[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2091-2092]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-575]


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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 of 1995 (PRA), we 
are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) to 
renew approval of the paperwork requirements under the Chief Financial 
Officers Act of 1990 (CFO). This notice also provides the public a 
second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of the regulatory 
requirements. This ICR is titled ``Accounts Receivable Confirmations.''

DATES: Submit written comments on or before February 13, 2009.

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 1010-0162).
    Please submit copies of your comments to MMS by one of 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 St., 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 is required 
by various laws to manage mineral resource production on Federal and 
Indian lands and the OCS, collect the royalties and other mineral 
revenues due, and distribute the funds in accordance with those laws. 
Applicable laws pertaining to mineral leases on Federal and Indian 
lands are posted on our Web site at http://www.mrm.mms.gov/Laws_R_D/PublicLawsAMR.htm.
    The Secretary also 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.
    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 the 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 respond to the 
agent, confirming 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. Failure to collect 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: 100 Federal and 
Indian oil and gas and solid mineral royalty payors.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 25 
hours.
    We estimate that each response will take 15 minutes for payors to 
complete. There are no additional recordkeeping costs associated with 
this information collection. We have not included in our estimates 
certain requirements performed in the normal course of

[[Page 2092]]

business and considered usual and customary.
    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 
``* * * publish a 60-day notice in the Federal Register * * * 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 April 29, 2008 (73 FR 23269), 
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 
February 13, 2009.
    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 post all comments, including names and 
addresses of respondents, at http://www.regulations.gov. 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: December 4, 2008.
Greg Gould,
Associate Director for Minerals Revenue Management.
[FR Doc. E9-575 Filed 1-13-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P