EIA-821 Nonresponse Letter

EIA ID: «CIN» «Company» DBA: «DBA» «Address1» «Address2» «City», «State» «Zip1»-«Zip2»

Email: «Email» Phone: «Phone1»-«Phone2»-«Phone3» Fax: «FAX1»-«FAX2»-«FAX3»

Dear «Contact»:

According to our records, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has not received your company’s Form EIA-821, “Annual Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales Report,” for reference year 2016, which was due March 10, 2017. Your company’s response to this survey is mandatory under the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275), making it a legal obligation to file this form. Failure to comply may result in the imposition of civil and/or criminal penalties under Section 13(b) of Public Law 93-275.

Form EIA-821, the Annual Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales Report, is a mandatory annual survey of companies that deliver or sell distillate, residual fuel oils, and kerosene. These data are used by the Federal Government for energy policy activities, and for forecasting and consumption programs to determine current and projected fuel oil needs on a national, regional, and state basis. Aggregations of these data are also used by Congress, state government agencies and petroleum industry analysts for a variety of analytic studies.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4.4 hours per response, including the time of reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Your company’s mandatory participation will continue into the future until further notification.

The information reported on this form will be protected and not disclosed to the public to the extent that it satisfies the criteria for exemption under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. §552, the Department of Energy (DOE) regulations, 10 C.F.R. §1004.11, implementing the FOIA, and the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. §1905. 

Enclosed you will find:

• The survey form for the 2016 reference year

• Instructions for completing the survey

• Reference guide

• A business reply envelope

Your company’s completed survey must be returned to EIA immediately. EIA encourages survey respondents to use electronic copies of the survey materials and to return completed forms electronically using the Secure File Transfer option, which will encrypt your company’s data to keep it more secure and expedite its handling. The survey form, instructions, frequently asked questions, and reference guide are available on EIA’s website at: https://www.eia.gov/survey/#eia-821.

When completing the form, please include the EIA ID shown above in this letter in the space provided on the survey form you file. We also ask that you verify the above contact information and make any changes or update any missing information when completing the remaining items.

Please keep a copy of your completed survey form for your files.

Secure File Transfer information:

• Secure File Transfer (Preferred Method): submit data to EIA using a secure method of transmission: HTTPS. This is an industry-standard method to send information over the web using secure, encrypted processes. Send your survey(s) using this secure method at: https://signon.eia.doe.gov/upload/noticeoog.jsp.

The form can also be returned by mail or by fax to 1-202-586-9772, ATTN: EIA-821.

Company Reporting Requirements:

• If your firm has “Permanently ceased operation,” been “Sold,” “Merged,” or “Leased” to another company during 2016, you are required to provide information on Form EIA-821 for that portion of 2016 in which the firm was active under your ownership and control. Please check the appropriate boxes in Item 12 and fill in Items 13-21.

• EIA recognizes that some firms may not have the information requested on sales for different energy uses readily available. If your firm does not maintain this information, estimates of sales volumes may be provided. The basis for the estimates must be consistent with the standard accounting records maintained by the firm. The estimating procedure and data supporting the estimates should result in a reasonably accurate estimate, which will be subject to review.

• Report the entire firm's sales of kerosene, distillate and residual fuel oils. To avoid duplication of data, EIA prefers that the parent company file Form EIA-821 for itself and all subsidiaries. If you are a subsidiary or a commissioned agent of another company, mark Box “c” or Box “d” in Item 12, fill in Items 13-21, and return the form to EIA in the enclosed envelope. However, if you are a subsidiary and want to report sales volumes for yourself and/or the parent company, EIA requests that you fill in Items 12-21 on the form and return. If you are a parent company and a subsidiary is reporting your sales volumes, EIA requests that you fill in Item 12 on the form and return.

• If you receive more than one copy of this letter with different EIA ID numbers for the same company, please call toll free 1-800-638-8812 as soon as possible.

Questions concerning sanctions and the confidentiality of information are addressed in the instructions. For additional questions, or should you need assistance in completing the form, please call toll free 1-800-638-8812.

Thank you in advance for ensuring your company’s compliance in providing EIA with this important energy data.

Sincerely,

Robert Merriam

Director, Office of Petroleum and Biofuels Statistics

U.S. Energy Information Administration

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