[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 74 (Tuesday, April 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26915-26917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08019]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Natural Resources Revenue

[Docket No. ONRR-2011-0019; DS63644000 DRT000000.CH7000 234D1113RT, 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. 
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 17, 2024.

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 using 
the following method:
    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.
    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

[[Page 26916]]

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 Thomas Anthony, Financial Services, by 
email at [email protected] or by telephone at (303) 231-3708.
    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.

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: (a) General Information: 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 https://onrr.gov/references/statutes. 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.
    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 or 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 
1012-0010). 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 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

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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 PRA of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et 
seq.).

Howard M. Cantor,
Director, Office of Natural Resources Revenue.
[FR Doc. 2024-08019 Filed 4-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4335-30-P