BLM, USFS seek comments on proposed Colorado gas development
The US Bureau of Land Management and the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests are seeking public comments on a natural gas development proposal that would be about 12 miles north of Paonia, Colo.
The US Bureau of Land Management and the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests are seeking public comments on a natural gas development proposal that would be about 12 miles north of Paonia, Colo.
They said that Gunnison Energy LLC’s North Fork Mancos Master Development Plan proposal is adjacent to the BLM Bull Mountain Master Development Plan. Up to 35 horizontal wells would be drilled from four new well pads and one existing well pad over the next 3 years, they said in a Jan. 19 announcement.
The proposal includes upgrades of up to 2.2 miles of roads and construction of up to 4.6 miles of new roads, BLM and the US Forest Service said. Total anticipated initial surface disturbance for the project would be about 26 acres on federal land and 10 acres on private land. Of these totals, about 17 acres of federal land and 3 acres of private land would remain disturbed over the long-term.
Gunnison Energy estimates the wells could produce up to 700 bcf of natural gas over 30 years, the announcement said. BLM and the USFS are asking the public to submit comments identifying concerns and issues before they begin drafting the environmental assessment analyzing this proposal, they indicated.
Comments will be accepted through Feb. 21. Written comments or questions should be directed to BLM’s field office in Silt, Colo., or submitted electronically to blm_co_si_mail@blm.gov.
Contact Nick Snow at nicks@pennwell.com.
