[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 111 (Friday, June 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33479-33481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5234]


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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 
1004-0137

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 certain 
information from oil and gas well operators concerning operations 
performed on each well. We collect form and nonform information to 
determine whether BLM may approve proposed operations and to enable us 
to monitor compliance with terms and conditions of approved operations.

[[Page 33480]]


DATES: You must submit your comments to BLM at the address below on or 
before August 8, 2006. BLM will not necessarily consider any comments 
received after the above date.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to: Bureau of Land Management, (WO-
630), Eastern States Office, 7450 Boston Blvd., Springfield, Virginia 
22153.
    You may send comments via Internet to: [email protected]. 
Please include ``ATTN: 1004-0137'' and your name and return address in 
your Internet message.
    You may deliver comments to the Bureau of Land Management, 
Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620 L Street, NW., Washington, DC.
    All 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, Fluid 
Minerals Group, on (202) 425-03389 (Commercial of FTS). Persons who use 
a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service on 1-800-877-8330, 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 has 
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 burden of the collection of information 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 (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), as 
amended; the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947 (30 U.S.C. 
351-359), as amended; the various Indian leasing acts; the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), as amended; 
and other environmental laws govern onshore oil and gas operations. 
BLM's implementing regulations are 43 CFR part 3160.
    (1) Section 43 CFR 3162.3-1 requires oil and gas well operators to 
submit an Application for Permit to Drill (Form 3160-3) for each well 
at least 30 days before any drilling operations or surface disturbances 
are commenced.
    (2) Section 43 CFR 3162.4-1(b) requires oil and gas well operators 
to submit a Well Completion or Recompletion Report and Log (Form 3160-
4) within 30 days after well completion.
    (3) Section 43 CFR 3162.3-2 requires oil and gas operators on 
Federal and restricted Indian lands to submit Form 3160-5, Sundry 
Notices and Reports on Wells, in order to obtain authority to perform 
specific additional operations on a well and to report the completion 
of such work.
    BLM uses the information for inspection and reservoir management 
purposes. Technical data provide means to evaluate the appropriateness 
of specific drilling and completion techniques. The data enable us to 
monitor the engineering aspects of oil and gas production. We would 
lack the necessary information to monitor compliance of well activity 
and operations that were performed on wells if we did not collect this 
information.
    Based on our experience administering the onshore oil and gas 
program, we estimate the public reporting burden for the information 
collected on Form 3160-3 is 30 minutes per response. Respondents are 
operators of oil and gas wells. The frequency of response varies 
depending on the operations. We estimate the number of responses per 
year is 4,000 and the total annual burden is 2,000 hours.
    We estimate the public reporting burden for the information 
collected on Form 3160-4 is 1 hour per response. The information 
collected is already maintained by respondents for their own 
recordkeeping purposes and must only be entered on the form. 
Respondents are operators of oil and gas wells. The frequency of 
response varies depending on the type of activity or operation 
conducted at oil and gas wells. We estimate the number of responses per 
year is 2,200 and the total annual burden is 2,200 hours.
    We estimate the public reporting burden for the information 
collection on Form 3160-5 is 25 minutes per response. Respondents are 
operators and operating rights owners of Federal and Indian (except 
Osage) oil and gas leases. The frequency of response varies depending 
on the type of activities or operations conducted. We estimate 34,000 
notices filed annually and a total annual burden of 14,167 hours.
    The table below summarizes our nonform estimates.

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                                                                    Hours per
   Information collection  (43 CFR)           Requirement            response       Respondents    Burden hours
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3162.3-1(a)..........................  Well-Spacing Program....               .5             150              75
3162.3-1(e)..........................  Drilling Plans..........              8             2,875          23,000
3162.6...............................  Well Markers............               .5             300             150
3162.5-2(b)..........................  Direction Drilling......              1           \1\ 165             165
3162.4-2(a)..........................  Drilling Tests, Logs,                 1           \2\ 330             330
                                        Surveys.
3162.3-4(a)..........................  Plus and Abandon for                  1.5           1,200           1,800
                                        Water Injection.
3162.3-4(b)..........................  Plug and Abandon for                  1.5           1,200           1,800
                                        Water Source.
3162.7-1(d)..........................  Additional Gas Flaring..              1               400             400
3162.5-1(c)..........................  Report of Spills,                     2               200             400
                                        Discharges, or Other
                                        Undesirable Events.
3162.5-1(b)..........................  Disposal of Produced                  2             1,500           3,000
                                        Water.
3162.5-1(d)..........................  Contingency Plan........             16                50             800
3162.4-1(a) and 3162.7y095(d)(1).....   Schematic/Facility                   4             2,350           9,400
                                        Diagrams.
3162.7-1(b)..........................  Approval and Reporting                 .5             520             260
                                        of Oil in Pits.
3164.1 (Order No. 3).................  Prepare Run Tickets.....               .2          90,000          18,000
3162.7-5(b)..........................  Records on Seals........               .2          90,000          18,000
3165.1(a)............................  Application for                       8               100             800
                                        Suspension.
3165.3(b)............................  State Director Review...             16               100           1,600
3162.7-5(c)..........................  Site Security...........              7             2,415          16,905
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[[Page 33481]]

 
    Totals...........................  ........................  ...............         193,855         96,885
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\1\ Or 5% of wells.
\2\ Or 10% of wells.

    The respondents already maintain the types of information collected 
for their own recordkeeping purposes and need only submit the required 
information. This approval includes all information collections under 
43 CFR part 3160 that do not require a form.

[FR Doc. 06-5234 Filed 6-8-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M