[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 60 (Friday, March 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17362-17363]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06170]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Natural Resources Revenue

[Docket No. ONRR-2011-0006; DS63644000 DRT000000.CH7000201D1113RT; OMB 
Control Number 1012-0009]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; OCS Net Profit 
Share Payment

AGENCY: Office of Natural Resources Revenue, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) is proposing to renew an 
information collection. Through this Information Collection Request 
(ICR), ONRR seeks renewed authority to collect information related to 
the paperwork requirements covering the net profit share lease (NPSL) 
program, which establishes the reporting requirements to determine the 
net profit share base and calculate the net profit share payments due 
to the Federal government.

DATES: You must submit your written comments on or before May 26, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request 
(ICR) by mail to Mr. Luis Aguilar, Regulatory Specialist, ONRR, 
Building 85, MS 64400B, Denver Federal Center, West 6th Ave. and 
Kipling St., Denver, Colorado 80225, or by email to 
[email protected]. Please reference Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) Control Number 1012-0009 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Jonathan Swedin, Reference and Reporting 
Management, ONRR, at (303) 231-3028, or email to 
[email protected]. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA and 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)(1), all information collections require approval under the 
PRA. ONRR may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to 
respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.
    As part of the continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, ONRR is inviting the public and other Federal agencies to 
comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of 
information. This helps ONRR assess the impact of the information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It 
also helps the public understand the information collection 
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
    ONRR is especially interested in public comments addressing the 
following:
    (1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection 
of information, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., 
permitting electronic submission of response.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. ONRR will include or summarize each comment when 
requesting OMB approval for the renewal of 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 ONRR to withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, ONRR cannot 
guarantee that it will be able to do so.
    Abstract: The Secretary of the United States Department of the 
Interior is responsible for mineral resource development on Federal and 
Indian lands and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Under various laws, 
the Secretary's responsibility is to (1) manage mineral resource 
production, (2) collect royalties and other mineral revenues due, and 
(3) disburse the funds collected. The laws pertaining to mineral leases 
on Federal and Indian lands and the OSC are posted at http://www.onrr.gov/Laws_R_D/PubLaws/default.htm.
    The Secretary also has a trust responsibility to manage Indian 
lands and seek advice and information from Indian beneficiaries. ONRR 
performs the minerals revenue management functions for the Secretary 
and assists the

[[Page 17363]]

Secretary in carrying out the Department's trust responsibility for 
Indian lands.
    (a) General Information: ONRR collects and uses this information to 
determine (i) the allowable direct, and allocable joint, costs and 
credits under Sec.  1220.011 that are incurred during the lease term, 
(ii) the appropriate overhead allowance related to these costs 
permitted under Sec.  1220.012, and (iii) the allowances for capital 
recovery calculated under Sec.  1220.020. ONRR also collects this 
information to ensure that royalties or net profit share payments are 
accurately valued and appropriately paid. This ICR only effects oil and 
gas leases located on submerged Federal lands on the Outer Continental 
Shelf (OCS).
    (b) Information Collections: Title 30 CFR part 1220 covers the NPSL 
program and establishes reporting requirements to determine the net 
profit share base under Sec.  1220.021 and calculate the net profit 
share payments due to the Federal government under Sec.  1220.022.
    (1) NPSL Bidding System: To encourage exploration and development 
of oil and gas leases on submerged Federal lands on the OCS, the Bureau 
of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) promulgated regulations under 30 CFR 
part 260--Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing. BOEM also 
promulgated specific implementing regulations for the NPSL bidding 
system under Sec.  260.110(d). BOEM established the NPSL bidding system 
to balance a fair market return to the Federal government for the lease 
of its public lands with a fair profit to companies risking their 
investment capital. The system provides an incentive for early, 
expeditious exploration and development, and provides for risk sharing 
between the lessee and Federal government. The NPSL bidding system 
incorporates a fixed capital recovery system that allows a lessee to 
recover exploration and development costs from production revenues, 
including a reasonable return on investment.
    (2) NPSL Capital Account: The Federal government does not receive a 
profit share payment from an NPSL until the lessee shows a credit 
balance in its capital account; that is, cumulative revenues and other 
credits exceed cumulative costs. Lessees multiply the credit balance by 
the net profit share rate (30 to 50 percent), which determines the 
amount of net profit share payment due to the Federal government.
    ONRR requires lessees to maintain an NPSL capital account for each 
lease under Sec.  1220.010, which transfers to a new owner if sold. 
Following the cessation of production, ONRR also requires a lessee to 
provide either an annual or monthly report to the Federal government 
using data from the capital account until such time that the lease is 
terminated, expired, or relinquished.
    (3) NPSL Inventories: A NPSL lessee must notify BOEM of its intent 
to take inventory so that BOEM's Director may be represented at the 
inventory taking under Sec.  1220.032. The lessee must file a report 
after taking inventory, and report controllable material under Sec.  
1220.031.
    (4) NPSL Audits: When a non-operator of an NPSL calls for an audit, 
it must notify ONRR. When ONRR calls for an audit, the lessee must 
notify all non-operators on the lease. These requirements are located 
under Sec.  1220.033.
    Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 1220, OCS Net Profit Share Payment 
Reporting.
    OMB Control Number: 1012-0009.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Businesses.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 9 lessees.
    All nine lessees report monthly because all current NPSLs are in 
producing status. Because the requirements to establish a capital 
account under Sec.  1220.010(a) and the capital account annual 
reporting under Sec.  1220.031(a) are necessary only during the non-
producing status of a lease, ONRR included only one response annually 
for those requirements, in case a new NPSL is established. ONRR did not 
include estimates of certain requirements performed in the normal 
course of business that are considered usual and customary.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 180.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: 9 hours.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,584 hours.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Frequency of Collection: Annual, monthly, and on occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
    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.).

Kimbra G. Davis,
Director, Office of Natural Resources Revenue.
[FR Doc. 2020-06170 Filed 3-26-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4335-30-P