2024-27977. National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation; Notice of Request for Extension of Time

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Department of Energy

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

1. [Docket No. CP17-443-001]

Take notice that on November 15, 2024, National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation (National Fuel) requested that the Commission grant an extension of time, until December 31, 2025, to complete abandonment of Well WH23 in the Wharton Storage Field as part of its Wharton WH23 Storage Well Abandonment Project (Project) located in Potter County, Pennsylvania. On March 25, 2017, the Commission issued a Notice of Request Under Blanket Authorization for the Project, which established a 60-day comment period, ending on July 7, 2017. No protests were filed during the comment period, and accordingly, by Rule, the project was authorized on July 8, 2017, and construction required to be completed within one year or July 24, 2018. The Commission subsequently granted four extensions of time; the current deadline for the Project facilities to be constructed and placed into service is December 31, 2024.^[1]

National Fuel states abandonment activities were suspended in June 2023 due to higher than anticipated wellhead pressures and that it has conducted work to allow for monitoring and isolation of certain storage reservoir zones. National Fuel states it plans to complete abandonment work and monitor the wellhead pressure over the 2024-2025 withdrawal season to assure the well is sealed. Therefore, National Fuel requests an extension of time until December 31, 2025, to complete abandonment work and assure that Well WH23 is sealed.

This notice establishes a 15-calendar day intervention and comment period deadline. Any person wishing to comment on National Fuel'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 (NGA) (18 CFR 157.10).

As a matter of practice, the Commission itself generally acts on requests for extensions of time to complete construction for NGA facilities when such requests are contested before order issuance. For those extension requests that are contested,^[2] the Commission will aim to issue an order acting on the request within 45 days.^[3] The Commission will address all arguments relating to whether the applicant has demonstrated there is good cause to grant the extension.^[4] 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 ( print page 94721) (NEPA).^[5] 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.^[6] The Director of the Office of Energy Projects, or his or her designee, will act on all of those extension requests that are uncontested.

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 ( https://www.ferc.gov). From the Commission's Home Page on the internet, this information is available on eLibrary. The full text of this document is available on eLibrary in PDF and Microsoft Word format for viewing, printing, and/or downloading. To access this document in eLibrary, type the docket number excluding the last three digits of this document in the docket number field.

User assistance is available for eLibrary and the Commission's website during normal business hours from FERC Online Support at [phone] (toll free at 1-866-208-3676) or email at [e-mail], or the Public Reference Room at [phone], TTY [phone]. Email the Public Reference Room at [e-mail].

The Commission strongly encourages electronic filings of comments in lieu of paper using the “eFile” link at http://www.ferc.gov. In lieu of electronic filing, you may submit a paper copy which must reference the Project docket number.

To file via USPS: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20426.

To file via any other courier: Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 12225 Wilkins Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners, environmental justice communities, Tribal members and others, access publicly available information and navigate Commission processes. For public inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions, comments, or requests for rehearing, the public is encouraged to contact OPP at [phone] or [e-mail].

Comment Date: 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 6, 2024.

Dated: November 21, 2024.

Debbie-Anne A. Reese,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  See National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation, Request for Extension of Time, filed July 22, 2021, and September 21, 2021 delegated letter order to National Fuel granting National Fuel's request.

2.  Contested proceedings are those where an intervenor disputes any material issue of the filing. 18 CFR 385.2201(c)(1).

3.   Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ¶ 61,144, at P 40 (2020).

4.   Id. at P 40.

5.  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.

6.   Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC, 170 FERC ¶ 61,144, at P 40 (2020).