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[Federal Register: March 10, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 46)]
[Notices]               
[Page 11148-11149]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10mr10-55]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

ACTION: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request.

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SUMMARY: The EIA is soliciting comments on the proposed three-year 
extension of EIA Form EIA-914 Monthly Natural Gas Production Report.

DATES: Comments must be filed by May 10, 2010. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Ms. Rhonda Green at Department of Energy, 
Energy Information Administration, Reserves and Production Division, 
1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1110, Dallas, Texas 75201-6801. To ensure 
receipt of the comments by the due date, submission by e-mail 
(rhonda.green@eia.doe.gov) or FAX 214-720-6155 is recommended. 
Alternatively, Ms. Green may be contacted by telephone at 214-720-6161.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms and instructions should be directed to Ms. Rhonda 
Green at the contact information listed above. The proposed forms and 
instructions are also available on the Internet at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/natural_gas/survey_forms/nat_survey_forms.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments

 I. Background

    The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-275, 
15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 95-91, 
42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the EIA to carry out a centralized, 
comprehensive, and unified energy information program. This program 
collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information 
on energy resource reserves, production, demand, technology, and 
related economic and statistical information. This information is used 
to assess the adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer-term 
domestic demands.
    The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), provides 
the general public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to 
comment on collections of energy information conducted by or in 
conjunction with the EIA. Any comments received help the EIA to prepare 
data requests that maximize the utility of the information collected, 
and to assess the impact of collection requirements on the public. 
Also, the EIA will later seek approval by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) under section 3507(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.
    Currently a sample of operators of natural gas wells report on the 
Form EIA-914. From a universe of about 9,300 active operators, a cut-
off sample is selected of 243 largest natural gas producers by state or 
area, known to have produced at least 20 million cubic feet (10 million 
cubic feet in Oklahoma) of natural gas per day in 2009. Using 
information collected on Form EIA-914, EIA estimates and disseminates 
timely and reliable monthly natural gas production data for Texas 
(onshore and offshore) and Louisiana (onshore and offshore), New 
Mexico, Oklahoma, Wyoming, the Federal Offshore Gulf of Mexico, Other 
States (onshore and offshore for the remaining gas producing States 
with Alaska excluded), and the lower 48 States. This collection is 
essential to the mission of the DOE in general and the EIA in 
particular because of the increasing demand for natural gas in the 
United States and the requirement for accurate and timely natural gas 
production information necessary to monitor the United States natural 
gas supply and demand balance. These estimates are essential to the 
development, implementation, and evaluation of energy policy and 
legislation. Data are disseminated through the EIA Natural Gas Monthly 
and EIA Natural Gas Annual Web site. Secondary publications that use 
the data include EIA's Short-Term Energy Outlook, Annual Energy 
Outlook, Monthly Energy Review, and Annual Energy Review.

II. Current Actions

    Currently EIA asks operators to resubmit if actual or corrected 
data vary more than plus or minus four percent (4%) from the data 
previously reported. The proposed change would ask that operators 
resubmit any change in previously reported data. This will make the 
instructions consistent with the way operators actually report now, 
i.e., without regard to a four percent difference threshold on revision 
submissions.

III. Request for Comment

    Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment 
on the actions discussed in item II. The following guidelines are 
provided to assist in the preparation of comments.

[[Page 11149]]

As a Potential Respondent to the Request for Information

    A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency and does the 
information have practical utility?
    B. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information to be 
collected?
    C. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
not, which instructions need clarification?
    D. Can the information be submitted by the respondent by the due 
date?
    E. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average 3 hours per respondent monthly. The estimated burden includes 
the total time necessary to provide the requested information. In your 
opinion, how accurate is this estimate?
    F. The agency estimates that the only cost to a respondent is for 
the time it will take to complete the collection. Will a respondent 
incur any start-up costs for reporting, or any recurring annual costs 
for operation, maintenance, and purchase of services associated with 
the information collection?
    G. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of 
this collection of information? Such actions may involve the use of 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    H. Does any other Federal, State, or local agency collect similar 
information? If so, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the 
methods of collection.

As a Potential User of the Information To Be Collected

    A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency and does the 
information have practical utility?
    B. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information 
disseminated?
    C. Is the information useful at the levels of detail to be 
collected?
    D. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.
    E. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they 
useful? If so, what are their weaknesses and/or strengths?
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the form. They also 
will become a matter of public record.

    Statutory Authority:  Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-275, codified at 15 U.S.C. 
772(b).

    Issued in Washington, DC, March 4, 2010.
Stephanie Brown,
Director, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-5082 Filed 3-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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