[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25396-25397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08740]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP22-33-001]


Northern Natural Gas Company; Notice of Request for Extension of 
Time

    Take notice that on April 13, 2023, Northern Natural Gas Company 
(Northern) requested that Federal

[[Page 25397]]

Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) grant an extension of time, 
until May 31, 2025, for the Redfield Broderick Well Replacement Project 
(Project), to allow sufficient time to complete construction of the 
Project. Northern received a prior notice authorization for the Project 
on March 7, 2022, which authorized: Northern to replace the existing 
Broderick No. 9 well with a new well, the Broderick No. 16 well, along 
with associated surface facilities at Northern's existing Redfield 
storage field located in Dallas County, Iowa. The Commission's prior 
notice regulations require Northern to complete the construction of the 
Project and make it available for service within one year from 
issuance, or by March 7, 2023.\1\
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    \1\ 18 CFR 157.206.
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    In Northern's request for an extension of time, Northern stated 
that it did not anticipate downhole issues within the Broderick No. 16 
well and fully anticipated the drill would be completed within the one-
year construction timeframe. Northern has completed the abandonment of 
the Broderick No. 9 well; however, the Broderick No. 16 well 
installation has not been completed. Northern reported in the weekly 
environmental inspector reports that Northern was experiencing downhole 
cement integrity issues at the Broderick No. 16 well resulting from 
poor cement bond quality in the production casing. To attempt to 
remediate the integrity concerns, Northern's contractor conducted two 
cement squeeze remediations August 2022. Northern's drilling contractor 
also ran a cement bond log tool, which indicated that the cement 
squeeze remediations were insufficient. On September 13, 2022, the 
drill rig was removed from Broderick No. 16 well lot, and Northern 
continues to work with industry consultants for remedial options. Due 
to the extenuating circumstances Northern requests an extension of time 
which to complete the Project from the one-year date of March 7, 2023, 
to the new projected completion date of May 31, 2025.
    This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment 
period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on Northern's request 
for an extension of time may do so. No reply comments or answers will 
be considered. If you wish to obtain legal status by becoming a party 
to the proceedings for this request, you should, on or before the 
comment date stated below, file 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 
Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.10).\2\
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    \2\ Only motions to intervene from entities that were party to 
the underlying proceeding will be accepted. Algonquin Gas 
Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 39 (2020).
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    As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on 
requests for extensions of time to complete construction for Natural 
Gas Act facilities when such requests are contested before order 
issuance. For those extension requests that are contested,\3\ the 
Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 
days.\4\ The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether 
the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the 
extension.\5\ The Commission will not consider arguments that re-
litigate the issuance of the Certificate Order, including whether the 
Commission properly found the project to be in the public convenience 
and necessity and whether the Commission's environmental analysis for 
the certificate complied with the National Environmental Policy Act.\6\ 
At the time a pipeline requests an extension of time, orders on 
certificates of public convenience and necessity are final and the 
Commission will not re-litigate their issuance.\7\ The OEP Director, or 
his or her designee, will act on those extension requests that are 
uncontested.
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    \3\ Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes 
any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1).
    \4\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
    \5\ Id. P 40.
    \6\ Similarly, the Commission will not re-litigate the issuance 
of an NGA section 3 authorization, including whether a proposed 
project is not inconsistent with the public interest and whether the 
Commission's environmental analysis for the permit order complied 
with NEPA.
    \7\ Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ] 61,144, at P 40 
(2020).
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    In addition to publishing the full text of this document in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this document via the 
internet through the Commission's Home Page (http://www.ferc.gov) using 
the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three 
digits in the docket number field to access the document. At this time, 
the Commission has suspended access to the Commission's Public 
Reference Room. For assistance, contact FERC at 
[email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3676 or TTY, 
(202) 502-8659.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments, 
protests and interventions in lieu of paper using the ``eFile'' link at 
http://www.ferc.gov. Persons unable to file electronically should 
submit an original copy of the protest or intervention by US mail to 
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 
First Street NE, Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426. Submissions by any 
other courier in docketed proceedings should be delivered to, Kimberly 
D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins 
Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
    Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 4, 2023.

    Dated: April 19, 2023.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-08740 Filed 4-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P