[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 21, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58462-58463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29073]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP02-19-000]


Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company; Notice of Application

November 15, 2001.
    Take notice that on November 5, 2001, Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line 
Company (Panhandle), P. O. Box 4967, Houston, Texas 77210-4967, filed 
in Docket No. CP02-19-000, an application pursuant to section 7(b) of 
the Natural Gas Act (NGA), as amended, and part 157 of the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission's Regulations (Commission), for 
authorization to abandon by transfer to CMS Field Services Company, 
Inc. (CMS Field Services), an affiliate of Panhandle, the Hickok 
Lateral located in Grant County, Kansas, and the Miles Lateral located 
in Kearny County, Kansas. Panhandle states that it also requests a 
finding that the facilities, upon abandonment, be declared as non-
jurisdictional gathering facilities exempt from the Commission's 
jurisdiction under NGA section 1(b), all as more fully set forth in the 
application which is on file with the Commission and open to public 
inspection. Copies of this filing are on file with the Commission and 
are available for public inspection. This filing may also be viewed on 
the web at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``RIMS'' link, select ``Docket 
#'' and follow the instructions (call 202-208-2222 for assistance).
    Panhandle states that the Hickok and Miles Laterals, which 
Panhandle proposes to abandon, are wholly-owned by Panhandle. The 
facilities were constructed pursuant to budget-type blanket certificate 
authority issued January 23, 1973 and January 30, 1978, as amended, 
December 21, 1978, in Docket No. CP73-167-000, and Docket No. CP78-83-
000, respectively.
    Panhandle states that the Hickok Lateral, Line No. 16-03-123-58, is 
a 16-inch pipeline that extends approximately 6.4 miles from an 
interconnect with Mobil Exploration & Production Company's Hickok 
Gathering System and Vastar Resources, Inc's. gathering facilities in 
Grant County, Kansas. According to Panhandle, there are no firm 
shippers which utilize the Hickok Lateral as a primary receipt point 
thus existing shippers will not be adversely affected by this 
application. Panhandle also states that there are no other wells or 
facilities connected to the 16-inch Hickok Lateral.
    Panhandle states that the Miles Lateral, Line No. 43-03-039-01, is 
an 8-inch pipeline that extends approximately 16.7 miles from DEFS' 
Miles booster station to a point on Panhandle's 20-inch Lakin pipeline, 
which is adjacent to El Paso Field Services' processing plant in Kearny 
County, Kansas. The Miles pipeline was originally constructed to 
connect Panhandle's Miles and Hampton Gathering Systems to Panhandle's 
Lakin pipeline. Those gathering systems are now owned by DEFS. The only 
portion owned by Panhandle is the Miles Lateral. Currently, the only 
gas flowing through the Miles Lateral is under interruptible contracts. 
Panhandle states that there are no firm shippers using the Miles 
Lateral as a primary receipt point and that September 1998 was the last 
month that firm transportation service was provided, thus, existing 
shippers will not be adversely affected by this application. Panhandle 
also states that there are no other wells or facilities connected to 
the 8-inch Miles Lateral.
    Panhandle states that with this application it is proposing to 
abandon by transfer to CMS Field Services the Hickok and Miles 
Laterals. While these laterals are currently classified as 
transmission, upon abandonment they will be performing a gathering 
function and thus should more properly be characterized as gathering 
facilities. Panhandle requests that the Commission determine that the 
Hickok and Miles Laterals serve a gathering function upon abandonment 
and transfer.
    Panhandle states that as a transporter of natural gas, it no longer 
needs these facilities to purchase and gather gas for system supply, 
which was their original intended purpose. According to Panhandle, the 
proposed sale of these facilities will be beneficial from an 
operational standpoint in that their abandonment will allow Panhandle 
to cease the operation of those facilities no longer serving an 
interstate transmission system function and their sale will eliminate 
Panhandle's operating and maintenance expenses for them.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to 
William W. Grygar, Vice President, Rates and Regulatory Affairs, 
Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company, 5444 Westheimer Road, Houston, 
Texas 77056-5306, at (713) 989-7000.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this project should, on or 
before December 6, 2001, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory

[[Page 58463]]

Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, a motion to 
intervene 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 NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party 
status will be placed on the service list maintained by the Secretary 
of the Commission and will receive copies of all documents filed by the 
applicant and by all other parties. A party must submit 14 copies of 
filings made with the Commission and must mail a copy to the applicant 
and to every other party in the proceeding. Only parties to the 
proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders in the 
proceeding.
    However, a person does not have to intervene in order to have 
comments considered. The second way to participate is by filing with 
the Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and 
two copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project. 
The Commission will consider these comments in determining the 
appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a comment alone will 
not serve to make the filer a party to the proceeding. The Commission's 
rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project 
provide copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly 
involved in the protest.
    Persons who wish to comment only on the environmental review of 
this project should submit an original and two copies of their comments 
to the Secretary of the Commission. Environmental commenters will be 
placed on the Commission's environmental mailing list, will receive 
copies of the environmental documents, and will be notified of meetings 
associated with the Commission's environmental review process. 
Environmental commenters will not be required to serve copies of filed 
documents on all other parties. However, the non-party commenters will 
not receive copies of all documents filed by other parties or issued by 
the Commission (except for the mailing of environmental documents 
issued by the Commission) and will not have the right to seek court 
review of the Commission's final order.
    The Commission may issue a preliminary determination on non-
environmental issues prior to the completion of its review of the 
environmental aspects of the project. This preliminary determination 
typically considers such issues as the need for the project and its 
economic effect on existing customers of the applicant, on other 
pipelines in the area, and on landowners and communities. For example, 
the Commission considers the extent to which the applicant may need to 
exercise eminent domain to obtain rights-of-way for the proposed 
project and balances that against the non-environmental benefits to be 
provided by the project. Therefore, if a person has comments on 
community and landowner impacts from this proposal, it is important 
either to file comments or to intervene as early in the process as 
possible.
    Comments, protests and interventions may be filed electronically 
via the Internet in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and 
the instructions on the Commission's Web site under the ``e-Filing'' 
link.
    If the Commission decides to set the application for a formal 
hearing before an Administrative Law Judge, the Commission will issue 
another notice describing that process. At the end of the Commission's 
review process, a final Commission order approving or denying a 
certificate will be issued.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-29073 Filed 11-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P