Nick Snow
Washington Correspondent
The US Minerals Management Service has identified areas and mitigation measures it will consider in environmental analyses covering 11 proposed oil and gas lease sales in the central and western Gulf of Mexico.
The identification proposes a framework in which potential operating and environmental impacts of exploration, development, and production following the proposed sales can be evaluated before the Interior Department agency releases the related draft multisale environmental impact statement.
The sales are included in the draft proposed Outer Continental Shelf program for 2007-12, MMS said on Aug. 31 (OGJ Online, Aug. 25, 2006). The area identification allows planning for draft environmental impact statements to proceed.
The identification will involve areas in Western Gulf of Mexico sales 204, 207, 210, 215, and 218 and Central Gulf of Mexico sales 205, 206, 208, 213, 216, and 222.
MMS said all unleased acreage in the central and western gulf planning areas listed in the draft proposed 5-year program will undergo environmental analysis except for the following deletions:
--Whole and partial blocks within the boundary of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
--Whole and partial blocks within the former Western Gap portion of the 1.4 nautical-mile buffer zone along the US treaty line with Mexico, which will be excluded from leasing consideration through January 2011 but may be considered in later sales.
--Blocks newly added to the Central Gulf area that are within 100 miles of Florida's coast.
--Blocks newly added to the Central Gulf that are part of presidential withdrawals through 2012 or subject to annual congressional moratoriums.
--Blocks beyond the US exclusive economic zone in the area known as the northern portion of the Eastern Gap.
MMS said that, in addition to area identification, it has determined that other mitigation measures should also be analyzed.
These measures include stipulations for protection of topographic features, live bottoms, military areas (including standard-use measures as well as special-case evacuation and coordination requirements), operations in the Naval Mine Warfare Area, protected species, and blocks south of Baldwin County, Ala.
Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].
