[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16723-16725]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8450]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Activities: Comment Request on Collection and 
Dissemination of Natural Gas Information.

SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has undertaken a 
process to analyze its natural gas information collection and 
dissemination program to ensure its continuing accuracy, validity, 
adequacy, and reliability. As part of this process, EIA is soliciting 
comments from users of natural gas information as well as respondents 
to EIA's surveys.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before June 7, 1999. 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, 
please advise the contact listed below of your intention to do so as 
soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Ann Ducca, Energy Information 
Administration, EI-44, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Washington, DC 20585. Alternately, Ms. Ducca may be contacted at (202) 
586-6137, by e-mail at Ann.D[email protected], or by FAX at (202) 586-
4420.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Ms. Ducca at the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    I. Background
    II. Current Actions
    III. Request for Comments
    IV. Future Actions

I. Background

    In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275) and the Department of 
Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. 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.
    With respect to natural gas, EIA collects information on reserves, 
production, processing, transmission, storage, distribution, and 
consumption. This information is used in EIA data products, analytical 
reports, and forecasts covering the entire natural gas industry. 
Appendix A contains information on EIA surveys collecting natural gas 
information as well as selected products.
    The EIA, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and 
respondent burden and to ensure the practical utility of information 
collected (required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 
104-13)), conducts a 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 ensure that 
requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden 
is minimized, reporting forms are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. In 
addition, comments received from this consultation program are an 
integral component of EIA's program to ensure the accuracy, validity, 
adequacy, and reliability of information collected.

II. Current Actions

    Given changes in Federal laws and regulations (e.g., the Natural 
Gas Wellhead Decontrol Act of 1989 (Pub. L. 101-60) and Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Order 636) as well as changes in the U.S. 
economy, the natural gas industry has undergone a significant 
transformation in the past ten years. One example of the effect of this 
transformation is shown in the chart in Appendix B. The chart 
illustrates the fact that EIA's published natural gas prices reflect 
coverage of a decreasing percentage of all natural gas purchases. This 
has occurred because many natural gas consumers now purchase gas from 
companies not presently included in EIA's surveys.
    Recognizing the changes in the industry, EIA has undertaken a 
project titled ``Next Generation * Natural Gas,'' also known as 
(NG)\2\. The project will design and implement a new, comprehensive 
information program for natural gas to meet customer requirements in 
the post-2000 time frame. EIA wants to involve both data providers 
(i.e., respondents to its survey forms) and data users as part of the 
(NG)\2\ project. Working together with its stakeholders, EIA can 
redesign its natural gas information system to be more effective and 
efficient.
    To begin this new project, EIA held ten focus groups and plans to 
conduct executive interviews to solicit comments from some data users 
and data providers. That information will be one input for developing a 
draft outline of natural gas data requirements. EIA is now requesting 
comments from all interested persons.

III. Request for Comments

    Prospective survey respondents, data users, and other interested 
parties should comment on issues that EIA should address as part its 
natural gas information system redesign project. Issues may include, 
but are not limited to: (1) what natural gas information should EIA 
collect (including the time periods, geographic breakdowns, economic 
sector breakdowns, and confidentiality treatments); (2) what data are 
needed to describe and assess wholesale and retail natural gas markets; 
(3) what natural gas reports, analyses, and forecasts are important to 
you and why; and (4) any other important topics EIA should consider 
during this project. Also, persons willing to actively participate with 
EIA during this process are desired and are encouraged to contact the 
person listed above.
    Comments received in response to this notice may be summarized and/
or included in the later requests for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of EIA's natural gas surveys. They also will become a matter 
of public record.

IV. Future Actions

    EIA will use the comments in response to this notice along with 
comments received by other methods to help in the development of its 
natural gas data requirements. Then, draft survey instruments (e.g., 
forms and instructions) will be designed to collect the data. The 
survey instruments will be tested using a variety of methods including 
cognitive testing and small-scale pretests. This process should result 
in a redesigned natural gas information collection system that will be 
fully operational around 2002-2003.
    To keep interested persons informed of the changing natural gas 
market and EIA's efforts to redesign its natural gas information 
system, EIA is developing a page for its Internet site (http://
www.eia.doe.gov) and an automatic e-mail notification system (http://
tonto.eia.doe.gov/email/index.htm). Both items should be operational by 
late June.


[[Page 16724]]


    Statutory Authority: Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

    Issued in Washington, DC, March 30, 1999.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy 
Information Administration.

Appendix A. Energy Information Administration Natural Gas Surveys 
and Information Products

    Major EIA surveys currently collecting natural gas information 
are:

EIA-23, ``Annual Survey of Domestic Oil and Gas Reserves,''
EIA-23P, ``Oil and Gas Well Operator Update Report,''
EIA-28, ``Financial Reporting System,''
EIA-64A, ``Annual Report of the Origin of Natural Gas Liquids 
Report,''
EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and 
Disposition,''
EIA-191, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report,''
EIA-412, ``Annual Report of Public Electric Utilities,''
EIA-457, ``Residential Energy Consumption Survey,''
EIA-627, ``Annual Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Report,''
EIA-759, ``Monthly Power Plant Report,''
EIA-767, ``Steam Electric Plant Operation and Design Report,''
EIA-782A, ``Refiners/Gas Plant Operators' Monthly Petroleum Product 
Sales Report,''
EIA-816, ``Monthly Natural Gas Liquids Report,''
EIA-846, ``Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey,''
EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to 
Consumers,''
EIA-860A, ``Annual Electric Generator Report--Utility,''
EIA-860B, ``Annual Electric Generator Report--Nonutility,''
EIA-871, ``Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Report,''
EIA-886, ``Alternative Transportation Fuels and Alternative Fueled 
Vehicles,''
EIA-895, ``Monthly Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Report,'' and
EIA-900, ``Monthly Nonutility Power Report.''

    Additional information about these surveys is provided at EIA's 
Internet site (http://www.eia.doe.gov/oss/forms.html)
    EIA produces many reports utilizing natural gas data, analyses, 
and forecasts. Such reports include: the Monthly Energy Review; 
Natural Gas Monthly; Natural Gas Annual; Annual Energy Outlook; 
International Energy Annual; Natural Gas Issues and Trends; and U.S. 
Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Reserves Annual 
Report. These reports as well as other energy information products 
may be obtained by accessing EIA's Home Page (http://
www.eia.doe.gov).

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

[[Page 16725]]

Appendix B. Coverage of Natural Gas Prices Paid by Consumers
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN06AP99.008


[FR Doc. 99-8450 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-C