[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23829-23830]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11083]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP99-322-000]


El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice of Application

April 28, 1999.
    Take notice that on April 16, 1999, El Paso Natural Gas Company (El 
Paso), Post Office Box 1492, El Paso, Texas, 79978, filed an 
application at Docket No. CP99-322-000, pursuant to Section 7(c) of the 
Natural Gas Act (NGA) and Section 157.5, et seq., of the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission's (Commission) Regulations Under the NGA, for a 
certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing the 
construction and operation of certain lateral pipeline and metering 
facilities, hereinafter referred to as the Willcox Lateral. El Paso 
states that construction of the Willcox Lateral will allow the 
transportation and delivery of natural gas to two points along the 
International Boundary between the United States and Mexico in Cochise 
County, Arizona, all as more fully set forth in the application on file 
with the Commission and open to public inspection.
    El Paso states that the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) has 
an existing power plant near the City of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and 
recently completed a Request For Proposal (RFP) for a second power 
plant near Hermosillo. Additionally, CFE is scheduled to close an RFP 
in May 1999 for a new power plant near the City of Agua Prieta, Sonora, 
Mexico, referred to as the El Fresnal Power Plant. These three power 
plants will require natural gas as fuel to generate electricity.
    Thus, El Paso is proposing to construct the Willcox Lateral to 
serve this present and future power plant infrastructure in Northern 
Sonora, Mexico. El Paso claims that the Willcox Lateral will have a 
design capacity of 130,000 Mcf per day and will provide the necessary 
facilities to permit the transportation of natural gas to two points of 
interconnection at the International Boundary. Once delivered to these 
new delivery points, El Paso says that gas will be transported to the 
existing and proposed power plants in or near Hermosillo and Agua 
Prieta, Mexico, as well as other potential markets in Northern Mexico.
    Specifically, the proposed Willcox Lateral facilities, all located 
in Cochise County, Arizona, will consist of a 20'' O.D. lateral line 
commencing at approximately milepost 407.1 on El Paso's California Line 
and First Loop Line on the suction side of the Willcox Compressor 
Station extending south approximately 55.7 miles which then bifurcates 
into two 16'' O.D. east and west branch lateral lines with metering 
facilities near the terminus of each branch lateral line. The west 
branch lateral line extends southwesterly for approximately 2.9 miles, 
terminating near Monument 90 on the International Boundary (the 20'' 
O.D. lateral line and the 16'' O.D. west branch lateral line constitute 
Line No. 2163). The east branch lateral line extends southeasterly for 
approximately 12.2 miles, terminating at a point southwest of Douglas, 
Arizona at the International Boundary between the United States and 
Mexico (Line No. 2164). The Willmex Delivery Point is to be located 
near the terminus of Line No. 2163 adjacent to the existing Monument 90 
Meter Station, and the El Fresnal Delivery Point is to be located near 
the terminus of Line No. 2164.
    El Paso indicates that it has estimated the cost of constructing 
the Willcox Lateral to be approximately $30,215,000. El Paso requests 
authorization no later than December 31, 1999 in order to meet an in-
service date of September 1, 2000.
    El Paso states that, in support of the Willcox Lateral, and to 
demonstrate market support for the Willcox Lateral, it has entered into 
three separate, but mutually exclusive, firm TSAs providing for the 
delivery of natural gas to the El Fresnal Power Plant and a fourth firm 
TSA providing for transportation service to the second Hermosillo Power 
Plant. El Paso states that it is currently negotiating contracts for 
the existing Hermosillo Power Plant.
    Based on the cost of the proposed Willcox Lateral facilities, El 
Paso calculated a separate incremental rate attributable to the cost of 
service for the proposed Willcox Lateral. The incremental reservation 
rate for the Willcox Lateral is proposed to be $0.1467 per dth on a 
daily basis and is referred to as the ``Willcox Lateral Facilities 
Charge.'' El Paso proposes the calculated incremental rate as the 
tariff rate applicable to firm transportation service on the Willcox 
Project.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with 
reference to said

[[Page 23830]]

document should, on or before, May 19, 1999, file with the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, N.E. Washington, D.C., 
20426, a protest or motion to intervene in accordance with the 
requirements of Rule 211 or 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice 
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 or 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. 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.
    A person does not have to intervene, however, in order to have 
environmental 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.
    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 document if no motion to intervene is filed within the time 
required herein, if the Commission on its own review of the matter 
finds that a grant of the certificate is 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 El Paso to appear or be represented at the 
hearing.
Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-11083 Filed 5-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M