[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 163 (Friday, August 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50807-50808]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21496]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Outer Continental Shelf, Pacific OCS Region, Environmental 
Document Prepared for Development of the Eastern Half of Lease OCS-P 
0451

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS).

ACTIONS: Notice of availability of Environmental Assessment (EA) and 
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

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SUMMARY: The MMS Pacific OCS Region has prepared an EA for Arguello 
Inc.'s revisions to the Point Arguello Field Development and Production 
Plans to include development of the eastern half of Lease OCS-P 0451 
pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA).

DATES: MMS completed the EA and issued a Finding of No Significant 
Impact (FONSI) on June 19, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Maurice Hill, Minerals Management 
Service, Pacific OCS Region, 770 Paseo Camarillo, Camarillo, CA 93010, 
telephone (805) 389-7815. A digital copy of the EA on a Compact Disk 
may be requested by calling 1-800-6-PAC-OCS (1-800-672-2627), or by 
sending a request to the above address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMS prepares EA's and Findings for Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas exploration and development 
activities and other operations on the Pacific OCS. Arguello Inc. 
proposes to develop the

[[Page 50808]]

eastern half of Federal Lease OCS-P 0451 by drilling a maximum of eight 
extended-reach wells from two existing OCS platforms in the Point 
Arguello Unit, Platforms Hermosa and Hidalgo. The project area is 
located offshore about 13 km (8 mi) northwest of Point Conception, 
Santa Barbara County, California. Lease OCS-P 0451 is considered a 
developed lease by virtue of the existing production on the western 
half, in the Point Arguello Unit. Previously, the eastern half of Lease 
OCS-P 0451 was part of the Rocky Point Unit, but has since been 
contracted out of the Unit. Therefore, it is no longer unitized with 
the undeveloped leases of the Rocky Point Unit, and production from 
this portion of the lease will have no effect on holding the Rocky 
Point Unit leases, nor will it cause production of the undeveloped 
Rocky Point Unit leases.
    The MMS distributed a copy of Arguello Inc.'s proposal for review 
and comment to five State agencies, eight Federal agencies, two local 
agencies, and two non-governmental organizations. The EA examines the 
potential environmental effects of Arguello Inc.'s proposed action and 
presents MMS findings regarding the significance of those effects. The 
MMS prepares EA's to determine whether proposed projects constitute a 
major Federal action that significantly affects the quality of the 
human environment in the sense of NEPA 102(2)(C). A FONSI is prepared 
in those instances where the MMS finds that approval will not result in 
significant effects on the quality of the human environment. The FONSI 
briefly presents the basis for that finding and includes a summary or 
copy of the EA. The MMS completed an EA and issued a FONSI for Arguello 
Inc.'s proposed action on June 19, 2003. This notice constitutes the 
public Notice of Availability of environmental documents required under 
the NEPA regulations.

    Dated: July 3, 2003.
Peter L. Tweedt,
Regional Manager, Pacific OCS Region, Minerals Management Service.
[FR Doc. 03-21496 Filed 8-21-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P