[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13955-13956]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-5695]


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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 1010-0018).

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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 ``Form 
MMS-127, Request for Reservoir Maximum Efficient Rate (MER).''

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 1010-0018'' 
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 form MMS-127.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Form MMS-127, Request for Reservoir Maximum Efficient Rate 
(MER).
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0018.
    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; preserve 
and maintain free-enterprise competition; and ensure that the extent of 
oil and natural gas resources of the OCS is assessed at the earliest 
practicable time. 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

[[Page 13956]]

efficient exploration and development of a lease area.''
    To carry out these responsibilities, MMS has issued regulations to 
ensure that operations in the OCS will meet statutory requirements; 
provide for safety and protect the environment; and result in diligent 
exploration, development, and production of OCS leases. Various 
sections of 30 CFR part 250, subpart K, require respondents to submit 
form MMS-127.
    MMS Regional Supervisors use the information submitted on form MMS-
127 to determine whether a rate-sensitive reservoir is being prudently 
developed. This represents an essential control mechanism that MMS uses 
to regulate production rates from each sensitive reservoir being 
actively produced. Occasionally, the information available on a 
reservoir early in its producing life may indicate it to be non-
sensitive, while later and more complete information would establish 
the reservoir as being sensitive. Production from a well completed in 
the gas cap of a sensitive reservoir requires approval from the 
Regional Supervisor. The information submitted on form MMS-127 provides 
reservoir parameters that are revised at least annually or sooner if 
reservoir development results in a change in reservoir interpretation. 
The engineers and geologists use the information for rate control and 
reservoir studies.
    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 is ``on occasion,'' but not less than 
annual.
    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 form is 1 hour.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' 
Burden: We have identified no ``non-hour cost'' burden associated with 
form MMS-127.
    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-127. 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. 01-5695 Filed 3-7-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-U