[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 15143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-6885]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. OR00-2-000]


ExxonMobil Pipeline Company; Notice of Petition for Declaratory 
Order

March 15, 2000.
    Take notice that on March 9, 2000, pursuant to Rules 207(a)(2) and 
212 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 18 CFR 
385.207, 385.212, ExxonMobil Pipeline Company (EMPCo.) tendered for 
filing a petition for a declaratory order regarding the proposed rate 
for transportation service to be provided through a new crude oil 
pipeline from the Diana and Hoover Fields in the offshore Gulf of 
Mexico, to onshore facilities at Quintana and Freeport, Texas.
    EMPCo. seeks regulatory assurance regarding its initial Hoover 
Offshore Oil Pipeline System (HOOPS) rate, which it states is based on 
the Commission's customary oil pipeline ratemaking formula with two 
narrow variations. First, EMPCo requests authority to use the unit of 
throughput (UOT) method of depreciation, rather than straight-line or 
some other form of remaining life depreciation. Second, EMPCo seeks 
authority to develop its initial rate based on a five-year 
``levelized'' rate approach.
    EMPCo. anticipates a June 15, 2000 start-up of operations, and 
requests that the Commission issue an expedited order declaring (1) 
that the unit of throughput depreciation approach may be used for HOOPS 
rates; (2) that the initial HOOPS rate may be based on projected costs 
and revenues levelized over the first five years of HOOPS operations. 
EMPCo states that it proposes to charge the initial rate of $2.104 per 
barrel set forth in Attachment B-10 to the filing, if its petition is 
accepted before start-up subject to changes only as permitted or 
required by the Commission's indexing rules. EMPCo states that absent 
the grant of its petition before start-up it would be required to 
charge $2.35 per barrel, as set forth in Attachment B-6 to the filing.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to protest said filing should 
file a motion to intervene or a protest with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426, in 
accordance with sections 385.214 or 385.211 of the Commission's Rules 
and Regulations. All such motions or protests must be filed on or 
before March 30, 2000, with replies to any protests due April 10, 2000. 
Protests will be considered by the Commission in determining the 
appropriate action to be taken, but will not serve to make protestants 
parties to the proceedings. Any person wishing to become a party must 
file a motion to intervene. Copies of this filing are on file with the 
Commission and are available for public inspection in the Public 
Reference Room. This filing may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 for assistance).

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-6885 Filed 3-20-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M