[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 217 (Thursday, November 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67056-67057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27330]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 8082]


Application for a Presidential Permit To Operate and Maintain 
Pipeline Facilities on the Border of the United States and Canada

AGENCY: Department of State.

ACTION: Notice of Receipt of Application for a Presidential Permit to 
Operate and Maintain Pipeline Facilities on the Border of the United 
States and Canada.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Department of State (DOS) has 
received from NOVA Chemicals Inc. (``NOVA Inc.'') an application for 
re-instatement of a Presidential Permit authorizing the operation and 
maintenance of pipeline facilities to transport natural gas liquids 
(``NGLs'') extending from a block valve site in St. Clair County, 
Michigan, near the city of Marysville to the international border 
between the United States and Canada.
    NOVA Inc. is incorporated in the State of Delaware and is a wholly-
owned subsidiary of NOVA Corporation. NOVA Corporation is a company 
continued under the laws of the Province of New Brunswick, Canada. All 
of the issued and outstanding shares of NOVA Corporation are owned by a 
wholly owned subsidiary of the International Petroleum Investment 
Corporation (``IPIC'') which is wholly owned by the government of the 
Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
    NOVA Inc. requests the permit to operate and maintain a pipeline 
(``Line 20'') consisting of approximately 1350 feet of 12-inch diameter 
pipeline as well as certain appurtenant facilities that can accommodate 
the transportation of up to 65,000 barrels per day (``bpd'') of NGLs. 
NOVA Inc. intends to make use of the existing Line 20 pipeline 
facilities as one of the final links in a pipeline system that will 
transport NGLs (in particular, ethane) derived from gas produced in the 
Marcellus Shale play in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and 
neighboring states to the international boundary under the St. Clair 
River and onward in the Province of Ontario, Canada, to a petrochemical 
complex located in Corunna, Ontario. Line 20 was constructed in 1986 
and owned by Polysar Hydrocarbons Inc. (``Polysar'') and its upstream 
owner, Polysar Energy and Chemical Corporation.
    Since 1995, the Line 20 facilities have been used pursuant to lease 
arrangements for the transportation of natural gas under Presidential 
Permits which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (``FERC'') 
issued to Bluewater Gas Storage, L.L.C. (``Bluewater Gas Storage'') and 
a predecessor. The lease under which Bluewater Gas Storage has been 
operating the Line 20 facilities includes a provision permitting its 
termination on not less than two years' notice. NOVA Inc. provided 
Bluewater Gas Storage notice that the Line 20 facilities lease will 
terminate effective no later than January 27, 2013. Upon termination of 
the lease, possession and operation of the Line 20 facilities will 
revert to NOVA Inc., which proposes to convert the Line 20 facilities 
back to NGLs transportation service.
    The Department of State has concluded that the 1986 Presidential 
Permit expired as to the Line 20 facilities when these were converted 
to a natural gas transportation service and operated pursuant to a 
Presidential Permit issued to Bluewater Gas Storage LLC., by FERC. 
Because NOVA intends to place Line 20 facilities back into natural gas 
liquids transportation service in 2013, NOVA is seeking reinstatement 
of the 1986 Presidential permit on Line 20 facilities with changes 
reflecting its ownership of the Line 20 facilities.
    Under E.O. 13337 the Secretary of State is designated and empowered 
to receive all applications for Presidential Permits for the 
construction, connection, operation, or maintenance at the borders of 
the United States, of facilities for the exportation or importation of 
liquid petroleum, petroleum products, or other non-gaseous fuels to or 
from a foreign country. The Department of State is circulating this 
application to concerned federal agencies for comment. The Department 
of State has the responsibility to determine whether issuance of a 
Presidential Permit reflecting the change in ownership or control of 
Line 20 and the reversion to transporting natural gas liquids would be 
in the U.S. national interest.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments within 30 days 
of the publication of this notice by email to 
[email protected] with

[[Page 67057]]

regard to whether issuing a new Presidential Permit reflecting the 
corporate succession and authorizing NOVA, Inc. to operate and maintain 
Line 20 would be in the national interest. The application is available 
at http://www.state.gov/e/enr/c52945.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Brennan, Bureau of Energy 
Resources, Office of Energy Diplomacy--Europe, Western Hemisphere and 
Africa (ENR/EDP/EWA), Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, Tel: 
202-647-9158, EMAIL: [email protected].

    Dated: October 26, 2012.
Douglas R. Kramer,
Acting Director, Office of Europe, Western Hemisphere and Africa, 
Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2012-27330 Filed 11-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-P