[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1426-1428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-333]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Policy for Revisions to 
the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report; Comment Request

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

ACTION: Agency information collection activities: policy for revisions 
to the

[[Page 1427]]

Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The EIA is soliciting comments on the revision policy for the 
Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report (WNGSR). The WNGSR provides weekly 
estimates of working gas volumes held in underground storage facilities 
at the national and regional levels. The WNGSR is based on information 
collected by EIA on Form EIA-912, ``Weekly Underground Gas Storage 
Report.''

DATES: Comments must be filed by February 7, 2005. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to William Trapmann. To ensure receipt of the 
comments by the due date, submission by fax (202) 586-4220 or e-mail 
([email protected]) is recommended. The mailing address is 
Energy Information Administration, EI-44, Forrestal Building, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585. Alternatively, Mr. Trapmann 
may be contacted by telephone at (202) 586-6408.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The WNGSR is available on EIA's 
Internet site at http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/ngs/ngs.html. The 
survey Form EIA-912 and instructions used to collect information for 
the WNGSR are available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/natural_gas/survey_forms/nat_survey_forms.html. Requests for additional 
information should be directed to Mr. Trapmann 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 (Public Law 93-275, 
15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (Public Law 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 its dissemination of energy information. Comments received 
help the EIA when preparing information collections and information 
products necessary to EIA's mission.
    The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report (WNGSR) which has been issued 
by EIA since May 9, 2002, provides weekly estimates of working gas 
volumes held in underground storage facilities at the national and 
regional levels. WNGSR users include policymakers, commodity market 
analysts, and industry experts. EIA uses the data to prepare analytical 
products assessing storage operations and the impact on supplies 
available, and to analyze relationships between demand, heating-degree-
days, and inventory levels.
    EIA is requesting comments because of a possible need to modify the 
policy on revisions to data disseminated in the WNGSR. The policy was 
established in 2002 on the basis of public comments in response to a 
Federal Register notice. After EIA released the WNGSR on November 24, 
2004, EIA received revised survey data. Adhering to its established 
policy, EIA disseminated revised underground gas storage statistics 
reflecting the revised survey data in the next WNGSR released on 
December 2, 2004.

II. Current Actions

    The WNGSR is based on information collected on Form EIA-912. Form 
EIA-912 respondents provide estimates for working gas in storage as of 
9 a.m. Friday each week. The deadline for submitting reports to the EIA 
is 5 p.m. eastern time the following Monday, except when Monday is a 
Federal holiday. In that case, forms should be submitted by 5 p.m. on 
Tuesday. The WNGSR is released on Thursday between 10:30 and 10:40 a.m. 
eastern time on EIA's Web site, except when Thursday is a Federal 
holiday. Notification of changes in this general schedule is maintained 
on the EIA Web site at http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/ngs/schedule.html.
    A Form EIA-912 respondent is instructed to submit revisions to 
previously reported data if the revisions are greater than 500 million 
cubic feet. As with any EIA information product based on survey data, 
the WNGSR data may undergo revision(s) based on a number of reporting 
factors including:
    (1) As more accurate information becomes available to a respondent 
after the Form EIA-912 is filed, a respondent may need to file new 
data.
    (2) After submitting Form EIA-912 and prior to the next weekly 
submission, a respondent may determine that information submitted was 
incorrect (e.g., numbers were transposed, numbers were entered in the 
wrong item on the form, or other reporting errors).
    (3) A respondent may submit Form EIA-912 too late for inclusion in 
the current week estimates for the WNGSR.
    (4) A respondent may report a reclassification of base and working 
gas.
    (5) A respondent may report a change in field operating status.
    In addition to the reporting factors cited above, WNGSR data may be 
revised in response to EIA actions such as a new estimation methodology 
or sample used in the estimation process. Such revisions differ from 
reporting issues in that their occurrence is known by EIA in advance 
and EIA can plan for the resulting implementation. Because of that, EIA 
schedules dissemination of those revisions and provides users with 
early notification of the forthcoming WNGSR that will include the 
revisions.
    In 2002 EIA adopted a policy for releasing revisions to data 
disseminated in the WNGSR. The policy was developed following a public 
comment period and released in the Federal Register on November 12, 
2002 (67 FR 68581). Under that policy, revisions are not disseminated 
on an unscheduled basis. Rather, revisions are disseminated in the next 
release of the WNGSR when the effect of reported changes is at least 7 
billion cubic feet (Bcf) at either a regional or national level. If a 
revision is made, changes to all regions are included.
    Data for the previous week have been revised in 10 of the 136 
issues released between May 9, 2002 and December 9, 2004. At the U.S. 
level, these revisions ranged (in absolute value) from 7 to 41 Bcf. The 
sizes and reasons are illustrated in the table below. The two revisions 
greater than 15 Bcf attributable to data changes occurred for estimates 
initially released on July 3, 2002 (26 Bcf) and November 24, 2004 (32 
Bcf).

[[Page 1428]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Reasons for revisions
                               -----------------------------------------
Revision size (absolute value)                 Methodology
                                 Survey data    or sample    All reasons
                                   change        change
------------------------------------------------------------------------
7-14 Bcf......................             5             1             6
15 or more Bcf................             2             2             4
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    With respect to the dissemination of revisions to WNGSR data, EIA 
is reconsidering its policy. Important issues to consider include: the 
size of a revision justifying a revised WNGSR release, the problem of 
equal and adequate notification of an upcoming revision, and the timing 
of revisions in light of government and market hours of operation. The 
current policy and two examples of alternative policies are described 
below.
    Current Policy (No Unscheduled Release of Revisions). Revisions are 
disseminated in the next release of the WNGSR when the effect of 
changes from any cause is at least 7 billion cubic feet (Bcf) at either 
a regional or national level. If a revision is made, changes to all 
regions are included. Revisions are not disseminated on an unscheduled 
basis.
    Alternative 1 (Fixed Revision Timing). When the cumulative effect 
of all revised data for the most recent report period is at least 15 
billion cubic feet (BCF) at either a regional or national level, a 
revised WNGSR would be issued prior to the customary WNGSR release 
schedule (i.e., generally Thursday at 10:30 a.m.). If a revision is 
necessary, it would be released in a revised WNGSR at 10:30 a.m. on the 
first Federal government workday of the following week. In most 
instances the timing would be 10:30 a.m. Monday unless there is a 
Monday holiday. In that case the revision would be released on Tuesday. 
No notification of a coming revision would be provided. If the issues 
underlying the revision could not be resolved and systems changes could 
not be implemented before the fixed release date, the revision would be 
released during the next regularly scheduled WNGSR release (usually 
Thursday morning). Revisions from 7 to 14 Bcf as well as a revision 
greater than 7 Bcf resulting from a new estimation methodology or 
sample used in the estimation process would be issued in the next 
regularly scheduled (usually Thursday) release of the WNGSR. This 
alternative provides a date and time for a mid-week release of a 
revision greater than 15 Bcf without relying on any notification to 
users of the estimates.
    Alternative 2 (Variable Revision Timing). When the cumulative 
effect of revised data for the most recent report period is at least 15 
billion cubic feet (BCF) at either a regional or national level, a 
revised WNGSR would be issued two hours after EIA issues a notification 
of the planned release of the revised WNGSR. However, EIA would not 
issue a revised WNGSR if the next scheduled release is less than 24 
hours later. Also, revisions from 7 to 14 Bcf as well as a revision of 
any magnitude greater than 7 Bcf resulting from a new estimation 
methodology or sample used in the estimation process would be issued in 
the next release of the WNGSR.
    For alternative 2, EIA would notify the public of the planned 
release by announcing it on its Web site and sending e-mail 
notifications to parties registered on EIA's WNGSR list serve. 
(Interested parties may sign up for the WNGSR list serve without charge 
through the EIA Web site at http://www.eia.doe.gov/listserv_signup.html.) EIA proposes that the revision be released two hours 
after the announcement is posted and e-mail notices are issued 
irrespective of whether any specific markets are in operation at the 
time of the revision release. EIA would post a notification of an 
upcoming revision only when it has resolved all implementation issues 
and is prepared to issue the revised WNGSR two hours later. Also, 
revisions from 7 to 14 Bcf as well as a revision of any magnitude 
greater than 7 Bcf resulting from a new estimation methodology or 
sample used in the estimation process would be issued in the next 
release of the WNGSR.

III. Request for Comments

    The public should comment on the alternatives discussed in item II 
as well as the questions below. Comments may also address other issues 
and alternatives related to changes in the WNGSR revision policy.
    General Issues:
    A. What policy do you prefer for release of revised WNGSR data and 
why? What are the features of each policy that are attractive and 
unattractive?
    B. What is the threshold, if any, at which a revised WNGSR should 
be issued outside a regular schedule? Is a threshold change of 15 Bcf 
appropriate to require such an issuance?
    C. Is a fixed revision date and time a useful alternative to an 
approach requiring a notification process for EIA customers? What 
particular dates and/or times are most appropriate?
    D. If a notification approach is used, is a posting on EIA's web 
site and e-mail notification adequate and equitable? How much time 
should pass between a notification of a revised WNGSR and its release?
    E. Should the release of a revised WNGSR be restricted to specific 
business hours or days because of the operating hours of various 
trading markets? For example, if a revised WNGSR is approved late in 
the work day, should EIA withhold issuing it until specific major 
energy markets are open?
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be considered 
during development of EIA's policy for revisions of the WNGSR. The 
comments will also become a matter of public record.
    After EIA has completed development of the WNGSR revision policy, a 
Federal Register notice will be issued announcing the policy.

    Statutory Authority:  Section 52 of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act (Pub. L. No. 93-275, 15 U.S.C. 790a).

    Issued in Washington, DC, January 3, 2005.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 05-333 Filed 1-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P