[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 13, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10339-10341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5952]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket Nos. CP96-212-000, et al.]


Colorado Interstate Gas Company, et al., Natural Gas Certificate 
Filings

March 6, 1996.
    Take notice that the following filings have been made with the 
Commission:

1. Colorado Interstate Gas Company

[Docket No. CP96-212-000]

    Take notice that on February 26, 1996, Colorado Interstate Gas 
Company (CIG), Post Office Box 1087, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80944, 
filed in Docket No. CP96-212-000 a request pursuant to Section 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 operate in interstate 
commerce certain facilities previously constructed or operated to 
effectuate transportation services pursuant to Section 311 of the 
Natural Gas Policy Act (NGPA), and to construct and operate a new 
delivery facility. CIG makes such request, under its blanket 
certificate issued in Docket No. CP83-21-000 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.
    Specifically, CIG indicates that it has constructed the following 
facilities for the purpose of Section 311 transportation:

Cattle Guard Delivery Facility in Sherman County, Texas
Gooseberry Creek Delivery Facility in Washakie County, Wyoming
Dudley Bluffs Delivery Facility in Rio Blanco County, Colorado
Wilburton Delivery Facility in Morton County, Kansas

    CIG seeks certificate authorization to construct and operate the 
Town of Burlington, Wyoming Delivery Facility which is proposed to be 
installed in Big Horn County, Wyoming.
    By its request, CIG seeks authority to operate these facilities 
pursuant to the blanket certificate provision of Section 7(c) of the 
NGA so that any transportation shipper, without regard to Section 311 
of the NGPA, may receive service when capacity on these facilities is 
available.
    CIG indicates that the operational constraints under Section 311, 
have made it difficult for CIG to compete and be market responsive, 
because Section 311 does not provide the operational flexibility 
provided under Section 7.
    CIG states that it believes that it would experience no significant 
impact on its peak day or annual requirements resulting from the 
operation of the subject facilities in interstate commerce, and that 
operation other than strictly for Section 311 purposes can be performed 
without detriment or disadvantage to CIG's other existing customers.
    Comment date: April 22, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
G at the end of this notice.

2. Columbia Gas Transmission Corp.

[Docket No. CP96-213-000]

    Take notice that Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation (Columbia), 
a Delaware corporation, having its

[[Page 10340]]
principal place of business at 1700 MacCorkle Avenue, S.E., Charleston, 
West Virginia 25314-1599, filed on February 28, 1996, an abbreviated 
application pursuant to Sections 7(b) and 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, 
as amended, for a certificate of public convenience and necessity 
authorizing: (i) an increase in the performance capabilities of certain 
existing storage fields; (ii) the construction and operation, 
upgrading, and replacement of certain natural gas facilities; (iii) the 
abandonment of certain natural gas facilities and certain base storage 
gas; and (iv) such other authorizations and/or waivers as may be deemed 
necessary to implement Columbia's Market Expansion Project (Project), 
all as more fully set forth in the application on file with the 
Commission and open to public inspection.
    Columbia proposes to make certain improvements at a total estimated 
cost of approximately $350 million (in current year dollars) to expand 
the capacity of its pipeline and storage systems in order to serve 
customers' requests for new or increased firm services. Columbia 
requests that it be granted rolled-in rate treatment for the Project's 
costs.
    In total, Columbia will provide 506,795 dekatherms per day (dth/d) 
of additional daily firm entitlements, comprised of 417,931 dth/d of 
Firm Storage Service (FSS) and Storage Service Transportation (SST); 
88,864 dth/d of Firm Transportation Service (FTS); and 24,197,764 dth 
of additional FSS Storage Contract Quantity (SCQ), to be phased in over 
a three-year period beginning in 1997.
    Columbia proposes construction in its storage and transmission 
systems. The proposed storage system work includes increasing the 
performance capabilities of 14 existing storage fields by constructing 
and operating certain new facilities and replacing certain facilities 
in order to increase seasonal turnover of approximately 18,500 MMcf and 
additional maximum deliverability of approximately 370 MMcf/d. This 
work also includes increasing the maximum capacity of Columbia's 
Crawford Storage Field by approximately 10,200 MMcf. Columbia also 
proposes to confirm the storage boundaries for certain of its storage 
fields. Columbia's proposed transmission work includes construction of 
approximately 88 miles of new pipeline, replacement of approximately 
8.5 miles of existing pipeline and increasing the maximum Allowable 
Operating Pressure of approximately 282 miles of pipeline.
    Further, Columbia proposes to construct, relocate (abandon and re-
install) and uprate approximately 35,750 total horsepower at 14 
existing transmission compressor stations; approximately 18,500 total 
horsepower at two new transmission compressor stations; and increase 
certificated horsepower levels of nine existing units at six 
transmission stations by a total of 5,579 horsepower. In addition, 
Columbia proposes to modify, upgrade, or construct 14 measuring and 
appurtenant facilities which relate to increases in Maximum Daily 
Delivery Obligations and new points of delivery associated with 
Columbia's firm service increases.
    The Commission's Staff will defer processing Columbia's proposal 
pending the submission of complete environmental information which is 
necessary to evaluate its application.
    Comment date: March 27, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
F at the end of this notice.

3. Transwestern Pipeline Company

[Docket No. CP96-214-000]

    Take notice that, on February 27, 1996, Transwestern Pipeline 
Company (Transwestern), 1400 Smith Street, Houston, Texas 77002, filed 
an abbreviated application in Docket No. CP96-214-000, pursuant to 
Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's 
regulations, for authorization to abandon, by sale to West Texas Gas, 
Inc. (WTG), 59 farm tap facilities located in Texas and New Mexico, 
along with the related service Transwestern renders through those 
facilities, all as more fully set forth in the application, which is on 
file with the Commission and open to public inspection.
    Transwestern states that the farm tap facilities it seeks to 
abandon, by sale to WTG, are currently jurisdictional. The subject 
facilities are located downstream of Transwestern's first above-ground 
valve, and consist of the pipe, measuring instruments, regulating 
equipment, relief devices, valves, fittings, fence and other equipment 
appurtenant to each farm tap. Transwestern states that it will retain 
the facilities upstream of each first above-ground valve, including the 
valve and associated riser.
    Transwestern further states that: (1) WTG already provides service 
to customers at 24 of the subject farm taps under an interruptible 
transportation agreement with Transwestern; (2) another 20 of the 
subject farm tap facilities are being served under agreement with 
Transwestern (under Transwestern's Rate Schedule FTS-2); and (3) 
Transwestern's records list the remaining 15 farm tap facilities as 
``inactive'' or ``no flows.''
    According to Transwestern, after it abandons and WTG acquires the 
subject facilities, WTG will operate them as part of its local 
distribution activities, subject to the jurisdiction of the applicable 
state regulatory authority. Transwestern asserts that the public 
convenience and necessity requires the approval of the proposed 
abandonment, by sale to WTG, because: (1) Transwestern no longer has a 
merchant function; (2) entities such as WTG have assumed the merchant 
role and now engage in the sale and distribution of gas to former 
Transwestern customers; (3) the subject facilities will remain in place 
after the proposed change in ownership and will continue to be operated 
by WTG, since WTG has no plans to abandon service through these 
facilities; and (4) the proposed change in ownership will enable 
Transwestern to operate its own system more efficiently and 
effectively.
    Comment date: March 27, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
F at the end of this notice.

4. Northern Natural Gas Company

[Docket No. CP96-215-000]

    Take notice that on February 28, 1996, Northern Natural Gas Company 
(Northern) filed an application pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural 
Gas Act and Sections 157.7 and 157.18 of the Commission's Regulations, 
for approval to abandon, by sale to West Texas Gas, Inc. (WGT), certain 
pipeline facilities with appurtenances, in Irion and Reagan Counties, 
Texas, and services rendered thereby. Northern also requests permission 
and approval to abandon, by sale to WGT, certain small volume measuring 
stations, with appurtenances, located in various counties in Texas, all 
as more fully set forth in this request which is on file with the 
Commission and open to public inspection.
    Comment date: March 27, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
F at the end of this notice.

5. CNG Transmission Corporation

[Docket No. CP96-222-000]

    Take notice that on February 29, 1996, CNG Transmission Corporation 
(CNGT), 445 West Main Street, Clarksburg, West Virginia 26301, filed in 
Docket No. CP96-222-000 an application pursuant to Section 7(c) of the 
Natural Gas Act to increase the horsepower at CNGT's Finnefrock 
Compressor Station (Unit #4) in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, all as 
more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the 
Commission and open to public inspection.

[[Page 10341]]

    CNGT requests authorization to increase the certificated operating 
horsepower of its Unit #4 at Finnefrock Compressor Station from 3,400 
to 4,000 horsepower. CNGT states that it will not be necessary to 
modify any facilities as a result of the upgrade.
    Comment date: March 27, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
F 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, 888 First 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. 96-5952 Filed 3-12-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M