[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 41 (Thursday, March 1, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12955-12957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4982]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of new information collection (OMB Control Number 1010-
NEW).

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

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 ``Form 
MMS-144, Rig Movement/Skid Notification Report.''

DATES: Submit written comments by April 30, 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:

[[Page 12956]]

[email protected]. Reference ``Information Collection, form MMS-
144, 1010-New'' 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 new form MMS-144.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Form MMS-144, Rig Movement/Skid Notification Report.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-New.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq., 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 environments; ensure the public a 
fair and equitable return on the resources offshore; and preserve and 
maintain free enterprise competition. Section 1332(6) of the OCS Lands 
Act (43 U.S.C. 1332) requires that ``operations in the [O]uter 
Continental Shelf should be conducted in a safe manner by well-trained 
personnel using technology, precautions, and techniques sufficient to 
prevent or minimize the likelihood of blowouts, loss of well control, 
fires, spillages, physical obstruction to other users of the waters or 
subsoil and seabed, or other occurrences which may cause damage to the 
environment or to property, or endanger life or health.'' This 
authority and responsibility are among those delegated to MMS, under 
which we issue regulations governing oil and gas and sulphur operations 
in the OCS. The reporting and recordkeeping of information required by 
our 30 CFR part 250 regulations are mandatory. To facilitate and 
standardize required reporting, MMS has developed various forms. MMS 
also issues Notices to Lessees and Operators, which provide 
clarification, description, or interpretation of requirements contained 
in regulations, or implement supplemental or regional procedures.
    This ICR concerns regulations in 30 CFR 250 subparts D, E, and F, 
and specifically in sections 401(g), 502, and 602, on equipment 
movement on and off an offshore platform or from well to well on the 
same offshore platform. The requirement for operators to notify MMS of 
rig movements is not specifically stated in Secs. 250.401(g), 250.502, 
and 250.602. However, because of the increased volume of activity in 
the Gulf of Mexico Region (GOMR), it is now standard MMS procedure to 
require this notification as a condition of approval for drilling, well 
workover, recompletion, or abandonment operations. Because of this we 
have included the rig movement notification with the other the general 
information collection requirements of these regulations under OMB 
control numbers 1010-0053, 1010-0067, and 1010-0043. Also, MMS 
specifically included this reporting notification in the pending 
revised subpart D proposed regulations (Sec. 250.404), which OMB 
approved under 1010-0141.
    In reporting rig movement, respondents will generally FAX the 
information or leave a telephone message. Because the current 
regulations do not specifically state what information MMS needs and 
MMS has not issued standard instructions on what to report, in many 
cases, the respondents have not provided sufficient information for MMS 
to identify the operator and type of activity. This then requires 
follow-up telephone calls or messages to the respondent to obtain the 
needed information. The current non-standard format for rig movement 
reporting has resulted in increased inspection flight time due to 
incorrect information. To avoid this recurring problem, the GOMR has 
developed a new form MMS-144, ``Rig Movement/SKID Notification 
Report.'' The MMS District Offices use the information reported to 
accurately ascertain the arrival and departure of all rigs in OCS 
waters. The accurate location of these rigs is necessary to better 
facilitate the scheduling of inspections by MMS personnel.
    Responses are mandatory. No questions of a ``sensitive'' nature are 
asked and no proprietary information is involved.
    Frequency: The frequency is ``on occasion.''
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil and gas lessees.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: We 
estimate respondents will average 6 minutes to fill out and complete 
form MMS-144. The total annual estimate is 180 burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' 
Burden: We have identified no ``non-hour cost'' burden associated with 
form MMS-144.
    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'' and ``non-hour cost'' 
burdens 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 form MMS-144. 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

[[Page 12957]]

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 
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 23, 2001.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 01-4982 Filed 2-28-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P