[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 82 (Wednesday, April 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23426-23427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-11304]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-359-000]


El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice of Request Under Blanket 
Authorization

April 23, 1998.
    Take notice that on April 16, 1998, El Paso Natural Gas Company (El 
Paso), P.O. Box 1492, El Paso, Texas 79978, filed in Docket No. CP98-
359-000 a request pursuant to Sections 157.205 and 157.212 of the 
Commission's Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205, 
157.212) for authorization to construct and operate a new delivery 
point located in Cochise County, Arizona, to permit the interruptible 
transportation and delivery of natural gas to Mexicana de Cobre, S.A. 
de C.V. (Mexcobre), near the International Boundary between the United 
States and Mexico near the town of Douglas, Arizona, under El Paso's 
blanket certificate issued in Docket Nos. CP82-435-000 and CP88-433-
000, pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), all as more 
fully set forth in the request that is on file with the Commission and 
open to public inspection.
    El Paso states that Mexcobre currently operates a copper mine in 
Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico, located approximately 65 miles south of the 
town of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, and the International 
Boundary between the United States and Mexico. El Paso further states 
that Mexcobre has been using high sulfur residual oil as fuel for its 
mining of copper, but that it now desires to use clean burning natural 
gas as a fuel for its mining process.
    Further, El Paso states that in support of Mexcobre's decision to 
use natural gas as fuel for its mining operations, Mexcobre has 
requested that El Paso provide transportation service for Mexcobre and, 
therefor, El Paso and Mexcobre have entered into an interruptible 
Transportation Service Agreement dated March 17, 1998. The proposed 
quantity of natural gas to be transported on an interruptible basis to 
the proposed delivery point is estimated to be an average of 24 MMcf 
per day.

[[Page 23427]]

    El Paso also states that in order to facilitate Mexcobre's request 
for natural gas service, El Paso and Mexcobre agreed, by Letter 
Agreement dated March 17, 1998, that El Paso would: (i) install a 12-
inch tap and valve assembly on Line No. 1004; and (ii) cause the 
construction of, on El Paso's behalf, a dual 8-inch meter station 
(Mexcobre-Douglas Delivery Point) and approximately 1.15 miles of 16-
inch-diameter pipeline (Mexicana de Cobre Lateral Line) extending from 
the proposed delivery point to the International Boundary between the 
United States and Mexico in Cochise County, Arizona.
    El Paso states that by this application, it is seeking 
authorization for the construction and operation of the proposed 
Mexcobre-Douglas Delivery Point; and that as for the Mexicana de Cobre 
Lateral Line, El Paso states that it will construct and operate this 
line under Section 157.208(a) of the Commission's Regulations.
    El Paso states that concurrently, it is filing an application, 
pursuant to Section 3 of the NGA and Subparts B and C of Part 153 of 
the Commission's Regulations Under the NGA, for Section 3 authorization 
and a Presidential Permit regarding the proposed pipeline facilities at 
the International Boundary between the United States and Mexico.
    El Paso also states that construction and operation of the proposed 
Mexcobre-Douglas Delivery Point is not prohibited by El Paso's existing 
Volume No. 1-A Tariff, and that it has sufficient capacity to 
accomplish the deliveries of the requested gas volumes without 
detriment or disadvantage to El Paso's other customers.
    El Paso states the total estimated cost of the proposed Mexcobre-
Douglas Delivery Point is $266,300, and that the estimated cost of the 
Mexicana de Cobre Lateral Line is $338,300. El Paso indicates that 
Mexcobre has agreed, pursuant to the March 17, 1998 Letter Agreement, 
to reimburse El Paso for all actual costs related to construction of 
the proposed Mexcobre-Douglas Delivery Point and the Mexicana de Cobre 
Lateral Line.
    Any person or the Commission's staff may, within 45 days after 
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.
David P. Boergers,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-11304 Filed 4-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M