Notice of Availability
MMS Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
Arguello Inc. proposes to develop the eastern half of Federal Lease
OCS-P 0451 by drilling a maximum of eight extended-reach wells from two
existing OCS platforms in the Point Arguello Unit, Platforms Hermosa and
Hidalgo. The project area is located offshore about 13 km (8 mi)
northwest of Point Conception, Santa Barbara County, California.
Lease OCS-P 0451
is considered a developed lease by virtue of the existing production on
the western half, in the Point Arguello Unit. Previously, the eastern
half of Lease OCS-P 0451 was part of the Rocky Point Unit, but has since
been contracted out of the Unit. Therefore, it is no longer unitized
with the undeveloped leases of the Rocky Point Unit, and production from
this portion of the lease will have no effect on holding the Rocky Point
Unit leases, nor will it cause production of the undeveloped Rocky Point
Unit leases.
The MMS distributed a copy of Arguello Inc.’s proposal
for review and comment to 5 State agencies, 8 Federal agencies, 2 local
agencies, and 2 non-governmental organizations.
The EA, prepared by MMS following scoping with these
agencies and with the benefit of comments from same, examines the
potential environmental effects of Arguello Inc.’s proposed action and
presents MMS findings regarding the significance of those effects.
The MMS prepares EA’s and finding’s
for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas exploration and
development activities and other operations on the Pacific OCS to
determine whether proposed projects constitute a major Federal action
that significantly affects the quality of the human environment in the
sense of NEPA 102(2)(C). A FONSI is prepared in those instances where
the MMS finds that approval would not result in significant effects on
the quality of the human environment. The FONSI briefly presents the
basis for that finding and includes a summary or copy of the EA. The
MMS completed an EA and issued a FONSI for Arguello Inc.’s proposed
action on June 19, 2003.
If you have questions on the
documents, please contact Maurice Hill, MMS, Pacific OCS Region, at
805.389.7815 or
maurice.hill@mms.gov.
View the EA and FONSI now:
Download the individual files for
the EA and FONSI now:
Page content last updated 4/1/2004
Page last published
9/21/2004