[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 76 (Thursday, April 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20764-20765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7966]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO-310-1310-PB-24-1A]


Extension of Approved Information Collection, OMB Control Number 
1004-0074

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requests the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) to extend an existing approval to collect information to 
determine whether a bidder is qualified to hold a lease and to conduct 
geothermal resource operations under the terms of the Mineral Leasing 
Act of 1920 and the Geothermal Steam Act of 1969. BLM uses Forms 3000-2 
and 3200-9 to collect this information.

DATES: You must submit your comments to BLM at the address below on or 
before June 20, 2005. BLM will not necessarily consider any comments 
received after the above date.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to: Regulatory Affairs Group (WO-630), 
Eastern States Office, 7450 Boston Blvd., Springfield, Virginia 22153.
    You may send comments via Internet to: [email protected]. Please 
include ``ATTN: 1004-0074'' and your name and address with your 
comments.
    You may deliver comments to the Bureau of Land Management, 
Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620 L Street, NW., Washington, DC.
    Comments will be available for public review at the L Street 
address during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.) Monday 
through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may contact Barbara Gamble, Fluids 
Minerals Group, on (202) 452-0338 (Commercial or FTS). Persons who use 
a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) on 1-800-877-

[[Page 20765]]

8330, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to contact Ms. Gamble.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 5 CFR 1320.12(a) requires that we provide a 
60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning a collection of 
information to solicit comments on:
    (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper functioning of the agency, including whether the information 
will have practical utility;
    (b) the accuracy of our estimates of the information collection 
burden, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions we 
use;
    (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information collected; and
    (d) ways to minimize the information collection burden on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended (30 U.S.C. 181 et 
seq.). gives the Secretary of the Interior responsibility for oil and 
gas leasing on approximately 600 million acres of public lands and 
national forests, and private lands where the Federal Government 
retains the mineral rights. Congress passed the Federal Onshore Oil and 
Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987 requiring BLM to offer all public lands 
that are available for oil and gas leasing by competitive oral bidding 
before accepting noncompetitive lease applications. The Department of 
the Interior Appropriations Act of 1981 (43 U.S.C. 6508) provides for 
the competitive leasing of the lands in the National Petroleum Reserve-
Alaska. The Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 1001-1025) 
authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue leases for geothermal 
development.
    The regulations (43 CFR 3100) outline procedures for obtaining a 
lease to explore for, develop, and produce oil and gas resources 
located on public lands. The regulations (43 CFR part 3200) outline 
procedures to issue geothermal leases and the exploration, development 
and utilization of Federally-owned geothermal resources. BLM needs the 
information requested on the two forms of process lease bids for oil 
and gas and geothermal resources and to complete environmental reviews 
required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
    You must submit the forms to the proper BLM office. Form 3000-2 
requires the name and address to identify the bidder. This allows BLM 
to ensure that the bidder meets the eligibility requirements in the 
regulations. The regulations require the bidder to submit one-fifth of 
the amount of the bid for a geothermal bid or the minimum acceptable 
bid for an oil and gas lease is the first year's rental and 
administrative fee. Form 3200-9 requires the name and address of the 
entity who will conduct operations on the land. You must also submit 
the legal land description of the lands you plan to enter or disturb 
for your exploration/operations and the starting and ending dates of 
operations. We use the starting and ending dates to determine how long 
the applicant/operator/contractor intends to conduct operations on the 
land.
    Based on BLM's experience administering this program, we estimate 
the public reporting burden is 10 minutes for completing Form 3000-2 
and 2 hours for completing Form 3200-9. These estimates include the 
time spent on research, gathering, and assembling information, 
reviewing instructions, and completing the respective forms. BLM 
estimates 1,000 competitive bids for oil and gas and geothermal 
resources and 30 Notice of Intent to Conduct Geothermal Resource 
Exploration Operations are filed annually, with a total annual burden 
of 227 hours. Respondents vary from individuals and small businesses to 
large corporations.
    Any member of the public may request and obtain, without charge, a 
copy of BLM Forms 3000-2 or 3200-9 by contacting the person identified 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    BLM will summarize all responses to this notice and include them in 
the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of a 
public record.

    Dated: April 15, 2005.
Ian Senio,
Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 05-7966 Filed 4-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M