[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46458-46459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21661]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLUTG01100-09-L13100000-EJ0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Greater Chapita Wells Natural Gas Infill Project, Uintah County, UT

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Vernal Field Office, 
Vernal, Utah, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the proposed Greater Chapita Wells Natural Gas Infill 
Project, and by this notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping 
process and soliciting input on the identification of issues.

DATES: A public scoping period will end on October 9, 2009. The BLM 
will announce public scoping meetings to identify relevant issues 
through local news media, newsletters, and the BLM Web site http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/info/newsroom.2.html at least 15 days prior to 
each meeting. We will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation upon publication of the Draft EIS, including a 45-day 
public comment period.

ADDRESSES: Comments on issues related to the Greater Chapita Wells EIS 
may be submitted through any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (435) 781-4410.
     Mail: 170 South 500 East, Vernal, Utah 84078.

Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Vernal 
Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to the mailing list, contact Stephanie Howard by 
telephone: (435) 781-4469; or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document provides notice that the BLM 
Field Office, Vernal, Utah intends to prepare an EIS for the Greater 
Chapita Wells project and announces the beginning of the scoping 
process and seeks public input on issues and planning criteria. The 
Greater Chapita Wells Natural Gas Infill Project Area (GCWPA) consists 
of 42,027 acres in a developed gas-producing area, located 
approximately 30 miles southeast of Vernal and 12 miles east of Ouray, 
Utah. The GCWPA is located in the Uinta Basin in Uintah County. The 
GCWPA includes 32,823 acres (78 percent) of Federal lands administered 
by the BLM; 1,914 acres (five percent) of State lands administered by 
the State of Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration; 
6,727 acres (16 percent) of Northern Ute Tribal and allotted lands 
administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and 563 acres (one 
percent) of privately owned lands.
    EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) plans to drill up to 7,028 new infill 
natural gas wells to fully develop all currently known productive 
formations beneath EOG's leased acreage. EOG proposes to drill wells at 
an average rate of approximately 469 wells per year over a period of 15 
years, or until the resource base is fully developed. The productive 
life of each well would be approximately 40 years, and EOG expects all 
wells to be productive. EOG would use the existing infrastructure to 
the greatest possible extent by drilling vertical and directional 
wells. Well pads within the GCWPA would contain from one to six wells, 
with most well pads

[[Page 46459]]

containing more than one well. EOG would construct up to approximately 
700 new well pads and access roads and would expand approximately 979 
existing or previously authorized well pads. If fully developed, each 
section would contain 32 well pads such that optimal surface density 
would be one well pad every 20 acres. EOG would directionally drill 
wells to produce from bottom hole locations spaced at approximately 
five to 10 acres.
    The project would be supported by existing produced water disposal 
and treatment facilities, produced water pipelines, natural gas 
pipelines, and gas compression and processing facilities. EOG would 
construct and install support facilities where needed, including new 
well pad access roads, new or expanded well pads, new gas-gathering 
lines, and new produced water-injection wells.
    Potential issues include impacts to local and regional air quality 
and air quality related values; surface water and groundwater 
resources; floodplains; cultural and paleontological resources; soils; 
special status plant and animal species; range management; recreation; 
and socioeconomics. Alternatives identified at this time include the 
proposed action and the no action alternative. Additional alternatives 
will be developed as a result of issues and concerns identified through 
the scoping process.
    The BLM Vernal Field Office Record of Decision and Approved 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) (October 2008) directs the management of 
the BLM-administered public lands within the GCWPA. The RMP provides 
for energy resource exploration and development including a variety of 
oil and gas operations and geophysical explorations, unless precluded 
by other program prescriptions and surface-disturbance related 
stipulations (RMP, pp. 96 and 97).
    Comments on issues and planning criteria may be submitted in 
writing to the BLM at any public scoping meeting, or using one of the 
methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To be most helpful, 
comments should be submitted by the end of the public scoping period 
(within 30 days from the BLM's publication in the Federal Register). 
Before including an address, phone number, e-mail address, or other 
personal identifying information in your comment, be aware that the 
entire comment--including personal identifying information--may be made 
publicly available at any time. While a request can be made to withhold 
personal identifying information from public review, it cannot be 
guaranteed.

Jeff Rawson,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. E9-21661 Filed 9-8-09; 8:45 am]
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