[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56089-56090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19377]


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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 a revision of a currently approved information 
collection (OMB Control Number 1010-0090).

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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 information 
collection requirements in the regulations at 30 CFR 
216MRM1.57. This notice also provides the public a second 
opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory 
requirements. We shortened the title of this ICR to accommodate OMB 
requirements. The previous title was ``30 CFR 216, Subpart B--Oil and 
Gas, General, Sec.  216.57 Stripper Royalty Rate Reduction 
Notification.'' The new title is ``30 CFR 216.57, Stripper Royalty Rate 
Reduction Notification.'' Form MMS-4377, Stripper Royalty Rate 
Reduction Notification, is used to collect the information.

DATES: Submit written comments on or before November 1, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments by either 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 (OMB Control Number 1010-0090).
    Please also send a copy of your comments to MMS via e-mail at 
[email protected]. Include the title of the information collection 
and the OMB control number in the ``Attention'' line of your comment. 
Also include your name and return address. If you do not receive a 
confirmation that we have received your e-mail, contact Ms. Gebhardt at 
(303) 231-3211.
    You may also mail a copy of your comments to Sharron L. Gebhardt, 
Lead Regulatory Specialist, Minerals Management Service, Minerals 
Revenue Management, P.O. Box 25165, MS 302B2, Denver, Colorado 80225. 
If you use an overnight courier service or wish to hand-deliver your 
comments, our courier address is Building 85, Room A-614, Denver 
Federal Center, West 6th Ave. and Kipling Blvd., Denver, Colorado 
80225.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharron L. Gebhardt, telephone (303) 
231-3211, FAX (303) 231-3781, e-mail [email protected]. You may 
also contact Sharron Gebhardt to obtain copies, at no cost, of (1) the 
ICR, (2) any associated forms, and (3) regulations that require the 
subject collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR 216.57, Stripper Royalty Rate Reduction Notification.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0090.
    Bureau Form Number: Form MMS-4377.
    Abstract: The Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior is 
responsible for matters relevant to mineral resource development on 
Federal and Indian lands and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The 
Secretary, under the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 1923) and the Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1353), is responsible for 
managing the production of minerals from Federal and Indian lands and 
the OCS, collecting royalties from lessees who produce minerals, and 
distributing the funds collected in accordance with applicable laws. 
The MMS performs the royalty management functions for the Secretary. 
Public laws pertaining to mineral royalties are located on our Web site 
at http://www.mrm.mms.gov/Laws_R_D/PublicLawsAMR.htm.
    Under 43 CFR 3103.4-2, the Stripper Royalty Rate Reduction Program 
was established by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the surface 
management agency for Federal onshore leases. As a benefit under this 
program, BLM approved royalty rate reductions for operators of stripper 
oil properties for applicable sales periods from October 1, 1992, 
through January 31, 2006. Effective February 1, 2006, the benefits of 
reduced royalty rates under this program were terminated, although this 
change is not currently reflected in the CFR.

[[Page 56090]]

    For production through January 31, 2006, reporters used Form MMS-
4377, Stripper Royalty Rate Reduction Notification, to notify MMS of 
royalty rate changes. Although the benefits were terminated, MMS 
continues to verify previously submitted notifications and may require 
the operator to submit an amended Form MMS-4377.
    The MMS requests OMB approval to continue to collect this 
information. Not collecting this information would limit the 
Secretary's ability to discharge his/her duties and may also result in 
loss of royalty payments. Proprietary information submitted is 
protected, and there are no questions of a sensitive nature included in 
this information collection.
    Frequency: As requested.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: 150 lessees/
lessors.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 180 
hours.
    We have not included in our estimates certain requirements 
performed in the normal course of business and considered usual and 
customary. The following chart shows the estimated burden hours by CFR 
section and paragraph:

                                   Respondents' Estimated Annual Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Average number
     30 CFR 216  subpart B         Reporting and recordkeeping      Hour burden      of annual     Annual burden
                                           requirement                               responses         hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
216.57.........................  Stripper royalty rate reduction             1.2             150             180
                                  notification.
                                 In accordance with its
                                  regulations at 43 CFR 3103.4-
                                  1, titled ``Waiver,
                                  suspension, or reduction of
                                  rental, royalty, or minimum
                                  royalty,'' the Bureau of Land
                                  Management (BLM) may grant
                                  reduced royalty rates to
                                  operators of low producing oil
                                  leases to encourage continued
                                  production. Operators who have
                                  been granted a reduced royalty
                                  rate(s) by BLM must submit a
                                  Stripper Royalty Rate
                                  Reduction Notification (Form
                                  MMS-4377) to MMS for each 12-
                                  month qualifying period that a
                                  reduced royalty rate(s) is
                                  granted.
                                 [58 FR 64903, Dec. 10, 1993]
                                 Please note the BLM citation
                                  and title changed to 43 CFR
                                  3103.4-2 Stripper well royalty
                                  reductions.
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total Burden...............  ...............................  ..............             150             180
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-hour'' Cost 
Burden: We have identified no ``non-hour cost'' burden 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, and a person is not 
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.
    Comments: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA 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, we published a 
notice in the Federal Register on November 6, 2006 (71 FR 64978), 
announcing that we would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The 
notice provided the required 60-day comment period. We received no 
comments in response to the notice.
    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. The 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 Comment Policy: We will post all comments in response to 
this notice on our Web site at http://www.mrm.mms.gov/Laws_R_D/InfoColl/InfoColCom.htm. 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. We will also make copies of the comments available for public 
review, including names and addresses of respondents, during regular 
business hours at our offices in Lakewood, Colorado. Upon request, we 
will withhold an individual respondent's home address from the public 
record, as allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which 
we would withhold a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If you 
request that we withhold your name and/or address, state your request 
prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not 
consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Arlene Bajusz (202) 
208-7744.

    Dated: July 30, 2007.
Lucy Querques Denett,
Associate Director for Minerals Revenue Management.
[FR Doc. E7-19377 Filed 10-1-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P