[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 140 (Thursday, July 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39522-39523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-18728]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of new information collection (1010-XXXX).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), we are notifying you that we have submitted the 
information collection request (ICR) discussed below to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. We are also 
inviting your comments on this ICR.

DATE: Submit written comments by August 23, 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 (1010-XXXX), 725 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20503. Mail or handcarry a copy of your comments to the 
Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; attention: 
Rules Processing Team; Mail Stop 4024; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, 
Virginia 20170-4817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Rules Processing Team, 
telephone (703) 787-1600. You may also contact Alexis London to obtain 
a copy of the collection of information at no cost.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Weekly Activity Report, Form MMS-133. (This is a change in 
the title for this form which we announced in the previous notice as 
``Drilling Activity Report.'')
    OMB Control Number: 1010-XXXX.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq., as amended, requires the Secretary of the Interior to 
preserve, protect, and develop oil and gas resources in the OCS; make 
such resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs as rapidly 
as possible; balance orderly energy resources development with 
protection of the human, marine, and coastal environment; ensure the 
public a fair and equitable return on the resources offshore; and 
preserve and maintain free enterprise competition.
    To carry out these responsibilities, we issued rules governing oil 
and gas and sulphur operations in the OCS. Regulations requiring the 
information collection that is the subject of this ICR are 30 CFR 250, 
subpart D, ``Drilling Operations.'' Specifically, Sec. 250.416(c)(3) 
requires respondents to submit copies of the daily driller's report at 
a frequency determined by the MMS District Supervisor, but in no 
prescribed format. Current practice in the Gulf of Mexico Region (GOMR) 
allows respondents to submit these data on a weekly basis during 
drilling operations.
    We published a Federal Register notice with the required 60-day 
comment period soliciting comments on this ICR on March 18, 1999 (64 FR 
13442). The notice announced that a new form MMS-133 would be used in 
all Regions and would be titled ``Drilling Activity Report.'' However, 
during the comment period, we determined that this form would be used 
only in the GOMR and it would retain the same title as the unofficial 
GOMR form (``Weekly Activity Report''). Current reporting procedures 
for the information required by Sec. 250.416(c)(3) will remain 
unchanged in the Pacific and Alaska OCS Regions.
    We use this information to monitor the conditions of a well and 
status of drilling operations. Specifically, the District Office 
drilling engineers review the information to beware of the well 
conditions and current drilling activity (i.e., well depth, drilling 
fluid weight, casing types and setting depths, completed well logs, and 
recent safety equipment tests and drills). The engineers use this 
information to determine how accurately the lessee anticipated well 
conditions and if the lessee is following the approved application for 
permit to drill (APD). The information is also used by the engineers 
and District Supervisor to approve revisions to an APD. With this 
information at hand, they can analyze the proposed revision (i.e., 
revised grade of casing or deeper casing setting depth) and make a 
quick and informed decision on the request.

[[Page 39523]]

    We will protect proprietary information submitted with the plans 
according to the Freedom of Information Act and 30 CFR 250.118, ``Data 
and information to be made available to the public.'' No items of a 
sensitive nature are collected. Responses are mandatory.
    The PRA 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.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS sulphur or oil and gas lessees.
    Frequency: The frequency of reporting is weekly.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 
Average burden is one-half hour per form, including the time to gather 
the information. The total annual estimated burden is 2,275 hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no information collection cost burdens for this 
collection of information.
    Comments: All comments are made a part of the public record. 
Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA 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. The 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 August 23, 1999.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: July 1, 1999.
John V. Mirabella,
Acting Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 99-18728 Filed 7-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P