[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 235 (Friday, December 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72693-72695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30954]


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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 an information collection (1010-0041).

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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 250, subpart K 
``Oil and Gas Production Rates.''

DATES: Submit written comments by February 4, 2003.

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 address is: [email protected]. 
Reference ``Information Collection 1010-0041'' in your e-mail subject 
line and mark your message for return receipt. Include your name and 
return address in your message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arlene Bajusz, Rules Processing Team,

[[Page 72694]]

(703) 787-1600. You may also contact Arlene Bajusz to obtain a copy, at 
no cost, of the regulations and form MMS-140 that require the subject 
collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR Part 250, Subpart K, Oil and Gas Production Rates.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0041.
    Form Number: Form MMS-140.
    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 (Secretary) 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 that 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.
    Section 1334(g)(2) states ``* * * the lessee shall produce such oil 
or gas, or both, at rates * * * to assure the maximum rate of 
production which may be sustained without loss of ultimate recovery of 
oil or gas, or both, under sound engineering and economic principles, 
and which is safe for the duration of the activity covered by the 
approved plan.'' This authority and responsibility are among those 
delegated to the Minerals Management Service (MMS). The regulations at 
30 CFR part 250, subpart K, concern oil and gas production rates and 
implement these statutory requirements. The information collection 
requirements in subpart K and form MMS-140 are the subject of this 
notice.
    We use the information collected to determine if produced gas can 
be economically put to beneficial use, to analyze the risks of 
transporting the liquid hydrocarbons against the value of the resource, 
and to account for volumes of flared gas and burned liquid 
hydrocarbons. The MMS uses the information in its efforts to conserve 
natural resources, prevent waste, and protect correlative rights 
including the Government's royalty interest. Specifically, MMS uses the 
information to review records of burning liquid hydrocarbons and 
venting and flaring actions to ensure that they are not excessive; to 
determine maximum production and maximum efficient rates; to compare 
the volume of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) flared and the sulphur 
dioxide (SO2) emitted to the specified amounts in approved 
contingency plans; to monitor monthly atmospheric emissions of 
SO2 for air quality; to review applications for downhole 
commingling to ensure that action does not result in undervalued 
royalties; and to ensure that operations are effective and result in 
optimum ultimate recovery.
    We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2) and under regulations at 30 
CFR 250.196, ``Data and information to be made available to the 
public.'' No items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses are 
mandatory.
    Frequency: On occasion or monthly.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil and gas lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 
14,189 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Reporting & recordkeeping      hour
  Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart K           requirement            burden
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1101(b).........................  Request approval to produce          5
                                   within 500 feet of a lease
                                   line.
1101(c).........................  Request approval to produce         12
                                   gas cap of a sensitive
                                   reservoir.
1102............................  Submit forms MMS-126, MMS-   .........
                                   127, and MMS-128. (Burden
                                   covered under 1010-0039,
                                   1010-0018, and 1010-0017.).
1102(a)(5)......................  Submit alternative plan for  .........
                                   overproduction status. (We
                                   are not currently
                                   collecting this
                                   information.).
1102(b)(6)......................  Request extension of time        \1/2\
                                   to submit results of
                                   semiannual well test.
1103(a).........................  Request approval of test         \1/2\
                                   periods of less than 4
                                   hours and pretest
                                   stabilization periods of
                                   less than 6 hours.
1103(c).........................  Provide advance notice of        \1/2\
                                   time and date of well
                                   tests.
1104(c).........................  Submit results of all                1
                                   static bottomhole pressure
                                   surveys obtained by
                                   lessee. Information is
                                   submitted on form MMS-140
                                   in the Gulf of Mexico
                                   Region.
1105(a), (b)....................  Request special approval to          6
                                   flare or vent oil-well gas.
1105(c).........................  Request approval to burn             1
                                   produced liquid
                                   hydrocarbons.
1105(f).........................  Submit monthly reports of            2
                                   flared or vented gas
                                   containing H2S..
1105(f).........................  H2S Contingency,
                                   Exploration, or
                                   Development and Production
                                   Plans. (Burden covered
                                   under 1010-0053 and 1010-
                                   0049.).
1106............................  Submit application to                6
                                   commingle hydrocarbons
                                   produced from multiple
                                   reservoirs and inform
                                   other lessees having an
                                   interest.
1107(b).........................  Submit proposed plan for            12
                                   enhanced recovery
                                   operations.
1107(c).........................  Submit periodic reports of           2
                                   volumes of oil, gas, or
                                   other substances injected,
                                   produced, or reproduced.
1100-1107.......................  General departure and                2
                                   alternative compliance
                                   requests not specifically
                                   covered elsewhere in
                                   subpart K.
---------------------------------
                           Reporting Subtotal
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1105(d), (e)....................  Maintain records for 2              13
                                   years detailing gas
                                   flaring or venting.
1105(d), (e)....................  Maintain records for 2           \1/2\
                                   years detailing liquid
                                   hydrocarbon burning.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no cost burdens for this collection.
    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.

[[Page 72695]]

    Comments: Before an ICR is submitted 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. You should not include estimates for 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 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: November 27, 2002.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 02-30954 Filed 12-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P