[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 45 (Monday, March 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11429-11430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5961]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. GP98-18-000]


Anadarko Petroleum Corporation; Notice of Offer of Settlement and 
Call for the Protection of Rights Pending Adjudication or Settlement

March 3, 1998.
    Take notice that on February 24, 1998, Anadarko Petroleum 
Corporation (Anadarko), alleging compliance with the Commission's 
January 28, 1998 Order Clarifying Procedures (82 FERC para. 61,059), 
filed an offer of settlement with the Commission, and called for the 
protection of its rights pending adjudication or settlement, with 
respect to Anadarko's Kansas ad valorem tax refund obligation to 
Williams Gas Pipelines Central, Inc., formerly: Williams Natural Gas 
Company (Williams), identified in the Statement of Refunds Due filed by 
Williams in Docket No. RP98-52-000. Anadarko's pleading is on file with 
the Commission and, except for Anadarko's confidential offer of 
settlement, is open to public inspection.
    Anadarko contends that the Commission has established a procedure 
to follow, under 18 CFR 385.602 of the Commission's regulations, when 
informal settlement or reconciliation efforts fail, and that it has 
complied with the requisites of that Section. Anadarko suggests that a 
Settlement Judge be appointed, that Anadarko's refund obligation to 
Williams be held in abeyance and that

[[Page 11430]]

interest be tolled, on the basis that Anadarko has a constitutional and 
statutory right to a hearing before it may be deprived of property, 
i.e., the 1983-1988 Kansas ad valorem tax reimbursement dollars that 
Anadarko previously collected from Williams. Anadarko further alleges 
that it made a settlement offer to Williams, and that Williams rejected 
that offer.
    Anadarko also requests a full and fair hearing, and claims that 
there are contested issues of material fact (measurable in dollars) on 
which Williams and Anadarko disagree. Anadarko further argues that 
these issues must be adjudicated. Anadarko's alleged issues of material 
fact include:
    (1) The amount of dollars of revenue Anadarko collected for the 
sale of its gas in each relevant time period;
    (2) How much (if any) of the dollars Anadarko collected were in 
excess of the maximum lawful price (MLP) in each relevant time period;
    (3) How much (if any) of the excess dollars collected by Anadarko 
were actually paid by customers of interstate pipeline through the 
pipeline's PGA process, i.e., how much were the pipeline's customers 
overcharged; and
    (4) Assuming that part of the refund amount is interest, then when 
did the interstate pipeline customers begin paying a fraction of the 
amounts determined to be in excess of the MLP, which Anadarko contends 
will govern the amount of interest owned.
    Anadarko's pleading includes its claim that it has complied with 
the Commission's orders requiring a statement of its basic principles 
for rejecting William's refund claim, and Anadarko's privledged and 
confidential offer of settlement to Williams (Anadarko's Attachment A). 
Anadarko also provides its own assessment as to how to compute the 
correct refund amount.
    The procedural rules governing settlements are set forth in Section 
385.602 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure. Under 
Section 385.602(f), any person wishing to make comments with respect to 
an offer of settlement must be do so not later than 20 days after the 
date the settlement offer was filed. Reply comments must be filed not 
later than 30 days after the date the settlement offer was filed. 
Accordingly, any person desiring to file comments with respect to 
Anadarko's offer of settlement should file with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426, 
by March 16, 1998, in accordance with the requirements of the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure [18 CFR 385.602(f)].
David P. Boergers,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-5961 Filed 3-6-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M