[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 124 (Wednesday, June 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33105-33107]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-16298]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection(s); 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, Energy.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed modifications to the Petroleum 
Marketing Division's survey forms:

EIA-14, ``Refiners' Monthly Cost Report,''
EIA-182, ``Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase Report,''
EIA-782A, ``Refiners'/Gas Plant Operators' Monthly Petroleum Product 
Sales Report,''
EIA-782B, ``Resellers'/Retailers' Monthly Petroleum Product Sales 
Report,''
EIA-782C, ``Monthly Report of Petroleum Products Sold into States for 
Consumption,''
EIA-821, ``Annual Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales Report,''
EIA-856, ``Monthly Foreign Crude Oil Acquisition Report,''
EIA-863, ``Petroleum Product Sales Identification Survey,''
EIA-877, ``Winter Heating Fuels Telephone Survey,''
EIA-878, ``Daily Motor Gasoline Price Survey,''
EIA-888, ``On-Highway Diesel Fuel Price Survey.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 26, 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 Jacob Bournazian, Energy Information 
Administration, EI-431, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Washington, D.C. 20585, Telephone (202) 586-1256, fax (202) 586-4913, 
e-mail address: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for additional information or copies 
of the form(s) and instructions should be directed to Jacob Bournazian 
at the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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

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 Petroleum Marketing data collections included herein were 
approved by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget for a 
period not in excess of three years pursuant to section 3507(d) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (Pub. L. No. 96- 511, title 44 U.S.C., 
chapter 35). EIA seeks an extension of these collections by the 
Director with some relatively

[[Page 33106]]

minor modifications under section 3507(h) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13, title 44 U.S.C., chapter 35).
    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. No. 104-13)), conducts a pre-
survey 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.
    The Petroleum Marketing Program Surveys collect information on 
costs, sales, prices, and distribution of crude oil and petroleum 
products. The data are published in the Petroleum Marketing Monthly, 
Petroleum Marketing Annual, Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales Annual Report, 
and the Weekly Petroleum Status Report. Data are also disseminated 
electronically through the U.S. Department of Energy telephone hotline 
on (202) 586-6966, the INTERNET on the Energy Information 
Administration Home Page e-mail address: http://www.eia.doe.gov, 
broadcast faxes of Motor Gasoline Watch and Distillate Watch, the 
Energy Information Administration's electronic publishing system EPUB, 
the Oil and Gas Information Resource System, and the Comprehensive Oil 
and Gas Information Source.

II. Current Actions

    In keeping with its mandated responsibilities, EIA proposes to seek 
an extension for three years of the petroleum marketing data collection 
forms. EIA also proposes the following modifications to the following 
forms:

EIA-14, ``Refiners' Monthly Cost Report''

    Delete the collection of cost and volume data on unfinished oil.

EIA-182, ``Domestic Crude Oil First Purchase Report''

    No proposed changes.

EIA-782A, ``Refiners'/Gas Plant Operators' Monthly Petroleum 
Product Sales Report''

    No proposed changes.

EIA-782B, ``Resellers'/Retailers' Monthly Petroleum Product Sales 
Report''

    No proposed changes.

EIA-782C, ``Monthly Report of Petroleum Products Sold into States 
for Consumption''

    Delete the collection of projected sales data for all products.

EIA-821, ``Annual Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales Report''

    No proposed changes.

EIA-856, ``Monthly Foreign Crude Oil Acquisition Report''

    The reporting by respondents of ``Transaction Number'' and 
``Days of Credit'' will no longer be required.

EIA-863, ``Petroleum Product Sales Identification Survey''

    Change collection of ``Oxygenated and/or Reformulated'' gasoline 
sales to ``Reformulated'' gasoline sales. Change the data collection 
cycle from every 3 years to every 4 years.

EIA-877, ``Winter Heating Fuels Telephone Survey''

    Delete the collection of ``Inventory'' data for No. 2 heating 
oil and propane.

EIA-878, ``Daily Motor Gasoline Price Survey''

    Add collection of State and local gasoline taxes twice a year.

EIA-888, ``On-Highway Diesel Fuel Price Survey''

    Add collection of State and local on-highway diesel fuel taxes 
twice a year. Increase the sample size to generate estimates for 
each subdistrict within the Petroleum Administration for Defense 
District No. 1 (East Coast Region).

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. Please indicate to 
which form(s) your comments apply.

General Issues

    EIA is interested in receiving comments from persons regarding:
    A. Whether the proposed collection of information is 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 this collection is estimated to 
average:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Burden  
                            Form                               hours per
                                                               response 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EIA-14......................................................        1.6 
EIA-182.....................................................        4.3 
EIA-782A....................................................       15.0 
EIA-782B....................................................        2.5 
EIA-782C....................................................        2.1 
EIA-821.....................................................        3.2 
EIA-856.....................................................        6.0 
EIA-863.....................................................        1.0 
EIA-877.....................................................        0.1 
EIA-878.....................................................        0.05
EIA-888.....................................................        0.05
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 through 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 this data collection(s)? 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 form(s). 
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 33107]]

As a Potential User

    A. Can you use data at the levels of detail indicated on the form?
    B. For what purpose 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, short tons of coal, 
and barrels of oil. Would you prefer to see EIA publish more 
information in metric units, e.g., cubic meters, metric tons, and 
kilograms? If yes, please specify what information (e.g., coal 
production, natural gas consumption, and crude oil imports), the metric 
unit(s) of measurement preferred, and in which EIA publication(s) you 
would like to see such information.
    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. June 20, 1996.
Yvonne M. Bishop,
Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 96-16298 Filed 6-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P