[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4550-4551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2310]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service


Environmental Documents Prepared for Proposed Oil and Gas 
Operations on the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of the availability of environmental documents prepared 
for OCS mineral proposals on the Gulf of Mexico OCS.

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SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS), in accordance with 
Federal Regulations (40 CFR Section 1501.4 and Section 1506.6) that 
implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), announces the 
availability of NEPA-related Site-Specific Environmental Assessments 
(SEA's) and Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI's), prepared by 
the MMS for the following oil and gas activities proposed on the Gulf 
of Mexico OCS. This listing includes all proposals for which the 
FONSI's were prepared by the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region in the period 
subsequent to publication of the preceding notice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Activity/operator                Location             Date     
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Texaco Exploration and Production,  Ewing Bank Area;             1/10/97
 Inc., Pipeline Activity, SEA No.    Blocks 873, 829,                   
 G-16093.                            and 785; South                     
                                     Timbalier Area,                    
                                     South Addition;                    
                                     Blocks 308, 287,                   
                                     284, 259, 256, 231,                
                                     and 228; South                     
                                     Timbalier Area;                    
                                     Blocks 209, 184,                   
                                     181, 156, 153, 133,                
                                     130, 124, 87, 62,                  
                                     59, 44, 41, 26, 23,                
                                     and 22; Bay                        
                                     Marchand Area;                     
                                     Blocks 4 and 5;                    
                                     Lease G-16093; 4.2-                
                                     67.1 miles south of                
                                     the nearest                        
                                     coastline in                       
                                     Louisiana.                         
W & T Offshore Inc., Structure      Ship Shoal Area,            12/23/96
 Removal Operations, SEA Nos. ES/    Block 133, Lease                   
 SR 96-138A and 96-139A.             OCS-G 4228, 71.5                   
                                     miles southwest of                 
                                     Fourchon, Louisiana.               

[[Page 4551]]

                                                                        
Coastal Oil & Gas Corporation,      East Cameron Area,          10/24/96
 Structure Removal Operations, SEA   Block 219, Lease                   
 No. ES/SR 97-001.                   OCS-G 7652, 68                     
                                     miles south of                     
                                     Cameron Parish,                    
                                     Louisiana.                         
Blue Dolphin Exploration Company,   Galveston Area,             10/25/96
 Structure Removal Operations, SEA   Block 288, Lease                   
 No. ES/SR 97-002.                   OCS 0709, 26 miles                 
                                     southeast of                       
                                     Galveston County,                  
                                     Texas.                             
Texaco Exploration and Production,  Vermilion Area,             11/21/96
 Inc., Structure Removal             Block 31, Lease OCS-               
 Operations, SEA Nos. ES/SR 97-      G 2868, 7 miles                    
 003, 97-004, and 97-017.            from Vermilion                     
                                     Parish, Louisiana.                 
Samedan Oil Company, Structure      South Timbalier             12/02/96
 Removal Operations, SEA No. ES/SR   Area, Block 147,                   
 97-006.                             Lease OCS-G 4885,                  
                                     32 miles southeast                 
                                     of Terrebonne                      
                                     Parish, Louisiana.                 
Santa Fe Energy Resources,          Main Pass Area,             11/21/96
 Structure Removal Operations, SEA   Blocks 186 and 202,                
 Nos. ES/SR 97-009 and 97-010.       Leases OCS-G 7814                  
                                     and 5714, 35 miles                 
                                     southeast of St.                   
                                     Bernard Parish,                    
                                     Louisiana.                         
Hall-Houston Oil Company,           High Island Area,           12/13/96
 Structure Removal Operations, SEA   Block 234, Lease                   
 No. ES/SR 97-018.                   OCS-G 12545, 36                    
                                     miles south of                     
                                     Chambers County,                   
                                     Texas.                             
Santa Fe Energy Resources, Inc.,    Chandeleur Area,              1/7/97
 Structure Removal Operations, SEA   East Addition;                     
 Nos. ES/SR 97-011 through 97-015.   Blocks 22, 30, 31                  
                                     and 34; Leases OCS-                
                                     G 5739, 7834, 7835,                
                                     and 5742; 40-43                    
                                     miles south of                     
                                     Jackson County,                    
                                     Mississippi.                       
Texaco Exploration and Production,  Eugene Island Area,          12/2/96
 Inc., Structure Removal             Block 49, Lease OCS-               
 Operations, SEA No. ES/ER 97-016.   G 13618, 18 miles                  
                                     south of Iberia                    
                                     Parish, Louisiana.                 
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Persons interested in reviewing environmental documents for the 
proposals listed above or obtaining information about EA's and FONSI's 
prepared for activities on the Gulf of Mexico OCS are encouraged to 
contact the MMS office in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Public Information Unit, Information Services Section, Gulf of Mexico 
OCS Region, Minerals Management Service, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, 
New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, Telephone (504) 736-2519.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMS prepares EA's and FONSI's for 
proposals which relate to exploration for and the development/
production of oil and gas resources on the Gulf of Mexico OCS. The EA's 
examine the potential environmental effects of activities described in 
the proposals and present MMS conclusions regarding the significance of 
those effects. Environmental Assessments are used as a basis for 
determining whether or not approval of the proposals constitutes major 
Federal actions that significantly affect the quality of the human 
environment in the sense of NEPA Section 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.
    This notice constitutes the public notice of availability of 
environmental documents required under the NEPA Regulations.

    Dated: January 23, 1997.
Chris C. Oynes,
Regional Director, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region.
[FR Doc. 97-2310 Filed 1-29-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-M