[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 83 (Friday, April 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24015-24017]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10308]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP11-24-000]
Ryckman Creek Resources, LLC; Notice of Availability of the
Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Ryckman Creek Storage Field
Project
The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or
Commission) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the
Ryckman Creek Storage Field Project proposed by Ryckman Creek
Resources, LLC (Ryckman) in the above-referenced docket. Ryckman
requests authorization to construct and operate the Project, which
involves converting an existing partially depleted oil field, known as
the Ryckman Creek (Nugget Unit), into a new interstate natural gas
storage field. The Project is located approximately 15 miles northeast
of Evanston in Uinta County, Wyoming.
Concurrent with the development of the gas storage field, Ryckman
proposes to initiate enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations of the oil
reserves remaining in the Nugget Unit. The construction and operation
of the EOR facilities would be under the jurisdiction of the Wyoming
Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, as well as subject to the
regulations of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), where
applicable.
The EA assesses the potential environmental effects of the
construction and operation of the Ryckman Creek Storage Field Project
in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The FERC staff concludes that approval of
the proposed project, with appropriate mitigating measures, would not
constitute a major federal action significantly affecting the quality
of the human environment.
The BLM participated as a cooperating agency in the preparation of
the EA. Cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law or special
expertise with respect to resources potentially affected by the
proposal and participate in the NEPA analysis. The BLM has participated
as a cooperating agency in the preparation of the EA to satisfy its
respective NEPA and planning responsibilities since the Project would
cross federal land under the jurisdiction of the Kemmerer Field Office
in Wyoming. Under sections 17 and 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act of
1920, (30 U.S.C. 185(f) and 226(m)) the BLM has the authority to issue
underground gas storage agreements and right-of-way
[[Page 24016]]
grants for all affected federal lands. This would be in accordance with
Title 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 2800, 2880, and 5105.5
subsequent 2800, 2880, and 3160-11 Manuals, and Handbook 2801-1. As a
cooperating agency, the BLM would adopt the EA per Title 40 CFR 1506.3
to meet its responsibilities under NEPA in considering Ryckman Creek's
application for a Right-of-Way Grant and Temporary Use Permit for the
portion of the Project on federal land, by the Kemmerer Field Office,
High Desert District; and the issuance of an Underground Gas Storage
Agreement by the Wyoming State Office, Reservoir Management Group,
Casper, Wyoming. The decision record will be signed following the FERC
determination of public convenience and necessity for this project, and
posted on the BLM NEPA Web site at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/kfo.html.
The proposed Ryckman Creek Storage Field Project includes the
following:
Drill and complete up to six horizontal injection/
withdrawal (I/W) wells;
Re-enter up to two well for use as observation wells;
Re-enter/re-complete up to two saltwater disposal wells;
Modify the existing Canyon Creek Compressor Station and
its ancillary facilities modified by the addition of up to eight new
electric motor-driven compressors with up to 33,000 horsepower (hp) for
a total of up to 55,000 hp of compression;
Install three bi-directional meters for the
interconnections with the Kern River, Questar, and Overthrust
pipelines;
Construct a central gas/liquids separation and storage
facility (Ryckman Plant) where all of the pipelines meet, containing
oil, water and gas handling, and natural gas liquids (NGL) storage
equipment; and it would also contain a small electric-drive compressor
to compress casinghead gas for use in the (EOR) operations;
Construct approximately 4.03 mile 16-inch diameter header
pipeline to connect the Ryckman Plant to the Canyon Creek Compressor
Station;
Construct approximately 4.8 miles of new 8-inch diameter
storage field flowlines;
Install amine, triethylene glycol (TEG) and mole sieve
dehydration, NGL extraction, hydrocarbon dew point control and nitrogen
rejection unit (NRU) process equipment at the Canyon Creek Compressor
Station;
Re-enter/re-complete up to 12 existing vertical production
wells for use in the EOR operations;
Re-use existing production well gathering system for use
in the EOR operations;
Construct an approximately 0.9 mile 3-inch diameter NGL
pipeline from the Canyon Creek Compression Station to a third-party
liquids pipeline.
Construct a 4.03-mile-long electric power line from the
138 kV electric substation at the Canyon Creek Compressor Station to
the Ryckman Plant; and
Use of temporary laydown and support facilities and
ancillary facilities necessary to operate and maintain the Project.
The EA has been placed in the public files of the FERC and is
available for public viewing on the FERC's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the eLibrary link. A limited number of copies of the
EA are available for distribution and public inspection at: Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, Public Reference Room, 888 First Street,
NE., Room 2A, Washington, DC 20426, (202) 502-8371.
Copies of the EA have been mailed to Federal, State, and local
government representatives and agencies; elected officials;
environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes;
potentially affected landowners and other interested individuals and
groups; newspapers and libraries in the project area; and parties to
this proceeding.
Any person wishing to comment on the EA may do so. Your comments
should focus on the potential environmental effects, reasonable
alternatives, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts.
The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. To
ensure that your comments are properly recorded and considered prior to
a Commission decision on the proposal, it is important that the FERC
receives your comments in Washington, DC on or before May 23, 2011.
For your convenience, there are three methods you can use to submit
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the
project docket number (CP11-24-000) with your submission. The
Commission encourages electronic filing of comments and has dedicated
eFiling expert staff available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or
[email protected].
(1) You may file your comments electronically by using the eComment
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. An eComment is an
easy method for interested persons to submit brief, text-only comments
on a project;
(2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the link to Documents and Filings. With eFiling, you
can provide comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a
file with your submission. New eFiling users must first create an
account by clicking on ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the
type of filing you are making. A comment on a particular project is
considered a ``Comment on a Filing''; or
(3) You may file a paper copy of your comments at the following
address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
Although your comments will be considered by the Commission, simply
filing comments will not serve to make the commenter a party to the
proceeding. Any person seeking to become a party to the proceeding must
file a motion to intervene pursuant to Rule 214 of the Commission's
Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.214).\1\ Only intervenors
have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing
comments electronically.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be
granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they
have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be
adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor
status to have your comments considered.
Additional information about the project is available from the
Commission's Office of External Affairs, at (866) 208-FERC or on the
FERC Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on
the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket
number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field
(i.e., CP11-24-000). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date
range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
[email protected] or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY,
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders,
notices, and rulemakings.
[[Page 24017]]
In addition, the Commission offers a free service called
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to
the documents. Go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
Dated: April 22, 2011.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-10308 Filed 4-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P