[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29937-29938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13875]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. CP01-369-000]


Williams Gas Processing-Gulf Coast Company, L.P.; Notice of 
Petition for a Declaratory Order

May 29, 2001.
    Take notice that on May 18, 2001, Williams Gas Processing-Gulf 
Coast Company, L.P. (WGP), P.O. Box 1396, Houston, Texas 77251, filed a 
petition for a declaratory order in Docket No. CP01-369-000, requesting 
that the Commission declare that WGP's acquisition, ownership and 
operation of the Central Louisiana Gathering System located largely 
onshore Louisiana and in offshore waters on the Outer Continental Shelf 
(OCS), currently owned by WGP's affiliate, Transcontinental Gas Pipe 
Line Corporation (Transco), would have the primary function of 
gathering of natural gas and would thereby be exempt from the 
Commission's jurisdiction pursuant to section 1(b) of the Natural Gas 
Act, all as more fully set forth in the petition which is on file with 
the Commission and open to public inspection. The filing may be viewed 
on the web at http://www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202-208-2222 
for assistance).
    It is stated that Transco and WGP have entered into a Transfer and 
Assignment Agreement, as amended, under which Transco will transfer the 
subject gathering facilities to WGP at net book value, as set forth in 
Transco's application. WGP states that conveyance of the facilities 
will become effective on the last business day of the calendar month 
following a Commission order approving the abandonment and acceptable 
to Transco and WGP, or at a mutually agreeable date thereafter. 
Pursuant to the transfer agreement, WGP states that it will provide 
gathering services in a manner consistent with open access and non-
discriminatory principles. WGP states that this petition is a companion 
to Transco's concurrently filed application to abandon the subject 
facilities by transfer to WGP in Docket No. CP01-368-000.
    WGP states that this petition and the accompanying Transco 
application for abandonment are based on the Commission's current 
policy regarding its NGA jurisdiction over offshore facilities as set 
forth in the Sea Robin remand order, Sea Robin Pipeline Co., 87 FERC 
para. 61,384 (1999), reh'g denied, 92 FERC para. 61,072 (2000) (Sea 
Robin). WGP states that although WGP and Transco have a similar 
spindown

[[Page 29938]]

proceeding that has been pending before the Commission on rehearing 
since 1996, in this proceeding WGP and Transco have revised their 
spindown requests pursuant to the new policy in order to obtain prompt 
Commission Action.
    WGP states that Transco and WGP are undertaking to spindown 
Transco's offshore gathering facilities, on a system-by-system basis, 
under the Commission's reformulated ``primary function'' principles 
recently announced in Sea Robin. WGP states that on November 20, 2000, 
Transco and WGP filed to spindown portions of Transco's North Padre and 
Central Texas gathering systems together in Docket Nos. CP01-34-000 and 
CP01-32-000. It is also stated that on March 12, 2001, in Docket Nos. 
CP01-103-000 and CP01-104-000, Transco and WGP filed to spindown 
Transco's North High Island/West Cameron gathering system. WGP states 
that the instant application and petition propose to spindown Transco's 
Central Louisiana Gathering System. WGP states that it is Transco's and 
WGP's hope that presenting the revised spindown filings on a system-by-
system basis under the Commission's current policy--the reformulated 
primary function test--facilitate the Commission's prompt review and 
approval of the filings.
    WGP submits that the primary function of the facilities is 
gathering, consistent with the criteria set forth in Farmland 
Industries, Inc. (23 FERC para. 61,063 (1983)), as modified in 
subsequent orders. WGP submits that WGP's requested gathering 
determination and Transco's requested firm-to-gathering rate design go 
hand in hand.
    Any questions concerning this application may be directed to Mari 
M. Ransey, Esq., One Williams Center, MD 41-3, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74172, 
call (918) 573-2611.
    There are two ways to become involved in the Commission's review of 
this project. First, any person wishing to obtain legal status by 
becoming a party to the proceedings for this project should, on or 
before June 19, 2001, file with the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, 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 NGA (18 CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party 
status will be placed on the service list maintained by the Secretary 
of the Commission and will receive copies of all documents filed by the 
applicant and by all other parties. A party must submit 14 copies of 
filings made with the Commission and must mail a copy to the applicant 
and to every other party in the proceeding. Only parties to the 
proceeding can ask for court review of Commission orders in the 
proceeding.
    However, a person does not have to intervene in order to have 
comments considered. The second way to participate is by filing with 
the Secretary of the Commission, as soon as possible, an original and 
two copies of comments in support of or in opposition to this project. 
The Commission will consider these comments in determining the 
appropriate action to be taken, but the filing of a comment alone will 
not serve to make the filer a party to the proceeding. The Commission's 
rules require that persons filing comments in opposition to the project 
copies of their protests only to the party or parties directly involved 
in the protest.
    Comments, protests and interventions may be filed electronically 
via the internet in lieu of paper. See, 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and 
the instructions on the Commission's web site at http://www.ferc.fed.us/efi/doorbell.htm.
    If the Commission decides to set the application for a formal 
hearing before an Administrative law Judge, the Commission will issue 
another notice describing that process. At the end of the Commission's 
review process, a final Commission order approving or denying a 
certificate will be issued.

David P. Boergers,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-13875 Filed 6-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-M