The San Juan National Forest is asking for public input on a proposal from BP America Production Company to conduct Fruitland Coal horizontal gas drilling on the Columbine Ranger District in the Sauls Creek area east of Bayfield. BP proposes to use horizontal drilling technology for 16 gas wells on eight existing well pads.
These well pads would be temporarily expanded to allow for drilling operations, and 1.6 miles of new natural gas pipelines would be constructed within existing pipeline corridors and roads. Pad expansion, pipeline construction, drilling, completion and reclamation activities would be conducted from spring through fall in 2017 and 2018 to minimize wildlife impacts.
Horizontal drilling significantly minimizes surface disturbances in the area, BP officials said. Vertical drilling to achieve the same gas-reservoir drainage would have resulted in approximately 30 to 40 acres of new disturbance, whereas under the current plan, only 1.4 acres of disturbance will occur.
BP proposes to hydraulically fracture up to four of the 16 wells more than 1,000 vertical feet below the deepest fresh-water aquifer in the area.
The operation would be similar in size and scope to others routinely performed on vertical Fruitland Coal wells in the northern San Juan Basin. Reclamation following initial drilling would return well pads to nearly their original size. No long-term surface disturbance is expected for pipeline construction after native vegetation is re-established.
Construction might result in temporary and periodic traffic, including heavy haul trucking at the eastern intersection of US Highway 160 and 160B (Bayfield Parkway), east along County Roads 526 and 527, as well as Forest Service Roads 608, 131 and 755.
Road maintenance, including an initial application of magnesium chloride for dust control, will occur this month. Additional dust control measures, as well as traffic control, would be implemented by BP. Long-term trucking is not anticipated, as the wells will produce into the existing pipeline network.
The Forest Service intends to exclude the proposed project from documentation in an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment under authority of the 2005 Energy Policy Act.
District Ranger Matt Janowiak has called for a 30-day public scoping period to ensure that all issues are identified for consideration. Written input may be submitted by Wednesday, May 31, to Columbine Ranger District, P.O. Box 439, Bayfield CO 81122, by fax at (970) 884-2428, via email to wabrown@fs.fed.us, or by hand delivery to 367 S. Pearl Street, Bayfield, CO, on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Input received, including names and addresses will become part of the public record and available for public inspection. Input submitted anonymously will be considered.
For more information, contact Walt Brown at 385-1372 or Matt Janowiak at 884-1438.
