95-14741. Highlands Gathering and Processing Company, et al.; Natural Gas Certificate Filings  

  • [Federal Register Volume 60, Number 116 (Friday, June 16, 1995)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 31712-31714]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 95-14741]
    
    
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
    [Docket No. CP95-547-000, et al.]
    
    
    Highlands Gathering and Processing Company, et al.; Natural Gas 
    Certificate Filings
    
    June 9, 1995.
        Take notice that the following filings have been made with the 
    Commission:
    
    1. Highlands Gathering and Processing Company
    
    [Docket No. CP95-547-000]
    
        Take notice that on June 6, 1995, Highlands Gathering and 
    Processing Company (Highlands), Highland Place I, 8085 S Chester 
    Street, Suite 114, Englewood, Colorado 80112, filed a petition in 
    Docket No. CP95-547-000, requesting that the Commission declare that 
    certain West Texas facilities to be acquired by Highlands from Northern 
    Natural Gas Company (Northern) are gathering facilities within the 
    meaning of Section 1(b) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and therefore, 
    exempt from Commission jurisdiction, all as more fully set forth in the 
    petition which is on file with the Commission and open to public 
    inspection.
        Highlands relates that it currently owns and operates extensive 
    facilities for the gathering, treating, and processing of natural gas 
    in the Permian Production Area of West Texas, and that all of its 
    current operations are exempt from Commission jurisdiction pursuant to 
    NGA Section 1(b). Highlands states that it does not perform any 
    jurisdictional transportation services.
        It is stated that on April 21, 1995, Highlands, Northern, and 
    Highlands Gas Corp. entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement pursuant 
    to which Highlands will acquire from Northern approximately 127 miles 
    of four inch to sixteen inch pipeline, in addition to seven compression 
    stations, all of which are upstream of Northern's transmission 
    facilities which commence at the El Dorado compressor station. Upon 
    completion of the acquisition of the facilities, Highlands asserts that 
    it will use them in combination with its existing gathering system to 
    gather and process gas and to offer a full range of services on terms 
    dictated by market conditions to producers and gas purchasers.
        Highlands notes that Northern has filed in Docket No. CP95-543-000, 
    a companion abandonment application pursuant to Section 7(b) of the 
    NGA, for permission to abandon, by sale to Highlands, the subject 
    facilities, with appurtenances, located in Crockett, Schleicher, 
    Sutton, and Val Verde Counties, Texas.
        Highlands states that the facilities consist of three 
    interconnected pipeline segments: the Hunt-Baggett Segment, the 
    Vinegarone Segment and the Hulldale Segment, which intersect at the El 
    Dorado compression station. Highlands says it intends to operate the 
    segments as an integrated single system for the purpose of gathering. 
    Highlands indicates that the seven compressor stations are rated at 
    between 75 and 2313 horsepower with five of them operating at 195 
    horsepower or less, and that although certain pipeline segments may 
    realize pressures up to 500 psig, most of the facilities are operated 
    at pressures of 300 psig or less.
        Highlands submits that the subject facilities described in its 
    petition meet the criteria of ``gathering facilities'' under Section 
    1(b) of the NGA as interpreted by the Commission using the ``primary 
    function'' test, as set forth in Farmland Industries, Inc., 23 FERC 
    para.61,063 (1983). Highlands asserts that the following facilities, 
    described in more detail in the petition, meet the Commission's 
    standards for gathering: the length and diameter of the pipelines; the 
    El Dorado compressor station considered as the central point in the 
    field where the three pipeline segments converge before discharging gas 
    into Northern's transmission system; the pipelines which transport gas 
    from field gathering systems to the transmission facilities of an 
    interstate pipeline company or to a gas processing plant prior to 
    delivery into such transmission facilities; the size and operating 
    pressure of the facilities; and the amount and use of compression 
    capacity.
        Comment date: June 30, 1995, in accordance with the first paragraph 
    of Standard Paragraph F at the end of this notice.
    
    2. Overthrust Pipeline Company
    
    [Docket No. CP95-545-000]
    
        Take notice that on June 5, 1995, Overthrust Pipeline Company 
    
    [[Page 31713]]
        (Overthrust), 79 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 filed 
    in Docket No. CP95-545-000 an application pursuant to Section 7(b) of 
    the Natural Gas Act, as amended, and Sections 157.7 and 157.18 of the 
    Commission's Regulations thereunder for permission and approval to 
    abandon natural gas transportation service for Columbia Gas 
    Transportation Corporation (Columbia) and charge and collect from 
    Columbia a negotiated exit fee all as more fully set forth in the 
    application on file with the Commission and open to public inspection.
        Overthrust proposes to abandon the firm transportation service 
    provided for Columbia pursuant to a October 8, 1982 transportation 
    agreement (the Agreement) which provided for Overthrust to transport 
    and deliver, for Columbia's account, up to a maximum of 55,000 Mcf per 
    day purchased by Columbia from Chevron USA, Inc.'s Carter Creek and 
    Whitney Canyon fields located in the Overthrust Producing Area of Uinta 
    County, Wyoming. Overthrust indicates that the transportation service 
    was provided pursuant to Overthrust's Rate Schedule T. Overthrust, 
    noting that the contract will expire on January 1, 2003, explains that 
    Columbia informed Overthrust that it implemented restructured services 
    under the Commission's Order No. 636 effective October 1, 1993, and 
    that, as a result of the restructuring, Columbia no longer requires the 
    transportation service under the agreement.
        Overthrust further states that on March 3, 1995, Overthrust and 
    Columbia entered into a Stipulation terminating all contractual 
    obligations established under the Agreement through the payment of a 
    negotiated exit fee by Columbia to Overthrust.
        Additionally, Overthrust states that it does not propose to abandon 
    any facilities in conjunction with the instant abandonment 
    authorization request nor will there be any abandonment of facilities 
    as a result of the Commission granting the requested abandonment 
    authorization.
        Comment date: June 30, 1995, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
    F at the end of this notice.
    
    3. Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company and Trunkline Gas Company
    
    [Docket No. CP95-542-000]
    
        Take notice that on June 5, 1995, Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line 
    Company (Panhandle) and Trunkline Gas Company (Trunkline), P.O. Box 
    1642, Houston, Texas 77251-1642, filed a joint application with the 
    Commission in Docket No. CP95-542-000 pursuant to Section 7(b) of the 
    Natural Gas Act (NGA) for permission and approval to abandon an 
    emergency exchange agreement which was authorized in Docket No. CP76-
    6,\1\ all as more fully set forth in the application which is open to 
    the public inspection.
    
        \1\55 FPC 1041 (1976).
        Panhandle and Trunkline, by mutual agreement, propose to abandon 
    their emergency exchange services provided under Panhandle's and 
    Trunkline's respective FERC Rate Schedules E-11 and E-18. Panhandle and 
    Trunkline state that no facilities would be abandoned in this proposal, 
    rather the interconnection of Panhandle's 4-inch diameter lateral and 
    Trunkline's 26-inch diameter mainline in Vermilion County, Illinois, 
    would remain in place and available for open-access transportation 
    service. In the event that future emergency service should become 
    necessary, Panhandle and Trunkline state that it would be performed 
    under Part 284, subpart I of the Commission's Regulations.
        Comment date: June 30, 1995, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
    F at the end of this notice.
    
    4. K N Interstate Gas Transmission Company
    
    [Docket No. CP95-530-000]
    
        Take notice that on May 31, 1995, K N Interstate Gas Transmission 
    Company (K N Interstate), P.O. Box 281304, Lakewood, Colorado 80228-
    8304, filed in Docket No. CP95-530-000 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 install and 
    operate eight new delivery points located on K N Interstate's main 
    transmission system in Adams, Boone, Dawson, Harlan, Howard, Webster 
    and York Counties, Nebraska and Phillips County, Colorado under K N 
    Interstate's blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP83-140-000, et 
    al., pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, all as more fully 
    set forth in the request that is on file with the Commission and open 
    to public inspection.
        K N Interstate states that the proposed delivery points will be 
    added under an existing transportation agreement between K N Interstate 
    and K N Energy, Inc. (K N) and will be used by K N to facilitate the 
    delivery of natural gas to new direct retail customers.
        Comment date: July 24, 1995, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
    G at the end of this notice.
    
    5. Viking Gas Transmission Company
    
    [Docket No. CP95-539-000]
    
        Take notice that on June 2, 1995, Viking Gas Transmission Company 
    (Viking), 1010 Milam Street, P.O. Box 2511, Houston, Texas 77252, filed 
    in Docket No. CP95-539-000 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 establish an additional 
    delivery point for firm gas transportation services to the City of 
    Randall, Minnesota, under Viking's blanket certificate issued in Docket 
    No. CP82-414-000 pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, all as 
    more fully set forth in the request that is on file with the Commission 
    and open to public inspection.
        Viking states that the Cambridge delivery point will be located in 
    Morrison County, Minnesota, on Viking's system and that the total 
    quantities to be delivered to Randall will not exceed contract 
    quantities. Viking indicates that its has sufficient capacity in its 
    system to accomplish the delivery of gas to the proposed delivery point 
    without detriment to any of its other customers.
        The City of Randall has agreed to reimburse Viking for the costs of 
    the necessary facilities which consist of a two-inch hot tap, 
    measurement, and data acquisition equipment.
        Comment date: July 24, 1995, in accordance with Standard Paragraph 
    G at the end of this notice.
    
    6. Mississippi River Transmission Corporation
    
    [Docket No. CP95-548-000]
    
        Take notice that on June 7, 1995, Mississippi River Transmission 
    Corporation (MRT), 9900 Clayton Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63214, filed 
    in Docket No. CP95-548-000 a request pursuant to Section 7 of the 
    Natural Gas Act, as amended, and Sections 157.205 and 157.216(b) for 
    authorization to abandon a lateral line, sales tap and related 
    facilities and equipment which have been used to serve Owens-Illinois, 
    pursuant to MRT's blanket authorization issued in Docket No. CP82-489-
    000, all as more fully described in the request which is on file with 
    the Commission and open for public inspection. MRT also proposes to 
    abandon service to Owens-Illinois.
        MRT proposes to abandon approximately 750 feet of Line A-8, 
    pipeline in Madison, Illinois which was used to serve Owens-Illinois. 
    MRT states that Owens-Illinois has not taken any service from MRT since 
    the early 
    
    [[Page 31714]]
    1980s, and it no longer requires service at this location.
        MRT proposes to blind off Line A-8 at the tap valve and remove all 
    the above ground facilities. It is further stated that MRT proposes to 
    abandon in place all the underground pipe.
        Comment date: July 24, 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, D.C. 
    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 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 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.
    Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
    Acting Secretary.
    [FR Doc. 95-14741 Filed 6-15-95; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
    
    

Document Information

Published:
06/16/1995
Department:
Energy Department
Entry Type:
Notice
Document Number:
95-14741
Dates:
June 30, 1995, in accordance with the first paragraph of Standard Paragraph F at the end of this notice.
Pages:
31712-31714 (3 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. CP95-547-000, et al.
PDF File:
95-14741.pdf