[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7063-7064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-1871]


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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 extension of an information collection (1010-0137).

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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 a Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) discussed 
below.

DATES: Submit written comments by April 11, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
listed below. Please use the Information Collection Number 1010-0137 as 
an identifier in your message.
     Public Connect on-line commenting system, https://ocsconnect.mms.gov. Follow the instructions on the Web site for 
submitting comments.
     E-mail MMS at [email protected]. Identify with 
Information Collection Number 1010-0137 in the subject line.
     Fax: 703-787-1093. Identify with Information Collection 
Number 1010-0137.
     Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Rules Process Team 
(RPT); 381 Elden Street, MS-4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please 
reference ``Information Collection 1010-0137'' in your comments.

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 subject collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Historical Well Data Cleanup Project; Wells Without Assigned 
MMS API Numbers--Notice to Lessees.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0137.
    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.
    The OCSLA at 43 U.S.C. 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 techniques 
sufficient to prevent or minimize the likelihood of blowouts, loss of 
well control, fires, spillages, physical obstruction 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.''
    The MMS's Historical Well Data Cleanup Project is currently 
underway and is expected to last several years to allow operators ample 
time to provide the missing or corrected data. This notice announces 
our intention to request a 3-year extension for this information 
collection.
    The information we collect under this NTL, is missing data for 
wellbores that MMS has not assigned API numbers and other well data 
discovered as missing while completing the well database cleanup 
project. We are not able to manage and utilize data from drilling 
operations accurately without the information for the missing wells. We 
will use the information to identify other well data (e.g., logs, 
surveys, tests) missing from our records, geologically map existing MMS 
data to the correct wellbore/location, and correctly exchange 
information with the operators and industry. Our geoscientists can use 
the information to evaluate resources for lease sales for fair market 
value. With respect to safety concerns, we believe that there may be 
anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 unidentified completed and abandoned 
wellbores (bypasses and sidetracks), some of which may contain stuck 
drill pipe or other materials. In approving permits and other 
operations in an area, it is important for us to know what may be 
adjacent to or near the vicinity of the activity we are approving to 
minimize the risk of blowouts, loss of well control, and endangerment 
to life, health, and the environment. This is particularly important 
as, over the years, the number of wells drilled constantly increases, 
thereby increasing the risk to adjacent activities if operators are not 
aware of what might be in the area.
    We will protect information respondents submit that is considered 
proprietary under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2) and 30 CFR 250.196, ``Data and 
information to be made available to the public.'' No items of a 
sensitive nature are collected. Responses are mandatory.

[[Page 7064]]

    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 
56,250 hours for approximately 25,000 wells, based on:
    (1) \1/4\ hour to locate and copy a summary of drilling operations 
(e.g., scout tickets) for each well.
    (2) 2 hours to retrieve and analyze each well file and retrieve 
other missing data. There are no recordkeeping requirements.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no cost burdens for this collection.
    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 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 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: January 26, 2006.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
 [FR Doc. E6-1871 Filed 2-9-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P