[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56086-56089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19376]


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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 an extension of an information collection (1010-
0043).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we 
are notifying the public that we will be submitting to OMB an 
information collection request (ICR) to

[[Page 56087]]

renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 
30 CFR 250, subpart F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations, 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 November 1, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments either by fax (202) 395-6566 or e-
mail ([email protected]) directly to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department 
of the Interior (1010-0043). Mail or hand carry a copy of your comments 
to the Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; 
Attention: Cheryl Blundon; Mail Stop 4024; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, 
Virginia 20170-4817. If you wish to e-mail your comments to MMS, the 
address is: [email protected]. Reference Information Collection 
1010-0043 in your subject line and mark your message for return 
receipt. Include your name and return address in your message text.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and 
Standards Branch, (703) 787-1607. 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 250, Subpart F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover 
Operations.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0043.
    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 5(a) of the OCS Lands Act requires the Secretary to 
prescribe rules and regulations ``to provide for the prevention of 
waste, and conservation of the natural resources of the Outer 
Continental Shelf, and the protection of correlative rights therein'' 
and to include provisions ``for the prompt and efficient exploration 
and development of a lease area.'' These authorities and 
responsibilities are among those delegated to the Minerals Management 
Service (MMS) to ensure that operations in the OCS will meet statutory 
requirements; provide for safety and protection of the environment; and 
result in diligent exploration, development, and production of OCS 
leases.
    This information collection request addresses the regulations at 30 
CFR Part 250, subpart F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations and the 
associated supplementary Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) 
intended to provide clarification, description, or explanation of these 
regulations.
    MMS District Supervisors use the information collected to analyze 
and evaluate planned well-workover operations to ensure that operations 
result in personnel safety and protection of the environment. They use 
this evaluation in making decisions to approve, disapprove, or to 
require modification to the proposed well-workover operations. For 
example, MMS uses the information to:
     Review log entries of crew meetings to verify that safety 
procedures have been properly reviewed.
     Review well-workover procedures relating to hydrogen 
sulfide (H2S) to ensure the safety of the crew in the event 
of encountering H2S.
     Review well-workover diagrams and procedures to ensure the 
safety of well-workover operations.
     Verify that the crown block safety device is operating and 
can be expected to function and avoid accidents.
     Verify that the proposed operation of the annular 
preventer is technically correct and will provide adequate protection 
for personnel, property, and natural resources.
     Verify the reasons for postponing blowout preventer (BOP) 
tests, verify the state of readiness of the equipment and to ascertain 
that the equipment meets safety standards and requirements, ensure that 
BOP tests have been conducted in the manner and frequency to promote 
personnel safety and protect natural resources. Specific testing 
information must be recorded to verify that the proper test procedures 
were followed.
     Assure that the well-workover operations are conducted on 
well casing that is structurally competent.
    Responses are mandatory. No questions of a ``sensitive'' nature are 
asked. MMS will protect proprietary information according to 30 CFR 
250.197, ``Data and information to be made available to the public or 
for limited inspection'', and 30 CFR part 252, ``OCS Oil and Gas 
Information Program''.
    Frequency: The frequency varies by section, but is primarily 
monthly or on occasion.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees and operators.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
estimated annual ``hour'' burden for this information collection is a 
total of 40,899 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.

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                                                                               Average number of   Annual burden
      Citation 30 CFR 250         Reporting requirement       Hour burden       annual reponses        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Requests
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
602............................  Request exceptions       1.................  400 requests......             400
                                  prior to moving well-
                                  workover equipment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
605; 613; 615(a), (e)(4);        Request approval to           Burden included in 1010-0141                    0
 616(d).                          begin subsea well-
                                  workover operations;
                                  submit Forms MMS-124
                                  (include, if required,
                                  alternate procedures
                                  and equipment; stump
                                  test procedures plan)
                                  and MMS-125.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 56088]]

 
612............................  Request establishment/   6.................  4 requests........              24
                                  amendment/cancellation
                                  of field well-workover
                                  rules.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
616(a).........................  Request exception to     2.................  187 requests......             374
                                  rated working pressure
                                  of the BOP equipment;
                                  request exception to
                                  annular-type BOP
                                  testing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
600-618........................  General departure and    2.................  200 requests......            4009
                                  alternative compliance
                                  requests not
                                  specifically covered
                                  elsewhere in subpart F
                                  regulations.
                                                         -------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal...................  .......................  ..................  791...............           1,198
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Posting
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
614............................  Post number of stands    0.25..............  1,210 postings....             303
                                  of drill pipe or
                                  workover string and
                                  drill collars that may
                                  be pulled prior to
                                  filling the hole and
                                  equivalent well-
                                  control fluid volume.
                                                         -------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal...................  .......................  ..................  1,210.............             303
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Submittals/Notifications
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
602............................  Notify MMS of any rig         Burden included in 1010-0150                    0
                                  movement within Gulf
                                  of Mexico (Form MMS-
                                  144).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
617(b).........................  Pressure test, caliper,  6.................  182 reports.......           1,092
                                  or otherwise evaluate
                                  tubing & wellhead
                                  equipment casing;
                                  submit results (every
                                  30 days during
                                  prolonged operations).
                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
617(c).........................  Notify MMS if sustained  1.................  905 notifications.             905
                                  casing pressure is
                                  observed on a well.
                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal...................  .......................  ..................  1,087.............           1,997
 
                                                ;Record/Document
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
606............................  Instruct crew members    1.................  1,476 workovers x            5,904
                                  in safety requirements                       4 = 5,904.
                                  of operations to be
                                  performed; document
                                  meeting (weekly for 2
                                  crews x 2 weeks per
                                  workover = 4).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
611............................  Perform operational      1.................  1,226 workovers x            2,452
                                  check of traveling-                          2 = 2,452.
                                  block safety device;
                                  document results
                                  (weekly x 2 weeks per
                                  workover = 2).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
616(a), (b), (f), (g)..........  Perform BOP pressure     7.................  1,226 workovers x           17,164
                                  tests, actuations,                           2 = 2,452.
                                  inspections &
                                  certifications; record
                                  results; retain
                                  records 2 years
                                  following completion
                                  of workover activities
                                  (when installed; at a
                                  minimum every 7 days x
                                  2 weeks per workover =
                                  2).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
616(b)(2)......................  Test blind or blind-     2.................  1,476 workovers...           2,952
                                  shear rams; document
                                  results (every 30 days
                                  during operations).
                                  (Note: this is part of
                                  BOP test when BOP test
                                  is conducted.).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
616(b)(2)......................  Record reason for        0.5...............  146 post-poned                  73
                                  postponing BOP system                        tests.
                                  tests.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
616(c).........................  Perform crew drills;     1.5...............  1,476 work-overs x           8,856
                                  record results (weekly                       4 = 5,904.
                                  for 2 crews x 2 weeks
                                  per workover = 4).
                                                         -------------------------------------------------------
    Subtotal...................  .......................  ..................  18,334............          37,401
                                                         -------------------------------------------------------
        Total Burden...........  .......................  ..................  21,422 Responses..          40,899
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no paperwork ``non-hour cost'' burdens associated with 
the collection of information.

[[Page 56089]]

    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 January 23, 
2007, we published a Federal Register notice (72 FR 2901) 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 Part 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 November 1, 2007.
    Public Availability of Comments: Before including your address, 
phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information 
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Arlene Bajusz (202) 
208-7744.

    Dated: June 1, 2007.
William S. Hauser,
Acting Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.

    Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the 
Federal Register on September 26, 2007.
 [FR Doc. E7-19376 Filed 10-1-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P