[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 210 (Tuesday, October 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 54778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-27253]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for Shell Offshore 
Inc.'s Proposed Deepwater Development Plan Offshore Alabama (NaKika 
Project)

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Preparation of an environmental assessment.

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SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is preparing an 
environmental assessment (EA) for a proposed deepwater development plan 
to develop and produce hydrocarbon reserves 115-118 miles offshore 
Alabama in Mississippi Canyon Blocks 474 and 520.
    This EA implements the tiering process outlined in 40 CFR 1502.20, 
which encourages agencies to tier environmental documents, eliminating 
repetitive discussions of the same issue. By use of tiering from the 
most recent Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Gulf of 
Mexico Central Planning Area for Lease Sales 169, 172, 175, 178, and 
182 and by referencing related environmental documents, this EA 
concentrates on environmental issues specific to the proposed action.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Minerals Management Service, Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 
70123-2394, Mr. Clay Pilie', telephone (504) 736-2443.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMS GOM Region received an Initial 
Development Operations Coordination Document (DOCD) from Shell Offshore 
Inc. (Shell) that proposes to develop and produce hydrocarbon reserves 
using facilities located in Mississippi Canyon Blocks 474 and 520. The 
DOCD was assigned a plan control number of N-7166 and the project is 
referred to as the NaKika Project. Shell proposes to complete the 
previously drilled Mississippi Canyon Block 520 No. 1 Well (Herschel) 
and install the centrally-located floating semisubmersible-shaped host 
facility (NaKika) in Mississippi Canyon Block 474. The NaKika host 
facility will support the facilities, equipment, flowline risers, and 
export pipelines necessary to develop the reserves from 10 satellite 
subsea wells located in five independent fields--Kepler (Mississippi 
Canyon Block 383), Ariel (Mississippi Canyon 429 Unit), Fourier 
(Mississippi Canyon 522 Unit), Herschel (Mississippi Canyon 522 Unit), 
and East Anstey (Mississippi Canyon 607 Unit).
    The NaKika host facility will be permanently moored by a 16-point, 
semi-taut wire rope, chain, and suction pile mooring system. The hull 
portion of the NaKika host facility is comprised of four square steel 
columns, 56 feet wide and 142 feet high, and four rectangular steel 
pontoons, 41 feet wide and 35 feet high, which connect the bottoms of 
the four columns. Topside facilities are comprised of four modules--
quarters, process, east receiving, and west receiving. The quarters 
module will house up to 60 people.
    The water depth at the NaKika host facility is approximately 6,340 
feet. The project will use existing onshore support bases in Venice 
(air transportation) and Port Fourchon (marine transportation), 
Louisiana, to support the proposed activities.
    Oil and gas produced at the NaKika project will be transported by 
right-of-way pipelines. These pipelines will connect with existing 
offshore infrastructure for final transport to shore.
    The proposed action analyzed in the EA will be the development plan 
as proposed by Shell. Alternatives will include the proposed action 
with additional mitigations and no action (i.e., disapproval of the 
plan). The analyses in the EA will examine the potential environmental 
effects of the proposal and alternatives.
    Public Comments: The MMS requests interested parties to submit 
comments regarding issues that should be addressed in the EA to the 
Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Office of 
Leasing and Environment, Attention: Regional Supervisor (MS 5410), 1201 
Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. Comments 
must be submitted no later than 30 days from the publication of this 
notice.

    Dated: October 9, 2001.
Chris C. Oynes,
Regional Director, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region.
[FR Doc. 01-27253 Filed 10-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P