[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 50 (Monday, March 16, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 12791-12792] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-6717] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. CP98-250-000] Puget Sound Energy, Inc.; Notice of Application March 5, 1998. Take notice that on February 25, 1998, Puget Sound Energy, Inc. (Puget Sound), 411--108th Avenue, NE., Bellevue, WA 98004-5515, as Project Operator of the Jackson Prairie Storage Project, filed an application pursuant to Sections 7 (b) and (c) of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's Regulations requesting authorization for operational changes and construction of new facilities necessary to increase the maximum working gas capacity of the Jackson Prairie Storage Project in Lewis County, Washington, from 15.1 to 18.3 Bcf, to increase the maximum firm withdrawal deliverability from 550 to 850 MMcf per day and to increase the best-efforts deliverability from 71.8 to 150 MMcf per day in time for the 1999/2000 heating season. Puget Sound also requests any amended certificate authorization and new blanket certificate authorization necessary to implement various operational and administrative changes in conformance with an updated and amended Gas Storage Project Agreement, as well as permission and approval to abandon certain facilities, all as more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. To increase the capacity and deliverability of the Storage Project, Puget Sound proposes to:operate the Zone 9 Reservoir, including all existing wells and appurtenant facilities previously installed for testing of that reservoir, to provide up to 5.0 Bcf of storage gas capacity for cushion and working gas; decrease the overall cushion gas of the Storage Project from 19.2 to 19.0 Bcf, by increasing the certificated Zone 9 Reservoir cushion gas capacity from 2.0 to 4.0 Bcf and converting 2.2 Bcf of the existing 17.2 Bcf of Zone 2 Reservoir cushion gas capacity to working gas capacity; transfer up to 1.0 Bcf of working gas (instead of the currently authorized transfer of up to 0.5 Bcf of cushion gas) between the Zone 9 and Zone 2 Reservoirs as necessary to maximize withdrawal deliverability from the Storage Project; modify the current firm withdrawal deliverability formula to reflect that the maximum deliverability of the Storage Project will decline by two percent (instead of the current 1.3 percent) for each one percent that the working gas inventory falls below 60 percent of the maximum working gas capacity of the Storage Project, until reaching a minimum firm withdrawal rate of 85 MMcf per day; construct up to eight additional withdrawal wells with appurtenant pipeline facilities in the Zone 2 Reservoir; install a new Solar Taurus compressor with 6,960 horsepower (hp) adjacent to existing Storage Project facilities; construct 1.8 miles of 24-inch pipeline to loop the existing [[Page 12792]] transmission lines between the Storage Project compression facilities and the meter station at the Storage Project delivery point to Northwest Pipeline Corporation's (Northwest) transmission system; upgrade the existing meter station at the Storage Project delivery point by replacing four turbine meter modules with high- capacity meter modules and replacing the existing filter separator with new filter-separation equipment and replacing the existing 12-inch tap valve on Northwest's 26-inch mainline with a 24-inch tap valve; and replace and upgrade the existing dehydration units and make miscellaneous station piping modifications to integrate existing and proposed compression and dehydration facilities. Puget Sound also requests abandonment authorization for the facilities being replaced by upgraded facilities. These facilities are: the meter modules, filter-separator and tap valve at the Jackson Prairie Meter Station and the dehydration contactors, regeneration skids and appurtenances at the Jackson Prairie compressor/dehydrator complex. Puget Sound states that the estimated total cost for the proposed expansion of the Storage Project is approximately $30.2 million, including the cost of existing facilities and cushion gas previously authorized and utilized for testing of the Zone 9 Reservoir. It is stated that the costs will be shared equally among the three owners in the Storage Project--Puget Sound, Northwest, and the Washington Water Power Company (Water Power). Puget Sound states that each of the three owners is entitled to one-third of the proposed expanded capabilities of the Storage Project. It is stated that the rights of each owner to utilize the Storage Project are specified in an updated Gas Storage Project Agreement, as amended. Further, it is proposed that Puget Sound and Water Power have the right to utilize their respective shares of the Storage Project directly, instead of indirectly via storage service agreements with Northwest as is now the case. Accordingly, in a companion application, Northwest will seek approval to abandon certain existing storage services it provides for Puget Sound and Water Power. It is stated that Puget Sound and Water Power each intend to utilize its share of the increased Storage Project capacity and deliverability in its local distribution operations to help satisfy growing service requirements in its market area. Puget Sound states that Northwest, in its companion application, intends to utilize its share of the increased storage capacity and deliverability for its system balancing requirements and will commensurately reduce its existing contract storage from Questar Pipeline Corporation's Basin Storage Project. Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with reference to said amendment should on or before March 26, 1998, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 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 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 with further notice before the Commission or its designee on this application if no motion to intervene is filed within the time required herein, or if the Commission on its own review of the matter finds that permission and approval for the proposed certificate and 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 Puget Sound to appear or be represented at the hearing. David P. Boergers, Acting Secretary. [FR Doc. 98-6717 Filed 3-13-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-M