Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office

of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of currently approved information

collection (1010-0079).

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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501, et seq.), we are notifying you that we have submitted the

information collection request (ICR) discussed below to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. We are also

inviting your comments on this ICR.

DATES: Submit written comments by September 8, 1999.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for

the Department of the Interior (1010-0079), 725 17th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20503. Mail or handcarry a copy of your comments to the

Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; attention:

Rules

[[Page 43210]]

Processing Team; Mail Stop 4024; 381 Elden Street; Herndon, Virginia

20170-4817.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Rules Processing Team,

telephone (703) 787-1600. You may also contact Alexis London to obtain

a copy of the collection of information at no cost.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: 30 CFR 250, Subpart G, Abandonment of Wells.

OMB Control Number: 1010-0079.

Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C.

1331 et seq.) gives the Secretary of the Interior the responsibility to

preserve, protect, and develop oil and gas resources in the OCS

consistent with the need to make such resources available to meet the

Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; balance orderly energy

resource development with protection of human, marine, and coastal

environments; ensure the public a fair and equitable return on the

resources of the OCS; and preserve and maintain free enterprise

competition. In 1978, section 3(6) of the OCS Lands Act was amended to

state that ``operations in the outer Continental Shelf should be

conducted * * * using technology, precautions, and techniques

sufficient to prevent or minimize * * * physical obstruction to other

users of the waters or subsoil and seabed, or other occurrences which

may cause damage to the environment or to property, or endanger life or

health.'' To carry out these responsibilities, we established

regulations at 30 CFR 250, subpart G, ``Abandonment of Wells.''

Respondents submit requests to abandon operations and procedures

for site clearance. They also submit annual reports describing plans

for reentry to complete or permanently abandon a well. For us to decide

the necessity for allowing a well to be temporarily abandoned, the

lessee/operator must show that there is a reason to not permanently

abandon the well and the temporary abandonment is not a significant

threat to fishing, navigation, or other uses of the seabed. If we did

not collect the information, we could not determine: (a) the intent of

the lessee, (b) if the final disposition of the well is being

diligently pursued, (c) any deviations from the approved Exploration or

Development and Production Plan, and (d) if the lessee/operator has

documented the temporary plugging of the well and marked the location.

We will protect proprietary information submitted with the plans

according to the Freedom of Information Act and 30 CFR 250.118, ``Data

and information to be made available to the public.'' No items of a

sensitive nature are collected. Responses are mandatory.

The PRA provides that 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. We published a

Federal Register notice with the required 60-day comment period

soliciting comments on this ICR on January 14, 1999 (64 FR 2501).

Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130

Federal OCS sulphur or oil and gas lessees.

Frequency: The frequency of reporting is on occasion and annual.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 650

burden hours, averaging approximately 3.25 hours per response. See

following chart.

Burden Breakdown

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Annual

Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart G Requirement Average number per Burden burden

year hours

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

701................................ Request approval (40)(1).............. Burden included with 0

to abandon 1010-0045.

operations

(form MMS-124).

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703(c)............................. Submit annual 75 reports........... 2 hours.............. 150

report on plans

for reentry to

complete or

permanently

abandon the

well..

704(a)............................. Request approval 125 requests......... 4 hours.............. 500

of site

clearance

method..

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

704(b)............................. Certify location (40)(1).............. Burden included with 0

cleared of 1010-0045..

obstructions

(form MMS-124)..

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Total Reporting................ ................ 200 responses........ ..................... 650

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Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Cost'' Burden: We

have identified no information collection cost burdens for this

collection of information.

Comments: All comments are made a part of the public record.

Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires each agency ``. . . to

provide notice . . . and otherwise consult with members of the public

and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of

information. . . .'' Agencies must specifically solicit comments to:

(a) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is

necessary for the agency to perform its duties, including whether the

information is useful; (b) evaluate the accuracy of the agency's

estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c)

enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) minimize the burden on the respondents, including

the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of

information technology.

Send your comments directly to the offices listed under the

addresses section of this notice. The OMB has up to 60 days to approve

or disapprove the information collection but may respond after 30 days.

Therefore, to ensure maximum consideration, OMB should receive public

comments by September 8, 1999.

MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach,

(202) 208-7744.

Dated: June 3, 1999.

E.P. Danenberger,

Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.

[FR Doc. 99-20387 Filed 8-6-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P