[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69025-69027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-28863]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submitted for Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request
AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of extension and revision of a currently approved
information collection (OMB Control Number 1010-0059).
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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we
are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information
collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork
requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 250, subpart H, Oil
and Gas Production Safety Systems, and related documents. This notice
also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the
paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.
DATES: Submit written comments by December 16, 2002.
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, NW.,
Washington, DC 20503. Mail or hand-carry 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. If you wish to E-mail your comments to MMS, the
address is: [email protected]. Reference Information Collection
1010-0059 in your subject line and mark your message for return
receipt. Include your name and return address in your message text.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Rules Processing Team,
telephone (703) 787-1600. You may also contact Alexis London to obtain
a copy at no cost of the regulations that require the subject
collection of information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: 30 CFR part 250, Subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety
Systems.
OMB Control Number: 1010-0059.
Abstract: The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, as amended
(43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq. and 43 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), authorizes the
Secretary of the Interior to prescribe rules and regulations to
administer leasing of the OCS. Such rules and regulations will apply to
all operations conducted under a lease. Operations on the OCS must
preserve, protect and develop oil and natural gas resources in a manner
which is consistent with the need to make such resources available to
meet the Nation's energy needs as rapidly as possible; to balance
orderly energy resource development with protection of human, marine,
and coastal environments; to ensure the public a fair and equitable
return on the resources of the OCS; and to preserve and maintain free
enterprise competition. The OCS Lands Act at 43 U.S.C. 1332(6) states
that ``operations in the [O]uter Continental Shelf should be conducted
in a safe manner by well-trained personnel using technology,
precautions, and techniques sufficient to prevent or minimize the
likelihood of blowouts, loss of well control, fires, spillages,
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.''
This notice concerns the reporting and recordkeeping elements of 30
CFR part 250, subpart H, Oil and Gas Production Safety Systems, and
related notices to lessees and operators that clarify and provide
additional guidance on some aspects of the regulations. Responses are
mandatory. No questions of a ``sensitive'' nature are asked. MMS will
protect proprietary information according to 30 CFR 250.196 (Data and
information to be made available to the public), 30 CFR part 252 (OCS
Oil and Gas Information Program), and the Freedom of Information Act (5
U.S.C.
[[Page 69026]]
552) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2).
MMS OCS Regions use the information submitted under subpart H to
evaluate equipment and/or procedures that lessees propose to use during
production operations, including evaluation of requests for departures
or use of alternative procedures. Information submitted is also used to
verify the no-flow condition of wells to continue the waiver of
requirements to install valves capable of preventing backflow. MMS
inspectors review the records maintained to verify compliance with
testing and minimum safety requirements.
The Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) has recently re-evaluated its
policy, and issued guidance, regarding approval of ``new'' requests to
use a chemical-only fire prevention and control system in lieu of a
water system. With respect to ``currently-approved'' departures, MMS
may require additional information be submitted to maintain approval of
the departure. They use the information to determine if the chemical-
only system provides the equivalent protection of a water system for
the egress of personnel should a fire occur.
In the Pacific OCS Region, MMS reviews copies of the Emergency
Action Plans (EAP) that lessees and operators submit to their local air
quality agencies to ensure that abatement procedures do not jeopardize
safe platform operations.
Frequency: The frequency of reporting is on occasion or annual.
Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: Approximately 130
Federal OCS oil and gas or sulphur lessees.
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: The
estimated annual ``hour'' burden for this information collection is a
total of 11,357 hours. The following chart details the individual
components and estimated hour burdens. In calculating the burdens, we
assumed that respondents perform certain requirements in the normal
course of their activities. We consider these to be usual and customary
and took that into account in estimating the burden.
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Annual
Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart H Reporting and recordkeeping Hour burden Average annual burden
requirement responses hours
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800; 801; 802; 803; related NTLs Submit application and 8................. 540 submissions... 4,320
request submissions
approval for design,
installation, and
operation of subsurface
safety devices and surface
production-safety systems;
including related requests
for departures or use of
alternative procedures
(supervisory control and
data acquisition systems,
valve closure times, time
delay circuitry, etc.).
801(g).......................... Submit annual verification 2................. 50 verifications.. 100
of no-flow condition of
well.
801(h)(1)....................... Form MMS-124, Sundry Burden covered under 1010-0045 0
Notices and Reports on
Wells (renamed Application
for Permit to Modify).
801(h)(2); 803(c)............... Identify well with sign on Usual/customary safety procedure for 0
wellhead that subsurface removing or identifying out-of-
safety device is removed; service safety devices
flag safety devices that
are out of service.
802(e)(5)....................... Submit statement certifying 3................. 175 statements.... 525
final surface production
safety system installed
conforms to approved
design.
803(b)(8); related NTLs......... Submit information (risk 4................. 150 submissions... 600
assessment) to request new
firefighting system
departure approval (GOMR).
803(b)(8); related NTLs......... Submit information (risk 4................. 100 submissions... 400
assessment) to retain
current firefighting
system departure approval
(GOMR).
803(b)(8)(iv)................... Post diagram of 2................. 95 postings....... 190
firefighting system.
804(a)(11); 800................. Notify MMS prior to \1/2\............. 175 notices....... 88
production when ready to
conduct pre-production
test and inspection.
804; related NTLs............... Request departure from 1................. 105 requests...... 105
testing schedule
requirements.
804; related NTL................ Submit copy of state- 1................. 7 plans........... 7
required EAP containing
test abatement plans
(Pacific OCS Region).
806(c).......................... Request evaluation and 2................. 1 request......... 2
approval of other quality
assurance programs
covering manufacture of
SPPE.
800-807......................... General departure and 4................. 215 requests...... 860
alternative compliance
requests not specifically
covered elsewhere in
subpart H regulations.
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Subtotal Reporting........ ........................... .................. 1,613............. 7,197
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801(h)(2); 802(e); 804(b)....... Maintain records on 12................ 130 lessees....... 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-recorder 12................ 130 lessees....... 1,560
charts..
803(b)(4)(iii) Maintain schematic of the 4................. 130 lessees....... 520
emergency shutdown which
indicates the control
functions of all safety
devices.
803(b)(11)...................... Maintain records of wells 4................. 130 lessees....... 520
which have erosion-control
programs and results.
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Subtotal Recordkeeping.... ........................... .................. 520............... 4,160
=====================
Total Hour Burden......... ........................... .................. 2,133............. 11,357
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[[Page 69027]]
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We
have identified no paperwork ``non-hour cost'' burdens associated with
the collection of information.
Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.)
provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated
to respond.
Comments: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et
seq.) 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.
To comply with the public consultation process, on March 28, 2002,
we published a Federal Register notice (67 FR 14966) announcing that we
would submit this ICR to OMB for approval. The notice provided the
required 60-day comment period. In addition, Sec. 250.199 provides the
OMB control numbers for the information collection requirements imposed
by the 30 CFR part 250 regulations and forms. That regulation also
informs the public that they may comment at any time on the collections
of information and provides the address to which they should send
comments. We have received no comments in response to these efforts.
If you wish to comment in response to this notice, you may send
your comments to the offices listed under the ADDRESSES section of this
notice. 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 December 16, 2002.
Public Comment Policy: Our practice is to make comments, including
names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review
during regular business hours. Individual respondents may request that
we withhold their home address from the record, which we will honor to
the extent allowable by law. There may be circumstances in which we
would withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by
the law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must
state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we
will not consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach,
(202) 208-7744.
Dated: October 17, 2002.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Engineering and Operations Division.
[FR Doc. 02-28863 Filed 11-13-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P