Final

FERC cleaned house last week at its final regular meeting before its August hiatus, voting out a number of certificates, preliminary determinations and a Section 3 authorization for pipeline projects of Florida Gas Transmission (FGT), PG&E Transmission Northwest Corp., Colorado Interstate Gas Co. (CIG), Algonquin Gas Transmission/Texas Eastern Transmission (Tetco) and Otay Mesa Generating Co. LLC.

FERC last week voted out a final rule that imposes a monthly (price and volume) reporting requirement on natural gas transporters and sellers to California until September 2002 in an attempt to bring gas prices there in line with other major markets around the country.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) last week highlighted the economic incentives for deep gas exploration in its final notice for the Western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Lease Sale 180 and Sale 178, Part 2, to be held concurrently on Aug. 22 in New Orleans. The sales include an incentive to drill for deep gas deposits located in the shallow water shelf area of the Gulf.

FERC voted out a final rule that imposes a major (price and volume) reporting requirement on natural gas transporters and sellers to California until September 2002 in an attempt to bring gas prices there in sync with other major markets around the country.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) highlighted the economic incentives for deep gas exploration in its final notice for the Western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Lease Sale 180 and Sale 178, Part 2, to be held concurrently on Aug. 22 in New Orleans. The sales include several initiatives to increase domestic oil and natural gas production.

Trailblazer Pipeline received a final green light from FERC last week to add 324 MMcf/d of firm capacity to its existing pipeline system in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. The expansion will bring the pipe’s total firm capacity to about 816 MMcf/d in July 2002. However, the Commission denied Trailblazer’s request to modify its right of first refusal process and rejected the pipeline company’s related pro forma tariff sheets. It accepted the incremental rate design of the project, however.

Trailblazer Pipeline received a final green light from FERC this week to add 324 MMcf/d of firm capacity to its existing pipeline system in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. The expansion will bring the pipe’s total firm capacity to about 816 MMcf/d in July 2002. However, the Commission denied Trailblazer’s request to modify its right of first refusal process and rejected the pipeline company’s related pro forma tariff sheets. It accepted the incremental rate design of the project, however.

Canada’s National Energy Board has received an application from Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline Management Ltd. to approve final tolls from Test Period 2001, which runs October 2000 through Dec. 31, 2001, and for Test Period 2002, which runs from Jan. 1, 2002 through Dec. 31, 2002. M&NP has been operating on interim tolls approved by the NEB since Oct. 1, 2000.

Canada’s National Energy Board has received an application from Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline Management Ltd. to approve final tolls from Test Period 2001, which runs October 2000 through Dec. 31, 2001, and for Test Period 2002, which runs from Jan. 1, 2002 through Dec. 31, 2002. M&NP has been operating on interim tolls approved by the NEB since Oct. 1, 2000.