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ARCO’s winter exploration in NPR-A gets OK from BLM
by The Associated Press
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management published a notice of proposed action Dec. 22 for a finding of no significant impact and a record of decision on ARCO Alaska Inc.’s proposed winter exploration drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The comment period on the proposed action ends Jan. 24.
The agency found that the proposed plan, including eight possible well locations on ice work pads and access by snow trails, ice roads and ice runways, will have no significant impacts on the environment and will cause no undue or unnecessary degradation to the public lands.
The agency said that proposed drilling locations are within: sections 23 and 24, T10N, R1E, UM; sections 3, 6 and 8 of T10N, R2E, UM; section 12 of T10N, R3E, UM; section 6 of T10N, R4E, UM; and section 36 of T11N, R2E, UM.
No significant impacts BLM said that ARCO’s proposed exploration plan follows the drilling exploration design reviewed in the NPR-A integrated activity plan and environmental impact statement as modified by the applicant through changes to the plan of operations and mitigating measures development in the environmental assessment.
BLM said that there will be no significant impacts on the environment and no undue or unnecessary degradation to public lands. No permanent structures or facilities are proposed and recommends approval of ARCO’s application for permit to drill and associated rights-of-way.
The environmental assessment has been posted on the net at: http://wwwndo.ak.blm.gov/npra/default.html
ARCO won 92 NPR-A leases Drilling will be on tracts leased in the May NPR-A sale which netted $104.6 million for 133 leases. ARCO, bidding with Anadarko Petroleum Corp., took 92 of those leases.
ARCO spokeswoman Dawn Patience said the proposed takeover of ARCO by BP Amoco would not affect the company’s plans for exploratory drilling in the NPR-A this winter. Whether the company drills all three wells would depend upon initial drill results and how long the winter season lasts, Patience said.
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