[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48518-48520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-18238]


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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 (1010-0149).

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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 rulemaking for 30 CFR 250, Subparts J, H, and I 
``Fixed and Floating Platforms and Structures.''

DATES: Submit written comments by October 12, 2004.

ADDRESSES: The ability to submit comments is now available through 
MMS's Public Connect on-line commenting system and is the preferred 
method for commenting. Interested parties may submit comments on-line 
at https://ocsconnect.mms.gov. From the Public Connect ``Welcome'' 
screen, you will be able to either search for Information Collection 
1010-0149 or select it from the ``Projects Open For Comment'' menu.
    Alternatively, interested parties may mail or hand-carry comments 
to the Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; Mail 
Stop 4024; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817; Attention: 
Rules Processing Team (RPT). Please reference ``Information Collection 
1010-0149'' in your comments and include your name and return address. 
Note: We are no longer accepting comments sent via e-mail.

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, Subparts J, H, and I ``Fixed and Floating 
Platforms and Structures.''
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0149.
    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 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. * * *'' Section 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 the Minerals Management 
Service (MMS) 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.
    On December 27, 2001, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) (66 FR 
66851), provided the initial 60-day review and comment process. This 
notice is a renewal of the information requirements for the rulemaking 
and for what we expect to be in our final rulemaking.
    The industry standards incorporated into our regulations through 
this rulemaking:
     Result in a complete rewrite and re-titling of our current 
regulations at 30 CFR 250, Subpart I, Platforms and Structures. The 
currently approved information collection for this Subpart (1010-0058) 
will be superseded by this collection when final regulations take 
effect.

[[Page 48519]]

     Revise regulations at 30 CFR 250, Subpart H, Oil and Gas 
Production Safety Systems (1010-0059); and Subpart J, Pipelines and 
Pipeline Rights-of-Way (1010-0050). When final regulations take effect, 
we will add the new requirements and hour burdens to the respective 
information collections currently approved for these subparts.
     Make changes to definitions, documents incorporated by 
reference, and other minor revisions to regulations at 30 CFR 250, 
Subpart A, General (1010-0114); and Subpart B, Exploration and 
Development and Production Plans (1010-0049). However, the proposed 
changes do not add any new information collection requirements, nor 
affect those currently approved.
    MMS will use the information collected and records maintained under 
Subpart I to determine the structural integrity of all offshore 
platforms and floating production facilities and to ensure that such 
integrity will be maintained throughout the useful life of these 
structures. The information is necessary to determine that fixed and 
floating platforms and structures are sound and safe for their intended 
purpose and for the safety of personnel and pollution prevention. MMS 
will use the information collected under Subparts H and J to ensure 
proper construction of production safety systems and pipelines.
    Although the revised regulations would specifically cover floating 
production facilities as well as platforms, this is not a new category 
of information collection. MMS has always permitted these facilities on 
a case-by-case basis. Incorporating the new documents provides industry 
with specific standards by which we will hold them accountable in the 
design, fabrication, and installation of platforms and floating 
production facilities offshore. Making mandatory these now voluntary 
standards would dictate that respondents comply with the requirements 
in the incorporated documents. This includes certified verification 
agent (CVA) review for some areas that current regulations do not 
require, but the voluntary standards recommend. The revised regulations 
will increase the number of CVA nominations and reports associated with 
the facilities and require hazards analysis documentation for new 
floating production facilities.
    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, annual; and varies by section.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 
37,194 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 or
   Proposed rule section(s)          recordkeeping       Hour burden per
                                      requirement        response/record
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                       New Subpart H Requirements
------------------------------------------------------------------------
800(b)........................  Submit CVA              50 hours.
                                 documentation under
                                 API RP 2RD.
803(b)(2)(iii)................  Submit CVA              50 hours.
                                 documentation API RP
                                 17J.
-------------------------------
                                Subpart I
------------------------------------------------------------------------
900(a); 901(b); 902; 903; 905;  Submit application to   24 hours.
 906; 907.                       install new platform
                                 or floating
                                 production facility
                                 or significant
                                 changes to approved
                                 applications,
                                 including use of
                                 alternative codes,
                                 rules, or standards;
                                 and Platform
                                 Verification Program
                                 plan for design,
                                 fabrication and
                                 installation of new,
                                 fixed, bottom-
                                 founded, pile-
                                 supported, or
                                 concrete-gravity
                                 platforms and new
                                 floating platforms.
                                 Consult as required
                                 with MMS and/or USCG.
                                 Re/Submit application
                                 for major
                                 modification(s) to
                                 any platform.
900(a)(4).....................  Notify MMS within 24    16 hours.
                                 hours of damage and
                                 emergency repairs and
                                 request approval of
                                 repairs.
900(a)(5).....................  Submit application for  24 hours.
                                 conversion of the use
                                 of an existing mobile
                                 offshore drilling
                                 unit.
901(a)(6), (a)(7), (a)(8).....  Submit CVA              100 hours.
                                 documentation under
                                 API RP 2RD, API RP
                                 2SK, and API RP 2SM.
901(a)(10)....................  Submit hazards          500 hours.
                                 analysis
                                 documentation under
                                 API RP 14J.
904(c); 908...................  Submit nomination and   16 hours.
                                 qualification
                                 statement for CVA.
910(c), (d)...................  Submit interim and      200 hours.
                                 final CVA reports and
                                 recommendations on
                                 design phase.
911(d), (e), (f)..............  Submit interim and      60 hours.
                                 final CVA reports and
                                 recommendations on
                                 fabrication phase,
                                 including notice of
                                 fabrication procedure
                                 changes or design
                                 specification
                                 modifications.
912(d), (e)...................  Submit interim and      60 hours.
                                 final CVA reports and
                                 recommendations on
                                 installation phase.
914; 918......................  Record original and     50 hours.
                                 relevant material
                                 test results of all
                                 primary structural
                                 materials; retain
                                 records during all
                                 stages of
                                 construction.
                                 Compile, retain, and
                                 make available to MMS
                                 for the functional
                                 life of platform, the
                                 as-built drawings,
                                 design assumptions/
                                 analyses, summary of
                                 nondestructive
                                 examination records,
                                 and inspection
                                 results.
916...........................  Develop in-service      45 hours.
                                 inspection hours plan
                                 and submit annual
                                 (November 1 of each
                                 year) report on
                                 inspection of
                                 platforms or floating
                                 production
                                 facilities, including
                                 summary of testing
                                 results.

[[Page 48520]]

 
900 thru 918..................  General departure and   8 hours.
                                 alternative
                                 compliance requests
                                 not specifically
                                 covered elsewhere in
                                 Subpart I regulations.
-------------------------------
                       New Subpart J Requirements
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1002(b)(4); 1007(a)(4)........  Submit CVA              100 hours.
                                 documentation under
                                 API RP 17J.
1002(b)(5)....................  Submit CVA              50 hours.
                                 documentation under
                                 API RP 2RD.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.
    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 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: August 4, 2004.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 04-18238 Filed 8-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P