83 FR 17839 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Oil and Gas, or Geothermal Resources; Transfers and Assignments

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 79 (April 24, 2018)

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to renew an information collection.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17839-17840]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08534]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWO310000.L13100000.PP0000.18X; OMB Control Number 1004-0034]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Oil and Gas, 
or Geothermal Resources; Transfers and Assignments

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to renew an information 
collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
May 24, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on this information collection request 
(ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget's Desk Officer for the 
Department of the Interior by email at [email protected]; or 
via facsimile to (202) 395-5806. Please provide a copy of your comments 
to the BLM at U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land 
Management, 1849 C Street NW, Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20240, 
Attention: Jean Sonneman; or by email to [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 1004-0034 in the subject line of your 
comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information 
about this ICR, contact Jennifer Spencer by email at [email protected], 
or by telephone at 202-912-7146. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, we provide the general public and other Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and 
continuing collections of information. This helps us assess the impact 
of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand our information 
collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired 
format. A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period 
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on 
January 26, 2018 (83 FR 3765), and the comment

[[Page 17840]]

period ended March 27, 2018. The BLM received no comments. We are again 
soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are 
especially interested in public comment addressing the following 
issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper functions of the 
BLM; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely 
manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the BLM 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (5) how might the BLM minimize the burden of this 
collection on the respondents, including through the use of information 
technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. Before including your address, phone number, email 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal 
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.
    Abstract: This collection of information enables the BLM to process 
assignments of record title interest and transfers of operating rights 
in a lease for oil and gas or geothermal resources. Each assignment or 
transfer is a contract between private parties but, by law, must be 
approved by the Secretary. The BLM uses information about assignments 
and transfers to prevent unlawful extraction of mineral resources, to 
ensure prompt payment of rentals and royalties for the rights obtained 
under a Federal lease, and to ensure that leases are not encumbered 
with agreements that cause the minerals to be uneconomical to produce, 
resulting in lost revenues to the Federal Government. The information 
also enables the BLM to ensure the assignee or transferee is in 
compliance with the bonding requirements, when necessary, before 
approval of the transfer or assignment.
    Title of Collection: Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources: Transfers 
and Assignments.
    OMB Control Number: 1004-0034.
    Form Numbers: 3000-3 and 3000-3a.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Assignors and assignees of record 
title interest in a lease for oil and gas or geothermal resources; and 
transferors and transferees of operating rights (sublease) in a lease 
for oil and gas or geothermal resources.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 17,626.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 17,626.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: 30 minutes.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 8,813.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $1,674,470.
    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.
    The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq).

Jean Sonneman,
Bureau of Land Management, Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-08534 Filed 4-23-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P