[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39389-39390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13852]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket Nos. CP07-414-000; CP07-415-000; CP07-416-000]


Golden Triangle Storage, Inc. Notice of Applications

July 9, 2007.
    Take notice that on June 29, 2007 and as supplemented on July 6, 
2007 Golden Triangle Storage, Inc. (Golden Triangle), 1200 Smith 
Street, Suite 900, Houston, Texas 77002, pursuant to section 7(c) of 
the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and Parts 157 and 284 of the Commission's 
regulations, filed an abbreviated application for certificates of 
public convenience and necessity, seeking authority to develop and 
operate a two-cavern salt dome natural gas storage facility located 
near Beaumont in Jefferson and Orange Counties, Texas; to provide open-
access firm and interruptible storage and hub services in interstate 
commerce at market-based rates under 18 CFR part 284, subpart G; and to 
undertake the limited construction and operation activities permitted 
under 18 CFR part 157, subpart F. This 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 ``e-Library'' 
link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the 
docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact 
FERC at FERCOnlineSupport or call toll-free, (866) 208-3676, or for 
TTY, (202) 502-8659.
    Any questions regarding this application should be directed to 
David Schultz, Project Manager, Golden Triangle Storage, Inc., 1200 
Smith Street, Suite 900, Houston, TX 77002, phone: (832) 397-3739, e-
mail: [email protected].
    The Golden Triangle Storage Project consists of developing two 
natural gas storage caverns in the Spindletop salt dome, developing up 
to five salt brine disposal wells, installing a 16-inch freshwater 
pipeline, installing a 16-inch brine disposal pipeline, installing a 
leaching plant, installing 14,205 horsepower of compression, and 
installing approximately 8.9 miles of 24-inch header pipeline and six 
associated meter stations and pipeline interconnects. Golden Triangle 
says that the facilities will ultimately provide an estimated 16 
billion cubic feet (Bcf) of high deliverability, multi-cycle working 
storage capacity in two stages of development. In the first stage, 
Golden Triangle will solution mine each of the storage caverns to a 
volume of 8.2 million barrels for a working storage capacity or about 6 
Bcf per cavern, and then place the caverns in commercial service, the 
first in late 2010 and the second in early 2013. Thereafter, in the 
second stage, through use of a partial cavern refilling solution mining 
technique, Golden Triangle proposes to gradually enlarge each of the 
caverns over a 10-12 year period to a potential maximum volume of up to 
12.5 million barrels for a working storage capacity of 8 Bcf per cavern 
(16 Bcf in total). Golden Triangle seeks Commission certificate 
authorizations for both caverns and both stages of cavern development 
at this time.
    Golden Triangle says that the need for the Project's services has 
already been confirmed by the market. In response to a non-binding open 
season held in May 2007, Golden Triangle received bids representing 
about three and a half times the initial 6 Bcf working gas capacity of 
Cavern 1 from a diverse group of potential customers, including 
marketers, producers and other entities. Golden Triangle is now 
negotiating

[[Page 39390]]

precedent agreements with the highest bidders for longterm, firm 
service contracts. Once it concludes negotiations, Golden Triangle says 
it will file its executed precedent agreements as a supplement to this 
application.
    Golden Triangle proposes to offer open access firm and 
interruptible storage and hub services and requests authority to charge 
market-based rates for its proposed services, which it says is 
consistent with the requirements of the Commission's Alternative 
Ratemaking Policies. The proposed terms and conditions for Golden 
Triangle's services are included in the pro forma tariff included in 
Exhibit P of the application.
    Pursuant to section 157.9 of the Commission's rules, 18 CFR 157.9, 
within 90 days of this Notice the Commission staff will either: 
Complete its environmental assessment (EA) and place it into the 
Commission's public record (eLibrary) for this proceeding, or issue a 
Notice of Schedule for Environmental Review. If a Notice of Schedule 
for Environmental Review is issued, it will indicate, among other 
milestones, the anticipated date for the Commission staff's issuance of 
the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) or EA for this 
proposal. The filing of the EA in the Commission's public record for 
this proceeding or the issuance of a Notice of Schedule for 
Environmental Review will serve to notify federal and state agencies of 
the timing for the completion of all necessary reviews, and the 
subsequent need to complete all federal authorizations within 90 days 
of the date of issuance of the Commission staff's FEIS or EA.
    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 proceeding for this project should, on or 
before the comment date stated below, 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). 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.
    Motions to intervene, protests and comments may be filed 
electronically via the Internet in lieu of paper; see 18 CFR 
285.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site 
under the ``e-Filing'' link. The Commission strongly encourages 
electronic filings.
    Comment Date: July 23, 2007.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E7-13852 Filed 7-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P