[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72688-72693]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28835]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

[Docket ID BSEE-2013-0008; OMB Control Number 1014-NEW; 134E1700D2 
EEEE500000 ET1SF0000.DAQ000]


Information Collection Activities: Application for Permit To 
Drill; Proposed Collection; Comment Request

ACTION: 60-day Notice.

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) 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 
submission of this information collection request (ICR) is necessary so 
that both industry and BSEE have a better understanding of the 
regulatory requirements associated with all supporting data and 
information that is submitted with an Application for Permit to Drill 
(APD), a Revised APD, and the Supplemental APD Information Sheet under 
the multiple subparts. This ICR will separate out the hours and non-
hour cost burdens associated with APDs and Supplemental APDs from its 
currently approved IC into its own separate collection; it will also 
reflect more accurate burden estimates.

DATES: You must submit comments by February 3, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods 
listed below.
     Electronically: go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
Search box, enter BSEE-2013-0008 then click search. Follow the 
instructions to submit public comments and view all related materials. 
We will post all comments.
     Email [email protected]. Mail or hand-carry comments 
to the Department of the Interior; BSEE; Regulations and Standards 
Branch; Attention: Cheryl Blundon; 381 Elden Street, HE3313; Herndon, 
Virginia 20170-4817. Please reference ICR 1014-NEW in your comment and 
include your name and return address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and 
Standards Branch at (703) 787-1607 to request additional information 
about this ICR.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: 30 CFR part 250, Application for Permit to Drill and all 
supporting documentation.
    Forms: BSEE-0123 and BSEE-0123S.
    OMB Control Number: 1014-NEW.
    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 to prescribe rules and regulations to 
administer leasing of mineral resources on the OCS. Such rules and 
regulations will apply to all operations conducted under a lease, 
right-of-way, or a right-of-use and easement. 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. Section 1332(6) states that 
``operations in the Outer Continental Shelf should be conducted in a 
safe manner by well trained personnel using technology, precautions, 
and other techniques sufficient to prevent or minimize the likelihood 
of blowouts, loss of well control, fires, spillages, physical 
obstructions 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.''
    In addition to the general rulemaking authority of the OCSLA at 43 
U.S.C. 1334, section 301(a) of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty 
Management Act (FOGRMA), 30 U.S.C. 1751(a), grants authority to the 
Secretary to prescribe such rules and regulations as are reasonably 
necessary to carry out FOGRMA's provisions. While the majority of 
FOGRMA is directed to royalty collection and enforcement, some 
provisions apply to offshore operations. For example, section 108 of 
FOGRMA, 30 U.S.C. 1718, grants the Secretary broad authority to inspect 
lease sites for the purpose of determining whether there is compliance 
with the mineral leasing laws. Section 109(c)(2) and (d)(1), 30 U.S.C. 
1719(c)(2) and (d)(1), impose substantial civil penalties for failure 
to permit lawful inspections and for knowing or willful preparation or 
submission of false, inaccurate, or misleading reports, records, or 
other information. Because the Secretary has delegated some of the 
authority under FOGRMA to BSEE, 30 U.S.C. 1751 is included as 
additional authority for these requirements.
    The Independent Offices Appropriations Act (31 U.S.C. 9701), the 
Omnibus Appropriations Bill (Pub. L. 104-133, 110 Stat. 1321, April 26, 
1996), and OMB Circular A-25 authorize Federal agencies to recover the 
full cost of services that confer special benefits. Under the 
Department of the Interior's implementing policy, BSEE is required to 
charge fees for services that provide special benefits or privileges to 
an identifiable non-Federal recipient above and beyond those which 
accrue to the public at large. Applications for permits to drill are 
subject to cost recovery, and BSEE regulations specify service fees for 
these requests.
    Regulations implementing these responsibilities are among those 
delegated to BSEE. The regulations at 30 CFR part 250 stipulate the 
various requirements that must be submitted with an APD, Revised APD, 
(Form BSEE-0123) and a Supplemental APD Information Sheet (Form BSEE-
0123S) which is the subject of this collection. Currently, an APD is 
covered only under 30 CFR part 250, subpart D, 1014-0018, and when 
discussed in Subparts A, E, H, and P, they are cross referenced. It is 
difficult to correlate the APD burden requirements in the other 
subparts with their respective burden.

[[Page 72689]]

By putting APDs, Revised APDs, and the supplemental APD information 
sheet, along with all the required documentation throughout the various 
subparts into one ICR, we feel that this situation will be alleviated 
and will reflect more accurate burden estimates. This request also 
covers the related Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) that we 
issue to clarify, supplement, or provide additional guidance on some 
aspects of our regulations.
    In this ICR, we have included a certification statement on both 
forms to state that false submissions are subject to criminal 
penalties. Also, we clarified some sections of the Form BSEE-0123. This 
poses minor edits and they are as follows:
    Question 17--facility name was added;
    Question 25--revised the citations for accuracy;
    Question 33--added new question--H) Has the drilling rig 
been approved for the use of digital BOP testing? If yes, which 
version?
    The forms that are submitted and their purposes are: Application 
for Permit to Drill, BSEE-0123, and Supplemental APD Information Sheet 
(Casing Design), BSEE-0123S. We use the information that is submitted 
with these forms to determine the conditions of a drilling site to 
avoid hazards inherent in drilling operations. Specifically, we use the 
information to evaluate the adequacy of a lessee's or operator's plan 
and equipment for drilling, sidetracking, or deepening operations. This 
includes the adequacy of the proposed casing design, casing setting 
depths, drilling fluid (mud) programs, cementing programs and blowout 
preventer (BOP) systems to ascertain that the proposed operations will 
be conducted in an operationally safe manner that provides adequate 
protection for the environment. The BSEE also reviews the information 
to ensure conformance with specific provisions of the lease. In 
addition, except for proprietary data, BSEE is required by the OCS 
Lands Act to make available to the public certain information submitted 
on these forms.
    The BSEE will protect proprietary information according to the 
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing 
regulations (43 CFR part 2); 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 required to obtain or retain a 
benefit or they are mandatory.
    Frequency: On occasion and as required in the regulations.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise Federal 
oil, gas, or sulphur lessees and/or operators.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: In this 
submission, we are estimating 47,800 burden 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.

    Note:  In the Burden Table, a Revised APD hour burden is 
preceded by the letter R.

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    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have 
identified one non-hour cost burden for this collection. The 30 CFR 
part 250 regulations require a $2,123 cost recovery fee (non-hour cost 
burden) for APD submittals. The application fee is required to recover 
the Federal Government's processing cost, and we have not identified 
any other non-hour cost burdens in this ICR. We estimate a total 
reporting non-hour cost burden of $866,184 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 
collection is necessary or useful; (b) evaluate the accuracy of the 
burden of the proposed

[[Page 72693]]

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 technology.
    Agencies must also estimate the non-hour paperwork cost burdens to 
respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of 
information. Therefore, if you have other than hour burden 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. For further 
information on this burden, refer to 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(1) and (2), or 
contact the Bureau representative listed previously in this notice.
    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, email 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.

    Dated: November 22, 2013.
Robert W. Middleton,
Deputy Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2013-28835 Filed 12-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VH-C