[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 167 (Monday, August 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52912-52914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-19648]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submitted for Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of revision and extension of an information collection 
(1010-0043).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we 
are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information 
collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork

[[Page 52913]]

requirements in the regulations under ``30 CFR 250, Subpart F, Oil and 
Gas Well-Workover Operations.'' This notice also provides the public a 
second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these 
regulatory requirements.

DATES: Submit written comments by September 29, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments either by fax (202) 395-6566 or 
email ([email protected]) directly to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department 
of the Interior (1010-0043). Mail or hand carry a copy of your 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 your comments to 
MMS, the address is: [email protected]. Reference Information 
Collection 1010-0043 in your subject line and mark your message for 
return receipt. Include your name and return address in your message 
text.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Arlene Bajusz, Rules Processing Team, 
(703) 787-1600. You may also contact Arlene Bajusz to obtain a copy, at 
no cost, of the regulations that require the subject collection of 
information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: 30 CFR 250, subpart F, Oil and Gas 
Well-Workover Operations.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0043.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq.), as amended, requires the Secretary of the Interior 
(Secretary) to preserve, protect, and develop sulphur resources on the 
OCS; make such resources available to meet the Nation's energy needs as 
rapidly as possible; balance orderly energy resources development with 
protection of the human, marine, and coastal environments; ensure the 
public a fair and equitable return on the resources offshore; and 
preserve and maintain free enterprise competition.
    Section 5(a) of the OCS Lands Act requires the Secretary to 
prescribe rules and regulations ``to provide for the prevention of 
waste, and conservation of the natural resources of the Outer 
Continental Shelf, and the protection of correlative rights therein'' 
and to include provisions ``for the prompt and efficient exploration 
and development of a lease area.'' 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 F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations and the 
associated supplementary notices to lessees and operators intended to 
provide clarification, description, or explanation of these 
regulations.
    MMS District Supervisors use the information collected to analyze 
and evaluate planned well-workover operations to ensure that operations 
result in personnel safety and protection of the environment. They use 
this evaluation in making decisions to approve, disapprove, or to 
require modification to the proposed well-workover operations. For 
example, MMS uses the information to:
     Review log entries of crew meetings to verify that safety 
procedures have been properly reviewed.
     Review well-workover procedures relating to hydrogen 
sulfide (H2S) to ensure the safety of the crew in the event 
of encountering H2S.
     Review well-workover diagrams and procedures to ensure the 
safety of well-workover operations.
     Verify that the crown block safety device is operating and 
can be expected to function and avoid accidents.
     Verify that the proposed operation of the annular 
preventer is technically correct and will provide adequate protection 
for personnel, property, and natural resources.
     Verify the reasons for postponing blowout preventer (BOP) 
tests, verify the state of readiness of the equipment and to ascertain 
that the equipment meets safety standards and requirements, ensure that 
BOP tests have been conducted in the manner and frequency to promote 
personnel safety and protect natural resources. Specific testing 
information must be recorded to verify that the proper test procedures 
were followed.
     Assure that the well-workover operations are conducted on 
well casing that is structurally competent.
    Responses are mandatory. No questions of a ``sensitive'' nature are 
asked. MMS will protect proprietary information according to 30 CFR 
250.196 (Data and information to be made available to the public) and 
30 CFR part 252 (OCS Oil and Gas Information Program).
    Frequency: The frequency varies by section, but is primarily 
monthly or on occasion.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees and operators.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
estimated annual ``hour'' burden for this information collection is a 
total of 19,459 hours. The following chart details the individual 
components and estimated hour burdens. 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.

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                                                                                                          Annual
   Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart F         Reporting or recordkeeping         Hour    Average No. annual    burden
                                                 requirement               burden        responses        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
602...............................  Request exceptions prior to moving          1  372 request.........      372
                                     well-workover equipment.
602...............................  Notify MMS of any rig movement        Burden included in 1010-0150.        0
                                     within Gulf of Mexico (form MMS-
                                     144)..
605; 613; 615(a)..................  Request approval to begin subsea       Burden included in 1010-0045        0
                                     well-workover operations; submit             and 1010-0046
                                     forms MMS-124 and MMS-125.
612...............................  Request establishment/amendment/            6  2...................       12
                                     cancellation of field well-workover
                                     rules.
614...............................  Post number of stands of drill pipe      0.25  1,210 postings......      303
                                     or workover string and drill
                                     collars that may be pulled prior to
                                     filling the hole and equivalent
                                     well-control fluid volume.
616(a)............................  Request exception to rated working          2  121 requests........      242
                                     pressure of the BOP equipment;
                                     request exception to annular-type
                                     BOP testing.

[[Page 52914]]

 
617(b)............................  Pressure test, caliper, or otherwise        6  61 reports..........      366
                                     evaluate tubing & wellhead
                                     equipment casing; submit results
                                     (every 30 days during prolonged
                                     operations).
617(c)............................  Notify MMS if sustained casing            0.5  830 notifications...      415
                                     pressure is observed on a well.
600-618...........................  General departure and alternative           2  25 requests.........       50
                                     compliance requests not
                                     specifically covered elsewhere in
                                     subpart F regulations.
                                                                         ----------
                                     Subtotal--Reporting................  .......  2,621...............    1,760
                                                                         ==========
606...............................  Instruct crew members in safety             1  780 workovers x 4 =     3,120
                                     requirments of operations to be                3,120.
                                     performed; document meeting (weekly
                                     for 2 crews x2 weeks per workover =
                                     4).
611...............................  Perform operational check of                1  665 workovers x 2 =    1,330.
                                     traveling-block safety device;                 1,330.
                                     document results (weekly x 2 weeks
                                     per workover = 2).
616(a), (b), (d), (e).............  Perform BOP pressure tests,                 7  665 workovers x 2 =     9,310
                                     actuations, inspections &                      1,330.
                                     certifications; record results;
                                     retain records 2 years following
                                     completion of workover activities
                                     (when installed; at a minimum every
                                     7 days x 2 weeks per workover = 2).
616(b)(2).........................  Test blind or blind-shear rams;             1  780 workovers.......      780
                                     document workovers results (every
                                     30 days during operations). (Note:
                                     this is part of BOP test when BOP
                                     test is conducted.).
616(b)(2).........................  Record reason for postponing BOP          0.5  78 postponed tests..       39
                                     system tests.
616(c)............................  Perform crew drills; record results         1  780 workovers x 4 =     3,120
                                     (weekly for 2 crews x 2 weeks per              3,120.
                                     workover = 4).
                                                                         ----------
                                     Subtotal--Recordkeeping............  .......  9,758...............   17,699
                                                                         ==========
                                     Total Hour Burden..................  .......  12,379..............   19,459
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et 
seq.) 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.
    To comply with the public consultation process, on December 24, 
2003, we published a Federal Register notice (68 FR 74645) announcing 
that we would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided 
the required 60-day comment period. In addition, 250.199 provides the 
OMB control number for the information collection requirements imposed 
by the 30 CFR 250 regulations and forms. The regulation also informs 
the public that they may comment at any time on the collections of 
information and provides the address to which they should send 
comments. We have received no comments in response to these efforts.
    If you wish to comment in response to this notice, you may send 
your comments to the offices listed under the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice. OMB has up to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information 
collection but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, to ensure maximum 
consideration, OMB should receive public comments by September 29, 
2004.
    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 the request to the extent 
allowable by the 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 Federal Register Liaison Officer: Denise Johnson (202) 208-
3976.

    Dated: May 11, 2004.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 04-19648 Filed 8-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P