[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 23, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43791-43793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-20919]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP95-682-000, et al.]


Williams Natural Gas Company, et al. Natural Gas Certificate 
Filings

August 16, 1995.
    Take notice that the following filings have been made with the 
Commission:

1. Williams Natural Gas Company

[Docket No. CP95-682-000]

    Take notice that on August 10, 1995, Williams Natural Gas Company 
(Applicant), P.O. Box 3288, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74101, filed in Docket No. 
CP95-682-000, a request pursuant to Section 157.205 of the Regulations 
under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205) for authorization to abandon 
by reclaim approximately 3.5 miles of the Cambridge 16-inch pipeline 
and to construct approximately 3.5 miles of replacement 6-inch pipeline 
located in Cowley County, Kansas, under the authorization issued in 
Docket No. CP82-479-000 pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, 
all as more fully set forth in the request on file with the Commission 
and open to public inspection.
    The portion of 16-inch pipeline to be replaced is of 1917 vintage 
and experienced a blowout. This line has been isolated and will be 
removed in order for the smaller replacement line to be installed in 
the same ditch. The replacement line will be operated at higher 
pressures to offset the larger pipe size that operated at lower 
pressures, thus maintaining the same delivery capability of 134,800 Mcf 
per day.
    The total construction cost is estimated to be $605,440, the 
estimated reclaim cost is $21,440, and the estimated salvage value is 
$31,600.
    Comment date: October 2, 1995, in accordance with Standard 
Paragraph G at the end of this notice.

2. Questar Pipeline Company

[Docket No. CP95-650-000]

    Take notice that on July 31, 1995, Questar Pipeline Company 
(Questar Pipeline), 79 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111, 
filed in Docket No. CP95-650-000 an application pursuant to Section 
7(b) of the Natural Gas Act for permission and approval to abandon 
certain certificated facilities by transfer (spindown) to Questar Gas 
Management Company (QGM), a wholly owned, unregulated subsidiary of 
Questar Pipeline that will be involved in the gathering, treating, 
dehydration, purification, field compression and processing of natural 
gas, and in the operation of various field facilities, all as more 
fully set forth in the application on file with the Commission and open 
to public inspection.
    Questar Pipeline proposes to transfer to QGM all of its gathering 
facilities and services by sale at net book value, effective January 1, 
1996. Questar Pipeline states that the assets to be transferred to QGM 
include: (1) Certificated gathering facilities, including certain 
gathering facilities certificated to perform a limited transmission 
function, (2) a single transmission facility and (3) noncertificated 
gathering facilities. It is stated that the facilities are located in 
the states of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah, and as of May 31, 1995, the 
certificated portion of the facilities had a gross plant investment 
value of $7,366,119.
    Questar Pipeline describes the facilities as follows:
    (1) Certificated Gathering (Moxa Arch) Facilities.
    (a) Lateral Nos. 1127, 1128, 1129 and 1130 (formerly Questar 
Pipeline's jurisdictional Lateral Nos. 35, 34 and 50). It is stated 
that these laterals were found to perform a gathering function by order 
issued May 17, 1994, in Docket Nos. CP93-431-000 and -001, although the 
original certifications remain until proper abandonment is sought.\1\

    \1\ See 68 FERC para.61,103 at p. 61,568 (1994).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (b) Powder Wash Compressor Unit No. 1-A. It is also stated that 
this compressor was found to perform a gathering function by order 
issued July 8, 1994, in Docket No. CP93-706-000, although the original 
certification remains until proper abandonment authority is sought.\2\

    \2\ See 68 FERC para.61,044 at p. 61,145 (1994).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (2) Gathering Facilities Certificated for Limited Transmission 
Function.
    (a) Jurisdictional Tap Line No. 94 (formerly referred to as 
gathering Lateral Nos. 703, 722 and 829) and the Henry's Fork 
Compressor Station, and Metering and Regulating Station.
    (3) Certificated Transmission Facility.
    (a) Emigrant Trail Measuring and Regulating Station. This facility 
is said to comprise 786 feet of 10-inch jumper line, two eight-inch 
meter runs and one three-inch meter run, is located between two 
nonjurisdictional gas processing plants, and was inadvertently omitted 
from Questar Pipeline's Moxa Arch area refunctionalization filing in 
Docket Nos. CP93-431-000 and -001.
    Questar Pipeline states that it will transfer its certificated and 
noncertificated gathering facilities upon receipt of a declaratory 
order requested by QGM, as set forth in QGM's related filing submitted 
in Docket No. CP95-658-000. Upon receipt of the requested 
authorizations, Questar Pipeline explains, QGM will own and operate 
these facilities as part of its nonjurisdictional gathering system. 
Questar Pipeline advises that the parties do not want the requested 
authorization unless the Commission deems the facilities to be 
nonjurisdictional upon transfer to QGM.
    Questar Pipeline further states that QGM will operate the gathering 
facilities it acquires from Questar Pipeline in a nondiscriminatory 
manner and, through the assignment of existing gathering agreements, 
the negotiation of new gathering agreements, or through ``default 
contracts'', will offer existing Questar Pipeline gathering customers 
the opportunity to continue to receive reliable gathering services. 
Questar Pipeline notes that the current gathering agreements contain 
assignment provisions, agreed to by its customers, that permit 
assignment by Questar Pipeline to an affiliate. Because QGM will fully 
honor the terms and conditions of those agreements, Questar Pipeline 
states, no aspect of the service to the customer will be altered. It is 
further stated that the proposed transfer will not adversely affect 
Questar Pipeline's ability to continue to provide jurisdictional open-
access transportation and storage services to its transportation and 
storage customers.
    Questar Pipeline states that approval of its request will permit it 
to divest itself of facilities that do not complement its primary role 
as an open-access transporter of natural gas in a post Order No. 636 
environment.
    Comment date: September 6, 1995, in accordance with Standard 
Paragraph F at the end of this notice. 

[[Page 43792]]


3. Questar Gas Management Company

[Docket No. CP95-658-000]

    Take notice that on August 2, 1995, Questar Gas Management Company 
(QGM), P.O. Box 115030, Salt Lake City, Utah 84147, filed in Docket No. 
CP95-658-000 a petition pursuant to Section 16 of the Natural Gas Act 
(NGA) and Rule 207(a)(2) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and 
Procedure (18 CFR 385.207 (a)(2)), for a declaratory order disclaiming 
Commission jurisdiction over certain facilities and the services 
provided through them, all as more fully set forth in the petition 
which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection.
    QGM seeks a declaratory order from the Commission finding that 
QGM's proposed acquisition, ownership and operation of the gathering 
facilities currently owned by Questar Pipeline Company (Questar 
Pipeline) will not subject QGM or any portion of its facilities or 
services to jurisdiction under the Natural Gas Act (NGA).\3\ QGM states 
that it is a wholly owned, unregulated subsidiary of Questar Pipeline, 
and upon acquisition of the facilities will be involved in the 
gathering, treating, dehydration, purification, field compression and 
processing of natural gas, and in the operation of various field 
facilities. It is stated that the facilities QGM will acquire are 
located in the states of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.

    \3\ QGM states that Questar Pipeline has filed an application in 
Docket No. CP95-650-000 for authorization to abandon the facilities 
to be acquired by QGM.
    QGM states that Questar Pipeline and QGM are undertaking the 
transfer of the gathering facilities, in part, as a response to the 
Commission's current policy not to regulate gathering by pipeline 
affiliates. QGM explains that Questar Pipeline unbundled its gathering 
services prior to the Commission's Order No. 636 that required 
pipelines to unbundle various historical services and that this has 
contributed to increased competition in already highly competitive 
areas in which Questar Pipeline currently provides gathering services. 
Because most of the providers of gathering services in these areas are 
not regulated by the Commission, QGM further explains that it is 
acquiring the Questar Pipeline gathering facilities in order to compete 
for gathering services on a ``level playing field'' with other non-
regulated gatherers.
    It is stated that Questar Pipeline and QGM have entered into an 
agreement for the transfer of assets under which QGM, upon Commission 
approval, will receive all of Questar Pipeline's gathering facilities 
and services at net book value, effective January 1, 1996. QGM 
emphasizes that it will conduct its gathering operations as a separate 
Questar Pipeline subsidiary whose business activities will be distinct 
from Questar Pipeline's interstate pipeline transportation business and 
will operate the subject gathering facilities in a non-discriminatory 
manner and, through the assignment of existing gathering agreements, 
the negotiation of new gathering agreements, or through ``default 
contracts'', will offer existing Questar Pipeline gathering customers 
the opportunity to continue to receive gathering services. 
Consequently, QGM concludes, no aspect of the service to the customer 
will be altered.
    It is explained that the assets to be transferred to QGM include: 
(1) ``certificated gathering'' facilities, including certain gathering 
facilities certificated to perform a limited transmission function, (2) 
a single transmission facility and (3) non-certificated gathering 
facilities and that the gross-plant investment, as of May 31, 1995, of 
the noncertificated gathering, certificated gathering and transmission 
facilities proposed to be transferred to QGM is $83,649,500. QGM states 
that, upon receipt of the requested authorizations and upon completion 
of the transfer (spindown) of Questar Pipeline's gathering facilities, 
QGM will be engaged in the business of operating field facilities and 
gathering, treating, processing, dehydrating, purifying and providing 
field compression of natural gas. These activities, QGM further states, 
will be in competition with, among others, producers, other gatherers 
and intrastate pipeline companies, none of whom are regulated by the 
Commission.
    Comment date: September 6, 1995, in accordance with the first 
paragraph of Standard Paragraph F at the end of this notice.

4. ANR Pipeline Company

[Docket No. CP95-678-000]

    Take notice that on August 9, 1995, ANR Pipeline Company (ANR), 500 
Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan 48243, filed in Docket No. CP95-
678-000 a request pursuant to Sections 157.205 and 157.212 of the 
Commission's Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205, 
157.212) for authorization to construct and operate an interconnection 
under ANR's blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP82-480-000 
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.
    ANR proposes to construct and operate an interconnection between 
ANR and Consumers Power Company. The interconnection will be located in 
Overisel Township, Allegan County, Michigan.
    Comment date: October 2, 1995, in accordance with Standard 
Paragraph G at the end of this notice.

5. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company

[Docket No. CP95-685-000]

    Take notice that on August 14, 1995, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company 
(Tennessee), P.O. Box 2511, Houston, Texas 77252, filed in Docket No. 
CP95-685-000 a request pursuant to Section 157.205 of the Commission's 
Regulations to construct and operate a new delivery point located on 
its system in McKean County, Pennsylvania for deliveries of natural gas 
to an existing end-user customer, Ball Glass Container Corporation 
(Ball Glass) under Tennessee's blanket certificate issued in Docket No. 
CP82-413-000, pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, all as more 
fully set forth in the request on file with the Commission and open to 
public inspection.
    Tennessee proposes to install, own, operate and maintain a 4-inch 
hot tap assembly, approximately sixty feet of 4-inch interconnecting 
pipe and a meter skid assembly on Tennessee's existing right-of-way and 
to install electronic gas measurement equipment on a site provided by 
Ball Glass adjacent to Tennessee's right-of-way located in McKean 
County, Pennsylvania. Tennessee states that the estimated cost to 
install these facilities is $65,000. Tennessee states that the volumes 
to be delivered to Ball Glass after the delivery point is established 
would not exceed the total quantities authorized to be delivered and 
would have no impact on Tennessee's peak day and annual deliveries. 
National states that the addition of the new delivery point is not 
prohibited by Tennessee's existing tariff and Tennessee has sufficient 
capacity to accomplish deliveries at the new delivery point without 
detriment or disadvantage to Tennessee's other customers.
    Comment date: October 2, 1995, in accordance with Standard 
Paragraph G at the end of this notice.

6. Northern Natural Gas Company

[Docket No. CP95-687-000]

    Take notice that on August 14, 1995, Northern Natural Gas Company 
(Northern), 1111 South 103rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68124, filed in 
Docket 

[[Page 43793]]
No. CP95-687-000 an application pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural 
Gas Act for permission and approval to abandon, by sale to Conoco Inc. 
(Conoco), certain compressor and pipeline facilities, with 
appurtenances, in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, referred to as the 
Sagebrush facilities, and certain services rendered thereby, all as 
more fully set forth in the application on file with the Commission and 
open to public inspection.
    Northern states that the Sagebrush facilities consist of its Rio 
Blanco compressor station and 200 feet of 10-inch downstream pipeline 
connecting to Questar Pipeline Company. Northern also states that 
Conoco owns the majority of the production attached to the Sagebrush 
facilities.
    Northern explains that the Sagebrush facilities were initially 
acquired as gas supply facilities in order to connect new gas supplies 
required for its merchant sales obligation; however, as a result of 
industry restructuring under Order No. 636, Northern's role in the 
marketplace has changed from a merchant of natural gas to a transporter 
of natural gas and the responsibility for obtaining gas supply has 
shifted from Northern to its customers. Consequently, Northern states 
that the Sagebrush facilities are non-contiguous to Northern's 
traditional transmission pipeline system and are therefore no longer 
needed by Northern. Northern states that the Sagebrush facilities, if 
owned and operated by Conoco, will enhance the use of Conoco's other 
assets and services in the Rocky Mountain area.
    Comment date: September 6, 1995, in accordance with Standard 
Paragraph F at the end of this notice.

7. Conoco Inc.

[Docket No. CP95-689-000]

    Take notice that on August 15, 1995, Conoco Inc. (Conoco), 600 
North Dairy Ashford, Houston, Texas 77079, filed in Docket No. CP95-
689-000 a petition for an order declaring that the Sagebrush facilities 
located in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, to be acquired from Northern 
Natural Gas Company (Northern), are gathering, all as more fully set 
forth in the petition which is on file with the Commission and open to 
public inspection.
    Conoco states that the Sagebrush facilities are located in the 
vicinity of Conoco's production and gathering operations and Conoco 
owns most of the production attached to the Sagebrush facilities. 
Conoco states that it has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with 
Northern to acquire these assets for $125,000. Conoco further states 
that the Sagebrush facilities consist of a 137 horsepower compressor 
and 200 feet of 10-inch pipeline which connects to Questar Pipeline 
Company's mainline facilities.
    Comment date: September 6, 1995, in accordance with the first 
paragraph of 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 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. 95-20919 Filed 8-22-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P