SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, BOEM provides the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps BOEM assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand BOEM's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.

BOEM is soliciting comments on the proposed ICR described below. BOEM is especially interested in public comments addressing the following issues: (1) is the collection necessary to the proper functions of BOEM; (2) what can BOEM do to ensure that this information is processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the burden estimate accurate; (4) how might BOEM enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might BOEM minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including minimizing the burden through the use of information technology?

Comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of public record. BOEM will include or summarize each comment in its ICR to OMB for approval of this information collection. You should be aware that your entire comment—including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information included in your comment—may be made publicly available at any time. Even if BOEM withholds your information in the context of this ICR, your submission is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). If your submission is requested under the FOIA, your information will only be withheld if a determination is made that one of the FOIA's exemptions to disclosure applies. Such a determination will be made in accordance with the Department of the Interior's (DOI) FOIA regulations and applicable law.

In order for BOEM to consider withholding from disclosure your personally identifying information, you must identify, in a cover letter, any information contained in the submittal of your comments that, if released, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of your personal privacy. You must also briefly describe any possible harmful consequence of the disclosure of information, such as embarrassment, injury, or other harm.

Note that BOEM will make available for public inspection all comments, in their entirety, submitted by organizations and businesses or by individuals identifying themselves as representatives of organizations or businesses.

BOEM protects proprietary information in accordance with FOIA (5 U.S.C. 552), DOI's implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2), and 30 CFR parts 550 and 552 promulgated pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1352(c)).

Title of Collection: “30 CFR part 550, subpart A, General, and Subpart K, Oil and Gas Production in the Outer Continental Shelf.”

Abstract: This ICR addresses regulations under 30 CFR part 550, subparts A and K, which deal with regulatory requirements of oil, gas, and sulfur operations on the OCS. This request also covers the related notices to lessees and operators (NTLs) that BOEM issues to clarify and provide guidance on some aspects of its regulations, and forms BOEM-0127, BOEM-0140, BOEM-1123, and BOEM-1832.

The OCS Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to prescribe rules and regulations to administer leasing of the OCS and all operations conducted under a lease. Leasing on the OCS must balance orderly energy resource development with protection of the human, marine, and coastal environments; ensure the public a fair return on the resources of the OCS; and preserve and maintain free enterprise competition.

BOEM uses the information collected under these regulations to ensure that leasing and operations on the OCS are carried out in a safe and environmentally sound manner, do not interfere with the rights of other users on the OCS, and balance the protection and development of OCS resources. Specifically, BOEM uses the information collected to:

• Determine the capability of a well to produce oil or gas in paying quantities or to determine the possible need for additional wells resulting in minimum royalty status on a lease.
• Provide lessees and operators greater flexibility to comply with regulatory requirements through approval of alternative equipment or procedures or to depart from regulatory requirements, if they demonstrate equal or better compliance with the appropriate performance standards.
• Ensure that subsurface storage of natural gas does not unduly interfere with development and production operations under existing leases.
• Determine if an application for a right-of-use and easement grant complies with the OCS Lands Act, other applicable laws, and BOEM regulations, and does not unreasonably interfere with the operations of any other lessee.
• Provide for orderly development of oil and gas resources while protecting the environment.
• Determine the appropriateness of disqualification of a lessee or operator based on performance.
• Ascertain if circumstances exist which warrant cancellation of leases.
• Ensure the protection of any discovered archaeological resources.
• Regulate production rates from sensitive reservoirs based on information submitted on Form BOEM-0127, “Sensitive Reservoir Information (SRI) Report.” BOEM engineers and geologists use the information for rate control and reservoir studies. The form requests general information about the reservoir, the company, volumetric data, and fluid analysis and production data.
• Manage reservoirs based on information submitted on Form BOEM-0140, “Bottomhole Pressure Survey Report,” in order to conserve natural resources, prevent waste, and protect correlative rights, including the Government's royalty interest. The form requests information about the well and operator; test data information such as shut-in time, bottomhole temperature, kelly bushing elevation; and bottomhole ( printed page 46994) pressure points that consist of measured depths, true vertical depths, pressures, and pressure gradients.
• Record the designation of an operator through Form BOEM-1123, “Designation of Operator,” authorized to act on behalf of the lessee and any operating rights owner to fulfill their obligations under the OCS Lands Act and implementing regulations. The form also is used to record the local agent empowered to receive notices and comply with regulatory orders issued. This form requires the respondent to submit general information such as lease number, name, address, company number of designated operator, and signature of the authorized representative of the lessee.
• Provide operator notice of violations through Form BOEM-1832, “Notification of Incidents of Noncompliance [INC].” The BOEM issues this form to the operator. The operator corrects the INCs included on the form, signs to confirm corrective action has been taken, and returns the form to BOEM.

OMB Control Number: 1010-0114.

Form Number:

• BOEM-0127, “Sensitive Reservoir Information (SRI) Report;”
• BOEM-0140, “Bottomhole Pressure Survey Report;”
• BOEM-1123, “Designation of Operator;” and
• BOEM-1832, “Notification of Incidents of Noncompliance.”

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Federal oil, gas, or sulfur lessees and operators.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5,621 responses.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 27,849 hours.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion, monthly.

Total Estimated Annual Non-Hour Burden Cost: $165,492.

Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The current annual burden for this collection is 18,323 hours and 5,302 responses. BOEM proposes to increase the annual burden to 27,849 hours and 5,621 responses. BOEM conducted public outreach where industry recommended increasing the numbers for static bottomhole pressure surveys and sensitive reservoir information reports. Based on industry recommendations, BOEM is asking OMB for approval of an additional 9,526 annual burden hours and 319 responses.

The following table details the individual components and respective hour burden estimates of this ICR.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.

The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

87 FR 46992