[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 122 (Friday, June 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34267-34268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-16192]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submitted for Office of
Management and Budget Review; Comment Request
AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection request.
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SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et
seq.), we are notifying you that an information collection request
(ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review and approval. We are also soliciting your comments on this
ICR which describes the information collection, its expected costs and
burden, and how the data will be collected.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before July 26, 1999.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments directly to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for
the Interior Department (OMB Control Number 1010-0120), 725 17th
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503; telephone (202) 395-7340. You should
also send copies of these comments to us. The U.S. Postal Service
address is Minerals Management Service, Royalty Management Program,
Rules and Publications Staff, P.O. Box 25165, MS 3021, Denver,
Colorado, 80225-0165; the courier address is Building 85, Room A-613,
Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225; and the e:Mail address
is RMP.comments@mms.gov.
[[Page 34268]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain copies of the proposed
information collection and related explanatory material, contact Dennis
C. Jones, Rules and Publications Staff, telephone (303) 231-3046, FAX
(303) 231-3385, e-Mail Dennis.C.Jones@mms.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Solid Minerals Reengineering Operational Model.
OMB Control Number: 1010-0120.
Abstract: The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for
collecting royalties from leases producing minerals from leased Federal
and Indian lands. The Secretary is required by various laws to manage
the production of mineral resources on Indian lands and Federal onshore
and offshore leases, to collect the royalties due, and to distribute
the funds in accordance with those laws; we perform these royalty
management functions for the Secretary.
When a company or an individual enters into a contract or lease to
develop, mine, and dispose of Federal or Indian minerals, that company
or individual (the respondent) agrees to pay the appropriate royalty
due based upon gross proceeds received from the sale of production from
the leased lands. Royalty rates are specified in the lease agreement.
Specific lease language varies; however, respondents agree by the lease
terms to furnish statements providing the details of all operations
conducted on a lease and the quantity and quality of all production
from the lease at such times and in such form as the Secretary may
prescribe. Rules require respondents to provide accurate, complete, and
timely reports for all minerals produced, in the manner and form
prescribed by MMS in 30 CFR Part 210, Subpart E, and Part 216, Subpart
A.
We currently require respondents to submit eight separate forms to
collect the above information. We also require respondents to resubmit
each of these forms to correct any errors which may have occurred on
previous submissions of required information. The Solid Minerals
Operational Model will focus on collecting production, royalty, and
valuation data, while streamlining reporting requirements. The
participating companies will continue to submit the eight currently
required forms and will also submit the required information using new
reporting guidelines for this operational model.
We will collect the production, royalty, and valuation data using
information technology. We will use the information collected to
support:
Distribution and Disbursement. We must match the royalty
payment submitted on the Report of Sales and Royalty Remittances (Form
MMS-2014) to the Production and Royalty Report (Form MMS-4430),
maintain lease accounts of payments, and ensure the distribution of
data and disbursement of monies to our revenue recipients.
Compliance and Asset Management Processes. We must
determine areas not in compliance for a lease or mine sooner than the
current processes allow. The Production and Royalty Report form is
designed to give us the basic volume and valuation information
necessary to begin these compliance activities so that we may compare
it to the Remote Storage and Washing Plant and Market Profile data
formats.
Monitoring Allowances and Off-site Activity. We must
monitor allowance deductions and off-site inventory and sales.
Companies maintain electronic data files of this information as a
normal course of business. We propose to download the data from these
company-maintained files to our compliance data systems. Our intent is
to minimize the information collection burden on industry respondents
as well as ourselves.
BLM Production Verification, Diligent Development, and
Recoverable Reserves Calculations. We must make facility data available
on-line to all BLM, BIA, Tribal, and State Audit offices. During the
operational model, we will refine the Remote Storage and Washing Plant
data to ensure BLM can perform these processes, including monitoring
plant efficiencies, maximum recovery, and secondary product
inventories.
Compliance and Asset Management Processes. We will require
the submission of supplemental information (Market Profile) for the
compliance aspect of our reengineering efforts. The Market Profile data
will be an integral part of the Compliance and Asset Management process
being developed in the operational model. We will use this information
to verify royalty value and augment monitoring and detection of
compliance problems on those mines. This information will only be
collected from those reporters whose royalties are based on gross
proceeds or who sell products beyond the mine site.
Respondents/Affected Entities: Solid Minerals Mining Companies.
Frequency of Response: Monthly and quarterly.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 8.
Estimated Total Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: 463
hours.
Comments: Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act
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 proposed
collection of information is 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.
Send your comments directly to the offices listed under the
ADDRESSES section of this notice. OMB has up to 60 days to approve or
disapprove the information collection but may respond after 30 days.
Therefore, to ensure maximum consideration, OMB should receive public
comments by July 26, 1999.
MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach,
(202) 208-7744.
Dated: June 18, 1999.
R. Dale Fazio,
Acting Associate Director for Royalty Management.
[FR Doc. 99-16192 Filed 6-24-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
