[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 15, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49795-49796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20631]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP00-422-000]


El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice of Application

August 9, 2000.
     
    Take notice that on July 31, 2000, El Paso Natural Gas Company (El 
Paso), a Delaware corporation, whose mailing address is Post Office Box 
1492, El Paso, Texas, 79978, filed an application at Docket No. CP00-
422-000, pursuant to sections 7(b) and 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 permission and 
approval to abandon in place certain existing mainline compression 
facilities and for a phased certificate of public convenience and 
necessity authorizing El Paso to initiate the cleaning of the crude oil 
pipeline by September 15, 2000, and to initiate no later than February 
1, 2001, the acquisition of a crude oil pipeline system, the conversion 
of the crude oil pipeline to a natural gas pipeline, the construction 
and operation of certain connection, extension, and miscellaneous 
appurtenant facilities and the operation of the converted pipeline in 
interstate commerce as a part of El Paso's existing interstate 
transmission system, all as more fully set forth in the application 
which is on file with the commission and open to public inspection. 
This filing may be viewed on the web at http://www.ferc.us/online/rims.htm (202-208-2222).
    El Paso indicates that this project in its entirety including both 
the certification of new facilities and the abandonment of existing 
compressor facilities is hereinafter referred to as the ``Line No. 2000 
Project.''
    El Paso's application states that the Line No. 2000 Project 
constitutes an integral part of El Paso's ongoing comprehensive review 
of its interstate transmission pipeline system. It is indicated that 
this review, among other things, has taken into account: The existing 
configuration of El Paso's system; flow patterns and customer 
forecasted load growth; age of the system; operation and maintenance 
(O&M) costs; fuel usage; and the location and reliability of a large 
number of dated reciprocating compressors; as well as the potential for 
replacement and system enhancements. El Paso states that it undertook 
this review to specifically determine a pipeline infrastructure that 
would best position El Paso to provide future service and that would 
constitute a pipeline system that is environmentally sensitive, 
operationally flexible, efficient, safe, O&M sensitive, fuel efficient 
and, if necessary, expandable. Based upon this comprehensive review, El 
Paso indicates that it has determined that its customers would be best 
served if El Paso improved the operating characteristics of its 
interstate system by abandoning certain existing mainline compressor 
facilities on its South System and concurrently integrating into its 
system pipeline facilities to replace the abandoned compression. It is 
stated that this replacement of compression with pipeline is the 
essence of El Paso's Line No. 2000 Project.
    El Paso proposes to acquire from EPNGPC, convert and operate 
approximately 785 miles of the 1,088-mile 30" O.D. crude oil pipeline. 
The 785-mile segment would extend from a point near Ehrenberg, Arizona, 
to McCamey, Texas. It is stated that El Paso would convert this 785-
mile segment from a crude oil transmission pipeline to a natural gas 
transmission pipeline. El Paso indicates that Line No. 2000 would be 
physically integrated as a loop of El Paso's existing low pressure 
South System pipelines. As part of such integration, El Paso states 
that it will internally clean the pipeline, replace certain segments of 
Line No. 2000, construct tie-ins and crossovers to the South System, 
replace and move certain existing valves, and install certain minor 
appurtenant facilities. Thereafter, El Paso indicates that it will 
hydrostatically test approximately 506 miles of various segments of 
Line No. 2000. It is then stated that integration of Line No. 2000 into 
El Paso's South System will permit El Paso to concurrently abandon in 
place six existing compressor facilities on the South System. 
Therefore, El Paso also proposes, as a part of the Line No. 2000 
Project, to abandon in place six existing mainline compression 
facilities along El Paso's South System that will no longer be required 
for operation of the South System.
    El Paso states that the Line No. 2000 Project will be a replacement 
of horsepower with pipeline and will not increase the existing 
transport capacity of El Paso's interstate transmission system. It is 
also indicated that the Line No. 2000 Project will, however, optimize 
El Paso's system by increasing operational flexibility, lowering O&M 
costs, saving on fuel, and, if necessary, providing for simple and 
economical expandability.
    El Paso also states that the cost of acquiring and converting Line 
No. 2000 will be approximately $153,145,335. El Paso also indicates 
that, when the Line No. 2000 Project is implemented, however, it will 
continue to charge its existing Part 284 rates for transportation. It 
is stated that El Paso does not propose to recover the cost of the Line 
No. 2000 Project until it files its next general system-wide rate 
filing, which will take effect January 1, 2006. El Paso proposes to 
place the Line No. 2000 Project into service by July 1, 2001.
    Any person desiring to be heard or to make protest with reference 
to said application should on or before August 30, 2000, 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 385.211 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. The Commission's

[[Page 49796]]

rules require that protestors provide copies of their protests to the 
party or parties directly involved. 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 obtaining intervenor status will be placed on the service 
list maintained by 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.
    Take further notice that, pursuant to the authority contained in 
and subject to jurisdiction conferred upon the Commission by sections 7 
and 15 of the NGA 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 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.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-20631 Filed 8-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M