[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 122 (Friday, June 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34267-34268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-16192]


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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 of information collection request.

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SUMMARY: To comply 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 July 26, 1999.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Interior Department (OMB Control Number 1010-0120), 725 17th 
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503; telephone (202) 395-7340. You should 
also send copies of these comments 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].


[[Page 34268]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain copies of the proposed 
information collection and related explanatory material, contact Dennis 
C. Jones, Rules and Publications Staff, telephone (303) 231-3046, FAX 
(303) 231-3385, e-Mail Dennis.C.J[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Solid Minerals Reengineering Operational Model.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0120.
    Abstract: The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for 
collecting royalties from leases 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 these royalty 
management functions for the Secretary.
    When a company or an individual enters into a contract or lease to 
develop, mine, and dispose of Federal or Indian minerals, that company 
or individual (the respondent) agrees to pay the appropriate royalty 
due based upon gross proceeds received from the sale of production from 
the leased lands. Royalty rates are specified in the lease agreement. 
Specific lease language varies; however, respondents agree by the lease 
terms to furnish statements providing the details of all operations 
conducted on a lease and the quantity and quality of all production 
from the lease at such times and in such form as the Secretary may 
prescribe. Rules require respondents to provide accurate, complete, and 
timely reports for all minerals produced, in the manner and form 
prescribed by MMS in 30 CFR Part 210, Subpart E, and Part 216, Subpart 
A.
    We currently require respondents to submit eight separate forms to 
collect the above information. We also require respondents to resubmit 
each of these forms to correct any errors which may have occurred on 
previous submissions of required information. The Solid Minerals 
Operational Model will focus on collecting production, royalty, and 
valuation data, while streamlining reporting requirements. The 
participating companies will continue to submit the eight currently 
required forms and will also submit the required information using new 
reporting guidelines for this operational model.
    We will collect the production, royalty, and valuation data using 
information technology. We will use the information collected to 
support:
     Distribution and Disbursement. We must match the royalty 
payment submitted on the Report of Sales and Royalty Remittances (Form 
MMS-2014) to the Production and Royalty Report (Form MMS-4430), 
maintain lease accounts of payments, and ensure the distribution of 
data and disbursement of monies to our revenue recipients.
     Compliance and Asset Management Processes. We must 
determine areas not in compliance for a lease or mine sooner than the 
current processes allow. The Production and Royalty Report form is 
designed to give us the basic volume and valuation information 
necessary to begin these compliance activities so that we may compare 
it to the Remote Storage and Washing Plant and Market Profile data 
formats.
     Monitoring Allowances and Off-site Activity. We must 
monitor allowance deductions and off-site inventory and sales. 
Companies maintain electronic data files of this information as a 
normal course of business. We propose to download the data from these 
company-maintained files to our compliance data systems. Our intent is 
to minimize the information collection burden on industry respondents 
as well as ourselves.
     BLM Production Verification, Diligent Development, and 
Recoverable Reserves Calculations. We must make facility data available 
on-line to all BLM, BIA, Tribal, and State Audit offices. During the 
operational model, we will refine the Remote Storage and Washing Plant 
data to ensure BLM can perform these processes, including monitoring 
plant efficiencies, maximum recovery, and secondary product 
inventories.
     Compliance and Asset Management Processes. We will require 
the submission of supplemental information (Market Profile) for the 
compliance aspect of our reengineering efforts. The Market Profile data 
will be an integral part of the Compliance and Asset Management process 
being developed in the operational model. We will use this information 
to verify royalty value and augment monitoring and detection of 
compliance problems on those mines. This information will only be 
collected from those reporters whose royalties are based on gross 
proceeds or who sell products beyond the mine site.
    Respondents/Affected Entities: Solid Minerals Mining Companies.
    Frequency of Response: Monthly and quarterly.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 8.
    Estimated Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: 463 
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 July 26, 1999.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: June 18, 1999.
R. Dale Fazio,
Acting Associate Director for Royalty Management.
[FR Doc. 99-16192 Filed 6-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P