BLM Issues Decision on the Continental Divide-Creston Natural Gas Development Project
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Cheyenne, Wyo. – Today, after thorough environmental analysis, the BLM issued its decision on the Continental Divide-Creston Natural Gas Development Project. The BLM will move forward with its preferred alternative to allow the CD-C project to infill the existing Continental Divide/Wamsutter II and Creston/Blue Gap natural gas fields with nearly 9,000 additional wells.
The project expansion would implement landscape-scale mitigation strategies for wildlife and other natural resources while also generating natural gas and condensate worth an estimated $50 billion. Condensate is often used to make fuel and in plastics manufacturing.
The 1.1 million-acre project area, which is located west of Rawlins, Wyo., and east of Rock Springs, Wyo., currently contains more than 4,700 wells developed since the 1940s. These wells make up 4.5 percent of the area’s surface disturbance and will only comprise 0.8 percent of the long-term disturbance. The expansion would add approximately 47,200 acres of new surface disturbance, which equates to only 4 percent of the entire project area.
When BP American Production Co. and the Operator Group approached the BLM about the proposed expansion, the BLM began analyzing the potential environmental impacts that could result from the project, including air quality and wildlife. The BLM released its final environmental impact statement for the project in April 2016.
Consistent with Secretarial Order No. 3330, Improving Mitigation Policies and Practices of the Department of the Interior, and the BLM’s obligations under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, BLM Wyoming created a landscape-scale mitigation appendix (Appendix S) for inclusion in the FEIS. The environmental analysis also examined potential air quality impacts within the range of alternatives.
An estimated 12 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 167 million barrels of condensate combined would be worth approximately $50 billion and would generate royalties of about $6 billion over the 30-40 year life of the project. Royalties from the project would be split between the State of Wyoming and the federal government. Total employment, including direct, indirect, and induced employment, would peak at about 4,000 jobs.
The final EIS and Record of Decision will be available for public review at http://bit.ly/2d3L9Td. For more information, please contact Brad Purdy at 307-775-6328.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.