[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 1 (Thursday, January 2, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 45-46]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32937]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

30 CFR Part 250

RIN 1010-AC93


Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental 
Shelf--Document Incorporated by Reference--API RP 14C

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Corrections to final regulations.

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SUMMARY: This document contains corrections to the final regulations 
published on August 9, 2002 (67 FR 51757). The final rule related to 
updating one document incorporated by reference in regulations 
governing oil, gas, and sulphur operations in the Outer Continental 
Shelf (OCS). The final rule updated the American Petroleum Institute 
(API) Recommended Practice (RP) 14C document to the Seventh Edition, 
March 2001. The new edition allows lessees to use updated industry 
standard technologies while operating in the OCS. The corrections being 
made are non-substantive and are necessary for clarification purposes 
only.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 9, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wilbon A. Rhome, (703) 787-1587.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The final regulations that are the subject of these corrections 
revised the incorporated-by-reference API document RP 14C, for 
Analysis, Design, Installation and Testing of Basic Surface Safety 
Systems for Offshore Production Platforms, to incorporate the new 
Seventh Edition of API RP 14C. MMS determined that:
    [sbull] Incorporating into regulations the Seventh Edition that 
specifies a reduced testing frequency will not jeopardize the use of 
the best and safest technologies.
    [sbull] The changes between the old and new editions represent new 
industry standard technology and will not impose undue cost on the 
offshore oil and gas industry.
    [sbull] The changes to our regulations will eliminate the need for 
industry to request certain departures from the regulations.
    Based on the determinations, the final rulemaking incorporated the 
new Seventh Edition of API RP 14C. The final rule also made 
corresponding revisions to the appropriate regulatory sections that 
reference API RP 14C.
    The 30 CFR part 250 regulations incorporate many industry 
standards. Section 250.198 describes our documents incorporated by 
reference policy and procedures, and meets the Federal Register (FR) 
legal requirements for incorporating documents by reference. Section 
250.198 also provides a complete list of all incorporated documents and 
the corresponding regulatory cites.
    The legal department of the FR reviews all Final Rulemaking actions 
when they incorporate documents by reference into agencies' 
regulations. Upon review of the final rule that is the subject of this 
correction, the FR legal department advised us that whenever our 
regulations cite a document incorporated by reference, the regulation 
must refer readers to Sec.  250.198. The FR specified that the 
statement ``incorporated by reference as specified in Sec.  250.198'' 
be inserted

[[Page 46]]

following the cited document. The FR allowed that we could revise our 
regulations to incorporate this insertion as part of final rulemaking 
actions that affect specific documents incorporated by reference. In 
this case, a final rulemaking action affected API 14C.

Need for Correction

    On page 51760 of the FR publication of the final rule, 
``instruction number 5.C'' redesignated the previously designated 
Sec. Sec.  250.804(a)(4) through (a)(11) to Sec. Sec.  250.804 (a)(5) 
through (a)(12). To accommodate the FR requirements previously 
discussed, the subsequent instruction number 5.E specified that the 
second sentence in the newly redesignated paragraph (a)(5) be revised. 
This instruction contained a typographical error in that the revision 
should have been made to the newly redesignated paragraph (a)(6) 
instead. Consequently the redesignated paragraph (a)(5) was incorrectly 
revised and the redesignated paragraph (a)(6) did not contain the FR 
required reference to Sec.  250.198.
    On page 51759 of the FR publication of the final rule, the revision 
to the table in Sec.  250.198(e) also incorrectly cited Sec.  
250.804(a)(5) instead of (a)(6).

Correction of Publication

PART 250--[CORRECTED]

    Part 250 is corrected by making the following correcting 
amendments:

    1. In Sec.  250.198, in the table in paragraph (e), the entry for 
``API RP 14C'' is corrected by revising citation ``(a)(5)'' in the 
second column to read ``(a)(6)''.

    2. Section 250.804 is corrected by revising the second sentence in 
paragraphs (a)(5) and (a)(6) as follows:


Sec.  250.804  Production safety-system testing and records.

    (a) * * *
    (5) * * * The SSV's and USV's must be tested in accordance with the 
test procedures specified in API RP 14H (incorporated by reference as 
specified in Sec.  250.198). * * *
    (6) * * * The FSV's must be tested for leakage in accordance with 
the test procedures specified in API RP 14C, Appendix D, section D4, 
table D2, subsection D (incorporated by reference as specified in Sec.  
250.198). * * *
* * * * *

    Dated: December 10, 2002.
Rebecca W. Watson,
Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 02-32937 Filed 12-31-02; 8:45 am]
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