[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13951-13953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5674]


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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 1010-0043).

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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 F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations.''

DATES: Submit written comments by May 7, 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 1010-0043'' 
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 250, Subpart F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0043.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq.), as amended, requires the Secretary of the Interior 
(Secretary) to preserve, protect, and develop sulphur resources on 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 5(a) of the 
OCS Lands Act requires the Secretary to prescribe rules and regulations 
``to provide for the prevention of waste, and conservation of the 
natural resources of the Outer Continental Shelf, and the protection of 
correlative rights therein'' and to include provisions ``for the prompt 
and efficient exploration and development of a lease area.'' These 
authorities and responsibilities are among those delegated to MMS under 
which we issue regulations to ensure that operations in the OCS will 
meet

[[Page 13952]]

statutory requirements; provide for safety and protection of the 
environment; and result in diligent exploration, development, and 
production of OCS leases. This information collection request addresses 
the regulations at 30 CFR 250, subpart F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover 
Operations and the associated supplementary notices to lessees and 
operators intended to provide clarification, description, or 
explanation of these regulations.
    MMS District Supervisors use the information collected to analyze 
and evaluate planned well-workover operations to ensure that operations 
result in personnel safety and protection of the environment. They use 
this evaluation in making decisions to approve, disapprove, or to 
require modification to the proposed well-workover operations. For 
example, MMS uses the information to:
     Review log entries of crew meetings to verify that safety 
procedures have been properly reviewed.
     Review well-workover procedures relating to hydrogen 
sulfide (H2S) to ensure the safety of the crew in the event 
of encountering H2S.
     Review well-workover diagrams and procedures to ensure the 
safety of well-workover operations.
     Verify that the crown block safety device is operating and 
can be expected to function and avoid accidents.
     Verify that the proposed operation of the annular 
preventer is technically correct and will provide adequate protection 
for personnel, property, and natural resources.
     Verify the reasons for postponing blowout preventer (BOP) 
tests, verify the state of readiness of the equipment and to ascertain 
that the equipment meets safety standards and requirements, ensure that 
BOP tests have been conducted in the manner and frequency to promote 
personnel safety and protect natural resources. Specific testing 
information must be recorded to verify that the proper test procedures 
were followed.
     Assure that the well-workover operations are conducted on 
well casing that is structurally competent.
    Responses are mandatory. No questions of a sensitive nature are 
asked. MMS will protect proprietary information according to the 
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing 
regulations (43 CFR 2), 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 7,920 hours. The following chart details the individual 
components of this burden and estimated burden 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
 Citation  30 CFR 250  Subpart       recordkeeping       Hour burden per
               F                      requirement        response/record
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Reporting Requirements
------------------------------------------------------------------------
602...........................  Request exceptions      .25 hour.
                                 prior to moving well-
                                 workover equipment.
605; 613; 615(a)..............  Request approval to     Burden included
                                 begin subsea well-      in 1010-0045
                                 workover operations;    and 1010-0046.
                                 submit forms MMS-124
                                 and/or MMS-125.
614...........................  Post number of stands   .25 hour.
                                 of drill pipe or
                                 workover string and
                                 drill collars that
                                 may be pulled prior
                                 to filling the hole
                                 and equivalent well-
                                 control fluid volume.
616(a)........................  Request exception to    1 hour.
                                 rated working
                                 pressure of the BOP
                                 equipment; request
                                 exception to annular-
                                 type BOP testing.
617(b)........................  Pressure test,          4 hours.
                                 caliper, or otherwise
                                 evaluate tubing &
                                 wellhead equipment
                                 casing; submit
                                 results (every 30
                                 days during prolonged
                                 operations).
617(c)........................  Notify MMS if           .25 hour.
                                 sustained casing
                                 pressure is observed
                                 on a well.
600 thru 618..................  General departure and   2 hours.
                                 alternative
                                 compliance requests
                                 not specifically
                                 covered elsewhere in
                                 subpart F regulations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Recordkeeping Requirements
------------------------------------------------------------------------
606...........................  Instruct crew members   .5 hour.
                                 in safety
                                 requirements of
                                 operations to be
                                 performed; document
                                 meeting (weekly for 2
                                 crews  x  2 weeks per
                                 workover = 4).
611...........................  Perform operational     .25 hour.
                                 check of traveling-
                                 block safety device;
                                 document results
                                 (weekly  x  2 weeks
                                 per workover = 2).
616(a), (b), (d), (e).........  Perform BOP pressure    6 hours.
                                 tests, actuations &
                                 inspections; record
                                 results; retain
                                 records 2 years
                                 following completion
                                 of workover
                                 activities (when
                                 installed; at a
                                 minimum every 7 days
                                 x  2 weeks per
                                 workover = 2).
616(b)(2).....................  Test blind or blind-    .25 hour.
                                 shear rams; document
                                 results (every 30
                                 days during
                                 operations). (Note:
                                 this is part of BOP
                                 test when BOP test is
                                 conducted.)
616(b)(2).....................  Record reason for       .1 hour.
                                 postponing BOP system
                                 tests.
616(c)........................  Perform crew drills;    .5 hour.
                                 record results
                                 (weekly for 2 crews
                                 x  2 weeks per
                                 workover = 4).
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 13953]]

    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' 
Burden: We have identified no ``non-hour cost'' 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'' 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 30 CFR 250, subpart F. 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 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.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: February 26, 2001.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 01-5674 Filed 3-7-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P