[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 99 (Friday, May 22, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29743-29745]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-12303]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

[Docket ID BSEE-2015-0007; OMB Control Number 1014-0013; 15XE1700DX 
EEEE500000 EX1SF0000.DAQ000]


Information Collection Activities: Global Positioning Systems 
(GPS) for Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) NTL; Proposed 
Collection; Comment Request

ACTION: 60-Day notice.

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

[[Page 29744]]

SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 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 information collection request (ICR) concerns a renewal to the 
paperwork burden under the collection, GPS for MODUs NTL.

DATES: You must submit comments by July 21, 2015.

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-2015-0007 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; Bureau of Safety and Environmental 
Enforcement; Regulations and Standards Branch; ATTN: Cheryl Blundon; 
45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166. Please reference ICR 1014-0013 
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: Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for Mobile Offshore 
Drilling Units (MODUs) NTL.
    OMB Control Number: 1014-0013.
    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 necessary 
for the administration of the leasing provisions of that Act related to 
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; to 
preserve and maintain free enterprise competition; and to ensure that 
the extent of oil and natural gas resources of the OCS is assessed at 
the earliest practicable time. Section 43 U.S.C. 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 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.''
    To carry out these responsibilities, the Bureau of Safety and 
Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) issues regulations to ensure that 
operations in the OCS will meet statutory requirements; provide for 
safety and protect the environment; and result in diligent exploration, 
development, and production of OCS leases. In addition, we also issue 
Notice to Lessees (NTLs) that provide clarification, explanation, and 
interpretation of our regulations. These NTLs are used to convey purely 
informational material and to cover situations that might not be 
adequately addressed in our regulations.
    The subject of this information collection (IC) request is an NTL, 
GPS (Global Positioning System) for MODUs (Mobile Offshore Drilling 
Units). This NTL requires MODUs to be equipped with multiple tracking/
location devices so that during a storm event (hurricane) the 
respondent, as well as BSEE, will have the capability to monitor their 
locations. This NTL also provides BSEE GPS data access thereby granting 
BSEE real-time location information as needed for the Hurricane 
Response Team (HRT).
    The primary regulation for this IC is 30 CFR 250, Subpart A, 
approved under the OMB Control Number 1014-0013. However, in connection 
with this subpart, the burden requirements in the NTL are in addition 
to the currently approved paperwork burdens under those requirements.
    After Hurricane Ike, 2008, due to the loss of an ENSCO MODU, the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and US Army Corps of 
Engineers conducted numerous side-sonar searches for dangerous 
submerged debris in several places in and around the Gulf of Mexico 
waters, including off the Louisiana coast, the Houston Ship Channel, 
and the Galveston areas. These searches continued for numerous days, 
with multiple government agencies, and covered well over 75 square 
statute miles. Nothing was found.
    On March 6, 2009, the SKS Satilla, a 900-ft Norwegian flagged tank 
ship carrying approximately 130K MT of crude oil, reported listing 8 
degrees and taking on water about 65-miles offshore of Galveston, TX. 
It was determined that the SKS Satilla had hit the sunken MODU that was 
submerged approximately 24 feet below the surface of the water, that 
had been missing since Hurricane Ike. The MODU was displaced off the 
coast of Louisiana during Hurricane Ike and ended up off the coast of 
Galveston, roughly 105 miles away.
    The information to be collected is necessary for BSEE to assess the 
whereabouts of any MODU becoming unmoored due to extreme weather 
situations; as well as, to follow the path of that facility to 
determine if other facilities/pipelines, etc., were damaged in any way. 
The offshore oil and gas industry will use the information to determine 
the safest and quickest way to either remove the obstacles or to fix 
and reuse them.
    No questions of a sensitive nature are asked. We protect 
proprietary information according to the Freedom of Information Act (5 
U.S.C. 552) and DOI's implementing regulations (43 CFR 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. Responses are mandatory.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise Federal 
oil, gas, or sulphur lessees and/or operators.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The currently 
approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 1 hour and 
$102,500 non-hour cost burden. In this submission, we are requesting 
the same hour and non-hour cost burdens. 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.

[[Page 29745]]



                                                  Burden Table
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Non-hour cost burdens
NTL--Gulf of Mexico OCS region----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         GPS for MODUs                                   Average number of annual
                                     Hour burden                responses                Annual burden hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1--Notify BSEE with tracking/    15 mins............  1 rig *......................  1 hour (rounded).
 locator data access and         15 mins............  1 notification *.............
 supporting information; notify
 BSEE Hurricane Response Team
 as soon as operator is aware a
 rig has moved off location.
                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2--Purchase and install                 20 devices per year for replacement and/or new x $325.00 = $6,500
 tracking/locator devices--
 (these are replacement GPS
 devices or new rigs).
3--Pay monthly tracking fee for                     40 rigs at $50/month = $600/year = $24,000
 GPS devices already placed on
 MODUs/rig.
4--Rent GPS devices and pay                             40 rigs @$1,800 per year = $72,000
 monthly tracking fee per rig.
                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total burden...............  ...................  102 responses................  1 hour.
                                                     -----------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    $102,500 non-hour cost burden.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have 
identified three non-hour cost burdens for this collection, which are 
described and shown in the table. We have not identified any other non-
hour cost burdens associated with this collection of information.
    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 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: May 14, 2015.
Douglas W. Morris,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2015-12303 Filed 5-21-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P