[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 5, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8607-8608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5075]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP96-207-000]


Williams Gas Processing--Gulf Coast Company, L.P.; Notice of 
Petition for Declaratory Order

February 28, 1996.
    Take Notice that on February 21, 1996, Williams Gas Processing--
Gulf Coast Company, L.P. (WGP), P.O. Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251, 
filed a petition for declaratory order in Docket No. CP96-207-000, 
requesting that the Commission declare that WGP's proposed acquisition, 
ownership, and operation of certain onshore and offshore natural gas 
gathering systems and other facilities currently owned by 
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation (Transco) would not subject 
WGP or any potion of its facilities, rates, or services to the 
jurisdiction of the Commission under the Natural Gas Act (NGA), all as 
more fully set forth in the petition which is on file with the 
Commission and open to public inspection.
    WGP seeks a declaratory order finding that:
     The facilities described in its petition that WGP wishes 
to acquire from Panhandle will be gathering facilities exempt from the 
Commission's jurisdiction pursuant to Section 1(b) of the Natural Gas 
Act;
     WGP will not be a ``natural gas company'' pursuant to 
Section 2 of the Natural Gas Act by virtue of its proposed acquisition, 
ownership, and operation of such facilities;
     The gathering services to be performed by WGP will be non-
jurisdictional gathering services exempt from the Commission's 
jurisdiction under Section 1(b) of the Natural Gas Act; and
     WGP's rates, and charges for gathering services will not 
be subject to the Commission's jurisdiction pursuant to Sections 4 and 
5 of the Natural Gas Act.
    WGP states that it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Williams 
Companies, Inc. (Williams). WGP is organized as a separate, stand-alone 
company independent of the interstate pipeline affiliates and that the 
focus of its business is providing competitive unbundled gathering 
services.
    WGP indicates that it would acquire facilities directly from 
Transco 

[[Page 8608]]
including gathering systems in onshore Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, 
Oklahoma, and Mississippi, and in the adjacent offshore state waters 
and adjacent Outer Continental Shelf. Specifically, WGP would acquire 
two onshore systems, five offshore systems, and other miscellaneous 
onshore and offshore stub facilities. The onshore systems are The 
Tilden/McMullen Gathering System, which includes facilities in Frio, La 
Salle, McMullen, Atascosa, Live Oak, Bee, San Patricio, Goliad, 
Victoria, De Witt, Jackson, and Wharton Counties, Texas and the Kings 
Ranch Plant Gas Gathering System, which includes facilities in Hidalgo, 
Starr, Willacy, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, and Kleberg Counties, Texas. 
The offshore systems are the North Padre Island Gathering System, the 
Central Texas Gathering System, and the North High Island/West Cameron 
Gathering System in offshore Texas and the Central Louisiana and 
Southeast Louisiana Gathering Systems in offshore Louisiana. In 
addition, WGP will acquire certain miscellaneous offshore and onshore 
facilities, most of which are non-contiguous to Transco's system and 
connect instead with third-party pipelines. WGP notes that Transco has 
filed a related application in Docket No. CP96-206-000 requesting 
authority pursuant to Section 7(b) to abandon such facilities.
    WGP states that it has initiated discussions and negotiations for 
post-abandonment gathering agreements with many of Transco's existing 
shippers and intends to negotiate with all existing customers. In the 
event WGP is unable to finalize negotiated agreements with all existing 
shippers, WGP asserts that it will ensure continuity of service for 
existing shippers in the manner required by the Commission.
    It is argued that the facilities to be acquired by WGP meet the 
physical and non-physical criteria for determining gathering as set 
forth in Farmland Industries, Inc., 23 FERC para. 61,063 (1983), as 
modified by subsequent Commission orders. WGP further argues that the 
offshore facilities it will acquire qualify as gathering in accordance 
with the ``modified primary function test'' as set forth in Amerada 
Hess Corp. et al., 52 FERC para. 61,268 (1990).
    Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with 
reference to said petition should on or before March 20, 1996, 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). 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.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-5075 Filed 3-4-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M