| F |
| FEIS |
Final Environmental Impact Statement |
| FERC |
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission |
| Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) |
An agency of the government of the United States created by an Act of Congress, the Department of Energy Organization Act, in 1977. This Act transferred to the FERC most of the former Federal Power Commission's interstate regulatory functions over the electric power and natural gas industries. The Act also transferred from the Interstate Commerce Commission the authority to set oil pipeline transportation rates and to set the value of oil pipelines for ratemaking purposes. In 1978, Congress passed the Natural Energy Act, broadening the FERC's jurisdiction and regulatory functions. The FERC now also regulates producer sales of natural gas in interstate commerce. |
| Firm Service |
Service offered to customers (regardless of Class of Service) under schedules or contracts which anticipate no interruptions. The period of service may be for only a specified part of the year as in Off-Peak Service. Certain firm service contracts may contain clauses that permit unexpected interruption in case the supply to residential customers is threatened during an emergency. Compare INTERRUPTIBLE SERVICE and OFF-PEAK SERVICE |
| Force Majeure |
A superior force, "act of God," or unexpected and disruptive event that may serve to relieve a party from a contract or obligation. |
| Fossil Fuel |
Fuel such as coal, crude oil, or natural gas, formed from the fossil remains of organic material. |
| Fuel Cell |
System in which hydrogen is chemically reacted with oxygen to produce electricity. |
| Fuel Gas |
A quantity of gas required by a transporter to provide the transportation service. Fuel gas includes, but is not limited to, gas consumed in transporter's mainline compressor station, gathering system booster stations, and processing plants. |
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G |
| Gas |
That state of matter that has neither independent shape nor volume. It expands to fill the entire container in which it is held. It is one of the three forms of matter, the other two being solid and liquid. |
| Gas, Natural |
A naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon and nonhydrocarbon gases. Gas found in porous geologic formations beneath the earth's surface, often in association with petroleum. The principal constituent is methane (CH4). |
| Gas Controller |
A person or persons assigned the task of monitoring and controlling daily gas system operations and ensuring safety of a pipeline or distribution system. |
| Gas Generator |
The section of a gas-turbine that provides the high temperature gases needed to drive the power turbine. |
| Gas Transported for Others |
That volume of gas owned by another company received into and transported through any part of the transmission or distribution system under a transportation tariff. |
| Gas Turbine |
A prime mover in which gas, under pressure or formed by combustion, is directed against a series of turbine blades; the energy in the expanding gas is converted into mechanical energy supplying power at the shaft. |
| Gate Station |
Generally a location at which gas changes ownership, from one party to another. Neither party is the ultimate consumer. It should be noted, however, that the gas may change from one system to another at this point without changing ownership. Also referred to as city gate station, town border station, or delivery point. |
| Grading |
The process of providing a smooth and even work area to facilitate the movement of construction equipment onto and along a right-of-way. |
| Grid |
The layout of a gas distribution system in which pipes are laid in both directions in the streets and frequently connected at intersections. |
| Guidance Manual |
FERC Guidance Manual for Environmental Report Preparation |
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H |
| HDD |
Horizontal Directional Drill. See HORIZONTAL DRILLING |
| Hoop Stress |
The tensile stress TENSILE STRENGTH, usually in pounds per square inch (psi), acting on the pipe along the circumferential direction of the pipe wall when the pipe contains gas or liquid under pressure. |
| Horizontal Drilling |
Horizontal Drilling, heralded today as "causing the greatest change in the industry since the invention of the rotary bit," is the most rapidly growing movement in the petroleum industry. Essentially, in addition to the vertical shaft in an oil or gas well, special equipment allows producers to extend horizontal shafts into areas that could not otherwise be reached. |
| Horsepower (hp) |
A unit of power; equivalent to 33,000 ft-lb per minute or 550 ft-lb per second (mechanical horsepower), or 0.746 kilowatts. |
| Hot Tap |
The connection of branch piping to an operating line, and the tapping of the operating line while it is under pressure. |
| Hydrostatic Test |
A strength test of equipment (pipe) in which the item is filled with liquid, subjected to suitable pressure, and then shut in, and the pressure monitored. Also a test to determine whether a container will hold a certain pressure. |
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I |
| Interstate Pipeline |
A natural gas pipeline company that is engaged in the transportation of natural gas across state boundaries, and is therefore subject to FERC jurisdiction and/or FERC regulation under the NGA. |
| Interruptible Service |
A level of service that, in accordance with contractual arrangements, can be interrupted by direct control of the system operator or by action of the customer at the direct request of the system operator. |
| Iroquois |
Iroquois Gas Transmission System, L.P. |
| Iroquois' Filing |
Iroquois' Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and Accompanying ER |
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J |
| Joint |
A single length of steel pipe (usually 40 feet). |
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K |
| Kilowatt (KW) |
A unit of electrical work equivalent to 1,000 watts, 1.3414 horsepower, or .9478 Btu/sec. |
| kV |
Kilovolt |
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L |
| LAER |
Lowest Achievable Emission Rate |
| Land Man |
A person concerned with the acquisition of leases, clearing of land titles, payment of lease rentals, and other related activities. Also Right of Way Agent. |
| Lateral |
A pipe in a gas distribution or transmission system that branches away from the central and primary part of the system. |
| Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) |
A gas containing certain specific hydrocarbons, which are gaseous under normal atmospheric conditions, but can be liquefied under moderate pressure at normal temperatures. Propane and butane are the principal examples. |
| Liquids, Natural Gas |
Those liquid hydrocarbon mixtures that are gaseous at reservoir temperatures and pressures, but are recoverable by condensation or absorption. Natural gasoline and liquefied petroleum gases fall in this category. |
| LNG |
Liquefied Natural Gas |
| Looping |
A paralleling of an existing pipeline by another line over the whole length or any part of it to increase capacity. |
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M |
| MACT |
Maximum Achievable Control Technology |
| Marsh Gas |
Methane (CH4) the primary constituent of natural gas. Results from the partial decay of plants in swamps. |
| Materials Transportation Bureau (MTB) |
An independent office reporting to the Secretary of Transportation of the United States Government charged with enforcing the Pipeline Safety Act. MTB, among other functions, receives reports of safety-related incidents from gas system operators and periodically issues revisions and interpretations to the Minimum Federal Safety Standard (49 CFR 192). |
| Maximum Transportation Rate |
The maximum rates that an open-access transporter may charge for its services. Section 284.7(c) of the Commission's regulations states that maximum rates for both peak and off-peak periods should ration capacity during peak periods and maximize throughput. |
| Maximum Operating Pressure |
The maximum actual operating pressure existing in a piping system during a normal annual operating cycle. |
| Mcf |
The quantity of natural gas occupying a volume of one thousand cubic feet at a temperature of sixty degrees Fahrenheit and at a pressure of fourteen and seventy-three hundredths pounds per square inch absolute. |
| MDQ |
The term MDQ refers to the Maximum Daily Quantity of gas that a buyer, seller, or transporter is obligated to receive or deliver at each receipt or delivery point as specified in an agreement. |
| Metering and Regulating Station |
Facilities installed at a given location for measuring and regulating the flow of gas in connection with distribution system operations other than the measurement of gas deliveries to customers. |
| Mercaptans |
A group of organic chemical compounds containing an SH group having distinctive odors in small concentrations is often added to natural or LP gases to warn of leaks. Compare ODORANT |
| Methane (CH4) |
The first of the paraffin series of hydrocarbons. The chief constituent of natural gas. Pure methane has a heating value of 1012 Btu per cubic foot. |
| Minimum Federal Safety Standard Part 192 |
This refers to Title 49, Part 192, of the code of Federal Regulations and contains the legal minimum requirements for gas transportation within the United States. |
| Mains, distribution |
Pipes transporting gas within service areas to the point of connection with the service pipe. |
| MLV |
Mainline Valve |
| MMBtu |
A thermal unit of energy equal to 1,000,000 Btus; that is, the equivalent of 1,000 cubic feet of gas having a heating content of 1,000 Btus per cubic foot, as provided by contract measurement terms. See DEKATHERM |
| MMcf |
A million cubic feet. See cubic foot |
| MP |
Milepost |
| MS |
Meter Station |
| MW |
Megawatt |
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N |
| NAAQS |
National Ambient Air Quality Standards |
| National Energy Act of 1978 (NEA) |
A comprehensive energy statute comprised of five separate but intertwined public laws dealing with energy conservation (The National Energy Conservation Policy Act, P.L. 95-619); coal conversion (The Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act, P.L. 95-620); public utility rates (The Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act, P.L. 95-617); natural gas pricing (The Natural Gas Policy Act, P.L. 95-621); and a series of taxes (Energy Tax Act, P.L. 95-618) designed to discourage energy consumption and to accelerate the transition to alternative fuels. The five bills were signed into law on November 9, 1978. The main purpose of the NEA is to reduce oil imports and promote more efficient use of energy in this country. |
| Natural Gas |
A combustible mixture of methane and higher hydrocarbons used mainly as a fuel. |
| Natural Gas Act of 1938 |
A federal law giving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (formerly the Federal Power Commission) jurisdiction over companies engaged in interstate sale or transportation of natural gas. |
| Natural Gas Design Stress |
The estimated maximum tensile stress in the wall of the pipe in the circumferential orientation due to internal natural gas pressure that can be applied continuously with a high degree of certainty that failure of the pipe will not occur. |
| Natural Gas Distillate |
Material removed from natural gas at the "heavy end" portion; that is, aliphatic compounds ranging from C4 to C8. |
| Natural Gas Liquids |
The hydrocarbon components: propane, butanes, and pentanes (also referred to as condensate), or a combination of them that are subject to recovery from raw gas liquids by processing in field separators, scrubbers, gas processing and reprocessing plants, or cycling plants. The propane and butane components are often referred to as liquefied petroleum gases or LPG. |
| Natural Gas pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (Amended b) |
The federal law providing jurisdiction by the Federal Government over the transportation of gas, which includes transmission and distribution and gathering operations in urban areas. The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Materials Transportation Bureau, enforces the Act. Title 49 of the code of federal regulations, Part 192, contains the regulations issued under this Act. Department of Transportation (DOT) contracts with state regulatory agencies for some aspect of enforcement. |
| NEPA |
National Environmental Policy Act |
| NHPA |
National Historic Preservation Act |
| NIP |
Non-Internet Public |
| NGO |
Non-Governmental Organization |
| NO2 |
Nitrogen Dioxide |
| Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) |
Designates a method of identifying the size of steel pipe without compromising the actual diameter data. Thus nominal one-inch pipe with the actual external diameter of 1.315 inch (33.40 mm) becomes NPS 1; nominal 14 inch pipe with internal diameter of 13.250 inch (336.55 mm) becomes NPS 14. |
| Nominal Wall Thickness |
See WALL THICKNESS |
| Nominated Volume |
The physical quantity of gas requested, typically in MMBtu/day, for a specific contract or for all contracts at a specific point. |
| NOx |
Nitrogen Oxides |
| NRCS |
National Resource Conservation Service |
| NRHP |
National Registry of Historic Places |
| NWI |
National Wetland Inventory |
| NYSGS |
New York State Geological Survey |
| NYSOPRHP |
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation |
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O |
| O3 |
Ozone |
| Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) |
A federal law, Public law 91-596, enacted in 1970, comprising federal standards for safety and health for people at work. The regulations issued under this Act can be found in Title 29, Part 1910, and Part 1926 of the Code of Federal Regulations. |
| OD |
Outside Diameter |
| Odorant |
Any material added to natural or LP gas in small concentrations to impart a distinctive odor. Odorants in common use include various mercaptans, organic sulfides, and blends of both. |
| Off-Peak Service |
Service that is provided during periods of relatively low system demand. |
| Open Access |
The non-discriminatory access to interstate pipeline transportation services. |
| Open Access Transporter |
Once an intrastate or interstate pipeline commences self-implementing transportation services under Section 311 of the NGPA, it becomes an open access transporter and must then provide transportation services on an open access, nondiscriminatory basis and comply with the regulations set forth in Part 284 of the Commission'sregulations. In addition, once an interstate pipeline accepts a Part 284 blanket certificate, it is then an open access transporter. A pipeline which is "open" under Section 311 may terminate such service and "close" its system. However, once a pipeline accepts a blanket, it may not terminate open access services without first receiving Commission authorization to abandon its blanket certificate. |
| Open Season |
Generally refers to a period of time when all parties are given equal consideration for transportation service. Also, when a company becomes an open access transporter, it is generally expected to have an "open season" to accept bids for transportation. During that time all shippers are treated equally in the queue for service, with space divided on a pro rata basis. After the open season is over, shippers are generally treated on a first-come, first-served basis. |
| Operating Costs |
Recurring costs related to day-to-day operations of a facility that are paid out of current revenue. |
| Operator |
An entity that manages and controls a facility and the gas moving through that facility. The operator performs the day-to-day facility operations, contract scheduling, communications, and routinely monitors, tests, and repairs facilities and/or measurement equipment. The operator is not necessarily the owner. |
| OPS |
Office of Pipeline Safety |
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