[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 18, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34787-34789]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13663]



[[Page 34787]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

[Docket No: MMS-2008-OMM-0030]


MMS Information Collection Activity: 1010-0059, Oil and Gas 
Production Safety Systems, Extension of an Information Collection; 
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-
0059).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS 
is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. 
The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork 
requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 250, subpart H, ``Oil 
and Gas Production Safety Systems.''

DATES: Submit written comments by August 18, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods 
listed below.
     Electronically: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Under 
the tab ``More Search Options,'' click Advanced Docket Search, then 
select ``Minerals Management Service'' from the agency drop-down menu, 
then click ``submit.'' In the Docket ID column, select MMS-2008-OMM-
0030 to submit public comments and to view supporting and any related 
materials. 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. The MMS will post all comments.
     Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Attention: Cheryl Blundon; 381 
Elden Street, MS-4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please reference 
``Information Collection 1010-0059'' 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 at (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 H, Oil and Gas Production Safety 
Systems.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0059.
    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.
    The OCS Lands Act at 43 U.S.C. 1332(6) states that ``operations in 
the [O]uter Continental Shelf should be conducted in a safe manner by 
well-trained personnel using technology, precautions, and techniques 
sufficient to prevent or minimize the likelihood of blowouts, loss of 
well control, fires, spillages, physical obstruction to other users of 
the waters or subsoil and seabed, or other occurrences which may cause 
damage to the environment or to property, or endanger life or health.''
    This notice concerns the reporting and recordkeeping elements of 30 
CFR part 250, subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems, and 
related Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) that clarify and 
provide additional guidance on some aspects of the regulations.
    The MMS OCS Regions use the information submitted under subpart H 
to evaluate equipment and/or procedures that lessees propose to use 
during production operations, including evaluation of requests for 
departures or use of alternative procedures. Information submitted is 
also used to verify the no-flow condition of wells to continue the 
waiver of requirements to install valves capable of preventing 
backflow. The MMS inspectors review the records maintained to verify 
compliance with testing and minimum safety requirements.
    We will protect information from respondents considered proprietary 
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its 
implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2) and under regulations at 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.'' No items of a sensitive nature are collected. 
Responses are mandatory.
    Frequency: On occasion or annual.
    Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130 
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 
17,598 hours. The following chart details the individual components and 
respective hour burden estimates of this ICR. 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Hour burden
 Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart H       Reporting and     -----------------
          and NTL(s)                 recordkeeping        Non-hour cost
                                      requirement            burden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Reporting
------------------------------------------------------------------------
800; 801; 802; 803; related     Submit application and  8.
 NTLs.                           request approval for
                                 design, installation,
                                 and operation of
                                 subsurface safety
                                 devices and surface
                                 production-safety
                                 systems; including
                                 related requests for
                                 departures or use of
                                 alternative
                                 procedures
                                 (supervisory control
                                 and data acquisition
                                 systems, valve
                                 closure times, time
                                 delay circuitry,
                                 etc.).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
801(g)........................  Submit annual           2.
                                 verification of no-
                                 flow condition of
                                 well.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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801(h)(2); 803(c).............  Identify well with      Usual/customary
                                 sign on wellhead that   safety
                                 subsurface safety       procedure for
                                 device is removed;      removing or
                                 flag safety devices     identifying out-
                                 that are out of         of-service
                                 service.                safety devices.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
802(e)........................  Submit statement/       4.
                                 application            $4,750 per
                                 certifying final        submission.
                                 surface production     $12,400 per
                                 safety system           offshore visit.
                                 installed conforms to  $13,000 per
                                 approved design with    shipyard visit.
                                 >=125 components.
                               -----------------------------------------
                                >==25-125 components..  4.
                                                        $1,150 per
                                                         submission
                                                        $7,850 per
                                                         offshore visit
                                                        $4,500 per
                                                         shipyard visit
                               -----------------------------------------
                                >=25 components.......   4.
                                                        $570 per
                                                         submission.
                               -----------------------------------------
                                Submit modification     3.
                                 certifying final       $530 per
                                 surface production      submission.
                                 safety system
                                 installed conforms to
                                 approved design with
                                 >=125 components.
                               -----------------------------------------
                                >==25-125 components..   3.
                                                        $190 per
                                                         submission.
                               -----------------------------------------
                                < 25 components.......  3
                                                        $80 per
                                                         submission.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
803(b)(2).....................  Submit required         50.
                                 documentation under
                                 API RP 17J.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
803(b)(8); related NTLs.......  Submit information      8.
                                 (risk assessment) to
                                 request ``new''
                                 firefighting system
                                 departure approval
                                 (GOMR).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
803(b)(8); related NTLs.......  Submit information      8.
                                 (risk assessment) to
                                 retain current
                                 firefighting system
                                 departure approval
                                 (GOMR).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
803(b)(8)(iv); (v)............  Post diagram of         2.
                                 firefighting system;
                                 furnish evidence
                                 firefighting system
                                 suitable for
                                 operations in
                                 subfreezing climates.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
804(a)(12); 800...............  Notify MMS prior to     \1/2\.
                                 production when ready
                                 to conduct pre-
                                 production test and
                                 upon commencement for
                                 a complete inspection.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
804; related NTLs.............  Request departure from  1.
                                 testing schedule
                                 requirements.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
804; related NTL..............  Submit copy of state-   1.
                                 required Emergency
                                 Action Plan (EAP)
                                 containing test
                                 abatement plans
                                 (Pacific OCS Region).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
806(c)........................  Request evaluation and  2.
                                 approval of other
                                 quality assurance
                                 programs covering
                                 manufacture of SPPE.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
800-807.......................  General departure and   4.
                                 alternative
                                 compliance requests
                                 not specifically
                                 covered elsewhere in
                                 subpart H regulations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Recordkeeping
------------------------------------------------------------------------
801(h)(2); 802(e); 804(b).....  Maintain records on     20.
                                 subsurface and
                                 surface safety
                                 devices to include
                                 approved design &
                                 installation
                                 features, testing,
                                 repair, removal, etc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
803(b)(1)(iii), (2)(i)........  Maintain pressure-      12.
                                 recorder charts.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
803(b)(4)(iii)................  Maintain schematic of   6.
                                 the emergency
                                 shutdown (ESD) which
                                 indicates the control
                                 functions of all
                                 safety devices.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
803(b)(11)....................  Maintain records of     4.
                                 wells that have
                                 erosion-control
                                 programs and results
                                 for 2 years; make
                                 available to MMS upon
                                 request.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: The 
currently OMB approved non-hour cost burdens total $544,877. We have 
identified nine non-hour cost burdens for this collection. These non-
hour cost burdens consist of service fees which are determined by the 
number of components involved in the review and approval process; along 
with the cost of the offshore and/or shipyard visits under Sec.  
250.802(e). We have not identified any other non-hour cost burdens.
    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

[[Page 34789]]

displays a currently valid OMB control number. Until OMB approves a 
collection of information, you are not obligated to respond.
    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 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.
    Agencies must also estimate the ``non-hour cost'' burdens to 
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of 
information. Therefore, 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, and record storage 
facilities. You should not include estimates for 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 submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments, we 
will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to 
OMB.
    Public Comment Procedures: 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 5, 2008.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. E8-13663 Filed 6-17-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P