[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 155 (Friday, August 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42235-42236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20100]


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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 an extension of a currently approved information 
collection (OMB Control Number 1010-0090).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, we 
are submitting to OMB for review and approval an information collection 
request (ICR), titled ``Stripper Royalty Rate Reduction Notification.'' 
We are also soliciting comments from the public on this ICR.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before September 10, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (OMB Control Number 1010-0090), 725 17th 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503. Also, submit copies of your written 
comments to Carol Shelby, Regulatory Specialist, Minerals Management 
Service, MS 320B2, P.O. Box 25165, Denver, Colorado 80225. If you use 
an overnight courier service, our courier address is Building 85, Room 
A-614, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225. You may also 
submit your comments at our email address [email protected]. Include 
the title of the information collection and the OMB control number in 
the ``Attention'' line of your comment. Also include your name and 
return address. Submit electronic comments as an ASCII file avoiding 
the use of special characters and any form of encryption. If you do not 
receive a confirmation that we have received your email, contact Ms. 
Shelby at (303) 231-3151 or FAX (303) 231-3385.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carol Shelby, Regulatory Specialist, 
phone (303) 231-3151, FAX (303) 231-3385, email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Stripper Royalty Rate Reduction Notification.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0090.
    Bureau Form Number: Form MMS-4377.
    Abstract: The Department of the Interior (DOI) is responsible for 
matters relevant to mineral resource development on Federal and Indian 
lands and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Secretary of the 
Interior (Secretary) is responsible for managing the production of 
minerals from Federal and Indian lands and the OCS, collecting 
royalties from lessees who produce minerals, and distributing the funds 
collected in accordance with applicable laws. The Secretary also has an 
Indian trust responsibility to manage Indian lands and seek advice and 
information from Indian beneficiaries. MMS performs the royalty 
management functions for the Secretary.
    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the surface management agency 
for Federal onshore leases, grants royalty rate reductions to operators 
of stripper oil properties producing less than 15 barrels of oil per 
well-day (43 CFR 3103.4-1). The purpose of these royalty rate 
reductions is to encourage continued production, provide an incentive 
for enhanced oil recovery projects, discourage abandonment of 
properties producing less than 15 barrels of oil per well-day, and 
reduce the operator's expenses.
    Because the royalty rate reductions affect the amount of revenues 
due the Federal Government, operators are required to notify MMS of the 
reduced royalty rate using Form MMS-4377, Stripper Royalty Rate 
Reduction Notification. The form requires identification of the 
operator, name of the contact person, lease and agreement numbers, 
calculated royalty rate, current royalty rate, qualifying period, and 
effective date of royalty rate reduction. MMS uses the information 
provided on the form to update our lease database with the royalty 
rates that are lower than those reflected in the lease instrument. The 
reduced royalty rate becomes effective for all oil production from 
qualifying properties the first day of the month after MMS receives 
notification of the rate change.
    MMS is requesting an extension of this information collection in 
order to continue to (1) Receive notification of royalty rate 
reductions and (2) update our lease database with the correct royalty 
rates. Correct royalty rates are necessary to verify that the proper 
royalty amount has been paid on each lease.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: 900 operators of 
low producing, stripper oil properties.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 800 
hours. See the following chart for a breakdown of the burden estimate.

[[Page 42236]]



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                                                                                                        Annual
     Citation 43 CFR 3103.4-2            Reporting         Burden hours per      Annual number of       burden
                                        requirement            response              responses          hours
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(b)(3)(iii)(B)...................  The lower of the two  30 minutes per        1,600 properties....          800
                                    rates shall be used   property.
                                    for the current
                                    period provided
                                    that the operator
                                    notifies the MMS of
                                    the new royalty
                                    rate. The new
                                    royalty rate shall
                                    not become
                                    effective until the
                                    first day of the
                                    month after MMS
                                    receives
                                    notification.
                                    Notification shall
                                    be received on Form
                                    MMS-4377.
      Total......................  ....................  30 minutes..........  1,600 properties....          800
                                                        --------------------------------------------------------
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    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-hour'' Burden: 
We have identified no ``non-hour cost'' burden.
    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 April 6, 2001, 
we published a Federal Register notice (66 FR 18297) announcing that we 
would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided the 
required 60-day comment period. We received one comment. We have 
responded to the comment in our ICR submission for OMB approval. We 
have posted a copy of the ICR at our Internet web site http://www.mrm.mms.gov/Laws_R_D/FRNotices/FRInfColl.htm. We will also provide 
a copy of the ICR to you without charge upon request.
    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. 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 
September 10, 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.
    Public Comment Policy: We will post all comments received in 
response to this notice on our Internet web site at http://www.mrm.mms.gov/Laws_R_D/InfoColl/InfoColCom.htm for public review. We 
also make copies of these comments, including names and addresses of 
respondents, available for public review during regular business hours 
at our offices in Lakewood, Colorado.
    Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home 
address from the public record, which we will honor to the extent 
allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would 
withhold from the public record a respondent's identity, as allowable 
by law. If you request that we withhold your name and/or address, 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: July 31, 2001.
Lucy Querques Denett,
Associate Director for Minerals Revenue Management.
[FR Doc. 01-20100 Filed 8-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-W