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 (1010-0059).

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

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 November 29, 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 (1010-0059), 725 17th Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20503. Mail or handcarry a copy of your comments to

the Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; attention:

Rules 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 H, Oil and Gas Production Safety

Systems.

OMB Control Number: 1010-0059.

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. To carry out these responsibilities, we established

regulations at 30 CFR 250, subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety

Systems. In addition, we also issue Notices to Lessees and Operators

(NTL) to clarify and provide additional guidance on some aspects of the

regulations.

We collect information under subpart H of the regulations to

evaluate equipment and/or procedures that lessees propose to use during

production operations. Information is also used to verify the no-flow

condition of wells to continue the waiver of requirements to install

valves capable of preventing backflow. The MMS inspectors review the

records maintained to verify compliance with testing and minimum safety

requirements. In the Pacific OCS Region, respondents submit Emergency

Action Plans (EAP) to their local air quality agencies in response to

California air quality laws to protect public health during exceptional

air pollution episodes. We review these plans prior to the event of an

air pollution episode to ensure that abatement measures do not

jeopardize safe platform operations.

If we did not collect the information, we could not carry out the

mandate of the OCS Lands Act to ensure safe operations in the OCS.

Specifically, MMS could not review safety system designs prior to

installation to ensure that minimum safety standards will be met;

review records of erosion control to ensure that erosion control

programs are effective; review plans for simultaneous operations to

ensure safety of operations when more than one activity is being

conducted simultaneously on a production facility; review records of

safety devices to ensure proper maintenance during the useful life of

that equipment; and verify proper performance of safety and pollution

prevention equipment (SPPE).

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

[[Page 58096]]

public.'' No items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses are

mandatory or required to obtain or retain a benefit.

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 August 12, 1999 (64 FR 44044).

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: 5,204

burden hours, averaging approximately 40 hours per respondent. See

following chart.

Burden Breakdown

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

Reporting and Annual

Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart H recordkeeping Annual number Burden burden

requirement hours

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

800; 801(a), (d), (e)(1), Application and 176 Submissions............... 4 hours........ 704

(f), (g), (h)(3); 802(e); approvals for

803(b)(1)(iii), (2)(ii)(A), design,

(4)(ii), (7)(iii),(8). installation, and

operation of

subsurface safety

devices and surface

production-safety

systems and related

requirements.

800; 804(a)(11).............. Notify MMS prior to 152 Notices................... .5 hour........ 76

production when

ready to conduct

pre-production test

and inspection.

801(g)....................... Submit annual 35 Verifications.............. 2 hours........ 70

verification of no-

flow condition of

well.

801(h)(1).................... Form MMS-124, Sundry Burden covered under 1010-0045 for this form. 0

Notices and Reports

on Wells.

801(h)(2); 803(c)............ Identify well with Usual/customary safety procedures for removing 0

sign on wellhead or identifying out-of-service safety devices.

that subsurface

safety device is

removed; flag

safety devices that

are out of service.

802.......................... Submit statement 150 Statements................ 3 hours........ 450

verifying final

surface production

safety system

installed conforms

to approved design.

803(b)(8)(iv)................ Post diagram of 75 Postings................... 2 hours........ 150

firefighting system.

804; related NTL............. Submit copy of state- 8 Plans....................... 1 hour......... 8

required EAP

containing test

abatement plans in

the Pacific OCS

Region.

806(c)....................... Request evaluation 1 Request..................... 2 hours........ 2

and approval of

other quality

assurance programs

covering

manufacture of SPPE.

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

Reporting--Subtotal...... .................... 597........................... ............... 1,460

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

801(h)(2); 802(e); 804(b).... Maintain records on 130 Recordkeepers............. 12 hours....... 1,560

subsurface and

surface safety

devices to include

approved design &

installation

features, testing,

repair, removal,

etc.

803(b)(1)(iii), (2)(i)....... Maintain pressure- 130 Recordkeepers............. 10 hours....... 1,300

recorder charts.

803(b)(4)(iii)............... Maintain schematic 130 Recordkeepers............. 4 hours........ 520

of the emergency

shutdown which

indicates the

control functions

of all safety

devices.

803(b)(11)................... Maintain records of 130 Recordkeepers............. 2.8 hours...... 364

wells that have

erosion-control

programs and

results.

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

Recordkeeping--Subtotal.. .................... 130........................... ............... 3,744

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

Reporting & Recordkeeping .................... 727 ............... 5,204

Total Hour Burden.

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

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour 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 November 29, 1999.

[[Page 58097]]

MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach,

(202) 208-7744.

Dated: September 30, 1999.

E.P. Danenberger,

Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.

[FR Doc. 99-28234 Filed 10-27-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P