The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has approved a natural gas project in the Uinta Basin field in Utah that would allow Gasco Energy to drill nearly 1,300 new oil and gas wells for a period of 15 years.

BLM said it has signed a record of decision for the project’s environmental impact statement (EIS), which includes various measures to protect sensitive areas and wildlife habitat, while boosting energy production and create employment opportunities.

Gasco will continue to explore for oil and gas in other areas within the project area, and believes this could potentially yield nearly three trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas through 2053.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said this plan reflects the agency’s commitment to responsibly addressing public concerns regarding resource and land use issues in the Uinta Basin area.

"Working together with Gasco Energy, Inc., we have made substantial improvements to protect land and water resources, safeguarding iconic areas such as Desolation and Nine Mile Canyons, while supporting Utah’s economy and reducing our dependence on foreign oil," he added.

The Bureau of Land Management Utah state director Juan Palma said, "The announcement is a prime example of the successful collaboration among the BLM, Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Uinta and Duchesne Counties."

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The final plan is a revised version Gasco Energy’s original proposal that called for 1,500 gas wells and the same number of well pads, with a total disturbance area of 7,533 acres, including well pads in Nine Mile Canyon north of Desolation Canyon.

Under the revised proposal, the company will not undertake drilling nor develop any infrastructure near Desolation Canyon.

The final plan also entails directional drilling to reduce surface disturbance, eliminates floodplain impacts, and prohibits any wells below the rim of Nine Mile Canyon.