[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 198 (Monday, October 18, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57744-57745]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-22279]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

[Docket Number DOT-OST-2017-0043]


Agency Information Collection Activity: Notice of Request for 
Approval To Continue To Collect Information: Barrier Failure Reporting 
in Oil and Gas Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), U.S. 
Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of BTS to request the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve continuation of the 
following information collection: Barrier Failure Reporting in Oil and 
Gas Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). BTS has entered 
into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BSEE to expand the scope 
of SafeOCS to include an industry-wide repository of equipment failure 
data, analyze and aggregate information provided under this program, 
and publish reports that will provide BSEE, the industry, and all OCS 
stakeholders with essential information about failure types and modes 
of critical safety barriers for offshore operations related to well 
control and safety and pollution prevention.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by December 17, 2021.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once 
into the docket, submit comments by only one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your 
comments electronically. Docket Number: DOT-OST-2017-0043.
     Mail: Docket Services, U.S. Department of Transportation, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Deliver to mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Identify all transmission with ``Docket Number DOT-OST-2017-0043'' 
at the beginning of each page of the document.
    Instructions: All comments must include the agency name and docket 
number for this notice. Paper comments should be submitted in 
duplicate. The Docket Management Facility is open for examination and 
copying, at the above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. If you wish to receive confirmation of 
receipt of your written comments, please include a self-addressed, 
stamped postcard with the following statement: ``Comments on Docket 
Number DOT-OST-2017-0043.'' The Docket Clerk will date stamp the 
postcard prior to returning it to you via the U.S. mail. Please note 
that all comments received, including any personal information, will be 
posted and will be publicly viewable, without change, at 
www.regulations.gov. You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 
65, Number 70; pages 19477-78) or you may review the Privacy Act 
Statement at www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Demetra V. Collia, Bureau of 
Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of 
Statistical and Economic Analysis, RTS-31, E36-302, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001; Phone No. (202) 366-1610; Fax No. 
(202) 366-3383; email: [email protected]. Office hours are from 
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
    Data Confidentiality Provisions: The confidentiality of barrier 
failure information submitted to BTS is protected under the BTS 
confidentiality statute (49 U.S.C. 6307) and the Confidential 
Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA), Public 
Law 115-435, Title III, Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act 
of 2018.
    In accordance with these confidentiality statutes, only statistical 
(aggregated) and non-identifying data will be made publicly available 
by BTS through its reports. BTS will not release to BSEE or any other 
public or private entity any information that might reveal the identity 
of individuals or organizations mentioned in failure notices or reports 
without explicit consent of the respondent and any other affected 
entities.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The data collection effort that is the 
subject of this notice addresses the collection of failure data as 
referenced in BSEE regulations at 30 CFR 250.730 (81 FR 25887, April 
29, 2016) and 30 CFR 250.803 (81 FR 61834, September 7, 2016). BTS 
received permission to start the data collection under an emergency OMB 
control number on September 29, 2016. Subsequently, BTS received an OMB 
control number that expires November 30, 2021. Through this notice, BTS 
is requesting permission to continue this previously approved data 
collection. This information collection is necessary to aid BSEE, the 
oil and gas industry, and other stakeholders in identifying barrier 
failure trends and causes of critical safety barrier failure events.

I. The Data Collection

    The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35; as 
amended) and 5 CFR part 1320 require each Federal agency to obtain OMB 
approval to initiate an information collection activity. BTS is seeking 
OMB approval to continue the following BTS information collection 
activity:

[[Page 57745]]

    Title: Barrier Failure Reporting in Oil and Gas Operations on the 
Outer Continental Shelf.
    OMB Control Number: 2139-0046.
    Type of Review: Approval of data collection. This information 
collection is limited to the establishment of BTS as an authorized 
repository for the previously approved BSEE information collections 
(OMB Control Number 1014-0028, expiration 01/31/2023, and OMB Control 
Number 1014-0003, expiration 01/31/2022) in order to ensure the 
confidentiality of submissions under CIPSEA.
    Respondents: BTS has entered into a MOU with BSEE to facilitate the 
collection of information from respondents identified in the BSEE 
notices for OMB Control Number 1014-0028 and OMB Control Number 1014-
0003. Responsibility for establishing the actual scope and burden for 
this collection resides with BSEE. This BTS information collection 
request does not create any additional burden for respondents. For the 
purposes of this collection BTS has identified BSEE as the sole 
respondent.
    Number of Potential Responses: For the purposes of this collection 
BTS has identified BSEE as the sole respondent reporting to BTS at the 
annual frequency of one.
    Estimated Time per Response: 60 minutes.
    Frequency: Once.
    Total Annual Burden: 1 hour.
    Abstract: The Confidential Information Protection and Statistical 
Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2018 (Pub. L: 115-435 Foundations for 
Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, Title III) can provide strong 
confidentiality protection for information acquired for statistical 
purposes under a pledge of confidentiality. CIPSEA Guidance from the 
Office of Management and Budget advises that a non-statistical agency 
or unit (BSEE) that wishes to acquire information with CIPSEA 
protection may consider entering into an agreement with a Federal 
statistical agency or unit (BTS). BTS and BSEE have determined that it 
is in the public interest to collect and process the barrier-related 
failure reports required by 30 CFR 250.730 and the Safety and Pollution 
Prevention Equipment (SPPE), failure reports required by 30 CFR 
250.803, or any other data deemed necessary to administer BSEE's safety 
program pertaining to barrier failures under a pledge of 
confidentiality for statistical purposes only. BTS has agreed through 
an MOU with BSEE to undertake the information collection identified in 
the BSEE notice for OMB Control Number 1014-0028 and the BSEE notice 
for OMB Control Number 1014-0003 in order to ensure the confidentiality 
of submissions under CIPSEA. Since this information collection is 
limited to the establishment of BTS as an authorized repository for the 
previously approved information collection (OMB Control Number 1014-
0028, expiration for Well Control Equipment (WCE) is 01/31/2023 and OMB 
Control Number 1014-0003, expiration for Safety and Pollution 
Prevention Equipment (SPPE) is 01/31/2022), this information 
collections request does not create any additional burden for 
respondents.

II. Background

    In July 2016, new BSEE regulations became effective which require, 
in part, the reporting of barrier-related failure event and analysis 
information (see 81 FR 25887) and reporting of failure event and 
analysis information of safety and pollution prevention equipment (see 
81 FR 61834). BSEE requested and BTS agreed to expand the scope of 
SafeOCS to include reports of equipment failure mandated by BSEE 
regulations (see 81 FR 25887). Both BTS and BSEE agree that reports on 
equipment failures are considered a type of precursor safety 
information and can be included in SafeOCS to provide a means of 
identifying industry-wide data trends on barrier failures or potential 
for barrier failures. This data collection will provide parties in the 
oil and gas industry a trusted means to report sensitive proprietary 
and safety information related to equipment failures and to foster 
trust in the confidential collection, handling, and storage of the raw 
data. BTS will use the data collected to establish a comprehensive 
source of barrier-related failure data for statistical purposes. With 
input from subject matter experts, BTS will process and analyze 
information on equipment failures, and publish results of such analyses 
in public reports. Such reports will provide BSEE, the industry, and 
all OCS stakeholders with essential information about failure types and 
modes of critical safety barriers for offshore operations related to 
well control and production safety systems.
    BTS will continue to collect failure notices, failure analysis 
reports, and design change/modified procedures reports as described in 
30 CFR 250.730 and 30 CFR 250.803 submitted by industry operators, 
their contractors, original equipment manufacturers, and others 
employed in the oil and gas industry; develop an analytical database 
using the reported data and other pertinent information; conduct 
statistical analyses and develop public reports; and protect the 
confidentiality of notices and reports in accordance with BTS' own 
statute and CIPSEA. Accordingly, only statistical and non-sensitive 
information will be made available through BTS' publications and 
reports. Those publications and reports will potentially provide the 
industry, BSEE, other OCS stakeholders, and the public with valuable 
information regarding precursors to safety risks and contribute to 
research and development of intervention programs aimed at preventing 
accidents and fatalities in the OCS.
    Respondents who report equipment failures will be asked to fill out 
a form and submit pertinent supplemental information as described in 30 
CFR 250.730, 30 CFR 250.803 and cited industry standards. Respondents 
will be asked to submit the report electronically to BTS, and provide 
information such as: (1) Name and contact information; (2) time and 
location of the failure event; (3) a short description of the failure 
event and operating conditions that existed at the time of the event; 
(4) contributing factors to the event; (5) results of an investigation 
or safety analysis report; (6) any design or procedural changes as a 
result of the reported equipment failure; and (7) any other information 
that might be useful in determining ways to prevents such failures from 
occurring.

III. Request for Public Comment

    BTS requests comments on any aspects of this information collection 
request, including: (1) Ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and 
clarity of the collected information; and (2) ways to minimize the 
collection burden without reducing the quality of the information 
collected, including additional use of automated collection techniques 
or other forms of information technology.

Demetra V. Collia,
Director, Office of Safety Data and Analysis, Bureau of Transportation 
Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and 
Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2021-22279 Filed 10-15-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P