[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 153 (Friday, August 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47303-47304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-20251]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP03-342-000 and Docket No. CP03-343-000]


Discovery Gas Transmission LLC and Discovery Producer Services 
LLC; Notice of Filings

 August 1, 2003.
    Take notice that on July 23, 2003, Discovery Gas Transmission LLC 
(Discovery) 2800 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, Texas, 77056, filed with the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) pursuant to Section 
7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, and part 157 of the Commission's 
Regulations an abbreviated application to acquire, lease, and construct 
and to own and operate certain new delivery points, pipeline 
compression services and metering and appurtenant facilities to enable 
Discovery to deliver gas produced offshore to four additional delivery 
points (Discovery Market Expansion Project) and therefore to new 
markets in Southern Louisiana, all as more fully set forth in the 
application.
    Discovery states that the four additional delivery points are 
proposed interconnections with Columbia Gulf Transmission Company 
(Columbia Gulf), Gulf South Pipeline Company, L.P. (Gulf South), 
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (Tennessee), and Transcontinental Gas 
Pipe Line Corporation (Transco).
    In conjunction with Discovery's application, Discovery Producer 
Services LLC (DPS) filed an abbreviated application for a limited 
jurisdiction certificate to provide the compression services to 
Discovery as necessary to provide the services through Discovery's 
Market Expansion facilities. Both applications are on file with the 
Commission and open for public inspection. The filing is available for 
review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room 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.
    Discovery proposes to acquire from DPH, Inc. approximately 31 miles 
of existing, but currently unused, 20-inch pipeline in LaFourche and 
Terrebone Parishes, Louisiana and from DPS approximately 0.43 miles of 
16-inch pipeline in LaFourche Parish, LA. Discovery also proposes to 
lease 100,000 dekatherms (Dt) per day of capacity on approximately 35 
miles of Texas Eastern's system from Discovery's existing interconnect 
to the proposed interconnection with Transco. Discovery proposes to 
contract for compression from DPS to ensure adequate compression into 
the downstream pipelines at the proposed new delivery points. Discovery 
also proposes to construct the following facilities:
    [sbull] 0.4 miles of 20-inch pipeline from the pipeline to be 
acquired from DPS to the pipeline to be acquired from DPH, Inc.;
    [sbull] 2.1 miles of 20-inch pipeline from Point Au Chien on the 
pipeline to be acquired from DPH, Inc. to the proposed interconnection 
with Columbia Gulf;
    [sbull] 735 feet of 20-inch gas line of an interconnecting facility 
from the end of the pipeline to be acquired from DPH, Inc. To a 
Tennessee platform on which will be located the proposed delivery point 
at Tennessee: and
    [sbull] Metering, pressure regulating and appurtenant facilities at 
each of the proposed Columbia Gulf and Transco delivery points and 
upstream of the proposed Tennessee delivery point.
    Discovery states that in order for it to provide up to 150,000 Dt 
per day of firm service through its Market Expansion facilities, 
Discovery proposes to purchase 150,000 Dt per day of compression 
services from DPS under a Compression Services Agreement. Discovery 
states that DPS is currently willing to provide this compression needed 
by Discovery for approximately two cents per Dt, provided that the 
Commission issues it a Limited Jurisdiction Certificate allowing DPS to 
use any 2 or 3 of its 4 existing leased compressors at any given time 
for compression needed by Discovery.
    Discovery explains that it held a non-binding open season in April 
2003 for its proposed Market Expansion Project seeking expressions of 
interest in service to the proposed new delivery points. Discovery 
asserts that it has executed or is in the process of negotiating 
binding precedent agreements for 112,000 Dt per day of firm service. 
Discovery further asserts that it also expects to ship gas on the new 
project on an interruptible basis for these and other shippers. 
Discovery proposes a maximum usage fee for Rate Schedule FT-2 (Market 
Expansion) service of 7.40 cents per Dt, based on firm service billing 
determinants of 150,000 Dt per day and not based on any allocation of 
costs to interruptible service. Discovery states that it also

[[Page 47304]]

seeks approval of 14.80 cents per Dt as its maximum Rate Schedule IT 
(Market Expansion) rate and that this rate is based on a 50 percent 
load factor derivation of Discovery's Rate Schedule FT-2 rate. 
Discovery states that because of its usage fee-only design of its Rate 
Schedule FT-2 rate, there is no capacity being released on Discovery's 
system, and Discovery is totally at risk for the recovery of the cost 
of its Market Expansion facilities.
    Any questions regarding the application may be directed to Kevin R. 
Rehm, Vice President, Discovery Gas Transmission LLC, 2800 Post Oak 
Boulevard--Level 36, Houston, Texas 77056, at (713) 215-2694, with fax 
at (713) 215-3050.
    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 the comment date, 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 385.211 and 385.214) 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. Comments and protests 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 intervenors to file electronically.
    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 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 intervener status.
    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 ion 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 to 
file comments or to intervene as early in the process as possible.
    Comment Date: August 22, 2003.

Linda Mitry,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-20251 Filed 8-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P