The Bureau of Land Management Issues Record of Decision for the Moneta Divide Project
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CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The Bureau of Land Management has approved the development of up to 4,250 oil and gas wells for the Moneta Divide Project on over 300,000 acres of mostly public lands managed by the Lander and Casper field offices. Today’s decision will facilitate yet another opportunity for responsible domestic energy production in Wyoming.
“I appreciate all the hard work and attention put into this project,” said Duane Spencer, BLM Wyoming Acting State Director. “This team effort improves the quality of BLM analysis and helps the agency make informed decisions on complex projects like Moneta Divide.”
While the Record of Decision issued today approves the Preferred Alternative analyzed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Moneta Divide Project, the decision does not authorize any on the ground activity at this time. The BLM will still require review and approval for each individual well as part of its Application for Permit to Drill process.
The project, proposed by Aethon Energy Management and Burlington Resources Oil and Gas Company LP, is expected to recover approximately 18.16 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 254 million barrels of oil over the 65-year life of the project. The project could generate approximately $182 million per year in Federal royalties, $87.5 million per year in severance taxes for the State of Wyoming, and $106 million per year in County Ad Valorem taxes.
The BLM released the Final EIS on Feb. 21, 2020, which began a 30-day public availability period and 60-day Governor’s consistency review. The Final EIS identifies a range of alternatives and includes the agency’s preferred alternative, which was developed following extensive review and consideration of public comments received on the Draft EIS. The Preferred Alternative also includes an amendment to the Casper Resource Management Plan.
The project area includes approximately 327,645 acres of public, state and private lands. Approximately 67 percent of the project area is on the BLM managed public lands, 10 percent is on State of Wyoming and State Parks land, and 23 percent is on private surface. The proponents plan to drill up to 4,250 new vertical, directional and horizontal wells from single and multi-well pads over a 15-year development period.
The ROD and other project documents and maps are available online at https://go.usa.gov/xnU9z
For more information, please contact BLM Project Manager Holly Elliot at 307-347-5193 or email BLM_WY_LD_Moneta_Divide_EIS@blm.gov.
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.