[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 83 (Tuesday, April 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23269-23270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9331]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

[Docket No. MMS-2008-MRM-0019]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection, 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of an extension of a currently approved information 
collection (OMB Control Number 1010-0162).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, we 
are inviting comments on information collection request (ICR) that we 
will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and 
approval. This ICR concerns the paperwork requirements in the 
regulations under the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (CFO). This 
ICR is titled ``Accounts Receivable Confirmations.''

DATES: Submit written comments on or before June 30, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by the following methods:
     Electronically go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
``Comment or Submission'' column, enter ``MMS-2008-MRM-0019'' to view 
supporting and related materials for this ICR. Click on ``Send a 
comment or submission'' link to submit public comments. Information on 
using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, 
submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the 
comment period, is available through the site's ``User Tips'' link. All 
comments submitted will be posted to the docket.
     Mail comments to Hyla Hurst, Regulatory Specialist, 
Minerals Management Service, Minerals Revenue Management, P.O. Box 
25165, MS 302B2, Denver, Colorado 80225. Please reference ICR 1010-0162 
in your comments.
     Hand-carry comments or use an overnight courier service. 
Our courier address is Building 85, Room A-614, Denver Federal Center, 
West 6th Ave. and Kipling Blvd., Denver, Colorado 80225. Please 
reference ICR 1010-0162 in your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hyla Hurst, telephone (303) 231-3495, 
or e-mail [email protected]. You may also contact Hyla Hurst to obtain 
copies, at no cost, of (1) the ICR, (2) any associated forms, and (3) 
the regulations that require the subject collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Accounts Receivable Confirmations.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0162.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    Abstract: The Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior is 
responsible for mineral resource development on Federal and Indian 
lands and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Secretary, under the 
Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 1923), the Indian Mineral 
Development of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-382--Dec. 22, 1982), 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 and other mineral revenues from lessees 
who produce minerals, and distributing the funds collected in 
accordance with applicable laws. The Secretary has a trust 
responsibility to manage Indian lands and seek advice and information 
from Indian beneficiaries. The MMS performs the minerals revenue 
management functions and assists the Secretary in carrying out the 
Department's trust responsibility for Indian lands. Public laws 
pertaining to mineral revenues are on our Web site at http://www.mrm.mms.gov/Laws_R_D/PublicLawsAMR.htm.
    When a company or an individual enters into a lease to explore, 
develop, produce, and dispose of minerals from Federal or Indian lands, 
that company or individual agrees to pay the lessor a share in an 
amount or value of production from the leased lands. The lessee is 
required to report various kinds of information to the lessor relative 
to the disposition of the leased minerals. Such information is 
generally available within the records of the lessee or others involved 
in developing, transporting, processing, purchasing, or selling of such 
minerals. The information collected includes data necessary to ensure 
that the royalties are accurately valued and appropriately paid.
    Every year, under CFO, the Department's Office of Inspector 
General, or its agent (agent), audits the Department's financial 
statements. The Department's goal is to receive an unqualified opinion. 
Accounts receivable confirmations are a common practice in the audit 
business. Due to continuously increasing scrutiny on financial audits, 
third-party confirmation on the validity of MMS financial records is 
necessary. Companies submit financial information on Form MMS-2014, 
Report of Sales and Royalty Remittance (OMB Control Number 1010-0140, 
expires November 30, 2009) and on Form MMS-4430, Solid Minerals 
Production and Royalty Report (OMB Control Number 1010-0120, expires 
December 31, 2010).
    As part of CFO audits, the agent requests, by a specified date, 
third-party confirmation responses confirming that MMS accounts 
receivable records agree with royalty payor records, for the following 
items: customer identification; royalty/invoice number; payor-assigned 
document number; date received; original amount reported; and remaining 
balance due MMS as of a specified date. In order to meet this 
requirement, MMS must mail letters on MMS letterhead, signed by the 
Deputy Associate Director for Minerals Revenue Management, to royalty 
payors selected by the agent at random, asking them to confirm back to 
the agent the accuracy and/or validity of selected royalty receivable 
items and amounts. Verifying the amounts reported and the balances due 
requires time for research and analysis by payors.
    This collection does not require proprietary, trade secret, or 
other confidential information not protected by agency procedures. No 
items of a sensitive nature are collected. The requirement to respond 
is voluntary.
    The MMS is requesting OMB's approval to continue to collect this 
information. Not collecting this information would limit the 
Secretary's ability to discharge the duties of the office. Failure to 
collect this information could be considered a scope limitation for CFO 
audits.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: 125 Federal and 
Indian oil and gas and solid mineral royalty payors.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 32 
hours. We estimate that each response will take 15 minutes for payors 
to complete.
    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: 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

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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.
    The PRA also requires agencies to estimate the total annual 
reporting ``non-hour cost'' burden to respondents or recordkeepers 
resulting from the collection of information. 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, sampling, and testing equipment; and record storage 
facilities. Generally, your estimates should not include 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 ICR submission for OMB approval, including appropriate 
adjustments to the estimated burden. We will provide a copy of the ICR 
to you without charge upon request. The ICR also will be posted at 
http://www.mrm.mms.gov/Laws_R_D/FRNotices/FRInfColl.htm.
    Public Comment Policy: We will post all comments in response to 
this notice at http://www.mrm.mms.gov/Laws_R_D/FRNotices/FRInfColl.htm. We also will 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. Before 
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, be advised 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 from public review your personal identifying information, we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Arlene Bajusz (202) 
208-7744.

    Dated: April 23, 2008.
Richard J. Adamski,
Acting Associate Director for Minerals Revenue Management.
[FR Doc. E8-9331 Filed 4-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P