[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]


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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