Quiero saber acerca de...

khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES2

43000

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 148 / Thursday, August 5, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
sale would travel from the NPF to the TIP near Kuparuks CPF 2 via the Pikka Project pipeline that would tie in to the Kuparuk Sales Pipeline and would then be transported to TAPS. Construction of the pad would allow for additional space that could be repurposed for drilling or for operational use during the development of the Pikka Project. This pad would contain other facilities required for project operation and development, including: Metering and pigging facilities; power generation facilities; a truck fill station;
construction material staging areas;
equipment staging areas; a tank farm contains diesel, refined fuel, crude oil, injection water, production chemicals, glycol, and methanol storage tanks; and a central control room. All major components required for the development of the NPF would be constructed off-site and brought in via truck or barge during the summer season. Barges would deliver and offload necessary modules at Oliktok Dock, which would travel to the NPF
site during summer months. Seabed screeding would occur at Oliktok Point to maintain water depth for necessary barges.
Pikka would use gravel roads to the Unit, which would allow year-round access from the Dalton Highway. All gravel needed for project activities approximately 112 ha 276 ac would be sourced from several existing gravel mine sites. A majority of gravel acquisition and laying would occur during the winter season and then be compacted in the summer. All equipment and supplies necessary would be brought in on existing roads from Anchorage or Fairbanks to Deadhorse. Supplies and equipment would then be forwarded to the Pikka Unit; no aerial transportation for supplies is expected. Regular traffic is expected once construction of the roads is completed; Oil Search Alaska expects arterial routes between the processing facilities and camps to experience the heaviest use of traffic. Drill-site access roads are expected to experience the least amount of traffic; however, drillsite traffic is expected to increase temporarily during periods of active drilling, maintenance, or other relevant aspects of the project. Standard vehicles would include light passenger trucks, heavy tractor-trailer trucks, heavy equipment, and oil rigs.
Several types of aircraft operations are expected at the Pikka Unit throughout the 20212026 period. Personnel would be transported to Pikka via commercial flights from Deadhorse Airport and by ground-based vehicle transport.
Currently, there is no plan to develop an
VerDate Sep<11>2014

17:26 Aug 04, 2021

Jkt 253001

airstrip at Pikka. Personnel flights are expected to be infrequent to and from the Pikka Unit; however, Oil Search Alaska expects that some transport directly to the Unit may be required.
Several environmental studies performed via aircraft are expected during the ITR period. Some of these include AIR surveys, cultural resources, stick-picking, and hydrology studies.
AIR surveys in support of the Pikka Unit would occur annually to locate polar bear dens.
Summer travel would utilize vehicles such as Rolligons and Tuckers to assess pipelines not found adjacent to the gravel roads. During 24-hour sunlight periods, these vehicles would operate across all hours. Stick-picking and thermistor retrieval would also occur in the summer. In the winter, ice roads would be constructed across the Unit.
These ice roads would be developed to haul gravel from existing mine sites to haul gravel for road and pad construction. Ice roads would also be constructed to support the installation of VSM and pipelines. Off-road winter vehicles would be used when the tundra is frozen and covered with snow to provide maintenance and access for inspection. Temporary ice roads and ice pads would be built to allow for the movement and staging of heavy equipment, maintenance, and construction. Oil Search Alaska would perform regular winter travel to support operations across the Pikka Unit.
Oil Search Alaska plans to install a bridge over the Kachemach River more than 8 km 5 mi from the coast and install the STP at Oliktok Point. Both projects would require in-water pile driving, which is expected to take place during the winter seasons. In-water pile driving in the winter, placement of gravel fill open-water period, and installation of the STP barge outfall structure open-water period would take place at Oliktok Point. Dredging and screeding activities would prepare the site for STP and module delivery via barge. Annual maintenance screeding and dredging expected twice during the Request period may be needed to maintain the site. Dredging spoils would be transported away, and all work would occur during the open-water season between May and October.
Screeding activities are expected to take place annually over the course of a 2week period, depending on stability and safety needs.
Gas Hydrate Exploration and Research The U.S. Geological Survey USGS
estimates that the North Slope contains over 54 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas assets Collette et al. 2019. Over the
PO 00000

Frm 00020

Fmt 4701

Sfmt 4700

last 5 years, Industry has demonstrated a growing interest in the potential to explore and extract these reserves.
Federal funds from the Department of Energy have been provided in the past to support programs on domestic gas hydrate exploration, research, and development. Furthermore, the State of Alaska provides support for gas hydrate research and development through the development of the Eileen hydrate trend deferred area near Milne Point, with specific leases being offered for gas hydrate research and exploration.
As of 2021, a few gas hydrate exploration and test wells have been drilled within the Beaufort Sea region.
Due to the support the gas hydrate industry has received, AOGA expects continued interest to grow over the years. As such, AOGA expects that a relatively low but increasing amount of gas hydrate exploration and research is expected throughout the 20212026
period.
Environmental Studies Per AOGAs Request, Industry would continue to engage in various environmental studies throughout the life of the ITR. Such activities include:
Geological and geotechnical surveys i.e., seismic surveys; surveys on geomorphology soils, ice content, permafrost, archeology and cultural resources; vegetation mapping; analysis of fish, avian, and mammal species and their habitats; acoustic monitoring;
hydrology studies; and various other freshwater, marine, and terrestrial studies of the coastal and offshore regions within the Arctic. These studies typically include various stakeholders, including consultants and consulting companies; other industries;
government; academia universitylevel; nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations; and local community parties. However, AOGAs 20212026
ITR Request seeks coverage only for environmental studies directly related to Industry activities e.g., monitoring studies in response to regulatory requirements. No third-party studies will be covered except by those mentioned in this ITR and the AOGA
Request.
During the 20212026 lifespan of the ITR, Industry would continue studies that are conducted for general monitoring purposes for regulatory and/
or permit requirements and for expected or planned exploration and development activities within the Beaufort Sea region. Environmental studies are anticipated to occur during the summer season as to avoid overlap with any denning polar bears. Activities
E:FRFM05AUR2.SGM

05AUR2