[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 88 (Friday, May 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27138-27140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09752]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Proposed Extension

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: EIA invites public comment on the proposed three-year 
extension, with changes, to the Petroleum Supply Reporting System 
(PSRS), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The PSRS 
consists of six weekly surveys that make up the Weekly Petroleum Supply 
Reporting System (WPSRS), eight monthly surveys that make up the 
Monthly Petroleum Supply Reporting System (MPSRS), and one annual 
survey. EIA uses WPSRS surveys to collect data from a sample of 
operators on input, production, imports, and inventory levels of crude 
oil, hydrocarbon gas liquids, petroleum products, and biofuels. EIA 
uses MPSRS surveys to collect data from all in-scope operators on 
input, production, imports, biofuel feedstocks consumed, refinery 
capacity, biofuel plant production capacity, fuels consumed in plant 
operations, and annual storage capacity of crude oil, hydrocarbon gas 
liquids petroleum products, and biofuels. EIA uses annual Form EIA-820 
to collect data on refinery capacity, refinery fuels and feedstocks 
consumed, and the quantity of crude oil received by method of 
transportation.

DATES: EIA must receive all comments on this proposed information 
collection no later than July 5, 2022. If you anticipate any 
difficulties in submitting your comments by the deadline, contact the 
person listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice as soon as 
possible.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically to 
[email protected] or mail comments to Michael Conner, 
Petroleum and Biofuel Supply Statistics Team, EI-23, U.S. Energy 
Information Administration, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Ave. 
SW, Washington, DC 20585.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you need additional information, 
contact Michael Conner, U.S. Energy Information Administration, 
telephone (202) 586-1795, or by email at [email protected]. 
The forms and instructions are available on EIA's website at 
www.eia.gov/survey/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on whether or not: (a) 
The proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of agency functions, including whether the information will 
have a practical utility; (b) EIA's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used, is accurate; (c) EIA can improve the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information it will collect; and 
(d) EIA can minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, such as automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.
    This information collection request contains:
    (1) OMB No.: 1905-0165;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Petroleum Supply 
Reporting System (PSRS);
    (3) Type of Request: Three-year extension with changes;
    (4) Purpose: The surveys included in the PSRS collect information, 
that is largely unavailable from other sources, on production, input, 
inventory levels, imports, inter-regional movements, and fuels and 
feedstocks consumed for plant operation, for crude oil, hydrocarbon gas 
liquids, petroleum products, and biofuels. PSRS surveys also collect 
storage capacities for crude oil, hydrocarbon gas liquids, petroleum 
products, and biofuels, refinery capacities, biofuel production 
capacities, and biofuel feedstocks consumed.
    EIA requires data from PSRS surveys to meet requirements of energy 
data users for credible, reliable, and timely energy information. EIA 
uses PSRS survey data in statistical reports including, but not limited 
to, the Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR), Petroleum Supply Monthly

[[Page 27139]]

(PSM), and the Monthly Energy Review (MER). EIA uses PSRS survey data 
to support analysis and projection work with results reported in the 
Short Term Energy Outlook (STEO), Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), and 
other reports. EIA makes reports available at https://www.eia.gov/. EIA 
also uses PSRS data to complete monthly and annual reports of U.S. 
petroleum and biofuel supplies to the International Energy Agency to 
support U.S. participation as an IEA member county. In some cases, 
agencies outside of EIA publish data sourced from PSRS surveys in their 
own reports. For example Bioenergy Statistics reported by the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture.
    Data from PSRS surveys provide data to inform policy and business 
decisions, the data promote efficient markets by providing transparency 
to petroleum and biofuel supplies. Use of PSRS data by academic 
researchers, educators, news media, and the general public promotes 
understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the 
environment.
    (4a) Proposed Changes to Information Collection:

Form EIA-800 Weekly Refinery Report

     Change survey instructions to require reporting production 
of propane and propylene fractionated from still gas whether 
fractionation takes place at the refinery or at a facility downstream 
of the refinery. This change is needed to more completely account for 
the quantity of propane and propylene supplied, particularly as 
petrochemical feedstock. The current practice of reporting still gas 
shipped from refineries as still gas (not reported weekly on Form EIA-
800) when the still gas will ultimately be fractionated into product 
components overstates supply of still gas (implying use as plant fuel) 
and understates supply of propane and propylene.
     Change the ``Who Must Submit'' part of survey instructions 
to include reporting by non-refinery operators of distillation, 
reforming, cracking, coking, hydrotreating, and similar processes. This 
change is needed in order for EIA to capture complete data on 
operations of process units commonly associated with oil refineries but 
operated at non-refinery facilities such as natural gas liquids 
fractionation plants.
     Discontinue collecting propane production, propane stocks, 
and total natural gas liquids (NGL) stocks at NGL fractionators. NGL 
fractionators that hold stocks will report on the new Form EIA-806 
Weekly Natural Gas Liquids Report. Rename Form EIA-800 from Weekly 
Refinery and Fractionator Report to Weekly Refinery Report.

Form EIA-805 Weekly Bulk Terminal Report

     Add a product line for bulk terminal operators to report 
stocks of propane that meet at least the minimum specifications to be 
classified as consumer-grade propane (product code 626). The added 
product detail for consumer-grade propane will add transparency to 
propane supplies by showing separate stock levels of consumer-grade 
propane readily available for consumption and propane held as a 
component of product mixes where the propane requires processing 
through a fractionator or other unit before being consumed as propane. 
At present, EIA stock levels for propane do not differentiate between 
consumer-grade and higher grades of propane that are ready for use and 
propane contained as a component of a product mix.

Form EIA-806 Weekly Natural Gas Liquids Report

    EIA proposes to add Form EIA-806 Weekly Natural Gas Liquids Report 
to the WPSRS. Form EIA-806 will be the weekly counterpart to Form EIA-
816 Monthly Natural Gas Liquids Report. When implemented, EIA will use 
data from Form EIA-806 to report weekly total production of natural gas 
liquids (NGL), propane production from natural gas processing, and 
propane and NGL stocks held by operators of natural gas processing 
plants and NGL fractionators.
    Current EIA weekly reporting practice is to use Form EIA-800 to 
collect production of propane from natural gas processing equal to 
barrels of propane fractionated from mixed NGL by operators of NGL 
fractionators. Operators of NGL fractionators also report ending stocks 
of total NGL and propane on Form EIA-800. EIA intends to replace 
current reporting by NGL fractionators on NGL fractionators on Form 
EIA-800 with reports submitted by operators of natural gas processing 
plants that produce and/or hold stocks, and operators of NGL 
fractionation plants that hold stocks.
    With Form EIA-806, EIA proposes to collect the total quantity of 
natural gas liquids produced weekly by operators of natural gas 
processing plants. Weekly total NGL production is unavailable from 
current data collected on Form EIA-800. In addition, collecting weekly 
data from operators of natural gas processing plants allows EIA to 
improve consistency of weekly and monthly regional propane production 
by reporting weekly propane production in the region of the producing 
natural gas processing plant as is done in monthly data, rather than in 
the region where a fractionator operator separated propane from mixed 
NGL.
    EIA proposes to collect total NGL stocks held by operators of 
natural gas processing plants and NGL fractionators. EIA will use 
plant-level NGL product composition data reported on Form EIA-816 to 
allocate total production and stocks reported weekly on Form EIA-806 to 
propane and other NGL products. EIA will allocate total NGL production 
and stocks reported weekly on Form EIA-806 to propane and other NGL 
current composition data, since this data is likely to be unavailable 
to plant operators in time to report weekly (i.e., weekly reports due 
to EIA by 5:00 p.m. eastern time on Monday with data for the week ended 
at 7:00 a.m. eastern time the previous Friday).

Form EIA-810 Monthly Refinery Report

     Change the ``Who Must Submit'' part of survey instructions 
to include reporting by non-refinery operators of distillation, 
reforming, cracking, coking, hydrotreating, and similar processes. This 
change is needed in order for EIA to capture complete data on 
operations of process units commonly associated with oil refineries but 
operated at non-refinery facilities such as natural gas liquids 
fractionation plants.
     Change the label for product code 207 from the current 
``Other renewable fuels and intermediate products'' to ``Other Biofuels 
and Biointermediates'' not elsewhere specified or indicated. This 
change is to make the Form EIA-810 product label consistent with 
terminology used in EIA, other government agencies, and the biofuel 
industry.
     Change survey instructions to require reporting production 
of natural gas liquids (ethane, propane, normal butane, and isobutane) 
and refinery olefins (ethylene, propylene, normal butylene, 
isobutylene) on a product basis when the products are fractionated from 
still gas whether fractionation takes place at the refinery or at a 
facility downstream of the refinery. This change is needed to more 
completely account for quantities supplied of natural gas liquids and 
refinery olefins on a product basis, particularly for use as 
petrochemical feedstock. The current practice of reporting still gas 
shipped from refineries as still gas when the still gas will ultimately 
be fractionated into product components overstates supply of still gas 
(implying use as plant fuel)

[[Page 27140]]

and understates supply of natural gas liquids and refinery olefin 
products.

Form EIA-815 Monthly Bulk Terminal Report

     Change the label for product code 207 from the current 
``Other renewable fuels and intermediate products'' to ``Other Biofuels 
and Biointermediates'' not elsewhere specified or indicated. This 
change is to make the Form EIA-815 product label consistent with 
terminology used in EIA, other government agencies, and the biofuel 
industry.
     Add a product line for bulk terminal operators to report 
stocks of propane that meet at least the minimum specifications to be 
classified as consumer-grade propane (product code 626). The added 
product detail for consumer-grade propane will add transparency to 
propane supplies by showing separate stock levels of consumer-grade 
propane readily available for consumption and propane held as a 
component of product mixes where the propane requires processing 
through a fractionator or other unit before being consumed as propane. 
At present, EIA stock levels for propane do not differentiate between 
consumer-grade and higher grades of propane that are ready for use and 
propane contained as a component of a product mix.

Form EIA-816 Monthly Natural Gas Liquids Report

    Add a separate product line for operators of natural gas processing 
plants to report plant condensate (product code 210) as a product 
separate from natural gasoline (product code 220). Plant condensate and 
natural gasoline are separate products of natural gas processing plants 
with different uses, but the current Form EIA-816 combines the two 
products under the natural gasoline label. Natural gasoline is normally 
used either for blending into gasoline, as petrochemical feedstock, or 
exported. Plant condensate is usually either blended into crude oil or 
exported. Reporting plant condensate as a product separate from natural 
gasoline will provide greater transparency to supplies of both NGL and 
crude oil. This change will also make reporting on Form EIA-816 
consistent, in terms of the products reported, with Form EIA-64A Annual 
Report of the Origin of Natural Gas Liquids.

Form EIA-817 Monthly Tanker and Barge Movements Report

    Change the label for product code 207 from the current ``Other 
renewable fuels and intermediate products'' to ``Other Biofuels and 
Biointermediates'' not elsewhere specified or indicated. This change is 
to make the Form EIA-817 product label consistent with terminology used 
in EIA, other government agencies, and the biofuel industry.

Form EIA-819 Monthly Report of Biofuels, Fuel Oxygenates, Isooctane, 
and Isooctene

     Change the label for product code 183 in part 8 of Form 
EIA-819 from the current ``Other renewable fuels and intermediate 
products'' to ``Other Biofuels and Biointermediates'' not elsewhere 
specified or indicated. This change is to make the Form EIA-819 product 
label consistent with terminology used in EIA, other government 
agencies, and the biofuel industry.
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,744 total 
respondents;

EIA-800 consists of 100 respondents
EIA-802 consists of 46 respondents
EIA-803 consists of 90 respondents
EIA-804 consists of 102 respondents
EIA-805 consists of 764 respondents
EIA-806 consists of 200 respondents
EIA-809 consists of 147 respondents
EIA-810 consists of 133 respondents
EIA-812 consists of 104 respondents
EIA-813 consists of 235 respondents
EIA-814 consists of 294 respondents
EIA-815 consists of 1,484 respondents
EIA-816 consists of 489 respondents
EIA-817 consists of 36 respondents
EIA-819 consists of 287 respondents
EIA-820 consists of 133 respondents
Pretest methodology consists of 100 respondents

    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 112,325 total 
responses;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 203,414 total annual 
burden hours;
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: 
203,414 annual hours * $83.38/hour = $16,960,659.
    EIA estimates that respondents will have no additional costs 
associated with the surveys other than the burden hours and the 
maintenance of the information during the normal course of business.
    Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 772(b) and 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on May 2nd, 2022.
Samson A. Adeshiyan,
Director, Office of Statistical Methods and Research, U.S. Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-09752 Filed 5-5-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P