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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 218 (Thursday, November 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70123-70125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29187]

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: U.S. 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 3-year 
extension of EIA Form EIA-914 Monthly Natural Gas Production Report.

DATES: Comments must be filed by January 9, 2012. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Mr. Jeffrey Little. The mailing address is 
Jeffrey Little, EI-24, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 
1000 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20585. To ensure receipt of 
the comments by the due date, submission by email 
(Jeffrey.Little@eia.gov) is recommended. Alternatively, Mr. Little may 
be contacted by telephone at (202) 586-6284.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms and instructions should be directed to Mr. Jeffrey 
Little 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:

[[Page 70124]]

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 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 there are 243 respondents, 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 the 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. 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, 
Monthly Natural Gas Gross Production Report, 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

    This section contains the following information about the energy 
information collection submitted to OMB for review: (1) The collection 
numbers and title; (2) the sponsor (i.e., the Department of Energy 
component); (3) the current OMB docket number (if applicable); (4) the 
type of request (i.e., new, revision, extension, or reinstatement); (5) 
response obligation (i.e., mandatory, voluntary, or required to obtain 
or retain benefits); (6) a description of the need for and proposed use 
of the information; (7) an estimate of the number of respondents; (8) 
an estimate of the total annual responses; (9) an estimate of the total 
annual reporting burden; (10) an estimate of reporting and 
recordkeeping costs.
    1. Information Collection Request Title: Form EIA-914, ``Monthly 
Natural Gas Production Report''.
    2. Agency: U.S. Energy Information Administration.
    3. OMB Control Number: 1905-0205.
    4. Type of review: Three-year extension.
    5. Type of collection: Mandatory.
    6. The purpose of the survey is to collect monthly data on the 
production of natural gas in seven geographical areas (Texas (including 
State offshore), Louisiana (including State offshore), Oklahoma, New 
Mexico, Wyoming, Federal Gulf of Mexico offshore and Other States 
(defined as all remaining states, except Alaska, in which the operator 
produced natural gas during the report month)). Data will be used to 
monitor natural gas supplies. Survey respondents would be a sample of 
well operators.
    7. Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 243.
    8. Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 2,916.
    9. Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 8,748.
    10. Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

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.

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 response. 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

[[Page 70125]]

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, on November 2, 2011.
Stephanie Brown,
Director, Office of Survey Development and Statistical Integration, 
U.S. Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-29187 Filed 11-9-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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