[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 102 (Thursday, May 28, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29193-29194]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14059]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-546-000]


Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation; Notice of Application

May 21, 1998.
    Take notice that on May 13, 1998, Columbia Gas Transmission 
Corporation (Columbia), 12801 Fair Lakes Parkway, Fairfax, Virginia 
22030 filed, in Docket No. CP98-546-000, an application pursuant to 
Sections 7(b) and 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the 
Commission's Regulations for an order permitting and approving the 
abandonment of Derricks Creek Storage Field, Kanawha County, West 
Virginia, and a certificate of public convenience and necessity to 
construct and operate storage pipeline, storage wells, and appurtenant 
facilities in Ripley Storage Field, Jackson County, West Virginia, as 
more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the 
Commission and open to public inspection.
    Specifically, Columbia requests authorization for the following:
     Abandonment of the Derricks Creek Storage Field in its 
entirety consisting of 13.1 miles of various size pipeline and 20 
active storage wells located in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
     Replacement of working gas capacity and deliverability at 
the Ripley Storage Field by construction of approximately 3.5 miles of 
various size storage pipeline, drilling six new storage wells, and 
improving the deliverability of nine existing wells located in Jackson 
County, West Virginia.
     Abandonment by sale of up to 5.4 Bcf of base gas within 
the two storage fields. (4.4 Bcf at Derricks Creek and 1.0 Bcf at 
Ripley.)
    Columbia proposes to invest $7.3 million at the Ripley Storage 
Field in lieu of the work which would otherwise be required to maintain 
storage performance at Derricks Creek, which Columbia estimates would 
have been a minimum of $10 million. Columbia estimates the cost of 
retiring Derricks Creek to be $700,000. Columbia asserts that the 
reduction in working gas capacity and deliverability resulting from the 
abandonment of one storage field will be offset by the replacement 
activities proposed in an adjacent field. Columbia says there will be 
no new or expanded services or any net expansion of its storage 
capabilities.
    Columbia says the disposition of proceeds from the proposed sale of 
the Derricks Creek and Ripley base gas will be made pursuant to Section 
C, Article IV, of Stipulation II of the Settlement in Docket No. RP95-
408 (79 FERC para. 61,044 (1997). Columbia states it will comply with 
the annual reporting requirements provided for in Section D of Article 
IV.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with 
reference to said application should on or before June 11, 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 385.211 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. The Commission's rules require that protestors provide 
copies of their protests to the party or parties directly involved. Any 
person wishing to become a party in any proceeding herein must file a 
motion to intervene in accordance with the Commission's rules.
    A person obtaining intervenor status will be placed on the service 
list maintained by the Secretary of the Commission and will receive 
copies of all documents filed by the applicant and by every one of the 
intervenors. An intervenor can file for rehearing of any Commission 
order and can petition for court review of any such order. However, an 
intervenor must submit copies of comments or any other filing it makes 
with the Commission to every other intervenor in the proceeding, as 
well as 14 copies with the Commission.
    A person does not have to intervene, however, in order to have 
comments considered. A person, instead, may submit two copies of 
comments to the Secretary of the Commission. Commenters will be placed 
on the Commission's environmental mailing list, will receive copies of 
environmental documents and will be able to participate in meetings 
associated with the Commission's environmental review process. 
Commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed documents on 
all other parties. However, commenters will not receive copies of all 
documents filed by other parties or issued by the Commission and will 
not have the right to seek rehearing or appeal the Commission's final 
order to a federal court.
    The Commission will consider all comments and concerns equally, 
whether filed by commenters or those requesting intervenor status.

[[Page 29194]]

    Take further notice that, pursuant to the authority contained in 
and subject to the jurisdiction conferred upon the Commission by 
Section 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 application if no motion 
to intervene is filed within the time required herein, if the 
Commission on its own review of the matter finds that permission and 
approval for the proposed abandonments and a grant of the certificate 
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 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 Columbia to appear or to be represented at 
the hearing.
David P. Boergers,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-14059 Filed 5-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M