Riker,
Concerning your statement,<<The talk is that these decisions will be favourable to Ultra so I am looking forward to June.>> Here are some details you and others might be interested in:
1) Jonah EA -- BLM has published a "Finding of No Significant Impacts" concerning that Environmental Assessment. Public comment was over May 15; Record of Decision will be released following a 45-day review period (or about July 1);
2) Pinedale Anticline EIS -- The Final Environmental Impact Statement was recently mailed to those requesting it. The BLM is favoring the Resource Protection Alternative. The bulk of this document concerns the letters and documents submitted by the operators and public during the comment period. The operators -- Ultra Petroleum, BP Amoco, McMurry (AEC), Anschutz, Questar, among others -- wrote protesting the restrictions of the RP Alternative. The chief protests, I think, concerned the short drilling season (ending mid-November), the restriction on number of rigs working at the same time, the desire of the BLM for the more expensive directional drilling and also for Centralized Production Facilities (rather than at each well site). Rather or not any of these concerns are dealt with in the Record of Decision, due in about a month, remains to be seen.
The main point is that BOTH the Jonah EA and the Pinedale EIS have BLM approval. The Record of Decision for each, as I understand it, will happen near the end of June.
Gerry Atwater |
