[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]


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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.
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    \1\ Interventions may also be filed electronically via the 
Internet in lieu of paper. See the previous discussion on filing 
comments electronically.
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    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.

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    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