[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 98 (Monday, May 20, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25212-25215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12593]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed new Form EIA-901, ``Monthly Report of 
Natural Gas Marketers''; extension without changes to the Standby Form 
EIA-191S, ``Weekly Underground Gas Storage Report'', and Standby Form 
EIA-857S, ``Weekly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to 
Consumers''; extension with changes to Forms EIA-176, ``Annual Report 
of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition'', EIA-191, 
``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report'', EIA-857, ``Monthly Report 
of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to Consumers'', and EIA-895, 
``Monthly Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Report''; and 
discontinuation of the Form EIA-627, ``Annual Quantity and Value of 
Natural Gas Report''.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 19, 1996. 
If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it 
difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, 
you should advise the contact listed below of your intention to do so 
as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Margaret Natof, Reserves and Natural Gas 
Division, EI-441, Office of Oil and Gas, Energy Information 
Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20585, 202-586-6303, or E-mail to 
[email protected], or FAX at 202-586-1076.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for additional information or copies 
of the forms and instructions should be directed to Margaret Natof at 
the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background
 II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments--General Issues and Specific Issues

I. Background

    In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-275) and the Department of 
Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 95-91), the Energy Information 
Administration is obliged to carry out a central, comprehensive, and 
unified energy data and information program. As part of this program, 
EIA collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates data and 
information related to energy resource reserves, production, demand, 
and technology, and related economic and statistical information 
relevant to the adequacy of energy resources to meet demands in the 
near and longer term future for the Nation's economic and social needs.
    The Energy Information Administration, as part of its continuing 
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden (required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13)), conducts a presurvey 
consultation program to provide the general public and other Federal 
agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
reporting forms. This program helps to ensure that requested data can 
be provided in the desired format, reporting burden is minimized, 
reporting forms are clearly understood, and the impact of collection 
requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
    Following is background information on each form in the clearance 
package:
Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply 
and Disposition''
    The Form EIA-176 provides the EIA with the major elements of 
information required to combine and merge with data collected in other 
EIA surveys to develop natural gas supply and disposition balances and 
relevant gas

[[Page 25213]]

cost, price, and related information at the State level.
    The information collected on the Form EIA-176 is needed and used by 
the DOE for the following purposes:
    (1) to develop and make available to the Congress, the States, and 
the public an accurate assessment of the supply of natural and 
supplemental gas available to each of the States from all sources, both 
internal and external, and the manner in which such supply was utilized 
or otherwise disposed of;
    (2) to determine the quantity of natural gas and supplemental 
gaseous fuels consumed within each of the States by market sector, the 
average price for such gas, and the changes in consumption and price 
patterns over time;
    (3) to provide natural gas data to EIA publications including the 
Annual Energy Review, Annual Energy Outlook, and other EIA publications 
which are distributed to the Congress, government, industry, and the 
public; and
    (4) to provide natural gas data for the Natural Gas Annual.
EIA-191, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report''
    Form EIA-191 requests monthly data on the location, ownership, 
capacity, and operations of all active underground natural gas storage 
fields. Storage data are a critical link in understanding the 
deliverability of the natural gas system and overall system operations.
    Information collected on the Form EIA-191 is used by the EIA in the 
following ways:
    (1) to provide State level data on underground natural gas storage 
with respect to injections, withdrawals, inventories, type of storage 
facility, location, and capacity for the EIA's Natural Gas Monthly. 
This monthly data collection also provides reliable baseline data on 
storage operations necessary for analyses, modeling, and comparison 
with normal industry operations in case of severe weather, natural 
disasters, or other extreme circumstances;
    (2) to provide data on underground natural gas operations for EIA's 
Monthly Energy Review, Annual Energy Review, Annual Energy Outlook, and 
Short Term Energy Outlook;
    (3) to provide data on underground natural gas storage inventories 
monthly for various analyses and publications; and
    (4) to provide data on all aspects of underground natural gas 
storage to enable EIA and other elements of DOE to identify and assess 
supplies of natural gas in storage by geographic location on a timely 
basis.
EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to 
Consumers''
    Monthly State level data collected on Form EIA-857 are aggregated 
by EIA and used to develop information on the average cost of gas 
purchased by natural gas distribution companies at their citygates, 
consumption of natural gas by sector, and average price of gas by 
sector. These data are necessary to provide timely information needed 
to measure the combined impact of government, industry, and consumer 
actions; geographic location; interfuel competition; climatic 
conditions; and other factors upon the natural gas industry and natural 
gas consumers.
    Aggregate monthly data are published in EIA's Natural Gas Monthly 
and Monthly Energy Review, and are made available to the Congress, 
State governments, industry, and the public.
EIA-895, ``Monthly Quantity of Natural Gas Report''
    Form EIA-895 collects monthly data from the appropriate State 
agencies concerning natural gas production. It provides details on 
gross withdrawals from gas and oil wells, on volumes vented and flared, 
volumes used for repressuring, volumes of nonhydrocarbon gases removed, 
volumes used as fuel on leases, and the amount of natural gas available 
for market. These data are routinely collected by the States for 
taxation and statistical purposes.
    The aggregate data are published in the Natural Gas Monthly, 
Natural Gas Annual, Monthly Energy Review, and Annual Energy Review.
Form EIA-901, ``Monthly Survey of Natural Gas Marketers''
    The proposed Form EIA-901 will provide EIA with information which 
will be used to estimate the average price of natural gas delivered to 
end users by State, month, and consuming sector.
    The information collected on the EIA-901 will be compiled, combined 
with data from the Form EIA-857, and used by EIA to estimate monthly 
volume-weighted average prices of natural gas delivered to end users by 
sector in each of the States and the total for the United States. Data 
summaries will be published in the Natural Gas Monthly and Monthly 
Energy Review and will be made available to DOE, Congress, State 
governments, industry, and the public. The data collected from this 
survey will also be used by the DOE as baseline information for State 
and regional studies and forecasts of natural gas prices. (EIA is 
currently conducting a pretest of the EIA-901.)
Standby Forms EIA-857S, ``Weekly Report of Natural Gas Supplies and 
Deliveries to Consumers,'' and EIA-191S, ``Weekly Underground Gas 
Storage Report''
    The standby Forms EIA-857S and EIA-191S are designed to fill gaps 
in the natural gas data collections where monthly data do not provide 
sufficient information for responses to natural disasters, severe 
weather, or other catastrophic events. The data would permit EIA to 
monitor the impact of regional disruptions on a weekly basis when the 
EIA Administrator determines that conditions or events warrant more 
frequent data collection.
    Data elements on the forms are identical to those on the ``parent'' 
forms EIA-857 and EIA-191 except the weekly forms are simplified to the 
maximum extent possible. The standby forms are intended only for use as 
determined necessary in extreme situations. EIA would notify OMB of the 
intent to use the form(s), the region(s) affected, and the estimated 
burden.

II. Current Actions

    This notice includes a new data collection, the EIA-901; an 
extension of current data collections without change, the EIA-191S, and 
EIA-857S; and extension of current data collections with changes, the 
EIA-176, EIA-191,
    EIA-857, and EIA-895. EIA proposes to discontinue the Form EIA-627. 
Later this year, a request will be made of the Office of Management and 
Budget to approve the proposed forms as the Natural Gas Program Package 
with an expiration date of December 31, 1999.
EIA-901, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Marketers''
    EIA's current data collection system is based on the concept of 
``bundled'' natural gas sales and transportation arrangements. Prior to 
FERC Order 636, data on bundled natural gas deliveries were readily 
available from those companies that delivered to end use customers 
(principally local distribution companies and pipelines). Since the 
companies making the deliveries had both custody and ownership of the 
gas, EIA could also collect price data from those companies making 
deliveries.
    With the current system of unbundled sales and transportation, EIA 
still obtains complete reporting of volumes delivered to end users. 
Since third parties can now arrange for the sale of natural gas, EIA 
has lost coverage of the

[[Page 25214]]

prices paid by many consumers, particularly in the industrial sector.
    In meetings with EIA data providers and data users, the importance 
of the consumer price data were given high priority. Those prices are 
important indicators of the overall structure and functioning of the 
natural gas marketplace. The data are needed and used by the business 
community for planning purposes and as benchmark and baseline data.
    EIA is proposing to collect data from natural gas marketers who are 
the new participants in the industry since the implementation of Order 
636. The data collection would ask marketers to provide monthly reports 
of volumes, revenues, and distribution costs for natural gas delivered 
to customers f.o.b. (free on board) the end users' burnertip or f.o.b. 
the citygate. (EIA is currently pretesting the EIA-901.)
    The data would be combined with data collected from both the 
revised Form EIA-176 and the revised Form EIA-857 to construct end-use 
prices for each consuming sector.
EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and 
Disposition''
    EIA is proposing to change the EIA-176 to collect the revenues on 
deliveries of natural gas transported for the account of others in Part 
V, lines 7.1 through 7.4.6.2 of the form. This information will 
supplement data proposed to be collected on the Form EIA-901, ``Monthly 
Report of Natural Gas Marketers.'' The proposed changes are expected to 
place a small increased burden on respondents.
EIA-191, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report''
    EIA is not proposing any format changes to the Form. However, EIA 
has received requests for release of the Form EIA-191 data. Therefore, 
EIA is asking respondents to reconsider and to demonstrate the extent 
to which their information constitutes trade secrets or commercial and 
financial information whose release would cause substantial harm to 
their company's competitive position.
EIA-627, ``Annual Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Report''
    EIA is proposing the discontinuation of this voluntary form. A 
proposed change to the EIA-895 would request monthly data on value of 
natural gas at the wellhead and eliminate the need for a separate 
annual data collection on the EIA-627.
EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to 
Consumers''
    EIA proposes only one change to the EIA-857, to collect revenue 
data on lines 13 through 18 of the form. The purpose of gathering 
transportation revenue data is to supplement data gathered on the 
proposed Form EIA-901 in the development of end-user price data. A 
small change in burden to respondents is anticipated.
EIA-895, ``Monthly Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Report''
    Proposed changes to the EIA-895 include adding a column to the form 
to collect data on the value of each volume item on the form. The title 
of the Form would be changed to ``Monthly Quantity and Value of Natural 
Gas Report.'' This voluntary report is filed by State agencies of each 
of the natural gas producing States. The reporting burden for the EIA-
895 would be expected to increase from 30 minutes to 45 minutes per 
response.
Standby Forms EIA-191S, ``Weekly Underground Gas Storage Report,'' and 
EIA-857S, ``Weekly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to 
Consumers''
    No changes are requested to these standby forms. EIA has not 
previously invoked the use of the forms in emergency situations, but 
would like to retain the ability to do so should circumstances warrant.

III. Request for Comments

    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 responses. Since this notice 
covers more than one form, please indicate to which form(s) your 
comments apply.

General Issues

    EIA is interested in receiving comments from persons regarding:
    A. Whether the proposed collections of information are necessary 
for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility. Practical utility 
is 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 EIA make to the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected?

As a Potential Respondent

    A. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
not, which instructions require clarification?
    B. Can data be submitted in accordance with the due date specified 
in the instructions?
    C. Public reporting burden for the proposed forms is estimated to 
average 4 hours per month for the EIA-901, 20.9 hours annually for the 
EIA-176, 3.6 hours per month for the EIA-191, 4 hours per month for the 
EIA-857, and 50 minutes per month for the EIA-895 per response. The 
burden estimate for the EIA-191S is 4 hours per response and the EIA-
857S is 4 hours per response on a weekly basis. Burden includes the 
total time, effort, or financial resources expended to generate, 
maintain, retain, or disclose or provide the information including: (1) 
reviewing instructions; (2) developing, acquiring, installing, and 
utilizing technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, 
validating, verifying, processing, maintaining, disclosing and 
providing information; (3) adjusting the existing ways to comply with 
any previously applicable instructions and requirements; (4) training 
personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5) searching data 
sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of information; 
and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the information.
    Please comment on (1) the accuracy of our estimate and (2) how the 
agency could minimize the burden of the collection of information, 
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.
    D. What are the estimated (1) total dollar amount annualized for 
capital and start-up costs, and (2) recurring annual dollar amount of 
operation and maintenance and purchase of services costs associated 
with these data collections? The estimates should take into account the 
costs associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or 
providing the information. Estimates should not include purchases of 
equipment or services made as part of customary and usual business 
practices, or the cost of any burden hours for completing the forms. 
EIA estimates that there are no additional costs other than those that 
the respondent incurs in keeping the information for its own uses.
    E. Do you know of any other Federal, State, or local agency that 
collects similar data? If you do, specify the agency, the data 
element(s), and the methods of collection.

[[Page 25215]]

As a Potential User

    A. Can you use data at the levels of detail indicated on the forms?
    B. For what purposes would you use the data? Be specific.
    C. Are there alternate sources of data and do you use them? If so, 
what are their deficiencies and/or strengths?
    D. For the most part, information is published by EIA in U.S. 
customary units, e.g., cubic feet of natural gas. Would you prefer to 
see EIA publish more information in metric units, e.g., cubic meters? 
If yes, please specify what information (e.g., natural gas 
consumption), the metric unit(s) of measurement preferred, and in which 
EIA publication(s) you would like to see such information.

Specific Issues

    EIA is seeking comments on the following specific issues related to 
the forms covered by this Notice:

Confidentiality of Data on the EIA-191

    EIA has received numerous requests for company-level information 
filed on the EIA-191. Since these data were collected under a pledge of 
confidentiality, those requests have been denied. However, in light of 
the fact that many respondents routinely provide their data to the 
trade press and others, this issue is being reexamined.
    A. Should EIA continue to preserve the confidentiality of EIA-191 
data?
    B. What would be the impact on your company of the release of its 
filings of the EIA-191?
    C. What would be the impact on your company if the EIA were to 
aggregate your filings from the field level to the company level and 
release only the company-level aggregate data?
    D. How are field-level or company-level natural gas storage data 
useful to you?

Tax Revenue Information Reported on the EIA-176 and EIA-857

    Currently taxes are included in the revenues collected on the EIA-
176 and EIA-857. Can your company provide separate data, either as a 
rate or in dollars, on the taxes collected from its deliveries of 
natural gas to consumers?

Firm and Interruptible Deliveries (EIA-176)

    EIA has been collecting information on EIA-176 on deliveries of 
natural gas to end users divided into the categories ``firm'' and 
``interruptible''. Because natural gas purchases and contracting 
practices have changed significantly since the advent of Order 636, we 
are requesting your comments on the desirability of continuing to 
collect these data at this level of detail.
    A. For Responding Companies: Is your company able to provide 
reliable data in response to these data items?
    B. For Data Users: Are the data on firm and interruptible 
deliveries of natural gas to end users useful to you?

Deliveries of Natural Gas to Nonutility Power Producers (Forms EIA-176 
and EIA-857)

    A. For Data Providers: Is your company able to provide reliable 
data on deliveries to nonutility power producers?
    B. For Data Providers and Users: Are the data on deliveries of 
natural gas to nonutility power producers useful?

Gas Used for Agriculture (Forms EIA-176 and EIA-857)

    Natural gas consumed in agriculture operations has always been 
classified as part of the commercial sector. For all other fuels on 
which EIA collects data, agriculture use is considered part of the 
industrial sector.
    A. For Respondent Companies: Is your company able to separate 
natural gas deliveries to agricultural users and report them as part of 
the industrial sector?
    B. For Data Users: Transferring agricultural use to the industrial 
sector would allow more meaningful comparisons with other fuels. It 
would also mean a break in series because EIA has no precise measure of 
agricultural use with which to adjust previously published data. Should 
EIA request this change of sector definition?

Electronic or Other Filing Options

    EIA is continually seeking ways to improve the convenience of 
reporting for respondents. Electronic methods of filing EIA forms 
provide respondents with options that many find easier and less time-
consuming than the traditional paper forms. Also, because some editing 
is performed as data are entered, filing electronically often produces 
higher quality reports and respondents are subject to fewer follow-up 
contacts from EIA staff to resolve questions. Electronic filing is 
preferred by EIA but is not mandatory. Currently the EIA-176 offers an 
electronic filing option provided on a personal computer diskette 
programmed with software that can be used on most IBM compatible 
computers. The EIA-191 offers an electronic filing option which allows 
users to transmit data directly to the EIA mainframe computer.
    A. Does your company have any questions or concerns about the 
electronic filing options offered by EIA?
    B. What other electronic filing options could be offered that your 
company would like to use?

Revenue Data on the EIA-176 and EIA-857

    A. Can respondent companies provide the revenue data for gas 
transported for the account of others requested on the EIA-176 and the 
EIA-857?
    B. What revenues are included in the data that respondents are 
asked to provide in response to these new data items?
    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 3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13).

    Issued in Washington, D.C., May 13, 1996.
Yvonne M. Bishop,
Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 96-12593 Filed 5-17-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P