Plan of Operations To Conduct 3-Dimensional Seismic Oil and Gas Exploration Within Big Cypress National Preserve

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comments on Nobles Grade 3-D Seismic Survey/Plan of Operations (Plan) to explore for oil and gas within Big Cypress National Preserve. The Plan seeks approval to conduct a seismic survey over a 110 square mile area to evaluate the subsurface geologic structure and geophysical conditions pertaining to accumulations of commercial quantities of crude oil and natural gas in the Sunniland Oil Trend. The applicant, Burnett Oil Company, Inc., proposes to conduct the seismic survey by using small, portable seismic receivers (geophones) and recording devices, which measure and record subtle vibrations in the ground. No explosives will be used to create the vibrations or seismic acoustical signals, and there will be no ground disturbances from detonations. Instead, vibrations will be created using mobile plates attached to special off-road vehicles which are placed against the ground, vibrated, and then moved on to the next location. The source and receivers would be placed in a line grid to allow the applicant to map the subsurface geology.