[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 190 (Friday, October 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 58946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22056]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-080-1310-00]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) on the Chapita Wells-Stagecoach Area Gas Development Project, 
Uintah County, UT

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent and notice of scoping.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Vernal Field 
Office, Vernal, Utah, will be preparing an EIS on EOG Resources, Inc. 
(EOG) proposed gas development on about 31,872 acres in the Chapita 
Wells-Stagecoach Area gas producing region. The Vernal Field Office 
Manager will be the authorized officer for this project.

DATES: A 30-day public scoping period will begin on the date this 
notice is published in the Federal Register. A public scoping open 
house and information meeting will be conducted during the scoping 
period. Details on this meeting will be released to the public at least 
15 days from the scheduled date. If you have any information, data or 
concerns related to potential impacts of the proposed action, including 
the issues identified above, or have suggestions for additional 
alternatives, please submit them to the address listed below.

ADDRESSES: Written scoping comments should be sent to: Field Manager, 
Bureau of Land Management, Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 East. 
Vernal, Utah 84078, ATTN: QEP Field Development Project.
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents will 
be available for public review at the BLM Vernal Field Office and will 
be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 
They may be published as part of the EIS and other related documents. 
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to 
withhold your name or street address from public review and disclosure 
under the FOIA, 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 will 
be made available for public inspection in their entirely.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Nitschke-Sinclear, 435-781-4437 
or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The project area is located about 30 miles 
southeast of Vernal, Utah. It involves about 71% BLM-administered lands 
(22,693 acres); 6% (1,914 acres) State of Utah-administered lands; 21% 
Northern Ute Tribal and/or allotted lands administered by the BIA 
(6,577 acres); and, 2% (688 acres) patented land. Currently 325 
producing gas wells, with their attendant service roads, exist within 
the project area, and about 100 additional wells have been approved for 
drilling under a Decision Record, dated April 11, 2000, entitled 
Chapita Wells Unit Infill Development, Uintah County, Utah (EA No. UT-
080-1999-032). There are currently no oil wells or produced water 
disposal wells in the project area. EOG's long term development plan 
includes drilling additional wells at the rate of about 90 wells per 
year, over a period of 7 years, or until the resource base is fully 
developed. A total of up to 627 new wells would be drilled. Of these, 
473 would be new locations and 154 would be twins drilled from existing 
locations (representing 25% of the total new wells that would be 
drilled). About 3% of the total wells drilled may result in dry holes. 
The total number of wells drilled would depend largely on factors 
outside of EOG's control, such as production success, engineering 
technology, economic factors, availability of commodity markets, and 
lease stipulations and restrictions.
    Required infrastructure includes electric power lines, roads, gas 
flowlines and pipelines, well pads, water injection facilities, and gas 
treatment facilities. Gas would be transported via pipeline to existing 
centralized compression and treatment facilities. Produced water would 
be trucked to approved evaporation pits or EOG water injection wells 
where it would be re-injected into the oil reservoir or disposal zone 
via an injection well system. Major issues at this time include 
potential impacts on desert and semi-desert ecosystems and their 
dependent wildlife species (including antelope, sage grouse, white-
tailed prairie dog colonies and their associated species), vegetation 
(including noxious weeds and reclamation), and riparian habitat 
associated with the Green River corridor. Alternatives identified at 
this time include the proposed action, the no action alternatives and 
in accordance with national policy, an alternative incorporating Best 
Management Practices designed to reduce the environmental effects of 
production operations. Best Management Practices considered could 
include burial of flowlines in the roadbeds for transport of 
condensate, water and gas to centralized facilities, more extensive 
interim reclamation of production areas, and other techniques designed 
to substantially reduce the footprint of new and existing oil and gas 
production facilities and infrastructure.''

    Dated: September 20, 2004.
William Stringer,
Vernal Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 04-22056 Filed 9-30-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-$$-P