[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 69 (Monday, April 12, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18545-18547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-8195]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

[Docket No. MMS-2010-OMM-0018]


MMS Information Collection Activity: 1010-0067, Oil and Gas Well-
Completion Operations, Extension of a Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of an information collection (1010-0067).

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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 250, Subpart E, ``Oil and 
Gas Well-Completion Operations.''

DATES: Submit written comments by June 11, 2010.

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 regulation that requires the 
subject collection of information.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods 
listed below.
     Electronically: go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
entry titled ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter docket ID MMS-2010-OMM-0018 
then click search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments 
and view supporting and related materials available for this 
collection. 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 
ICR 1010-0067 in your comment and include your name and return address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR part 250, subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-Completion 
Operations.
    OMB Control Number: 1010-0067.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 
1331 et seq., and 43 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. requires the Secretary of the 
Interior to preserve, protect, and develop oil and gas resources in the 
OCS 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; 
balance orderly energy resources development with protection of the 
human, marine, and coastal environment; ensure the public a fair and 
equitable return on OCS resources; and preserve and maintain free 
enterprise competition. Section 1332(6) of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 
1332) requires 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 
authority and responsibility are among those delegated to the Minerals 
Management Service (MMS). To carry out these responsibilities, MMS 
issues regulations governing oil and gas and sulphur operations in the 
OCS. This ICR addresses 30 CFR part 250, subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-
Completion Operations and the associated supplementary Notices to 
Lessees and Operators (NTL) intended to provide clarification, 
description, or explanation of these regulations.
    Regulations at 30 CFR part 250 implement these statutory 
requirements. The MMS District Managers analyze and evaluate the 
information and data collected under Subpart E to ensure that planned 
well-completion operations will protect personnel safety and natural 
resources. They use the analysis and evaluation results in the decision 
to approve, disapprove, or require modification to the proposed well-
completion operations. Specifically, MMS uses the information to 
ensure: (a) Compliance with personnel safety training requirements; (b) 
crown block safety device is operating and can be expected to function 
to avoid accidents; (c) proposed operation of the annular

[[Page 18546]]

preventer is technically correct and provides adequate protection for 
personnel, property, and natural resources; (d) well-completion 
operations are conducted on well casings that are structurally 
competent; and (e) sustained casing pressures are within acceptable 
limits.
    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.'' No items of a sensitive nature are 
collected. Responses are mandatory.
    Frequency: On occasion, weekly, monthly, annually, and varies by 
section.
    Description of Respondents: Federal OCS oil, gas, or sulphur 
lessees and operators.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The 
currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 
18,756 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.

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 Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart E & LTL/
                 NTL                                 Reporting requirement                     Hour burden
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                                                    Requests
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
502..................................  Request approval not to shut-in well during       1
                                        equipment movement.
512..................................  Request field well-completion rules be            1
                                        established, amended or canceled (on occasion;
                                        however, there have been no requests in many
                                        years).
500-517..............................  General departure and alternative compliance      2
                                        requests not specifically covered elsewhere in
                                        Subpart E regulations.
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                                                   Submittals
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
505; 513; 515(a).....................  Submit forms MMS-123, MMS-124, MMS-125 for        0
                                        various approvals, including remediation
                                        procedure for SCP [burden included in 1010-
                                        0141].
514(c); 515(a).......................  Calculate well-control fluid volume and post      1
                                        near operator's station; submit well-control
                                        procedure.
517(b)...............................  Pressure test, caliper, or otherwise evaluate     9
                                        tubing & wellhead equipment casing; submit
                                        results (every 30 days during prolonged
                                        operations).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Document/Record/Retain
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
506..................................  Instruct crew members in safety requirements of   20 minutes
                                        operations to be performed; document meeting
                                        (weekly for 2 crews x 2 weeks per completion =
                                        4).
511..................................  Perform operational check of traveling-block      30 minutes
                                        safety device; document results (weekly x 2
                                        weeks per completion = 2).
LTL*.................................  Record diagnostic test results..................  30 minutes
516 tests; 516(i),(j)................  Record BOP test results; retain records 2 years   30 minutes
                                        following completion of well (when installed;
                                        minimum every 7 days; as stated for component);
                                        request alternative methods.
516(d)(5) test; 516(i)...............  Function test annulars and rams; document         30 minutes
                                        results (every 7 days between BOP tests--
                                        biweekly; note: part of BOP test when
                                        conducted).
516(e)...............................  Record reason for postponing BOP system tests     10 minutes
                                        (on occasion).
516(f)...............................  Perform crew drills; record results (weekly for   30 minutes
                                        2 crews x 2 weeks per completion = 4).
LTL..................................  Retain complete record of well's casing pressure  1
                                        for 2 years and retain diagnostic test records
                                        permanently.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Notify
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
502..................................  Notify MMS of well-completion rig movement on or  0
                                        off platform or from well to well on same
                                        platform (Form MMS-144) (cross ref. Sec.
                                        250.403) [burden included in 1010-0150].
517(c); LTL/NTL......................  Notify MMS if sustained casing pressure is        1
                                        observed on a well.
LTL/NTL..............................  Report failure of casing pressure to bleed to     6
                                        zero including plan to remediate.
NTL..................................  Notify MMS when remediation procedure is          1
                                        complete..
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*LTL dated 13 January 1994.

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We 
have identified no non-hour cost burdens for this collection.
    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 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)

[[Page 18547]]

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: April 6, 2010.
William S. Hauser,
Acting Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2010-8195 Filed 4-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P