2013-19424. Information Collection Activities: Oil and Gas Well-Completion Operations; Proposed Collection; Comment Request

ACTION:

60-day Notice.

SUMMARY:

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns renewal to the paperwork requirements in the regulations under Subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-Completion Operations.

DATE:

You must submit comments by October 11, 2013.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by either of the following methods listed below.

• Electronically: go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter BSEE-2013-0004 then click search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view all related materials. We will post all comments.
• Email [e-mail]. Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the Interior; BSEE; Regulations and Standards Branch; Attention: Nicole Mason; 381 Elden Street, HE3313; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. Please reference ICR 1014-0004 in your comment and include your name and return address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nicole Mason, Regulations and Standards Branch at [phone] to request additional information about this ICR.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: 30 CFR Part 250, Subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-Completion Operations.

OMB Control Number: 1014-0004.

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 necessary for the administration of the leasing provisions of the Act related to the mineral resources on the OCS. Such rules and regulations will apply to all operations conducted under a lease. Operations on the OCS must preserve, protect, and develop mineral 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 5(a) of the OCS Lands Act requires the Secretary to prescribe rules and regulations “to provide for the prevention of waste, and conservation of the natural resources of the Outer Continental Shelf, and the protection of correlative rights therein” and to include provisions “for the prompt and efficient exploration and development of a lease area.” These authorities and responsibilities are among those delegated to BSEE to ensure that operations in the OCS will meet statutory requirements; provide for safety and protection of the environment; and result in diligent exploration, development, and production of OCS leases. This information collection (IC) request addresses the regulations at 30 CFR 250, Subpart E, Oil and Gas Well-Completion Operations, and any associated supplementary Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) intended to provide clarification, description, or explanation of these regulations.

In addition to the general rulemaking authority of the OCSLA at 43 U.S.C. 1334, section 301(a) of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (FOGRMA), 30 U.S.C. 1751(a), grants authority to the Secretary to prescribe such rules and regulations as are reasonably necessary to carry out FOGRMA's provisions. While the majority of FOGRMA is directed to royalty collection and enforcement, some provisions apply to offshore operations. For example, section 108 of FOGRMA, 30 U.S.C. 1718, grants the Secretary broad authority to inspect lease sites for the purpose of determining whether there is compliance with the mineral leasing laws. Section 109(c)(2) and (d)(1), 30 U.S.C. 1719(c)(2) and (d)(1), impose substantial civil penalties for failure to permit lawful inspections and for knowing or willful preparation or submission of false, inaccurate, or misleading reports, records, or other information. Because the Secretary has delegated some of the authority under FOGRMA to BSEE, 30 U.S.C. 1751 is included as additional authority for these requirements.

Regulations at 30 CFR part 250 implement these statutory requirements. We use the information to ensure that planned well-completion operations will protect personnel and natural resources. They use the analysis and evaluation results in the decision to approve, disapprove, or require modification to the proposed well-completion operations. Specifically, BSEE uses the information to ensure: (a) Compliance with personnel safety training requirements; (b) crown block safety device is operating and can be expected to function to avoid accidents; (c) proposed operation of the annular preventer is technically correct and provides adequate protection for personnel, property, and natural resources; (d) well-completion operations are conducted on well casings that are structurally competent; and (e) sustained casing pressures are within acceptable limits.

The BSEE will protect proprietary information according to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR 2); 30 CFR 250.197, Data and information to be made available to the public or for limited inspection; and 30 CFR part 252, OCS Oil and Gas Information Program. No items of a sensitive nature are collected. Responses are mandatory.

Frequency: Responses are generally weekly, monthly, annually, and vary by section.

Description of Respondents: Potential respondents comprise Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulphur lessees and holders of pipeline rights-of-way.

Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The currently approved annual reporting burden for this collection is 46,859 hours. The following chart details the individual components and respective hour burden estimates of this ICR. 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.

Citation 30 CFR 250 Subpart E and related NTLs	Reporting and recordkeeping requirements	Hour burden
Requests
502	Request an exception to shutting in producible wells before moving a well-completion rig or related equipment	5
512	Request establishment, amendment, or cancellation of well-completion field rules	10
500-531	General departure and alternative compliance requests not specifically covered elsewhere in Subpart E regulations	2
Records
506	Record dates and times of well-completion operations safety meetings	0.5
511	Record results of traveling-block safety device in operations log	1
514(d)	Request approval from the District Manager to displace kill-weight fluids to an underbalanced state; submit detailed written procedures with your APM	2
515(e)(2)(ii)	Allow BSEE access to witness testing, inspections, and information verification. Notify District Manager at least 72 hours prior to shearing ram tests	0.25
517(a)	Record all your BOP test pressures	0.75
517(c), (i)	Record time, date, and results of all pressure tests, crew drills, actuations, and inspections of the BOP in driller's report	5
517(d)(8)	Function test ROV interventions on your subsea BOP stack; document all test results; make available to BSEE upon request	10
517(d)(8)(ii) & (iii)	Notify District Manager at least 72 hours prior to stump/initial test on seafloor; document all test results and make them available to BSEE upon request	0.25
517(d)(9)	Function test autoshear and deadman on your subsea BOP stack during stump test; document all test results; make available to BSEE upon request
517(e)	Record reason for postponing BOP test in driller's report	0.5
517(g)(l)	Document the procedures used for BOP inspections; record results; maintain records for 2 years; make available to BSEE upon request	7 days × 12 hrs/day = 84
517(g)(2)	Request alternative method to inspect a marine riser	0
517(h)	Document the procedures used for BOP maintenance; record results; maintain records for 2 years; make available to BSEE upon request	1
517(i)(1)-(3)	Record BOP test pressure on pressure charts; onsite rep certify and sign/date reports; document sequential order of BOP/auxiliary testing, pressure, and duration of each test	2
Submittals
505; 513; 516(a); 526	Submit Forms BSEE-0123, BSEE-0123S, BSEE-0124, and BSEE-0125 and all accompanying information to conduct well-completion operations; request written approval	0
515	Submit a description of your BOP and its components; schematic drawings; independent third-party verification and all supporting information (evidence showing appropriate licenses, has expertise/experience necessary to perform required verifications, etc) with your APM	15
517(d)(8), (9)	Submit test procedures with your APM for approval and relevant supporting data	0
518(b), NTL	Submit results of casing pressure testing, callipering, and other evaluations; notify BSEE if sustained casing pressure is observed on a well	4
526(a); 527	Submit notification of corrective action	1.5
526(a); 530(a)	Submit a corrective action plan; notify BSEE after completion of corrected action within 30 days	11
526(b); 528	Submit a casing pressure request; any additional information as needed	9
530(b)	Submit the casing pressure diagnostic test data within 14 days	1
Post/Retain
514(c)	Post the number of stands of drill pipe/collars that may be pulled and equivalent well-control fluid volume	0.5
517(i)(6)	Retain all records including pressure charts, driller's report, referenced documents pertaining to BOP tests, actuations, and inspections at the facility for duration of the activity	1.5
517(i)(7)	After completion of well, retain all records for 2 two years at location conveniently available to BSEE	2
524	Retain records of casing pressure and diagnostic tests for 2 years or until the well is abandoned	1

Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Non-Hour Cost Burden: We have identified no 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: Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) 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 collection is necessary or useful; (b) evaluate the accuracy 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 technology.

Agencies must also estimate the non-hour paperwork cost burdens to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. Therefore, if you have other than hour burden costs to generate, maintain, and disclose this information, you should comment and provide your total capital and startup cost components or annual operation, maintenance, and purchase of service components. For further information on this burden, refer to 5 CFR 1320.3(b)(1) and (2), or contact the Bureau representative listed previously in this notice.

We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them in our submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments, we will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to OMB.

Public Comment Procedures: 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.

BSEE Information Collection Clearance Officer: Cheryl Blundon [phone].

Dated: August 2, 2013.

Robert W. Middleton,

Deputy Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs.