Agency Information Collection Activities; Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing, and Drainage Protection

AGENCY:

Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

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

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before October 8, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Send your written comments on this information collection request (ICR) by mail to Darrin King, Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Attention PRA Office, 440 W 200 S #500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101; or by email to BLM_HQ_PRA_Comments@blm.gov. Please reference Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number 1004-0185 in the subject line of your comments. Please note that due to COVID-19, the electronic submission of comments is recommended.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact Jennifer Spencer by email at j35spenc@blm.gov, or by telephone at 307-775-6261. Individuals who are hearing or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY assistance. 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 (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all information collections require approval under the PRA. The BLM may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, the BLM invites the public and other Federal agencies to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the BLM 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.

The BLM is especially interested in public comment addressing the following:

(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether or not the information will have practical utility;

(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) How might the agency minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of response.

Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. The BLM will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this ICR. 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: The BLM collects information to monitor and enforce compliance with drainage protection and other requirements pertaining to Federal and Indian oil and gas leasing and operations (except on the Osage Reservation). OMB Control Number 1004-0185 is currently scheduled to expire on December 31, 2021. This request is for OMB to renew this OMB control number for an additional three years.

There are no program or policy changes proposed with this renewal request. However, the BLM is projecting that the estimated burden for this OMB control number will be adjusted downward. The BLM plans to request a reduction of approximately 5,241 annual burden hours (from 42,936 to 37,695) and $2,526,933 annual non-hour burden cost (from $3,278,348 to $751,415). These adjustments are a result of a projected reduction in the number of respondents to the collections of information under OMB control number 1004-0185 (from 19,711 to 9,131).

Title of Collection: Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing, and Drainage Protection (43 CFR parts 3100, 3120, and 3150, and subpart 3162).

OMB Control Number: 1004-0185.

Form Numbers: None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Holders of onshore oil and gas lease and public lands and Indian lands (except on the Osage Reservation), operators of such leases, and holders of operating rights on such leases.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 9,131.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 9,132.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 1 hour to 24 hours per response, depending on activity.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 37,695.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.

Frequency of Collection: `On occasion,’ except for the activity titled “Option statement,” which is required twice a year.

Total Estimated Annual Non-hour Burden Cost: $751,415.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor and, notwithstanding any other provision of law, 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.).