[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 17, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51101-51103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-18767]


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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 new information collection (1010-NEW).

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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 part 250, subpart I, 
Platforms and Structures.

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DATES: Submit written comments by October 18, 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-NEW 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-NEW'' 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 and the Notice to Lessees (NTL's) 
that will request the subject collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Notice to Lessees, Assessment of Existing OCS Platforms.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-NEW.
    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 part 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.
    Currently, lessees are required to conduct these platform 
assessments and evaluations (API RP 2A-WSD, 21st edition, incorporated 
by reference April 21, 2003 (68 FR 193521), into 30 CFR 250.900(g)), 
but the regulations under Subpart I do not require lessees to submit 
the results to MMS. Therefore, with this information collection 
request, MMS is requesting the submission of the results of platform 
assessments and evaluations. Upon OMB approval of this collection, MMS 
will issue an NTL that requests lessees to submit their results of 
platform assessments and evaluations on a voluntary basis. MMS will use 
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; more specifically, we will use the information submitted 
through the NTL to:
     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.
    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. Submissions are 
voluntary.
    Frequency: Submission occurs periodically based on assessment.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: We estimate 
that the reporting burden for this collection is 154,400 burden hours. 
The oil and gas industry and MMS recognize that some existing platforms 
may not comply with the design criteria required for new platforms. 
Design criteria were developed to provide a way to evaluate the risk of 
allowing existing platforms to finish their originally approved 
purpose. The following discussion details the individual components and 
the 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.
     MMS estimates that 3,400 platforms in the Gulf of Mexico 
(GOM) OCS will require submittal of framing patterns, soil data, 
exposure category, initiator data, and the assessment screening and 
report. Estimate 16 hours per submittal. Total burden = 54,400 hours.
     MMS estimates that 800 platforms will fail the assessment 
screening and require a design level analysis and report. Estimate 50 
hours per submittal. Total burden = 40,000 hours.
     MMS estimates that 400 platforms will fail the design 
level analysis and require an ultimate strength analysis and report. 
Estimate 100 hours per submittal. Total burden = 40,000 hours.
     MMS estimates that 200 platforms will fail the ultimate 
strength analysis and require mitigation and a platform application. 
Estimate 100 hours per submittal. Total burden = 20,000 hours.
     Program = 154,400 hours.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost''

[[Page 51103]]

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 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 10, 2004.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 04-18767 Filed 8-16-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P