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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 93 (Friday, May 13, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28058-28060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-11837]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement

[Docket ID No. BOEM-2011-0020]

BOEMRE Information Collection Activity: 1010-0068, Unitization, 
Extension of a Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement 
(BOEMRE), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of an information collection (1010-0068).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
BOEMRE is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will 
submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the 
paperwork requirements in the regulations that are related to 
unitization activities on the OCS.

DATES: Submit written comments by July 12, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and 
Standards Branch at (703) 787-1607.

[[Page 28059]]

You may also contact Cheryl Blundon to obtain a copy, at no cost, of 
the regulations that require the subject collection of information.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods 
listed below.
     Electronically: go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
entry titled Enter Keyword or ID, enter BOEM-2011-0020 then click 
search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view 
supporting and related materials available for this collection. BOEMRE 
will post all comments.
     E-mail: cheryl.blundon@boemre.gov. Mail or hand-carry 
comments to the Department of the Interior; Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, Regulation and Enforcement, Attention: Cheryl Blundon, 381 
Elden Street, MS-4024, Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please reference 
ICR 1010-0068 in your comment and include your name and return address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR Part 250, Subpart M, Unitization.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0068.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended 
(43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq. and 43 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), authorizes the 
Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to prescribe rules and 
regulations to administer leasing of the OCS. Such rules and 
regulations will apply to all operations conducted under a lease. 
Section 1334(a) specifies that the Secretary ``provide for the 
prevention of waste and conservation of the natural resources of the 
[O]uter Continental Shelf, and the protection of correlative rights 
therein'' and include provisions for ``unitization, pooling, and 
drilling agreements.''
    The Independent Offices Appropriations Act (31 U.S.C. 9701), the 
Omnibus Appropriations Bill (Pub. L. 104-133, 110 Stat. 1321, April 26, 
1996), and OMB Circular A-25, authorize Federal agencies to recover the 
full cost of services that confer special benefits. Unitization 
requests for approval are subject to cost recovery, and BOEMRE 
regulations specify service fees for these requests.
    We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR Part 2) and under regulations at 30 
CFR 250.197, ``Data and information to be made available to the public 
or for limited inspection.'' No items of a sensitive nature are 
collected. Responses are mandatory or are required to obtain or retain 
a benefit. BOEMRE uses the information to determine whether to approve 
a proposal to enter into an agreement to unitize operations under two 
or more leases or to approve modifications when circumstances change. 
The information is necessary to ensure that operations will result in 
preventing waste, conserving natural resources, and protecting 
correlative rights, including the Government's interests. We also use 
information submitted to determine competitiveness of a reservoir or to 
decide that compelling unitization will achieve these results.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondent include Federal 
OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The currently 
approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 4,913 hours. 
The following chart details the individual components and respective 
hour burden estimates of this ICR. In calculating the burdens, we 
assumed that respondents perform certain requirements in the normal 
course of their activities. We consider these to be usual and customary 
and took that into account in estimating the burden.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Hour burden
  Citation 30 CFR       Reporting     ----------------------------------
   250 subpart M       requirement           Non-hour cost  burden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1301..............  Description of     0
                     requirements.
                     Burden included
                     in the following
                     sections.
1301(d), (f)(3),    Request            Burden covered under 1010-0114.
 (g)(1),             suspension of
 (g)(2),(ii).        production or
                     operations.
1302(b)...........  Request            39
                     preliminary
                     determination on
                     competitive
                     reservoir.
1302(b)...........  Submit             39
                     concurrence or
                     objection on
                     competitiveness
                     with supporting
                     evidence.
1302(c), (d)......  Submit joint plan  39
                     of operations,
                     supplemental
                     plans, or a
                     separate plan if
                     agreement cannot
                     be reached.
1303..............  Apply for          169**
                     voluntary         $11,698 fee
                     unitization,
                     including
                     submitting unit
                     agreement or
                     revision, unit
                     operating
                     agreement,
                     initial plan of
                     operation,
                     obtain approval
                     of Regional
                     Supervisor if
                     required, and
                     supporting data;
                     request for
                     variance from
                     model agreement
                     and other
                     related
                     requirements.
1304(b)...........  Request            161
                     compulsory
                     unitization,
                     including
                     submitting unit
                     agreement, unit
                     operating
                     agreement,
                     initial plan of
                     operation,
                     obtain approval
                     of Regional
                     Supervisor if
                     required, and
                     supporting data;
                     serving non-
                     consenting
                     lessees with
                     documents.
1303; 1304........  *Submit revisions  8
                     or modifications  $831 fee
                     to unit
                     agreement, unit
                     operating
                     agreement, plan
                     of operation,
                     change of unit
                     operator, etc.
1303; 1304........  *Submit initial,   48
                     and revisions
                     to,
                     participating
                     area.
1304(d)...........  Request hearing    1
                     on required
                     unitization.
1304(e)...........  Submit statement   5
                     at hearing on
                     compulsory
                     unitization.
1304(e)...........  Pay for and        1
                     submit three      $500 fee.
                     copies of
                     verbatim
                     transcript of
                     hearing.
1304(f)...........  Appeal final       Exempt under 5 CFR 1320(a)(2),
                     order of           (c)
                     compulsory
                     unitization.
1300-1304.........  General departure  1
                     and alternative
                     compliance
                     requests not
                     specifically
                     covered
                     elsewhere in
                     subpart M
                     regulations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* These requirements are specified in each Unit Agreement.
** Due to ongoing litigation in the Pacific Region, respondents did not
  submit burden data.

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have 
identified three non-hour cost burdens for this collection. Section 
1303 requires fees for a voluntary unitization or unit expansion 
($11,698) and a fee for

[[Page 28060]]

a unitization revision ($831). Respondents are also required to pay for 
court reporter and transcripts Sec.  250.1304(d), if seeking compulsory 
unitization ($500). We have not identified any other non-hour cost 
burdens associated with this collection of information.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 
Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated 
to respond.
    Comments: Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section 
3506(c)(2)(A) requires each agency ``* * * to provide notice * * * and 
otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies 
concerning each proposed collection of information * * *''. Agencies 
must specifically solicit comments to: (a) Evaluate whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the agency to 
perform its duties, including whether the information is useful; (b) 
evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) enhance the quality, 
usefulness, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) 
minimize the burden on the respondents, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Agencies must also estimate the non-hour cost burdens to 
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of 
information. Therefore, if you have costs to generate, maintain, and 
disclose this information, you should comment and provide your total 
capital and startup cost components or annual operation, maintenance, 
and purchase of service components. You should describe the methods you 
use to estimate major cost factors, including system and technology 
acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, discount 
rate(s), and the period over which you incur costs. Capital and startup 
costs include, among other items, computers and software you purchase 
to prepare for collecting information, monitoring, and record storage 
facilities. You should not include estimates for equipment or services 
purchased: (i) Before October 1, 1995; (ii) to comply with requirements 
not associated with the information collection; (iii) for reasons other 
than to provide information or keep records for the Government; or (iv) 
as part of customary and usual business or private practices.
    We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them 
in our submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments, we 
will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to 
OMB.
    Public Comment Procedures: Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment-including 
your personal identifying information-may be made publicly available at 
any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    BOEMRE Information Collection Clearance Officer: Arlene Bajusz 
(703) 787-1025.

    Dated: May 4, 2011.
Doug Slitor,
Acting Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2011-11837 Filed 5-12-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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