Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC Docket No. RP Exhibit No. TPC-0072

Transcription

1 Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC Docket No. RP

2 Page 1 of 6 Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC Description of Company Operations Statement O Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC ( Trailblazer ) is a natural-gas company as defined by Section 2(6) of the Natural Gas Act and is subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Trailblazer is a single barrel 36 diameter pipeline that is approximately 439- miles in length. The pipeline originates at an interconnection with Wyoming Interstate Company, L.L.C. ( WIC ) near Rockport in Weld County, Colorado and terminates at interconnections with Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America ( NGPL ) and Northern Natural Gas Company ( Northern Natural ) near Beatrice in Gage County, Nebraska. Trailblazer owns and operates compressor stations in Logan County, Colorado, Lincoln County, Nebraska and Kearney County, Nebraska. In addition to WIC, NGPL, and Northern Natural, Trailblazer is also interconnected with Tallgrass Interstate Gas Transmission, LLC, Colorado Interstate Gas Company, Rockies Express Pipeline LLC, East Cheyenne Gas Storage, LLC, as well as various other producers, utilities, and end users along its system. The system also includes two laterals, the Redtail Lateral, an approximately 16 mile long, 8-inch lateral with a capacity of 60,000 Dth/d, and the Fortigen Lateral, an approximately 10 mile long, 4-inch lateral with a capacity of 7,155 Dth/d. Trailblazer s principal business is to transport and redeliver natural gas to others in interstate commerce. Attached as part of this Statement O are: (1) in compliance with Section (u)(2) of the Commission s Regulations a list of each major expansion and abandonment since the company s last general rate case; and (2) in compliance with Section (u)(3) of the Commission s Regulations a detailed description of how Trailblazer designs and operates its system. A map of the Trailblazer System is provided as Exhibit No. TPC-0074.

3 Page 2 of 6 Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC List of Major Expansions and Abandonments Since Previous Rate Case 1/ Statement O(2) 1. Docket No.: CP Filing Date: 3/10/15 Order Date: N/A In Service Date: 2/10/14 Abandonment Date: N/A Facilities Costs: $10,577,933 Function: Transmission Description: Constructed an orifice meter and approximately 16 miles of 8-inch pipe (known as the Redtail Lateral) in Weld County, Colorado. This project was constructed under Trailblazer s 2014 automatic blanket authorization. 2. Docket No.: CP Filing Date: 3/23/18 Order Date: N/A In Service Date: 6/15/17 Abandonment Date: N/A Facilities Costs: $3,955,972 Function: Transmission Description: Constructed approximately 10.5 miles of 6-inch pipe (known as the Fortigen Lateral) in Fillmore County, Nebraska. This project was constructed under Trailblazer s 2017 automatic blanket authorization. 1/ No major abandonments have occurred on Trailblazer s interstate pipeline since the last general rate case.

4 Trailblazer Pipeline Company LLC Statement O(3) DESIGN AND OPERATION OF SYSTEM Docket No. RP Page 3 of 6

5 Page 4 of 6 DESIGN AND OPERATION DATA INDEX I. Assumptions, Bases, Formulae and Methods Used A. Gas Temperature 2 B. Gas used by Company 2 C. Atmospheric Pressure 2 D. Bases 2 E. Flow Calculations 1. Pipeline Flow 2 2. Compressor Horsepower 2 II. Design Day 3 III. System Operations 3 Page

6 Page 5 of 6 I. Assumptions, Bases, Formulae and Methods Used A. Gas Temperature Pipeline system modeling software licensed from Gregg Engineering employs a temperature tracking algorithm to calculate the temperature of the gas flowing in the pipeline at any given point. The algorithm uses upstream gas temperature, a pipe-to-soil heat transfer coefficient, and ground temperature to determine the flowing gas temperature. Temperature rise during compression is calculated using a temperature rise efficiency factor. Joule-Thompson cooling through expansion across valves and regulators is also calculated. B. Gas used by Company Main engine fuel is calculated by the modeling software using specific fuel consumption rates (MMcfd/hp-hr). Company monitors actual consumption and periodically modifies the rates used by the modeling software. C. Atmospheric pressure Atmospheric pressure at any point on Company s system is calculated by the modeling software at the elevation of the point above mean sea level. D. Bases The unit of volume is one cubic foot at a pressure of psia and a temperature of 60 F. E. Flow Calculations 1. Gregg Engineering s WinFlow, WinTran and FlowDesk software are used for pipeline system modeling. Flow calculations are made by the use of the General Flow Equation. The friction factor is calculated using the Colebrook- White Equation. 2. Compressor horsepower calculations are made using generally accepted industry standard equations as implemented by Gregg Engineering in their WinFlow, WinTran and FlowDesk pipeline modeling software.

7 Page 6 of 6 II. Design Day Design Day reflects a design condition that requires the utilization of all facilities installed in (or proposed for) that portion of Company s system being evaluated. Design Day conditions include, among other things, assumptions made regarding ambient temperature, ground temperature, receipt gas temperature, receipt and delivery quantities, equipment availability and pressure requirements. Design day conditions for Company occur in late summer when ground and ambient temperatures peak. III. System Operations Company s pipeline is designed and operated to meet the requirements of the Design Day conditions.