[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 131 (Thursday, July 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39424-39427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-16783]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

 Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Extension

AGENCY: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Agency Information Collection Activities: Information 
collection extension with changes; notice of request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The EIA, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
intends to extend for three years with the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), the Petroleum Supply Program (OMB No. 1905-0165). EIA is 
soliciting comments on the proposed revisions to the following forms: 
EIA-22M, ``Monthly Biodiesel, Biojet, Biokerosene and Renewable Diesel 
Report,'' (previously the EIA-22M, ``Biodiesel Production Report''), 
EIA-800, ``Weekly Refinery and Fractionator Report,'' EIA-802, ``Weekly 
Product Pipeline Report,'' EIA-803, ``Weekly Crude Oil Stocks Report,'' 
EIA-804, ``Weekly Imports Report,'' EIA-805, ``Weekly Bulk Terminal and 
Blender Report,'' EIA-809, ``Weekly Oxygenate Report,'' EIA-810, 
``Monthly Refinery Report,'' EIA-812, ``Monthly Product Pipeline 
Report,'' EIA-813, ``Monthly Crude Oil Report,'' EIA-814, ``Monthly 
Imports Report,'' EIA-815, ``Monthly Bulk Terminal and Blender 
Report,'' EIA-816, ``Monthly Natural Gas Plant Liquids Report,'' EIA-
817, ``Monthly Tanker, Barge and Rail Movement and Stocks in Transit 
Report'' (previously the ``Monthly Tanker and Barge Movement Report''), 
EIA-819, ``Monthly Biofuel and Oxygenate Report,'' (previously the 
``Monthly Oxygenate Report'' and EIA-820, ``Annual Refinery Report.'' 
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be 
received on or before September 8, 2015. If you anticipate difficulty 
in submitting comments within that period, contact the person listed in 
ADDRESSES as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to Shawna Waugh via email at 
([email protected]). The mailing address is the Petroleum and 
Biofuels Statistics, EI-25, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1000 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20585. [Note that 
the receipt of mailed comments is sometimes delayed]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of any forms and instructions should be directed to Shawna Waugh 
at the address listed above. The proposed forms and changes in 
definitions and instructions are available on EIA's Web site at: http://www.eia.gov/survey/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains: (1) OMB No. 1905-0165; (2) Information Collection Request 
Title: Petroleum Supply Reporting System; (3) Type of Request: Three-
year extension; (4) Purpose: The Federal Energy Administration Act of 
1974 (15 U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 
7101 et seq.) require the EIA to carry out a centralized, 
comprehensive, and unified energy information program. This program 
collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information 
on energy resource reserves, production, demand, technology, and 
related economic and statistical information. This information is used 
to assess the adequacy of energy resources to meet near and longer term 
domestic demands and to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, 
and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy 
and the environment.
    The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), provides the general 
public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to comment on 
collections of energy information conducted by or in conjunction with 
the EIA. Also, the EIA will later seek approval for this collection by 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under Section 3507(a) of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
    The weekly petroleum supply surveys (Forms EIA-800, EIA-802, EIA-
803, EIA-804, EIA-805 and EIA-809) are designed to provide an early, 
initial estimate of weekly petroleum refinery and fractionator 
operations, inventory levels, and imports of selected petroleum 
products in a timely manner. The information appears in the 
publications listed below and is also available electronically on EIA's 
Web site at http://www.eia.doe.gov/.
    Publications: Internet only publications are the Weekly Petroleum 
Status Report (http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/weekly/), Short-Term 
Energy Outlook (http://www/forecasts/steo/), and This Week in Petroleum

[[Page 39425]]

(http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/weekly/ weekly/).
    The monthly petroleum supply surveys (Forms EIA-22M, EIA-810, EIA-
812, EIA-813, EIA-814, EIA-815, EIA-816, EIA-817, and EIA-819) are 
designed to provide statistically reliable and comprehensive monthly 
information to EIA, other Federal agencies, and the private sector for 
use in forecasting, policy making, planning, and analysis activities. 
The information appears in the publications listed below and is also 
available electronically on EIA's Web site at http://www.eia.doe.gov/.
    Publications: Internet only publications are the Petroleum Supply 
Monthly (http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/monthly/), Company-Level 
Imports (http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/imports/companylevel/), the 
Petroleum Supply Annual, Volume 1 (http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/annual/volume1/), the Annual Energy Outlook (http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/index.cfm); and the Monthly Biodiesel Production Report 
(http://www.eia.gov/biofuels/biodiesel/production/).
    The annual refinery survey (Form EIA-820) provides data on refinery 
capacities, fuels consumed, natural gas consumed as hydrogen feedstock, 
and crude oil receipts by method of transportation, for operating and 
idle petroleum refineries (including new refineries under 
construction), and refineries shutdown during the previous year. The 
information appears in the Refinery Capacity Report (http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/refinerycapacity/) and the Refinery Outage Report 
(http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/refinery/outage/).
    Please refer to the proposed forms and instructions for more 
information about the purpose, who must report, when to report, where 
to submit, the elements to be reported, detailed instructions, 
provisions for confidentiality, and uses (including possible 
nonstatistical uses) of the information. For instructions on obtaining 
materials, see the ``For Further Information Contact'' section.
    (4a) Proposed Changes to Information Collection: The following 
changes are proposed to the data elements collected on surveys in the 
Petroleum Supply Reporting System.
    We propose the following changes to the geographical detail 
collected and published on surveys.
    Midwest (Petroleum Administration for Defense District 2): EIA 
proposes two new subregions for the Midwest, PADD 2. as follows: 
Subregion PADD 2A will include Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, 
and Wisconsin and Subregion PADD 2B will include Illinois, Indiana, 
Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, 
and Tennessee. Given the increased production of crude oil in the 
proposed new PADD 2A Subregion, there is increasing interest in the 
flows of crude oil into and out of that area. This change will allow 
EIA to track movements of crude oil from Subregion PADD 2A to other 
parts of the Midwest and to also provide more detailed regional data on 
inventories of propane, a key heating fuel, during winter months. This 
change applies to Forms EIA-812, EIA-813, and EIA-817.
    Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Island (PADD 6): We propose to add 
PADD 6 because this information is needed to report to the 
International Energy Agency (IEA). This change applies to Forms EIA-813 
and EIA-817.
    Texas Gulf Coast Refining District: We propose to collect data on 
crude oil inventories in tank farms in the Texas Gulf Coast as a subset 
of total PADD 3 inventories, in a manner comparable to those collected 
for tank farms in Cushing, Oklahoma. The Texas Gulf Coast is composed 
of the counties that define the Texas Gulf Coast Refinery District. 
This area includes the Houston Ship Channel and the Corpus Christi 
area, both areas where crude oil inventory levels are critical for oil 
markets. This change applies to Forms EIA-803 and EIA-813.
    We propose to revise and rearrange categories for reporting 
biofuel, distillate fuel oil (by sulfur category), hydrocarbon gas 
liquids, kerosene-type jet fuel, and motor gasoline on select surveys 
as indicated below.
    Biofuels: We propose to collect data on biofuel products for the 
following categories (and subcategories): Ethanol (cellulosic and 
noncellulosic), Butanol, Biodiesel, Biojet and biokerosene (cellulosic 
and noncellulosic), bionaphtha and biogasoline (cellulosic and 
noncellulosic), and other (cellulosic and noncellulosic). This change 
assures continued relevance of the data and improves market coverage by 
accommodating potential for introduction of new biofuels. This change 
applies to all the monthly survey forms except Forms EIA-813 and EIA-
816.
    Distillate Fuel Oil: We propose to reduce from four to three the 
number of categories of distillate fuel oil, based on sulfur content. 
We currently collect the following four distillate categories (by 
sulfur content): (1) Less than 15 parts per million (ppm), (2) 15-500 
ppm, (3) 500-2000 ppm, and (4) greater than or equal to 2000 ppm. We 
plan to merge the latter two categories, 500-2000 ppm, and greater than 
or equal to 2000 ppm, into a single category--distillates with greater 
than 500 ppm of sulfur. Federal and State legislation requires more 
areas to use distillate fuel that contains less than 15 ppm sulfur, 
also known as Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) Many Northeast states also 
require that ULSD be used for heating purposes. While there are 
diminishing volumes of 15-500 ppm distillate fuel produced currently, 
capturing its production and disposition is important for maintaining 
data quality control, so we've proposed to continue collecting it even 
though we intend to publish data for the categories of ULSD and other 
distillate fuel.
    Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids (formerly Natural Gas Plant Liquids (NGPL) 
and Liquefied Refinery Gases (LRG): We propose to adopt EIA's framework 
for Hydrocarbon Gas Liquid that was described in the report 
``Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids (HGL): Recent Market Trends and Issues,'' 
released November, 2014, and available at http://www.eia.gov/analysis/hgl. We have rearranged the existing categories to include the 
following categories (and sub-categories): Ethane/Ethylene (Ethane by 
sources (Gas Plant and Refinery) and Ethylene); Propane/Propylene 
(Propane by source (Gas Plant and Refinery)) and Propylene); Normal 
Butane/Butylene (Normal Butane by sources (Gas Plant and Refinery 
(Refinery Grade and excluding Refinery Grade)) and Butylene); 
Isobutane/Isobutylene (Isobutane by sources (Gas Plant and Refinery) 
and Isobutylene; Natural Gasoline (previously Pentanes Plus). We also 
propose to add categories for Plant Condensate and Consumer and Export-
Grade Propane. The primary reason for this rearrangement of categories 
and subcategories is to use the same categories to collect data 
consistently across all EIA surveys. This change applies to all of the 
survey forms except for Forms EIA-22M, 803, 809, and 813.
    Kerosene-type Jet Fuel: We propose to discontinue breaking out the 
end use categories of commercial and military and only collect total 
kerosene jet-fuel as a single category. Military jet fuel represents 
less than three percent (3%) of all jet fuel produced in 2014. We 
expect sales for military use to continue to decline further as a 
result of the military's decision to allow military aircraft to use 
commercial grade jet fuel. We do not foresee any impact on analytical 
capabilities as a result of this change. This change applies only to 
Forms EIA-800 and EIA-810.
    Motor Gasoline: We propose to reduce the number of motor gasoline 
categories from nine to five. We propose to collect the following data 
on motor gasoline

[[Page 39426]]

and blending components: Motor gasoline blended with less than 51 
volume percent ethanol (=E51), motor gasoline not blended with 
ethanol, motor gasoline blending components, and reformulated 
blendstock for oxygenate blending (RBOB). Currently, the gasoline 
categories are based upon reformulated and conventional gasoline. The 
new categories EIA proposes are based on gasoline with ethanol and 
gasoline without ethanol. We expect this change will support and 
improve the utility of the information needed for important analytical 
and policy issues relating to gasoline markets at this time and in the 
future. This change applies to all of the survey forms except for Forms 
EIA-22M, 803, 809, and 813.
    Pipeline and Tank Farm activities: We propose to collect data 
separately for pipelines and tank farms. These changes apply to the 
following Forms: EIA-803 and EIA-813.
    Storage Capacity: We propose to discontinue storage capacity on 
Forms EIA-812 and EIA-819. We currently collect storage capacity twice 
a year (as of March 31 and September 30). Collecting storage capacity 
of product pipelines and ethanol plants did not provide useful 
information for assessing available petroleum supplies. Product 
pipeline inventories are used for operational purposes, not commercial 
purposes. Stocks held at fuel ethanol plants also are primarily for 
operational rather than commercial purposes. EIA will still collect 
storage capacity data for petroleum products held at terminals and 
refineries. Discontinuing the collection of storage capacity on Forms 
EIA-812 and EIA-819 will eliminate confusion in analyzing storage 
capacity utilization and improve data quality. Storage Capacity in 
Operation: We propose to discontinue reporting storage capacity by the 
subcategories for exclusive use and leased to others on Forms EIA-813 
and EIA-815. This data is no longer needed for analysis purposes.
    Stocks in Transit: We propose to discontinue collecting stocks in 
transit by tanker, barge and rail on Forms EIA-800, 802, 803, 805, 809, 
810, 812, 813, 815, 816, and 819. EIA proposes to collect the stocks in 
transit data at the corporate level on the EIA-817. Collecting this 
stock information on one form reduces respondent burden and will 
improve data quality.
    Unit of Measurement: We propose to collect data in actual barrels 
rather than thousand barrels. For some of our data collection we are 
missing small volumes from respondents because they are reporting in 
thousands of barrels. These missing volumes may not add up to a large 
volume, but data for some small-volume products, such as certain 
biofuels and fuels blended with biofuels, are important for assessment 
of important policy decisions. For example, if a respondent produces 
less than 500 barrels of E85, they would report that production as zero 
(0) when using current thousand barrels reporting units. Under this 
proposal, they would report the actual volume they produced. Rather 
than collecting information by two different units of measurement using 
barrels, EIA proposes to apply this change consistently across all of 
the surveys except for the EIA-22M which collects data in gallons.
    We propose to make the following survey-specific changes to forms 
in this program.
    We propose to change the scope and title of the EIA-22M, ``Monthly 
Biodiesel Production Report'' to the EIA-22M, ``Biodiesel, Biojet, 
Biokerosene and Renewable Diesel Report.'' We are expanding the survey 
to collect data on renewable fuels in addition to biodiesel as growth 
is anticipated in the renewable fuels industry in the future.
    We propose to eliminate parts 3D ``Sales of B100 and blended 
biodiesel'' and 3E ``End use sales of biodiesel'' from the current Form 
EIA-22M. Data from these sections of the survey form were found not to 
be useful for analysis of available biodiesel supplies.
    We propose to expand part 2A of the existing Form EIA-22M to 
include capacities of renewable diesel fuel plants in addition to 
biodiesel producers. We also propose to expand part 3A of the existing 
Form EIA-22M to account for production and blending of noncellulosic 
biofuels (biojet, biokerosene, renewable diesel fuel, and other) and 
cellulosic biofuels (cellulosic distillate fuel, cellulosic biojet and 
biokerosene, and other). Information on production and blending are 
relevant to understand activities of the renewable and biofuel 
industries.
    We propose to collect Input and Production of Unfinished Oils 
instead of Total Input'' on Part 3: Refinery and Fractionator Activity 
on Form EIA-800, ``Weekly Refinery and Fractionator Report.'' We are 
trying to collect more relevant data for data users on refinery 
activities.
    We propose to discontinue collecting data on volumes of Ultra-Low 
Sulfur Diesel Fuel (15 ppm and under) downgraded during the report week 
on Part 4: Diesel Fuel Downgrade on Form EIA-802, ``Weekly Product 
Pipeline Report.'' This data is no longer relevant.
    We propose to change the list of countries in Part 4: Total U.S. 
Crude Oil Imports by Country of Origin and to adopt the U.S. Census 
Bureau's country codes on Form EIA-804, ``Weekly Imports Report.'' We 
propose to allow companies to report imports from 31 countries from 
which the U.S. imported the most crude oil during 2015, and for Iran. 
Crude oil imports from any other countries are reported in the 
``Other'' country category. We anticipate this change will enhance 
information quality.
    We propose to collect ethanol and to discontinue collecting 
denatured and undenatured ethanol separately on Form EIA-809, ``Weekly 
Oxygenate Report.''
    We propose to discontinue collecting lease inventories on Form EIA-
813, ``Monthly Crude Oil Report.'' Lease inventories are inventories 
stored at crude oil production sites. The purpose of stocks held on oil 
and gas producing leases (lease stocks) is to facilitate oil and gas 
production operations. Lease stocks are typically held only long enough 
for oil to be picked up by trucks or otherwise removed from production 
sites. While the total number of barrels held as lease stocks is 
significant, the barrels are widely dispersed at producing sites with 
only small quantities at any given location. For these reasons, we have 
determined that continued tracking of lease stocks on EIA surveys has 
limited value for assessment of crude oil supplies available to 
markets. In addition, our research has shown that some or all of the 
barrels included as lease stocks are actually outside of the U.S. and 
regional crude oil balances developed by EIA because barrels may be 
recorded as crude oil production, which is the first supply component 
of our balance, only after the barrels are withdrawn from lease stocks. 
EIA will create and publish historical data series of crude oil stocks 
excluding lease stocks in order to meet analyst requirements for crude 
oil inventory data that are consistent over time.
    We propose to continue to collect data on API gravity, sulfur 
content, processing plant name and location of crude oil and to 
continue to collect data on sulfur categories for distillate fuels. 
However, we will discontinue collecting data for the processing plants 
name and location of unfinished oils and motor gasoline blending 
components on Form EIA-814, ``Monthly Imports Report.'' We have 
determined that the data proposed for elimination on Form EIA-814 have 
limited value and the respondent burden for reporting was not 
justified.

[[Page 39427]]

    No additional changes proposed for Form EIA-815, ``Monthly Terminal 
Blenders Report.''
    We propose to add plant condensate to Part 2 of Form EIA-816, 
``Monthly Natural Gas Liquids Report.'' In addition, we are asking in 
Part 2 for the volume blended into crude oil. The quantity of plant 
condensate blended into crude oil is important as a way to balance 
crude oil supply and disposition and thereby reduce the crude oil 
adjustment (unaccounted-for crude oil) quantity.
    We propose to change the title of Form EIA-817, ``Monthly Tanker 
and Barge Movements Report'' to EIA-817, Monthly Tanker, Barge, and 
Rail Movements and Stocks in Transit Report.'' We intend to collect 
rail movements and stocks in transit for all Petroleum Administration 
for Defense Districts (PADDs) and select sub-PADDs on this survey. Rail 
movements of crude oil and petroleum products have increased in recent 
years due to changes in the regional distribution of crude oil, 
petroleum product, and biofuel supplies. Based on cognitive interviews 
with companies that report on Form EIA-817, respondents indicated that 
reporting stocks in transit on a company basis reduces respondent 
burden and improves data quality.
    We propose to change the title of Form EIA-819 ``Monthly Oxygenate 
Report'' to EIA-819 ``Monthly Biofuel and Oxygenate Report''. We also 
plan to reorganize the Form EIA-819 to clarify reporting requirements. 
The new Form EIA-819 will have separate sections for reporting biofuel 
production, non-biofuel oxygenate production, and blending activity 
involving biofuels, petroleum products, and hydrocarbon gas liquids. In 
addition, product details will be added to identify products as non-
cellulosic biofuels (ethanol, butanol, bionaphtha and biogasoline, and 
other) and cellulosic biofuels (cellulosic ethanol, cellulosic naphtha 
and gasoline, and other). Currently EIA collects petroleum refinery 
fuel consumption data, but not renewable fuel plant consumption data. 
Collecting this data will allow analysts and modelers to gauge trends 
in energy efficiency at ethanol and biodiesel plants as they do now 
with data collected from petroleum refineries.
    Gasoline products included in Part 6 ``Blending Activity including 
Addition of Denaturants'' will be updated with new gasoline products 
described earlier. We also propose to add normal butane and isobutane 
in addition to natural gasoline (formerly pentanes plus) to Part 6. We 
are also expanding the coverage from the 50 states and the District of 
Columbia, to the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin 
Islands and Puerto Rico.
    In addition to clarifying reporting requirements by separating 
activities into separate sections of the form, the addition of new 
products will position EIA to provide data on new biofuel products that 
may become important sources of U.S. fuel supplies.
    We propose to redesign the layout of Part 1 and 2 of the forms due 
to the new electronic modes of data collection. Most of this 
information will be prepopulated and we will use skip patterns to 
request respondents provide updates as needed. We are doing this to 
reduce respondent burden. This change applies to all of the surveys.
    Please refer to the proposed forms and instructions for more 
information about the purpose of the survey, who must submit, when to 
submit, provision for confidentiality, elements to be reported, and 
uses (including nonstatistical uses) of the information. These 
materials are available on EIA's Web site at http://www.eia.gov/survey/.
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,503.
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 102,656.
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 198,321.
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: EIA 
estimates that there are no additional costs to respondents associated 
with the surveys other than the costs associated with the burden hours. 
The information is maintained in the normal course of business. The 
cost of burden hours to the respondents is estimated to be $14,273,162 
(198,321 burden hours times $71.97 per hour), which represents a 
reduction of 15,241 burden hours from the prior renewal of this 
collection in 2013. Therefore, other than the cost of burden hours, EIA 
estimates that there are no additional costs for generating, 
maintaining and providing the information.

    Statutory Authority: Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974, P.L. 93-275, codified at 15 U.S.C. 
772(b).

    Issued in Washington, DC, July 2, 2015.
Nanda Srinivasan,
Director, Survey Development and Statistics Integration, U.S. Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-16783 Filed 7-8-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P