[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 49 (Thursday, March 13, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 12057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-6001]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP03-57-000]


El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice of Application

March 7, 2003.
    Take notice that on February 27, 2003, El Paso Natural Gas Company 
(El Paso), P. O. Box 1087, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80944 filed in 
Docket No. CP03-57-000, an application pursuant to sections 7(b) and 
7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), as amended, and part 157 of the 
regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission), 
for permission and approval to abandon, by removal, certain existing 
mainline compression facilities, with appurtenances, and for a 
certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing the 
construction and operation of new mainline compression facilities, with 
appurtenances, all located at El Paso's existing Bondad Compressor 
Station in La Plata County, Colorado (Bondad Expansion Project), all as 
more fully set forth in the application which is on file with the 
Commission and open to public inspection. This filing is available for 
review at the Commission or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site 
at http://www.ferc.gov using the ``FERRIS'' link. Enter the docket 
number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to 
access the document. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support 
at [email protected] or toll-free at (866) 208-3676, or for 
TTY, contact (202) 502-8659.
    El Paso states that it is proposing to undertake the following 
activities at its existing Bondad Compressor Station located in La 
Plata County, Colorado:
    (1) Abandon two existing Solar Centaur T4000 simple cycle gas 
turbine engines and one Solar Centaur T3550 simple cycle gas turbine 
engine which have a combined horsepower rating of 10,740 (ISO), with 
appurtenant equipment.
    (2) Replace the three existing Solar Centaur simple cycle gas 
turbine engines with two Solar Centaur 50-T6100L simple cycle gas 
turbine engines and one Solar Centaur 50S-T6100 SoLoNox simple cycle 
gas turbine engine, with appurtenances, which have a combined 
horsepower rating of 18,390 (ISO).\1\ The Solar Centaur 50S-T6100 
simple cycle gas turbine engine is equipped with air emission-lowering 
SoLoNox technology.
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    \1\ Note that El Paso is seeking abandonment authorization for 
the three units that will be replaced. El Paso will exchange the 
existing units for the three units with the manufacturer.
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    (3) Restage the three existing compressor units at the Bondad 
Compressor Station. The compressors will be disassembled and the single 
stage aerodynamic assembly of each compressor will be removed and 
exchanged with a two stage assembly.
    In its application, El Paso states that it has designed the Bondad 
Expansion Project to permit El Paso to offer additional firm 
transportation capacity on a defined receipt/delivery point basis of up 
to 140,000 Mcf per day, while continuing to meet the current transport 
capacity needs of its existing shippers (approximately 585.5 MMcf per 
day). According to El Paso, this additional firm capacity will be 
offered from receipt points upstream of the Bondad Compressor Station 
to a proposed new delivery point located near its existing Blanco 
Compressor Station located in San Juan County, New Mexico. Since this 
new increment of firm capacity is only available to the Blanco area, El 
Paso states that the project will not create additional mainline 
capacity out of the San Juan Basin.
    In support of the Bondad Expansion Project, El Paso states that it 
has entered into a binding firm Transportation Service Agreement with 
BP Energy Company (BP) for the transportation of gas on El Paso's 
existing Ignacio Lines from any point of receipt in the Bondad Pooling 
Area to the Blanco Delivery Point. El Paso also states that the 
contract demand under this TSA equals the proposed 140,000 Mcf per day 
increase in design capacity for transportation on the Bondad System.
    El Paso states that the cost for the Bondad Expansion Project is 
approximately $7,307,700 and El Paso plans to place the proposed 
facilities in service by April 1, 2004.
    Any questions concerning this application may be directed to Robert 
T. Tomlinson, Director, Regulatory Affairs, El Paso Natural Gas 
Company, P. O. Box 1087, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80944, at (719) 
520-3788 or fax (719) 520-4318; or to Judy A. Heineman, Vice President 
and General Counsel, El Paso Corporation--Western Pipelines Division, 
P. O. Box 1087, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80944, at (719) 520-4829 or 
fax (719) 520-4898.
    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 file with 
the Federal Energy Regulatory 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) by the comment date, below. 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.
    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. 
The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings.
    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.
    Comment Date: March 28, 2003.

Magalie R. Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-6001 Filed 3-12-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P