[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3528-3530]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-688]


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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 of an information collection (1010-0059).

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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 
requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 250, ``Oil and Gas 
Production Safety Systems,'' and related documents. This notice also 
provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork 
burden of these regulatory requirements.

DATES: Submit written comments by February 22, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this information collection 
directly to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for 
the Department of the Interior via OMB email: [email protected]; 
or by fax (202) 395-6566; identify with (1010-0059).
    Submit a copy of your comments to the Department of the Interior, 
MMS, via:
     Email MMS at [email protected]. Use Information 
Collection Number 1010-0059 in the subject line.
     Fax: 703-787-1093. Identify with Information Collection 
Number 1010-0059.
     Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Rules Processing Team 
(RPT); 381 Elden Street, MS-4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please 
reference ``Information Collection 1010-0059'' in your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Rules Processing Team, 
(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, Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0058.
    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 1332(6) 
states that ``operations in the [O]uter Continental Shelf should be 
conducted in a safe manner by well trained personnel using technology, 
precautions, and other techniques sufficient to prevent or minimize the 
likelihood of blowouts, loss of well control, fires, spillages, 
physical obstructions to other users of the waters or subsoil and 
seabed, or other occurrences which may cause damage to the environment 
or to property or endanger life or health.''
    This notice concerns the reporting and recordkeeping elements of 30 
CFR 250, subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems, and related 
Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) that clarify and provide 
additional guidance on some aspects of the regulations. 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,'' 30 CFR part 252, 
``OCS Oil and Gas Information Program,'' and the Freedom of Information 
Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR 2).
    MMS OCS Regions use the information submitted under subpart H to 
evaluate equipment and/or procedures that lessees propose to use during 
production operations, including evaluation of requests for departures 
or use of alternative procedures. Information submitted is also used to 
verify the no-flow condition of wells to continue the waiver of 
requirements to install valves capable of preventing backflow. MMS 
inspectors review the records maintained to verify compliance with 
testing and minimum safety requirements.
    The Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) has a policy regarding 
approval of ``new'' requests to use a chemical-only fire prevention and 
control system in lieu of a water system. With respect to ``currently-
approved'' departures, MMS may require additional information be 
submitted to maintain approval of the departure. The information is 
used to determine if the chemical-only system provides the equivalent 
protection of a water system for the egress of personnel should a fire 
occur.
    In the Pacific OCS Region, MMS reviews copies of the Emergency 
Action Plans (EAP) that lessees and operators submit to their local air 
quality agencies to ensure that abatement procedures do not jeopardize 
safe platform operations.
    Frequency: The frequency of reporting is on occasion or annual.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 117 
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
estimated annual ``hour'' burden for this information collection is a 
total of 14,445 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.

[[Page 3529]]



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                                                                                                        Annual
  Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart H         Reporting and        Hour  burden     Average No.  annual       burden
           and NTL(s)             recordkeeping requirement                        responses             hours
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800; 801; 802; 803; related NTLs  Submit application and                8  650 submissions..........       5,200
                                   request approval for
                                   design, installation,
                                   and operation of
                                   subsurface safety
                                   devices and surface
                                   production-safety
                                   systems; including
                                   related requests for
                                   departures or use of
                                   alternative procedures
                                   (supervisory control and
                                   data acquisition
                                   systems, valve closure
                                   times, time delay
                                   circuitry, etc.).
801(g)..........................  Submit annual                         2  50 verifications.........         100
                                   verification of no-flow
                                   condition of well.
801(h)(1).......................  Form MMS-124, Sundry            Burden covered under 1010-0141               0
                                   Notices and Reports on
                                   Wells (renamed
                                   Application for Permit
                                   to Modify).
801(h)(2); 803(c)...............  Identify well with sign      Usual/customary safety procedure for            0
                                   on wellhead that           removing or identifying out-of-service
                                   subsurface safety device               safety devices
                                   is removed; flag safety
                                   devices that are out of
                                   service.
802(e)(5).......................  Submit statement/                     4  175 submissions..........         700
                                   application/modification
                                   certifying final surface
                                   production safety system
                                   installed conforms to
                                   approved design.
803(b)(2).......................  Submit required                      50  6 submissions............         300
                                   documentation under API
                                   RP 17J.
803(b)(8); related NTLs.........  Submit information (risk              8  150 submissions..........       1,200
                                   assessment) to request
                                   new firefighting system
                                   departure approval
                                   (GOMR).
803(b)(8); related NTLs.........  Submit information (risk              8  100 submissions..........         800
                                   assessment) to retain
                                   current firefighting
                                   system departure
                                   approval (GOMR).
803(b)(8)(iv)...................  Post diagram of                       2  95 postings..............         190
                                   firefighting system.
804(a)(12); 800.................  Notify MMS prior to               \1/2\  175 notices..............          88
                                   production when ready to                                            (rounded)
                                   conduct pre-production
                                   test and upon
                                   commencement for a
                                   complete inspection.
804; related NTLs...............  Request departure from                1  105 requests.............         105
                                   testing schedule
                                   requirements.
804; related NTL................  Submit copy of state-                 0  0 plans..................           0
                                   required EAP containing
                                   test abatement plans
                                   (applies to Pacific OCS
                                   Region only).
806(c)..........................  Request evaluation and                2  1 request................           2
                                   approval of other
                                   quality assurance
                                   programs covering
                                   manufacture of safety
                                   and pollution prevention
                                   equipment (SPPE).
800-807.........................  General departure and                 4  230 requests.............         920
                                   alternative compliance
                                   requests not
                                   specifically covered
                                   elsewhere in subpart H
                                   regulations.
---------------------------------
                            Subtotal Reporting                             1,737....................       9,605
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801(h)(2); 802(e); 804(b).......  Maintain records on                  20  110 lessees..............       2,200
                                   subsurface and surface
                                   safety devices to
                                   include approved design
                                   & installation features,
                                   testing, repair,
                                   removal, etc.
803(b)(1)(iii), (2)(i)..........  Maintain pressure-                   12  110 lessees..............       1,320
                                   recorder charts.
803(b)(4)(iii)..................  Maintain schematic of the             6  110 lessees..............         660
                                   emergency shutdown (ESD)
                                   which indicates the
                                   control functions of all
                                   safety devices.
803(b)(11)......................  Maintain records of wells             6  110 lessees..............         660
                                   that have erosion-
                                   control programs and
                                   results.
---------------------------------
                          Subtotal Recordkeeping                           440......................       4,840
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        Total Hour Burden         .........................         2,177  .........................      14,445
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    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no paperwork ``non-hour cost'' burdens associated with 
the collection of information.
    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 June 1, 2005, we 
published a Federal Register notice (70 FR 31506) announcing that we 
would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided the 
required 60-day comment period. In addition, Sec.  250.199 provides the 
OMB control number for the information collection requirements imposed 
by the 30 CFR 250 regulations. 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 February 22, 2006.
    Public Comment Procedures: MMS's practice is to make comments, 
including names and addresses of respondents, available for public 
review. If you wish your name and/or address to be withheld, you must 
state this

[[Page 3530]]

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 Information Collection Clearance Officer: Arlene Bajusz (202) 
208-7744.

     Dated: August 23, 2005.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
 [FR Doc. E6-688 Filed 1-20-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P