[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 224 (Thursday, November 20, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65452-65454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28993]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Policy Statement; Solicitation of Comments on the Policy for 
Statistical Information Based on Petroleum Supply Reporting System 
Survey Data

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

ACTION: Policy statement; solicitation of comments on the policy for 
statistical information based on Petroleum Supply Reporting System 
survey data.

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SUMMARY: The EIA is requesting comments on the policy for statistical 
information based on Petroleum Supply Reporting System (PSRS) survey 
data collected and disseminated beginning in 2004. This request is 
based on EIA's mandate for carrying out a central, comprehensive, and 
unified energy data and information program responsive to

[[Page 65453]]

users' needs for credible, reliable, and timely energy information that 
will improve and broaden understanding of petroleum supply in the 
United States.

DATES: Comments must be filed by December 22, 2003. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this policy should be directed to Stefanie 
Palumbo, Petroleum Division. To ensure receipt of the comments by the 
due date, submission by FAX (202-586-5846) or e-mail 
([email protected]) is recommended. The mailing address is 
Petroleum Division, EI-42, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585. 
Alternatively, Stefanie Palumbo may be contacted by telephone at (202) 
586-6866.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
should be directed to Ms. Palumbo 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 provides the public and other Federal agencies with 
opportunities to comment on collections of energy information conducted 
by EIA. As appropriate, EIA also requests comments on important issues 
relevant to the dissemination of energy information. Comments received 
help the EIA when preparing information collections and information 
products necessary to support EIA's mission.
    The purpose of the Petroleum Supply Reporting System (PSRS) surveys 
is to collect data to meet EIA's mandates and energy data users' needs 
for credible, reliable, and timely energy information on the petroleum 
industry. Adequate evaluation of the industry requires detailed, 
comprehensive data on production, receipts, inputs, regional movements, 
imports, and stocks of crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas 
liquids in the United States. The survey information is used to create 
statistics disseminated by EIA in various information products 
including the Weekly Petroleum Status Report, This Week in Petroleum, 
the Petroleum Supply Monthly, and the Petroleum Supply Annual available 
on EIA's Web site at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/info_glance/petroleum.html.
    EIA's petroleum supply program provides Congress, other government 
agencies, businesses, trade associations, and private research and 
consulting organizations with statistics for analysis, projections, and 
monitoring purposes. To be most effective, EIA's petroleum supply 
statistical information must be available by product detail at sub-U.S. 
geographic breakdowns such as by Petroleum Administration for Defense 
(PAD) District, Refining District, and State.
    The types of information collected in the PSRS surveys and the 
level of detail in statistical information disseminated by EIA follow a 
pattern first established by the Bureau of Mines in 1917. The PSRS 
surveys include weekly, monthly, and annual surveys designed to provide 
information on petroleum supply at various levels of detail given 
tradeoffs between timeliness and improved accuracy. For 2004, the PSRS 
surveys are expected to include the following forms:
    [sbull] EIA-800, Weekly Refinery and Fractionator Report,
    [sbull] EIA-801, Weekly Bulk Terminal Report,
    [sbull] EIA-802, Weekly Product Pipeline Report,
    [sbull] EIA-803, Weekly Crude Oil Stocks Report,
    [sbull] EIA-804, Weekly Imports Report,
    [sbull] EIA-805, Weekly Terminal Blenders Report,
    [sbull] EIA-810, Monthly Refinery Report,
    [sbull] EIA-811, Monthly Bulk Terminal Report,
    [sbull] EIA-812, Monthly Product Pipeline Report,
    [sbull] EIA-813, Monthly Crude Oil Report,
    [sbull] EIA-814, Monthly Imports Report,
    [sbull] EIA-815, Monthly Terminal Blenders Report,
    [sbull] EIA-816, Monthly Natural Gas Liquids Report,
    [sbull] EIA-817, Monthly Tanker and Barge Movement Report,
    [sbull] EIA-819, Monthly Oxygenate Report, and
    [sbull] EIA-820, Annual Refinery Report.
    The specific forms and data elements in the PSRS surveys change 
over time to reflect the industry. However, the overall purpose of the 
PSRS continues to be providing credible, reliable, and timely 
information on the petroleum industry. The information is integral to 
adequately understanding the U.S. petroleum supply situation. Detailed 
information at low level geographic breakdowns is needed on production, 
receipts, inputs, regional movements, imports, and stocks of crude oil, 
petroleum products, and natural gas liquids.
    Most PSRS survey information is collected under a pledge of 
confidentiality. For information collected under a pledge of 
confidentiality, EIA does not publicly release names or other 
identifiers of survey respondents linked to their submitted data. 
However, for many data items, EIA does not apply disclosure limitation 
to statistics based on the survey data.
    Disclosure limitation involves methods used to avoid the 
possibility that individually-identifiable information reported by a 
survey respondent may be inferred from published statistics. In 
accordance with EIA's existing policy for PSRS statistical information, 
most petroleum supply statistical information disseminated by EIA has 
not been subjected to disclosure limitation methods (the policy of not 
using disclosure limitation on petroleum supply statistical information 
has been in effect since EIA's creation in 1977 and was announced in 
the Federal Register on August 7, 1986 (61 FR 28415)). Therefore, when 
statistics are based on PSRS data from fewer than three respondents or 
are dominated by data from one or two large respondents and are not 
subjected to disclosure limitation methods, it may be possible for a 
knowledgeable person to estimate the data reported by a specific 
respondent.
    While disclosure limitation has not been used on the majority of 
statistics based on the PSRS survey data, disclosure limitation has 
been used for statistics based on new products or product breakdowns 
that have occurred since 1986. Petroleum Supply Monthly (and 
corresponding Petroleum Supply Annual) tables that use currently use 
disclosure limitation are: Table 28, ``Refinery Input of Crude Oil and 
Petroleum Products by PAD and Refining Districts,'' Table 29, 
``Refinery Net Production of Finished Petroleum Products by PAD and 
Refining Districts,'' Table 30, ``Refinery Stocks of Crude Oil and 
Petroleum Products by PAD and Refining Districts,'' Table 51, ``Stocks 
of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products by PAD District,'' Table 52, 
``Refinery, Bulk Terminal, and Natural

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Gas Plant Stocks of Selected Petroleum Products by PAD District and 
State,'' Table D2, ``Monthly Fuel Ethanol Production and Stocks by PAD 
Districts,'' and Table D3, ``Monthly Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) 
Production and Stocks by PAD Districts.''

II. Current Actions

    Beginning in January 2004, EIA proposes to extend its 1986 policy 
of not applying disclosure limitation to statistics based on PSRS 
survey data to all PSRS survey information collected under a pledge of 
confidentiality. With increases in the number of different petroleum 
products, enlarged product detail breakdowns, and declines in the 
number of companies reporting on many of the PSRS surveys, the policy 
not to use disclosure limitation helps to ensure EIA's ability to 
disseminate detailed petroleum, supply information.
    EIA is requesting public comments on this policy. This policy will 
result in EIA providing the maximum amount of PSRS information to the 
public, and will facilitate public understanding of the petroleum 
industry. However, it also means that a knowledgeable person may be 
able to estimate the value of selected data items provided by specific 
respondents.

III. Request for Comments

    The public should comment on the actions discussed in item II. The 
questions below are the issues on which EIA is seeking public comments.
    A. Does EIA's proposed policy not to use disclosure limitation 
methods for statistics based on PSRS survey information collected under 
a pledge of confidentiality and disseminated beginning in 2004 maximize 
the utility of the data to data users?
    B. Is the possibility that a knowledgeable user might be able to 
estimate a respondent's contribution to a statistic an acceptable risk 
to data providers?
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be considered by 
EIA. The comments will also become a matter of public record.
    After consideration of the comments, EIA will issue its policy 
regarding the use of disclosure limitation methods for statistics based 
on PSRS survey data. The policy will be announced in a Federal Register 
notice issued by EIA.

    Statutory Authority: Section 52 of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act (Pub. L. 93-275, 15 U.S.C. 790a).

    Issued in Washington, DC, November 14, 2003.
Guy F. Caruso,
Administrator, Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-28993 Filed 11-19-03; 8:45 am]
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