1010-0141 30-day

Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 127 / Tuesday, July 1, 2008 / Notices
April 23, 2008.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. E8–14892 Filed 6–30–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
[Docket No. MMS–2008–OMM–0007]

MMS Information Collection Activity:
1010–0141, 30 CFR Part 250, Subpart
D, Oil and Gas Drilling Operations,
Extension of a Collection; Submitted
for Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Review; Comment Request
Minerals Management Service
(MMS), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of extension of an
information collection (1010–0141).
AGENCY:

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 D, Oil and Gas
Drilling Operations. This notice also
provides the public a second
opportunity to comment on the
paperwork burden of these regulatory
requirements.

You should submit
comments directly to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for the
Department of the Interior (1010–0141),
either by fax (202) 395–6566 or e-mail
([email protected]).
Please also send a copy to MMS by
either of the following methods:
• http://www.regulations.gov. Under
the tab ‘‘More Search Options,’’ click
Advanced Docket Search, then select
‘‘Minerals Management Service’’ from
the agency drop-down menu, then click
‘‘submit.’’ In the Docket ID column,
select MMS–2008–OMM–0007 to
submit public comments and to view
supporting and related materials
available for this rulemaking.
Information on using Regulations.gov,
including instructions for accessing
documents, submitting comments, and
viewing the docket after the close of the
comment period, is available through
the site’s ‘‘User Tips’’ link. The MMS
will post all comments.
• Mail or hand-carry comments to the
Department of the Interior, Minerals
Management Service; Attention: Cheryl
Blundon, 381 Elden Street, MS–4024,
Herndon, Virginia 20170–4817. Please

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ADDRESSES:

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reference ‘‘Information Collection 1010–
0141’’ 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:
Cheryl Blundon, Regulations and
Standards Branch, (703) 787–1607. You
may also contact Cheryl Blundon to
obtain a copy, at no cost, of the
regulations and forms that require the
subject collection of information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: 30 CFR Part 250, Subpart D, Oil
and Gas Drilling Operations.
Forms: MMS–123, MMS–123S, MMS–
124, MMS–125, MMS–133, and MMS–
133S.
OMB Control Number: 1010–0141.
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 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 1332(6) states that
‘‘operations in the Outer Continental
Shelf should be conducted in a safe
manner by well-trained personnel using
technology, precautions, and other
techniques sufficient to prevent or
minimize the likelihood of blowouts,
loss of well control, fires, spillages,
physical obstructions 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.’’
Regulations implementing these
responsibilities are under 30 CFR part
250, subpart D. Responses are
mandatory or are required to obtain or
retain a benefit. No questions of a
‘‘sensitive’’ nature are asked. The MMS
will protect proprietary information
according to 30 CFR 250.197, ‘‘Data and
information to be made available to the
public or for limited inspection,’’ 30
CFR part 252, ‘‘OCS Oil and Gas
Information Program,’’ and the Freedom
of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its
implementing regulations (43 CFR part
2).
The MMS needs the information to
ensure safe drilling operations and to

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protect the human, marine, and coastal
environment. Among other things, MMS
specifically uses the information to
ensure: The drilling unit is fit for the
intended purpose; the lessee or operator
will not encounter geologic conditions
that present a hazard to operations;
equipment is maintained in a state of
readiness and meets safety standards;
each drilling crew is properly trained
and able to promptly perform wellcontrol activities at any time during
well operations; compliance with safety
standards; and the current regulations
will provide for safe and proper field or
reservoir development, resource
evaluation, conservation, protection of
correlative rights, safety, and
environmental protection. We also
review well records to ascertain whether
drilling operations have encountered
hydrocarbons or H2S and to ensure that
H2S detection equipment, personnel
protective equipment, and training of
the crew are adequate for safe
operations in zones known to contain
H2S and zones where the presence of
H2S is unknown.
The following forms are also
submitted to MMS under subpart D. The
forms and their purposes are:
Application for Permit To Drill, Forms
MMS–123 and MMS–123S
The MMS uses the information from
these forms to determine the conditions
of a drilling site to avoid hazards
inherent in drilling operations.
Specifically, the appropriate MMS
District Office uses the information to
evaluate the adequacy of a lessee’s plan
and equipment for drilling, sidetracking
or bypass operations. This includes the
adequacy of the proposed casing design,
casing setting depths, drilling fluid
(mud), and cementing programs to
ascertain that the proposed operations
will be conducted in an operationally
safe manner that provides adequate
protection for the environment. The
District Office also reviews the
information to ensure conformance with
specific provisions of the lease. In
addition, except for proprietary data,
MMS is required by the OCS Lands Act
to make available to the public certain
information submitted on forms MMS–
123 and MMS–123S.
Application for Permit To Modify,
Form MMS–124
The MMS uses the information on
this form to evaluate and approve the
adequacy of the equipment, materials,
and/or procedures that the lessee plans
to use during such post APD
modifications or operations as plugging
back or temporary abandonment where
the well bore will be reentered and

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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 127 / Tuesday, July 1, 2008 / Notices

completed or permanently plugged. In
addition, except for proprietary data,
MMS is required by the OCS Lands Act
to make available to the public certain
information submitted on form MMS–
124.

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End of Operations Report, Form MMS–
125
The MMS uses this information to
ensure that they have accurate and upto-date data and information on wells
and leasehold activities under their
jurisdiction and to ensure compliance
with approved plans and any conditions
placed upon a suspension or temporary
prohibition. It is also used to evaluate
the remedial action in the event of well
equipment failure or well control loss.
Form MMS–125 is updated and
resubmitted in the event the well status
changes. The information keeps MMS
aware of the status of drilling and
completion operations. In addition,
except for proprietary data, MMS is
required by the OCS Lands Act to make
available to the public certain
information submitted on form MMS–
125.

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Well Activity Report, Forms MMS–133
and MMS–133S
The MMS uses this information to
monitor the conditions of a well and
status of drilling operations.
Specifically, the drilling engineer in the
District Office reviews the information
to be aware of the well conditions and
current drilling activity (i.e., well depth,
drilling fluid weight, casing types and
setting depths, completed well logs, and
recent safety equipment tests and drills).
The engineer uses this information to
determine how accurately the lessee
anticipated well conditions and if the
lessee is following the approved
Application for Permit to Drill (form
MMS–123). The MMS engineer and
District Supervisor also use the
information in their review of an
Application for Permit to Modify (form
MMS–124). With the information
collected on form MMS–133 available,
the reviewers can analyze the proposed
revisions (i.e., revised grade of casing or
deeper casing setting depth) and make
a quick and informed decision on the
request.

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In addition, except for proprietary
data, MMS is required by the OCS
Lands Act to make available to the
public certain information submitted on
forms MMS–133 and MMS–133S.
Frequency: Submissions are generally
on occasion, weekly, monthly, semiannually, annually, and varies by
section.
Estimated Number and Description of
Respondents: Approximately 130
respondents (Federal oil and gas OCS
lessees).
Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping ‘‘Hour’’ Burden: The
estimated annual ‘‘hour’’ burden for this
information collection is a total of
146,827 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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Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’
Burden: We have identified two nonhour cost burdens for this collection.
When respondents submit an
Application for Permit to Drill (Form
MMS–123), they submit a $1,850 fee for
initial applications only (there is no fee
for revisions); and when respondents
submit an Application for Permit to
Modify (Form MMS–124), they submit a
$110 fee. These two fees total
$1,789,340. Refer to the chart to see
these specific fee breakdowns. We have
not identified any other 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: 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
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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 January 28,
2008, we published a Federal Register
notice (73 FR 4911) announcing that we
would submit this ICR to OMB for
approval. The notice provided the
required 60-day comment period. In
addition, § 250.199 provides the OMB
control number for the information
collection requirements imposed by the
30 CFR part 250 regulations and forms.
The 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. The
OMB has up to 60 days to approve or

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disapprove the information collection
but may respond after 30 days.
Therefore, to ensure maximum
consideration, OMB should receive
public comments by July 31, 2008.
Public Availability of Comments:
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail 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.
MMS Information Collection
Clearance Officer: Arlene Bajusz (202)
208–7744.
Dated: May 13, 2008.
E.P. Danenberger,
Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.
[FR Doc. E8–14893 Filed 6–30–08; 8:45 am]
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