[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14943-14945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4319]


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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 (1010-00143).

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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 the regulations under 30 CFR 260, ``Outer Continental 
Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing.''

DATES: Submit written comments by May 23, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods 
listed below. Please use the Information Collection Number 1010-0143 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 1010-0143 in the subject line.

[[Page 14944]]

     Fax: 703-787-1093. Identify with Information Collection 
Number 1010-0143.
     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 1010-0143'' 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 regulations that require the subject 
collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR Part 260, Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas 
Leasing.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0143.
    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. Section 8(a)(1) of the 
OCS Lands Act provides authority for the Secretary to offer leases 
under a variety of bidding systems. The regulations at 30 CFR part 260 
describe the bidding systems, our joint bidding requirements, and 
royalty suspensions for certain leases. They encourage leasing 
competition through the use of appropriate bidding-system alternatives 
and a joint bidding ban among certain large companies. Also, these 
regulations implement the Secretary's authority to promote leasing 
interest in certain areas of the OCS through automatic suspension of 
royalties. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) administers this 
program for the Secretary.
    Regulations under part 260 require lessees to notify MMS of their 
intention to begin production. Lessees must also request confirmation 
of the size of the royalty-suspension volume that applies to the pre-
2001 eligible lease. The MMS uses the information collected to make 
decisions on the shares of the royalty-suspension volume that applies 
to multiple pre-2001 eligible leases on the same field. The information 
is used to ensure royalty suspension volume is properly allocated among 
constituent leases in a field. Respondents may request reconsideration 
of an assignment of their lease that has a qualifying well to an 
existing field or to a newly designated field. We will use the 
information to reconsider and adjust, if necessary, the initial field 
assignment for a lease. These decisions can be contentious because a 
favorable field assignment can save a lessee tens of millions of 
dollars in royalties. However, currently pending legislation may result 
in the elimination of this information collection.
    We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2), and under regulations at 30 
CFR parts 250, 251, and 252. No items of a sensitive nature are 
collected. Responses are mandatory or required to obtain or retain a 
benefit.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 10 
of the 130 Federal OCS oil and gas lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 1,603 
hours. The following chart details the individual components and 
respective hour burden estimates of this ICR. 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Reporting and
      Citation 30 CFR 260            recordkeeping         Hour burden
                                      requirement
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114(a); 124(a)................  Request MMS to          400.
                                 reconsider the field
                                 assignment of a lease.
114(c)........................  Notify MMS of intent    0.5.
                                 to begin production;
                                 request confirmation
                                 of size of royalty-
                                 suspension volume.
124(a)(1).....................  Submit written request  Exempt under 5
                                 to Director for         CFR 1320.4.*
                                 reconsideration along
                                 w/Statement of Reason.
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*The requirements apply during the conduct of specific investigations.

    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

[[Page 14945]]

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: March 14, 2006.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. E6-4319 Filed 3-23-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P