2020-14521. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Application for Permit To Modify and Supporting Documentation

AGENCY:

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposes to renew an information collection with revisions.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before August 6, 2020.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function. Please provide a copy of your comments to Kye Mason, BSEE ICCO, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166; or by email to [e-mail]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1014-0026 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request additional information about this ICR, contact Kye Mason by email at [e-mail], or by telephone at [phone]. You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the PRA and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we provide the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps us 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.

A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on February 18, 2020 (85 FR 8890). No comments were received.

As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other Federal agencies on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. We are 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. 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: Throughout the regulations at 30 CFR part 250, BSEE requires the submission of Applications for Permit to Modify (APM), and all supporting documentation on form BSEE-0124 that pertain to regulatory requirements of oil, gas, and sulfur operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) (including the associated forms), and are the subject of this collection. This request also covers any related Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) that BSEE issues to clarify, supplement, or provide additional guidance on some aspects of our regulations.

In this information collection request, we are updating/revising form BSEE-0124 to follow eWell. Specifically, No. 16 in order to provide consistency in both district engineer and inspection coding, No. 18 to add § 250.730(a) to the list of citations, No. 20 to add text to reflect § 250.730(a), and No. 36 to revise/edit text in (J) to be more general and (M) to be more clear on what we are requesting.

The BSEE uses the information to ensure safe well control, completion, workover, and decommissioning operations and to protect the human, marine, and coastal environment. Among other things, BSEE specifically uses the information to ensure: The well control, completion, workover, and decommissioning unit (drilling/well operations) is fit for the intended purpose; equipment is maintained in a state of readiness and meets safety standards; each drilling/well operation crew is properly trained and able to promptly perform well-control 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 the 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.

Title of Collection: 30 CFR part 250, Application for Permit to Modify (APM) and supporting documentation.

OMB Control Number: 1014-0026.

Form Number: BSEE-0124.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents are comprised of Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees/operators and holders of pipeline rights-of-way.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: Not all the potential respondents will submit information at any given time, and some may submit multiple times.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 12,202.

Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 10 minutes to 154 hours, depending on activity.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 17,311.

Respondent's Obligation: Responses are mandatory.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion and varies by section.

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $6,451,500.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor and 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.).

Amy White,

Acting Chief, Regulations and Standards Branch.