[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 36 (Thursday, February 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6827-6829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-3960]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[CP96-171-000, et al.]

ANR Pipeline Corporation, et al.; Natural Gas Certificate Filings

February 14, 1996.
    Take notice that the following filings have been made with the 
Commission:

1. ANR Pipeline Corporation

[Docket No. CP96-171-000]

    Take notice that on February 6, 1996, ANR Pipeline Corporation 
(ANR), 500 Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan 48243, filed in Docket 
No. CP96-171-000 an application pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural 
Gas Act, as amended, and Sections 157.7 and 157.18 of the Commission's 
Regulations thereunder, for permission and approval to abandon certain 
natural gas transportation services for Texas Gas Transmission 
Corporation (Texas Gas), all as more fully set forth in the application 
which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection.
    ANR states that by orders issued in Docket Nos. CP69-249, CP73-65 
and CP86-157, it was authorized, pursuant to transportation agreements 
designated as Rate Schedules X-11, X-33 and X-156 respectively, to 
transport natural gas for Texas Gas from various offshore Louisiana 
receipt points and redeliver the gas at a delivery point near Calumet, 
St. Mary's Parish, Louisiana.
    ANR states that by letter dated August 8, 1995, Texas Gas requested 
that the termination of the three firm gas transportation services be 
made effective February 29, 1996. 

[[Page 6828]]

    ANR further states that no facilities are proposed to be abandoned.
    Comment date: March 6, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
F at the end of this notice.

2. ANR Pipeline Company

[Docket No. CP96-172-000]

    Take notice that on February 8, 1996, ANR Pipeline Company (ANR), 
500 Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan 48243 filed an application 
pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the 
Commission's Regulations requesting permission and approval to abandon 
three certificated transportation services on behalf of Texas Gas 
Transmission Corporation (Texas Gas), ANR's Rate Schedules X-11, X-33 
and X-156, Original Volume No. 2 of ANR's FERC Gas Tariff. The 
application is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection.
    ANR proposes to abandon the above services authorized in Docket 
Nos. CP69-249, CP73-65 and CP86-157-000.\1\ ANR states that it was 
authorized to transport natural gas for Texas Gas from various offshore 
Louisiana receipt points and to redeliver the gas near Calumet, St. 
Mary's Parish, Louisiana.

    \1\ See, 41 FPC 828 (1969), 49 FPC 2 (1973) and 35 FERC para. 
62,339 (1986), respectively.
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    ANR states that the firm transportation service for Rate Schedules 
X-33 and X-156 is to continue through the date of termination of 
service under ANR's Rate Schedule No. X-11. Article I of Rate Schedule 
X-11 provides for an initial service term of twenty years from first 
delivery and from year to year thereafter unless canceled by either 
party with at least six (6) months written notice, which may be made 
effective at the end of the initial twenty years or any year 
thereafter. By a letter dated August 8, 1995, Texas Gas has exercised 
its right to terminate the agreements and has requested a termination 
date of February 29, 1996.
    ANR states that no facilities are proposed to be abandoned. ANR 
also states that its facilities will continue to be available for 
service on an open-access basis pursuant to Part 284 of the 
Commission's regulations.
    Comment date: March 6, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
F at the end of this notice.

3. Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation

[Docket No. CP96-174-000]

    Take notice that on February 7, 1996, Texas Eastern Transmission 
Corporation (Texas Eastern), 5400 Westheimer Court, Houston, Texas 
77056-5310, filed in Docket No. CP96-174-000 a request pursuant to 
Sections 157.205 and 157.211 of the Commission's Regulations under the 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205 and 157.211) for authorization to 
construct and install a delivery point on its existing 30-inch Line 
Nos. 10 and 15 in Rutherford County, Tennessee, in order to make 
interruptible deliveries to the Town of Smyrna (Smyrna), a public 
utility in the state of Tennessee, for its system supply. Texas Eastern 
will install the proposed facilities for an estimated cost of $63,000 
under its blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP82-535-000, 
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.
    To provide the proposed service to Smyrna, Texas Eastern will 
construct, install, own, operate, and maintain a 2-inch tap valve and a 
2-inch check valve, on each of its Line No. 10, at Mile Post 271.26 and 
on its Line No. 15 at Mile Post 271.369. Smyrna will reimburse Texas 
Eastern for 100% of the costs and expenses associated with the 
installation of the proposed delivery taps. Additionally, Texas Eastern 
states that Smyrna will install, or cause to be installed, dual 2-inch 
turbine meters, approximately 45 feet of 2-inch pipeline, and the 
electronic gas measurement equipment (EGM). Texas Eastern claims that 
while Smyrna will own, operate, and maintain the dual turbine meters 
and connecting pipe, Texas Eastern states that it will own and operate 
the EGM. Texas Eastern proposes to deliver up to 5 MMcf/d under its 
Interruptible Transportation Service Rate Schedule. Texas Eastern 
asserts that the proposed service will be provided by utilizing 
existing capacity on the system, therefore, it will have no effect on 
its peak day or annual deliveries. Additionally, Texas Eastern claims 
that the proposed service will be accomplished without detriment or 
disadvantage to its other customers.
    Comment date: April 1, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
G at the end of this notice.

4. Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C.

[Docket No. CP96-178-0000]

    Take notice that on February 8, 1996, Maritimes & Northeast 
Pipeline, L.L.C. (Maritimes & Northeast), filed in Docket No. CP96-178-
000 an application pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act 
(NGA). Maritimes & Northeast seeks authority necessary to construct, 
install, own, operate and maintain about 64.1 miles of new natural gas 
pipeline and ancillary facilities extending from Massachusetts to 
Maine. Maritimes & Northeast also seeks a Part 284, Subpart G blanket 
certificate for the transportation of natural gas for others; a Part 
157, Subpart F blanket certificate for certain construction and 
operation of facilities and other minor activities under Section 7 of 
the NGA; and, approval of its initial rates and pro forma tariff 
provisions. Maritimes & Northeast's proposal is more fully set forth in 
the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection.
    Maritimes & Northeast is a limited liability company organized and 
existing under the laws of the State of Delaware. Maritimes & 
Northeast's members are M & N Management Company, a wholly-owned 
subsidiary of Panhandle Eastern Corporation; Westcoast Energy (U.S.) 
Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westcoast Energy Inc.; Mobil 
Midstream Natural Gas Investments Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of 
Mobil Oil Corporation and SableEast Corporation, a wholly-owned 
subsidiary of Eastern Enterprises, which is the parent of Boston Gas 
Company.
    The proposed facilities are the ``prebuild-Phase I'' of the 
southern portion of the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline Project--a 
natural gas transportation facility for the Sable Offshore Energy 
Project (Sable Project). The Sable Project is sponsored by a consortium 
of United States and Canadian energy companies and is currently in the 
pre-development stages. The Sable Project is scheduled to make offshore 
natural gas supplies available to Eastern Canada and the Northeastern 
United States in 1999. Under Maritime & Northeast's Phase I proposal, 
it is claimed that timely and cost competitive open access 
transportation service will be made available to the New Hampshire and 
southern Maine markets in 1997.
    Maritimes & Northeast says that its proposal will provide an 
additional benefit of positioning these markets to access the Sable 
Project's supply in 1999. Maritimes & Northeast further states that the 
proposed Phase I facilities and services are not dependent upon the 
construction of facilities to connect the Sable Project's supplies. 
Maritimes & Northeast requests that the Commission issue a Preliminary 
Determination for the non-environmental issues and that a final 
certificate be issued by April 1, 1997.
    The new pipeline would extend from a proposed point of 
interconnection with the existing facilities of Tennessee Gas Pipeline 
Company near Dracut, 

[[Page 6829]]
Middlesex County, Massachusetts to a proposed point of interconnection 
with the existing facilities of Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc. 
near Wells, York County, Maine. The new pipeline will be 24-inches in 
diameter and have a capacity of 60,000 MMBtu per day. The estimated 
cost of the new pipeline is $82 million, and the facilities are 
proposed to be in-service by November 1, 1997.
    Maritimes & Northeast says that it will have the ability to 
redeliver 60,000 MMBtu per day of domestic natural gas from the North 
American pipeline grid and will provide several significant and 
operational benefits to the Maritimes & Northeast shippers and 
Northeast markets. Maritimes & Northeast has signed two firm 
transportation precedent agreements with two affiliates, both dated 
January 31, 1996. One is with PanEnergy Gas Services, Inc. for 40,000 
MMBtu per day for a term of 20 years, and the other is with Mobil 
Natural Gas, Inc. for 20,000 MMBtu per day, also for 20 years.
    Maritimes & Northeast says that the rates proposed to recover the 
cost of the project are cost-based straight fixed variable rates, 
levelized over the first seven years in order to reflect market 
requirements. The rates are designed to recover the costs of the 
facilities proposed herein over the life of those facilities. Maritimes 
& Northeast says that market conditions in the area to be served by 
Phase I require a levelized rate in the first seven years of operation 
so that shippers may effectively compete on a delivered cost basis in 
peak period consumer markets in Maine. Maritimes & Northeast proposes 
to record four percent annual depreciation for accounting purposes. The 
difference between the levelized and straight line methods would be 
recorded in a regulatory asset account.
    Maritimes & Northeast also requests approval of its pro forma 
tariff governing the terms and conditions of the transportation 
services it proposes. Maritimes & Northeast proposes to offer four 
different types of firm transportation service and interruptible 
transportation service. Maritimes & Northeast says that it has 
conformed this pro forma tariff to the applicable requirements of the 
Commission's Order No. 636.
    Comment date: March 6, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
F at the end of this notice.

5. Northwest Pipeline Corporation

[Docket No. CP96-182-000]

    Take notice that on February 9, 1996, Northwest Pipeline 
Corporation (Northwest), 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84158, 
filed in Docket No. CP96-182-000 a request pursuant to Sections 157.205 
and 157.216(b) of the Commission's Regulations under the Natural Gas 
Act (18 CFR 157.205 and 157.216(b)) for authorization to abandon by 
removal its Chemical Lime Meter Station (Chemical Lime M.S.), located 
in Baker County, Oregon, under the blanket certificate issued in Docket 
No. CP82-433-000, pursuant to Section 7(b) 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.
    Northwest states that Chemical Lime M.S. was constructed to deliver 
gas to Cascade Natural Gas Corporation (Cascade) for service to a 
single end-user, the Chemical Lime Company. Northwest claims that 
Chemical Lime M.S. consisted of a tap, meter and regulating equipment 
located on Northwest's 22-inch mainline. Additionally, Northwest 
asserts that no deliveries have been made to the Chemical Lime delivery 
point since the Chemical Lime plant ceased operations in 1983. 
Northwest notes that it disconnected the Chemical Lime M.S. effective 
July 11, 1990, because the facilities were obsolete and there did not 
appear to be a future use for them.
    Northwest states that it currently has no contractual obligation to 
provide service to the Chemical Lime delivery point, and by a letter 
dated May 1, 1995, Cascade stated that it had no objections to the 
abandonment by removal of the Chemical Lime M.S. Northwest claims that 
the Chemical Lime M.S. has been dismantled from the site and that the 
removal was completed January 12, 1995. Northwest asserts that due to 
an administrative oversight, it did not request or receive approval 
prior to abandoning this meter station. Northwest notes that the actual 
cost of removing this meter station was $9,742.
    Comment date: April 1, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
G at the end of this notice.

Standard Paragraphs

    F. Any person desiring to be heard or make any protest with 
reference to said filing should on or before the comment date file with 
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 825 North Capitol Street, 
N.E., 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 385.211 and 385.214) 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 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 filing 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 is 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 the applicant to appear or be represented at 
the hearing.
    G. Any person or the Commission's staff may, within 45 days after 
the 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.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-3960 Filed 2-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P