ACTION:
60-Day notice.
SUMMARY:
To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns renewal to the paperwork requirements in the regulations under Subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-Completion Operations.
DATE:
You must submit comments by August 12, 2016.
ADDRESSES:
You may submit comments by either of the following methods listed below.
- Electronically: go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for BSEE-2016-0009. Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view all related materials. We will post all comments.
- Email regs@bsee.gov or hand-carry comments to the Department of the Interior; BSEE; Regulations and Standards Branch; Attention: Kelly Odom; 45600 Woodland Road; Sterling, Virginia 20166. Please reference ICR 1014-0004 in your comment and include your name and return address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kelly Odom, Regulations and Standards Branch at (703) 787-1775 to request additional information about this ICR.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: 30 CFR part 250, subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-Completion Operations.
OMB Control Number: 1014-0004.
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 necessary for the administration of the leasing provisions of the Act related to the mineral resources on the OCS. Such rules and regulations will apply to all operations conducted under a lease. Operations on the OCS must preserve, protect, and develop mineral resources in a manner that 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.
Section 5(a) of the OCS Lands Act requires the Secretary to prescribe rules and regulations “to provide for the prevention of waste, and conservation of the natural resources of the Outer Continental Shelf, and the protection of correlative rights therein” and to include provisions “for the prompt and efficient exploration and development of a lease area.” These authorities and responsibilities are among those delegated to BSEE to ensure that operations in the OCS will meet statutory requirements; provide for safety and protection of the environment; and result in diligent exploration, development, and production of OCS leases. This information collection (IC) request addresses the regulations at 30 CFR 250, Subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-Completion Operations, and any associated supplementary Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) intended to provide clarification, description, or explanation of these regulations.
In addition to the general rulemaking authority of the OCSLA at 43 U.S.C. 1334, section 301(a) of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (FOGRMA), 30 U.S.C. 1751(a), grants authority to the Secretary to prescribe such rules and regulations as are reasonably necessary to carry out FOGRMA's provisions. While the majority of FOGRMA is directed to royalty collection and enforcement, some provisions apply to offshore operations. For example, section 108 of FOGRMA, 30 U.S.C. 1718, grants the Secretary broad authority to inspect lease sites for the purpose of determining whether there is compliance with the mineral leasing laws. Section 109(c)(2) and (d)(1), 30 U.S.C. 1719(c)(2) and (d)(1), impose substantial civil penalties for failure to permit lawful inspections and for knowing or willful preparation or submission of false, inaccurate, or misleading reports, records, or other information. Because the Secretary has delegated some of the authority under FOGRMA to BSEE, 30 U.S.C. 1751 is included as additional authority for these requirements.
Regulations at 30 CFR part 250 implement these statutory requirements. We use the information to ensure that planned well-completion operations will protect personnel and natural resources. They use the analysis and evaluation results in the decision to approve, disapprove, or require modification to the proposed well-completion operations. Specifically, BSEE uses the information to ensure: (a) Compliance with personnel safety training requirements; (b) crown block safety device is operating and can be expected to function to avoid accidents; (c) proposed operation of the annular preventer is technically correct and provides adequate protection for personnel, property, and natural resources; (d) well-completion operations are conducted on well casings that are structurally competent; and (e) sustained casing pressures are within acceptable limits.
The BSEE will protect proprietary information according to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR 2); 30 CFR 250.197, Data and information to be made available to the public or for limited inspection; and 30 CFR part 252, OCS Oil and Gas Information Program. No items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses are mandatory.
Frequency: Responses are generally weekly, monthly, annually, and vary by section.
Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulphur lessees and holders of pipeline rights-of-way.
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 40,183 hours. This submission requests 13,223 burden hours. The adjustment decrease of 26,960 hours is due to the publication of the final blowout preventer regulations which moved many of the requirements of Subpart F into the new Subpart G regulations, Well Operations and Equipment. The following chart details the individual components and respective hour burden estimates of this ICR. 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.
| Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart E | Reporting and recordkeeping requirements | Hour burden | Average number of annual responses | Annual burden hours (rounded) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500-531 | General departure and alternative compliance requests not specifically covered elsewhere in Subpart E regulations | Burden covered under Subpart A—1014-0022 | 0 | |
| 513 | These sections contain references to information, approvals, requests, payments, etc., which are submitted with an APD, the burdens for which are covered under its own information collection | APD burden covered under 1014-0025 | 0 | |
| 513(a); 518(f); 526(a); 527 | These sections contain references to information, approvals, requests, payments, etc., which are submitted with an APM, the burdens for which are covered under its own information collection | APM burden covered under 1014-0026 | 0 | |
| 511 | Record weekly results of traveling-block safety device in operations log | 1.5 | 360 completions × 2 recordings = 720 | 1,080 |
| 512 | Request establishment, amendment, or cancellation of well-completion field rules | 11 | 28 field rules | 308 |
| 513(c), (d) | Submit EOR (BSEE-0125) to District Manager 30-day after completion; including additional supporting information and public information copies | Burden covered under Subpart D—1014-0018 | 0 | |
| 514(c) | Post the number of stands of drill pipe/collars that may be pulled and equivalent well-control fluid volume | 1.5 | 741 postings | 1,112 |
| 524 | Retain records of casing pressure and diagnostic tests for 2 years or until the well is abandoned | 1.75 | 3,017 records | 5,280 |
| 526(b); 528 | Submit a casing pressure request; any additional information as needed | 9 | 484 requests | 4,356 |
| 530(a) | Notify BSEE after completion of corrected action within 30 days | 14 | 68 plans | 952 |
| 530(b) | Submit the casing pressure diagnostic test data within 14 days | 2.5 | 54 submittals | 135 |
| Total Hour Burden | 5,112 Responses | 13,223 |
Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have identified no non-hour cost burdens associated with this 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: Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) 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 collection is necessary or useful; (b) evaluate the accuracy 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 technology.
Agencies must also estimate the non-hour paperwork cost burdens to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. Therefore, if you have other than hour burden costs to generate, maintain, and disclose this information, you should comment and provide your total capital and startup cost components or annual operation, maintenance, and purchase of service components. For further information on this burden, refer to 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(1) and (2), or contact the Bureau representative listed previously in this notice.
We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them in our submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments, we will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to OMB.
Public Comment Procedures: 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.
BSEE Information Collection Clearance Officer: Nicole Mason (703) 787-1607.
Dated: June 3, 2016.
Robert W. Middleton,
Deputy Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016-13862 Filed 6-10-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P