[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5175-5177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1956]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. CP95-152-000, et al.]
Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, et al.; Natural Gas
Certificate Filings
January 19, 1995.
Take notice that the following filings have been made with the
Commission:
1. Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America
[Docket No. CP95-152-000]
Take notice that on January 11, 1995, Natural Gas Pipeline Company
of America (Natural), 701 East 22nd Street, Lombard, Illinois 60148,
filed an application pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act
for permission and approval to abandon, by sale to MidCon Texas
Pipeline Corp (MidCon Texas), an intrastate pipeline and affiliate, the
Willamar Facilities, all as more fully set forth in the application
which is on file with the Commission and open to public inspection.
[[Page 5176]]
Transwestern states that the Willamar Facilities consist of
following facilities:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lateral name Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
16-in Willamar Lateral... --42.61 miles of 16-inch lateral--one 10-inch
sidetap--Jim Wells, Brooks and Kenedy
Counties, Texas.
12-in Willamar Lateral... --30.29 miles of 12-inch lateral--Dual 6-inch
meter stations--Dual 8-inch meter stations--
Kenedy & Willacy Counties, Texas.
Encinitas Lateral........ --17.11 miles of 8-inch lateral--one 6-inch
sidetap--Dual 4-inch meter stations--Brooks
County, Texas.
Sal del Rey Lateral...... --14.19 miles of 10-inch lateral--one 8-inch
sidetap--Dual 6-inch meter stations--Kenedy
& Hidalgo Counties, Texas.
Santa Fe Lateral......... --5.15 miles of 8-inch lateral--one 6-inch
sidetap--one meter station--Brooks County,
Texas.
Nile Lateral............. --1.52 miles of 4-inch lateral--one 4-inch
sidetap--one meter station--Willacy County,
Texas.
Raymondville Lateral..... --0.85 mile of 4-inch lateral--one 4-inch
sidetap--one meter station--Willacy County,
Texas.
Tennessee Gas Facilities. --one 4-inch sidetap--Brooks County, Texas.
North Willamar Lateral... --2.27 miles of 4-inch lateral--one 3-inch
sidetap--one meter station--Willacy County,
Texas.
Sal del Rey No. 2 Lateral --0.37 miles of 3-inch lateral--one 3-inch
sidetap--one meter station--Hidalgo County,
Texas.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a result of Order No. 636, Natural states that it no longer
provides bundled sales service and thus no longer has any need to
utilize the Willamar Facilities to receive gas purchased by Natural for
its system supply. Natural states that, over the years, the volumes of
gas that are connected to the Willamar Facilities have declined so that
currently, given the operating pressures on Natural's system, there are
only approximately 5,000 MMBtu per day available to be transported by
Natural.
According to Natural, MidCon Texas has identified additional
opportunities to utilize the Willamar Facilities in the sense of
providing intrastate transportation service for gas supplies not
currently attached to these facilities. It is stated that MidCon has
advised Natural that some of these intrastate opportunities would need
to be provided at rates that could be below Natural's minimum rates
(taking into account the ACA charge and the costs associated with the
reimbursement of fuel and gas lost and unaccounted for, as well as
Natural's transportation rates). It is further stated that, thus, these
opportunities would not be available to Natural if it retained the
Willamar Facilities.
Natural states that it has entered into an agreement to transfer
the Willamar Facilities to MidCon Texas, at net book value as of the
Closing Date under the agreement. It is stated that as of November 30,
1994, the net book value was $1,064,632. Natural states that a portion
of the facilities are being rehabbed during the first quarter of 1995
under Section 2.55(b) of the Commission's regulations. Natural states
that the net book value shown here does not include the cost of such
rehab work, but the amount to be paid by MidCon Texas will include that
cost.
Natural contends that it is arranging for alternative primary
points of receipt for any of its shippers receiving service under firm
transportation agreements with primary receipt points on the Willamar
Facilities. It is stated that MidCon Texas provides open access
transportation under Section 311(a)(2) of the NGPA, in addition to
intrastate transportation, and will continue to provide transportation
service to the producers currently connected to the Willamar Facilities
and deliver the gas back to Natural for further transportation.
Natural states that MidCon Texas has advised that one of its
prospective new customers has requested that MidCon Texas be ready to
commence intrastate transportation services for new production that
would be attached to the Willamar Facilities by May 15, 1995, subject
to Natural's receipt of abandonment authorization. Therefore, Natural
requests that the Commission act on its application by May 1, 1995, or
as soon thereafter as possible, in order to allow sufficient time to
complete the necessary paperwork to transfer the facilities by May 15,
1995.
Comment date: February 9, 1995, in accordance with Standard
Paragraph F at the end of this notice.
2. Transwestern Pipeline Company
[Docket No. CP95-153-000]
Take notice that on January 12, 1995, Transwestern Pipeline Company
(Transwestern), 1400 Smith Street, Post Office Box 1188, Houston, Texas
77251-1188 filed an application pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural
Gas Act for permission and approval to abandon by sale to GPM Gas
Corporation (GPM) certain portions of Transwestern's Brillhart and
Kiowa Creek gathering systems, including small diameter gathering
pipeline and measurement facilities and requests that the Commission
authorize the proposed accounting treatment in accordance with the
Commission's Gas Plant Instruction No. 5 of the Uniform System of
Accounts, all as more fully set forth in the application which is on
file with the Commission and open to public inspection.
Transwestern states that under the terms of a January 10, 1995,
Purchase and Sale Agreement (Sale Agreement) Transwestern agreed to
sell the subject facilities to GPM for a price of $250,000.
Transwestern states that it has agreed to sell to GPM a portion of its
Brillhart gathering facilities in Hansford County, Texas, consisting of
approximately seven miles of 4 to 8-inch pipelines and eight meter
stations. It is stated that the subject Brillhart facilities were
initially constructed and certificated in Docket No. CP69-102 and
additional facilities were subsequently built to attach gas wells under
various dockets.
In addition, Transwestern states that it proposes to sell to GPM a
portion of its Kiowa Creek gathering facilities in Lipscomb County,
Texas, which consists of approximately one mile of 4-inch pipeline and
two meter stations. It is stated that Transwestern was granted
certificate authority in Docket No. CP62-160 to construct the pipeline
and one meter station to connect the Meier No. 1 well to Transwestern's
pipeline system. In Docket No. CP78-62, Transwestern submits that it
was granted certificate authority to construct the pipeline and one
meter station to connect the Meier No. 2 well to Transwestern's system.
Transwestern contends that both Meier wells are now split connected and
flowing to GPM's gathering system. Also, it is stated that a small
field compressor unit, the Meier Cruise Unit No. 813, was installed on
the Kiowa Creek 4-inch lateral under Docket No. CP73-337 to allow the
low pressure Meier wells to flow into the Kiowa Creek 6-inch lateral.
It is stated that the Meier Cruise Compressor Unit No. 813 is included
in Transwestern's abandonment application in Docket No. CP94-751-000,
and is not subject to the [[Page 5177]] Sales Agreement. Transwestern
submits that it desires to sell such facilities to GPM because the gas
wells attached to these gathering laterals are now dedicated and
flowing to GPM's gathering systems and no longer flow through its
system.
Transwestern states that GPM has informed it that GPM has executed
a 10-year purchase contract on all production from the gas wells
flowing into Transwestern's laterals, which are the subject of the
Sales Agreement. Transwestern states that it is currently providing an
interruptible transportation service for GPM and is redelivering
volumes from the wells to interconnects with GPM located on certain of
the subject laterals.
Transwestern states that its Exhibit Y proposes to account for the
abandonment by sale of the Brillhart and Kiowa Creek gathering systems
to GPM as a disposition of an operating unit or system(s) under Gas
Plant Instruction No. 5, Gas Plant Purchased or Sold, (GPI 5) of the
Uniform System of Accounts. It is stated that GPI 5 requires that : (i)
the original cost of the facilities sold be removed from Account No.
101, Gas Plant in Service; (ii) the related accumulated provision for
depreciation be removed from Account No. 108; and (iii) the resultant
gain or loss be recorded in Account No. 421.1, Gain on Disposition of
Property, or Account No, 421.2, Loss on Disposition of Property, as
appropriate. It is stated that GPI 5 also requires that a disposition
of an operating unit or system be recorded through Account No. 102, Gas
Plant Purchased or Sold.
Therefore, in compliance with the Commission's Rules and
Regulations, Transwestern states that it shall account for the sale of
the Brillhart and Kiowa Creek gathering facilities as a gain on the
disposition of facilities in accordance with GPI 5.
Comment date: February 9, 1995, in accordance with Standard
Paragraph F at the end of this notice.
3. Florida Gas Transmission Company
[Docket No. CP95-155-000]
Take notice that on January 13, 1995, Florida Gas Transmission
Company (FGT), 1400 Smith Street, Houston, Texas 77002, filed a request
with the Commission in Docket No. CP95-155-000, pursuant to
Secs. 157.205(b) and 157.212 of the Commission's Regulations under the
Natural Gas Act (NGA) (18 CFR 157.205(b) and 157.212) and under FGT's
blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP82-553-000 pursuant to
Section 7(c) of the NGA, for authorization to operate an existing meter
station initially constructed under Section 311(a) of the Natural Gas
Policy Act of 1978 (NGPA), as a jurisdictional facility, all as more
fully set forth in the request on file with the Commission and open to
public inspection.
FGT states that it proposes to operate the Lake Blue Meter Station
located in Polk County, Florida as a jurisdictional facility for the
purpose of transporting and delivering natural gas under Part 284 of
the Commission's Regulations. FGT further states that the meter station
is serving as a delivery point to Peoples Gas System, Inc. under an
existing firm transportation service agreement pursuant to FGT's Rate
Schedule FTS-1.
FGT further states that the present and proposed gas quantities for
transportation and delivery to Peoples by FGT are 30,300 MMBtu daily
and 11,059,500 MMBtu annually.
Comment date: March 6, 1995, in accordance with Standard Paragraph
G at the end of this notice.
Standard Paragraphs
F. Any person desiring to be heard or to make any protest with
reference to said application should on or before the comment date,
file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20426, a motion to intervene or a protest 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). All protests filed with the Commission will be
considered by it in determining the appropriate action to be taken but
will not serve to make the protestants parties to the proceeding. Any
person wishing to become a party to a proceeding or to participate as a
party in any hearing therein must file a motion to intervene in
accordance with the Commission's Rules.
Take further notice that, pursuant to the authority contained in
and subject to the jurisdiction conferred upon the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission by Sections 7 and 15 of the Natural Gas Act and
the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, a hearing will be
held without further notice before the Commission or its designee on
this application if no motion to intervene is filed within the time
required herein, if the Commission on its own review of the matter
finds that a grant of the certificate and/or permission and approval
for the proposed abandonment are required by the public convenience and
necessity. If a motion for leave to intervene is timely filed, or if
the Commission on its own motion believes that a formal hearing is
required, further notice of such hearing will be duly given.
Under the procedure herein provided for, unless otherwise advised,
it will be unnecessary for applicant to appear or be represented at the
hearing.
G. Any person or the Commission's staff may, within 45 days after
issuance of the instant notice by the Commission, file pursuant to Rule
214 of the Commission's Procedural Rules (18 CFR 385.214) a motion to
intervene or notice of intervention and pursuant to Sec. 157.205 of the
Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205) a protest to the
request. If no protest is filed within the time allowed therefor, the
proposed activity shall be deemed to be authorized effective the day
after the time allowed for filing a protest. If a protest is filed and
not withdrawn within 30 days after the time allowed for filing a
protest, the instant request shall be treated as an application for
authorization pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act.
Lois D. Cashell,
Secretary,
[FR Doc. 95-1956 Filed 1-25-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P