2022-25790. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget; Oil and Gas Production Requirements in the Outer Continental Shelf

AGENCY:

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of information collection; request for comment.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposes this information collection request (ICR) to renew the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) Control Number 1010-0114.

DATES:

Comments must be received by OMB no later than December 28, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your written comments on this ICR to the OMB's desk officer for the Department of the Interior at www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain within 30 days of publication of this notice. From the www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain landing page, find this information collection by selecting “Currently under Review—Open for Public Comments” or by searching for docket number BOEM-2017-0016. Please provide a copy of your comments by parcel delivery to the BOEM Information Collection Clearance Officer, Anna Atkinson, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166; or by email to [e-mail]. Please reference OMB Control Number 1010-0114 in the subject line of your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Anna Atkinson by email at [e-mail] or by telephone at 703-787-1025. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services offered within their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, BOEM provides the general public and other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps BOEM assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand BOEM's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.

Title of Collection: “Oil and Gas Production in the Outer Continental Shelf.”

Abstract: This ICR addresses regulations under 30 CFR part 550, subparts A and K, which deal with regulatory requirements of oil, gas, and sulfur operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This request also covers the related notices to lessees and operators (NTLs) that BOEM issues to clarify and provide guidance on some aspects of its regulations, and forms BOEM-0127, BOEM-0140, BOEM-1123, and BOEM-1832.

The OCS Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to prescribe rules and regulations to administer leasing of the OCS and all operations conducted under a lease. Leasing on the OCS must balance orderly energy resource development with protection of the human, marine, and coastal environments; ensure the public receives fair market value for the resources of the OCS; and preserve and maintain market competition.

BOEM uses the information collected under these regulations to ensure that leasing and operations on the OCS are carried out in a safe and environmentally sound manner, do not interfere with the rights of other users on the OCS, and balance the protection and development of OCS resources.

OMB Control Number: 1010-0114.

Form Number:

• BOEM-0127, “Sensitive Reservoir Information Report;”
• BOEM-0140, “Bottomhole Pressure Survey Report;”

• BOEM-1123, “Designation of Operator;” and

• BOEM-1832, “Notification of Incidents of Noncompliance.”

Type of Review: Renewal of a currently approved information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Federal oil, gas, or sulfur lessees and operators.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5,621 responses.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 27,849 hours.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Frequency of Collection: On occasion, monthly.

Total Estimated Annual Non-Hour Burden Cost: $165,492.

Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden: The current annual burden for this collection is 18,323 hours and 5,302 responses. BOEM proposes to increase the annual burden to 27,849 hours and 5,621 responses. BOEM conducted public outreach regarding the industry's recommendation to increase the number of static bottomhole pressure surveys, which is expected to cause an increase in sensitive reservoir information reports. Based on industry recommendations, BOEM is asking OMB for approval of an additional 9,526 annual burden hours and 319 responses.

The following table details the individual components and respective burden hour estimates of this ICR.

Burden Breakdown

Citation 30 CFR 550 subpart A and related forms/NTLs	Reporting or recordkeeping requirement	Hour burden	Average number of annual responses	Annual burden hours
		Non-hour cost burdens
Authority and Definition of Terms
104; 181; Form BOEM-1832	Appeal orders or decisions; appeal INCs; request hearing due to cancellation of lease	Exempt under 5 CFR 1320.4(a)(2), (c).		0
Performance Standards
115; 116	Request determination of well producibility; make available or submit data and information; notify BOEM of test	5	90 responses	450
119	Apply for subsurface storage of gas; sign storage agreement	10	3 applications	30
Subtotal			93 responses	480
Cost Recovery Fees
125; 126; 140	Cost Recovery Fees; confirmation receipt etc.; verbal approvals and written request to follow. Includes request for refunds	Cost Recovery Fees and related items are covered individually throughout this subpart.		0
Designation of Operator
143	Report change of name, address, etc	Not considered information collection under 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(1).		0
143(a-c); 144; Form BOEM-1123	Submit designation of operator (Form BOEM-1123—form takes 30 minutes); report updates; notice of termination; submit designation of agent. Request exception. NO FEE	1	2,584 forms	2,584
143(a-d); 144; Form BOEM-1123	Change designation of operator (Form BOEM-1123—form takes 30 minutes); report updates; notice of termination; submit designation of agent; include pay.gov confirmation receipt. Request exception. SERVICE FEE	1	930 forms	930
		$175 fee × 930 = $162,750
186(a)(3)	Apply for user account in TIMS (electronic/digital form submittals)	Not considered information collection under 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(1).		0
Subtotal			3,514 responses	3,514
			$162,750 non-hour cost burden
Compliance
101; 135; 136; Form BOEM-1832	Submit response and required information for INC, probation, or revocation of operating status. Notify when violations corrected	2	94 submissions	188
	Request waiver of 14-day response time for reconsideration	1	1	1
135; 136	Request reimbursement for services provided to BOEM representatives during reviews; comment	1.5	2 requests	3
Subtotal			97 responses	192
Special Types of Approval
125(c); 140	Request various oral approvals not specifically covered elsewhere in regulatory requirements	1	100 requests	100
141; 101-199	Request approval to use new or alternative procedures; submit required information	20	100 requests	2,000
142; 101-199	Request approval of departure from operating requirements not specifically covered elsewhere in regulatory requirements; submit required information	2.5	100 requests	250
Subtotal			300 responses	2,350
Right-of-use and Easement
160; 161; 123; NTL 2015-N06	OCS lessees: Apply for new or modified right-of-use and easement to construct and maintain off-lease platforms, artificial islands, and installations and other devices; include notifications and submitting required information	9	26 applications	234
160(c)	Establish a Company File for qualification; submit updated information, submit qualifications for lessee/bidder, request exception	Burden covered under 30 CFR 556 (1010-0006).		0
160; 165; 123	State lessees: Apply for new or modified right-of-use and easement to construct and maintain off-lease platforms, artificial islands, and installations and other devices; include pay.gov confirmation and notifications	5	1 application	5
		$2,742 state lease fee × 1 = $2,742
166; NTL 2015-N04	State lessees: Furnish surety bond; additional security if required	Burden covered under 30 CFR 556 (1010-0006).		0
Subtotal			27 responses	239
			$2,742 non-hour cost burden
Primary Lease Requirements, Lease Term Extensions, and Lease Cancellations
181(d); 182(b), 183(a)(b)	Request termination of suspension, cancellation of lease, lesser lease term (no requests in recent years for termination/cancellation of a lease; minimal burden)	20	1 request	20
182; 183, 185; 194	Submitting new, revised, or modified exploration plan, development/production plan, or development operations coordination document, and related surveys/reports	Burden covered under 30 CFR 550, Subpart B (1010-0151).		0
184	Request compensation for lease cancellation pursuant to the OCS Lands Act (no lease cancellations in many years; minimal burden)	50	1 request	50
Subtotal			2 responses	70
Information and Reporting Requirements
186(a)	Apply to receive administrative entitlements to eWell/TIMS system for electronic submissions	Not considered IC under 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(1).		0
186; NTL 2015-N01	Submit information, reports, and copies as BOEM requires (as related to worst case discharge and blowout scenarios)	10	125	1,250
135; 136	Report apparent violations or non-compliance	1.5	2 reports	3
194	Report archaeological discoveries. Submit archaeological and follow-up reports and additional information	2	6 reports	12
194	Request departures from conducting archaeological resources surveys and/or submitting reports in GOMR	1	2 requests	2
194	Submit ancillary surveys/investigations reports, as required	Burden covered under 30 CFR 550 Subpart B (1010-0151).		0
196	Submit data/information for G&G activity and request reimbursement	Burden covered under 30 CFR 551 (1010-0048).		0
197(b)(2)	Demonstrate release of G&G data would unduly damage competitive position	1	1	1
197(c)	Submit confidentiality agreement	1	1	1
Subtotal			137 responses	1,269
Recordkeeping
135; 136	During reviews, make records available as requested by inspectors	2	7 reviews	14
Subtotal			7 responses	14

Burden Breakdown—Continued

Citation 30 CFR 550 subpart K and related forms	Well surveys and classifying reservoirs	Hour burden	Average number of annual responses	Annual burden hours
1153	Conduct static bottomhole pressure survey; submit Form BOEM-0140 (Bottomhole Pressure Survey Report)	19 GOM & Alaska 70 Pacific	330 surveys 70 surveys	6,270 4,900
1153(d)	Submit justification, information, and Form BOEM-0140, to request a departure from requirement to run a static bottomhole pressure survey	9	120 survey departures	1,080
1154; 1167	Submit request and supporting information to reclassify reservoir	8	5 requests	40
1155; 1165(b); 1166; 1167	Submit Form BOEM-0127 (Sensitive Reservoir Information Report) and supporting information/revisions (within 45 days after the beginning of production, discovering that the reservoir is sensitive, the reservoir is classified as sensitive, or when reservoir parameters are revised. SRIs must be submitted annually). AK Region: submit BOEM-0127 and request an MER for each producing sensitive reservoir	8 GOM 40 Pacific 2 Alaska	700 forms 39 forms 1 form	5,600 1,560 2
1153-1167	Request general departure or alternative compliance not specifically covered elsewhere in regulatory requirements	10 GOM 1 Pacific 0 Alaska	10 departures 169 departures 0	100 169 0
1165	Submit proposed plan for enhanced recovery operations to BSEE	Burden covered under BSEE 30 CFR 250 (1014-0019).		0
Subtotal			1,444 responses	19,721
Total Burden			5,621 responses	27,849
			$165,492 Non-Hour Cost Burdens

A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period on this proposed ICR was published on August 1, 2022 (87 FR 46992). BOEM did not receive any comments during that comment period.

BOEM is again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR. BOEM is especially interested in public comments addressing the following issues: (1) is the collection necessary to the proper functions of BOEM; (2) what can BOEM do to ensure that this information is processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the burden estimate accurate; (4) how might BOEM enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might BOEM minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including minimizing the burden through the use of information technology?

Comments submitted in response to this notice are a matter of public record and will be available for public review on www.reginfo.gov. You should be aware that your entire comment—including your address, phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable information included in your comment—may be made publicly available. Even if BOEM withholds your information in the context of this ICR, your comment is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). If your comment is requested under the FOIA, your information will only be withheld if BOEM determines that a FOIA exemption to disclosure applies. BOEM will make such a determination in accordance with the Department of the Interior's (DOI's) FOIA regulations and applicable law.

In order for BOEM to consider withholding from disclosure your personally identifiable information, you must identify, in a cover letter, any information contained in your comments that, if released, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of your personal privacy. You must also briefly describe any possible harmful consequence of the disclosure of information, such as embarrassment, injury, or other harm.

Note that BOEM will make available for public inspection all comments on www.reginfo.gov, in their entirety, submitted by organizations and businesses or by individuals identifying themselves as representatives of organizations or businesses.

BOEM protects proprietary information in accordance with FOIA (5 U.S.C. 552), DOI's implementing regulations (43 CFR part 2), and 30 CFR parts 550 and 552 promulgated pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1352(c)).

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.

The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

Karen Thundiyil,

Chief, Office of Regulations, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.