[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 2, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27528-27529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09237]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

[Docket ID BSEE-2022-0011; EEEE500000 234E1700D2 ET1SF0000.EAQ000; OMB 
Control Number 1014-0025]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Application 
for Permit To Drill (APD, Revised APD), Supplemental APD Information 
Sheet, and All Supporting Documentation

AGENCY: Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposes to 
renew an information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
June 1, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Please 
provide a copy of your comments to Kye Mason, BSEE ICCO, 45600 Woodland 
Road, Sterling, VA 20166; or by email to [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 1014-0025 in the subject line of your 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Kye Mason by email at [email protected], or by 
telephone at (703) 787-1607. Individuals in the United States who are 
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay 
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay 
services offered within their country to make international calls to 
the point-of-contact in the United States. 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), we provide the general public and other Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and 
continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact 
of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information 
collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired 
format.
    A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
August 4, 2022 (87 FR 47787). One comment was received but was not 
germane to the information collection.
    As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent 
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other 
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are 
especially interested in public comment 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. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personal identifying

[[Page 27529]]

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 us in your comment to 
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Abstract: The regulations at 30 CFR part 250 pertain to Application 
for Permit to Drill (APD, Revised APD), Supplemental APD Information 
Sheet, and all supporting documentation and are the subject of this 
collection. This request also covers the related Notices to Lessees and 
Operators (NTLs) that BSEE issues to clarify, supplement, or provide 
additional guidance on some aspects of our regulations.
    The BSEE uses the information to ensure safe drilling operations 
and to protect the human, marine, and coastal environment. Among other 
things, BSEE specifically uses the information to ensure: the drilling 
unit is fit for the intended purpose; the lessee or operator will not 
encounter geologic conditions that present a hazard to operations; 
equipment is maintained in a state of readiness and meets safety 
standards; each drilling crew is properly trained and able to promptly 
perform well-control activities at any time during well operations; 
compliance with safety standards; and the current regulations will 
provide for safe and proper field or reservoir development, resource 
evaluation, conservation, protection of correlative rights, safety, and 
environmental protection. We also review well records to ascertain 
whether drilling operations have encountered hydrocarbons or H2S and to 
ensure that H2S detection equipment, personnel protective equipment, 
and training of the crew are adequate for safe operations in zones 
known to contain H2S and zones where the presence of H2S is unknown.
    This ICR includes forms BSEE-0123 (APD) and BSEE-0123S 
(Supplemental APD Information Sheet). The BSEE uses the information 
from these forms to determine the conditions of a drilling site to 
avoid hazards inherent in drilling operations. Specifically, we use the 
information to evaluate the adequacy of a lessee's or operator's plan 
and equipment for drilling, sidetracking, or deepening operations. This 
includes the adequacy of the proposed casing design, casing setting 
depths, drilling fluid (mud) programs, cementing programs, and blowout 
preventer (BOP) systems to ascertain that the proposed operations will 
be conducted in an operationally safe manner that provides adequate 
protection for the environment. BSEE also reviews the information to 
ensure conformance with specific provisions of the lease. In addition, 
except for proprietary data, BSEE is required by the OCSLA to make 
available to the public certain information submitted on Forms BSEE-
0123 and -0123S.
    The forms use and information consist of the following:

BSEE-0123

    Heading: BSEE uses the information to identify the type of proposed 
drilling activity for which approval is requested.
    Well at Total Depth/Surface: Information utilized to identify the 
location (area, block, lease, latitude and longitude) of the proposed 
drilling activity.
    Significant Markers Anticipated: Identification of significant 
geologic formations, structures and/or horizons that the lessee or 
operator expects to encounter. This information, in conjunction with 
seismic data, is needed to correlate with other wells drilled in the 
area to assess the risks and hazards inherent in drilling operations.
    Question/Information: The information is used to ascertain the 
adequacy of the drilling fluids (mud) program to ensure control of the 
well, the adequacy of the surface casing compliance with EPA offshore 
pollutant discharge requirements and the shut in of adjacent wells to 
ensure safety while moving a rig on and off a drilling location, as 
well that the worst case discharge scenario information reflects the 
well and is updated if applicable. This information is also provided in 
the course of electronically requesting approval of drilling operations 
via eWell.

BSEE-0123S

    Heading: BSEE uses this information to identify the lease operator, 
rig name, rig elevation, water depth, type well (exploratory, 
development), and the presence of H2S and other data which is needed to 
assess operational risks and safety.
    Well Design Information: This engineering data identifies casing 
size, pressure rating, setting depth and current volume, hole size, mud 
weight, BOP and well bore designs, formation and BOP test data, and 
other criteria. The information is utilized by BSEE engineers to verify 
operational safety and ensure well control to prevent blowouts and 
other hazards to personnel and the environment. This form accommodates 
requested data collection for successive sections of the borehole as 
drilling proceeds toward total depth below each intermediate casing 
point.
    Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 250, Application for Permit to 
Drill (APD, Revised APD), Supplemental APD Information Sheet, and all 
supporting documentation.
    OMB Control Number: 1014-0025.
    Form Number: Forms BSEE-0123 and BSEE-0123S.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents include Federal 
OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and/or operators and holders of 
pipeline rights-of-way.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: Currently there are 
approximately 555 Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and holders 
of pipeline rights-of-way. Not all the potential respondents will 
submit information in any given year, and some may submit multiple 
times.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 11,206.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from .5 hour to 125 
hours, depending on activity.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 77,816.
    Respondent's Obligation: Most responses are mandatory while others 
are to obtain and/or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: Submitted generally on occasion and as 
required in the regulations.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $4,298,876.
    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.).

Kirk Malstrom,
Chief, Regulations and Standards Branch.
[FR Doc. 2023-09237 Filed 5-1-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P