[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30846-30847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14712]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Agency information collection activities: Proposed collection; 
comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting 
comments concerning proposed revisions to the Forms EIA-23, EIA-23P, 
and EIA-64A, ``Oil and Gas Reserves Surveys.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 7, 1997. 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 Mr. Paul Chapman, Energy Information 
Administration, (EI-443), Dallas Field Office, 1999 Bryan Street, Room 
1110, Dallas, Texas 75201-6801, telephone (214) 720-6195, e-mail 
([email protected]), and FAX (214) 720-6155.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the form and instructions should be directed to Mr. Chapman 
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 (EIA) 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 EIA, 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: prepare data requests in the desired format, minimize 
reporting burden, develop clearly understandable reporting forms, and 
assess the impact of collection requirements on respondents. Also, EIA 
will later seek approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for the collections under Section 3507(h) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13, Title 44, U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Operators of crude oil and natural gas wells are the target 
respondents of the Forms EIA-23 and EIA-23P, while operators of natural 
gas plants are the target respondents of the Form EIA-64A. The amounts 
of crude oil, associated-dissolved and nonassociated natural gas, and 
lease condensate production and reserves by field are requested 
annually of large and intermediate size producers on Form EIA-23. Small 
operators are required to submit Form EIA-23 which is less detailed 
information and most are not asked to report each year. A selected 
sample of small operators provides information on production and 
reserves of crude oil, natural gas and lease condensate at a State 
level on the Form EIA-23.
    Form EIA-23P is a postcard form used to collect information on 
possible oil and gas well operators that may be included in future EIA-
23 surveys. Form EIA-64A collects information on the amount of natural 
gas processed, natural gas liquids produced, the resultant shrinkage of 
the natural gas, and the amount of natural gas used in processing from 
natural gas plant operators.
    In accordance with Section 657 of Public Law 95-91, estimates of 
United States oil and gas reserves are to be reported annually. These 
estimates are essential to the development, implementation, and 
evaluation of energy policy and legislation. Data will be published in 
the annual U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids 
Reserves, and incorporated in a number of other publications and 
analyses. Secondary publications which use the data include the Annual 
Energy Review, Annual Energy Outlook, Petroleum Supply Annual, and 
Natural Gas Annual.

[[Page 30847]]

II. Current Actions

    This notice is for a proposed three-year extension through December 
31, 2000, of the Forms EIA-23, ``Annual Survey of Domestic Oil and Gas 
Reserves,'' EIA-23P, ``Oil and Gas Well Operator List Update Report,'' 
and EIA-64A, ``Annual Report of the Origin of Natural Gas Liquids 
Production.'' Both Forms EIA-23P and EIA-64A will be extended without 
modification. For operators reporting on Form EIA-23, the definitions 
of proved reserves used for reporting will be modified to conform to 
the new ``Society of Petroleum Engineers'' (SPE) and ``World Petroleum 
Congress'' (WPC) definitions for proved reserves. These proposed 
modifications reflect the recent adoption by the SPE and the WPC of new 
definitions for proved reserves. The EIA strongly supported the 
adoption of the new definitions and feels that their adoption will 
allow the use of new estimation techniques. The new definitions are 
also expected to lead to improvements in the interpretation of U.S. 
proved reserves and their reliability.
    In addition, respondents will be required to report the average 
price used in the estimates of proved reserves and production. Because 
knowledge of the oil and gas prices at the field level is essential to 
successful profitable operations, it is assumed that field level price 
data are readily available to large and intermediate size operators. 
EIA is interested in whether small operators can report price 
information at the State level. In conjunction with requesting the 
price reporting, the average annual survey size will be reduced by 42 
percent by surveying small operators less frequently.

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

    A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency? 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 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 by the due date?
    C. Public reporting burden for these collections is estimated to 
average: for Form EIA-23, 8 hours for small operators, 62 hours for 
intermediate operators, and 333 hours for large operators; 15 minutes 
for operators reporting on Form EIA-23P; and 6 hours for natural gas 
plants reporting on Form EIA-64A. Burden includes the total time, 
effort, or financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, 
or disclose or provide the information.
    Please comment on (1) the accuracy of our estimates and (2) how the 
agency could minimize the burden of the collection of information, 
including the use of information technology.
    D. EIA estimates that respondents will incur no additional costs 
for reporting other than the hours required to complete the collection. 
What is the estimated: (1) Total dollar amount annualized for capital 
and start-up costs, and (2) recurring annual costs of operation and 
maintenance, and purchase of services associated with this data 
collection?
    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.

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, DC, May 30, 1997.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Office of Statistical Standards Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 97-14712 Filed 6-4-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P