[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 202 (Friday, October 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59279-59281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20682]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

ACTION: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request.

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SUMMARY: The EIA is soliciting comments on proposed revisions to the 
Natural Gas Production Report, Form EIA-914.

DATES: Comments must be filed by December 18, 2007. If you anticipate 
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the 
person listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Ms. Rhonda Green at U.S. Department of 
Energy, Energy Information Administration, Reserves and Production 
Division, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1110, Dallas, Texas 75201-6801. To 
ensure receipt of the comments by the due date, submission by FAX 214-
720-6155 or e-mail (rhonda.green@eia. doe.gov) is also recommended. 
Alternatively, Ms. Green may be contacted by telephone at 214-720-6161.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms and instructions should be directed to Ms. Rhonda 
Green at the contact information listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments

I. Background

    The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275, 15 
U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91, 42 
U.S.C. 7101, et seq.) require the EIA to carry out a centralized, 
comprehensive, and unified energy information program. This program 
collects, evaluates, assembles,

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analyzes, and disseminates information on energy resource reserves, 
production, demand, technology, and related economic and statistical 
information. This information is used to assess the adequacy of energy 
resources to meet near and longer-term domestic demands.
    The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), provides 
the general public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to 
comment on collections of energy information conducted by or in 
conjunction with the EIA. Any comments received help the EIA to prepare 
data requests that maximize the utility of the information collected, 
and to assess the impact of collection requirements on the public. 
Also, the EIA will later seek approval by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) under Section 3507(a) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.
    Currently a sample of operators of natural gas wells report on the 
Form EIA-914. The sample consists of 220 of the largest natural gas 
operators by state or area, selected from a universe of about 8,400 
operators known to have produced at least 1,000 cubic feet of natural 
gas per day in 2006. Using information collected on Form EIA-914, EIA 
estimates and disseminates timely and reliable monthly natural gas 
production data for Texas (onshore and offshore) and Louisiana (onshore 
and offshore), New Mexico, Oklahoma, Wyoming, the Federal Offshore Gulf 
of Mexico, Other States (onshore and offshore) with Alaska excluded, 
and the lower 48 States. This collection is essential to the mission of 
the DOE in general and the EIA in particular because of the increasing 
demand for natural gas in the United States and the requirement for 
accurate and timely natural gas production information necessary to 
monitor the United States natural gas supply and demand balance. These 
estimates are essential to the development, implementation, and 
evaluation of energy policy and legislation. Data are disseminated 
through the EIA Natural Gas Monthly and Natural Gas Annual and EIA's 
Web site. Secondary publications that use the data include EIA's Short-
Term Energy Outlook, Annual Energy Outlook, Monthly Energy Review and 
Annual Energy Review.

II. Current Actions

    This notice announces EIA's intent to expand the current Form EIA-
914, Monthly Natural Gas Production Report, in the following ways.
     Rename the survey to Monthly Natural Gas and Crude Oil 
Production Report.
     Increase the number of data elements from two to four, 
adding crude oil and lease condensate production data elements to the 
existing data elements of gross natural gas and lease gas production.
     Expand the number of areas reported from 7 to 14, adding 
new areas Alaska (onshore and offshore), California (onshore and 
offshore), Federal Offshore Pacific, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, and 
North Dakota to the current areas which are the Federal Offshore Gulf 
of Mexico, Louisiana (onshore and offshore), New Mexico, Oklahoma, 
Texas (onshore and offshore), Wyoming, and Other States (remaining 
States, including their State Offshore).
    The current survey sampling procedures will be modified to 
accommodate the new areas and two new data elements, but will remain 
similar to the existing methodology. The current survey was authorized 
to sample 350 natural gas operators, but now only a sample of 220 
natural gas operators (from a universe of 8,400) is needed to provide 
sufficient coverage. For the expanded survey, there is a universe of 
about 11,300 crude oil well operators with each operator producing at 
least 1 barrel per day in 2006. However, there are major sampling 
efficiencies available to the expanded survey because most of the 
natural gas operators also produce crude oil and many of the large 
natural gas operators are also large crude oil producers. Only 130 of 
the largest oil and gas operators have to be added to the current 
sample of 220 natural gas operators to ensure sufficient coverage of 
natural gas, crude oil, and lease condensate for high quality 
production estimates in the 14 geographic areas. Public reporting 
burden for this collection is estimated at 4 hour per respondent per 
month (this reflects a 1 hour increase from the estimated burden for 
reporting natural gas production only on the current Form EIA-914). The 
estimated burden reflects the total time necessary for the average 
respondent to provide the requested information.

III. Request for Comments

    Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment 
on the actions discussed in item II. The following guidelines are 
provided to assist in the preparation of comments. In providing 
comments, please indicate to which form(s) your comments apply.

General Issues

    A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency and does the 
information have practical utility? Practical utility is defined as the 
actual usefulness of information to or for an agency, taking into 
account its accuracy, adequacy, reliability, timeliness, and the 
agency's ability to process the information it collects.
    B. What enhancements can be made to the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected?

As a Potential Respondent to the Request for Information

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information to be 
collected?
    B. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If 
not, which instructions need clarification?
    C. Can the information be submitted by the due date?
    D. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated at 4 
hour per respondent per month (this reflects a 1 hour increase from the 
estimated burden for reporting natural gas production only on the 
current Form EIA-914). The estimated burden reflects the total time 
necessary for the average respondent to provide the requested 
information. In your opinion, how accurate is this estimate?
    E. The agency estimates that the only cost to a respondent is for 
the time it will take to complete the collection. Will a respondent 
incur any start-up costs for reporting, or any recurring annual costs 
for operation, maintenance, and purchase of services associated with 
the information collection?
    F. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of 
this collection of information? Such actions may involve the use of 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    G. Does any other Federal, State, or local agency collect similar 
information? If so, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the 
methods of collection.

As a Potential User of the Information To Be Collected

    A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the 
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information 
disseminated?
    B. Is the information useful at the levels of detail to be 
collected?
    C. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.

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    D. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they 
useful? If so, what are their weaknesses and/or strengths?
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the form. They also 
will become a matter of public record.

    Statutory Authority: Section 3507(h)(1) of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.).

    Issued in Washington, DC October 11, 2007.
Jay H. Casselberry,
Agency Clearance Officer, Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-20682 Filed 10-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P