For Immediate Release: April 24, 2007
Contact:  Denise Adamic, Public Affairs, (303) 239-3671
Kent Walter, White River Field Manager, (970) 878-3800

BLM approves Piceance Development Project near Meeker

Meeker, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management today approved the ExxonMobil Piceance Development Project near Meeker, Colo.

The project includes ExxonMobil’s natural gas drilling activities and related infrastructure in the 29,680-acre Piceance Development Project Area, 15 miles west of Meeker. Much of the proposed development will occur in existing gas fields in this area which have been in continuous operation since the 1950s. The approval includes up to 20 new multi-well pads with as many as nine wells per pad, a new gas processing plant, new pipelines and other associated infrastructure.

Environmental impacts will be reduced by not allowing construction of 1.6 miles of new access road to the gas processing plant nor the use of large-scale evaporation ponds for produced water, as originally proposed. The decision also includes nearly 130 required mitigation measures.

“We believe this decision strikes the best balance between allowing ExxonMobil to continue oil and gas development in this area while protecting the environment,” said BLM White River Field Manager Kent Walter, who approved the Decision Record and Finding of No Significant Impact document for the project.

BLM released the Environmental Assessment on the Piceance Development Project for public review in October 2006. The EA analyzed the cumulative impacts over the next 30 years of 120 new multi-well pads in the project area. The decision follows Alternative B in the EA, the environmentally preferred alternative.

Required mitigation measures include a number of measures to reduce impacts including: pre-construction surveys for sensitive wildlife and cultural resources, timing limitations and extensive reclamation requirements.

ExxonMobil has also agreed to voluntarily compensate for the loss of approximately 608 acres of important mule deer winter range through off-site mitigation. For every acre disturbed, ExxonMobil will provide a comparable off-site habitat improvement in consultation with BLM and the Colorado Division of Wildlife.  

To receive a copy of the EA and Decision Record visit the White River Field Office web site www.co.blm.gov/wrra or contact Carol Hollowed, BLM White River Field Office, at 970-878-3836.

-BLM-