[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 164 (Thursday, August 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43378-43379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21431]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service


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

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension for five currently approved information 
collections.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior has submitted five proposals 
for the collections of information listed below to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for approval under the provisions of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Act). The Act 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.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments and suggestions directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (1010-0044, 1010-0045, 1010-0046, 1010-
0039, or 1010-0017), Washington, DC 20503.
    Send a copy of your comments to the Chief, Engineering and 
Standards Branch, Mail Stop 4700, Minerals Management Service, 381 
Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Engineering and 
Standards Branch, Mail Stop 4700, Minerals Management Service, 381 
Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 22070-4817; telephone (703) 787-1600. 
You may obtain copies of the proposed collection of information and 
related forms by contacting MMS's Clearance Officer at the telephone 
number listed below.

[[Page 43379]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Titles: Application for Permit to Drill, Form MMS-123; Sundry 
Notices and Reports on Wells, Form MMS-124; Well Summary Report, Form 
MMS-125; Well Potential Test Report and Request for Maximum Production 
Rate (MPR), Form MMS-126; and Semi-Annual Well Test Report, Form MMS-
128.
    OMB Control Numbers (Form Numbers): 1010-0044 (MMS-123); 1010-0045 
(MMS-124); 1010-0046 (MMS-125); 1010-0039 (MMS-126); 1010-0017 (MMS-
128).
    Abstract: Section 3506 of the Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires 
that OMB provide interested Federal agencies and the public an 
opportunity to comment on information collection requests.
    The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), 43 U.S.C. 1331 et 
seq., requires the Secretary of the Interior to preserve, protect, and 
develop oil and gas resources in the OCS; make such resources available 
to meet the Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; balance 
orderly energy resources development with protection of the human, 
marine, and coastal environment; ensure the public a fair and equitable 
return on the resources offshore; preserve and maintain free enterprise 
competition, and ensure that the extent of oil and natural gas 
resources of the OCS is assessed at the earliest practicable time. To 
carry out these responsibilities, the MMS issued rules governing oil 
and gas and sulphur operations in the OCS. These rules and the 
associated information collection requirements are contained in 30 CFR 
Part 250, Subpart D, Drilling Operations; Subpart E, Well-Completion 
Operations; Subpart F, Well-Workover Operations; Subpart G, Abandonment 
of Wells; Subpart K, Production Rates; and Subpart P, Sulphur 
Operations. Various sections of these Subparts require lessees to 
submit several MMS forms.
    Failure to collect this information would prevent the Director from 
carrying out the mandate of the OCSLA and implementing the provisions 
contained in 30 CFR Part 250. The following explains how MMS uses the 
information collected and the consequences if MMS did not collect the 
information.
    a. Form MMS-123, Application for Permit to Drill: MMS uses the 
information to determine the conditions of a drilling site in order to 
avoid hazards inherent in drilling operations and to decide whether the 
drilling operations are safe and environmentally sound. If MMS did not 
collect this information, we could not ensure that drilling operations 
were planned to minimize the risks to personnel and the environment.
    b. Form MMS-124, Sundry Notices and Reports on Wells: MMS District 
Supervisors use the information to evaluate the adequacy of the 
equipment, materials, and/or procedures that the lessee plans to use 
for drilling, production, well-completion, and well-workover 
operations. These include deepening and plugging back and well-
abandonment operations, including temporary abandonments where the 
wellbore will be reentered and completed or permanently abandoned. If 
MMS did not collect this information, we could not review lessee plans 
to require changes to drilling procedures or equipment to ensure that 
levels of safety and environmental protection are maintained. Nor could 
we review information concerning requests for approval or subsequent 
reporting of well-completion or well-workover operations to ensure that 
procedures and equipment are appropriate for the anticipated 
conditions.
    c. Form MMS-125, Well Summary Report: MMS District Supervisors use 
the information to ensure that they have accurate data on the wells 
under their jurisdiction and to ensure compliance with approved plans. 
It is also used to evaluate remedial action in well-equipment failure 
or well-control loss situations.
    d. Form MMS-126, Well Potential Test Report and Request for Maximum 
Production Rate (MPR): MMS District Supervisors use this form to 
determine the MPR for an oil or gas well. The form contains information 
concerning the conditions and results of a well-potential test. This 
requirement carries out the conservation provisions of the OCSLA and 30 
CFR Part 250. Failure to collect this information could result in waste 
of energy resources in the OCS by production at imprudent rates, 
jeopardizing the ultimate full recovery of hydrocarbons.
    e. Form MMS-128, Semi-annual Well Test Report: MMS Gulf of Mexico 
and Pacific Regional Supervisors use this information to evaluate the 
results of well tests to find out if reservoirs are being depleted in a 
way that will lead to the greatest ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons. 
The form is designed to present current well data on a semiannual basis 
to allow the updating of permissible producing rates and to provide the 
basis for estimates of currently remaining recoverable gas reserves.
    Description of Respondents: Federal OCS oil and gas lessees.
    Frequency: Forms MMS-123, MMS-124, MMS-125, and MMS-126, are on 
occasion; Form MMS-128 is semi-annual.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 130 respondents for each form.
    Estimate of Annual Burden:
      MMS-123  1,013 responses @ 2 hrs per response = 2,026 hours.
      MMS-124  9,950 responses @ 1 hr per response = 9,950 hours.
      MMS-125  2,118 responses @ 1 hr per response = 2,118 hours.
      MMS-126  4,040 responses @ 1.4 hr per response = 5,656 hours.
      MMS-128  1,716 responses @ 2 hrs per response = 3,432 hours.
    Comments: The OMB is required to make a decision concerning the 
proposed collection of information between 30 and 60 days after 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Therefore, a 
comment to OMB is best ensured of having its full effect if OMB 
receives it within 30 days of publication.
    Bureau Clearance Officer: Carole deWitt (703) 787-1242.

    Dated: July 11, 1996.
Henry G. Bartholomew,
Deputy Associate Director for Operations and Safety Management.
[FR Doc. 96-21431 Filed 8-21-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-M