[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69025-69027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-28863]


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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 extension and revision 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 notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information 
collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork 
requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 250, subpart H, Oil 
and Gas Production Safety Systems, and related documents. This notice 
also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the 
paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

DATES: Submit written comments by December 16, 2002.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior (1010-0059), 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503. Mail or hand-carry 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. If you wish to E-mail your comments to MMS, the 
address is: [email protected]. Reference Information Collection 
1010-0059 in your subject line and mark your message for return 
receipt. Include your name and return address in your message text.

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 part 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.), authorizes the 
Secretary of the Interior to prescribe rules and regulations to 
administer leasing of the OCS. Such rules and regulations will apply to 
all operations conducted under a lease. Operations on the OCS must 
preserve, protect and develop oil and natural gas resources in a manner 
which is consistent with the need to make such resources available to 
meet the Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; to balance 
orderly energy resource development with protection of human, marine, 
and coastal environments; to ensure the public a fair and equitable 
return on the resources of the OCS; and to 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 part 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 30 CFR 250.196 (Data and 
information to be made available to the public), 30 CFR part 252 (OCS 
Oil and Gas Information Program), and the Freedom of Information Act (5 
U.S.C.

[[Page 69026]]

552) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2).
    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 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 Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
estimated annual ``hour'' burden for this information collection is a 
total of 11,357 hours. The following chart details the individual 
components and estimated hour burdens. 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.

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                                                                                                         Annual
  Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart H   Reporting and recordkeeping      Hour burden       Average annual      burden
                                          requirement                                   responses        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
800; 801; 802; 803; related NTLs  Submit application and       8.................  540 submissions...      4,320
                                   request submissions
                                   approval for design,
                                   installation, and
                                   operation of subsurface
                                   safety devices and surface
                                   production-safety systems;
                                   including related requests
                                   for departures or use of
                                   alternative procedures
                                   (supervisory control and
                                   data acquisition systems,
                                   valve closure times, time
                                   delay circuitry, etc.).
801(g)..........................  Submit annual verification   2.................  50 verifications..        100
                                   of no-flow condition of
                                   well.
801(h)(1).......................  Form MMS-124, Sundry              Burden covered under 1010-0045             0
                                   Notices and Reports on
                                   Wells (renamed Application
                                   for Permit to Modify).
801(h)(2); 803(c)...............  Identify well with sign on    Usual/customary safety procedure for           0
                                   wellhead that subsurface        removing or identifying out-of-
                                   safety device is removed;            service safety devices
                                   flag safety devices that
                                   are out of service.
802(e)(5).......................  Submit statement certifying  3.................  175 statements....        525
                                   final surface production
                                   safety system installed
                                   conforms to approved
                                   design.
803(b)(8); related NTLs.........  Submit information (risk     4.................  150 submissions...        600
                                   assessment) to request new
                                   firefighting system
                                   departure approval (GOMR).
803(b)(8); related NTLs.........  Submit information (risk     4.................  100 submissions...        400
                                   assessment) to retain
                                   current firefighting
                                   system departure approval
                                   (GOMR).
803(b)(8)(iv)...................  Post diagram of              2.................  95 postings.......        190
                                   firefighting system.
804(a)(11); 800.................  Notify MMS prior to          \1/2\.............  175 notices.......         88
                                   production when ready to
                                   conduct pre-production
                                   test and inspection.
804; related NTLs...............  Request departure from       1.................  105 requests......        105
                                   testing schedule
                                   requirements.
804; related NTL................  Submit copy of state-        1.................  7 plans...........          7
                                   required EAP containing
                                   test abatement plans
                                   (Pacific OCS Region).
806(c)..........................  Request evaluation and       2.................  1 request.........          2
                                   approval of other quality
                                   assurance programs
                                   covering manufacture of
                                   SPPE.
800-807.........................  General departure and        4.................  215 requests......        860
                                   alternative compliance
                                   requests not specifically
                                   covered elsewhere in
                                   subpart H regulations.
                                                              ---------------------
      Subtotal Reporting........  ...........................  ..................  1,613.............      7,197
                                                              ---------------------
801(h)(2); 802(e); 804(b).......  Maintain records on          12................  130 lessees.......      1,560
                                   subsurface and surface
                                   safety devices to include
                                   approved design &
                                   installation features,
                                   testing, repair, removal,
                                   etc.
803(b)(1)(iii), (2)(i)..........  Maintain pressure-recorder   12................  130 lessees.......      1,560
                                   charts..
      803(b)(4)(iii)              Maintain schematic of the    4.................  130 lessees.......        520
                                   emergency shutdown which
                                   indicates the control
                                   functions of all safety
                                   devices.
803(b)(11)......................  Maintain records of wells    4.................  130 lessees.......        520
                                   which have erosion-control
                                   programs and results.
                                                              ---------------------
      Subtotal Recordkeeping....  ...........................  ..................  520...............      4,160
                                                              =====================
      Total Hour Burden.........  ...........................  ..................  2,133.............     11,357
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 69027]]

    Estimated 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: 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 28, 2002, 
we published a Federal Register notice (67 FR 14966) 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 provides the 
OMB control numbers for the information collection requirements imposed 
by the 30 CFR part 250 regulations and forms. That regulation also 
informs the public that they may comment at any time on the 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, you may send 
your comments 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 December 16, 2002.
    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: October 17, 2002.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 02-28863 Filed 11-13-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P