11

Best Management Best Management PracticesPractices

Planning, Leasing, PermittingPlanning, Leasing, Permitting

Jamie ConnellJamie ConnellBLM Northwest ColoradoBLM Northwest Colorado

District ManagerDistrict Manager

BLM – PlanningBLM – PlanningBLM – PlanningBLM – Planning

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

• Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA)

• Foundation for sustainable resource decisionsFoundation for sustainable resource decisions

• Balances competing useBalances competing use

• Basis for legally-defensible resource management decisionsBasis for legally-defensible resource management decisions

• Timely implementation decisionsTimely implementation decisions

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

• Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA)

• Foundation for sustainable resource decisionsFoundation for sustainable resource decisions

• Balances competing useBalances competing use

• Basis for legally-defensible resource management decisionsBasis for legally-defensible resource management decisions

• Timely implementation decisionsTimely implementation decisions

Decision TypesDecision Types Decision TypesDecision Types

1. Resource Management Plan (RMP)1. Resource Management Plan (RMP)

- Designate Special Management Areas- Designate Special Management Areas

- Set resource goals & objective- Set resource goals & objective

- Availability for Oil & gas, coal leasing- Availability for Oil & gas, coal leasing with appropriate stipulationswith appropriate stipulations

- Travel management- Travel management

- Land tenure adjustments- Land tenure adjustments

- Wild & Scenic River Suitability- Wild & Scenic River Suitability

1. Resource Management Plan (RMP)1. Resource Management Plan (RMP)

- Designate Special Management Areas- Designate Special Management Areas

- Set resource goals & objective- Set resource goals & objective

- Availability for Oil & gas, coal leasing- Availability for Oil & gas, coal leasing with appropriate stipulationswith appropriate stipulations

- Travel management- Travel management

- Land tenure adjustments- Land tenure adjustments

- Wild & Scenic River Suitability- Wild & Scenic River Suitability

2. 2. Activity/Implementation Plans Activity/Implementation Plans

- site specific detailed management plans- site specific detailed management plans

- allotment management plans- allotment management plans

- oil and gas permitting with conditions of - oil and gas permitting with conditions of approvalapproval

- recreation management plans- recreation management plans

2. 2. Activity/Implementation Plans Activity/Implementation Plans

- site specific detailed management plans- site specific detailed management plans

- allotment management plans- allotment management plans

- oil and gas permitting with conditions of - oil and gas permitting with conditions of approvalapproval

- recreation management plans- recreation management plans

55

Glenwood Springs Field OfficeGlenwood Springs Field OfficeBLM Surface: 567,395 acres

Federal Mineral Estate: 748,228 acres, plus 1.5 million acres of FS

Master Development Master Development PlansPlans

• Plan for wells, production Plan for wells, production facilities, roads, and pipelines and facilities, roads, and pipelines and mitigation mitigation • One NEPA analysis vs. multiple One NEPA analysis vs. multiple redundant processes and redundant processes and documentsdocuments• Proposed wells approved without Proposed wells approved without additional NEPA additional NEPA • Additional wells approved using Additional wells approved using Statutory CX Statutory CX

66

77

Directional DrillingDirectional DrillingMulti-well locationsMulti-well locations

Reduced well pad Reduced well pad densitydensity

Reduced road Reduced road densitydensity

Dual rig operationsDual rig operations

Efficiency Efficiency Drilling Drilling Rigs Rigs

• Smaller footprintSmaller footprint• 22 wells per pad22 wells per pad• 75 % reduction in 75 % reduction in surface disturbancesurface disturbance• Reduced habitat Reduced habitat fragmentationfragmentation• Expanded gas Expanded gas recovery in extreme recovery in extreme topographytopography

88

99

Remote Frac/Centralized Remote Frac/Centralized Production TanksProduction Tanks

Fracing new wells from up to four miles awayFracing new wells from up to four miles awayUse of temporary surface linesUse of temporary surface linesCentralized tanks serving 87 wellsCentralized tanks serving 87 wells

1010

Water Delivery SystemsWater Delivery Systems

Temporary, poly water pipelinesTemporary, poly water pipelines

Delivers water for drilling and completionsDelivers water for drilling and completions

Eliminates water truck traffic and impactsEliminates water truck traffic and impacts

1111

Clustered DevelopmentClustered Development

Compressor facilityCompressor facility

Two well locationsTwo well locations

10 wells10 wells

1212

Hydro ax/chippingHydro ax/chipping

Clearing heavy Clearing heavy woodland corridorswoodland corridors

Fuel reduction, mgtFuel reduction, mgt

Enhanced rehab Enhanced rehab

Big game habitat Big game habitat mitigationmitigation

Pipeline BoringPipeline Boring

1313

• Avoids steep slope construction•Eliminates visual impacts

1414

Off-site Production FacilitiesOff-site Production Facilities

Production facilities Production facilities located off well located off well locationlocation

Provide immediate Provide immediate production while other production while other wells drilledwells drilled

Minimize well pad foot Minimize well pad foot print print

1515

Camo Facility PaintCamo Facility Paint

Custom color patternsCustom color patterns

Minimize color Minimize color contrastcontrast

Maximize visual Maximize visual mitigationmitigation

1616

ColorantColorantFired clay colorant Fired clay colorant

Turf reinforcement Turf reinforcement matmat

Growth mediumGrowth medium

Water infiltration Water infiltration enhancerenhancer

1717

Exhaust Stack ScreensExhaust Stack Screens

Migratory bird mitigationMigratory bird mitigation

Prevents entry by birdsPrevents entry by birds

Flat screens vs. conesFlat screens vs. cones

Remote telemetry Remote telemetry

1818

Pit NettingPit Netting

Migratory bird mitigationMigratory bird mitigation

Prevents bird entryPrevents bird entry

More effective than More effective than flaggingflagging

1919

CMP Containment “Berms”CMP Containment “Berms”

Metal containment areasMetal containment areasSynthetic linersSynthetic linersLeak proof/fail proofLeak proof/fail proofLoad lines insideLoad lines inside

Phased DevelopmentPhased DevelopmentRoan PlateauRoan Plateau

• Development Development limited to one limited to one geographic area at a geographic area at a timetime• Phasing to new Phasing to new area after fully area after fully developed and developed and interim reclamationinterim reclamation• Total surface Total surface disturbance limited disturbance limited to 1 percent acres to 1 percent acres availableavailable

2020

2121

Temporary ReclamationTemporary Reclamation

Quick cover speciesQuick cover species

Use of sterile hybridsUse of sterile hybrids

MulchingMulching

Areas not subject to interim Areas not subject to interim reclamation first yrreclamation first yr

Areas to be redisturbedAreas to be redisturbed

2222

Interim ReclamationInterim Reclamation

Grading, shaping cuts Grading, shaping cuts and fillsand fills

TopsoilingTopsoiling

Revegetating areas Revegetating areas not needed for not needed for production operationsproduction operations

Wrap-upWrap-up

Questions, discussion, debate… Questions, discussion, debate…

2323