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Recent Updates to Our Oil and Gas Toolkit
We have recently updated our Ecozone Oil and Gas Toolkit with several helpful documents.
- Hydraulic Fracturing: Unlocking America’s Natural Gas Resources A Primer (EPA 2010)
- Hydraulic Fracturing Study Fact Sheet (EPA 2010)
- Regulatory Determination, 1988
- EPA Report to Congress, 1987, Volume 1
- EPA Report to Congress, 1987, Volume 3
- EPA
Formally Requests Information From Companies About Chemicals Used in
Natural Gas Extraction / Information on hydraulic fracturing chemicals
is key to agency study of potential impacts on drinking water
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Background for NEPA Reviewers
Crude Oil and Natural Gas Exploration, Development and Production: Provides scoping comments and comments on National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for oil and gas exploration, development, and production activities proposed for Federal lands and provides information on what will be required during the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements (EISs).
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Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: Proposed 2012-2017 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program
Document ID: BOEM-2010-0043-0022
Docket ID: BOEM-2010-0043
Consistent with the Secretary's direction to proceed with caution and focus on leasing in areas with current active leases, the area in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico that remains under a congressional moratorium, and the Mid and South Atlantic planning areas are no longer under consideration for potential sales and development through 2017. Therefore, meetings will not be held in these areas. The Western Gulf of Mexico, Central Gulf of Mexico, and the Cook Inlet, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea areas offshore Alaska will continue to be considered for potential leasing in the 2012-2017 OCS Program.
Pursuant to the regulations implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), BOEMRE will hold public scoping meetings on the Draft Programmatic EIS for the proposed 2012-2017 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program (Programmatic EIS). (See, 40 CFR 1501.7). The dates and locations of the Programmatic EIS public scoping meetings are as follows:
- Houston, Texas, Tuesday, February 15, 2011, Houston Airport Marriott at George Bush Intercontinental, 18700 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Houston, Texas, 1 p.m. (This scoping meeting will also accept comments on the lease sale EIS addressing Central and Western Gulf of Mexico sales included in the 2012-2017 OCS 5-Year Program.)
- New Orleans, Louisiana, Wednesday, February 16, 2011, New Orleans Airport Hilton, 901 Airline Drive, Kenner, Louisiana, 1 p.m. (This scoping meeting will also accept comments on the lease sale EIS addressing Central and Western Gulf of Mexico sales included in the 2012-2017 OCS 5-Year Program.)
- Mobile, Alabama, Thursday, February 17, 2011, Five Rivers--Alabama's Delta Resource Center, 30945 Five Rivers Boulevard, Spanish Fort, Alabama, 1 p.m. (This scoping meeting will also accept comments on the lease sale EIS addressing Central and Western Gulf of Mexico sales included in the 2012-2017 OCS 5-Year Program.)
- Kotzebue, Alaska, Monday, February 14, 2011, Kotzebue Middle/High School, 7 p.m.
- Point Hope, Alaska, Tuesday, February 15, 2011, Point Hope School Library, 7 p.m.
- Point Lay, Alaska, Wednesday, February 16, 2011, Point Lay Community Center, 7 p.m.
- Wainwright, Alaska, Thursday, February 17, 2011, Alak School Library,
7 p.m.
- Barrow, Alaska, Monday, February 21, 2011, Inupiat Heritage Center,
7 p.m.
- Nuiqsut, Alaska, Tuesday, February 22, 2011, Nuiqsut Community Center,
7 p.m.
- Kaktovik, Alaska, Wednesday, February 23, 2011, Kaktovik Community Center, 7 p.m.
- Washington, DC/Dulles, Virginia, Thursday, February 24, 2011, Washington, DC/Dulles Airport Marriott, 45020 Aviation Drive, Dulles, Virginia, 1 p.m.
- Anchorage, Alaska, Friday, February 25, 2011, BOEMRE Regional Offices, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Conference Room, Anchorage, Alaska, 7 p.m.
Capacity Transfers on Intrastate Natural Gas Pipelines
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is seeking comments on whether and how holders of firm capacity on intrastate natural gas pipelines providing interstate transportation and storage services under section 311 of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 and Hinshaw pipelines providing such services pursuant to blanket certificates issued under Sec. 284.224 of the Commission's regulations should be permitted to allow others to make use of their firm interstate capacity.
Document ID: FERC-2010-1569-0001
Document Type: PROPOSED RULES
Docket ID: FERC-2010-1569
Recently, the Commission issued an order finding that the Commission's policy prohibiting buy/sell transactions applies to interstate open-access transportation services provided by (1) intrastate natural gas pipelines pursuant to section 311 of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 (NGPA) Ad Hinshaw pipelines pursuant to blanket certificates issued under section 284.224 of the Commission's regulations. In this Notice of Inquiry (NOI), the Commission is seeking comments on whether and how holders of firm interstate capacity on section 311 and Hinshaw pipelines should be permitted to allow others to make use of their firm interstate capacity, including to what extent buy/sell transactions should be permitted.
Texas Railroad Commission, O&G Division, Clarification re Filing Application to Maintain and Use a Pit
The Texas Railroad Commission has issued a notice advising operators of the requirement that the design of certain pits and/or conversions thereof (e.g., a fresh water storage pit to be converted to receive, also, fracture flow-back water), where storage of wastewaters is contemplated:
- must be prepared under seal of a registered engineer, and
- requires submittal of Form H-11 (Application for Permit to Maintain and Use a Pit).
Click here to view the full text of the “Notice to Operators.”(PDF)
Click here to access Texas Railroad Commission’s Form H-11 (PDF).
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Railroad Commission of Texas District Boundaries Map
A nice graphic map illustrating the various districts within Texas. Hosted and provided by the Railroad Commission of Texas.
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Texas Counties & Associated RRC Districts
This chart, hosted by the Railroad Commission of Texas website, lists each Texas County and the RRC District in which it is situated. Helpful tool should you need to contact a local office regarding a regulated matter.
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Department of Interior Issues New Rules for Offshore Oil and Gas Operations
On September 30, 2010, the Department of the Interior announced two new rules intended to “help improve drilling safety by strengthening requirements for safety equipment, well control systems, and blowout prevention practices on offshore oil and gas operations, and improve workplace safety by reducing the risk of human error.” The “Drilling Safety Rule” is issued as an “interim final rule” under an “emergency rulemaking process” so as to be effective immediately upon publication, ". . . to enhance the safety of oil and gas drilling operations on the Outer Continental Shelf.” The “Workplace Safety Rule,” covering “all offshore oil and gas operations in Federal waters,” requires operators to have a Safety and Environmental Management System in place to reduce human and organizational errors—making mandatory the American Petroleum Institute’s “Recommended Practice 75” (previously a voluntary program) to identify, address and manage safety hazards and environmental impacts.
Wetlands Delineation Manual
This is the 1987 manual in full text, and is the base resource regarding wetlands delineation. We are posting it as a reference tool.
New Railroad Commission of Texas Rules re 10-Year Inactive Wells
In 2009, the Texas Legislature enacted House Bill 2259, establishing new requirements for oil and gas operators related to surface equipment removal and inactive wells. The Railroad Commission of Texas (“RRC”) has adopted amendments to existing Statewide Rules 1, 14, 21 and 78 to add the new statutory requirements, and to add the surface equipment removal and inactive well requirements set out by HB 2259 as new Statewide Rule 15 (with certain requirements [relating to surface casing] of the previous Rule 15 moving into Rule 14). Under the new Rules (adopted by the RRC on August 24, 2010 to be effective September 13th following September 10th publication in the Texas Register), all operators are required annually to address their complete inventory of inactive wells to obtain approval of their annual organization report. A detailed summary of the RRC’s new rules relating to inactive wells, and related information (including the RRC’s latest listing of “10 Year Inactive Wells”) can be found at the RRC’s website.
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