[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20710-20711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08170]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Natural Resources Revenue

[Docket No. ONRR-2011-0019; DS63644000 DRT000000.CH7000 212D1113RT, OMB 
Control Number 1012-0001]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Accounts Receivable 
Confirmations Reporting

AGENCY: Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Information Collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(``PRA''), ONRR is proposing to renew an information collection. 
Currently, the information collection is authorized by the Office of 
Management and Budget (``OMB'') under OMB Control Number 1012-0001, 
which expires on February 28, 2022. Through this Information Collection 
Request (``ICR''), ONRR seeks renewed authority to collect information 
related to the paperwork requirements under the Chief Financial 
Officers Act of 1990 (``CFO Act'') covering the collection of royalties 
and other mineral revenues due, which obligations are accounted for as 
accounts receivables.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
June 21, 2021.

ADDRESSES: All comment submissions must (1) reference ``OMB Control 
Number 1012-0001'' in the subject line; (2) be sent to ONRR before the 
close of the comment period listed under DATES; and (3) be sent through 
one of the following two methods:
     Electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Please 
visit https://www.regulations.gov. In the Search Box, enter the Docket 
ID Number for this ICR renewal (``ONRR-2011-0019'') to locate the 
document and click the ``Comment Now!'' button. Follow the prompts to 
submit your comment prior to the close of the comment period.
     Email Submissions: For comments sent via email, please 
address them to Ms. Christine Thomas, Regulatory Specialist, ONRR, at 
[email protected] with the OMB Control Number (``OMB Control 
Number 1012-0001'') listed in the subject line of your email. Email 
submissions must be postmarked on or before the close of the comment 
period.
    Docket: To access the docket to view the ICR Federal Register 
publications, go to https://www.regulations.gov and search ``ONRR-2011-
0019'' to view renewal notices recently published in the Federal 
Register, publications associated with prior renewals, and applicable 
public comments received for this ICR. ONRR will make the comments 
submitted in response to this notice available for public viewing at 
https://www.regulations.gov.
    OMB ICR Data: You may also view information collection review data 
for this ICR, including past OMB approvals, at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRASearch. Under the ``OMB Control Number'' heading enter 
``1012-0001'' and click the ``Search'' button located at the bottom of 
the page. To view the ICR renewal or OMB approval status, click on the 
latest entry (based on the most recent date). On the ``View ICR--OIRA 
Conclusion'' page, check the box next to ``All'' to display all 
available ICR information provided by OMB.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, please contact Ms. Jennifer Dougherty, Financial 
Management, RRCM, ONRR by email at [email protected] or by 
telephone at (303) 231-3563. Individuals who are hearing or speech 
impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY 
assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501, et 
seq., and 5 CFR 1320.5, all information collections as defined in 5 CFR 
1320.3, require approval by OMB. 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 ONRR's 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 in accordance with the PRA and 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)(1). This helps ONRR assess the impact of its information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It 
also helps the public understand ONRR's 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 ONRR's 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 in its 
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 ONRR in your comment 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 (``Secretary'') is responsible for mineral resource 
development on Federal and Indian lands and the Outer Continental 
Shelf. Laws pertaining to Federal and Indian mineral leases are posted 
at http://www.onrr.gov/Laws_R_D/PubLaws/default.htm. Pursuant to the 
Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (``FOGRMA'') and 
other laws, the Secretary's responsibilities include maintaining a 
comprehensive inspection, collection, and fiscal and production 
accounting and auditing system that: (1) Accurately determines mineral 
royalties, interest, and other payments owed, (2) collects and accounts 
for such amounts in a timely manner, and (3) disburses the funds 
collected. See 30 U.S.C. 1701 and 1711. ONRR performs these mineral 
revenue management responsibilities for the Secretary. See Secretarial 
Order No. 3306.
    (a) General Information: ONRR collects, audits, and disburses 
royalties, interest, and other payments owed by lessees on minerals 
produced from Federal and Indian lands. Such information is generally 
available within the records of the lessee of others involved in the 
development, transport, processing, purchase, or sale of such minerals. 
Specifically, companies submit financial information to ONRR on a 
monthly basis by submitting form ONRR-2014 (Report of Sales and Royalty 
Remittance for oil and gas reported in OMB Control Number 1012-0004), 
and form ONRR-4430 (Solid Minerals Production and Royalty Report 
reported in OMB Control Number 1012-

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0010). These royalty reports result in accounts receivables and capture 
most of the mineral revenues that ONRR collects.
    The basis for the data that a company submits on forms ONRR-2014 
and ONRR-4430 is generally available within the records of the lessee 
or others involved in developing, transporting, processing, purchasing, 
or selling such minerals. The information that ONRR collects under this 
ICR includes data necessary to ensure that ONRR's accounts receivables 
are accurately based on the value of the mineral production, as 
reported to ONRR on forms ONRR-2014 and ONRR-4430.
    (b) Information Collections: Every year, under the Chief Financial 
Officers Act of 1990 (``CFO Act''), the Office of Inspector General 
(``OIG'') or its agent audits the accounts receivable portions of the 
Department of the Interior's financial statements, which includes 
accounts receivables based on ONRR forms ONRR-2014 and ONRR-4430. 
Accounts receivable confirmations are a common practice in the audit 
business. Due to a continuous increase in scrutiny of financial audits, 
a third-party confirmation of the validity of ONRR's financial records 
is necessary.
    As part of CFO Act audits, the OIG or its agent selects a sample of 
accounts receivable items based on forms ONRR-2014 and ONRR-4430 and 
provides the sample items to ONRR. ONRR then identifies the company 
names and addresses for the sample items selected and creates accounts 
receivable confirmation letters. In order to meet the CFO Act's 
requirements, the letters must be on ONRR letterhead and the Deputy 
Director for ONRR, or his or her designee, must sign the letters. The 
letter requests third-party confirmation responses by a specified date 
on whether ONRR's accounts receivable records agree with royalty payor 
records for the following items: (1) Customer identification; (2) 
royalty invoice number; (3) payor assigned document number; (4) date of 
ONRR receipt; (5) original amount the payor reported; and (6) remaining 
balance due to ONRR. The OIG or its agent mails the letters to the 
payors, instructing them to respond directly to confirm the accuracy 
and validity of selected royalty receivable items and amounts. In turn, 
it is the responsibility of the payors to verify, research, and analyze 
the amounts and balances reported on their respective forms ONRR-2014 
and ONRR-4430.
    Title of Collection: Accounts Receivable Confirmations.
    OMB Control Number: 1012-0001.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Businesses.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 24 randomly-selected 
mineral payors from Federal and Indian lands and the OCS.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 24.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: ONRR estimates that each 
response will take 15 minutes for payors to complete.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 6 hours.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Frequency of Collection: Annual.
    Total Estimated Annual Non-Hour Burden Cost: ONRR did not identify 
any ``non-hour cost'' burden associated with this collection of 
information.
    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. 2021-08170 Filed 4-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4335-30-P