[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 77 (Friday, April 21, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19955-19956]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-9881]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[WY-040-05-1310-01]


Expanded Moxa Arch Area Natural Gas Development Project, 
Sweetwater, Lincoln, and Uinta Counties, WY; Availability of Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior--Lead Agency; Bureau of 
Reclamation, Interior--Cooperating Agency.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Expanded Moxa Arch Area Natural Gas Development Project Draft 
EIS which analyzes the environmental consequences of the Moxa Arch 
operators proposal to continue to drill additional development wells in 
their leased acreage within the Moxa Arch oil and gas development area 
of southwestern Wyoming. The Moxa analysis area includes portions of 
western Sweetwater, southwestern Lincoln, and northeastern Uinta 
Counties, Wyoming. The project area is generally located within 
Townships 15 through 23 North, Ranges 111 through 113 West, 6th 
Principal Meridian. The area is accessed by Interstate 80 and U.S. 
Highway 30. Access to the interior of the Moxa analysis area is 
provided by an extensive road network developed to service prior and 
on-going drilling and production activities.

DATES: Comments on the draft EIS will be accepted for 45 days following 
the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes their 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The EPA notice is 
expected to be published on April 28, 1995. There are presently no 
plans to hold a public hearing on the Expanded Moxa Arch Area Natural 
Gas Development Project draft EIS because of apparent lack of 
unresolved substantial environmental controversy concerning the 
proposed project. Reviewers are encouraged to visit the local BLM 
offices in Cheyenne, Rock Springs, and Kemmerer, Wyoming, and talk with 
the managers about any concerns. If enough people indicate a desire to 
testify by returning the tear-out sheet provided in the draft EIS, a 
public hearing(s) will be scheduled. Information on the hearing(s) will 
be published in State and local newspapers and other media sources, and 
direct mailing to the recipients of the draft EIS to give the public 
enough notice.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the draft EIS should be sent to Bureau of Land 
Management, Bill McMahan (Project Coordinator), P.O. Box 1869, Rock 
Springs, WY 82902-1869.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft EIS analyzes a proposed action, 
one development alternative, and the no action alternative. The 
proposal by the Moxa Arch operators is to continue to drill additional 
development wells in their leased acreage within the Moxa Arch oil and 
gas development area of southwestern Wyoming. The Moxa Arch operators 
include Amoco Production Company, Union Pacific Resources Company, 
Wexpro/Celsius Energy Company, Bannon Energy, Marathon Oil Company, 
Presidio Exploration, and other companies (collectively referred to as 
the Moxa Operators). Lands associated with the additional drilling 
program include those previously analyzed in the Amoco Production 
Company Moxa Arch Natural Gas Production Environmental Assessment (EA) 
and Decision Record (DR) (USDI-BLM 1991) and the supplemental EA and DR 
to the Amoco Production Company Moxa Arch Natural Gas Production 
Project (USDI-BLM 1992). Additional areas analyzed in the EIS include 
lands north and south of the area analyzed in the previous EAs. The 
additional area combined with the lands analyzed in the previous two 
environmental analysis documents form the Expanded Moxa Arch Natural 
Gas Development (Moxa) analysis area (approximately 476,261 acres).
    The Moxa analysis area includes portions of western Sweetwater, 
southwestern Lincoln, and northeastern Uinta Counties, Wyoming. The 
project area is generally located within Townships 15 through 23 North, 
Ranges 111 through 113 West, 6th Principal Meridian. The area is 
accessed by [[Page 19956]] Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 30. Access to 
the interior of the Moxa analysis area is provided by an extensive road 
network developed to service prior and on-going drilling and production 
activities. The Moxa Arch Field is located in an area of checkerboard 
land ownership with approximately 55 percent Federal, 42 percent 
private, and 3 percent State. An extensive infrastructure of roads and 
pipelines for natural gas production is already in place within the 
Moxa Arch Development Area.
    Over the next 10 years, the Moxa Operators propose to drill up to 
1,325 additional infill wells, where 957 wells are presently active, to 
allow for the maximum recovery of natural gas from existing Federal, 
State, and private oil and gas leases. Additional roads and pipelines 
would be necessary to link the wells with existing transportation 
pipelines. Drilling estimates were based on the Moxa operators 
reasonable expectations that the ``tight-gas'' formation in this area 
could be developed at a average level of four wells per section within 
the ``proven'' production area and up to two wells per section within 
the ``flank'' area. A portion of the project area is presently 
developed on a 160 acre spacing (four wells per 640 acres). The Moxa 
Operators' plans and drilling schedules would be contingent upon both 
an increased demand for natural gas supplies in response to the Clean 
Air Act amendments of 1990 and an adequate price for the gas at the 
wellhead. The draft EIS describes the physical, biological, cultural, 
historic, and socio-economic resources in and surrounding the project 
area. The focus for impact analysis was based upon resource issues and 
concerns identified during public scoping. Potential impacts of concern 
from development were to livestock forage; recreation associated with 
Fontenelle Reservoir; crucial big game winter range and antelope 
migrations; sage grouse and raptor breeding and nesting; special status 
plant and wildlife species; soil erosion and sediment increases to the 
Hams Fork, Blacks Fork, and Green Rivers; groundwater contamination; 
Oregon, Mormon Pioneer, Pony Express, and California Historic Trails 
condition and viewshed; and cumulative effects.
    This draft EIS, in compliance with Section 7(c) of the Endangered 
Species Act (as amended), includes the Biological Assessment for the 
purpose of identifying any endangered or threatened species which are 
likely to be affected by the proposed action.

    Dated: April 14, 1995.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 95-9881 Filed 4-20-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-M