[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 135 (Friday, July 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36799-36801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-17617]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


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

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of revision of a currently approved information 
collection (OMB Control Number 1010-0067).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we 
are submitting to OMB for review and approval an information collection 
request (ICR), titled ``30 CFR part 250, subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-
Completion Operations.'' We are also soliciting comments from the 
public on this ICR.

DATES: Submit written comments by August 13, 2001.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (1010-0067), 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503. Also, provide 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. Or, you may e-mail comments to: 
[email protected]. Reference ``Information Collection 1010-0067'' 
in your e-mail subject line. Include your name and return address in 
your e-mail message and mark your message for return receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Rules Processing Team, 
telephone (703) 787-1600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR 250, Subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-Completion 
Operations
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0067.
    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 environment; ensure the public a fair 
and equitable return on 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. To carry 
out these responsibilities, MMS issues regulations governing oil and 
gas and sulphur operations in the OCS. This collection of information 
addresses 30 CFR part 250, subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-Completion 
Operations.
    Last year we submitted an ICR to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) to renew the information collection requirements of the 
subpart E regulations. That approved information collection covered the 
paperwork burdens specifically required in Sec. 250.517 (tubing and 
wellhead equipment and their requirements). This included the 
requirement under Sec. 250.517(c) to notify the District Supervisor if 
sustained casing pressure (SCP) is observed on a well. This situation 
represents an ongoing safety hazard and can cause serious or immediate 
harm or damage to human life, the marine and coastal environment, and 
property.
    After receiving notification, the Region provides the lessee/
operator the procedures and requirements necessary to monitor and 
report SCP conditions, and the process for obtaining a departure to 
produce wells with SCP. Because the Gulf of Mexico Region (GOMR) now 
has over 8,000 wells affected by SCP, the GOMR plans to issue an NTL 
updating its policy and procedures on SCP. The NTL will detail the SCP 
reporting and recordkeeping requirements. The paperwork burden for 
these are included in our revised ICR to OMB for approval of the 
information collection requirements in the subpart E regulations and 
related NTLs.
    The MMS District Supervisors analyze and evaluate the information 
and data collected under subpart E to ensure that planned well-
completion operations will protect personnel safety and natural 
resources. They use the analysis and evaluation results in the decision 
to approve, disapprove, or require modification to the proposed well-
completion operations. Specifically, MMS uses the information to 
ensure: (a) Compliance with personnel safety training requirements; (b) 
crown block safety device is operating and can be expected to function 
to avoid accidents; (c) proposed operation of the annular preventer is 
technically correct and provides adequate protection for personnel, 
property, and natural resources; (d) well-completion operations are 
conducted on well casings that are structurally competent; and (e) 
sustained casing pressures are within acceptable limits. The MMS 
district and regional offices will use paperwork requirements in the 
new GOMR NTL to determine that production from wells with SCP continues 
to afford the greatest possible degree of safety under these 
conditions.
    Responses are mandatory. No items of a sensitive nature are 
collected. Proprietary information respondents submit is protected 
according to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR part 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: Varies by section, but is mostly ``on occasion'' or 
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 
following chart details the components of the information collection 
requirements in subpart E and related NTLs--which we estimate to be a 
total of 9,575 burden hours. In estimating 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. The paperwork

[[Page 36800]]

requirements of the GOMR SCP NTL increase the currently approved burden 
by 3,903 hours.

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                                                              Reporting and
       Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart E  and NTL sec.            recordkeeping        Hour burden per  requirement
                                                               requirement
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Reporting Requirements
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
502.....................................................  Request approval not   1 hour.
                                                           to shut-in well
                                                           during equipment
                                                           movement.
502 (MMS condition of approval).........................  Notify MMS of well-    6 minutes.
                                                           completion rig
                                                           movement on or off
                                                           platform or from
                                                           well to well on same
                                                           platform.
505; 513; 515(a); 516(g), (j); NTL I.C, III.B...........  Submit forms MMS-123,  Burden covered under 1010-0044,
                                                           MMS-124, MMS-125 for   1010-0045, 1010-0046.
                                                           various approvals,
                                                           including
                                                           remediation
                                                           procedure for SCP.
512.....................................................  Request field well-    1 hour.
                                                           completion rules be
                                                           established and
                                                           canceled (on
                                                           occasion, however,
                                                           there have been no
                                                           requests in many
                                                           years).
515(a)..................................................  Submit well-control    1 hour.
                                                           procedure.
517(b)..................................................  Pressure test,         4 hours.
                                                           caliper, or
                                                           otherwise evaluate
                                                           tubing & wellhead
                                                           equipment casing;
                                                           submit results
                                                           (every 30 days
                                                           during prolonged
                                                           operations).
517(c); NTL I, III.B....................................  Notify MMS if          \1/4\ hour.
                                                           sustained casing
                                                           pressure is observed
                                                           on a well.
NTL I.A, I.E, I.G, I.H, II, III Appendix................  Submit results of      2 hours.
                                                           diagnostic tests,
                                                           departure requests
                                                           and supporting
                                                           information,
                                                           including plan of
                                                           action for non-
                                                           producing wells.
NTL I.C.................................................  Notify MMS when        1 hour.
                                                           remediation
                                                           procedure is
                                                           complete.
NTL I.D.................................................  Appeal departure       Burden covered under 1010-0121.
                                                           request denial
                                                           according to 30 CFR
                                                           part 290.
500-517.................................................  General departure and  2 hours.
                                                           alternative
                                                           compliance requests
                                                           not specifically
                                                           covered elsewhere in
                                                           subpart E
                                                           regulations.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Recordkeeping Requirements
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
506.....................................................  Instruct crew members  10 minutes.
                                                           in safety
                                                           requirements of
                                                           operations to be
                                                           performed; document
                                                           meeting (weekly for
                                                           2 crews  x  2 weeks
                                                           per completion = 4).
511.....................................................  Perform operational    6 minutes.
                                                           check of traveling-
                                                           block safety device;
                                                           document results
                                                           (weekly  x  2 weeks
                                                           per completion = 2).
516 tests; 516(i).......................................  Perform BOP pressure   6 hours.
                                                           tests, actuations &
                                                           inspections; record
                                                           results; retain
                                                           records 2 years
                                                           following completion
                                                           of well (when
                                                           installed; minimum
                                                           every 14 days; as
                                                           stated for
                                                           component).
516(d)(5) test; 516(i)..................................  Function test          10 minutes.
                                                           annulars and rams;
                                                           document results
                                                           (every 7 days
                                                           between BOP tests--
                                                           biweekly; note: part
                                                           of BOP test when
                                                           conducted).
516(e)..................................................  Record reason for      6 minutes.
                                                           postponing BOP
                                                           system tests (on
                                                           occasion).
516(f)..................................................  Perform crew drills;   \1/2\ hour.
                                                           record results
                                                           (weekly for 2 crews
                                                           x  2 weeks per
                                                           completion = 4).
NTL I.F.................................................  Retain complete        \1/4\ hour.
                                                           record of well's
                                                           casing pressure and
                                                           diagnostic tests for
                                                           2 years.
NTL & Appendix..........................................  Perform diagnostic     4 hours.
                                                           tests and record
                                                           results; perform
                                                           follow-up tests at
                                                           least annually to
                                                           determine departure
                                                           status.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' 
Burden: We have identified no ``non-hour cost'' burdens.
    Comments: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et 
seq.) 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.
    To comply with the public consultation process, on March 8, 2001, 
we published a Federal Register notice (66 FR 13960) announcing that we 
would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided the 
required 60-day comment period. In addition, Sec. 250.199 displays the 
OMB control numbers for the information collection requirements imposed 
by the 30 CFR part 250 regulations and forms; specifies that the public 
may comment at anytime on these collections of information; and 
provides the address to which they should send comments. We have 
received no comments in response to these efforts.
    If you wish to comment in response to this notice, 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 13, 2001. 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.
    We will provide you, without charge, a copy of our submission to 
OMB which includes the regulations and Notice to Lessees and Operators 
(NTL) that require the subject collection of information.
    Public Comment Policy: 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

[[Page 36801]]

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.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, 
(202) 208-7744.

    Dated: June 4, 2001.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 01-17617 Filed 7-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P