[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 46 (Friday, March 8, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8517-8518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04204]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

 Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Extension

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: EIA submitted an information collection request for extension 
as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The information 
collection requests a three-year extension with changes to Form FE-
746R, ``Natural Gas Imports and Exports,'' OMB Control Number 1901-
0294. The information collection request supports DOE's Office of 
Fossil Energy (FE) in gathering critical information on the U.S. trade 
in natural gas, including liquefied natural gas (LNG). The data are 
used to monitor natural gas trade, assess the adequacy of U.S. energy 
resources to meet near and longer term domestic demands, and support 
various market and regulatory analyses done by FE.

DATES: Comments on this information collection must be received no 
later than April 8, 2019. If you anticipate any difficulties in 
submitting your comments by the deadline, contact the DOE Desk Officer 
at (202) 395-0710.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to:

DOE Desk Officer: Brandon DeBruhl, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office 
Building, Room 10102, 735 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503. 
[email protected].

Marc Talbert, U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Office of Regulation 
and International Engagement, Office of Fossil Energy, Forrestal 
Building, Room 3E-042, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20503. [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marc Talbert, (202) 586-7991, 
[email protected]. Form FE-746R and its instructions can be 
viewed at http://energy.gov/fe/services/naturalgas-regulation/guidelines-filingmonthly-reports.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains:
    (1) OMB No. 1901-0294;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: ``Natural Gas Imports and 
Exports;''
    (3) Three-year extension with changes;
    (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 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. Additionally, FE is authorized to regulate 
natural gas imports and exports, including LNG, under 15 U.S.C. 717b. 
In order to carry out its statutory responsibilities, FE requires 
anyone seeking to import or export natural gas to file an application 
and provide basic information on the scope and nature of the proposed 
import/export activity. Additionally, once an importer or exporter 
receives an authorization from FE, they are required

[[Page 8518]]

to submit monthly reports of all import and/or export transactions.
    Specifically, the Form FE-746R requires the reporting of the 
following information by every holder of a DOE/FE import or export 
authorization: The name of importer/exporter; country of origin/
destination; international point of entry/exit; name of supplier; 
volume; price; transporters; U.S. geographic market(s) served; and 
duration of supply contract on a monthly basis. This information is 
used by both EIA and FE to assess the adequacy of energy resources to 
meet near and longer term domestic demands, and by FE in the management 
of its natural gas regulatory program.
    Data collected on Form FE-746R are published in Natural Gas Imports 
and Exports, LNG Monthly Report, and in EIA official statistics on U.S. 
natural gas supply and disposition. In addition, the data are used to 
monitor the North American natural gas trade, which, in turn, enables 
the Federal government to perform market and regulatory analyses; 
improve the capability of industry and the government to respond to any 
future energy-related supply problems; and keep the general public 
informed of international natural gas trade;
    (4a) Changes to Information Collection: FE will collect heat 
content in Btu per cubic foot for LNG imports and exports to account 
for variations in the heat content of gas being imported from and 
exported to various countries. This change improves the quality of the 
import and export volume data by applying an objective standardized 
unit of measurement. Also, FE will use the exemptions under the Freedom 
of Information Act (FOIA) to protect certain information reported on 
Form FE-746R, including the heat content of LNG imported and exported, 
prices of natural gas (including LNG) imported and exported, and the 
specific purchaser and end-user. The data protection statement for 
information reported on Form FE-746R will read:
    ``Information reported on Form FE-746R is considered public 
information and may be publicly released in company identifiable form, 
except that the following information will be protected and not 
disclosed to the public to the extent that it satisfies the criteria 
for exemption under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 
552, as amended, and the Department of Energy (DOE) regulations, 10 
C.FR. Sec.  1004.11, implementing the FOIA:
     Price at Import or Export Point for all forms of natural 
gas imported and exported, including LNG;
     Name of the Specific Purchaser/End User for all forms of 
natural gas imports and exports, including LNG, for all modes of 
transportation except by pipeline; and
     Heat content for all forms of natural gas imported and 
exported.''
    Published LNG import and export prices will no longer be reported 
for each individual cargo, but rather will be aggregated for all LNG 
cargoes by month at each point of export. This change is consistent 
with the publication of statistical aggregates for the prices reported 
for natural gas imported and exported by pipeline. Additionally, there 
may be some statistics that are based on data from fewer than three 
import or export transactions. In these cases, it may be possible for a 
knowledgeable person to closely estimate the information reported by a 
specific respondent.
    Data protection methods will not be applied to the aggregate 
statistical data published from submissions on Form FE-746R.
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 371;
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 4,452;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 13,356;
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: The 
cost of the burden hours is estimated to be $988,611. EIA estimates 
that there are no additional costs to respondents associated with the 
surveys other than the costs associated with the burden hours.

    Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 772(b), 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq., 
15 U.S.C. 717b.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on March 4, 2019.
Shawn Bennett,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Oil and Natural Gas.
[FR Doc. 2019-04204 Filed 3-7-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P