[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 60 (Thursday, March 28, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14966-14968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7382]


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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 1010-0059).

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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) concerns the 
paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 250, 
subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems.

DATES: Submit written comments by May 28, 2002.

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.

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 H, Oil and Gas Production Safety 
Systems.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0059.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended 
(43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq. and 43 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), gives the 
Secretary of the Interior the responsibility to preserve, protect, and 
develop oil and gas resources in the OCS. This must be done in a manner 
that is consistent with the need to make such resources available to 
meet the Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; balance orderly 
energy resource development with protection of the human, marine, and 
coastal environments; ensure the public a fair and equitable return on 
the resources of the OCS; and preserve and maintain free enterprise 
competition. The OCS Lands Act at 43 U.S.C. 1332(6) states 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 notice concerns the reporting and recordkeeping elements of 30 
CFR 250, subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems, and related 
Notices to Lessees and Operators that clarify and provide additional 
guidance on some aspects of the regulations. 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).
    MMS OCS Regions use the information submitted under subpart H to 
evaluate equipment and/or procedures that lessees propose to use during 
production operations, including evaluation of requests for departures 
or use of alternative procedures. Information submitted is also used to 
verify the no-flow condition of wells to continue the waiver of 
requirements to install valves capable of preventing backflow. MMS 
inspectors review the records maintained to verify compliance with 
testing and minimum safety requirements.
    The Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) has recently re-evaluated its 
policy, and issued guidance, regarding approval of ``new'' requests to 
use a chemical-only fire prevention and control system in lieu of a 
water system. With respect to ``currently-approved'' departures, MMS 
may require additional information be submitted to maintain approval of 
the departure. They use the information to determine if the chemical-
only system provides the equivalent protection of a water system for 
the egress of personnel should a fire occur.
    In the Pacific OCS Region, MMS reviews copies of the Emergency 
Action

[[Page 14967]]

Plans (EAP) that lessees and operators submit to their local air 
quality agencies to ensure that abatement procedures do not jeopardize 
safe platform operations.
    Frequency: The frequency of reporting is 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 
currently approved ``hour'' burden for this information collection is a 
total of 5,204 hours. The following chart details the individual 
components and respective hour burden estimates of this ICR. In 
calculating the burdens, 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.

                                                Burden Breakdown
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      Burden per
           Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart H                Reporting and recordkeeping requirement      requirement
                                                                                                      (hour(s))
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Reporting Requirements
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
800; 801; 802; 803; related NTLs                    Submit application and request approval for                4
                                                     design, installation, and operation of
                                                     subsurface safety devices and surface
                                                     production-safety systems; including related
                                                     requests for departures or use of alternative
                                                     procedures (i.e., firefighting systems,
                                                     supervisory control and data acquisition
                                                     systems, valve closure times, time delay
                                                     circuitry, etc.)
801(g)............................................  Submit annual verification of no-flow condition            2
                                                     of well.
801(h)(1).........................................  Form MMS-124, Sundry Notices and Reports on      ...........
                                                     Wells--burden covered under 1010-0045.
801(h)(2); 803(c)                                   Identify well with sign on wellhead that
                                                     subsurface safety device is removed; flag
                                                     safety devices that are out of service--usual/
                                                     customary safety procedures for removing or
                                                     identifying out-of-service safety devices.
802(e)(5)                                           Submit statement verifying final surface                   3
                                                     production safety system installed conforms to
                                                     approved design.
803(b)(8); related NTLs...........................  Submit information to maintain current                     4
                                                     firefighting system departure approval (GOMR).
803(b)(8)(iv).....................................  Post diagram of firefighting system............            2
804(a)(11); 800...................................  Notify MMS prior to production and request MMS            .5
                                                     conduct pre-production test and inspection.
804; related NTLs.................................  Request departure from testing schedule                    1
                                                     requirements.
804; related NTL..................................  Submit copy of state-required EAP containing               1
                                                     test abatement plans (Pacific OCS Region).
806(c)                                              Request evaluation and approval of other                   2
                                                     quality assurance programs covering
                                                     manufacture of SPPE.
800-807...........................................  General departure and alternative compliance               2
                                                     requests not specifically covered elsewhere in
                                                     subpart H regulations.
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                                           Recordkeeping Requirements
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
801(h)(2); 802(e); 804(b)                           Maintain records on subsurface and surface                12
                                                     safety devices to include approved design &
                                                     installation features, testing, repair,
                                                     removal, departure approvals, etc.
803(b)(1)(iii), (2)(i)............................  Maintain pressure-recorder charts..............           10
803(b)(4)(iii)                                      Maintain schematic of the emergency shutdown               4
                                                     which indicates the control functions of all
                                                     safety devices.
803(b)(11)........................................  Maintain records of wells which have erosion-            2.8
                                                     control programs and results.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' 
Burden: We have identified no paperwork ``non-hour cost'' burdens 
associated with the collection of information.
    Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) 
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 
Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated 
to respond.
    Comments: 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.
    Agencies must also estimate the ``non-hour cost'' burdens to 
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of 
information. 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.
    We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them 
in our submission for OMB approval. As a

[[Page 14968]]

result of your comments, we will make any necessary adjustments to the 
burden in our submission to OMB.
    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 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: February 13, 2002.
William S. Hauser,
Acting Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 02-7382 Filed 3-27-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P