[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 215 (Monday, November 7, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78184-78185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26814]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

[Docket ID BSEE-2016-0008; OMB Number 1014-0001; 17XE17000DX EEEE500000 
EX1SF0000.DAQ000]


Information Collection Activities: Oil and Gas Well-Workover 
Operations; Submitted for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; 
Comment Request

ACTION: 30-day Notice.

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is notifying the 
public that we have submitted to OMB an information collection request 
(ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the 
regulations under Subpart F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations. This 
notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the 
revised paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

DATES: You must submit comments by December 7, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments by either fax (202) 395-5806 or email 
([email protected]) directly to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department of 
the Interior (1014-0001). Please provide a copy of your comments to 
BSEE by any of the means below.
     Electronically: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and 
search for BSEE-2016-0008. Follow the instructions to submit public 
comments and view all related materials. We will post all comments.
     Email [email protected], fax (703) 787-1546, or mail or 
hand-carry comments to: Department of the Interior; Bureau of Safety 
and Environmental Enforcement; Regulations and Standards Branch; 
Attention: Kelly Odom; 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166. Please 
reference 1014-0001 in your comment and include your name and return 
address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Odom, Regulations and Standards 
Branch, (703) 787-1775, to request additional information about this 
ICR. To see a copy of the entire ICR submitted to OMB, go to http://www.reginfo.gov (select Information Collection Review, Currently Under 
Review).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: 30 CFR 250, Subpart F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations.
    OMB Control Number: 1014-0001.
    Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act at 43 CFR 
1334 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.
    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.
    These authorities and responsibilities are among those delegated to 
BSEE. The regulations at 30 CFR 250, Subpart F, concern oil and gas 
well-workover operations and are the subject of this collection. This 
request also covers the related Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) 
that BSEE issues to clarify, supplement, or provide additional guidance 
on some aspects of our regulations.
    BSEE uses the information collected under Subpart F in our efforts 
to analyze and evaluate planned well-workover operations to ensure that 
these operations result in personnel safety and protection of the 
environment. They use this evaluation in making decisions to approve, 
disapprove, or to require modification to the proposed well-workover 
operations. Specifically, BSEE uses the information collected to:
     Review log entries of crew meetings to verify that safety 
procedures have been properly reviewed.
     review well-workover procedures relating to hydrogen 
sulfide (H2S) to ensure the safety of the crew in the event 
of encountering H2S.

[[Page 78185]]

     review well-workover diagrams and procedures to ensure the 
safety of well-workover operations.
     verify that the crown block safety device is operating and 
can be expected to function and avoid accidents.
     assure that the well-workover operations are conducted on 
well casing that is structurally competent.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise Federal 
OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and/or operators, and holders of 
pipeline rights-of-way.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The estimated 
annual hour burden for this information collection is a total of 5,284 
hours. Responses are mostly mandatory and one requirement is to retain/
maintain a benefit. The following chart details the individual 
components and estimated hour burdens. 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.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                         Annual
                                                                                   Average number of     burden
   Citation 30 CFR 250,  subpart F       Reporting requirement      Hour burden     annual reponses      hours
                                                                                                       (rounded)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Requests
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
600-620..............................  General departure and         Burden covered under 1014-0022          041
                                        alternative compliance
                                        requests not
                                        specifically covered
                                        elsewhere in Subpart F
                                        regulations.
                                                                 -------------------------------------
611..................................  Document results weekly                 2  365 workovers x 3         2190
                                        of traveling-block                         results = 1,095.
                                        safety device in the
                                        operations log.
612..................................  Request establishment/                6.5  20 requests........        130
                                        amendment/cancellation
                                        of field well-workover
                                        rules.
                                                                 -------------------------------------
613; 616(a)(4); 619(f)...............  These sections contain        Burden covered under 1014-0026            0
                                        references to
                                        information, approvals,
                                        requests, payments,
                                        etc., which are
                                        submitted with an APM,
                                        the burdens for which
                                        are covered under its
                                        own information
                                        collection.
                                                                 -------------------------------------
613(d)...............................  Submit to District            Burden covered under 1014-0018            0
                                        Manager on Form BSEE-
                                        0125, End of Operations
                                        Report, an operation
                                        resulting in the initial
                                        recompletion of a well
                                        into a new zone, include
                                        a new schematic of the
                                        tubing subsurface
                                        equipment if subsurface
                                        equipment has been
                                        changed.
                                                                 -------------------------------------
614(b)...............................  Post number of stands of             1.13  291 postings.......        329
                                        drill pipe or workover
                                        string and drill collars
                                        that may be pulled prior
                                        to filing the hole and
                                        equivalent well-control
                                        fluid volume.
619(b)...............................  Notify BSEE if sustained                5  527 notifications..      2,635
                                        casing pressure is
                                        observed on a well.
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total Burden.....................  .........................  ..............  1,933 Responses....      5,284
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: There 
are no non-hour cost burdens associated with 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: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et 
seq.,) 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.
    To comply with the public consultation process, on July 8, 2016, we 
published a Federal Register notice (81 FR 44657) announcing that we 
would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided the 
required 60-day comment period. In addition, Sec.  250.199 provides the 
OMB Control Number for the information collection requirements imposed 
by the 30 CFR 250, Subpart F regulations. The regulation also informs 
the public that they may comment at any time on the collection of 
information and provides the address to which they should send 
comments. We did not receive any comments in response to the Federal 
Register notice.
    Public Availability of Comments: 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.
    BSSE Information Collection Clearance Officer: Nicole Mason (703) 
787-1607.

Keith Good,
Senior Advisor, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016-26814 Filed 11-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P