[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2184-2185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00604]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[17X.LLWO310000.L13100000.PP0000; OMB Control Number 1004-0137]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Onshore Oil 
and Gas Operations and Production

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), are proposing to renew an 
information collection with revisions.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
February 15, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on this information collection request 
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget's Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior by email at [email protected]; or 
via facsimile to (202) 395-5806. Please provide a copy of your comments 
to the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 1849 
C Street NW, Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20240, Attention: Jean 
Sonneman; or by email to [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control 
Number 1004-0137 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Subijoy Dutta by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at 202-912-7152. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on new, 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.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
September 12, 2017 (82 FR 42832). No comments were received.
    We are again 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 the BLM; (2) will this information be processed and 
used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) 
how might the BLM enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (5) how might the BLM 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. 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.
    Abstract: Various Federal and Indian mineral leasing statutes 
authorize the BLM to grant and manage onshore oil and gas leases on 
Federal and Indian (except Osage Tribe) lands. In order to fulfill its 
responsibilities under these statutes, the BLM needs to perform the 
information collection (IC) activities set forth in the regulations at 
43 CFR parts 3160 and 3170, and in onshore oil and gas orders 
promulgated in accordance with 43 CFR 3164.1. The BLM requests renewal 
and revision of OMB control number 1004-0137. Some of the revisions are 
a result of the rules and the order that are listed in the following 
table:

            Recent BLM Actions that Affect Information Collection Activities in Control No. 1004-0137
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                                                                     Federal Register
       Title of order or rule        Regulatory  information No.         citation               Control No.
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Onshore Oil and Gas Operations;      RIN 1004-AE37                82 FR 2906 (Jan. 10,    1004-0213 (expires
 Federal and Indian Oil and Gas                                    2017).                  March 31, 2020).
 Leases; Onshore Oil and Gas Order
 Number 1, Approval of Operations
 (Final Order).
Onshore Oil and Gas Operations;      RIN 1004-AE15                81 FR 81356 (Nov. 17,   1004-0207 (expires
 Federal and Indian Oil and Gas                                    2016).                  Jan. 31, 2020).
 Leases; Site Security (Final Rule).
Waste Prevention, Production         RIN 1004-AE14                81 FR 83008 (Nov. 18,   1004-0211 (expires
 Subject to Royalties, and Resource                                2016).                  Jan. 31, 2018).
 Conservation (Final Rule) 1.
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\1\ This rule is under review in federal district court (State of Wyoming v. U.S. Department of the Interior,
  Case No. 2:16-CV-0285-SWS (D. Wyo.)).


[[Page 2185]]

    The effects of the revision of Onshore Order 1 and control number 
1004-0213 on control number 1004-0137 are as follows:
     The incorporation of a general requirement to use an 
electronic system to file Application for Permits to Drill (Form 3160-
3) and Notices of Staking;
     The addition of a new activity to authorize requests for a 
waiver of the electronic-filing requirement; and
     The addition of ``Notice of Staking,'' which is a historic 
IC activity that has been in use without a control number.
    After control number 1004-0137 is renewed with the changes listed 
above, we plan to request discontinuation of control number 1004-0213, 
since we anticipate that all of the IC activities in that control 
number will be merged with control number 1004-0137.
    The effects of the Site Security Rule and control number 1004-0207 
on control number 1004-0137 are as follows:
     The transfer of new uses of Form 3160-5 (Sundry Notice) 
from control number 1004-0207 to control number 1004-0137;
     The removal of ``Records for Seals,'' a historic IC 
activity in control number 1004-0137;
     The removal of ``Site Security,'' a historic IC activity 
in control number 1004-0137; and
     The removal of ``Schematic/Facility Diagrams,'' a historic 
IC activity in control number 1004-0137.
    After control number 1004-0137 is renewed, we plan to submit an IC 
request to reflect the changes listed above, and keep the remaining IC 
activities in the Site Security rule in control number 1004-0207. 
Consequently, we do not anticipate the discontinuation of control 
number 1004-0207.
    The sole effect of the Waste Prevention Rule and control number 
1004-0211 on control number 1004-0137 is the removal of ``Gas 
Flaring,'' a historic IC activity in control number 1004-0137. While 
there are some continuing IC activities pertaining to venting and 
flaring in 1004-0211, BLM anticipates that rulemakings in the near 
future will result in changes to those activities. Because the content 
of those rulemakings is uncertain at this time, the BLM is not 
requesting merger of those activities with control number 1004-0137.
    In addition to the rules and order listed above, we note a recent 
BLM rule on hydraulic fracturing and a recent federal district court 
ruling. On June 21, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the District of 
Wyoming set aside a BLM rule on hydraulic fracturing (80 FR 16128 
(March 26, 2015)). See Wyoming v. U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Order on Petition for review of Final Agency Action, Case No. 2:15-CV/
043-SWS (D. Wyo.). Previously, the court had issued an order postponing 
the effective date of the rule. Thus, the rule never became effective, 
and its pre-approved control number (1004-0203) has never been 
activated.
    In these circumstances, the BLM rescinded the March 2015 rule on 
hydraulic fracturing (82 FR 61924, December 29, 2017) and the BLM is 
requesting revision of the information collection activity labeled 
``Subsequent Well Operations'' by removing ``nonroutine fracturing 
jobs'' from the list of subsequent well operations that require the 
submission of Form 3160-5. We are also requesting the removal of a 
reference to ``Post hydraulic fracturing chemical disclosures on 
FracFocus.org'' from Item 27 of Form 3160-4, Well Completion or 
Recompletion Report and Log.
    Title of Collection: Onshore Oil and Gas Operations and Production 
(43 CFR parts 3160 and 3170).
    OMB Control Number: 1004-0137.
    Form Numbers: Form 3160-3, Form 3160-4, Form 3160-5, and Form 3160-
6.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Oil and gas operators on public lands 
and some Indian lands.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 7,500.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 301,663.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 45 minutes to 
40 hours, depending on activity.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,835,888.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion, except for the activities 
listed in the following table:

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      Type of  response           Regulatory cite(s)        Frequency
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Request for Approval of a CAA  43 CFR 3173.15.........  Once.
Response to Notice of          43 CFR 3173.16.........  Once.
 Insufficient CAA.
Request for Approval of an     43 CFR 3173.12(d)......  Once.
 FMP for Future Measurement
 Facilities.
Request for Approval of an     43 CFR 3173.12(e)......  Once.
 FMP for Existing Measurement
 Facilities.
Measurement Tickets..........  43 CFR 3174.12.........  Monthly.
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    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $29,370,000.
    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.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq).

Jean Sonneman,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2018-00604 Filed 1-12-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P