Form EIA-895, ``Monthly Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Report''

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

Form EIA-895, ``Monthly Quantity and Value of Natural Gas

Report''

AGENCY: Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of the Proposed new Form EIA-895, ``Monthly Quantity and

Value of Natural Gas Report'' and Solicitation of Comments.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA), as part of its

continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden (required

by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, Pub. L. No. 96-511, 44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.), conducts a presurvey consultation program to provide the

general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to

comment on proposed and/or continuing reporting forms. This program

helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired

format, reporting burden is minimized, reporting forms are clearly

understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents

can be properly assessed. Currently, EIA is soliciting comments

concerning the proposed new Form EIA-895, ``Monthly Quantity and Value

of Natural Gas Report.''

DATES: Written comments must be submitted by September 14, 1994. If you

anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult

to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should

advise the contact listed below of your intention to do so as soon as

possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Margo Natof, Office of Oil and Gas,

Reserves and Natural Gas Division, EI-441, Forrestal Building, U.S.

Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. 20585, (telephone 202-586-6303).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for additional information or copies

of the form and instructions should be directed to Margo Natof at the

address listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

II. Current Actions

III. Request for Comments

I. Background

In order to fulfill its responsibilities under the Federal Energy

Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-275) and the Department of

Energy Organization Act (Pub. L. No. 95-91), the Energy Information

Administration is obliged to carry out a central, comprehensive, and

unified energy data and information program. As part of this program,

EIA collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates data and

information related to energy resource reserves, production, demand,

and technology, and related economic and statistical information

relevant to the adequacy of energy resources to meet demands in the

near and longer term future for the Nation's economic and social needs.

The EIA-895 will collect data on volumes of natural gas produced

and volumes of gas used for repressuring, on leases for fuel, of

nonhydrocarbon gases removed, and vented and flared. These monthly data

are similar to the annual data collected on Form-EIA-627, Annual

Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Report,'' but do not include prices.

The data are collected by the States for taxation and statistical

purposes. The States will be requested to provide EIA with aggregated

monthly information need to provide details on the amount of natural

gas used in producing the gas available for marketing. These data were

previously collected by the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission

(OGCC) which shared the data with EIA. The data will be published in

the Natural Gas Monthly, Natural Gas Annual, Monthly Energy Review,

Annual Energy Review.

II. Current Actions

Early this Fall, we plan to request OMB approval of this new

collection through December 31, 1997.

III. Request for Comments

Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment

on the actions discussed in item II. The following general guidelines

are provided to assist in the preparation of responses.

As a potential respondent:

A. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If

not, which instructions require clarification?

B. Can the data be submitted using the definitions included in the

instructions?

C. Can data be submitted in accordance with the response time

specified in the instructions?

D. Public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to

average .5 hours per response. How much time, (including time for

reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and

maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the

collection of information), do you estimate it will require you to

complete and submit the required form?

E. What is the estimated cost of completing this form, including

the direct and indirect costs associated with the data collection?

Direct costs should include all costs, such as administrative costs,

directly attributable to providing this information.

F. How can the form be improved?

G. Do you know of any other Federal, State, or local agency that

collects similar data? If you do, specify the agency, the data

element(s), and the means of collection.

As a potential user:

A. Can you use data at the levels of detail indicated on the form?

B. For what purpose would you use the data? Be specific.

C. How could the form be improved to better meet your specific

needs?

D. Are there alternate sources of data and do you use them? What

are their deficiencies and/or strengths?

E. For the most part, information is published by EIA in U.S.

customary units, e.g., cubic feet of natural gas, short tons of coal,

and barrels of oil. Would you prefer to see EIA publish more

information in metric units, e.g., cubic meters, metric tons, and

kilograms? If yes, please specify what information (e.g., coal

production, natural gas consumption, and crude oil imports), the metric

unit(s) of measurement preferred, and in which EIA publication(s) you

would like to see such information.

EIA is also interested in receiving comments from persons regarding

their views on the need for the information contained in the Form EIA-

895, ``Monthly Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Report.''

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized

and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the form; they also

will become a matter of public record.

Statutory Authorities: Section 2(a) of the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1980 (Pub. L. No. 96-511), which amended Chapter 35 of Title

44 of the United States Code [See 44 U.S.C. Sec. 3506(a) and

(c)(1)].

Issued in Washington, DC August 5, 1994.

Yvonne M. Bishop,

Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information

Administration.

[FR Doc. 94-19923 Filed 8-12-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P