Final Fluid Minerals Recommendations
for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

Goal:  Provide for continued research, development, exploration and production of fluid minerals (i.e., oil, gas and CO2) in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (Monument), while mitigating any new impacts that interfere with the proper care and management of the objects protected under the proclamation.

Objective 1:  Educate visitors on the history of multiple-use management in the Monument, through a cooperative effort with users (e.g., fluid mineral operators, livestock grazing permittees, outfitters and guides, recreationists).

Management Action 1-1: Develop a brochure on multiple-use activities that discusses their culture and heritage, environmental stewardship and economic impact on local and regional economies. This brochure should be distributed to visitors before they enter the Monument.

Management Action 1-2: Develop a museum exhibit at the Anasazi Heritage Center and Hovenweep National Monument that describes multiple-use activities that occur on the Monument, and the unique resources they rely on (e.g., geologic formations).

Management Action 1-3: Construct interpretive signs at accessible fluid mineral development facilities. Information these signs could convey to the public include a description of the equipment, safety precautions, how resources produced at the facility are used within the United States and how fluid mineral operators comply with federal law to protect natural and cultural resources.

Objective 2:  Collaborate with operators on the Monument to resolve issues relating to fluid minerals research, exploration, production, reclamation and resource impacts.

Management Action 2-1: Encourage fluid mineral operators to form a Self Audit Assessment Team. This team would inspect facilities across the Monument, to resolve operations issues and develop strategies to mitigate resource impacts.

Management Action 2-2: Work with all interested parties to identify strategies (e.g., well field development plans) to complete the application permit to drill (APD) and environmental compliance processes in a timely manner, required to authorize exploration and production.

Management Action 2-3: Work with fluid mineral operators to specify the conditions that must exist to support the extension of a lease.

Management Action 2-4: Work with fluid mineral operators to develop a schedule and list of maintenance requirements for managing fluid mineral facilities.

Management Action 2-5: Work with fluid mineral operators to incorporate BLM best management practices (BMPs) into all aspects of their work on the Monument. BMPs may include:

Minimizing Wildlife Habitat Fragmentation by:

1. Minimizing roads, utilities and well pads

2. Drilling multiple wells from a single pad

3. Mitigating hazards to wildlife

4. Reducing noise in sensitive areas

5. Monitoring production facilities remotely

6. Intermediate and full reclamations

Reducing Impacts to Visual Resources by:

1. Repeating elements of form, line, color & texture from the landscape

2. Location of roads & well pads

3. Selection of structures

4. Reducing unnecessary disturbance

5. Reclamation / Restoration

Minimizing Impacts to Cultural Resources by:

1. Conducting archaeological surveys in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act

2. Minimizing roads and surface disturbance

3. Appropriate location of roads and well pads

4. Temporary fencing to protect site boundaries

Construction, Operations & Reclamations by:

1. Pre-permitting meetings with BLM

2. Proper construction techniques

3. Maintenance of production facilities

4. Full site reclamation at the final abandonment stage

Objective 3:  Develop specific approaches to minimize impacts, resulting from fluid minerals exploration and production, on natural and cultural resources.

Management Action 3-1: Encourage the use of the least invasive technologies (e.g., 3D Seismic) to reduce impacts (e.g., dry hole well pads and related roads) resulting from fluid mineral exploration.

Management Action 3-2: Encourage the use of directional drilling from existing well pads to avoid conflict with cultural and natural resources.

Management Action 3-3: Encourage the use of tubing-less completions in new wells for the extraction of CO2 to increase production rates.

Management Action 3-4: Encourage the practice of re-entering old fluid mineral well bores that are declining in production, to increase production from existing wells (e.g., horizontal drilling).

Management Action 3-5: Encourage fluid mineral operators to share well pads and associated infrastructure (e.g., roads).

Management Action 3-6: Encourage fluid mineral operators to use already pre-disturbed areas (e.g., chainings) in the development of new well pads.

Management Action 3-7: Encourage CO2 operators to pursue casing liner technology. Casing liner technology could transform tubing completions into tubing-less completions, which would increase production rates at old CO2 wells.

Management Action 3-8: Work with fluid mineral operators to identify new strategies for reclaiming disturbed well pad sites. This could include utilizing new methods of stimulating plant growth (e.g., using produced water).

Management Action 3-9: Encourage the use of the latest technologies (e.g., advanced muffler systems and/or enclosures) in sound abatement for pump jack engines and compressors to reduce noise levels where there are conflicts with other multiple uses.

Management Action 3-10: Encourage the use of the latest technologies in lighting fixtures to reduce light pollution from fluid mineral facilities.

Management Action 3-11: Encourage fluid mineral operators to turn off lights when not absolutely necessary for facility operations, security and/or employee safety.

Management Action 3-12: Work with fluid mineral operators to develop a schedule and goals for reclaiming old well pad locations.

Management Action 3-13: Encourage fluid mineral operators to use underground plug and abandonment (P&A) markers to remove all signs of the well from the ground surface.

Management Action 3-14: Require an archaeologist to follow vibroseis buggies in the field to monitor impacts to cultural resources.

Objective 4:  Utilize the field presence of fluid mineral operators in the Monument to further the protection of Monument resources (e.g., cultural resources).

Management Action 4-1: Hold an annual workshop to educate fluid mineral operators about other multiple-uses, Monument resources and how they can assist BLM in managing and protecting them.

Management Action 4-2: Encourage fluid mineral operators to report illegal activities (e.g., vandalism) and resource degradation occurring on the Monument.

Objective 5:  Consider the socioeconomic impact of fluid mineral management decisions on local and regional economies.

Management Action 5-1: Work with operators to inform Montezuma and Dolores Counties, on an annual basis, of the short and long term projected fluid mineral development in the Monument.

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