[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 82 (Wednesday, April 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23426-23427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-11304]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Docket No. CP98-359-000]
El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice of Request Under Blanket
Authorization
April 23, 1998.
Take notice that on April 16, 1998, El Paso Natural Gas Company (El
Paso), P.O. Box 1492, El Paso, Texas 79978, filed in Docket No. CP98-
359-000 a request pursuant to Sections 157.205 and 157.212 of the
Commission's Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205,
157.212) for authorization to construct and operate a new delivery
point located in Cochise County, Arizona, to permit the interruptible
transportation and delivery of natural gas to Mexicana de Cobre, S.A.
de C.V. (Mexcobre), near the International Boundary between the United
States and Mexico near the town of Douglas, Arizona, under El Paso's
blanket certificate issued in Docket Nos. CP82-435-000 and CP88-433-
000, pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act (NGA), all as more
fully set forth in the request that is on file with the Commission and
open to public inspection.
El Paso states that Mexcobre currently operates a copper mine in
Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico, located approximately 65 miles south of the
town of Douglas, Cochise County, Arizona, and the International
Boundary between the United States and Mexico. El Paso further states
that Mexcobre has been using high sulfur residual oil as fuel for its
mining of copper, but that it now desires to use clean burning natural
gas as a fuel for its mining process.
Further, El Paso states that in support of Mexcobre's decision to
use natural gas as fuel for its mining operations, Mexcobre has
requested that El Paso provide transportation service for Mexcobre and,
therefor, El Paso and Mexcobre have entered into an interruptible
Transportation Service Agreement dated March 17, 1998. The proposed
quantity of natural gas to be transported on an interruptible basis to
the proposed delivery point is estimated to be an average of 24 MMcf
per day.
[[Page 23427]]
El Paso also states that in order to facilitate Mexcobre's request
for natural gas service, El Paso and Mexcobre agreed, by Letter
Agreement dated March 17, 1998, that El Paso would: (i) install a 12-
inch tap and valve assembly on Line No. 1004; and (ii) cause the
construction of, on El Paso's behalf, a dual 8-inch meter station
(Mexcobre-Douglas Delivery Point) and approximately 1.15 miles of 16-
inch-diameter pipeline (Mexicana de Cobre Lateral Line) extending from
the proposed delivery point to the International Boundary between the
United States and Mexico in Cochise County, Arizona.
El Paso states that by this application, it is seeking
authorization for the construction and operation of the proposed
Mexcobre-Douglas Delivery Point; and that as for the Mexicana de Cobre
Lateral Line, El Paso states that it will construct and operate this
line under Section 157.208(a) of the Commission's Regulations.
El Paso states that concurrently, it is filing an application,
pursuant to Section 3 of the NGA and Subparts B and C of Part 153 of
the Commission's Regulations Under the NGA, for Section 3 authorization
and a Presidential Permit regarding the proposed pipeline facilities at
the International Boundary between the United States and Mexico.
El Paso also states that construction and operation of the proposed
Mexcobre-Douglas Delivery Point is not prohibited by El Paso's existing
Volume No. 1-A Tariff, and that it has sufficient capacity to
accomplish the deliveries of the requested gas volumes without
detriment or disadvantage to El Paso's other customers.
El Paso states the total estimated cost of the proposed Mexcobre-
Douglas Delivery Point is $266,300, and that the estimated cost of the
Mexicana de Cobre Lateral Line is $338,300. El Paso indicates that
Mexcobre has agreed, pursuant to the March 17, 1998 Letter Agreement,
to reimburse El Paso for all actual costs related to construction of
the proposed Mexcobre-Douglas Delivery Point and the Mexicana de Cobre
Lateral Line.
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 Section 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 therefore,
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.
David P. Boergers,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-11304 Filed 4-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M
