BLM_WY_LD_Moneta_Divide_EIS@blm.gov

Moneta Divide EIS

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The official website for the Moneta Divide EIS can now be found on the BLM's ePlanning website: http://bit.ly/Moneta-Divide-2013-EIS

Information Documents    Scoping Information Project Area Map

The Bureau of Land Management Lander Field Office, Casper Field Office, and Rawlins Field Office are preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the proposed Moneta Divide Natural Gas and Oil Development Project (Moneta Divide Project), which may include a land use plan amendment to the Casper Resource Management Plan (RMP).

Project Description
The Moneta Divide Project, if approved for construction, would involve the development of up to 4,250 natural gas and oil wells in the Moneta Divide Project area located in Fremont and Natrona counties. The project area encompasses approximately 265,000 acres of land, of which 138,000 acres are public lands administered by the Lander Field Office, and 31,500 acres are public lands administered by the Casper Field Office. The southern portion of a proposed natural gas pipeline corridor associated with the project is located in Sweetwater County on lands administered by the Rawlins Field Office (Project Area Map). The balance of the project area consists of state and private lands. 

News & Project Updates
One of the applicants of the Moneta Divide Project recently changed. Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., which originally proposed the Moneta Divide Project along with Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company LP (Burlington), sold its assets in the Moneta Divide field to Aethon Energy Operating LLC (Aethon). Aethon assumed ownership of the assets effective May 1, 2015 and, along with Burlington, is jointly seeking federal authorization for the Moneta Divide Project. Aethon has proposed no substantive changes to the project and the EIS will evaluate the project based on the original plan of development prepared by Encana and Burlington.

The BLM is currently in the process of developing the draft EIS. When the draft EIS is ready, a notice will be published in the Federal Register announcing the release of the draft EIS and initiating a public comment period.

Public Involvement
The Notice of Intent to prepare the EIS and possible amendment to the Casper RMP was published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2013, initiating a 45-day public scoping period which ended on March 4, 2013. Comments received during the scoping are being considered during the development of the draft EIS. The scoping report provides an overview of the scoping process and summarizes the key issues and concerns raised during the scoping period.

The next formal opportunity for public involvement will be during the public comment period after the draft EIS is released, anticipated to be in mid-2016. However, the BLM welcomes public input at any time throughout the duration of the EIS development process. Questions and comments should be directed to the BLM Project Coordinator: