[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 154 (Thursday, August 11, 1994)] [Unknown Section] [Page 0] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 94-19608] [[Page Unknown]] [Federal Register: August 11, 1994] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [Docket No. CP94-681-000., et al.] Northern Natural Gas Company, et al.; Natural Gas Certificate Filings August 4, 1994. Take notice that the following filings have been made with the Commission: 1. Northern Natural Gas Company [Docket No. CP94-681-000] Take notice that on July 22, 1994, Northern Natural Gas Company (Northern), 1111 South 103rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1000, filed in Docket No. CP94-681-000 a request pursuant to Sections 157.205 and 157.212 of the Commission's Regulations under the Natural Gas Act for authorization to construct and operate facilities to implement a new delivery point near Blair, Nebraska to accommodate natural gas deliveries to Peoples Natural Gas Company (Peoples), under its blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP82-401-000,1 all as more fully set forth in the request for authorization on file with the Commission and open for public inspection. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\See, 20 FERC 62,410 (1982). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Northern states it has entered into a transportation service agreement with Peoples for the firm transportation and delivery of natural gas to Peoples at the proposed delivery point of up to 10 Bcf annually and 11,500 Mcf per peak day. Northern holds a blanket transportation certificate pursuant to Part 284 of the Commission's Regulations issued in Docket No. CP86-435-000.2 Peoples has requested a new delivery point from Northern so they may serve the new Cargill plant near Blair, Nebraska. Northern states that the lateral pipeline route will begin at Northern's ``C'' mainline 24-inch takeoff in the NW \1/4\ of Section 16, Township 18 North, Range 8 East, Dodge County, and continue in an easterly direction approximately 16 miles to Northern's town border station (TBS) following within 30 feet to the north or south, Northern's existing 6-inch lateral line servicing Blair. Northern states that Peoples will construct the entire 24 miles of 8-inch pipeline from Northern's ``C'' mainline to the Cargill. Northern will own and operate approximately 16 miles of the 8-inch lateral pipeline, and Peoples will own and operate 8 miles from Northern's TBS to the Cargill plant. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\See, 37 FERC 61,268 (1986). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Northern states that the total volumes to be delivered to the customer after the request do not exceed the total volumes authorized prior to the request. Northern states that construction of the proposed delivery point is not prohibited by its existing tariff and that it has sufficient capacity to deliver the requested gas volumes without detriment or disadvantage to it's other customers. Northern estimates the cost of the proposed facilities at $192,000; which includes the meter run, the take-off from the ``C'' mainline and the flange setting. Comment date: September 19, 1994, in accordance with Standard Paragraph G at the end of this notice. 2. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation [Docket No. CP94-692-000] Take notice that on August 1, 1994, Transcontinental Gas Pipe line Corporation (Transco), Post Office Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251, filed in Docket No. CP94-692-000 an application pursuant to Section 7 (b) and (c) of the Natural Gas Act for permission and approval to abandon approximately 0.86 miles of 30-inch pipeline and for a certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing the construction and operation of approximately 0.86 miles of 30-inch replacement pipeline on its Main Line A across the Neches River in Hardin and Jasper Counties, Texas and across the Village Creek in Hardin County, Texas, all as more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. Transco proposes to: (1) Construct and operate approximately 4,270 feet of 30-inch pipeline by horizontal directional drilling under the Neches River at its existing pipeline river crossing located 8 miles north of Beaumont, Texas and 20 miles west of the Texas-Louisiana boundary and construct and operate approximately 512 feet of conventionally installed tie-in piping on the banks of the river to connect the drilled crossing to Transco's Main Line A; (2) construct and operate approximately 260 feet of 30-inch pipeline by conventional ditching approximately 25 feet to the north of its existing Village Creek crossing of Main Line A located 1.8 miles west of the Neches River crossing in Hardin County, Texas with tie-ins to Main Line A on each river bank when the replaced portion of Main Line A is removed from service; and (3) abandon by removal the portions of Main Line A replaced at the Neches River and the Village Creek crossings. Transco states that the proposed replacements will restore the long-term integrity of its transmission system at the Neches River and the Village River crossings and that the capacity will remain at the existing 624 MMcf per day. Transco states that the abandonment of the portions of the Main Line A at the Neches River crossing will be completed in two separate projects. Transco proposes to remove approximately 260 feet of the existing 30-inch line from the point of tie-in on the west side of the river and approximately 80 feet of the existing 30-inch line from the point of tie-in on the east side of the river in 1994, at the time of the pipeline replacement construction. The abandonment of the remaining facilities at the Neches River crossing will be completed in 1995, as a separate project, after necessary permits are obtained. Transco proposes to remove, in 1994, approximately 240 feet of its Main Line A at the Village Creek crossing after the replacement line is constructed and tied in. Transco also requests temporary authorization to complete the river crossing replacements if permanent authorization is not issued by August 19, 1994, for security of gas service during the upcoming heating season. The estimated cost of construction is $4,694,455 with abandonment cost estimated at $972,000. The cost will be initially financed by Transco by funds on hand and short-term loans which will be rolled into permanent financing. Comment date: August 19, 1994, in accordance with Standard Paragraph F at the end of this notice. 3. National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation [Docket No. CP94-693-000] Take notice that on August 1, 1994, National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (National Fuel), 10 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, New York 14203, filed in Docket No. CP94-693-000 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 construct and operate a new point of delivery to provide service to an existing customer, National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation (Distribution), under National Fuel's 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 that is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. National Fuel states that the new delivery point will be located in the town of Grand Island, Erie County, New York, at the same station at which National Fuel will interconnect with the facilities of Empire State Pipeline, an intrastate pipeline, and will be used to provide service to Distribution, and to Distribution's present and future transportation customers. Additionally, National Fuel states that the total volumes to be delivered are estimated to be no more than 3,200,000 Dth annually and will have no impact on National Fuel's total peak day and annual deliveries, but will make it more likely that National Fuel will be able to make the deliveries at the points and in the quantities desired by Distribution and its customers. National Fuel estimates that the total cost of constructing the delivery point is $1,525,000. National Fuel notes that it has previously applied for approval under Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act for the acquisition and construction of certain facilities, including construction of the Grand Island delivery point, and received conditional approval by order issued June 1, 1994, in Docket Nos. CP94-112-000 and CP88-94-008 (67 FERC 61,270 (1994)). National Fuel states that it has been unable to commence acquisition and construction because National Fuel cannot satisfy all the conditions included in the June 1 order. National Fuel contends that it urgently needs to commence construction of the Grand Island station in September, in order to have the station in operation by November 1. National Fuel asserts that the new station is necessary to relieve some of the load which currently must be satisfied from gas fed into the eastern end of Line U because Line U operates at its absolute peak capacity on a cold day. Comment date: September 19, 1994, in accordance with Standard Paragraph G at the end of this notice. 4. Distrigas of Massachusetts Corporation [Docket No. CP94-694-000] Take notice that on August 1, 1994, Distrigas of Massachusetts Corporation (DOMAC), 200 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, filed in Docket No. CP94-694-000, an abbreviated application pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, for a certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing DOMAC to install additional air stabilization equipment at DOMAC's liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Everett, Massachusetts. DOMAC also requests, pursuant to Section 157.17 of the Regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission), a temporary certificate authorizing the installation and use, on a temporary basis, of leased air injection equipment, pending the installation and operation of the requested permanent equipment, all as more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. DOMAC states that it anticipates in the near future it will receive additional cargoes of higher Btu LNG that will require air stabilization capability in excess of DOMAC's current installed capacity.3 In addition, DOMAC states that it needs to be able to accept LNG of varying thermal contents at any time of the year, whether supplied through the long-term contracts of SONATRACH, Distrigas Corporation's Algerian supplier, or short-term or spot transactions with other suppliers in the international marketplace. DOMAC states that the new facilities will consist of one integrated unit of two electric driven compressors and will be constructed wholly within DOMAC's existing Everett facility and placed on a concrete pad within a weather enclosure. DOMAC requests approval on an expedited basis so that the permanent facilities can be installed and operational by January 1, 1995. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \3\ A 1990 Operating Agreement requires that DOMAC air stabilize any regasified LNG with a heating value in excess of 1,090 Btus per standard cubic foot prior to delivery to Algonquin Gas Transmission Company (Algonquin). DOMAC's existing equipment is capable of air stabilizing high Btu LNG (up to 1125 Btu per standard cubic foot) into Algonquin at an average throughput of 45,000 MMBtu per day. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOMAC states that it will likely require additional air stabilization capacity for one or more cargoes in the fall of 1994, before a permanent certificate can be issued and the permanent equipment can be installed and become operational. DOMAC proposes to lease and install by September 1, 1994, temporary air stabilization equipment to permit DOMAC to air stabilize regasified LNG before delivering it into the J-System of Algonquin at the high throughput rates expected for that time period. DOMAC states that the leased temporary air stabilization equipment will consist of one integrated unit of two truck-mounted diesel powered compressors. DOMAC requests that a temporary certificate be issued on or before August 20, 1994, to permit DOMAC to install this leased equipment by September 1, 1994, and to operate the leased equipment pending the Commission's determination concerning the permanent authorization and until such time as the new permanent equipment is operational. DOMAC states that the estimated cost of the temporary leased air stabilization facilities will be approximately $295,000, assuming a four-month period of operation, and the cost of the permanent air stabilization facilities will be approximately $1,280,000. DOMAC further states that it will finance the facilities by using funds on hand and it will be fully at risk for the cost of these proposed facilities. DOMAC also states that any financial risk associated with the additional facilities will be borne by DOMAC alone, and not its customers. Comment date: August 14, 1994, in accordance with Standard Paragraph F 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 therefore, 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. Linwood A. Watson, Jr., Acting Secretary. [FR Doc. 94-19608 Filed 8-10-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P