodium 
Drilling Area.
    Closure to oil and gas leasing and development of the deep natural 
gas reserves within the SSDA-A and adoption of these recommendations is 
problematic due to existing federal and State of Wyoming oil and gas 
leases within the SSDA-A. These existing leases do not provide 
limitations on the depth of oil and gas drilling operations. The JIC 
and BLM have identified several options for addressing this problem:
    1. Maintain the current suspension on existing oil and gas leases 
until conventional underground mining of trona has been completed and 
miners are no longer working underground.
    2. Allow current suspensions to expire and place conditions of 
approval on applications to drill in order to prevent drilling of deep 
natural gas wells. Development of shallow natural gas wells may be 
allowed subject to special rules (once they are adopted by the WOGCC).
    3. Existing Federal and State lessees could be given preferential 
right to trade oil and gas leases within the SSDA-A for other Federal 
or State leases of comparable value.
    4. Purchase existing Federal and State oil and gas leases by one or 
more of the following:
    (A) Give the leaseholder a royalty credit against future oil and 
gas production on other leases held by the lessee.
    (B) Allocate a portion of future sodium royalties to purchase oil 
and gas leases from the lessee.

[[Page 3244]]

    (C) Federal budget disbursement.
    (D) Private agreements between trona producers and oil and gas 
lessees.
    The BLM is seeking public comment on these options and asking the 
public for additional options that should be addressed in the 
environmental analysis for the land use plan amendments.

DATES:  Send comments to Ted Murphy, Associate Field Manager for Lands 
and Minerals, BLM, Rock Springs Field Office, 307-352-0321. Comments 
are due March 3, 2000 and may be sent via regular mail to BLM, Rock 
Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901, or 
email rock__spring__[email protected]. Please refer to ``Coincidental 
Development'' in the subject field.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Ted Murphy, Associate Field Manager 
for Lands and Minerals, BLM, Rock Springs Field Office, 307-352-0321. 
Documents supporting JIC recommendations and BLM options may be viewed 
at the Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, 
Wyoming (307-352-0256), Kemmerer Field Office, 312 Highway 189 North, 
Kemmerer, Wyoming (307-828-4500), and the Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming (307-775-6261).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  History has shown that mining, and oil and 
gas operations can behave unpredictably despite the best efforts in the 
application of newest technology and strict operating practices. 
Studies, performed under the direction of the JIC, have proven that 
coincidental development of trona and oil and gas within the MMTA could 
have catastrophic consequences. This finding is based on the analysis 
of current drilling and completion standards used in the Green River 
Basin and the potential for uncontrolled fluid migration from oil and 
gas wells into the underground mine(s). The safety and well being of 
underground miners employed in the trona industry is of paramount 
importance. Therefore, action must be taken to resolve this issue.
    Written comments in response to this notice, including the names 
and addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at 
the BLM Rock Springs office during regular business hours (7:45 a.m.-
4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays) after the 
comment period closes and may be published as part of the environmental 
process. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you 
wish to withhold your name and/or address from public review or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your written comment. 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.

    Dated: January 13, 2000.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 00-1292 Filed 1-19-00; 8:45 am]
BILLIING CODE 4310-22-P