El Paso Natural Gas Co. (EPNG) has filed an application with the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to abandon in place its Monument Compressor Station Unit 1B in Lea County, New Mexico.
The Monument Compressor Station is composed of two plants, the Monument A Plant (A Plant) and the Monument B Plant (B Plant). EPNG was originally authorized to construct and operate the A Plant in 1950. The A Plant was certificated with five reciprocating compressor units with a total certificated horsepower of 5500 hp (4103 kW). The B Plant was authorized for construction and operation in 1952 and included the construction of two reciprocating compressor units (Unit 1B and Unit 2B), each rated at 2500 hp (1865 kW). The operation of the A and B Plants allowed EPNG to receive upstream natural gas supplies for delivery downstream into its South Mainline System.
After determining that Unit 2B was no longer required in interstate natural gas transportation service, EPNG filed for and obtained FERC authorization to abandon this compressor unit in 2011. As a result, the Monument Compressor Station is currently comprised of Unit 1B (located within B Plant) and the A Plant. Based on a lack of demand and diminished utilization of Unit 1B, EPNG is seeking to abandon this compressor unit.
Unit 1B is comprised of a Cooper GMW 10 compressor unit with a site rating of 2278 hp (1699 kW). During the last 10 years, EPNG has met its service obligations at the Monument Compressor Station without operating Unit 1B, relying entirely on the A Plant. Further, over time, Unit 1B has become operationally and functionally obsolete as a result of its age and lack of readily available replacement parts.
The abandonment of this compressor unit will permit EPNG to avoid expenses that would be incurred if it were to continue to operate it. EPNG is proposing to abandon the unit in place to avoid potential disruptions to the ongoing operations associated with the A Plant.
In support of the proposed abandonment, EPNG notes that the current capacity design limit through the Monument Compressor Station is 103.7 MMcf/d (2.93 x 106 m3/d). Based on the current, sculpted firm transportation service obligations that rely on the Monument Compressor Station on this portion of EPNG’s system, the highest monthly delivery obligation requires EPNG to deliver up to 56.9 MMcf/d (1.6 x 106 m3/d). Based on this amount of firm service obligations, EPNG currently has 46.8 MMcf/d (1.3 x 106 m3/d) of unsubscribed capacity during this peak month. Once Unit 1B is abandoned, the design limit of the Monument Compressor Station decreases to 70.4 MMcf/d (1.9 x 106 m3/d) and will still allow EPNG to continue to meet its peak month firm obligations of 56.9 MMcf/d, while having 13.5 MMcf/d (382.2 x 103 m3/d) of unsubscribed design capability through the Monument Compressor Station.
