[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10900-10902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4059]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of a currently approved information 
collection (OMB Control Number 1010-0051).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we 
are inviting comments on a collection of information that we will 
submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval. The information collection request (ICR) is titled ``30 CFR 
250, Subpart L, Oil and Gas Production Measurement, Surface 
Commingling, and Security.''

DATES: Submit written comments by April 23, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Rules Processing 
Team; Mail Stop 4024; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. 
If you wish to e-mail comments, the e-mail address is: 
[email protected]. Reference ``Information Collection 1010-0051'' 
in your e-mail subject line. Include your name and return address in 
your e-mail message and mark your message for return receipt.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent 
allowable by law. There may be circumstances in which we would withhold 
from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by the law. If 
you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not 
consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR part 250, Subpart L, Oil and Gas Production 
Measurement, Surface Commingling, and Security.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0051.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq., gives the Secretary (Secretary) of the Department of the 
Interior (DOI) the responsibility to preserve, protect, and develop oil 
and gas resources in the OCS. This must be in a manner that is 
consistent with the need to 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 OCS 
resources; and preserve and maintain free enterprise competition. The 
Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701, et 
seq.) at section 1712(b)(2) prescribes that an operator will ``develop 
and comply with such minimum site security measures as the Secretary 
deems appropriate, to protect oil or gas produced or stored on a lease 
site or on the Outer Continental Shelf from theft.'' These authorities 
and responsibilities are among those delegated to MMS under which we 
issue regulations governing oil and gas and sulphur operations in the 
OCS. This information collection request addresses the regulations at 
30 CFR part 250, subpart L, Oil and Gas Production Measurement, Surface 
Commingling, and Security, and the associated supplementary notices to 
lessees and operators intended to provide clarification, description, 
or explanation of these regulations.
    MMS uses the information collected under subpart L to ensure that 
the volumes of hydrocarbons produced are measured accurately, and 
royalties are paid on the proper volumes. Specifically, MMS needs the 
information to:
     Determine if measurement equipment is properly installed, 
provides accurate measurement of production on which royalty is due, 
and is operating properly;
     Obtain rates of production data in allocating the volumes 
of production measured at royalty sales meters, which can be examined 
during field inspections;
     Ascertain if all removals of oil and condensate from the 
lease are reported;
     Determine the amount of oil that was shipped when 
measurements are taken by gauging the tanks rather than being measured 
by a meter;
     Ensure that the sales location is secure and production 
cannot be removed without the volumes being recorded; and
     Review proving reports to verify that data on run tickets 
are calculated and reported accurately.
    Responses are mandatory. No questions of a ``sensitive'' nature are 
asked. MMS will protect proprietary information according to 30 CFR 
250.196 (Data and information to be made available to the public) and 
30 CFR part 252 (OCS Oil and Gas Information Program).
    Frequency: The frequency varies by section, but is primarily 
monthly or ``on occasion.''
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved ``hour'' burden for this information collection is a 
total of 5,330 hours. The following chart summarizes the components of 
this burden and estimated burdens per response or record. In 
calculating the burden, we assumed that respondents perform certain 
requirements in the normal course of their activities. We consider 
these to be usual and customary and took that into account in 
estimating the burden.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Reporting or        Hour burden per
 Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart L       recordkeeping         response or
                                      requirement            record
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Reporting Requirements
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1202(a)(1), (b)(1)............  Submit liquid           8 hours.
                                 hydrocarbon
                                 measurement
                                 procedures
                                 application and/or
                                 changes.
1202(a)(4)....................  Copy & send pipeline    \3/4\ hour.
                                 (retrograde)
                                 condensate volumes
                                 upon request.
1202(c)(4) *..................  Copy & send all liquid  1 minute.
                                 hydrocarbon run
                                 tickets monthly.

[[Page 10901]]

 
1202(d)(4)....................  Request approval for    1 hour.
                                 proving on a schedule
                                 other than monthly.
1202(d)(5) *..................  Copy & submit liquid    1 minute.
                                 hydrocarbon royalty
                                 meter proving reports
                                 monthly & request
                                 waiver as needed.
1202(f)(2) *..................  Copy & submit           10 minutes.
                                 mechanical-
                                 displacement prover &
                                 tank prover
                                 calibration reports.
1202(l)(2) *..................  Copy & submit royalty   10 minutes.
                                 tank calibration
                                 charts before using
                                 for royalty
                                 measurement.
1202(l)(3) *..................  Copy & submit           \1/4\ hour.
                                 inventory tank
                                 calibration charts
                                 upon request.
1203(b)(1)....................  Submit gas measurement  8 hours.
                                 procedures
                                 application and/or
                                 changes.
1203(b)(6), (8), (9) *........  Copy & submit gas       80% @ 5 mins.
                                 quality and volume     20% @ 30 mins.
                                 statements upon
                                 request (80% of these
                                 will be routine; 20%
                                 will take longer).
1203(c)(4) *..................  Copy & submit gas       5 minutes.
                                 meter calibration
                                 reports upon request.
1203(e)(1) *..................  Copy & submit gas       \1/2\ hour.
                                 processing plant
                                 records upon request.
1203(f)(5)....................  Copy & submit           5 minutes.
                                 measuring records of
                                 gas lost or used on
                                 lease upon request.
1204(a)(1)....................  Submit commingling      8 hours.
                                 application and/or
                                 changes.
1204(a)(2)....................  Provide state           1 hour.
                                 production volumetric
                                 and/or fractional
                                 analysis data upon
                                 request.
1205(a)(4)....................  Report security         \1/4\ hour.
                                 problems (telephone).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Recordkeeping Requirements
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1202(c)(1), (2)...............  Record observed data,   Respondents
                                 correction factors &    record these
                                 net standard volume     items as part
                                 on royalty meter and    of normal
                                 tank run tickets.       business
                                                         records &
                                                         practices to
                                                         verify accuracy
                                                         of production
                                                         measured for
                                                         sale purposes.
1202(e).......................  Record master meter
                                 calibration runs.
1202(h)(1), (2), (3), (4).....  Record mechanical-
                                 displacement prover,
                                 master meter, or tank
                                 prover proof runs.
1202(i)(1)(iv), (2)(iii)......  Record liquid
                                 hydrocarbon royalty
                                 meter malfunction and
                                 repair or adjustment
                                 on proving report;
                                 record unregistered
                                 production on run
                                 ticket.
1202(j).......................  List Cpl and Ctl
                                 factors on run
                                 tickets.
1202(e)(6)....................  Retain master meter     1 minute.
                                 calibration reports
                                 for 2 years.
1202(k)(5)....................  Retain liquid           1 minute.
                                 hydrocarbon
                                 allocation meter
                                 proving reports for 2
                                 years.
1202(l)(3)....................  Retain liquid           5 minutes.
                                 hydrocarbon inventory
                                 tank calibration
                                 charts for as long as
                                 tanks are in use.
1203(c)(4)....................  Retain calibration      1 minute.
                                 reports for 2 years.
1203(f)(4)....................  Document & retain       1 minute.
                                 measurement records
                                 on gas lost or used
                                 on lease for 2 years.
1204(b)(3)....................  Retain well test data   2 minutes.
                                 for 2 years.
1205(a)(2)....................  Post signs at royalty   1 hour.
                                 or inventory tank
                                 used in royalty
                                 determination process.
1205(b)(3), (4)...............  Retain seal number      2 minutes.
                                 lists for 2 years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Respondents gather this information as part of their normal business
  practices. MMS only requires copies of readily available documents.
  There is no burden for testing, meter reading, document preparation,
  etc.

    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' 
Burden: We have identified no ``non-hour'' costs burdens.
    Comments: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 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. Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section 
3506(c)(2)(A) 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. We will 
summarize written responses to this notice and address them in our 
submission for OMB approval, including any appropriate adjustments to 
the estimated burden.
    Agencies must estimate both the ``hour'' burden and ``non-hour 
cost'' burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the 
collection of information. We have not identified any non-hour cost 
burdens for the information collection aspects of 30 CFR part 250, 
subpart L. Therefore, if you have costs to generate, maintain, and 
disclose this information, you should comment and provide your total 
capital and startup cost components or annual operation, maintenance, 
and purchase of service components. You should describe the methods you 
use to estimate major cost factors, including system and technology 
acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, discount 
rate(s), and the period over which you incur costs. Capital and startup 
costs include, among other items, computers and software you purchase 
to prepare for collecting information, monitoring, and record storage 
facilities. Generally, your estimates should not include equipment or 
services purchased: (i) Before October

[[Page 10902]]

1, 1995; (ii) to comply with requirements not associated with the 
information collection; (iii) for reasons other than to provide 
information or keep records for the Government; or (iv) as part of 
customary and usual business or private practices.

    Dated: February 6, 2001.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 01-4059 Filed 2-16-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-U