In Reply Refer Tot FO-2-1 'flay 10, 1988

Union Pacific Resources Company Attentions Mr. J . R. Carter. J r . 1000 Louisiana. Suite 3000 Houston, Texas 77002-5016

Gentlemen;

• Reference Is inade to your I n i t i a l Plan of Exploration and Environmental Report received Apr i l 26, 1988, fo r Lease < ^ ^ L & 3 4 » Block 265. South Tinballer Area. This plan Includes the ac t i v i t i es proposed for Nells A through E. In accordance w i th 30 CFR 250.34. revised December 13, 1979. and our l e t t e r dated January 29. 1979, th is plan 1s hereby determined to be complete and Is now being considered for approval. Your plan c j iutcoi number is N-jJGOO and should be referenced in your cownunl-cation and correspondence concerning th is plan.

Sincerely yours, ^u.,0. o u.j A. ujiialcl uiroir

D. J . Bourgeois Regional Supervisor Field Operations

bcc: Lease OCS-G 5634 (OPS-3-2) (FILE ROOM) ! OPS-3-4 w/Publ lc Info, Copy of the plan and ER (PUBLIC RECORDS)

LTHerbst:cck:05/02/88:poecom

Office of program Services

MAY 12 1388 Information Services

Section

tZ Union Pacific mill1 ^fff-cuiicor «

April *?, 1988 M

Department of the Inter ior Minerals Management Service 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394

Attention: Mr. Daniel J. Bourgeois

RE: Plan of Exploration South Timbalier Area, Block 265 OCS-G 5634 Offshore Louisiana

Dear Hr. Bourgeois:

In accordance with 30 CFR 250.34, attached please f ind nine copies of Union Pacif ic Resources Company's Plan of Exploration for South Timbalier Area, Block 265. Five (5) of the attached copies contain confidential geological information and are so ident i f ied. The remaining four (4) copies OD not contain the confidential data and are ident i f ied for public Information release.

Union Pacif ic Resources has tentat ive plans to start exploration ac t i v i t i es ir, this block June 1, 1938.

Yours very t r u l v ,

UNION PACIFIC RESOURCES COMPANY

J^R. Carter, J r . Regulatory/Environmental

Supervisor

JRC/JAC:bna

Attachments

"Public Inform*fW .ff

COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT \

CONSISTENCY CERTIFICATION

TLAN OF EXPLORATION

SOUTH TIMBALIER BLOCK ?(>b

OCS-G 5634

Tlie proposed a c t i v i t i e s described i n d e t a i l i n t h i s Plan comply w i t h Louisiana 's approved Coastal Management Program and v i l l be conducted i n a manner cons i s t en t w i t h such Program.

Arrangements have been made w i t h the State-Times i n Baton Rouge, Louisiana t o p u b l i s h a p u b l i c no t i ce of the proposed a c t i v i t i e s no l a t e r than May 3, 1988.

Union P n r j f j r ?. source.': Co:; m m 1

Lessee or Operator

C e r t i f y i n g O i i i c i a l

^Sjfy* April 25, 1988

10

•

PLAN OF FXPLORATION

SOUTH TIMBALIER AREA BLOCK 265

OCS-G 5634

UNION PACIFIC RESOURCES COMPANY

1000 LOUISIANA, SUITE 3000

HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002

APRIL, 1988

ft

>

\ \ TABLE OF CONTENTS

/ SECTION

Designated Company Contact I

Proposed Type and Sequence of Ac t i v i t i es and Approximate

Locations of the Exploratory Wells II

Structure Map I l l

Shallow D r i l l i n g Hazards And

Archaeological Assessment .» IV

Description of D r i l l i n g Vessel V

List of D r i l l ing Mud Additives VI

Oil Spill Contingency Plan VII

Projected Air Emissions VIII

Onshore Support Base Fac i l i t y IX Guarantee Statement X

NOTE: Enclosed in the Plan of Exploration are CONFIDENTIAL papers. These papers have been stamped PROPRIETARY and are deleted from the copies being submitted for Public Information.

SECTION I

DESIGNATED COMPANY CONTACT

nquiries th is proposed Plan of Exploration should be directed to

J.R. Carter, Jr . Regulatory/ Environmental Supervisor Union Pacific Resources Company 1000 Louisiana, Suite 30C0 Houston, Texas 77002

Telephone: (713)654-2552

Jodie Connor J . Connor Consultinc P. 0. Box 218753 Houston, Texas 77218

Telephone: (713)558-CS07

or

ft

<

'»

SECTION I I

; . PROPOSED TYPE AND SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES

AfjP APPROXIMATE LOCATIONS OF THE EXPLORATORY WELLS

' Union Paci f ic Resources Company was awarded the South Timbalier Area

Block 265 lease in the OCS Central Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Offering

helo in May, 1983.

Seismic work has been performed over the block and results are addressed

in the Shallow D r i l l i n g Hazards Assessment section of this Plan.

Five (5) exploratory wells are planned to ,test the geologic features in

the block. Proposed locat io is , d r i l l i n g and completion time, and true

vertical depth (TVD), are as fol lows:

Well No. Proposed Location TVD/MD

A SL: 1700' FSL; 2700' FWL

R SL: 6400' FSL; 1600' FWL

C SL: 2850' FSL; 2050' FWL

D Sl : 500' FNL; 5800' FEL

E SL: 2500' FNL; 4200' FWL

Onshore support operations should commence approximately seven (7) days

prior to d r i l l i n g operations. Pending approval of the applicable Federal

Permits, i t is anticipated that the f i r s t well w i l l be spudded on or about

June 1, 1988. Each well should take approximately 45 days to d r i l l .

• .

miLABLEcOPX \ L O U I S I A N A ^MISSISSIPPI ,

sy MJLXA i — ,

JL A l l *

WAIN A t i 4

N

ii Union Pacific Resources'

South Timbalier 265 VICINITY MA"

» ,

D O 265

' E >« O

A 1700 FSL 2700' FWL

B SL 6400 FSL 1600 FWL

B C 2850 FSL 2050 FWL

o B

D 500 FNL 5800' FEL

C E 2500 FNL 4200' FWL

o A O

OCS-G-5634

UNION PACIFIC RESOURCES COMPANY

IEST AVAILABLE COPV \ PLAN OF EXPLORATION

h i SOUTH TIMBALIER BLK. 265 I OCS-G-5634

SCALE: r=200 f l ' DATE:* 18 BP

SECTION I I I

AV*ILABL£ Copy

V

SECTIOH V

CO;..

DESCRIPTION OF DRILIING RIG

!

he d r i l l i n g r i g which w i l l be used to d r i l l the well w i l l be a modern

ever jack-up r i g , designed for 250' water depths. I t w i l l be equipped

with al l required safety and po l lu t ion control equipment. An equipment l i s t

and specif icat ion sketches are included.

t AllACHfcF.Nl 1

2" - 10,000* H y d r a u l i c Operated

Gate Valve

2" - 10.000^ Manual Gate Valve

VAIL4BI£

13-5/8" - 5,000/- VP H y d r i l "GK"

13-5/8" - 10,OOD-7 W Car.eror.

Type "13" Double v /P ipe Ra:r,s top & B l i n d Rans bcr tor

4" - 10,000* Kycraul y Operated Gate Valve

Z" - 10,000/' Manual Gate Valve

13-5/8" - 10,000/ vr? me Car.i: £ n

Type M U " Single v / P ip t P.ar.b

I , , \ | i • i . . . I A i . 111| • i •» t»I

I

FRILLING HUD COKPONEKTS

COKKON CHEMICAL OR CHEMICAL TRADE NAME DESCRIPTION OP MATERIAL

Al ' j r inum Stearete •AXTAPLO-S' E a n t e Caiciur. CErbonate Caiciuir Chlordie Calciurr Oxide Calciurr Sulfate Carboxyaethyl Ce l lu lose Caustic PotaBh CEJE- . IC Soda Chrere Lignite Chrome Lignosulfonate D r i l l i n g Detergent ' E - P s l ' Perrcchrorre Lignosul fonate Gel

D % Z £ J r

L : g.-.ite L : Z' .ZSJlfonete •Y.-z Sweep' 'Mr.-REX' "Shsle-Trol ' Sap? Sees Aeh ScdiUP Bicarbonate Scdiuir Cerboxymethyl Cellulose Scdiuir Chloride Sod: ur Chromate Starch p 7»9 .010" "70RC • Triir* "Fifed: ^agic" •fclarfc Magic Superrix*

f t- t J

* 1 * : i 1 a fc r • r : « ' > • i • I l o *

' * J K . I *

v • I j !•( i n

Alutrinuir. Stearate Nonionlc Sur fac tan t Banur Sul fa te (BaSo4) Aragonite (CaCo3> Hydrophil i te <CaC12) Lirre iCuick) Anhydrite (CaS04> Carboxymethyl Cel lu loae Potsesiurr. Hydrate Srdiur Hydroxide (NaOH) Chrore L i g n i t e Chrome Lignoeul lonate Sea: Kcr.-toxic, biodegradable defoamer Derived Iror. voDd pulp Sodi-jT r ro r . tmor i l lon i te , bentonite, BttapuJgite CeSo4.2H2G L i e - i t e Licncsulfonete Cerer.t P re - f lueh Kydrclcj2ed Cereal a c l l d OrcEno-alurinuw complex Sodiur Acid Pyrcphoephate Sc^iur Cerbonate KaKC03 Scdiur, Carboxymethyl Cellulose KeCl NaCr04. 10H20 CCTT. Starch Biodegradable d r i l l i n g lubr icant I : : rep: cCcL ] e- d r i l l i n g lubr icant Cn J base rrjcl cone. Sacked cr-: r r r . t r a t e d o i l base mud Ustd tc. r.3 >: c e r t a i n losE-c i rcula-tier. f.JJJr Fi&Ftlc J r . ) , shredded cellophane 1 - f .• ( 31 ( iit j c-ii rntf r i r 1 Pm JK \ M-1 r i v r d v i t h diPFr] ( : i IMIJ wi 1 I . I M F hr J JP

I f : r i J • u J i t l J f ifi iniit r r 1 a J

Copy

SECTION VII

i Oil SPILL CONTINGENCY PLAN

I \ ; Union Paci Resources Company's Oil Spi l l Contingency Plan, is on

f i l e with the Minerals Management Service in New Orleans, Louisiana. The

Plan includes (1) not i f i ca t ion procedures and a l i s t i n g of contact agencies

and personnel (2) response procedures for sp i l l s of various sizes, (3) a

l i s t i ng of equipment, (4) responsib i l i t ies of the operator personnel,

(5) training procedures, and (6) preventative measures to minimize sp i l l s and

pol lut ion. «

Union Paci f ic Resources membership in Clean Gulf Associates w i l l make

available the Association's o i l s p i l l cleanup equipment aTong the Texas and

Louisiana Gulf Coast. A f u l l inventory of equipment is maintained at CGA

operating bases in Grand Is le, Venice, Cameron and Intracoastal

City, Louisiana. Dependent upon weather conditions and location of boats,

this equipment can be at the d r i l l s i te location approximately 75 miles

from Grand I s l e , Louisiana within 10-]2 hours from the time a cal l is

in i t ia ted.

Clean Gulf Associates has 5 types of equipment: (1) fast response open-

sea skimmer, (2) high volume open-sea skimmer, (3) shallow water skimmer,

(4) communication equipment and beach cleanup system, and (5) boat spray

system.

Should the i r services be required, Peterson Riedel Services, Inc. can

provide addit ional men, equipment, and materials to handle both major and

minor sp i l l s .

B £ S T AVAILABLE COPY

1. llllllll

P.O. pox 218753 Houston. Texas 77218 713-558-0607 i

PROJECTED AIR EMISSION SCHEDULE POR EXPLORAIION PROJECT

GENERAL INFORMATION

Location of Fac i l i ty :

Distance Offshore: Name of Rig: Operator:

Contact Person: Well Footage to be Dr i l led in 19S8 Well Footage to be Dr i l led in 1989 Date D r i l l i n g Will Begin:

South Timbalier 265 . OCS-G 5634. 70 miles Jack-up Union Pacific Resources Company 1000 Louisiana, Suite 3000 Houston, Texas 77002 Mr. J . R. Carter, J r . 42,650' 14,000' June 1, 1988

MAJOR SOURCE (OFFSHORE)

Power used aboard d r i l l i n g vessel; approximate footage d r i l l e d 56,650'.*

Projected Emissions Er.itted Subsfance

CO SO 2

NO,: VOC TSP

Projected Emissions (lbs/day)**tons/year

T5E8 (lbs/dayj**tons/year

(125) (40)

(588) !47 42

8.445 2.687

39.664 3.199 2.815

(61] 2 772 (19] 882

(289, 13 .020 (23 1 .050 \n\ .924

Based on 60 hphr / f t . from Table 4-3, ''Atmospheric Emissions from Offshore Oil ar.d Gas Development and Production", EPA No. 450/3-77-026, June, 1977.

ft [mission factors from Table 3.3.3-1, "Compilation of Air Pollutant o f S ^ i i ^ i o n Factors", Third Edit ion, EPA Report AP-42, August, 1977.

,LABLE CQpy

Projected -Air Emissions Unidn Pacific Resources Company South Timbalier;, Block 265 Pagd 2 W

MINOR SOURCES (OFFSHORE)*

Including helicopter landing and take-off (7 tr ips/week); supply boat (7 t r i p s / week); crew boat (4 t r i p s / week); loading and unloading operations; and incinerat ion of waste paper (average /50 pounds of waste per month).

Projected Emissions Projected Emissions (tons/year) (tons/year)

Emitted Substance 1988 • 1989 :

CO .782 .521 SO .024 .016

2 NOx .162 .108 VOC .075 .050 TSP .034 .022

* Tables 3.2.1-3, 3.2.3-1 and 2 .1-1 , "Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors", Third Edi t ion, EPA Report AP-42, August, 1977.

TOTAL ALL SOURCES (tons/year)

CO SO NOx VOC TSP — — 2

1988 Major 8.445 2.687 39.664 3.199 2.815 Minor .782 .024 .162 .075 .034 TOTAL 57777 277T7 T97B7o" 37274 27175

1989 Major 2.772 .882 13.020 1.050 .924 Minor .521 .016 .108 .050 .022 101AL 37T93 "7598 T77T78 TTTDTi "793 o

ONSHORE SOURCES

These should be about the same as minor sources unless new f a c i l i t i e s are ins ta l led at the onshore base. No additional f a c i l i t i e s are required or planned at this time.

B£*T MAILABLE COPY

i

Projected Air Emissions Union Pacific Resources Company South Timbalier 265

I * Page/3

EMISSION EXEMPTION DETERMINATION

2/3 2/3 For CO: E « 3400 = 3400(70) = 57,749 tons/year For NOx, VOC, TSP & SO : E « 33.3D - 33.3(70) « 2331 tons/year

2

As per DOI/MMS regulations, this facility is exempt from further air quality review as i t has been determined that its operations will not have a significant adverse environmental impact on air quality.

COPy

Copy

SECTION IX

DESCRIPTION OF ONSHORE SUPPORT BASE FACILITY

\ r Sbpport f a c u l t i e s for d r i l l i n g operations in South Timbalier Area Block

265 wf l l be located at Fourchon, Louisiana. The exist ing f a c i l i t y includes

dockage, helicopter landing s i t e , bulk and sack mud additive storage and

loading f a c i l i t i e s , and l iqu id mud mixing and storage f a c i l i t i e s . A

communications and dispatching base is established and w i l l be manned 24

hours per day.

SECTION X

* • y

i GUARANTEE STATEMENT

/In the conduct of the proposed exploratory d r i l l i n g ac t i v i t i es in

South Timbalier Area 265, Union Pacific Resources Company guarantees the

following:

1. The best available and safest technologies w i l l u t i l i zed throughout

the pro jec t . This includes meeting a l l applicable requirements for

equipment types, general project layout, safety systems, and equipment

and monitoring systems.

2. All operations w i l l be covered by the MMS approved Oil Sp i l l Contingency

Plan.

3. All applicable federal, state and local requirements regarding emission

and water qual i ty and discharge for the proposed a c t i v i t i e s , as well as

?*y ether permit conditions w i l l be complied with.

• .

I

i

ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT '

FEDERAL LEASE OCS-G 5634 SOUTH TIMBALIER AREA, BLOCK 265

OFFSHORE LOUISIANA

THE FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT WAS PREPARED BY J . CONNOR CONSULTING FOR UNION PACIFIC RESOURCES COMPANY FOR COASTAL ZONE CONSISTENCY DETERMINATION BY THE STATE OF LOUISIANA ON OPERATIONS PROPOSED TO BE CONDUCTED IN THE INITIAL PLAN OF EXPLORATION FOR LEASE OCS-G 5634. FOR INQUIRIES REGARDING THIS REPORT PLEASE CONTACT:

UNION PACIFIC RESOURCES COMPANY

IOOO LOUISIANA, SUITE 3000

HOUSTON. TEXAS 77002

ATTENTION: KR. J. R. CARTER, JR.

APRIL, 1985

COPy

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLlj PAGE P

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I . DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION

A. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED TRAVEL MODES, ROUTES AND FREQUENCY

B. ONSHORE SUPPORT SYSTEMS C. NEW OR U! UAL TECHNOLOGY D. VICINITY t-.AP E. PROPOSED MEANS TO TRANSPORT OIL AND GAS TO SHORE

ROUTES, QUANTITIES

II. DESCRIPTION OF AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT

A. COMMERCIAL FISHING B. SHIPPING C. PLEASURE BOATING. SPORT FISHING AND RECREATION D. POTENTIAL OR KNOWN CULTURAL RESOURCES E. ECUOGICALLY SENSITIVE FEATURES F. PIPELINES AND CABLES G. OTHER MINERAL USES H. OCEAN DUMPING !. ENDANGERED OR THREATENED SPECIES AND CRITICAL

HAD1 TAT

III. UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

A. WATER DUALITY B. EFFECTS OF MARINE ORGANISMS C. WETLA\DS AND BEACH D. AIR QUALITY E. COMMERCIAL FISHING F. SHIP NAVIGATION G. CULTURAL RESOURCES

H. RECREATION AND AESTHETIC VALUES

IV. SUMMAI *

REFERENCES LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

NO. 1 - VICINITY MAP

i

i i

1

1

1 1 1 2

I

2 2 2 3 4 4 4 4 4

5

6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7

8

9

10

• i i -

I I

DESCRIPTION or PROPOSED ACTION

Union Paci f ic Resources Company (Union Pacif ic) plans to conduct explorat i o r r a c t i v i t i e s on Soutn t imbalier Area, Block 265, OCS-G 5634.

'As proposed, the I n i t i a l Plan of Exploration, for South Timbalier 265 includes d r i l l i n g f ive (5) wel ls.

At this t ime, planned commencement date for d r i l l i n g the f i r s t well in Block 265 is on or about June 1, 1988.

A. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED TRAVEL MODES, ROUTES AND FREQUENCY

Boats and helicopters w i l l be dispatched from, support bases located in Fourchon, Louisiana. The boats w i l l 'normally move to Block 265 via the most direct route. Following is an estimate of boat and hel icopter t r ips to the proposed operations.

Dr i l l i ng Operations

Crew Boats 4 t r ips per week Supply Boats 7 t r ips per week

Helicopters 7 t r ips per week

B. ONSHORE SUPPORT BASE

The proposed ac t iv i t ies w i l l u t i l i z e a support base located at Fourchon, Louisiana. This base provides 24-hour service, a radio tower wi th phone patch, dock space, of f ice space, parking l o t , equipment and supply storage space, drinking and d r i l l water, etc. These proposed exploration ac t i v i t ies w i l 1 help to maintain th is base at i t s present level cf ac t i v i t y . No expansion of the physical f a c i l i t i e s or the creation of new jobs is expected to resul t from the work planned in conjunction with Block 265.

C NEW OR UNUSUAL TECHNOLOGY

No new techniques or unusual technology w i l l be required for these operat ions.

D. VICINITY MAP

South Timbalier 265 is located approximately 70 miles south of the Louisiana coastline. The water depth is approximately 210'. See Attachment I .

*XT AVAILABU COP,

I

E. j PROPOSED MEANS TO TRANSPORT OIL AND GAS TO SHORE, ROUTES, QUANTITIES ' V

( I f producible hydrocarbons are found they are l i ke l y to be transported to shore through connections with pipelines already in place in or near South Timbalier 265.

. DESCRIPIION OF AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT

A. COMMERCIAL FISHING

The Gulf fishery is dominated by the shell f i sher ies : shrimp, crabs, and oysters (with smaller amounts of clams and scallops). The shrimp fishery in the Gulf area includes brown, white, and pink shrimp. These are taken almost exclusively by trawl f ishing depths ranging from 2 to 73 meters.

South Timbalier 265 is located inside the major f i n f i sh grounds and white shrimp harvest areas. Finfish volume for the Gulf states is dominated by menhaden. Menhaden are number one in volume and second in value for Louisiana. Gulf Pegion landings in 1985 were 1.9 b i l l i o n pounds, or 70% of the 2. b i l l i o n pounds U.S. menhaden catch, most o*" which is landed at Louisiana ports (Fisheries of the United States 1985, Apr i l 1986.). Other f in f ishes which contribute s ign i f i can t l y to Louisiana's landings include drum, cat f ish , sea t rou t , mackerel ar.d snapper. (Louisiana Landings for Specified Periods. 1934 and 1985).

Support vessels servicing the d r i l l s i te w i l l be passing through high density offshore she l l f i sh areas; however, they should not in ter fe re with Louisiana's commercial f ishery.

B. SHIPPING

South Timbalier 265 is clear of a l l shipping fairways and anchorage areas. The d r i l l i n g r i g and each of the marine vessels w i l l be equipped with a l l U. S. Coast Guard required navigational safety aids. There should be l i t t l e or no impact on shipping result ing from the proposed operations.

C. PLEASURE BOATING, SPORT FISHING AND RECREATION

Sport f ish ing in Louisiana is a very popular form of recreaticn. Louisiana's coastal marshland with few roads reaching the shoreline has l im i ted fishing access and precludes f u l l u t i l i za t i on o f the saltwater fishery resources. Nevertheless, a high percentage of Louisiana residents own or have access to boats. Sport f ishing around offshore o i l and gas rigs is popular. Results of recreational f isheries surveys by Ditton and Graefe (1978) in the northwestern Culf of Mexico's Houston-Galveston area indicated that

SUABLE cm

on'ly one- th i rd of the boating populat ion was saltwater fishermen and on ly 5fc f ished o f f s h o r e . However, o i l and gas st ructures a t t r a c t e d more f i f h i n g than any other s t ruc ture , natura l or a r t i f i c i a l (87% of the boaxs and b0% of a l l offshore rec rea t iona l f i sh ing e f f o r t were d i r e c t l y associated w i t h o i l and gas p l a t f o r m s ) . Offshore f ishermen were estimated to have contr ibuted over , f ive m i l l i o n d o l l a r s to the l o c a l economy. (The Ecology of Petroleum Platforms in the Northwestern Gulf o f Mexico; A Community P r o f i l e ) .

Boat ing in Louis iana 's coastal areas i s most o f ten re la ted t o r ec rea t i ona l f i s h i n g . Water ski ing and s a i l i n g are growing in p o p u l a r i t y , espec ia l l y in estuarine lakes near South Lou is iana 's major urban centers .

Hunt ing is a popular recreat iona l a c t i v i t y i n Louisiana. A v a r i e t y o f water fowl are taken throughout the coastal marshes. There are t h ree state w i l d l i f e refuges and numerous s ta te and federal b i o ­l o g i c a l l y sens i t i ve land areas onshore from the area of ope ra t i on .

With the exception o f Grand Is le and v i c i n i t y and a s t re tch o f beach area i n Cameron Pa r i sh , (Peveto/Constance/Ocean View Beaches, Ho l l y Beach, Hackberry Beach) Louisiana has very l i m i t e d beach area s u i t a b l e for r e c r e a t i o n . Most of i t is very narrow, of poor r ec rea t i ona l q u a l i t y and general ly inaccess ib le by automobile, some o f the highest q u a l i t y beach areas in coastal Louisiana are found a long the bar r ie r i s lands chain o f f Terrebonne Par ish.

Several addi t ional s i g n i f i c a n t recreat iona l resou.ces are found along the Gulf Coast. Louisiana has ornamental gardens, scenic roads , r i v e r s , and t r a i l s . No adverse impacts are ant i Mpated since the referenced a c t i v i t y w i l l consist of boat and he l i cop te r t r a v e l o n l y .

D. POTENTIAL OR KNOWN CULTURAL RESOURCES

South Timbalier 265 l i e s outside the Cu l tu ra l Resource S e n s i t i v i t y Demarcation Line (USDI, 1979, Visual 1 ) , and there fo re , f a l l s i n an area where cu l t u ra l resources are not l i k e l y to be found. An archaeological survey was not required f o r South Timabl ier 265. However, Union P a c i f i c aorees that i f any s i t e , s t ruc tu re , or object o f h i s t o r i c a l or archaeological s i gn i f i cance should be discovered d u r i n g any opera t ion , the f indings w i l l be immediately reported to the Regional D i rec to r and every reasonable e f f o r t w i l l be made to preserve end pro tec t the cu l tu ra l resource from damage u n t i l the Regional Director g ives d i rec t ions as to i t s preservat ion.

>

I

F.

G.

H.

ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE FEATURES \

There are no areas of particular concern within South Timbalier 265. However, there are several areas of environmental concern th~* lie onshore from the lease site. These include (1) Sabine Pass Lighthouse State Commemorative Area, (2), Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Refuge, (3) Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge, (4) Louisiana State Wildlife Refuge, and (5) Rutherford Beach State Park and other recreational beaches.

Clean Gulf Associates has prepared and distributed to members, maps of the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico listing environmentally sensitive areas onshore and near-shore which might be affected by an accidental hydrocarbon release.

Since the entire coastline of the state'of Louisiana can be' considered environmentally sensitive in varying degrees, there is no benefit seen in listing all the major bays and wildlife refuges along the coast. No adverse impacts are anticipated by vessel traffic passing through the coastal waters of Louisiana.

PIPELINES AND CABLES

South Timbalier 265 is clear of all pipelines and cables.

OTHER MINERAL USES

The activities proposed for South Timbalier 265 will have no direct or indirect impact on other mineral uses.

OCEAN DUMPING

Ocean dumping is prohibited in this area.

ENDANGERED OR THREATENED SPECIES AND CRITICAL HABITAT

Five federally listed endangered whale species occur within the Central Gulf. These include fin, humpback, right, sei, and sperm whale*. Generally, these large cetaceans inhabit the continental slope ard deep oceanic waters, occasionally they are sighted nearshore (Schmidly, 1981). Sperm whales have been sighted near the louisiatia Delta and offshore Brownsville (Fritts et al., 1983).

Four federally listed endangered turtle species (Kemp's ridley, green, hawksbill, and leatherback turtles) and one threatened species (loggerhead turtle) occur in the Gulf of Mexico.

The American alligator occurs generally throughout Ihe Central Gulf < coastal areas, lne alligator is listed as endangered throughout its

range except in the coastal areas of Florida and Texas where i t is listed^as threatened and in Louisiana where i t is listed as

/ "threatened by similarity of appearance".

Arctic peregrine falcons migrate along the eastern coast of Florida, the Florida Keys, and the Gulf coast of lexas. Some peregrine falcons overwinter alcr.y the Gulf coastal areas.

The endangered eskimo curlew's northward migration corridor crosses the Louisiana and Texas coastal areas.

Brown Pelican's occur along the coast of Cameron Parish, Louisiana. Bald eagles inhabit several Gulf coastal counties.

These species may be affected by the development of coastal lands and/or the occurrence of oil spills which may affect the species directly or through their food sources. Since the proposed activities include no plans for the development of the coastal lands, the impact on endangered or threatened species is primarily based on the occurrence of oil spills.

On pages 111 -S through 111-72 of the Final Environmental Impact Statement fcr OCS Sale No. 47 there is a discussion of the factors for estimating the significance cf oil spills and their impacts. The impacts on various endangered and threatened species wil l depend on the nature of the s p i l l , weather conditions, proximity of spill to species, tolerance for oil of species, and the response time and effectiveness of the oil spill cleanup and containment services. Given these variables, the impact on the various endangered or threatened species wil l vary from l i t t l e cr no effect to serious. The experience of oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico indicate that '-.ere is a sn.all probability of an occurrence of an oil s p i l l . The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for OCS Sale A-62 and 62 indicates on page 71 that "the aggregate 15 year sp i l l rate is .0009 percent of the total volume produced". Table 7, page 73, of the DEIS indicates that there has been only 30 incidents of o i l spills for this 15 year period. The probability remains low because of the level of technology used by the oil and gas industry to insure safe and responsible operations.

Union Fu if i c as a prudent operator, wil l take the necessary measures to reduce the probability of o i 1 spills. Union Pacific's proposed exploration operations on Bloik .55 should pese no threat to any endangered or threatened species.

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A. WAT I Is QUA! 11Y

Di i l l i n< i ii( t iv it i w i l l ttnipoi i n i *y reduu v-..jte» quality adjacent 11» the KK alien. I Ii i *. v. i I I ini i ease turbidity in a plumi down iur

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rent from the work sites, released waters and a minor oil spill i could yalso contribute to water quality degradation.

I >• jB. EFFECTS ON MARINE ORGANISMS

Some organisms will be killed and some will be temporarily functionally impaired as a result of exploratory operations. The most affected groups will be plankton and benthos immediately around the drilling riq. Damage will be both mechanical and toxicological. Discharge of hole cuttings will damage plankton within the plume and bury some of the less mobile benthic fauna. These impacts are considered to be localized, short term and reversible at the population level.

An oil spill could affect a bread spectrum of marine organisms. However, most effects would be localized and short term. Any effects on mammals and turtles would be significant.

C. WETLANDS AND BEACH

In the unlikely event of a spill occurring and reaching shore, organisms in wetland and beach habitats cculd be killed or functionally impaired. Human community disruption could also occur. Although all such effects would be localized, any effects on endangered species and/or critical habitats would be significant.

D. AIR QUALITY

Ihe air quality at the lease site will be degraded temporarily during operations, but should return to normal once operations are measurably completed. Offshore activities probably will not affect onshore air quality. Air cuality at the onshore base will be only insignificantly reduced by onshore activities. Any such effect will be temporary.

E. COMMERCIAL FISHING

Of the various types of fishing gear in use in the OCS areas, trawls have the greatest chance for operational conflicts with oil and gas activities. Losses may, however, be compensated under the Fishermen's Contingency Fund or other legal routes. Trawl nets can be snagged on underwater stubs causing damage or loss of the nets, ln addition, i t is conceivable that snags could damage underwater production equipment of pipelines causing a spill of oil or gas. Because safety eguipment is installed, which shuts in production when a loss of pressure occurs, tlie likelihood cf a major spill resulting thereby is considered veiy small, less frequently, large objects which were lost overboard fiom petroleum industry boats, pipelin*' lay baryes, and platforms art' caught by fishing geai resulting in damage te the gear and/or its catch of fish; however,

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occurrence of this type of incident is low. Also, commercial fishermen would probably not harvest fish in the area of an oil spillyas spilled oil could coat or contaminate commercial fish specie! rendering them unmarketable. Other unavoidable adverse impacts include loss of fish space caused by installation of unburied pipelines, rigs, platforms, or, by other OCS-related structures. There may be some localized competition for shore facilities These effects and any effect th*t the exploratory operations will have on stocks of important species are considered minor.

SHIP NAVIGATION

Very l i t t l e interference can be expected between the riq and marine vessels utilized during drilling operations and ships that'use established fairways. However, at night and during rough weather, fog, and heavy seas, ships not using established fariways could collide with the rig.

CULTURAL RESOURCES

There is only a small probability that an unknown cultural resource exists in the lease area.

RECREATION AND AESTHETIC VALUtS

The rig and marine vessels may represent an obstacle to some sport fisherman, but such an effect is expected to be negligible and not permanent.

Even though existirg regulations and orders prohibit indiscriminate littering of the marine environment with trash, offshore oil and gas operations involving men, machines, equipment, and supplies is bound to result in some littering of the ocean. Human nature and accidents associated with offshore operations will contribute some floatable debris to the ocean environment which will eventually come ashore on major recreational beaches.

The effects that normal operations or a minor oil spill would have on any fish slocks important to sport fishermen are also considered to be negligible.

A minor oil spill and/or non-petroleum floating debris could foul beaches inshore of the lease area. The fouling of the beaches would be an aesthetic detriment that could adversely effect recreation. Any effect*, on beach recreation could adversely affect tourism and, consequently, the local economy.

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SUMMARY r The proposed .activity will be carried out and completed with the

guarantee of ahe following items.

A. The best available and safest technologies, will be utilized throughout the project. This includes meeting all applicable requirements for equipment types, general project layout, safety systems, and equipment and monitoring systems.

B. All operations are covered by a Minerals Management Service approved Oil Spill Contingency Plan.

C. All applicable Federal, State and Local requirements regarding air emission and water quality and discharge for the proposed activities, as well as any other permit conditions, will be complied with.

D. The proposed activities described in detail in the Plan of Exploration will comply with Louisiana's Coastal Management Program and will be conducted in a manner consistent with such Program.

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; i REFERENCES \ j

1. Final (Environmental Impact Statement, Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sa^s W7~9f and 1027 Gult Of Mexico OCS Region, OCS EIS, MMS 84-0057.

2. Final Environmental Impact Statement, Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sales . 94, 98 and 102, Gulf of Mexico 0CS~Region, OCS EIS, MMS 84-0057, visuals. 3. Fisheries of the United States, 1985, April, 1986.

4. The Ecology of Petroleum Platforms in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico: A Community Profile, Pureau of Land Management Open File Report 82-03, July, 198Z.

5. Environmental Report West Cameron Area Blocks 516' and 524, March, 1987.

6. BLM Draft Environmental Impact Statement, OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales A-62 and 62.

7. BLM Pinal Environmental Impact Statement, OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales TFoTand 62".

8. BLM Final Environmental Impact Statement, OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 47.

9. Minerals Management Service. 1983. Final Regional Environmental Impact rt.atement~Gult Of Mexico. U.S. Department of the Interior.

10. r i ' - j ' l Environmental Impact Statement, Prcposed Oil and Gas Lease Sales 1T0 ar.d 112, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, OCS EIS, MMS 86-0087.

11. Final Environmental Impact Statement, Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sales 110 and 112, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, OCS EIS, MMS 86-0087, visuals.

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