[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 164 (Thursday, August 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 44028]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-20981]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP95-683-000]


Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation and Florida Gas 
Transmission Company; Notice of Application

August 18, 1995.
    Take notice that on August 10, 1995, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line 
Corporation (Transco), P.O. Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251, and Florida 
Gas Transmission Company (Florida) (Transco and Florida are referred to 
jointly as Applicants), 1400 Smith Street, P.O. Box 1188, Houston, 
Texas 77251-1188, filed in Docket No. CP95-683-000 an application 
pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act for permission and 
approval to abandon a jointly owned meter facility,\1\ all as more 
fully set forth in the application on file with the Commission and open 
to public inspection.

    \1\ It is stated that the meter facility was originally 
constructed by Transco as part of the Mobile Bay Lateral pursuant to 
Section 311 of the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1987 and Section 
284.3(c) of the Commission's regulations. Further, by order issued 
October 20, 1992, in Docket No. CP92-405-000 (61 FERC para. 61,073 
(1992)), the Commission granted Transco certificate authority under 
Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act to operate the Mobile Bay 
Lateral; and Florida acquired its ownership interest in the facility 
pursuant to the authorizations granted in Docket Nos. CP92-182, et 
al. See 62 FERC para. 61,024 (1993); 63 FERC para. 61,093 (1993); 
and 66 FERC para. 61,160 (1994).
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    Applicants propose to abandon a certain meter facility by sale to 
Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc. (MOEPSI). It is stated 
that the meter facility is located at the interconnection between 
MOEPSI's gas treatment facility and Applicants' jointly owned Mobile 
Bay Lateral (also referred to sometimes as the Onshore Mobile Bay 
Pipeline) near Coden in Mobile County, Alabama.
    Applicants state that the public interest would be served by the 
requested abandonment because the abandonment would result in the most 
economically efficient utilization of the meter facility. Specifically, 
Applicants state that the meter facility is currently classified for 
rate purposes on Transco's system as a gathering facility, and, 
therefore, shippers moving gas through Transco's capacity in the meter 
facility must pay Transco's separately stated gathering charge under 
its transportation rate schedules. (Florida does not have a separately 
stated gathering charge for services rendered through the meter 
facility.) Applicants understand that after the transfer of ownership 
of the meter facility to MOEPSI, the meter facility would be considered 
as part of MOEPSI's gas treatment plant operations and MOEPSI would 
absorb the cost of the meter facility into its current infrastructure 
charges for the plant. As a result, it is stated, Transco's shippers no 
longer would incur Transco's separately stated gathering charge for 
transportation service from the plant, and, because the cost of the 
meter facility would be absorbed into the plant charges, the producers 
would not incur any separate charge for MOEPSI's measurement of the gas 
at the meter facility.
    Applicants state that the purchase price to be paid by MOEPSI for 
the meter facility would be the net book value of the meter facility as 
of the closing of the purchase and sale.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with 
reference to said application should on or before September 8, 1995, 
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 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 Transco or Florida to appear or be 
represented at the hearing.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 95-20981 Filed 8-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M