[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41990-41991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10434]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLHQ310000.L13100000.PP0000; OMB Control No. 1004-0034]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Oil and Gas,
or Geothermal Resources: Transfers and Assignments
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to renew with changes an
information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
June 13, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for this information
collection request (ICR) should be sent within 30 days of publication
of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Peter Cowan by email at [email protected], or by
telephone at
[[Page 41991]]
720-838-1641. 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 (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we invite the public and other Federal
agencies to comment on new, proposed, revised and continuing
collections of information. This helps the BLM assess impacts of its
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting
burden. It also helps the public understand BLM information collection
requirements and ensure requested data are provided 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
November 7, 2023 (88 FR 76846).
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are again inviting the public and other Federal agencies to
comment on the proposed ICR described below. The BLM is especially
interested in public comment addressing the following:
(1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether
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 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 submitted in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. 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 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: This collection of information enables the BLM to process
assignments of record title interest and transfers of operating rights
in a lease for oil and gas or geothermal resources. Each assignment or
transfer is a contract between private parties but, by law, must be
approved by the Secretary. The BLM uses information about assignments
and transfers to prevent unlawful extraction of mineral resources, to
ensure prompt payment of rentals and royalties for the rights obtained
under a Federal lease, and to ensure that leases are not encumbered
with agreements that cause the minerals to be uneconomical to produce,
resulting in lost revenues to the Federal Government. The information
also enables the BLM to ensure the assignee or transferee is in
compliance with the bonding requirements, when necessary, before
approval of the transfer or assignment. The BLM does not expect any
changes to the burden hours for submissions; however, the BLM did
update the information to be collected. The BLM added the legacy lease
serial number field to capture the legacy serial number now that all
leases have a new serial number based upon all records migrating into
the Mineral & Land Records System. The BLM will also require the forms
to include a company's principals, as defined under 2 CFR 180.995. The
BLM requires the principal information to ensure the entity acquiring
interest in the lease is not Federally suspended or debarred and is
qualified to hold a lease. The BLM does not expect these additional
fields to increase the burden as this information is readily available.
Additionally, The BLM is adjusting the cost burden to reflect inflation
adjustments. This adjustment will increase the total annual cost burden
by $132,270 (from $881,800 to $1,014,070). OMB control number 1004-0034
is currently scheduled to expire on September 30, 2024. The BLM plans
to request that OMB renew this OMB control number for an additional
thee (3) years.
Title of Collection: Oil and Gas, or Geothermal Resources:
Transfers and Assignments (43 CFR Subparts 3106, 3135, and 3216).
OMB Control Number: 1004-0034.
Form Number: 3000-003; 3000-003a.
Type of Review: Extension with revision of a currently approved
collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Assignors and assignees of record
title interest in a lease for oil and gas or geothermal resources; and
transferors and transferees of operating rights (sublease) in a lease
for oil and gas or geothermal resources.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 8,818.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 8,818.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: 30 minutes.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 4,410.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $1,014,070.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor and, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, 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.).
Darrin King,
Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-10434 Filed 5-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P