[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 230 (Wednesday, December 1, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67259-67260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-31159]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket Nos. CP000-24-000 and CP00-25-000]


Sabine Pipe Line Company; Sabine Pipe Line LLC; Notice of 
Applications

November 24, 1999.
    Take notice that on November 15, 1999, Sabine Pipe Line Company 
(Company), 1111 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002, filed in Docket No. 
CP00-24-000 an application pursuant to Sections 7(b) and 7(c) of the 
Natural Gas Act and Part 157 of the Commission's Regulations to 
restructure the operations of the Sabine pipeline system as a limited 
liability company in order to take advantage of state and franchise tax 
savings available to limited liability companies and to have the 
business and financing flexibility offered by that structure. Company 
seeks authority to abandon all of its jurisdictional facilities and 
services by transfer to Sabine Pipe Line LLC (Sabine LLC). 
Concurrently, sabine LLC requests a certificate of public convenience 
and necessity authorizing it to acquire and operate Company's 
jurisdictional facilities and to perform the services authorized by the 
Commission, in the same manner as Company operates the facilities and 
performs the services. Sabine LLC, 1111 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 
77002, filed in Docket No. CP00-25-000 an application pursuant to 
Sections 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act to abandon a 43-mile segment of 
the sabine pipeline system in Louisiana and Texas that is 
underutilized, all as more fully set forth in the applications which 
are on file with the Commission and open to public inspection. The 
application may be viewed on the web at www.ferc.fed.us/online/
rims.htm. Call (202) 208-2222 of assistance.

[Docket No. CP00-24-000]

    According to Company, there will be no other changes associated 
with this application and that, upon approval, Sabine LLC will perform 
the same services at the same rates and under the same terms and 
conditions as Company. Company asks that the Commission transfer to 
Sabine LLC all certificates and authorizations that have been issued 
for the construction and operation of the Sabine pipeline system. 
According to Company, Sabine LLC will adopt Company's currently 
effective tariff and rates, an will refile the tariff to reflect the 
proposed change in business structure. Company states that the proposed 
application is not intended to accomplish anything other than to change 
the legal structure of the owner and operator of the pipeline company 
from a corporation to a limited liability company.

[Docket No. CP00-25-000]

    Sabine LLC proposes to abandon approximately 43 miles of 16-inch 
mainline transmission facilities, which extend from a point on the west 
bank of the Neches River in Jefferson County, Texas, to point on the 
east bank of the Calcasieu River in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, by 
sale to Texaco Petrochemical LLC for use in liquids service. The 
proposed abandonment will entail the isolation of the 16-inch line from 
the remainder of the Sabine pipeline system and the abandonment of the 
receipt and delivery points of the 16-inch line. The points that will 
be abandoned include those points designated as: (1) Midcoast; (2) 
Dynegy; (3) Neches/Dupont; (4) Spindletop: (5) Channel; (6) Neches/
Firestone; (7) Gulf States Utilities: (8) Bridgeline/Lake Charles; and, 
(9) Bridgeline/Citgo. Sabine LLC proposes to move two of the delivery 
points, designated as the Dynegy and Midcoast points, to the pipeline's 
parallel 18-inch line under blanket certificate authority in order to 
ensure continuity of service.
    Sabine LLC states that the proposed abandonment will reduce the 
amount of available firm capacity on the Sabine pipeline system by 
65,000 dts per day in the geographic area where the abandoned pipe is 
located, but that there should not be any appreciable impact on the 
services provided by the pipeline. According to Sabine LLC, throughput 
on the system has been declining on the 16-inch line while operation 
and maintenance costs have increased. The Sabine pipeline system 
operates primarily as a market center in South Louisiana and 
transportation on the east/west corridor between Texas and Louisiana 
has declined significantly over the past few years. Sabine LLC contends 
that the receipt and delivery points that they propose to abandon are 
either inactive or underutilized and that the cost of operating most of 
these points exceeds the revenues derived from such points. Sabine LLC 
requests that the Commission grant the authorization by February 29, 
2000.
    Any questions regarding this petition should be directed to Wade 
Hopper, 1111 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002 at (713) 752-7188, or 
Deborah L. Plattsmier, President, P.O. Box 4781, Houston, Texas 77210-
4781 at (713) 752-7714, or Linda L. Geoghegan, Attorney, P.O. Box 4596, 
Houston, Texas 77210-4596 at (713) 752-6067.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to make a protest with reference 
to said application should, on or before December 15, 1999, 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

[[Page 67260]]

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 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, a hearing will be held 
without further notice before the Commission 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 abandonment are 
required by the public 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 Company and Sabine LLC to appear or be 
represented at the hearing.
David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-31159 Filed 11-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M