U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
| Contacts: | Tom Rice | , 970-882-6845 | , Thomas.Rice@blm.gov |
BLM Approves Natural Gas Drilling Proposal in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
DOLORES, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management has approved a proposal by Questar Exploration and Production Company to drill one natural gas well on an existing federal lease in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The well would be in the Mockingbird Mesa area approximately 19 miles west/northwest of Cortez in Montezuma County. All surface activity will be conducted in accordance with the BLM Gold Book standards. Site specific stipulations will be applied via Conditions of Approval to protect cultural resources and other resource values.
The project involves the construction of a well pad and access road. If the well is a producer, a pipeline will also be built. All construction will remain inside previous disturbance associated with an abandoned well, the Questar Cutthroat Unit #10A, and with the existing Mockingbird Mesa access road. The pad size will be approximately 2.22 acres. The access road will be 1,598 feet long and the pipeline, if needed, will be a total of 5,805 feet.
The Environmental Assessment (EA) for this project addressed potential impacts of the proposed activities on natural and cultural resources within the Monument, including construction, operation, reclamation and abandonment of the well.
Approximately 80 percent of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is leased for oil and gas resources. The proclamation that created the Monument provided for development of energy resources on existing leases when those activities do not create new impacts that would interfere with proper care and management of the resources protected by the Monument Proclamation.
Hard copies of the EA are available at theAnasazi Heritage Center, 27501 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323, and the San Juan Public Lands Center, 15 Burnett Court, Durango, CO 81301.
The EA is also available on the Web at: www.co.blm.gov/canm/nepa_documents.html or www.co.blm.gov/sjra/index.html.
For more information, please contact Tom Rice at 970.882.6845.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument San Juan Public Lands 15 Burnett Court Durango, CO 81301