[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 73 (Friday, April 16, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18933-18934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9506]


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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

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.), we are notifying you that an information collection request 
(ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review and approval. We are also soliciting your comments on this 
ICR which describes the information collection, its expected costs and 
burden, and how the data will be collected.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before May 17, 1999.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (OMB Control Number 1010-0033), 725 17th 
Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20503; telephone (202) 395-7340. Copies 
of these comments should also be sent to us. The U.S. 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].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis C. Jones, Rules and 
Publications Staff, telephone (303) 231-3046, FAX (303) 231-3385, 
e:Mail Dennis.C.J[email protected]. You may also contact Dennis Jones to 
obtain a copy of the ICR at no cost.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Payor Information Form (Form MMS-4025).
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0033.
    Abstract: The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for the 
collection of royalties from lessees producing minerals from leased 
Federal and Indian lands. The Secretary is required by various laws to 
manage the production of mineral resources on Indian lands and Federal 
onshore and offshore leases, to collect the royalties due, and to 
distribute the funds in accordance with those laws.
    We perform royalty management functions for the Secretary. We use a 
database, an automated fiscal accounting system (the Auditing and 
Financial System) to account for revenues collected from Federal and 
Indian leases. Part of the database consists of information collected 
using the Payor Information Form (Form MMS-4025). Form MMS-4025 is used 
to record and report data from new producing leases, for updating payor 
changes, and to notify MMS of the

[[Page 18934]]

products on which royalties will be paid.
    Based upon well data provided by the Bureau of Land Management, MMS 
developed a well database and, consequently, payors no longer need to 
report certain well data when submitting Form MMS-4025. Also, the 
Royalty Policy Committee, established by the Secretary, and MMS 
personnel identified several data elements that are only needed on an 
exception basis and, therefore, do not need to be routinely reported on 
Form MMS-4025. This program change reduces the reporting burden for 
this information collection.
    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. The Federal Register Notice with a 
60-day comment period soliciting comments on this collection of 
information was published on August 11, 1998 (63 FR 42870).
    Burden statement: The respondent burden for this collection is 
estimated to average 40 minutes to complete Form MMS-4025. 
Recordkeeping requires an additional 5 minutes. The total annual burden 
hour estimate is 17,250 hours which includes the time for reviewing 
instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and 
reviewing the form.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Federal and Indian lessees and 
payors.
    Frequency of Response: As necessary.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,200.
    Estimated Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: 17,250 
hours.
    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 by May 17, 1999.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: April 8, 1999.
Lucy Querques Denett,
Associate Director for Royalty Management.
[FR Doc. 99-9506 Filed 4-15-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P