24300 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 94 / Tuesday, May 14, 1996 / Notices

3Only Mountaineer receives NTS service.

eighteen gathering systems, demonstrate

that these Facilities would perform a

gathering function in CNR’s possession.

The following statements are those of

CNR.

(1) Length and Diameter of the

Lines—Although it is difficult to

generalize about so many lines, it is

clear that the great majority of these

lines are small diameter, short lines,

consistent with the configuration of

gathering area lines. While some lines

are larger than the 2.375’’ to 8.625’’ lines

which predominate, or greater than a

mile in length, such lines do not exceed

a size or a length appropriate for a

gathering function in similar

circumstances, e.g., to transport gas

gathered from other lines either directly

or indirectly to transmission lines.

(2) Extension Beyond a Central Point

in the Field—Unlike other production

areas such as those in the Southwest,

the ‘‘central point in the field test’’ is

not generally applicable to those

systems, given the unique geography

and development of the Appalachian

gathering area. Therefore, this test

provides little guidance in determining

the primary function of Appalachian

gathering systems such as those under

consideration here.

(3) Location of Compressors and

Processing Plants—There are no

processing plants upstream of these

Facilities, and only twelve compressors

on these eighteen gathering systems.

Those twelve compressors are either

field boosters which are necessary to

move gas over these low pressure

systems, or compress the gas for entry

into transmission lines.

(4) Geographic Configuration—An

examination of the maps contained in

Exhibits Z and Z1 of Columbia’s

abandonment application shows that

these Facilities form a ‘‘web-type’’ or

‘‘backbone’’ configuration and are

located in a production area where they

function as a production area gathering

network.

(5) Location of Wells—Each of these

eighteen gathering systems collects gas

from wells at production area receipt

points located along or throughout each

system.

(6) Operating Pressure of the Lines—

The operating pressure of the lines is

low, typically less than 100 psig, and in

all cases entirely consistent with a

gathering facility characterization in

these low pressure production areas.

(7) Purpose, Location and Operation

of the Facilities—The facilities are

located in a production area, and used

to provide gathering service by their

present owner and operator. Even the

few facilities functionalized on

Columbia’s books of account as

transmission either now perform a

gathering function or would do so when

owned and operated by CNR.

(8) The Owner’s General Business

Activity—CNR, the proposed owner of

these Facilities, would be a gatherer, not

an interstate transporter, of gas. It

intends to have no jurisdictional

transmission facilities. Therefore, these

Facilities would be gathering facilities

after the proposed transfer.

CNR states that it would operate the

facilities as an independent gas gatherer

to provide gas gathering and related

services on an open access,

nonjurisdictional, nondiscriminatory

basis to all customers. CNR states that

no existing shipper on any of these

eighteen gathering systems would be

faced with any reduction or loss of

gathering service. CNR explains that it

intends to provide substitute

nonjurisdictional alternatives to the

service provided by Columbia in

connection with its transportation

service under certain rate schedules in

Columbia’s Second Revised Volume No.

1 FERC Gas Tariff. Further, CNR would

attempt to negotiate new gathering

agreements with Columbia’s shippers.

However, if CNR is unable to reach

agreement with an existing gathering

shipper, CNR would offer such existing

shippers a default contract under which

they would continue to be able to

receive gathering service for a two-year

period, under rates, terms and

conditions consistent with those under

which Columbia currently provides

these gathering services. Proposed

default gathering contracts would be

submitted if the parties were unable to

negotiate mutually agreeable

arrangements.

CNR advises that Columbia currently

utilizes certain of the Facilities to

deliver gas scheduled under Rate

Schedules FTS, NTS,3 and SST to

Mountaineer Gas Company

(Mountaineer) and Columbia Gas of

Kentucky, Inc. (CKY), at Town Border

Stations. CNR plans to provide

nonjurisdictional direct delivery service

to Mountaineer and CKY, after the

proposed sale. Negotiations are

progressing with these two local

distribution companies for the

development of agreements for such

service by CNR.

CNR advises that, in addition to direct

delivery service at Town Border

Stations, Columbia utilizes many of the

Facilities to also deliver gas to certain

Mainline Tap Consumers served by

these local distribution companies and

by Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc.

These Mainline Tap Consumers are

attached directly to Columbia gathering

lines and, typically, are found in areas

which are remote from the nearest

measured distribution system and may

own land over which Columbia’s

gathering lines have been laid. Upon the

transfer of the Facilities to CNR,

deliveries to these Mainline Tap

Consumers would be continued by CNR

on a nonjurisdictional basis.

CNR further advises that, in the

companion application filed in Docket

No. CP96–386–000, Columbia proposes

to abandon two Points of Delivery at

exchange points on the Facilities with

CNG Transmission Corporation under

Columbia’s Rate Schedule X–35 and X–

84. However, the remaining exchange

points under these rate schedules would

not be affected by the proposed transfer

of the Facilities to CNR and exchange

services would continue to be provided

under Rate Schedules X–35 and X–84.

CNR also advises that Ashland

Exploration, Inc., delivers gas from its

own production into Columbia’s Canada

(P–28) Gathering System. Some of that

gas is delivered to approximately 170

customers of Ashland located on that

system. CNR intends to work with

Ashland to develop an appropriate

replacement, if necessary, for the service

currently provided by Columbia.

Any person desiring to be heard or to

make any protest with reference to said

petition should on or before May 20,

1996, 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

384.214 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.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–11986 Filed 5–13–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. CP96–97–000]

Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company;

Notice of Technical Conference

May 8, 1996.

Take notice that a technical

conference will be convened in the

above-docketed proceeding on
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 94 / Tuesday, May 14, 1996 / Notices 24301

1 75 FERC ¶ 61,007 (1996).

Wednesday, May 22, 1996, at 10:00

a.m., in a room to be designated at the

offices of the Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,

Washington, DC, 20426. Any party, as

defined in 18 CFR 385.102(c), any

person seeking intervenor status

pursuant to 18 CFR 385.214, and any

participant, as defined in 18 CFR

385.102(b), is invited to participate.

For additional information, please

contact Carolyn Van Der Jagt, 202–208–

2246, or Tom Gooding, 202–208–1123,

at the Commission.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–11984 Filed 5–13–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket Nos. RP91–26–014 and RP91–162–

005]

El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice

of Technical Conference

May 8, 1996.

In the Commission’s order issued on

April 1, 1996, in the above-captioned

proceeding,1 the Commission held that

the filing raises issues for which a

technical conference is to be convened.

The conference to address the issues

has been scheduled for Thursday, May

30, 1996, at 10:00 a.m. in a room to be

designated at the offices of the Federal

Regulatory Commission, 888 First

Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426.

All interested persons and Staff are

permitted to attend.

Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96–11978 Filed 5–13–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–02–M

[Docket No. CP96–488–000]

El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice

of Request Under Blanket

Authorization

May 8, 1996.

Take notice that on May 3, 1996, El

Paso Natural Gas Company (El Paso),

P.O. Box 1492, El Paso, Texas, 79978,

filed in Docket No. CP96–488–000 a

request pursuant to Section 157.205,

and 157.216(b) of the Commission’s

Regulations under the Natural Gas Act

(18 CFR 157.205, and 157.216) for

approval to abandon certain

miscellaneous tap and meter facilities

and the service rendered by means

thereof, under the blanket certificate

issued in Docket No. CP82–435–000,

pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural

Gas Act (NGA), all as more fully set

forth in the request which is on file with

the Commission and open to public

inspection.

El Paso states that the certificate

authorizations for the construction and

operation of the miscellaneous tap and

meter facilities for which El Paso now

seeks abandonment authorization were

issued in Docket Nos. G–2363, CP69–23,

CP70–78, CP74–119, and CP84–243, or

installation and service was permitted

under Section 2.55(c) of the

Commission’s Rules of Practice and

Procedure. El Paso indicates that these

facilities were required to facilitate,

generally, the delivery and/or

measurement and sale of natural gas

from its interstate transmission pipeline

system to certain customers for resale.

The request for authorization further

states that with respect to these

miscellaneous tap and meter facilities,

El Paso periodically reviews, inter alia,

the operating status of such facilities

located on its interstate pipeline system.

El Paso indicates that such review has

show that there are twelve

miscellaneous tap and meter facilities

located in various counties in Arizona,

New Mexico, and Texas that are eligible

for abandonment for which El Paso now

seeks abandonment.

El Paso asserts that it proposes to

abandon such facilities and to thereafter

remove and place in stock the salvable

materials and scrap the nonsalvable

items, without material change in its

average cost-of-service. It is further

asserted that the proposed

abandonments will not result in or case

any interruption, reduction, or

termination of natural gas service

presently rendered El Paso to any of its

customers.

Any person or the Commission’s Staff

may, within 45 days of the issuance of

the instant notice by the Commission,

file pursuant to Rule 214 of the

Commission’s Rules of Practice and

Procedure (18 CFR 385.214), a motion to

intervene and pursuant to Section

157.205 of the regulations under the

Natural Gas Act (18 CFR 157.295), a

protest to the request. If no protest is

filed within the time allowed therefor,

the proposed activities shall 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 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. 96–11981 Filed 5–13–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

[Docket No. CP96–486–000]

El Paso Natural Gas Company; Notice

of Request Under Blanket

Authorization

May 8, 1996.

Take notice that on May 3, 1996, El

Paso Natural Gas Company (El Paso),

Post Office Box 1492, El Paso, Texas

79978, filed a request with the

Commission in Docket No. CP96–486–

000, pursuant to Sections 157.205 and

157.212 of the Commission’s

Regulations under the Natural Gas Act

(NGA) for authorization to operate two

existing tap and valve assemblies

located in Reeves County, Texas as

jurisdictional delivery points for the

delivery of natural gas, authorized in

blanket certificates issued in Docket

Nos. CP82–435–000 and CP88–433–000,

all as more fully set forth in the request

on file with the Commission and open

to the public inspection.

El Paso proposes to utilize two

existing tap and valve assemblies which

El Paso states that it installed in

connection with the construction and

installation of their Lockridge and

Hamon-Toro Line Field Compressor

Stations to facilitate the delivery of its

own pipeline quality gas supply for fuel

to these compressors. The compressor

stations are now owned by a different

entity but still require pipeline quality

gas for fuel. Therefore, El Paso now

seeks authorization to utilize the two

existing tap and valve assemblies as

jurisdictional delivery points to provide

El Paso Field Service Company (Field

Services) natural gas deliveries, at Field

Services’ request. Field Services intends

to supply El Paso Gas Marketing

Company (Gas Marketing) with gas for

fuel at the Lockridge and Hamon-Toro

Line Field Compressor Stations. In turn,

Gas Marketing has requested El Paso to

provide interruptible transportation to

the two existing tap and valve

assemblies on El Paso’s mainline

transmission system in Reeves Country,

Texas.

El Paso states that the operation of the

proposed delivery points at the

Lockridge and Hamon-Toro Line Field

Compressor Stations is not prohibited

by El Paso’s existing Volume No. 1–A

Tariff and that the volumes proposed to

be delivered through the two existing

tap and valve assemblies would be

delivered pursuant to an effective

transportation arrangement between El

Paso and Gas Marketing. El Paso further

states that it has sufficient capacity to

accomplish the deliveries specified

under the Transportation Service

Agreement without detriment or