Transwestern Pipeline Company, et al.; Natural Gas Certificate Filings

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. CP95-65-000, et al.]

Transwestern Pipeline Company, et al.; Natural Gas Certificate

Filings

November 16, 1994.

Take notice that the following filings have been made with the

Commission:

1. Transwestern Pipeline Company and Natural Gas Pipeline Company

of America

[Docket No. CP95-65-000]

Take notice that on November 9, 1994, Transwestern Pipeline Company

(Transwestern), 1400 Smith Street, Houston, Texas 77002 and Natural Gas

Pipeline Company of America (Natural), 701 East 22nd Street, Lombard,

Illinois 60148, filed in Docket No. CP95-65-000 a joint application

pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural Gas Act for permission and

approval to abandon an exchange service between Transwestern and

Natural performed under Transwestern's Rate Schedule X-7 and Natural's

Rate Schedule X-18, authorized in Transwestern's Docket No. CP68-344

and Natural's Docket No. CP68-358, all as more fully set forth in the

joint application on file with the Commission and open to public

inspection.

It is stated that pursuant to a gas exchange agreement between

Transwestern and Natural dated August 16, 1968 (Agreement),

Transwestern and Natural were authorized to exchange natural gas during

periods of emergency in Eddy County, New Mexico and Hansford and Gray

Counties, Texas. It is also stated that the exchange service was to be

performed under Transwestern's Rate Schedule X-7 and Natural's Rate

Schedule X-18.

It is stated that by a termination agreement between Transwestern

and Natural dated October 12, 1994, Transwestern and Natural agreed to

terminate the Agreement as of December 1, 1993. It is also stated that

Transwestern and Natural have therefore requested authority in this

joint application to abandon the exchange service authorized in

Transwestern's Docket No. CP68-344 and Natural's Docket No. CP68-358,

which was to be performed by Transwestern and Natural under the

Agreement, and cancel Transwestern's Rate Schedule X-7 and Natural's

Rate Schedule X-18.

Comment date: December 7, 1994, in accordance with Standard

Paragraph F at the end of this notice.

2. Trunkline Gas Company

[Docket No. CP95-67-000]

Take notice that on November 10, 1994, Trunkline Gas Company

(Trunkline), P.O. Box 1642, Houston, Texas 77251-1642, filed in Docket

No. CP95-67-000 an application pursuant to Section 7(b) of the Natural

Gas Act for permission and approval to abandon 160 feet of 16-inch

diameter pipeline located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, all as more

fully set forth in the application on file with the Commission and open

to public inspection.

Trunkline proposes to abandon 160 feet of its 205A-0100 Kaplan

mainline located between Gate Valves 205A-1 and 205A-101, downstream of

its Trident Lowery Plant. Trunkline states that in August 1992, it

discovered that this segment of pipeline had incurred an internal

corrosion leak and determined that it should be replaced under

Sec. 2.55(b) of the Commission's Regulations. Trunkline also states

that in December 1993, it removed the 160 feet of pipeline and rerouted

the gas coming from the Trident Lowery Plant into its adjacent 24-inch

Line 200-2 for a short haul to the next downstream crossover. Trunkline

asserts that it is not necessary to replace the subject pipeline

segment because its present system is capable of the short-haul of the

Lowery Plant volumes without any detrimental impact on system

requirements or daily operations.

Comment date: December 7, 1994, in accordance with Standard

Paragraph F at the end of this notice.

3. Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation

[Docket No. CP95-74-000]

Take notice that on November 15, 1994, Texas Eastern Transmission

Corporation (Texas Eastern), P.O. Box 1642, Houston, Texas 77056-1642,

filed an application in Docket No. CP95-74-000 pursuant to Section 7(c)

of the Natural Gas Act for a certificate of public convenience and

necessity authorizing it to provide additional firm long-term

incremental transportation service for Rate Schedule FTS-7 and FTS-8

customers, to construct and operate additional pipeline facilities

required to render such services, and to charge revised FTS-7 and FTS-8

rates reflecting the incremental facility costs, all as more fully set

forth in the application on file with the Commission and open to public

inspection.

Texas Eastern requests the subject authorization to provide firm

transportation service for New Jersey Natural Gas Company (NJN),

Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW), and Colonial Gas Company (Colonial),

collectively referred to as the Customers. Texas Eastern proposes to

render the firm transportation service for the Customers to and from

the interconnection of Texas Eastern's and CNG Transmission

Corporation's (CNG) facilities at the Oakford storage field at Meter

Station No. 082 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Texas Eastern

states that it will redeliver the requested volumes of natural gas to

the customers at existing points of delivery.

Texas Eastern indicates that pursuant to Rate Schedules FTS-7 and

FTS-8, a former SS-2 or SS-3 customer can request firm transportation

under Rate Schedules FTS-7 and FTS-8 (``firm-up'') of all or a portion

the interruptible delivery component of the service formerly provided

under Rate Schedules SS-2 and SS-3. their service. It is further stated

that Rate Schedules FTS-7 and FTS-8 also provide that if Texas Eastern

goes forward with such requests, receives required authorizations and

expands its system, the costs associated with the expansion will be

borne by all Rate Schedule FTS-7 and FTS-8 customers

In addition, to requesting authorization to provide additional

transportation service to the Customers pursuant to Rate Schedules FTS-

7 and FTS-8, Texas Eastern seeks to construct and operate certain

facilities necessary to provide this service and to ``roll-in'' the

capital costs to its existing FTS-7 and FTS-8 rates as permitted by

those rate schedules.

Specifically, Texas Eastern requests authorization to:

(1) Provide firm, additional, long-term, incremental transportation

service of natural gas under Rate Schedules FTS-7 and/or FTS-8 of up to

a total of 8,776 Dekatherms per day (Dthd) for the Customers as

follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

FTS-7 FTS-8

Dth/d Dth/d

------------------------------------------------------------------------

NJN................................................... 1,449 3

PGW................................................... 318 7

Colonial.............................................. 6,984 15

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Total........................................... 8,751 25

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(2) Construct, install, own and operate facilities necessary to

provide the proposed services, consisting of approximately 2.39 miles

of 36-inch pipeline looping in two separate segments within the state

of Pennsylvania. The specific facilities include:

1.0 mile of 36-inch pipeline looping between Texas

Eastern's Delmont Compressor Station in Westmoreland County,

Pennsylvania and

1.39 miles of 36-inch pipeline looping between Texas

Eastern's existing Shermans Dale and Grantsville Compressor Stations in

Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

The estimated total cost of the proposed facilities (in 1996 dollar

is $8,203,000, of which $8,180,000 is attributable to FTS-7 service and

the remaining $23,000 is attributable to FTS-8 service. Texas Eastern

would finance the proposed facilities with short-term borrowings or

funds on hand. Texas Eastern proposes to complete the construction and

installation of the incremental facilities on or about November 1,

1996, the proposed date of in-service for the firm transportation

service proposed herein.

(3) Adjust the reservation charges applicable to Rate Schedules

FTS-7 and FTS-8 to reflect the impact of ``rolling in'' the costs

associated with the expanded facilities. Texas Eastern states that the

rate treatment is a material aspect of the agreements between it and

the customers and therefore requests that the Commission specifically

authorize this treatment, consistent with the Commission's previous

``firm-up'' orders, the agreement of the parties and Section 10 of Rate

Schedules FTS-7 and FTS-8

Based on the annual cost of service for the facilities proposed

herein, Texas Eastern proposes for Rate Schedule FTS-7, a revised

reservation charge of $7.138 per dth. For Rate Schedule FTS-8, Texas

Eastern estimates a revised reservation charge of $6.972 per dth. Texas

Eastern asserts that provision of this service will, therefore, have no

impact on the rate or services of Texas Eastern's other customers.

Prior to the commencement of the proposed incremental services, Texas

Eastern states that it will file revised tariff sheets for Rate

Schedules FTS-7 and FTS-8 to reflect the adjusted reservation charges.

Comment date: December 7, 1994, in accordance with Standard

Paragraph F at the end of this notice.

4. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation

[Docket No. CP95-78-000]

Take notice that on November 15, 1994, Transcontinental Gas Pipe

Line Corporation (Transco), Post Office Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251,

filed in Docket No. CP95-78-000 a request pursuant to Secs. 157.205 and

157.208 of the Commission's Regulations under the Natural Gas Act for

authorization to construct and operate facilities located at Compressor

Station 200, Chester County, Pennsylvania to comply with the Clear Air

Act Amendments of 1990, under the blanket certificate issued in Docket

No. CP82-426-000, pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, all

as more fully set forth in the request which is on file with the

Commission and open to public inspection.

Transco states that the Clear Air Act Amendments of 1990 and state

implementation plans pursuant thereto require certain reductions of

NOX (oxides of nitrogen) air emissions at certain of Transco's

compressor stations. Transco proposes to install certain facilities at

the compressor stations to achieve the reductions of NOX. It is

stated that Transco plans to install these facilities pursuant to its

part 157 subpart F blanket certificate. \1\ Transco states that it

would file under the prior notice procedure if the total cost of

installing facilities at a compressor station exceeded $6.6 million.

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\1\Transco states that it plans to install these facilities

under the blanket authorization based on the precedent established

in an order issued to Transco on December 27, 1993, in Docket No.

CP93-737-000 (65 FERC  61,408). It is indicated that in that order

the Commission authorized Transco to install under its blanket

certificate a turbocharger at one of its compressor stations as a

pilot project to reduce NOX emissions.

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Specifically, Transco states that at Station No. 200 in Chester

County, Pennsylvania it plans to install turbocharger and associated

equipment on six of the thirteen existing engines in order to reduce

NOX emissions. It is stated that these engines currently do not

have turbochargers on them. It is also stated that on the other seven

engines, Transco states that it plans to modify the existing

turbochargers to increase their capacity and install associated

equipment in order to reduce NOX emissions. It is stated that, in

both cases, these emissions would be reduced because of an increase in

the air-to-fuel ratio and other engine adjustments. Transco states that

the higher air content serves to increase the heat capacity of the

mixture in the combustion chamber, which lowers combustion temperature

and thus reduces the formation of NOX.

Transco further states that with respect to the installation of

turbochargers on the six engines where there have been none before, the

potential would be created of these engines being capable of performing

at above their current operating horsepower. It is stated that since

that station is automated, Transco has the ability to shut down other

engines or reduce their load to ensure that the station would not

operate above the stations' total certificated horsepower. Transco

states that, since it would install these turbochargers at Station No.

200 solely to address an environmental matter, i.e., NOx

emissions, Transco has no intent or need to operate the station above

its certificated horsepower. Therefore, Transco states that when it

installs these turbochargers at Station No. 200, it would adjust the

automation program at the station so the station would not operate

above its certificated horsepower.\2\

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\2\It is stated that the potential for increased horsepower on

these six engines is the same as the situation that existed in

connection with installation of the turbocharger referred to in

footnote one of this notice. Transco states that as with the

representation in this filing, in that previous case Transco

represented that it would adjust the automation program at the

station so the station would not operate above its certificated

horsepower. As stated in footnote one, in that previous case the

Commission authorized Transco to install the turbocharger pursuant

to its blanket certificate, stating that `` the fact that the

equipment has the potential to alter capacity is, in this instance,

incidental to the purpose [of reducing NOx emissions] for which

the turbocharger would be installed.''

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Transco states that, at the other seven engines, modification of

the existing turbochargers to increase their capacity would not create

the potential of the engines performing above their current operating

horsepower because the engines are already operating at maximum

horsepower and cannot operate at a higher horsepower output. Thus, it

is stated, there would be increase in the capacity on Transco's system

in the vicinity of the station as a result of installation of the six

new turbochargers. It is also indicated that all of the installation

work would be within the yard of the existing station.

It is stated that the estimated cost of Transco's proposed

facilities in $14,694,000.

Comment date: January 3, 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 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. 94-29425 Filed 11-29-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-M