[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41051-41053]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18264]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

[Docket ID BSEE-2017-0004; 17XE1700DX EEEE500000 EX1SF0000.DAQ000; OMB 
Control Number 1014-0015]


Information Collection Activities; Unitization

AGENCY: Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Information Collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is proposing to renew an 
information collection with revisions.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 30, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the information collection request 
(ICR) by either of the following methods listed below:
     Electronically go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
Search box, enter BSEE-2017-0004 then click search. 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 the Department of the Interior; Bureau of Safety 
and Environmental Enforcement; Regulations and Standards Branch; ATTN: 
Kelly Odom; 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166. Please reference 
OMB Control Number 1014-0015 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Kelly Odom, Regulations and Standards Branch, 
by email at [email protected], or by telephone at (703) 787-1775.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental 
Enforcement (BSEE), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an 
opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections 
of information. This helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It 
also helps the public understand our information collection 
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
    We are soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described 
below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the 
following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper 
functions of BSEE; (2) Will this information be processed and used in a 
timely manner; (3) Is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) How might 
BSEE enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (5) How might BSEE minimize the burden of this 
collection on the respondents, including through the use of information 
technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. 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.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required 
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid OMB control number.
    Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 250, subpart M, Unitization.
    OMB Control Number: 1014-0015.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents comprise Federal 
OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees/operators and holders of pipeline 
rights-of-way.
    Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The currently 
approved annual reporting burdens for this collection are 5,772 hours 
and $138,188 non-hour cost burdens. The following chart details the 
individual components and respective hour and non-hour cost 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 41052]]



                                                Burden Breakdown
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Recordkeeping and                        Average number     Annual burden
  Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart M      reporting requirement     Hour burden     annual responses        hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      Non-Hour Cost Burdens *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1301.............................  Description of              Burden included in the following                0
                                    requirements.                          sections
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1301(d), (f)(3),(g)(1),            Request suspension of        Burden covered under Subpart A                 0
 (g)(2)(ii).                        production or                        [1014-0022].
                                    operations.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1302(b)..........................  Request preliminary                  116  1 request..........             116
                                    determination on
                                    competitive reservoir.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1304(b)..........................  Request compulsory                   234  1 request..........             234
                                    unitization, including
                                    submitting unit
                                    agreement, unit
                                    operating agreement,
                                    initial plan of
                                    operation, obtain
                                    approval of Regional
                                    Supervisor if required,
                                    and supporting data;
                                    serving non-consenting
                                    lessees with documents.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1304(d)..........................  Request hearing on                     1  1 request..........               1
                                    required unitization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1302(b)..........................  Submit concurrence or                 47  1 request..........              47
                                    objection on
                                    competitiveness with
                                    supporting evidence.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1302(c), (d).....................  Submit joint plan of                  68  1 plan.............              68
                                    operations,
                                    supplemental plans, or
                                    a separate plan if
                                    agreement cannot be
                                    reached.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1303; 1304.......................  *Submit revisions or                  15  41 revs/mods.......             615
                                    modifications to unit
                                    agreement, unit
                                    operating agreement,
                                    plan of operation,
                                    change of unit
                                    operator, etc.
                                                            ----------------------------------------------------
                                                               $896 fees x 41 revisions/modifications = $36,736
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1303; 1304.......................  *Submit initial, and                  76  9 submissions......             684
                                    revisions to,
                                    participating area.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1304(d)..........................  Submit statement at                    5  1 statement........               5
                                    hearing on compulsory
                                    unitization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1304(e)..........................  Pay for and submit three               1  1 submission.......               1
                                    copies of verbatim
                                    transcript of hearing.
                                                            ----------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Court reporter and 3 transcript copies for 1
                                                                                hearing = $500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1303.............................  Apply for voluntary                  500  8 apps/plans.......           4,000
                                    unitization, including
                                    submitting unit
                                    agreement, unit
                                    operating agreement,
                                    initial plan of
                                    operation, obtain
                                    approval of Regional
                                    Supervisor if required,
                                    and supporting data;
                                    request for variance
                                    from model agreement
                                    and other related
                                    requirements.
                                                            ----------------------------------------------------
                                                                $12,619 fee x 8 applications/plans = $100,952
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1304(f)..........................  Appeal final order of          Exempt as defined in 5 CFR                   0
                                    compulsory unitization.           1320.4(a)(2), (c)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1300-1304........................  General departure and                  1  1 request..........               1
                                    alternative compliance
                                    requests not
                                    specifically covered
                                    elsewhere in subpart M
                                    regulations.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total Burden.................  ........................  ..............  66 Responses.......     5,772 Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        $138,188 Non-Hour Cost Burdens
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* These requirements are specified in each Unit Agreement.

    Respondent's Obligation: Most responses are mandatory, while others 
are required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Frequency of Collection: The frequency of reporting is on occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: We have identified 
three non-hour cost burdens associated with this information 
collection. Section 250.1303 requires respondents to pay filing fees 
when (1) applying for a voluntary unitization proposal or unit 
expansion ($12,619), as well as a (2) unitization revision ($896). The 
filing fees are required to recover the Federal Government's processing 
costs. Section 250.1304(d) provides an opportunity for parties notified 
of compulsory unitization to request a hearing; therefore, Sec.  
250.1304(e) requires the party seeking the compulsory unitization to 
(3) pay for the court reporter and three copies of the verbatim 
transcript of the hearing

[[Page 41053]]

(approximately $500); for a total of $138,188. We have not identified 
any other non-hour cost burdens associated with this collection of 
information.
    Abstract: This notice concerns the paperwork requirements of 30 CFR 
250, Subpart M, Unitization, and related documents. The BSEE must 
approve any lessee's proposal to enter an agreement to unitize 
operations under two or more leases and for modifications when 
warranted. We use the information to ensure that operations under the 
proposed unit agreement will result in preventing waste, conserving 
natural resources, and protecting correlative rights including the 
government's interests.
    The authorities for this action are the Outer Continental Shelf 
Lands Act (OCSLA, 43 U.S.C. 1334), the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty 
Management Act (FOGRMA, 30 U.S.C. 1751), the Independent Offices 
Appropriations Act (IOAA, 31 U.S.C. 9701), and the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.).

    Dated: July 21, 2017.
Doug Morris,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2017-18264 Filed 8-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P