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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11444-11446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4622]

[[Page 11444]]

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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 revision and 3-
year extension of the surveys in the Natural Gas Data Collection 
Program Package. The surveys covered by this request include:
     Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental 
Gas Supply and Disposition''
     EIA-191M, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report''
     EIA-191A, ``Annual Underground Gas Storage Report''
     EIA-757, ``Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey''
     EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and 
Deliveries to Consumers''
     EIA-895, ``Annual Quantity and Value of Natural Gas 
Production Report''
     EIA-910M, ``Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey'' and EIA-
910A, Annual Natural Gas Marketer Survey''
     EIA-912, ``Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report''

DATES: Comments must be filed by May 2, 2011. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Ms. Amy Sweeney, Natural Gas Downstream 
Team, Office of Oil, Gas, and Coal Supply Statistics, Energy 
Information Administration. To ensure receipt of the comments by the 
due date, submission by fax (202-586-4420) or e-mail 
(amy.sweeney@eia.gov) is recommended. The mailing address is Ms. Amy 
Sweeney, Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, 
1000 Independence Ave., SW., EI-24, Washington, DC 20585. Also, Ms. 
Sweeney may be contacted by telephone at 202-586-2627.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms and instructions should be directed to Ms. Sweeney 
at the address listed above. Also, the draft forms and instructions are 
available on the EIA Web site at http://www.eia.gov/oil_gas/fwd/proposed.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments

I. Background

    The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275, 15 
U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. 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 statistics. This information is used to assess the 
adequacy of energy resources to meet both 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 the collection of energy information conducted by or in 
conjunction with the EIA. Any comments help the EIA prepare data 
requests that maximize the utility of the information collected and 
assess the impact of collection requirements on the public. As required 
by section 3507(h)(1) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the EIA 
will later seek approval for this collection by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB).
    The natural gas surveys included in the Natural Gas Data Collection 
Program Package collect information on natural gas production, 
underground storage, supply, processing, transmission, distribution, 
consumption by sector, and wellhead and consumer prices. This 
information is used to support public policy analyses of the natural 
gas industry and estimates generated from data collected on these 
surveys. The statistics generated from these surveys are posted to the 
EIA Web site (http://www.eia.gov) in various EIA products, including 
the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report (WNGSR), Natural Gas Monthly 
(NGM), Natural Gas Annual (NGA), Monthly Energy Review (MER), Short-
Term Energy Outlook (STEO), Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), and Annual 
Energy Review (AER). Respondents to EIA natural gas surveys include 
State agencies, underground storage operators, transporters, marketers, 
and distributors. Each form included as part of this package is 
discussed in detail below.
    Please refer to the proposed forms and instructions for more 
information about the purpose, who must report, when to report, where 
to submit, the elements to be reported, detailed instructions, 
provisions for confidentiality, and uses (including possible 
nonstatistical uses) of the information. For instructions on obtaining 
materials, see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

II. Current Actions

    EIA is requesting a 3-year extension of the collection authority 
for each of the above-referenced surveys and will make minor changes to 
the forms and instructions to provide clarity. In addition, EIA 
proposes the changes outlined below.

Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply 
and Disposition''

    In Part 3 of the form, EIA is proposing to collect information on 
whether respondents, comprised primarily of natural gas utilities and 
municipal gas systems, have active customer choice programs for certain 
customer types and their rates of participation in order to gauge the 
extent to which customer choice programs are being perpetuated and 
utilized. This data would assist EIA in evaluating whether to reduce 
spending on monitoring customer choice programs. Also in Part 3 of the 
form, EIA proposes a question that asks companies to report whether 
their distribution service territory has changed via sale or merger in 
order to maintain the accuracy of the survey frame.

Form EIA-191, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report'' and Form EIA-
191A, ``Annual Natural Gas Storage Report''

    EIA proposes the elimination of Form EIA-191A and the addition of 
the elements it collects (storage field type, working and total 
capacity as well as maximum deliverability) to the monthly Form EIA-
191. Adding data elements to the monthly Form EIA-191 will provide more 
timely data on changes in natural gas storage field capacities and will 
improve the quality of the monthly and related weekly estimates on 
natural gas storage activity. EIA will protect against the 
identifiability of reported values for monthly working, base gas 
levels, total gas in storage, and injections and withdrawals into 
storage, but will publish storage field name and type, reservoir name, 
location, capacity and maximum deliverability in company identifiable 
form. This is consistent with how EIA currently treats the information 
reported annually on Form EIA-191A. EIA proposes to publicly release 
the same variables that it currently publicly releases from Form EIA-
191A. Information collected in

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Parts 1 and 2 on Form EIA-191 will also be considered public 
information and may be publicly released in company identifiable form

Form EIA-757, ``Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey''

    EIA proposes to continue the collection of the same data elements 
on Form EIA-757 in its present form but proposes to remove the 
confidentiality protection for the reported values and to publicly 
release reported values in company identifiable form in order to meet 
increasing data user needs for more company level data.

Form EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries 
to Consumers''

    In 2010, a new question was added to Form EIA-857 that asked for 
monthly system sendout by responding companies. The data element was 
added to Form EIA-857 via a non-substantive change request approved by 
the Office of Management and Budget. EIA has been using these data to 
improve the calculation of monthly natural gas consumption so it better 
aligns with the calendar month. This is more compatible with 
respondents' reporting records because consumer deliveries are reported 
according to billing cycles for some of the respondent population. To 
enhance the precision of monthly natural gas consumption, EIA proposes 
adding questions that ask companies for their monthly company-use gas 
as well as any deliveries to the vehicle fuel sector. These items are 
currently collected on an annual basis on Form EIA-176, Annual Report 
of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition, however, their 
inclusion on Form EIA-857 will facilitate more accurate consumption 
estimates on a monthly basis as they are seasonal in nature.
    In addition, EIA is proposing to reduce the sample size reporting 
on Form EIA-857 by approximately 25 percent (400 to 300) by moving to a 
cutoff-based sample design that can achieve the same level of quality 
as the current sample design and estimation protocol.

Form EIA-895, ``Annual Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Production 
Report''

    Because of the difficulties in obtaining portions of the data from 
some States, EIA is considering discontinuing both the monthly and 
annual versions of Form EIA-895 and seeks comment on whether the 
publication of select data elements currently collected on this survey 
form continues to be relevant and necessary. Specifically, will data 
user needs be satisfied if data collection on natural gas marketed and 
dry production, vented and flared gas, gas used for repressuring, 
consumed on oil and gas leases, as well as wellhead prices, are 
eliminated and EIA only publishes data on gross production?
    Alternatively, if EIA needs to continue publishing data on natural 
gas wellhead prices, marketed and dry natural gas production, vented 
and flared gas, and gas used for repressuring or consumed on leases is 
to continue, EIA is considering the following options or a combination 
thereof:
    (a) Eliminate Form EIA-895 and collect the same data elements 
(gross production, gas used for repressuring, nonhydrocarbons removed, 
vented and flared gas, gas used to operate leases and the value of 
production) using existing EIA surveys of gas producers such as Forms 
EIA-914, EIA-23, EIA-64A, and EIA-816.
    (b) Reduce the scope of Form EIA-895 by collecting only data 
elements that are available from the States, such as gross withdrawals 
and their source, and adding data elements on crude oil production and 
lease condensate to serve as benchmarks for similar data currently 
collected on existing EIA surveys of natural gas and oil producers.

Form EIA-910M, ``Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey'' and EIA-910A, 
``Annual Natural Gas Marketer Survey''

    EIA proposes to continue Form EIA-910 with no changes to the 
monthly data collection form and proposes to add an annual version 
using a new survey, Form EIA-910A, that will ask respondents to report 
the annual totals of all the existing elements on the monthly survey 
form. The EIA-910A will be due March 1 of each year and the annual 
totals it collects will be broken out for each local distribution 
company's territory in which the respondent operates instead of at the 
State level, as is reported monthly. Having annual data would assist in 
the reconciliation of initial estimates of monthly gas sales many 
respondents submit against actual meter reads which are frequently not 
available from the utility that delivered the gas by the monthly form's 
due date. The annual data will also enable EIA to resolve differences 
between marketer volumes and volumes transported on the account of 
marketers on Form EIA-176.
    Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas 
Supply and Disposition,'' and resolve discrepancies between these two 
surveys.
    In addition, EIA proposes to change the data confidentiality 
protection status of the monthly Form EIA-910M from the Confidential 
Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) to 
protecting the reported information using exemptions under the Freedom 
of Information Act and provisions in the Trade Secrets Act. The company 
level data would still be protected and withheld from public release 
but could be shared for nonstatistical purposes in limited 
circumstances. The demand for more natural gas data has grown over the 
past 5 years and EIA has statutory obligations to share energy data 
with other Federal agencies for informed policy decisions. EIA will 
continue its policy of not publicly releasing company level information 
reported on this survey even though EIA is proposing to use different 
Federal statutes to protect the information. EIA proposes to publish 
annual data collected on Form EIA-910A in company identifiable form 
approximately 9 months after the end of the calendar year.

EIA-912, Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report

    EIA proposes to continue the collection of the EIA-912 with no 
changes to the form but expand the sample size from 70 to 85 
respondents in order to maintain the same level of survey coverage 
based on the increase in the number of natural gas storage fields in 
operation.

III. Request for Comments

    Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment 
on the actions discussed in items II and III. The following guidelines 
are provided to assist in the preparation of comments. Please indicate 
to which forms your comments apply.

General Issues

    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? Practical utility is defined as the 
actual usefulness of information to or for an agency, taking into 
account its accuracy, adequacy, reliability, timeliness, and the 
agency's ability to process the information it collects.
    B. What enhancements can be made to the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected?

As a Potential Respondent to the Request for Information

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality,

[[Page 11446]]

objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information to be collected?
    B. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
not, which instructions need clarification?
    C. Can the information be submitted by the due date?
    D. Public reporting burden for the surveys included in the Natural 
Gas Data Collection Program Package is shown below as an average 
hour(s) per response. The estimated burden includes the total time 
necessary to provide the requested information. In your opinion, how 
accurate are these estimates for the proposed forms?
    (1) Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas 
Supply and Disposition,'' 12 hours per response.
    (2) Form EIA-191, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report,'' 2.6 
hours per response.
    (3) Form EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and 
Deliveries to Consumers,'' 3.7 hours per response.
    (4) Form EIA-895, ``Annual Quantity and Value of Natural Gas 
Production Report,'' 0.5 hours per response.
    (5) Form EIA-910M, ``Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey,'' 2 hours 
per response.
    (6) Form EIA-910A, ``Annual Natural Gas Marketer Survey,'' 4 hours 
per response.
    (7) Form EIA-912, ``Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage 
Report,'' 0.5 hour per response.
    (8) Form EIA-757, ``Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey,'' Schedule 
A, 0.5 hours per response; Schedule B, 1.5 hours per response.
    E. 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?
    F. 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.
    G. 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. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information 
disseminated?
    B. Is the information useful at the levels of detail to be 
collected?
    C. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.
    D. 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, certified at 15 U.S.C. 
772(b).

    Issued in Washington, DC, February 24, 2011.
Stephanie Brown,
Director, Office of Survey Development and Statistical Integration, 
Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-4622 Filed 3-1-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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