[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60456-60458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23751]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Proposed Agency Information Collection
AGENCY: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. Department
of Energy.
ACTION: Notice and Request for OMB Review and Comment.
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SUMMARY: EIA has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for clearance, under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, for the natural gas survey forms (OMB-1975-0175). EIA requests a
three-year clearance for the following forms:
EIA 176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas
Supply and Disposition,''
EIA 191, ``Monthly and Annual Underground Natural Gas
Storage Report,''
EIA-757, ``Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey,''
EIA 857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and
Deliveries to Consumers,''
EIA-910, ``Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey,'' and
EIA-912, ``Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage
Report.''
The proposed data collection will make minor changes to the forms
and instructions to provide clarity. The number of respondents for EIA-
191, EIA-857 and EIA-757 has been increased to reflect recent survey
frame research which has identified new respondents. Data
confidentiality procedures for protecting the identifiability of
submitted data remain unchanged for all forms with the exception of a
portion of Form EIA-191. EIA is also proposing a change to the
published revision policy for Form EIA-912, a Principal Federal
Economic Indicator. In addition, EIA is proposing specific changes to
several of the forms; these changes are described in detail in the
``Supplementary Information'' section below.
DATES: Comments regarding this collection must be received on or before
November 6, 2014. If you anticipate that you will be submitting
comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time
allowed by this notice, please advise the DOE Desk Officer at OMB of
your intention to make a submission as soon as possible. The Desk
Officer may be telephoned at 202-395-4718 or contacted by email at
[email protected].
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the
DOE Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office
of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10102,
735 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, [email protected].
and to
Amy Sweeney, U.S. Energy Information Administration, Mail Stop EI-24,
Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585,
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of any forms and instructions should be directed to Ms. Sweeney
at the address listed above. Also, the draft forms and instructions are
available on the EIA Web site at http://www.eia.gov/survey/notice/ngdownstreamforms2015.cfm.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request
contains:
(1) OMB No.: 1975-0175.
(2) Information Collection Request Title: ``Natural Gas Data
Collection Program Package.''
(3) Type of Request: Proposed revision and three-year extension of
the natural gas surveys.
(4) Purpose: EIA is proposing the following changes:
(a) Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas
Supply and Disposition''
1. Type of Request: Extension, with changes, of a currently
approved collection.
2. Purpose: Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and
Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition,'' collects data on natural,
synthetic, and other supplemental gas supplies, disposition, and
certain revenues by state. The data appear in the EIA publications,
Monthly Energy Review, Natural Gas Annual, and Natural Gas Monthly. The
proposed changes include:
In Part 3, EIA is proposing to collect information on the
price of compressed natural gas (CNG) for natural gas local
distribution companies that sell CNG to the public. This information
will provide information on retail prices of CNG. CNG is a growing
segment of the natural gas industry that is not represented in EIA's
natural gas retail price series.
In Part 4, EIA is proposing to collect data related to
costs associated with already-reported information on natural gas
purchased and received at the city gate. EIA collects information on
costs associated with purchases at the city gate on a monthly basis on
Form EIA-857 for a sample of companies that report on Form EIA-176.
However, the monthly city gate purchase information is frequently
subject to monthly true-ups and having an annual benchmark for city
gate purchase costs is expected to lead to a more accurate depiction of
natural gas distributors' cost of natural gas.
In Part 5, EIA is proposing to collect the capacity of
liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine terminals to gain a better
understanding of the extent to which these storage assets are able to
supply the market during periods of peak natural gas demand.
3. Estimated Number of Survey Respondents: 2,012 respondents.
4. Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: The annual number of
total responses is 2,012.
5. Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: The annual estimated
burden is 24,144 hours.
6. Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
Additional costs to respondents are not anticipated beyond costs
associated with response burden hours.
(b) Form EIA-191, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report''
1. Type of Request: Extension, with changes, of a currently
approved collection.
2. Purpose: Form EIA-191, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage
Report,'' collects data on the operations of all active underground
storage facilities. The data appear in the EIA publications Monthly
Energy Review, Natural Gas Annual, and Natural Gas Monthly. EIA is
proposing to make the following changes to the form:
To reduce reporting burden EIA is proposing to discontinue
two categories regarding Field Status: ``Depleting'' and ``Other.'' EIA
will use only two categories, ``Active'' and ``Inactive.'' The category
``Inactive'' is more descriptive and replaces the Field Status category
label of ``Abandoned.'' The ``Depleting'' and ``Other'' categories are
rarely used by reporting companies and collapsing these categories into
``Inactive'' will not
[[Page 60457]]
cause a loss in data utility, as the same data will still be reported,
albeit in a single category.
EIA is proposing to make public reported values for
monthly base gas levels reported in Part 4. This information will
enhance the utility of the underground storage information already
available to the public pertaining to capacity and working gas
capacity. Additionally, base gas can indicate another potential source
of supply during times of sustained high demand as there have
traditionally been some withdrawals of base gas, albeit small amounts,
late during the heating season. The current confidentiality protection
covering the other information reported in Part 4, including monthly
working gas, total gas in storage, and injections and withdrawals into
storage, will be retained. EIA will continue to publish, in
disaggregated form, information collected in Part 3 of Form EIA-191,
including storage field name and type, reservoir name, location,
working gas and total storage field capacity, and maximum
deliverability. On its Web site, EIA currently releases this
information at the field level through its Natural Gas Annual
Respondent Query System.
3. Estimated Number of Survey Respondents: There are approximately
135 respondents. This has been increased from the previous clearance to
reflect additional storage operators that have been identified via
survey frame research. The change results in an increase of total
annual responses and total burden hours as stated below.
4. Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: The annual estimated
number of total responses is 1,620.
5. Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: The annual estimated
burden is 4,212 hours.
6. Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
Additional costs to respondents are not anticipated beyond costs
associated with response burden hours.
(c) Form EIA-757, ``Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey''
1. Type of Request: Extension, with changes, of a currently
approved collection.
2. Purpose: Form EIA-757, ``Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey,''
collects information on the capacity, status, and operations of natural
gas processing plants, and monitors constraints of natural gas
processing plants during periods of supply disruption in areas affected
by an emergency, such as a hurricane. Schedule A of the EIA-757 is
collected no more than every three years to collect baseline operating
and capacity information from all respondents and Schedule B is
activated as needed and collected from a sample of respondents in
affected areas as needed. Schedule A was most recently conducted in
2012 and Schedule B was most recently activated in 2012 for Hurricane
Isaac with a sample of approximately 20 plants. EIA is proposing to
continue the collection of the same data elements on Form EIA-757
Schedules A and B in their present form with the following change:
EIA is proposing to eliminate two elements from Schedule
A, annual average total plant capacity and annual average natural gas
flow at plant inlet, as this information will be duplicative of
information to be collected on a proposed new survey of natural gas
processing plants, Form EIA-915, to be submitted under a separate OMB
Control Number.
3. Estimated Number of Survey Respondents: Schedule A: 600;
Schedule B: To be determined based on the number of processing plants
that are within the proximity of the natural gas supply disruption,
historically around 20. Note the total number of respondents in
schedule A has been increased from 500 to 600 due to recent research
into the number of active natural gas processing plants which has
yielded new potential respondents. The change results in an increase of
total annual responses and total burden hours as stated below.
4. Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: Schedule A is used
to collect information once every three years. Therefore, the annual
estimated number of total responses is 200. The number of respondents
for Schedule B varies from year to year, but the most recent activation
surveyed approximately 20 respondents.
5. Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: The annual estimated
burden for Schedule A is 100 hours. Schedule B is estimated to require
1.5 hours for each respondent to complete; the number of respondents
varies but the most recent activation surveyed approximately 20
respondents, so the estimated burden is 30 hours.
6. Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
Additional costs to respondents are not anticipated beyond costs
associated with response burden hours.
(d) Form EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and
Deliveries to Consumers''
1. Type of Request: Extension, with change, of a currently approved
collection.
2. Purpose: Form EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases
and Deliveries to Consumers,'' collects data on the quantity and cost
of natural gas delivered to distribution systems and the quantity and
revenue of natural gas delivered to end-use consumers by market sector,
on a monthly basis by state. The data appear in the EIA publications,
Monthly Energy Review, Natural Gas Annual, and Natural Gas Monthly. EIA
is proposing the following change:
EIA is proposing to add a new question to the form that
asks whether the reporting company is including any adjustments to
prior periods in their current monthly reporting. Reporting companies
frequently make adjustments to correct data previously submitted in
prior periods that skew the current month's reporting and EIA would
like to propose this mechanism to more easily identify this phenomenon
and address it proactively with the reporting companies.
3. Estimated Number of Survey Respondents: 320 respondents each
month. The number of firms surveyed each month has increased to 320 in
order to maintain sufficient coverage of the survey variables collected
on EIA-857. The change results in an increase of total annual responses
and total burden hours as stated below.
4. Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: The annual estimated
number of total responses is 3,840.
5. Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: The annual estimated
burden is 13,440 hours.
6. Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
Additional costs to respondents are not anticipated beyond costs
associated with response burden hours.
(e) Form EIA-910, ``Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey''
1. Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
2. Purpose: Form EIA-910, ``Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey,''
collects information on natural gas sales from marketers in selected
states that have active customer choice programs. EIA is requesting
information on the volume and revenue for natural gas commodity sales
and any receipts for distribution charges and taxes associated with the
sale of natural gas. EIA is proposing to continue Form EIA-910 in its
present form with no changes to the elements collected or geographic
coverage.
3. Estimated Number of Survey Respondents: There are approximately
210 respondents each month.
4. Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: The annual estimated
number of total responses is 2,520.
[[Page 60458]]
5. Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: The annual estimated
burden is 5,040 hours.
6. Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
Additional costs to respondents are not anticipated beyond costs
associated with response burden hours.
(f) Form EIA-912, ``Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report''
1. Type of Request: Extension, with changes, of a currently
approved collection.
2. Purpose: Form EIA-912, ``Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage
Report,'' collects information on weekly inventories of natural gas in
underground storage facilities and serves as a Principal Federal
Economic Indicator. The proposed changes include an additional data
element as well as expanded geographic categories for working gas
collection and publication in the Lower 48 states:
Instead of dividing the states into three regions, the
East, West and Producing Regions, EIA is proposing to collect data in
five regions by further breaking out the current regions. The states
currently included in the Producing region will remain unchanged except
for the removal of New Mexico. The Producing region will now be
referred to as the South Central region. The South Central region will
continue to have two subcategories for the different storage
technologies prevalent in the region, salt and non-salt facilities.
Four additional regions that further break out the current East and
West regions will be added in order to enhance the analysis and
usability of the data. The new geographic regions are defined in the
following table:
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Current EIA-912 regions Proposed EIA-912 regions
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Producing Region: Alabama, South Central Region: Alabama,
Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana,
Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.
and Texas.
East Region: Connecticut, Delaware, East Region: Connecticut, Delaware,
District of Columbia, Florida, District of Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland,
Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio,
Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia.
South Carolina, Tennessee,
Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and
West Virginia.
Midwest Region: Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, and
Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
West Region: Arizona, California, Mountain Region: Arizona, Colorado,
Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New
Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota,
Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
Washington, and Wyoming.
Pacific Region: California, Oregon,
and Washington.
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EIA is also proposing a new data element, inventory
adjustments of working gas in storage, to better distinguish when
adjustments to working gas inventories, such as reclassifications
between working and base gas, occur. In most instances, this data
element would not be applicable to the majority of respondents.
However, when inventory adjustments do occur, they will most easily be
discerned by being directly reported in a designated portion of the
form instead of being listed in the comments section. As the primary
use of the WNGSR's data is the net change in weekly inventory data,
which serves as a proxy for natural gas flowing into and out of
underground storage, clearer data on inventory adjustments that can
obscure the nature of flows into and out of storage will be more easily
distinguished and published.
Finally, EIA is proposing two changes to its current
Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report revision policy. The first proposed
change would reduce the threshold for published revisions and
reclassifications between working and base gas from 7 billion cubic
feet (Bcf) to 4 Bcf. Under the proposed revision policy, revisions will
be announced in the regularly scheduled release, when the sum of
reported changes is at least 4 Bcf at either a regional or national
level. Second, EIA is also proposing to amend the policy addressing the
unscheduled release of revisions. Under the current policy, an
unscheduled release of revised data will occur when the cumulative
effect of respondent submitted data changes or corrections is at least
10 Bcf for the current or prior report week. Under the proposed policy,
the unscheduled release of revisions to weekly estimates of working gas
held in underground storage will occur when the cumulative sum of data
changes or corrections to working gas and the net change between the
two most recent report weeks is at least 10 Bcf. The proposed change
leaves the 10-Bcf threshold, as well as the current out-of-cycle
release procedures, intact but will further require that the revision
have an impact of 10 Bcf or more on the reported net change between the
two most recently reported weekly periods. For example, if one or more
respondents submits changes totaling 10 Bcf to previously submitted
data but the changes are the result of errors that have been
accumulating over several weeks and do not affect flows of working
natural gas into or out of storage in the most recent two reported
weekly periods by more than 10 Bcf, the unscheduled data release will
not occur and the revisions will be published with the next regularly
scheduled release.
3. Estimated Number of Survey Respondents: There are approximately
85 respondents every week.
4. Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: The annual estimated
number of total responses is 4,420.
5. Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: The annual estimated
burden is 4,420 hours.
6. Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
Additional costs to respondents are not anticipated beyond costs
associated with response burden hours.
Statutory Authority: Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy
Administration Act of 1974, Public Law 93-275, codified at 15 U.S.C.
772(b).
Issued in Washington, DC, September 30, 2014.
Nanda Srinivasan,
Director of Survey Development and Statistical Integration, U. S.
Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-23751 Filed 10-6-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P