[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13231-13232]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6450]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


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

    Title: Designation of Royalty Payment Responsibility, OMB Control 
Number 1010-0107.
    Comments: This collection of information has been submitted to the 
Office of Management and Budget for approval. In compliance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Section 3506 (c)(2)(A), we are 
notifying you, members of the public and affected agencies, of this 
collection of information, and are inviting your comments. Is this 
information collection necessary for us to properly do our job? Have we 
accurately estimated the public's burden for responding to this 
collection? Can we enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information we collect? Can we lessen the burden of this information 
collection on the respondents by using automated collection techniques 
or other forms of information technology?
    Comments should be made directly to the Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Interior Department, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503; telephone (202) 
395-7340. Copies of these comments should also be sent to us. The U.S.

[[Page 13232]]

Postal Service address is Minerals Management Service, Royalty 
Management Program, Rules and Publications Staff, P.O. Box 25165, MS 
3021, Denver, Colorado, 80225-0165; the courier address is Building 85, 
Room A-613, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225; and the 
e:Mail address is RMP.[email protected]. OMB has up to 60 days to 
approve or disapprove the information collection but may respond after 
30 days; therefore, public comments should be submitted to OMB within 
30 days in order to assure their maximum consideration.
    Copies of the proposed information collection and related 
explanatory material may be obtained by contacting Dennis C. Jones, 
Rules and Publications Staff, telephone (303) 231-3046, FAX (303) 231-
3385, e-Mail Dennis.C.J[email protected].

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before April 16, 1999.

SUMMARY: The Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Simplification and Fairness 
Act of 1996 (RSFA), Pub. L. 104-185, as corrected by Pub. L. 104-200, 
establishes the owners of operating rights and/or lease record title 
(who are jointly defined as ``lessees'' under RSFA) as responsible for 
making royalty and related payments on a Federal lease. Currently, it 
is common for a payor rather than a lessee to make royalty and related 
payments on a Federal lease. When a payor pays royalties on a Federal 
lease on behalf of a lessee, RSFA requires that the lessee certify to 
MMS in writing that a particular payor has been designated by the 
lessee to make such royalty and related payments to MMS on behalf of 
the lessee. RSFA made this payor designation requirement effective for 
lease production beginning September 1, 1996.
    Description of Respondents: Federal lessees.
    Frequency of Response: As necessary.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: 45 minutes.
    Annual Responses: 11,500.
    Annual Burden Hours: 8,625 hours.
    Bureau Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, (202) 208-7744.
    Dated: February 17, 1999.
Lucy Querques Denett,
Associate Director for Royalty Management.

[FR Doc. 99-6450 Filed 3-16-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P