Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Company, et al.; Natural Gas Certificate Filings

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. CP96-237-000, et al.]

Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Company, et al.; Natural Gas

Certificate Filings

March 20, 1996.

Take notice that the following filings have been made with the

Commission:

1. Williston Basin Interstate Pipeline Company

[Docket No. CP96-237-000]

Take notice that on March 8, 1996, Williston Basin Interstate

Pipeline Company (Williston Basin), Suite 300, 200 North Third Street,

Bismarck, North Dakota 58501, filed in Docket No. CP96-237-000 a

request pursuant to Sections 157.205 and 157.211 of the Commission's

Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205, 157.211) for

authorization to utilize two existing taps in South Dakota under

Williston Basin's blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP83-1-000

pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, all as more fully set

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

inspection.

Williston Basin states that Montana-Dakota requested authorization

to add an additional residential customer to an existing transmission

line tap at Station 391+00 on Williston Basin's 10-inch Ellsworth Air

Force Base line in Meade County and to add another residential customer

at Station 8368+73 on Williston Basin's 12-inch Black Hills Yellow line

in Lawrence County. The estimated volumes to be delivered at each area

will be 100 Mcf per year. Williston Basin proposes to utilize these

existing residential farm taps to effectuate additional natural gas

transportation deliveries to Montana-Dakota for other than right-of-way

grantor use.

Williston Basin states that the proposed service will have no

significant effect on its peak day or annual requirements and that it

has sufficient capacity to accomplish deliveries without detriment or

disadvantage to its other customers. Williston Basin also states that

the additional delivery points are not prohibited by its tariff and the

volumes to be delivered are within the contractual entitlements of the

customers.

Comment date: May 6, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph G

at the end of this notice.

2. National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation

[Docket No. CP96-243-000]

Take notice that on March 11, 1996, National Fuel Gas Supply

Corporation (National Fuel), 10 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, New York

14203, filed in Docket No. CP96-243-000, a request pursuant to Sections

157.205 and 157.211 of the Commission's Regulations under the Natural

Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205 and 157.211) for authorization to perform

construction on a sales tap located on National Fuel's T-M170 Line in

Clarion County, Pennsylvania. The subject tap renders service to an

existing firm transportation customer of National Fuel, National Fuel

Gas Distribution Corporation (Distribution). National Fuel makes such

request, under its blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP83-4-000,

pursuant to Section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, all as more fully set

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

inspection.

National Fuel proposes to perform construction on an existing sales

tap that provides transportation service to Distribution under National

Fuel's EFT Rate Schedule. Specifically, the sales tap on which

construction will take place is Station No. T-1218, which presently

includes a 4-inch turbine meter and regulators with 11/16-inch single

orifices. National Fuel is proposing to replace those facilities with a

6-inch turbine meter and 1-inch double orifices. It is stated that by

altering those facilities, the design delivery capacity of the

regulators will increase from 45.2 Mcf per hour to about 140 Mcf per

hour, and the measurement capacity will increase from 61 Mcf per hour

to about 122 Mcf per hour. National Fuel states that the proposed

upgrade is necessary to meet the increased demand for gas in the Miola,

Pennsylvania area and to provide a more reliable feed to Distribution.

National Fuel states that the volumes to be delivered at the

proposed tap will be within the certificated entitlement of

Distribution, and that the proposed service will have a minimal impact

on National Fuel's peak day and annual deliveries. The project is

estimated to cost $7,500.

Comment date: May 6, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph G

at the end of this notice.

[[Page 13169]]

3. Portland Natural Gas Transmission System

[Docket No. CP96-248-000]

Take notice that on March 14, 1996, Portland Natural Gas

Transmission System (PNGTS), 300 Friberg Parkway, Westborough,

Massachusetts 01581-5039, filed an application pursuant to Section 3 of

the Natural Gas Act, Sections 153.10 through 153.12 of the Commission's

regulations, and Executive Order No. 10485, as amended by Executive

Order No. 12038 and Secretary of Energy Delegation Order No. 0204-112

for Section 3 authorization and a Presidential Permit to site,

construct, operate and maintain pipeline facilities at the United

States-Canada International Boundary, all as more fully set forth in

the application which is on file with the Commission and open to public

inspection.

Specifically, PNGTS seeks authorization to site, construct, operate

and maintain approximately 500 feet of 20-inch pipeline near North

Troy, Vermont, commencing at the United States-Canada border and ending

at a proposed joint or bend in the pipeline. PNGTS states that its

facilities will enable it to meet gas needs in New England.

Comment date: April 10, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph

F at the end of this notice.

4. Portland Natural Gas Transmission System

[Docket No. CP96-249-000]

Take notice that on March 14, 1996, Portland Natural Gas

Transmission System (PNGTS), 300 Friberg Parkway, Westborough,

Massachusetts 01581-5039, filed in Docket No. CP96-249-000, an

application, pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, for a

certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing the

construction and operation of pipeline facilities for the

transportation of natural gas on a firm and interruptible basis. PNGTS

also seeks a blanket certificate pursuant to 18 CFR Part 157, Subpart

F, for the construction, operation, and/or abandonment of certain

facilities. Further, PNGTS seeks a blanket certificate pursuant to 18

CFR Part 284, Subpart G for self-implementing transportation authority.

These proposals are more fully set forth in the application which is on

file with the Commission and open to public inspection.

PNGTS is a general partnership under the laws of the State of

Maine. PNGTS's partners are: East Coast Pipeline Company, Gaz Metro

Portland Corporation, JMC Portland (Investors) Inc., Natural Gas

Development Corporation, TCPL Portland Inc., and Tenneco Portland

Corporation.

Specifically, PNGTS proposes to construct and operate approximately

242 miles of 20-inch mainline pipeline extending from the U.S.-Canada

border near North Troy, Vermont to Haverhill, Massachusetts; a 3.3-

mile, 12-inch lateral from the mainline at Westbrook, Maine to an

interconnection with Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc. (Granite

State) at Falmouth, Maine; a 1-mile, 12-inch lateral from the mainline

at Newington, New Hampshire to Granite State; and four metering

facilities. PNGTS states that the estimated cost of the proposed

facilities is $271 million and will be project financed. The proposed

in-service date of the facilities is November 1, 1998. PNGTS states

that its proposed pipeline has a design capacity of 178,000 Mcf per day

and that over 94 percent of the project's peak day capacity is subject

to long-term binding precedent agreements with four shippers.

PNGTS proposes to offer two types of firm service--365-day

transportation (Rate Schedule FT) and 151-day winter transportation

(November-March) (Rate Schedule WFT)--and interruptible transportation

service. PNGTS states that the rates for its service will be based on a

winter design day capacity of 178,000 Mcf per day with costs allocated

solely to shippers under Rate Schedules FT and WFT. PNGTS states that

the rates will utilize a straight fixed-variable rate design. PNGTS has

filed a pro forma tariff containing the terms and conditions for its

transportation services.

PNGTS maintains that its project will meet a growing demand for gas

in New England; allow Bay State Gas Company and Northern Utilities,

Inc. continued access to gas currently transported to them by Granite

State through a pipeline under a lease due to expire in April 1998;

enhance service on the existing New England infrastructure; and offer a

variety of transportation services in response to market demand for

flexible services.

Comment date: April 10, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph

F at the end of this notice.

5. Northwest Pipeline Corporation

[Docket No. CP96-252-000]

Take notice that on March 15, 1996, Northwest Pipeline Corporation

(Northwest), 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108, filed in

Docket No. CP96-252-000 a request pursuant to Section 157.205 of the

Commission's Regulations under the Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.205) for

authorization to abandon obsolete metering facilities and to construct

and operate modified metering facilities at a new location for the Echo

Lake Meter Station located in Snohomish County, Washington, under

Northwest's blanket certificate issued in Docket No. CP82-433-000

pursuant to Section 7 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.

Northwest proposes to abandon, by removal, the existing obsolete

facilities and to construct and operate modified metering facilities at

a new meter station site approximately 125 feet from the current

location.

Northwest states that the design capacity of the new meter station

would increase from 700 Dth per day to approximately 1,336 Dth per day

at 150 psig.

The estimated total cost of the abandonment and construction

project is stated to be approximately $209,960.

Comment date: May 6, 1996, in accordance with Standard Paragraph G

at the end of this notice.

Standard Paragraphs:

F. Any person desiring to be heard or make any protest with

reference to said filing should on or before the comment date file with

the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,

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 385.211 and 385.214) 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 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 filing 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 is 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

[[Page 13170]]

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 the applicant to appear or be represented at

the hearing.

G. Any person or the Commission's staff may, within 45 days after

the 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.

Lois D. Cashell,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96-7227 Filed 3-25-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717-01-P