Agency information collection activities: Proposed collection; comment request,

[Federal Register: December 3, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 232)]

[Notices]

[Page 71979-71980]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr03de02-106]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection, Comment Request

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of a currently approved information collection (OMB Control Number 1010-0135).

SUMMARY: To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, we are 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) is titled ``30 CFR 208.11(a), (b), (d) and (e)--Surety Requirements (Forms MMS-4071 and MMS-4072).

DATES: Submit written comments on or before February 3, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Sharron L. Gebhardt, Regulatory Specialist, Minerals Management Service, Minerals Revenue Management, P.O. Box 25165, MS320B2, Denver, Colorado 80225. If you use an overnight courier service, our courier address is Building 85, Room A- 614, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225. You may also email your comments to us at mrm.comments@mms.gov. Include the title of the information collection and the OMB control number in the ``Attention'' line of your comment. Also include your name and return address. Submit electronic comments as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. If you do not receive a confirmation we have received your email, contact Ms. Gebhardt at (303) 231-3211.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharron L. Gebhardt, telephone (303) 231-3211, FAX (303) 231-3385, or e-mail sharron.gebhardt@mms.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: 30 CFR 208.11 (a), (b), (d) and (e)--Surety Requirements.

OMB Control Number: 1010-0135.

Bureau Form Numbers: Forms MMS-4071 and MMS-4072.

Abstract: The Department of the Interior (DOI) is responsible for matters relevant to mineral resource development on Federal and Indian Lands and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) is responsible for managing the production of minerals from Federal and Indian lands and the OCS; collecting royalties from lessees who produce minerals; and distributing the funds collected in accordance with applicable laws. MMS performs the royalty management functions for the Secretary.

When the Secretary determines that sufficient need exists among small refining companies to justify taking royalty oil in kind and offering this oil for sale to eligible refiners, small refiners may apply to participate in this sale of Federal royalty oil and follow procedures under which contracts for the purchase of royalty oil will be awarded. Completed applications to participate in the sale bid proposals, signed contracts, and surety instruments are submitted to MMS.

The application must be complete and timely filed, and applicants for royalty oil may be required to provide a surety instrument with their bid package. This surety instrument may be a Letter of Credit (Form MMS-4071) or a Royalty-In-Kind Contract Surety Bond (Form MMS- 4072), or other acceptable commercial surety.

MMS is requesting OMB's approval to continue to collect this information. Without the surety protection, the Government can lose money if a refiner does not pay for oil he has received. Proprietary information submitted is

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protected, and there are no questions of a sensitive nature included in this ICR.

We have also changed the title of this ICR to clarify the regulatory language we are covering under 30 CFR part 208.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Estimated Number and Description of Respondents: 10 purchasers.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Hour'' Burden: 10 burden hours. The following chart shows the breakdown of the estimated burden hours by CFR section and paragraph.

Burden hours Annual number Annual burden 30 CFR section

Reporting requirement per response of responses

hours

208.11 (a), (b), (d), and (e)...... The eligible purchaser,

1

10

10 prior to execution of the contract, shall furnish an ``MMS-specified surety instrument,'' in an amount equal to the estimated value of royalty oil that could be taken by the purchaser in a 99-day period, plus related administrative charges * * * The purchaser or its surety company may elect not to renew the letter of credit at any monthly anniversary date, but must notify MMS of its intent not to renew at least 30 days prior to the anniversary date. * * * The ``MMS-specified surety instrument'' shall be in the form specified by MMS instructions or approved by MMS. All surety instruments must be in a form acceptable to MMS and must include such other specific requirements as MMS may require adequately to protect the Government's interests.

Total.......................... ........................... .............. ..............

10

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping ``Non-Hour Cost'' Burden: We have identified no cost burdens for this collection.

Comments: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides 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. 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 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.

The PRA also requires agencies to estimate the total annual reporting ``non-hour cost'' burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information. We have not identified non-hour cost burdens for this information collection. If you have 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. You should describe the methods you use to estimate major cost factors, including system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, discount rate(s), and the period over which you incur costs. Capital and startup costs include, among other items, computers and software you purchase to prepare for collecting information; monitoring, sampling, testing equipment; and record storage facilities. Generally, your estimates should not include equipment or services purchased: (i) Before October 1, 1995; (ii) to comply with requirements not associated with the information collection; (iii) for reasons other than to provide information or keep records for the Government; or (iv) as part of customary and usual business or private practices.

We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them in our ICR submission for OMB approval, including appropriate adjustments to the estimated burden. We will provide a copy of the ICR to you without charge upon request, and the ICR will also be posted on our Web site at http://www.mrm.mms.gov/Laws_R_D/FRNotices/FRInfColl.htm .

Public Comment Policy: We will post all comments in response to this notice on our Web site at http://www.mrm.mms.gov/Laws_R_D/FRNotices/FRInfColl.htm. We will also make copies of the comments available for public review, including names and addresses of respondents, during regular business hours at our offices in Lakewood, Colorado. Individual respondents may request we withhold their home address from the public record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold from the rulemaking record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If you request that we withhold your name and/or address, state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

MMS Information Collection Clearance Officer: Jo Ann Lauterbach, (202) 208-7744.

Dated: November 25, 2002. Lucy Querques Denett, Associate Director for Minerals Revenue Management.

[FR Doc. 02-30565 Filed 12-2-02; 8:45 am]