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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 193 (Thursday, October 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60714-60715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24470]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

[Docket ID BSEE-2012-0008; OMB Number 1014-0009]

Information Collection Activities: Legacy Data Verification 
Process (LDVP); Submitted for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Review; Comment Request

ACTION: 30-Day notice.

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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 for the Notice to Lessees (NTL) on the Legacy Data 
Verification Process (LDVP). This notice also provides the public a 
second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these 
requirements.

DATES: Submit written comments by November 5, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments either by fax (202) 395-5806 or email 
(OIRA_DOCKET@omb.eop.gov) directly to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department of 
the Interior (1014-0009). Please also submit a copy of your comments to 
BSSE by any of the means below:
     Electronically: go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
entry titled, ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BSEE-2012-0008 then click 
search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view all 
related materials. We will post all comments.
     Email cheryl.blundon@bsee.gov, fax (703) 787-1546, or mail 
or hand-carry comments to: Department of the Interior; Bureau of Safety 
and Environmental Enforcement; Regulations Development Branch; 
Attention: Cheryl Blundon; 381 Elden Street, HE3313; Herndon, Virginia 
20170-4817. Please reference 1014-0009 in your comment and include your 
name and return address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and 
Standards Branch, (703) 787-1607, to request additional information 
about this ICR. To see a copy of the entire ICR submitted to OMB, go to 
http://www.reginfo.gov (select Information Collection Review, Currently 
Under Review).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Legacy Data Verification Process 
(LDVP).
    OMB Control Number: 1014-0009.
    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 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 1332(6) states that ``operations in the [O]uter Continental 
Shelf should be conducted in a safe manner by well trained personnel 
using technology, precautions, and other techniques sufficient to 
prevent or minimize the likelihood of blowouts, loss of well control, 
fires, spillages, physical obstructions 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.'' These 
responsibilities are among those delegated to the Bureau of Safety and 
Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
    To carry out these responsibilities, BSEE issues regulations to 
ensure that operations in the OCS will meet statutory requirements; 
provide for safety and protect the environment; and result in diligent 
exploration, development, and production of OCS leases. In addition, we 
issue Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) that provide 
clarification, explanation, and interpretation of our regulations. 
These NTLs are also used to convey purely informational material and to 
cover situations that might not be addressed in our regulations. The 
latter is the case for this information collection. Because of the 
unusual nature of this information collection, issuing an NTL is the 
appropriate means to collect the information.
    The subject of this information collection request is the ``Legacy 
Data Verification Process (LDVP),'' formerly known as the ``Historical 
Well Data Cleanup Program (HWDC).'' It needs to be stressed that the 
information we are collecting is information that respondents are 
required to submit under regulations at 30 CFR part 250, subpart D. 
However, in the past we did not always enforce this regulatory 
requirement for certain wellbores for several reasons. We did not 
foresee the value of this information for all wellbores, nor did we 
anticipate that not having the information would later create problems 
for the agency and others. We also did not have a sophisticated 
electronic database that could handle the information. The LDVP IC is 
found in Sec.  250.467(c). These are the records that the lessee must 
keep until the well is abandoned. The collection is also looking for 
any records that should have been submitted to BSEE but are not in 
BSEE's inventory. The key to this collection is that BSEE wants to know 
the location of all the wellbores, specifically:

--Records of well completion or workover activities that materially 
alter the completion configuration or affect a hydrocarbon-bearing 
zone--Sec.  250.467(c),
--Well logs and surveys run in the wellbore--Sec.  250.468(a),
--Directional surveys--Sec.  250.468(a),
--Service company reports on cementing, perforating, acidizing, 
testing, or other similar reports--Sec.  250.469(c).

    We now collect all of the required information on a current basis 
(under 30 CFR part 250, subpart D, OMB Control Number 1014-0018). Prior 
assurance to respondents that providing the

[[Page 60715]]

information in connection with this process will not subject them to 
the penalties for not providing the information is still in place. We 
are requesting a renewal of this collection to allow operators more 
response time over a longer period to provide the missing or corrected 
data.
    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.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise Federal 
OCS oil, gas, and sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The estimated 
hour burden for this information collection is a total of 417 annual 
burden hours. The respondents will submit information for a remaining 
estimated 500 wells from an original 40,000 wells. Based on our own 
input, the concurrence of the contractor hired for this, and informal 
discussions with a few potential respondents, we estimate it will take 
respondents 0.5 hours to locate and copy scout tickets for each well 
and 2.0 hours to retrieve and analyze each well file over a 3-year 
timeframe (2.5 hours x 500 wells--1,250/3 = 417 annual burden hours 
(rounded)).
    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.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have 
identified no 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.) 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 
collection is necessary or useful; (b) evaluate the accuracy 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 
technology.
    To comply with the public consultation process, on May 14, 2012, we 
published a Federal Register notice (77 FR 28401) 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 part 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 this effort.
    Public Availability of Comments: 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.

    Dated: July 24, 2012.
Robert W. Middleton,
Deputy Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2012-24470 Filed 10-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P
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