[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 2 (Monday, January 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 254-256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-126]


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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 revision of a currently approved collection of 
information (OMB Control Number 1010-0006).

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[[Page 255]]

SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Act), the 
Department of the Interior has submitted the collection of information 
discussed below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
approval. 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.

DATES: Submit written comments by February 4, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments and suggestions directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (1010-0006), 725 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, D.C. 20503.
    Send a copy of your comments to the Minerals Management Service, 
Attention: Rules Processing Team, Mail Stop 4020, 381 Elden Street, 
Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Engineering and 
Operations Division, Minerals Management Service, telephone (703) 787-
1600. You may obtain copies of the supporting statement and collection 
of information by contacting MMS's Information Collection Clearance 
Officer at (202) 208-7744.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    Title: 30 CFR Part 256, Leasing of Sulphur or Oil and Gas in the 
Outer Continental Shelf.
    Form Numbers: MMS-2028, OCS Mineral Lessee's and Operator's Bond 
and Act of Suretyship; MMS-2028A, OCS Mineral Lessee's and Operator's 
Supplemental Plugging & Abandonment Bond and Act of Suretyship.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), as 
amended, 43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq., requires the Secretary of the Interior 
(Secretary) to preserve, protect, and develop offshore oil and gas 
resources; to make such resources available to meet the Nation's energy 
needs as rapidly as possible; to balance orderly energy resource 
development with protection of the human, marine, and coastal 
environments; to ensure the public a fair and equitable return on the 
resources of the OCS; and to preserve and maintain free enterprise 
competition. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) 
prohibits certain lease bidding arrangements (42 U.S.C. 6213 (c)).
    The MMS uses the information collected under Part 256 to determine 
if applicants are qualified to hold leases in the OCS. For example, MMS 
uses the information to: (a) verify the qualifications of a bidder on 
an OCS lease sale; (b) develop the semiannual List of Restricted Joint 
Bidders that identifies parties which are ineligible to bid jointly 
with each other on OCS lease sales, under limitations established by 
the EPCA; (c) ensure the qualification of assignees; (d) document that 
a leasehold or geographical subdivision has been surrendered by the 
record title holder, and (e) verify that lessees have adequate bonding 
coverage. If MMS did not collect the information, we would be unable to 
comply with the mandates of the OCSLA and the EPCA.
    The individual responses to Calls for Information are the only 
information collected involving the protection of confidentiality. The 
MMS will protect specific individual replies from disclosure as 
proprietary information in accordance with section 26 of the OCSLA and 
30 CFR 256.10(d). No items of a sensitive nature are collected. 
Responses are required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS sulphur or oil and gas lessees.
    Frequency: The frequency of reporting and number of responses vary 
for each section and are mostly on occasion or annual (see chart 
below). There are no recordkeeping requirements in 30 CFR part 256.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: 17,856 
total burden hours, averaging approximately 137 hours per respondent 
(see chart below).

                                                Burden Breakdown                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                        Annual  
     Citation 30 CFR, Part 256            Reporting           Annual No. of     Burden per  response    burden  
                                         requirement            responses                                hours  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subparts A, E, H, L, M............  None................                                                        
(1) Not applicable                  0...................                                                        
Subparts B, D, F..................  Public notice and                                                           
                                     comment process                                                            
                                     through the Federal                                                        
                                     Register.                                                                  
(1) Exempt as defined in 5 CFR      0...................                                                        
 1320.3(h)(4)                                                                                                   
Subpart C.........................  Reports from Federal                                                        
                                     agencies.                                                                  
(1) Exempt as defined in 5 CFR      0...................                                                        
 1320.3(c)(4)                                                                                                   
Various Subparts: 256.37; 256.53;   Request approval for                                                        
 256.68; 256.70; 256.71; 256.72;     various operations                                                         
 256.73.                             or submit plans or                                                         
                                     applications.                                                              
(1)Burden included with other       0...................                                                        
 approved collections in 30 CFR                                                                                 
 Part 250                                                                                                       
Subpart G: 256.41; 256.43.........  Submit qualification  200 responses.......  4.5 hours...........       900  
                                     of bidders for                                                             
                                     joint bids and                                                             
                                     statement of                                                               
                                     production.                                                                
256.46............................  Submit bids.........  2,000 bids..........  1 hour..............     2,000  
256.47(c).........................  File agreement to     1 agreement.........  4 hours.............         4  
                                     accept joint lease                                                         
                                     on tie bids.                                                               
256.47(e)(1), (e)(3)..............  Request for                                                                 
                                     reconsideration of                                                         
                                     bid rejection.                                                             
(1) Exempt as defined in 5 CFR      0...................                                                        
 1320.3(h)(9)                                                                                                   
256.47; 256.50....................  Execute lease         629 leases..........  1 hour..............       629  
                                     (includes                                                                  
                                     submission of                                                              
                                     evidence of                                                                
                                     authorized agent                                                           
                                     and request for                                                            
                                     dating of leases).                                                         
Subpart I.........................  Provide bonding                                                             
                                     document                                                                   
                                     certifications,                                                            
                                     etc..                                                                      
(1) Exempt as defined in 5 CFR      0...................                                                        
 1320.3(h)(1)                                                                                                   
Form MMS-2028.....................  OCS Mineral Lessee's  205 forms...........  .25 hour............    \1\ 51  
                                     and Operator Bond                                                          
                                     and Act of                                                                 
                                     Suretyship.                                                                
Form MMS-2028A....................  OCS Mineral Lessee's  120 forms...........  .25 hour............        30  
                                     and Operator's                                                             
                                     Supplemental                                                               
                                     Plugging &                                                                 
                                     Abandonment Bond                                                           
                                     and Act of                                                                 
                                     Suretyship.                                                                
256.53(c), (d), (f)...............  Demonstrate ability   150 submissions.....  .25 hour............        37.5
                                     to carry out                                                               
                                     present and future                                                         
                                     financial                                                                  
                                     obligations and/or                                                         
                                     request reduction                                                          
                                     in amount of                                                               
                                     supplemental bond                                                          
                                     required.                                                                  

[[Page 256]]

                                                                                                                
256.55(b).........................  Notify MMS of action  1 notice............  .5 hour.............          .5
                                     filed alleging                                                             
                                     lessee, surety, or                                                         
                                     guarantor are                                                              
                                     insolvent or                                                               
                                     bankrupt.                                                                  
256.56............................  Provide plan to fund  3 submissions.......  8 hours.............        24  
                                     lease-specific                                                             
                                     abandonment account                                                        
                                     and related                                                                
                                     information.                                                               
256.57............................  Provide third-party   10 submissions......  .5 hour.............         5  
                                     guarantee, related                                                         
                                     notices, and annual                                                        
                                     update.                                                                    
256.58(a).........................  Request termination   50 requests.........  .5 hour.............        25  
                                     of period of                                                               
                                     liability and                                                              
                                     cancellation of                                                            
                                     bond.                                                                      
Subpart J 256.62; 256.64; 256.67..  File application for  2,275 applications..  5 hours.............    11,375  
                                     assignment or                                                              
                                     transfer.                                                                  
256.64(a)(7)......................  File required         500 filings.........  .5 hour.............       250  
                                     instruments                                                                
                                     creating or                                                                
                                     transferring                                                               
                                     working intrest,                                                           
                                     etc, for record                                                            
                                     purposes.                                                                  
256.64(a)(8)......................  Submit non-required                                                         
                                     documents for                                                              
                                     record purposes.                                                           
(1) Voluntary, non-required         0...................                                                        
 submissions of documents the                                                                                   
 lessee wants MMS to file with the                                                                              
 lease.                                                                                                         
Subpart K 256.76..................  File written request  505 relinquishments.  5 hours.............     2,525  
                                     for relinquishment.                                                        
      Total Reporting.............  ....................  6,649...............  ....................   17,856   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Rounded.                                                                                                    

    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $420,875 
for transfer application fees (approximately 2,275 applications x $185 
fee) and $50,000 for non-required documents filing fees (approximately 
2,000 requests x $25 fee).
    Comments: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
requires each agency ``* * * to provide notice * * * and otherwise 
consult with members of the public and affected agencies concerning 
each proposed collection of information * * *.'' Agencies must 
specifically solicit comments to: (a) evaluate whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the agency to perform its 
duties, including whether the information is useful, (b) evaluate the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, (c) enhance the quality, usefulness, and 
clarity of the information to be collected, and (d) minimize the burden 
on the respondents, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Send your comments directly to the offices listed under the 
addresses section of this notice. OMB has up to 60 days to approve or 
disapprove the information collection but may respond after 30 days. 
Therefore, to ensure maximum consideration, OMB should receive public 
comments February 4, 1998.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated October 30, 1997.
E. P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 98-126 Filed 1-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P