[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 200 (Friday, October 16, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55595-55596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27765]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-8-000]


Raton Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Application

October 9, 1998.
    Take notice that on October 7, 1998, Raton Gas Transmission Company 
(Raton), 835 Stacy Road, Fairfax, Texas 75069, filed an application 
pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act for authorization to 
change the shippers receiving its transportation services and implement 
modifying the transportation services, all as more fully set forth in 
the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection.
    Raton states that currently it provides transportation service 
under Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act for two shippers, Raton 
Natural Gas Company (Raton Natural), a local distribution company, and 
Natural Gas Processing Company (NGP), a successor to Associated Natural 
Gas, Inc., Pan Energy Field Services and Duke Energy Field Services, 
which in turn served the municipal systems of City of Las Vegas, New 
Mexico, Town of Springer, New Mexico and Village of Maxwell, New 
Mexico. It is indicated that NGP intends to file an application with 
the New Mexico Public Utility Commission to become an open-access 
transporter and thereby become a Hinshaw pipeline under Section 1(c) of 
the Natural Gas Act. Raton indicates that, as a result of this action 
by NGP, the shippers over Raton's system may be the LDC's serving Las 
Vegas, Springer, Maxwell, or NGP, acting on behalf of those LDC's, and 
Raton Natural Gas Company, or any agent or successor.
    Raton indicates that currently it is eligible to receive no-notice 
service from its upstream supplier, Colorado Interstate Gas Company 
(CIG). Raton also states that it requested CIG to offer its no-notice 
service directly to the four LDC's, but, under CIG's tariff, off-system 
customers are not eligible to receive no-notice service from CIG. It is 
stated that only Raton, as a small connected customer, is eligible to 
contract for CIG no-notice service.
    Therefore, Raton states that, to achieve the Commission's policy 
objective that some form of no-notice service should be made available 
to all small LDC's, it entered into a package of service agreements 
with CIG to meet the total needs of the four LDC's: (1) TF-1, a 
sculptured firm transportation service providing flowing volumes of gas 
at winter level, shoulder month level, and summer demand level, (2) 
NNT-1 service which allows the customer to withdraw gas from storage 
during the winter period at widely varying volumes without incurring 
penalties, and (3) a supplemental TF-1 service allowing customers to 
secure volumes of gas during the spring-summer-fall period for 
transportation to storage in CIG's storage fields at a discounted 
transportation rate. It is also stated that its service agreements 
within CIG extend to April 30, 2000, and the volumes required to 
provide NOT service for the period from October 1, 1998, through April 
30, 1999, have already been purchased and placed into storage.
    Raton indicates that it considered filing for a Part 284 blanket 
certificate to implement the required changes in service but, in its 
view, the administrative burden and expense precluded it from seeking 
such a blanket certificate.
    Raton now proposes to allocate its tariff charges, including a 
pass-through of the CIG charges to, the four LDC's. It is also 
indicated that, prior to April 30, 2000, if any or all of the LDC's 
elect to terminate some or all of the CIG package of no-notice 
services, they may authorize Raton to release that share of the 
reserved NNT service. It is also indicated that, by electing to 
terminate their share of the NNT service, the LDC, or its designated 
agent, agrees to accept the corresponding share of TF capacity from 
Raton. Also, it is stated that, for periods after April 30, 2000, the 
LDC's must notify Raton of the quantities and types of transportation 
services that they

[[Page 55596]]

will require, identifying their shipping agents, if necessary.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with 
reference to said application should on or before October 30, 1998, 
file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, 
N.E., Washington, D.C. 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 the 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 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 the issuance of certificate authorization and permission and 
approval for the proposed 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 Raton to appear or be represented at the 
hearing.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-27765 Filed 10-15-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M