[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 247 (Thursday, December 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80455-80456]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32349]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket No. USCG-2015-0472]


Deepwater Port License Application: Delfin LNG LLC, Delfin LNG 
Deepwater Port

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of Receipt of Amended Application; Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration (MARAD), in cooperation with the 
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), announces the receipt and availability of the 
amended deepwater port license application submitted by Delfin LNG LLC 
(Delfin LNG) on November 19, 2015 (amended application). The purpose of 
this Federal Register Notice is to explain the changes between the 
original application and the amended application and seek public 
comments regarding the amended application. Please note, MARAD and USCG 
have determined that this Federal Register Notice is sufficient for 
satisfying National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements for 
public scoping and seeking public comment on an agency action. As such, 
no public scoping meetings are planned to be held for the Delfin LNG 
amended application.
    A Notice of Application that summarized the original Delfin LNG 
license application was published in the Federal Register on July 16, 
2015 (80 FR 42162). A Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement and Notice of Public Meetings was published in the 
Federal Register on Wednesday, July 29, 2015 (80 FR 45270). This Notice 
incorporates the aforementioned Notices by reference and highlights 
changes to the proposed Delfin LNG project made since the original 
application was deemed complete.
    The proposed Delfin LNG deepwater port incorporates onshore 
components, which are subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission (FERC). These facilities are described in the 
section of this notice titled ``FERC Application.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Roddy Bachman, USCG, telephone: 
202-372-1451, email: [email protected], or Ms. Yvette M. Fields, 
Director, Office of Deepwater Ports and Offshore Activities, MARAD, 
telephone: 202-366-0926, email: [email protected]. For questions 
regarding viewing the Federal docket, call Docket Operations, telephone 
202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    We request public comments on the amended application for the 
proposed deepwater port. You can submit comments directly to the Docket 
Operations Facility during the public comment period from publication 
date of this Notice until Tuesday, January 19, 2016. We will consider 
all comments and materials received during the public comment period. 
Public comment submissions must be unbound, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 
inches and suitable for copying and electronic scanning. Please include 
the docket number (USCG-2015-0472) and your name and address on any 
correspondence.
    Submit comments or material using only one of the following 
methods:
     Online: Go to www.regulations.gov and search docket number 
``USCG-2015-0472.'' Follow the online instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30; U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, 
West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Bring comments to Docket 
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
    While not required, it is preferred that comments be submitted 
electronically, which facilitates use of computer software to sort, 
organize and search the comments. If you submit your comments 
electronically, it is not necessary to also submit a hard copy.

Background

    On May 8, 2015, as supplemented on June 19, 2015, MARAD and USCG 
received an application from Delfin LNG for all Federal authorizations 
required for a license to own, construct, and operate a deepwater port 
for the export of natural gas. On Thursday, July 16, 2015, a Notice of 
Application was published in the Federal Register (80 FR 42162) 
advising the public of the completed original application. Louisiana 
and Texas were designated as adjacent coastal States (ACS) for the 
original application.
    Two public scoping meetings were held in connection with the 
original Delfin LNG application. The first public scoping meeting was 
held in Lake Charles, Louisiana on August 18, 2015, and the second 
public scoping meeting was held in Beaumont, Texas on August 19, 2015. 
After the public scoping meetings concluded, Delfin LNG advised MARAD 
and USCG of its intent to amend the original application.
    In anticipation of the amended application, MARAD and USCG issued a 
regulatory ``stop-clock'' letter to Delfin LNG on September 18, 2015. 
That letter commenced a regulatory ``stop-clock,'' effective September 
18, 2015, which would remain in effect until MARAD and USCG received 
the amended application and determined it contained sufficient 
information to continue the Federal review process. On November 19, 
2015, Delfin LNG submitted its amended application to MARAD and USCG.
    Working in coordination with participating Federal and State 
agencies, we will commence processing the amended application and 
complete a Draft EIS which analyzes reasonable alternatives to, and the 
direct, indirect and cumulative environmental impacts of, the proposed 
action. When the Draft EIS is complete and ready for public review, a 
Notice of Availability will be published in the Federal Register. The 
Notice of Availability will provide for a public comment period that 
includes public meetings in Louisiana and Texas. The amended 
application is currently available for public review at the Federal 
docket Web site: www.regulations.gov under docket number USCG-2015-
0472.

Summary of the Amended Application

    The specific project changes from the original Delfin LNG 
application are: 1) the liquefaction capacity of the four proposed 
FLNGVs that would service the proposed Delfin deepwater port is 
increased from a base design capacity of two million metric tons per 
annum

[[Page 80456]]

(MMtpa) each (approximately 97 billion standard cubic feet per year 
[Bscf/y]) to three MMtpa each (approximately 146 Bscf/y), and 2) 
construction of new-build FLNGV hulls instead of converting existing 
tank vessels. In sum, the four FLNGVs will be designed to have the 
capability to produce approximately 12.0 MMtpa of LNG for export 
(approximately 585 Bscf/y), and as much as 13.2 MMtpa in the optimized 
design case, (approximately 657.5 Bscf/y). Each FLNGV would have a 
total LNG storage capacity of 210,000 cubic meters (m\3\), an increase 
from the original application's 165,000 m\3\.
    The amended application also provides for increased natural gas 
compression horsepower requirements at the onshore facility. These are 
described in the section of this Federal Register Notice entitled 
``FERC Application.''
    Other fundamental aspects of the proposed Delfin LNG project remain 
unchanged, including Port Delfin's location nearly 40 nautical miles 
offshore of Louisiana, the reuse and repurpose of two existing offshore 
pipelines, installation of new pipeline laterals leading to each tower 
yoke mooring system (TYMS), construction of a pipeline bypass around an 
existing platform at WC 167, and use of air cooling technology for the 
natural gas liquefaction process.

FERC Application

    On May 8, 2015, Delfin LNG filed its original application with FERC 
requesting authorizations pursuant to the Natural Gas Act and 18 CFR 
part 157 for the onshore components of the proposed deepwater port 
terminal including authorization to use the existing pipeline 
infrastructure, which includes leasing a segment of pipeline from HIOS 
extending from the terminus of the UTOS pipeline offshore. On May 20, 
2015, FERC issued its Notice of Application for the onshore components 
of Delfin LNG's deepwater port project in Docket No. CP15-490-000. This 
Notice was published in the Federal Register on May 27, 2015 (80 FR 
30226). Delfin LNG stated in its application that High Island Offshore 
System, LLC (HIOS) would submit a separate application with FERC 
seeking authorization to abandon by lease its facilities to Delfin LNG. 
FERC, however, advised Delfin LNG that it would not begin processing 
Delfin LNG's application until such time that MARAD and USCG deemed 
Delfin LNG's deepwater port license application complete and HIOS 
submitted an abandonment application with FERC. On June 29, 2015, MARAD 
and USCG accepted the documentation and deemed the original Delfin 
application complete.
    On November 19, 2015, HIOS filed an application (FERC Docket No. 
CP16-20-000) to abandon certain offshore facilities in the Gulf of 
Mexico, including its 66-mile-long mainline, an offshore platform, and 
related facilities (``HIOS Repurposed Facilities''). Also, on November 
19, 2015, Delfin LNG filed an amended application in FERC Docket No. 
CP15-490-001 to use the HIOS Repurposed Facilities and to revise the 
onshore component of its deepwater port project. On December 1, 2015, 
FERC issued a Notice of Application for Delfin LNG's amendment, which 
was published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2015 (80 FR 
76003).
    The amended FERC application specifically discusses the onshore 
facility and adjustments to the onshore operations that would involve 
reactivating approximately 1.1 miles of the existing UTOS pipeline; the 
addition of four new onshore compressors totaling 120,000 horsepower of 
new compression; activation of associated metering and regulation 
facilities; the installation of new supply header pipelines (which 
would consist of 0.25 miles of new 42-inch-diameter pipeline to connect 
the former UTOS line to the new meter station) and 0.6 miles of new 
twin 30-inch-diameter pipelines between Transco Station 44 and the new 
compressor station site. The original FERC application consisted of 
three new onshore compressors totaling 74,000 horsepower.
    Additional information regarding the details of Delfin LNG's 
original and amended application to the FERC is on file and open to 
public inspection. Project filings may be viewed on the web at 
www.ferc.gov using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number 
excluding the last three digits (i.e., CP15-490) in the docket number 
field to access project information. For assistance, please contact 
FERC at [email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or 
TYY, (202) 502-8659.

Privacy Act

    Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or material, 
all submissions will be posted, without change, to www.regulations.gov 
and will include any personal information you provide. Therefore, 
submitting this information to the docket makes it public. You may wish 
to read the Privacy and Security Notice, as well as the User Notice, 
that is available on the www.regulations.gov Web site and the 
Department of Transportation Privacy Act Notice that appeared in the 
Federal Register on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477), see Privacy Act. You 
may view docket submissions in person at the Docket Operations Facility 
or electronically on the www.regulations.gov Web site.

    (Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1501, et seq., 49 CFR 1.93(h)).

    Dated: December 18, 2015.

    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-32349 Filed 12-23-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-81-P