[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 92 (Tuesday, May 13, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25587-25588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-11886]



[[Page 25587]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

ACTION: Agency information collection activities: Proposed collection; 
comment request.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The EIA is soliciting comments on the proposed three-year 
extensions to the Oil and Gas Reserves Survey Forms EIA-23, EIA-23P and 
EIA-64A. Form titles are ``Annual Survey of Domestic Oil and Gas 
Reserves'' (EIA-23), ``Oil and Gas Well Operator List Update Report'' 
(EIA-23P) and ``Annual Report of the Origin of Natural Gas Liquids 
Production'' (EIA-64A), respectively.

DATES: Comments must be filed by July 14, 2003. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Rafi Zeinalpour. To ensure receipt of the 
comments by the due date, submission by FAX (214-720-6155) or e-mail 
[email protected] is recommended. The mailing address is U. 
S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Reserves 
and Production Division, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1110, Dallas, Texas 
75201-6801. Alternatively, Mr. Zeinalpour may be contacted by phone at 
(214) 720-6191.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms and instructions should be directed to Rafi 
Zeinalpour at the address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments

I. Background

    The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275, 15 
U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91, 42 
U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the EIA to carry out a centralized, 
comprehensive, and unified energy information program. This program 
collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information 
on energy resource reserves, production, demand, technology, and 
related economic and statistical information. This information is used 
to assess the adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer term 
domestic demands.
    The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), provides 
the general public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to 
comment on collections of energy information conducted by or in 
conjunction with the EIA. Any comments received help the EIA to prepare 
data requests that maximize the utility of the information collected, 
and to assess the impact of collection requirements on the public. 
Also, the EIA will later seek approval by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) under Section 3507(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.
    Operators of crude oil and natural gas wells are the target 
respondents of Forms EIA-23 and EIA-23P who should report volumes of 
crude oil, associated-dissolved natural gas, non-associated natural gas 
and lease condensate production and reserves along with revisions to 
previous year reports, discoveries, extensions, sales and acquisitions, 
and non-producing reserves for each operated field without regard to 
interest ownership. Individual fields are requested from large and 
intermediate size producers on Form EIA-23. Samples of small operators 
are requested to submit less detailed information on a different 
version of the form. The majority of small operators are not asked to 
report annually on Form EIA-23. The selected sample of small operators 
provide production and available reserves information for crude oil, 
natural gas and lease condensate at a State or geographic sub-division 
level on the Form EIA-23. Form EIA-23P is a postcard form used to 
collect information on possible oil and gas well operators that may be 
included in future EIA-23 surveys. Information obtained from Form EIA-
23P is used to confirm and/or update general operator information, 
primarily about small companies with which no contact has been made in 
the last few years.
    Operators of natural gas plants are the target respondents of the 
Form EIA-64A. The amount of natural gas processed, natural gas liquids 
produced, resultant shrinkage of the natural gas and natural gas used 
in processing are requested of all natural gas plant operators.
    In response to Public Law 95-91 Section 657, estimates of U.S. oil 
and gas reserves are to be reported annually. This a unique estimate 
report that is utilized by many entities. These estimates are essential 
to the development, implementation, and evaluation of energy policy and 
legislation. Data are used directly in the EIA annual publication, U.S. 
Crude Oil, Natural Gas and Natural Gas Liquids Reserves, and are 
incorporated in a number of other publications and analyses. Secondary 
publications, which use the data, include EIA's Annual Energy Review, 
Annual Energy Outlook, Petroleum Supply Annual and Natural Gas Annual.

II. Current Actions

    This notice is for a proposed three-year extension of Form EIA-23, 
``Annual Survey of Domestic Oil and Gas Reserves'', Form EIA-23P, ``Oil 
and Gas Well Operator List Update Report'', and Form EIA-64A, ``Annual 
Report of the Origin of Natural Gas Liquids Production.''
    Form EIA-23P will be extended without modification. Currently 
available reliable State and other sources will be used to confirm and/
or update operator information thereby reducing the number of Form EIA-
23P mail-outs and thus the burden on respondents.
    Form EIA-64A will also be extended without modification. 
Maintaining the list of currently active gas plants will be aided by 
reliable State and other sources thereby reducing the number of needed 
contacts with plant operators.
    Form EIA-23 will also be extended without modification. Large and 
intermediate operators are provided a CD-ROM of the RIGS (Reserves 
Information Gathering System) to aid in reducing the time needed to 
complete the Field Level Survey form. Field description information and 
ending reserves values from last years report can be maintained 
electronically and automatically loaded into the current survey. In 
addition, new field description information (State, Subdivision, County 
Code, Field Code, MMS Code and Field Name) is available on a drop down 
menu using only the field name thereby further reducing the number of 
potential errors and the response time of these operators. The RIGS 
program also has automatic error messages to aid in the accurate 
completion of the survey data and reducing the time needed to check the 
response submission for errors. In addition, the completed survey may 
now be submitted electronically via e-mail further reducing the 
handling and response time of operators.
    Sampled small operators can now complete the survey using an 
electronic version of the Summary Survey form potentially reducing 
their response time. In addition, they can also submit the completed 
survey electronically via

[[Page 25588]]

e-mail further reducing the handling and response time of the 
operators.
    Many U. S. government agencies have an interest in the definitions 
of proved oil and gas reserves and the quality, reliability and 
usefulness of estimates of reserves. Among these are the Energy 
Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy; Minerals 
Management Service (MMS), Department of Interior; Internal Revenue 
Service (IRS), Department of the Treasury; and the Securities and 
Exchange Commission (SEC). Each of these organizations has specific 
purposes for collecting, using, or estimating proved reserves. The EIA 
has a congressional mandate to provide accurate annual estimates of 
U.S. proved crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids reserves and 
publishes an annual reserves report to meet this requirement. The MMS 
is second only to the IRS in generating Federal revenue. The MMS 
maintains estimates of proved reserves to carry out their 
responsibilities in leasing, collecting royalty payments and regulating 
the activities of oil and gas companies on Federal lands and water. For 
the IRS, proved reserves and occasionally probable reserves are an 
essential component of calculating taxes for companies owning or 
producing oil and gas. The SEC requires publicly traded petroleum 
companies to annually file a reserves statement as part of their 10-K 
filing. The basic purpose of the 10-K filing is to give the investing 
public a clear and reliable financial basis to assess the relative 
value, as a financial asset, of a company's reserves, especially in 
comparison to other similar oil and gas companies.
    Respondents should use the same methods when estimating reserves 
for the EIA as they do for the SEC. If there is an apparent conflict in 
requirements and assumptions, give precedence to the methods used for 
the SEC. Operators should note in the footnotes whether end of year or 
annual average prices were used and whether probabilistic or 
deterministic methods were utilized at the field level.

III. Request for Comments

    Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment 
on the actions discussed in item II. The following guidelines are 
provided to assist in the preparation of comments. Please indicate to 
which form(s) your comments apply.

General Issues

    A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency and does the 
information have practical utility? Practical utility is defined as the 
actual usefulness of information to or for an agency, taking into 
account its accuracy, adequacy, reliability, timeliness, and the 
agency's ability to process the information it collects.
    B. What enhancements can be made to the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected?

As a Potential Respondent to the Request for Information

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information to be 
collected?
    B. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
not, which instructions need clarification?
    C. Can the information be submitted by the due date?
    D. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to 
average 4 hours for small operators, 32 hours for intermediate 
operators, and 160 hours for large operators on Form EIA-23. For 
operators reporting on Form EIA-23P, reporting burden is estimated at 
15 minutes. For natural gas plant operators reporting on Form EIA-64A, 
the reporting burden is estimated at 6 hours. The estimated burden 
includes the total time necessary to provide the requested information. 
In your opinion, how accurate is this estimate?
    E. The agency estimates that the only cost to a respondent is for 
the time it will take to complete the collection. Will a respondent 
incur any start-up costs for reporting, or any recurring annual costs 
for operation, maintenance, and purchase of services associated with 
the information collection?
    F. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of 
this collection of information? Such actions may involve the use of 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    G. Does any other Federal, State, or local agency collect similar 
information? If so, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the 
methods of collection.

As a Potential User of the Information To Be Collected

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information 
disseminated?
    B. Is the information useful at the levels of detail to be 
collected?
    C. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.
    D. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they 
useful? If so, what are their weaknesses and/or strengths?

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 7, 2003.
Nancy J. Kirkendall,
Director, Statistics and Methods Group, Energy Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-11886 Filed 5-12-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P