[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25495-25496]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-10711]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of a currently approved information 
collection (OMB Control Number 1010-0041).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), we are notifying you that we have submitted the 
information collection request (ICR) discussed below to the OMB for 
review and approval. We are also inviting your comments on this ICR.

DATE: Submit written comments by July 3, 2000.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (1010-0041), 725 17th Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20503. Mail or handcarry a copy of your comments to 
the Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: 
Rules Processing Team; Mail Stop 4024; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, 
Virginia 20170-4817.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their home address from the rulemaking record, which we will honor to 
the extent allowable by law. There may be circumstances in which we 
would withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by 
law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must 
state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we 
will not consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Rules Processing Team, 
telephone (703) 787-1600. You may also contact Alexis London to obtain 
a copy of the collection of information at no cost.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR 250, Subpart K, Production Rates.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0041.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq., gives the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) the 
responsibility to preserve, protect, and develop oil and gas resources 
in the OCS, consistent with the need to make such resources available 
to meet the Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; balance 
orderly energy resource development with protection of the human, 
marine, and coastal environments; ensure the public a fair and 
equitable return on the resources of the OCS; and preserve and maintain 
free enterprise competition. Section 1334(g)(2) states ``. . . the 
lessee shall produce such oil or gas, or both, at rates . . . to assure 
the maximum rate of production which may be sustained without loss of 
ultimate recovery of oil or gas, or both, under sound engineering and 
economic principles, and which is safe for the duration of the activity 
covered by the approved plan.''
    Regulations at 30 CFR 250, subpart K, implement these statutory 
requirements. We use the information collected to determine if produced 
gas can be economically put to beneficial use, to analyze the risks of 
transporting the liquid hydrocarbons against the value of the resource, 
and to account for volumes of flared gas and burned liquid 
hydrocarbons. The MMS uses the information in its efforts to conserve 
natural resources, prevent waste, and protect correlative rights 
including the Government's royalty interest. Specifically, MMS uses the 
information to review records of burning liquid hydrocarbons and 
venting and flaring actions to ensure that they are not excessive; to 
determine maximum production and maximum efficient rates; to compare 
the volume of hydrogen sulfide (H<INF>2</INF>S) flared and the sulphur 
dioxide (SO<INF>2</INF>) emitted to the specified amounts in approved 
contingency plans; to monitor monthly atmospheric emissions of 
SO<INF>2</INF> for air quality; to review applications for downhole 
commingling to ensure that action does not result in harm to ultimate 
recovery or undervalued royalties.
    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 250.196. No items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses 
are mandatory.
    The PRA provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a 
person is not required to respond to, a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

[[Page 25496]]

We published a Federal Register notice with the required 60-day comment 
period soliciting comments on this ICR on November 18, 1999 (64 FR 
63053).
    Frequency: On occasion or monthly.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil and gas lessees.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 
14,189 burden hours, averaging approximately 110 hours per respondent. 
Refer to the following chart.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                        Annual
    Citation 30 CFR 250  Subpart K      Reporting & recordkeeping         Number           Burden       burden
                                               requirement                                (hours)       hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1101(b)...............................  Request approval to        21 requests........            5          105
                                         produce within 500 feet
                                         of a lease line.
1101(c)...............................  Request approval to        46 requests........           12          552
                                         produce gas cap of a
                                         sensitive reservoir.
1102..................................  Submit forms MMS-126, MMS-  Burden covered under 1010-0038,            0
                                         127, and MMS-128.             1010-0018, and 1010-0017.
1102(a)(5)............................  Submit alternative plan     We are not currently collecting            0
                                         for overproduction                this information.
                                         status.
1102(b)(6)............................  Request extension of time  36 requests........           .5           18
                                         to submit results of
                                         semiannual well test.
1103(a)...............................  Request approval of test   36 requests........           .5           18
                                         periods of less than 4
                                         hours and pretest
                                         stabilization periods of
                                         less than 6 hours.
1103(c)...............................  Provide advance notice of  10 notices.........           .5            5
                                         time and date of well
                                         tests.
1104(c)...............................  Submit results of all      1,200 surveys......            1        1,200
                                         static bottomhole
                                         pressure surveys
                                         obtained by lessee.
                                         Information submitted on
                                         form MMS-140 in GOMR.
1105(a), (b)..........................  Request special approval   27 requests........            6          162
                                         to flare or vent oil-
                                         well gas.
1105(c)...............................  Request approval to burn   60 requests........            1           60
                                         produced liquid
                                         hydrocarbons.
1105(f)...............................  Submit monthly reports of  18 operators  x  12            2          432
                                         flared or vented gas       mos. = 216.
                                         containing H<INF>2</INF>S.
1105(f)...............................  H<INF>2</INF>S Contingency,            Burden covered under 1010-0053             0
                                         Exploration, or                     and 1010-0049.
                                         Development and
                                         Production Plans.
1106..................................  Submit application to      91 applications....            6          546
                                         commingle hydrocarbons
                                         produced from multiple
                                         reservoirs and inform
                                         other lessees having an
                                         interest.
1107(b)...............................  Submit proposed plan for   21 plans...........           12          252
                                         enhanced recovery
                                         operations.
1107(c)...............................  Submit periodic reports    55 reports.........            2          110
                                         of volumes of oil, gas,
                                         or other substances
                                         injected, produced, or
                                         reproduced.
                                                                  ----------------------------------------------
Reporting subtotal....................  .........................  1,819 responses....  ...........        3,460
                                                                  ==============================================
1105(d), (e)..........................  Maintain records for 2     823 platforms......           13       10,699
                                         years detailing gas
                                         flaring or venting..
1105(d), (e)..........................  Maintain records for 2     60 occurrences.....           .5           30
                                         years detailing liquid
                                         hydrocarbon burning.
                                                                  ----------------------------------------------
Recordkeeping subtotal................  .........................  130 Recordkeepers..  ...........       10,729
                                                                  ==============================================
    Total burden......................  .........................  1,949 Responses....  ...........       14,189
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' 
Burden: We have identified no cost burdens for this collection.
    Comments: All comments are made a part of the public record. 
Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA 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.
    Send your comments directly 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 July 3, 2000.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: February 16, 2000.
Elmer P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 00-10711 Filed 5-1-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P