Reabold Monroe Swell
Summary
SCH Number
2025050132
Public Agency
California Department of Conservation
(DOC)
Document Title
Reabold Monroe Swell
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/2/2025
Document Description
Reabold California, LLC, is seeking approval for a new Underground Injection Control (UIC) (project code 474-06-0001) in the Monroe Swell Oil Field, Monterey County. The area of review (AOR) for the Proposed Project is calculated from planned injection from this well only. The primary purpose of the Proposed Project is to reduce the routine trucking of produced water and thereby decrease road usage, erosion to dirt roads, dust and truck emissions, and noise. The project involves converting an existing idle producer oil well into a Class II UIC water disposal well, as defined under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 48 CFR §144.6(b)(1), to inject fluids into the Beedy Sands of the Monterey Formation. The proposed work includes requiring a rig to pull any existing tubing or pumps from the wellbore, clean out any sediment and debris in the well, and to run in tubing and a packer for injection. Piping from the produced water facilities to the well already exist as the well is a former producer, therefore, no new piping is required. This work is expected to take less than 14 days to complete and will require no modification or expansion of surface facilities. There would be no new ground surface disturbance associated with this project.
The proposed project consists of the California Department of Conservation, Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) issuing one project approval letter (PAL) for Reabold for UIC project 474-06-0001 to rework the well listed below, in the Monroe Swell Oil Field.
API # 0405320871
Well Name Burnett 1
Contact Information
Name
Chris Bacon
Agency Name
Department of Conservation, Geologic Energy Management Division
Job Title
Environmental Scientist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Drew Parker
Agency Name
Reabold California, LLC
Job Title
Agent
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Counties
Monterey
Regions
Southern California
Township
19S
Range
07E
Section
19
Base
MDB&M
Other Location Info
Monroe Swell Oil Field
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 1, Existing Facilities (14 CCR §§ 15301, 1684.1)
Reasons for Exemption
The project is categorically exempt from CEQA under the “Class 1” (14 CCR § 15301) exemption per the CEQA Guidelines because the proposed project is a repair or minor alteration of existing facilities with negligible expansion of use and therefore is exempt from the need for full CEQA review. Additionally, in accordance with 14 CCR § 1684.1 the Class 1 exemption consists of operation repair, maintenance, minor alternation of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing previously. This Class includes but is not limited to Docusign Envelope ID: 3D6D752D-A9D9-4D63-8F1B-66C022B19AD1
conversion, and abandonment work on oil, gas, injection, and geothermal wells involving the alteration of well casing, such as perforating and casing repair, removal, or replacement; installation or removal of downhole production or injection equipment, cement plugs, bridge plugs, and packers set to isolate production or injection intervals. For the project, district engineers found modest alterations to internal equipment, no complicated modifications will occur to the existing well, and the injection well will inject produced water back into an oil-bearing reservoir. District engineers and CalGEM CEQA staff determined that any environmental impacts of the proposed project would be negligible and therefore less-than-significant. The water board provided a letter of concurrence for the proposed project identifying no groundwater impacts associated with the work.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 2, Replacement or Reconstruction (14 CCR § 15302)
Reasons for Exemption
Class 2 applies because it consists of “replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced.” The proposed project would convert an existing idle production well into a water disposal injection well. The well work is minimal and will be on the same site, all structures are existing like the wellhead, piping, well pad and roads. The project is reconstructing the existing wellbore with negligible expansion of use and therefore would have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4, Minor Alterations to Land (14 CCR §§ 15304, 1684.2)
Reasons for Exemption
Class 4 consists of “drilling operations that result in only minor alterations with negligible or no permanent effects to the existing condition of the land, water, air, and/or vegetation.” The proposed project involves the issuance of a new PAL for UIC project 474-06-0001 where an existing idle producer oil well is being converted to a water disposal injection well. The process to convert the existing idle producer into an injector is simple and involves the use of existing infrastructure (other facilities, roads, and well pad). Therefore, there would be no surface disturbance as a result of the project that would significantly disturb the surrounding environment. In addition, the water board provided a letter of concurrence for the proposed project identifying no groundwater impacts associated with the work.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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