[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 216 (Tuesday, November 9, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68817-68819]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28277]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement

[Docket No. BOEM-2010-0053]


BOEMRE Information Collection Activity: 1010-0067, Oil and Gas 
Well-Completion Operations, Extension of a Collection; Submitted for 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

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

ACTION: Notice of extension of an information collection (1010-0067).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we 
are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information 
collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork 
requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR 250, subpart E, ``Oil and 
Gas Well Completion Operations.'' This notice also provides the public 
a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these 
regulatory requirements.

DATES: Submit written comments by December 9, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by either fax (202) 395-5806 or e-mail. 
(<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cb8482998a948f8488808e9f8ba4a6a9e5aea4bbe5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="145b5d46554b505b575f5140547b79763a717b643a737b62">[email protected]</span></a>) directly to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department of 
the Interior (1010-0067). Please also submit a copy of your comments to 
BOEMRE by any of the means below.
    <bullet> Electronically: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
entry titled ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter docket ID BOEM-2010-0053 
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.
    <bullet> E-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2f4c474a5d5643014d435a414b40416f4d404a425d4a01484059"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5033383522293c7e323c253e343f3e10323f353d22357e373f26">[email protected]</span></a>. Mail or hand-carry 
comments to: 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 1010-0067 in your comment and include your name and return address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and 
Standards Branch, (703) 787-1607. You may also contact Cheryl Blundon 
to obtain a copy, at no cost, of the regulation that requires the 
subject collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR 250, subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-Completion 
Operations.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0067.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq. and 43 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., requires the Secretary of the 
Interior to preserve, protect, and develop oil and gas resources in the 
OCS in a manner that is consistent with the need to make such resources 
available to meet the Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; 
balance orderly energy resources development with protection of the 
human, marine, and coastal environment; ensure the public a fair and 
equitable return on OCS resources; and preserve and maintain free 
enterprise competition. Section 1332(6) of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1332) requires that ``operations in the [O]uter Continental Shelf 
should be conducted in a safe manner by well-trained personnel using 
technology, precautions, and techniques sufficient to prevent or 
minimize the likelihood of blowouts, loss of well control, fires, 
spillages, physical obstruction to other users of the waters or subsoil 
and seabed, or other occurrences which may cause damage to the 
environment or to property, or endanger life or health.'' This 
authority and responsibility are among those delegated to BOEMRE. To 
carry out these responsibilities, BOEMRE issues regulations governing 
oil and gas and sulphur operations in the OCS. This ICR addresses the 
30 CFR 250, subpart E, regulations implementing these responsibilities.
    BOEMRE analyzes and evaluates the information and data collected to 
ensure that planned well-completion operations will protect personnel 
and natural resources. They use the analysis and evaluation results in 
the decision to approve, disapprove, or require modification to the 
proposed well-completion operations. Specifically, BOEMRE uses the 
information to ensure: (a) Compliance with personnel safety training 
requirements; (b) crown block safety device is operating and can be 
expected to function to avoid accidents; (c) proposed operation of the 
annular preventer is technically correct and provides adequate 
protection for personnel, property, and natural resources; (d) well-
completion operations are conducted on well casings that are 
structurally competent; and (e) sustained casing pressures are within 
acceptable limits.
    Subpart E was revised by rulemaking that became effective June 3, 
2010 (75 FR 23582), and addresses the procedures and requirements 
necessary to monitor, report, and ameliorate sustained casing pressure 
(SCP) conditions. BOEMRE uses the information to determine whether 
production from wells with SCP continues to afford the greatest 
possible degree of safety under these conditions and to require 
corrective action in specified cases that pose an ongoing safety 
hazard.
    Responses are mandatory. No questions of a sensitive nature are 
asked. BOEMRE protects information considered proprietary according to 
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing 
regulations (43 CFR 2), and 30 CFR 250.197, ``Data and information to 
be made available to the public or for limited inspection.''
    Frequency: Varies by section, but is mostly on occasion or annual.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise Federal 
oil, gas, or sulphur lessees and/or operators.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The estimated 
annual hour burden for this information collection is a total of 41,879 
hours. The following chart

[[Page 68818]]

details the individual components and estimated hour burdens. 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.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                         Annual
   Citation 30 CFR 250  Subpart E      Reporting and recordkeeping     Hour       Average number of      burden
                                              requirements            burden      annual responses       hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Requests
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
502.................................  Request an exception to               5  100 exceptions........        500
                                       shutting in producible
                                       wells before moving a well-
                                       completion rig or related
                                       equipment.
512.................................  Request establishment,               10  3 field rules.........         30
                                       amendment, or cancellation
                                       of well-completion field
                                       rules.
500-530.............................  General departure and                 2  15 requests...........         30
                                       alternative compliance
                                       requests not specifically
                                       covered elsewhere in
                                       Subpart E regulations.
                                                                   ---------------------------------------------
    Subtotal........................  ............................  .........  118 responses.........        560
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Record Records
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
506.................................  Record dates and times of         \1/2\  647 completions x 4         1,294
                                       well-completion operations               meetings = 2,588.
                                       safety meetings.
511.................................  Record results of weekly              1  647 completions x 2         1,294
                                       traveling-block safety                   recordings = 1,294.
                                       device in operations log.
516(c)(1)...........................  Record all your BOP test          \3/4\  647 completions x 4         1,941
                                       pressures.                               recordings = 2,588.
516(e)..............................  Record reason for postponing      \1/2\  54 recordings.........         27
                                       BOP test in driller's
                                       report.
516(i)..............................  Record time, date, and                5  647 completions x 4        12,940
                                       results of all pressure                  recordings = 2,588.
                                       tests, crew drills,
                                       actuations, and inspections
                                       in driller's report.
516(i)(1)...........................  Record BOP test pressure on           2  647 completions x 4         5,176
                                       pressure charts.                         recordings = 2,588.
                                                                   ---------------------------------------------
    Subtotal........................  ............................  .........  11,700 responses......     22,672
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Submittals
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
513; 515(a); 525....................  Submit Forms MMS-123, MMS-     Burden included under 1010-0141.          0
                                       123S, MMS-124, and MMS-125
                                       and all accompanying
                                       information to conduct well-
                                       completion operations.
                                                                   -----------------------------------
517(b)..............................  Submit results of casing              4  82 results............        328
                                       pressure testing,
                                       callipering, and other
                                       evaluations.
525(a); 526.........................  Submit notification of           1\1/2\  66 actions............         99
                                       corrective action.
525(a); 529(a)......................  Submit a corrective action           11  130 plans.............      1,430
                                       plan.
525(b); 527.........................  Submit a casing pressure              9  1,235 requests........     11,115
                                       request.
529(b)..............................  Submit the casing pressure            1  65 submittals.........         65
                                       diagnostic test data.
                                                                   ---------------------------------------------
    Subtotal........................  ............................  .........  1,578 responses.......     13,037
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   Post/Retain
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
514(c)..............................  Post the number of stands of      \1/2\  639 postings..........       *320
                                       drill pipe/collars that may
                                       be pulled and equivalent
                                       well-control fluid volume.
516(i)(6)...........................  Retain all records including     1\1/2\  647 records...........       *971
                                       pressure charts, driller's
                                       report, referenced
                                       documents pertaining to BOP
                                       tests, actuations, and
                                       inspections at the facility
                                       for duration of the
                                       activity.
516(i)(7)...........................  After completion of well,             2  647 records...........      1,294
                                       retain all records for 2
                                       years at location
                                       conveniently available to
                                       BOEMRE.
523.................................  Retain records of casing              1  3,025 records.........      3,025
                                       pressure and diagnostic
                                       tests for 2 years or until
                                       the well is abandoned.
                                                                   ---------------------------------------------
    Subtotal........................  ............................  .........  4,958 responses.......      5,610
                                                                   =============================================
    Total Hour Burden...............  ............................  .........  18,354 responses......    41,879
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Rounded.

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have 
identified no paperwork non-hour cost burdens associated with the 
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: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et 
seq.)

[[Page 68819]]

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.
    To comply with the public consultation process, on April 12, 2010, 
we published a Federal Register notice (75 FR 18545) announcing that we 
would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided the 
required 60-day comment period. In addition, Sec.  250.199 provides the 
OMB control number for the information collection requirements imposed 
by the 30 CFR 250 regulations. The regulation also informs the public 
that they may comment at any time on the collections of information and 
provides the address to which they should send comments. We have 
received no comments in response to these efforts.
    If you wish to comment in response to this notice, you may send 
your comments to the offices listed under the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice. The OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the 
information collection but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, to 
ensure maximum consideration, OMB should receive public comments by 
December 9, 2010.
    Public Availability of Comments: Before including your address, 
phone number, e-mail 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: October 21, 2010.
Sharon Buffington,
Acting Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2010-28277 Filed 11-8-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P


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