[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 154 (Tuesday, August 11, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42870-42871]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21403]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, DOI.
ACTION: Notice of information collection.
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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Minerals
Management Service (MMS) is soliciting comments on a revision to an
approved information collection, the Payor Information Form, Form MMS-
4025 (OMB Control Number 1010-0033), which expires on June 30, 2000.
FORM: MMS-4025, Payor Information Form.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before October 13,
1998.
ADDRESSES: Comments sent via the U.S. Postal Service should be sent to
Minerals Management Service, Royalty Management Program, Rules and
Publications Staff, P.O. Box 25165, MS 3021, Denver, Colorado 80225-
0165; courier address is Building 85, Room A613, Denver Federal Center,
Denver, Colorado 80225; e:mail address is David.Guzy@mms.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis C. Jones, Rules and
Publications Staff, phone (303) 231-3046, FAX (303) 231-3385, e-mail
Dennis.C.Jones@mms.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, Section 3506(c)(2)(A), we are notifying you, members of
the public and affected agencies, of this revision to an approved
information collection, the Payor Information Form, Form MMS-4025 (OMB
Control Number 1010-0033), which expires on June 30, 2000. Is this
information collection necessary for us to properly do our job? Have we
accurately estimated the industry burden for responding to this
collection? Can we enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information we collect? Can we lessen the burden of this information
collection on the respondents by using automated collection techniques
or other forms of information technology?
The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for the collection of
royalties from lessees 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.
MMS performs the royalty management functions for the Secretary.
When a company or individual enters into a contract to develop,
produce, and dispose of minerals from Federal or Indian lands, that
company or individual agrees to pay the United
[[Page 42871]]
States or Indian tribe or allottee a share (royalty) of the full value
received for the minerals taken from leased lands. We use an automated
fiscal accounting system, the Auditing and Financial System (AFS), to
account for revenues collected from Federal and Indian leases. In
addition to accounting for royalties reported by payors, AFS
facilitates the monthly distribution of mineral revenues to State,
Indian, and General Treasury accounts; provides royalty accounting and
statistical information to States, Indians, and others who have a need
for such information; and identifies underreporting and nonreporting so
MMS can promptly collect revenues.
AFS is an essential part of an overall effort to improve the
management of the nation's mineral resources and to ensure proper
collection and accounting for revenues due from lessees removing and
processing oil and gas products from Federal or Indian leases. Part of
the data base for AFS consists of information collected using the Payor
Information Form (PIF), MMS-4025.
PIF is used to record and report data from new producing leases,
for updating payor changes, and to notify MMS of the products on which
royalties will be paid.
Based upon well data provided by the Bureau of Land Management, MMS
developed a well database and, consequently, payors no longer need to
report certain well data when submitting the PIF. Also, the Royalty
Policy Committee, established by the Secretary, and MMS personnel
identified several data elements that are only needed on an exception
basis and, therefore, do not need to be routinely reported on the PIF.
This program change reduces the reporting burden for this information
collection. We estimate that the annual burden associated with this
information collection will decrease from the currently-approved 19,197
hours to 17,250 hours. Approximately 23,000 responses will be received
annually, and the burden to complete a revised form will decrease from
45 to 40 minutes or 15,333 hours annually. We estimate the
recordkeeping burden at 5 minutes per form or 1,917 hours annually.
As a result of this reduction in reporting burden for this
information collection, the following information will no longer be
required to be reported on the PIF:
Section III
Unit/Comm Agreement Data--Tract number/percent
Well Data--name, formation, API well number, and/or location.
Section IV
Buyer/seller/refiner name.
Gas contract number.
RIK contract number.
Company name and code for which an allowance applies.
Date: July 28, 1998.
Lucy Querques Denett,
Associate Director for Royalty Management,
[FR Doc. 98-21403 Filed 8-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P