[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
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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
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\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