[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 193 (Thursday, October 6, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-24714]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: October 6, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP94-791-000, et al.]

 

Koch Gateway Pipeline Company, et al.; Natural Gas Certificate 
Filings

September 29, 1994.
    Take notice that the following filings have been made with the 
Commission:

1. Koch Gateway Pipeline Co.

[Docket No. CP94-791-000]

    Take notice that on September 22, 1994, Koch Gateway Pipeline 
Company (Gateway), Post Office Box 1478, Houston, Texas 77251-1478, 
filed in Docket No. CP94-791-000 an application pursuant to 
Secs. 157.205(b) and 157.211(b) of the Commission's Regulations under 
the Natural Gas Act (NGA) for authorization to install an eight-inch 
delivery tap, meter and regulator station to be used to deliver natural 
gas to Entex, Inc. (Entex), under the blanket certificate issued in 
Docket No. CP82-430-000, all as more fully set forth in the request on 
file with the Commission and open to public inspection.
    Gateway proposes to install an eight-inch tap, and construct and 
operate the appurtenant meter and regulator station near Westlake, 
Louisiana, to provide natural gas service to Olin Chemical on behalf of 
Entex. The facilities would be used to deliver up to 12,000 per day 
under a TF-1 transportation agreement between Entex and Gateway. 
Gateway states that the total cost of the proposed project is estimated 
to be $80,000.
    Comment date: November 14, 1994, in accordance with Standard 
Paragraph G at the end of this notice.

2. National Fuel Gas Supply Corp.

[Docket No. CP94-802-000]

    Take notice that on September 26, 1994, National Fuel Gas Supply 
Corporation (National), 10 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, New York 14203, 
filed in Docket No. CP94-802-000, a request pursuant to Sections 
157.205 and 157.212 of the Commission's Regulations under the Natural 
Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205 and 157.212) for authorization to perform 
construction on two existing delivery taps that provide service to an 
existing firm transportation customer, National Fuel Gas Distribution 
Corporation (Distribution), under the blanket certificate issued in 
Docket No. CP83-4-000, pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, 
all as more fully set forth in the request which is on file with the 
Commission and open to public inspection.
    National proposes to replace the 2'' regulator and the 4'' relief 
valve at the Arcade, Wyoming County, New York location with a 3'' 
regulator and a 6'' relief valve, within the pipeline right-of-way of 
National's Line PY. Additionally, National proposes to replace the \1/
2\'' regulator and the 3'' relief valve at the Orchard Park, Erie 
County, New York location with a \1/2\'' regulator and a 4'' relief 
valve, within the pipeline right-of-way of National's Line K. National 
indicates the cost of construction for the two taps is estimated to be 
$27,000, for which National will be reimbursed by Distribution.
    National asserts the actual throughput at these delivery taps will 
remain the same: 1,500 Mmcf/year for the Arcade, New York location and 
385 Mmcf/year for the Orchard Park, New York location. National states 
its FERC Gas Tariff does not prohibit the addition of new delivery 
taps. National relates that it has sufficient capacity to accomplish 
the proposed deliveries without detriment or disadvantage to its other 
customers.
    Comment date: November 14, 1994, in accordance with Standard 
Paragraph G at the end of this notice.

3. Texas Gas Transmission Corp.

[Docket No. CP94-805-000]

    Take notice that on September 26, 1994, Texas Gas Transmission 
Corporation (Texas Gas), 3800 Frederica Street, Owensboro, Kentucky 
42301, filed in Docket No. CP94-805-000, a request pursuant to 
Secs. 157.205 and 157.212 of the Commission's Regulations under the 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205 and 157.212) for authorization to add a 
new delivery point in Carroll County, Kentucky to serve an existing 
customer, Carrollton Utilities (Carrollton), under Texas Gas's blanket 
certificate issued to Texas Gas in Docket No. CP82-407-000 pursuant to 
Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, all as more fully set forth in the 
request that is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection.
    Texas Gas states that the new delivery point will enable Carrollton 
to provide natural gas service to a new industrial customer, Gallatin 
Steel, as well as accommodate additional load growth in the area. The 
proposed delivery point, to be known as the Carrollton #2 Delivery 
Point, will be located on Texas Gas's No. 1 and No. 2 main lines near 
Wright's Ridge Road in Carroll County, Kentucky. The estimated maximum 
annual quantity of natural gas to be delivered to Carrollton at the new 
point will be 7,000,000 MMBtu, with a proposed maximum daily quantity 
of 28,800 MMBtu. Texas Gas states that service to this new delivery 
point will be accomplished within Carrollton's existing contract 
quantities and without detriment to Texas Gas's other customers.
    Comment date: November 14, 1994, in accordance with Standard 
Paragraph G at the end of this notice.

4. Shell Gas Pipeline Company and BP Exploration & Oil, Inc.

[Docket No. CP94-808-000]

    Take notice that on September 27, 1994, Shell Gas Pipeline Company, 
P.O. Box 576, Houston, Texas 77001, and BP Exploration & Oil, Inc. 
(BP), P.O. Box 4527, Houston, Texas 77210-4587, referred to together as 
Petitioners, jointly filed a petition for declaratory order in Docket 
No. CP94-808-000, requesting that the Commission declare that 
facilities to be constructed on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) would 
have the primary function of gathering natural gas and would thereby be 
exempt from the Commission's jurisdiction pursuant to Section 1(b) of 
the Natural Gas Act, all as more fully set forth in the petition which 
is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection.
    Petitioners state that they propose to construct the MARS Gas 
Gathering System to attach natural gas produced from the Mississippi 
Canyon 807 Unit (MARS), produced by Shell Offshore, Inc. (SOI) and BP, 
to a point on interconnection with the existing offshore jurisdictional 
natural gas transmission infrastructure. Petitioners state that the 
MARS project would be located about 130 miles southeast of New Orleans 
in a water depth of 2,940 feet and is estimated to have approximately 
700 million barrel equivalent of oil and natural gas reserves. 
Petitioners indicate that the MARS prospect was discovered in 1989 and 
is reported to be the largest discovery in the Gulf of Mexico in the 
past 20 years. It is stated that SOI and BP have committed $1.2 billion 
for the initial development of the MARS prospect.
    It is stated that phase 1 of the MARS prospect would be developed 
by installing a tension leg platform (TLP) which would be secured to 
the ocean floor by vertical tendons. It is also indicated that up to 24 
oil and gas production wells would be drilled and completed from the 
TLP via sub-sea flowlines. Petitioners state that initial production 
from the TLP is expected to commence in the second half of 1996 and 
production is forecasted to eventually reach peak daily rates of 
approximately 100,000 barrels of oil and 110,000 Mcf on natural gas.
    Petitioners state that the system would consist of a 14-inch 
pipeline extending approximately 45 to 60 miles from the TLP to a shelf 
interconnection platform in the OCS area, Offshore Louisiana. It is 
also indicated that the project would also include certain related 
facilities, that may include one or more gas sales meter stations, a 
pig launcher and receivers, risers, slug catcher, sumps, drains, over-
pressure protection facilities, gas and condensate meters and 
condensate pumps.
    Petitioners state that the exact terminus of the MARS Gas Gathering 
Pipeline at which the TLP would be located is still under evaluation 
and negotiation, with the petitioners intending to select an 
interconnection platform or platforms allowing connection to one or 
more pipelines in the South Pass and Mississippi Canyon Areas. 
Petitioners indicates that the design capacity of the pipeline would be 
160,000 Mcf per day at an operating pressure of 1,650 psig. It is 
stated that the production would be separated and dehydrated on the TLP 
as this is necessary to prevent the formation of hydrates in the line, 
and compressed on the platform to a pressure which is sufficient to 
overcome the pressure drop in the proposed MARS pipeline as well as to 
allow the gas to flow into the downstream interstate pipeline. It is 
also stated that the gas may be processed onshore for the removal of 
liquids.
    Petitioners seek a declaratory order holding that the proposed 
facilities would have the primary function of gathering natural gas and 
would thereby be exempt from the Commission's jurisdiction pursuant to 
Section 1(b) of the Natural Gas Act. In support of its claim that the 
primary function of the proposed facility is gathering, Petitioners 
point out the following: (1) The length (45 to 60 miles) and diameter 
(14 inches) are comparable to other OCS facilities previously 
determined to be gathering, (2) the geographic configuration of the 
facility (a, straight line, relatively small diameter gathering line 
feeding production into an interstate pipeline) is consistent with 
other OCS gathering facilities, (3) preliminary separation, 
dehydration, and compression will be done on the MARS TLP, (4) the 
facility will be located entirely behind onshore processing plants, and 
(5) the facility would be owned and operated by companies engaging 
primarily in exploration, production and non-jurisdictional gas 
gathering activities.
    Comment date: November 1, 1994, in accordance with the first 
paragraph of Standard Paragraph F at the end of this notice.

5. Southern Natural Gas Co.

[Docket No. CP94-809-000]

    Take notice that on September 27, 1994, Southern Natural Gas 
Company (Southern), P.O. Box 2563, Birmingham, Alabama 35202-2563, 
filed in Docket No. CP94-809-000 a request pursuant to Sections 
157.205, 157.212, and 157.216 of the Commission's Regulations under the 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205, 157.212, and 157.216) for 
authorization to abandon certain regulating and measurement facilities 
and change the operation of an existing delivery point for Alabama Gas 
Corporation (Alagasco), under the blanket certificate issued in Docket 
No. CP82-406-000, pursuant to Sections 7(b) and 7(c) of the Natural Gas 
Act, all as more fully set forth in the request which is on file with 
the Commission and open to public inspection.
    Southern states that it is currently authorized to sell and deliver 
natural gas to the Chilton County Gas District (Chilton) at the Chilton 
County Delivery Point (Chilton County), in Shelby County, Alabama, and 
to transport and sell natural gas to Alagasco at the Montevallo Point 
of Delivery, also in Shelby County. Southern states that, in October 
1993, Alagasco acquired the distribution facilities of Chilton. It is 
indicated that the two above-mentioned delivery points lie adjacent to 
each other. Southern states that, since Alagasco now serves the 
distribution facilities behind both of these delivery points, Alagasco 
has requested and Southern has agreed to consolidate deliveries at 
these two delivery points so that all gas that is now delivered to 
Alagasco at Chilton County would be delivered to Alagasco at 
Montevallo. Accordingly, Southern proposes to abandon the measurement 
facilities at Chilton County.
    Southern states that, in order to accommodate the combined stream 
of volumes at Montevallo, Southern requests authorization under 
Sec. 157.212(a) of the Commission's Regulations to deliver gas to 
Montevallo at a contract delivery pressure of mainline pressure not 
less than 150 psig and to install a 3-inch rotary meter to have the 
ability to measure accurately the additional level of flow at the 
higher pressure. Southern also indicates that, to implement the change 
in contract delivery pressure, it requests authorization to abandon two 
3-inch regulators at Montevallo which had been used to reduce pressure 
from Southern's mainline to the present contract delivery pressure of 
75 psig. In addition, Southern proposes to abandon the meter station at 
Chilton County.
    Southern states that the modification of the Montevallo Station 
would eliminate the need to continue the Chilton County Station. In 
addition, Southern states that the abandonment of the Chilton County 
Station would decrease Southern's maintenance costs.
    Southern advises that the total volumes to be delivered to Alagasco 
after the request do not exceed the total volumes authorized prior to 
the request. Also, Southern indicates that the proposed activity is not 
prohibited by its existing tariff and that it has sufficient capacity 
to accommodate the changes proposed herein without detriment or 
disadvantage to Southern's other customers. In addition, Southern 
indicates that the changes in operations at Montevallo would have no 
impact on Southern's ability to serve its peak day and annual 
requirements.
    Comment date: November 14, 1994, in accordance with Standard 
Paragraph G at the end of this notice.

Standard Paragraphs:

    F. Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with 
reference to said application should on or before the comment date, 
file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 
20426, a motion to intervene or a protest in accordance with the 
requirements of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 
CFR 385.214 or 385.211) and the Regulations under the Natural Gas Act 
(18 CFR 157.10). All protests filed with the Commission will be 
considered by it in determining the appropriate action to be taken but 
will not serve to make the protestants parties to the proceeding. Any 
person wishing to become a party to a proceeding or to participate as a 
party in any hearing therein must file a motion to intervene in 
accordance with the Commission's Rules.
    Take further notice that, pursuant to the authority contained in 
and subject to the jurisdiction conferred upon the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission by Sections 7 and 15 of the Natural Gas Act and 
the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, a hearing will be 
held without further notice before the Commission or its designee on 
this application if no motion to intervene is filed within the time 
required herein, if the Commission on its own review of the matter 
finds that a grant of the certificate and/or permission and approval 
for the proposed abandonment are required by the public convenience and 
necessity. If a motion for leave to intervene is timely filed, or if 
the Commission on its own motion believes that a formal hearing is 
required, further notice of such hearing will be duly given.
    Under the procedure herein provided for, unless otherwise advised, 
it will be unnecessary for applicant to appear or be represented at the 
hearing.
    G. Any person or the Commission's staff may, within 45 days after 
issuance of the instant notice by the Commission, file pursuant to Rule 
214 of the Commission's Procedural Rules (18 CFR 385.214) a motion to 
intervene or notice of intervention and pursuant to Section 157.205 of 
the Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205) a protest to 
the request. If no protest is filed within the time allowed therefor, 
the proposed activity shall be deemed to be authorized effective the 
day after the time allowed for filing a protest. If a protest is filed 
and not withdrawn within 30 days after the time allowed for filing a 
protest, the instant request shall be treated as an application for 
authorization pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
Lois D. Cashell
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-24714 Filed 10-5-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P