Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request

SUMMARY: The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is soliciting

comments concerning the proposed three year clearance with no changes

to the forms EIA-800-804, 807, 810-814, 816, 817, 819M, and 820 of

EIA's Petroleum Supply Reporting System.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 28, 1997.

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

difficult to do so within the period of

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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 Michael Conner, Energy Information

Administration, EI-421, Forrestal Building, U.S. Department of Energy,

Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-1795, e-mail [email protected], and

FAX (202) 586-5846.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Requests for additional information or copies

of the form and instructions should be directed to Michael Conner 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 Energy Information Administration, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden (required by the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13)), 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. Also, EIA will

later seek approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for

the collections under Section 3507(h) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13, Title 44, U.S.C. Chapter 35).

The Petroleum Supply Reporting System collects data necessary for

determining the supply and disposition of crude oil, finished petroleum

products, and natural gas liquids. These data are published by the

Energy Information Administration in the Weekly Petroleum Status

Report, Petroleum Supply Monthly, and the Petroleum Supply Annual.

Respondents to the surveys are producers of oxygenates, operators of

petroleum refining facilities, blending plants, bulk terminals, crude

oil and product pipelines, natural gas plant facilities, tanker and

barge operators, and oil importers.

II. Current Actions

The Energy Information Administration will request a three year

clearance with no changes to the existing collection forms.

III. Request for Comments

Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment

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

provided to assist in the preparation of responses. (If the notice

covers more than one form, add ``Please indicate to which form(s) your

comments apply.'')

General Issues

A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary, taking into

account its accuracy, adequacy, and reliability, and the agency's

ability to process the information it collects in a useful and timely

fashion.

B. What enhancements can EIA make to the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be collected?

As a Potential Respondent

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

not, which instructions require clarification?

B. Can data be submitted in accordance with the due date specified

in the instructions?

C. EIA allows for respondents to report manually or by using the

Petroleum Electronic Data Reporting Option (PEDRO) for all forms except

the EIA-807, EIA-819M, and EIA-820. EIA believes that reporting using

PEDRO takes less time than manual reporting. Estimated public reporting

burden for the collections are listed below. For those forms that

utilize PEDRO, two estimates are provided: the first is for an average

report prepared manually and the second is for an average report

submitted using PEDRO. The burden estimates are: EIA-800, 1 hour 15

minutes (manual submission) and 1 hour (PEDRO submission); EIA-801, 45

minutes and 30 minutes; EIA-802, 45 minutes and 30 minutes; EIA-803, 30

minutes and 15 minutes; EIA-804, 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour; EIA-807,

1 hour for weekly reports from October through March, and 30 minutes

for monthly reports from April through September; EIA-810, 3 hours 45

minutes and 2 hours; EIA-811, 1 hour 45 minutes and 1 hour; EIA-812, 2

hours 15 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes; EIA-813, 1 hour 30 minutes and

45 minutes; EIA-814, 2 hours and 1 hour 15 minutes; EIA-816, 45 minutes

and 30 minutes; EIA-817, 1 hour 45 minutes and 1 hour; EIA-819M, 30

minutes; and EIA-820, 2 hours. Burden includes the total time, effort,

or financial resources expended to generate, maintain, retain, or

disclose or provide the information including: (1) reviewing

instructions; (2) developing, acquiring, installing, and utilizing

technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating,

verifying, processing, maintaining, disclosing and providing

information; (3) adjusting the existing ways to comply with any

previously applicable instructions and requirements; (4) training

personnel to respond to a collection of information; (5) searching data

sources; (6) completing and reviewing the collection of information;

and (7) transmitting, or otherwise disclosing the information.

Please comment on (1) the accuracy of our estimate and (2) how the

agency could minimize the burden of the collection of information,

including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

D. What are the estimated (1) total dollar amount annualized for

capital and start-up costs, and (2) recurring annual dollar amount of

operation, maintenance, and purchase of service costs associated with

this data collection? The estimates should take into account the costs

associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or providing

the information. Estimates should not include purchases of equipment or

services made as part of customary and usual business practices, or the

cost of any burden hours for completing the form. EIA estimates that

there are no additional costs other than those that the respondent

incurs in keeping the information for its own uses.

E. 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 methods 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.

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C. Are there alternate sources of data and do you use them? If so,

what are their deficiencies and/or strengths?

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 Authority: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. No. 104-13).

Issued in Washington, D.C. February 20, 1997.

Lynda T. Carlson,

Director, Office of Statistical Standards, Energy Information

Administration.

[FR Doc. 97-4694 Filed 2-25-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P