Outer Continental Shelf, Pacific OCS Region, Environmental Document Prepared for Development of the Eastern Half of Lease OCS-P 0451
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: August 22, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 163)]
[Notices]
[Page 50807-50808]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22au03-94]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
Outer Continental Shelf, Pacific OCS Region, Environmental
Document Prepared for Development of the Eastern Half of Lease OCS-P
0451
AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS).
ACTIONS: Notice of availability of Environmental Assessment (EA) and
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
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SUMMARY: The MMS Pacific OCS Region has prepared an EA for Arguello
Inc.'s revisions to the Point Arguello Field Development and Production
Plans to include development of the eastern half of Lease OCS-P 0451
pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA).
DATES: MMS completed the EA and issued a Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) on June 19, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Maurice Hill, Minerals Management
Service, Pacific OCS Region, 770 Paseo Camarillo, Camarillo, CA 93010,
telephone (805) 389-7815. A digital copy of the EA on a Compact Disk
may be requested by calling 1-800-6-PAC-OCS (1-800-672-2627), or by
sending a request to the above address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMS prepares EA's and Findings for Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas exploration and development
activities and other operations on the Pacific OCS. Arguello Inc.
proposes to develop the
[[Page 50808]]
eastern half of Federal Lease OCS-P 0451 by drilling a maximum of eight
extended-reach wells from two existing OCS platforms in the Point
Arguello Unit, Platforms Hermosa and Hidalgo. The project area is
located offshore about 13 km (8 mi) northwest of Point Conception,
Santa Barbara County, California. Lease OCS-P 0451 is considered a
developed lease by virtue of the existing production on the western
half, in the Point Arguello Unit. Previously, the eastern half of Lease
OCS-P 0451 was part of the Rocky Point Unit, but has since been
contracted out of the Unit. Therefore, it is no longer unitized with
the undeveloped leases of the Rocky Point Unit, and production from
this portion of the lease will have no effect on holding the Rocky
Point Unit leases, nor will it cause production of the undeveloped
Rocky Point Unit leases.
The MMS distributed a copy of Arguello Inc.'s proposal for review
and comment to five State agencies, eight Federal agencies, two local
agencies, and two non-governmental organizations. The EA examines the
potential environmental effects of Arguello Inc.'s proposed action and
presents MMS findings regarding the significance of those effects. The
MMS prepares EA's to determine whether proposed projects constitute a
major Federal action that significantly affects the quality of the
human environment in the sense of NEPA 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. The MMS completed an EA and issued a FONSI for Arguello
Inc.'s proposed action on June 19, 2003. This notice constitutes the
public Notice of Availability of environmental documents required under
the NEPA regulations.
Dated: July 3, 2003.
Peter L. Tweedt,
Regional Manager, Pacific OCS Region, Minerals Management Service.
[FR Doc. 03-21496 Filed 8-21-03; 8:45 am]
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