[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30956-30957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-12287]


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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 revision of a currently approved information 
collection (1010-0058).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS 
is 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 I, 
Platforms and Structures.''

DATES: Submit written comments by August 2, 2004.

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 1010-0058'' 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: Cheryl Blundon, Rules Processing Team 
at (703) 787-1600. You may also contact Cheryl Blundon to obtain a 
copy, at no cost, of the regulations that require the subject 
collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR 250, Subpart I, Platforms and Structures.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0058.
    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.
    Specifically, the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1356) requires the 
issuance of ``* * * regulations which require that any vessel, rig, 
platform, or other vehicle or structure-- * * * (2) which is used for 
activities pursuant to this subchapter, comply, * * * with such minimum 
standards of design, construction, alteration, and repair as the 
Secretary * * * establishes; * * *.'' The OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1332(6)) also states, ``operations in the [O]uter Continental Shelf 
should be conducted in a safe manner * * * to prevent or minimize the 
likelihood of * * * physical obstruction to other users of the water or 
subsoil and seabed, or other occurrences which may cause damage to the 
environment or to property, or endanger life or health.'' These 
authorities and responsibilities are among those delegated to MMS under 
which we issue regulations to ensure that operations in the OCS will 
meet statutory requirements; provide for safety and protection of the 
environment; and result in diligent exploration, development, and 
production of OCS leases. This information collection request addresses 
the regulations at 30 CFR 250, Subpart I, Platforms and Structures.
    The MMS OCS Regions use the information submitted under Subpart I 
to determine the structural integrity of all offshore structures and 
ensure that such integrity will be maintained throughout the useful 
life of these structures. We use the information to ascertain, on a 
case-by-case basis, that the platforms and structures are structurally 
sound and safe for their intended use to ensure safety of personnel and 
pollution prevention. More specifically, we use the information to:
     Review information concerning damage to a platform to 
assess the adequacy of proposed repairs.
     Review plans for platform construction (construction is 
divided into three phases--design, fabrication, and installation) to 
ensure the structural integrity of the platform.
     Review verification plans and reports for unique platforms 
to ensure that all nonstandard situations are given proper 
consideration during the design, fabrication, and installation phases 
of platform construction.
     Review platform design, fabrication, and installation 
records to ensure that the platform is constructed according to 
approved plans.
     Review inspection reports to ensure that platform 
integrity is maintained for the life of the platform.
     Verify that existing platforms comply with design criteria 
in accordance to API RP 2A-WSD (21st edition), ``Recommended Practice 
For Planning, Designing, And Constructing Fixed Offshore Platforms--
Working Stress Design,'' and to evaluate the risk of allowing existing 
platforms to finish their originally approved purpose.
     Review reports that relate to framing patterns, soil data, 
exposure category, initiator data, assessment screening, design level 
analysis, and ultimate strength analysis.
     Review mitigation plans and platform applications for 
platforms that fail the ultimate strength analysis.
     Ensure that any object (wellheads, platforms, etc.) 
installed on the OCS is properly removed and the site cleared so as not 
to conflict with or harm other users of the OCS.
    This notice supersedes the 60-day comment notice published on this 
Subpart February 27, 2004 (69 FR 9369). In this notice, MMS is revising 
the collection by inviting comments on a collection of information that 
will be used to verify the assessment of existing platforms. MMS plans 
to issue a Notice to Lessees (NTL) requesting the submission of this 
assessment information as soon as OMB approves this information 
collection. We need this information to verify that lessees have 
conducted assessments of existing platforms in an appropriate and 
timely manner to evaluate the risk of allowing existing platforms to 
finish their originally approved purposes. The assessment of existing 
platforms is required through the incorporation of API RP 2A-WSD by 
reference in 30 CFR 250.900(g). This collection will increase the 
approved burden by 154,400 hours.
    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: The frequency varies by section, but is generally on 
occasion and annual.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130

[[Page 30957]]

Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 
28,344. In our submission to OMB we will be requesting an additional 
154,400 burden hours in order to implement API RP 2A-WSD. 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 or
Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart I &       recordkeeping         Hour burden
              NTL                      requirement
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900(b), (g); 901; 902;           Submit application and               24
 909(b)(4)(ii).                   plans for new platform
                                  or major modifications
                                  and notice to MMS.
900(e).........................  Request approval for                 16
                                  major repairs of
                                  damage to platform and
                                  notice to MMS.
900(f).........................  Request approval for                 25
                                  reuse or conversion of
                                  use of existing fixed
                                  or mobile platforms.
900(g).........................  Submit assessment                    16
                                  screening and report.
                                 Design level analysis..              50
                                 Ultimate strength                   100
                                  analysis and report.
                                 Mitigation and platform             100
                                  application.
901(e).........................  Notify MMS before                \1\ 10
                                  transporting platform
                                  to installation site.
903(a), (b)....................  Submit nominations for               16
                                  Certified Verification
                                  Agent (CVA).
903(a)(1), (2), (3)............  Submit interim and                  200
                                  final CVA reports.
912(a).........................  Request inspection                   16
                                  interval that exceeds
                                  5 years.
912(b).........................  Submit annual report of              45
                                  platforms inspected
                                  and summary of testing
                                  results.
900 thru 914...................  General departure and                 8
                                  alternative compliance
                                  requests not
                                  specifically covered
                                  elsewhere in Subpart I
                                  regulations.
--------------------------------
                          Reporting Hour Burden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
909, 911, 912, 914.............  Recordkeeping                       50
                                  Requirement: Maintain
                                  records on as-built
                                  structural drawings,
                                  design assumptions and
                                  analyses, summary of
                                  nondestructive
                                  examination records,
                                  inspection results,
                                  etc., for the
                                  functional life of the
                                  platform.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Minutes.

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no ``non-hour cost'' burdens.
    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: Before submitting an ICR 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: MMS's practice is to make comments, 
including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public 
review during regular business hours. If you wish your name and/or 
address to be withheld, you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your comment. MMS will honor this request to the extent 
allowable by law; however, anonymous comments will not be considered. 
All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Arlene Bajusz (202) 
208-7744.

    Dated: May 20, 2004.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 04-12287 Filed 5-28-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P