Wyoming CO2 pipeline system granted federal EIS

The state-run Wyoming Pipeline Corridor Initiative (WPCI) has received the US Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the federally managed portions of its proposed 1,914-mile CO₂ pipeline system.

The system would cross about 1,150 miles of BLM-managed land, transporting captured CO₂ for commercial sale, sequestration, or enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

The State of Wyoming proposes that roughly 2,000 miles and 25 segments of pipeline corridors be designated on BLM-managed lands and in those lands’ associated resources management plans (RMP).

Wyoming’s proposal would use existing rights-of-way for 95% of its route. The EIS’s proposed RMP are now subject to a 60-day governor’s consistency review to make sure it conforms with state and local policies, as well as to a 30-day public comment period starting at the same time.

Based on the findings of the EIS process, the BLM is proposing to amend the nine RMP containing lands proposed for pipeline corridors to designate those corridors.

If the BLM were to receive a right-of-way application for carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) and EOR pipelines or related infrastructure in the future, project-specific National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures would be completed separately at that time.

BLM analysed five alternatives.

• Alternative A: None of the RMPs would be amended to establish additional corridors, and the existing corridors would remain and would not be dedicated to pipelines associated with CCUS, EOR, and other uses. These corridors would remain available for any type of potential future project

• Alternative B: Dedicates corridors for CCUS and EOR. Portions of existing corridors (300 ft or 200 ft wide) would be dedicated to pipelines associated with CCUS, EOR, and other uses as outlined in the State of Wyoming proposal. These corridors would be designated both in sage grouse priority habitat management areas (PHMA) and outside PHMA as proposed by the State of Wyoming

• Alternative C: Maintains existing management in existing corridors and creates new corridors dedicated to CCUS and EOR projects

• Alternative D: Dedicates portions of existing corridors and creates new corridors dedicated to CCUS and EOR projects. Routes would be modified or eliminated from the proposal to avoid resource conflicts, sage grouse PHMA, pre-existing rights, existing uses, and infrastructure

• Alternative E (preferred): Was developed in response to public comments received on the draft EIS and combines the uniqueness of each of the 25 segments with the current RMPs as well as specific siting, resource conflicts, restrictions, etc, identified in the WPCI analysis. Alternative E does not represent new analysis, but rather blends the analysis developed in the draft EIS under Alternatives B and D

Source: Oil & Gas Journal