Notice2023-02647
Agency Information Collection Activities; Decommissioning Activities
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 8, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentSafety and Environmental Enforcement Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposes to renew an information collection.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 26 (Wednesday, February 8, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8310-8313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-02647]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
[Docket ID BSEE-2023-0002; EEEE500000 234E1700D2 ET1SF0000.EAQ000: OMB
Control Number 1014-0010]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Decommissioning
Activities
AGENCY: Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Information Collection; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995,
the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) proposes to
renew an information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
April 10, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on this information collection request
(ICR) by either of the following methods listed below:
[[Page 8311]]
<bullet> Electronically go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. In the
Search box, enter BSEE-2023-0002 then click search. Follow the
instructions to submit public comments and view all related materials.
We will post all comments.
<bullet> Email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7e15071b50131f0d11103e1c0d1b1b50191108"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6b00120e45060a1804052b09180e0e450c041d">[email protected]</span></a>, fax (703) 787-1546, or mail or
hand-carry comments to the Department of the Interior; Bureau of Safety
and Environmental Enforcement; Regulations and Standards Branch; ATTN:
Nicole Mason; 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166. Please reference
OMB Control Number 1014-0010 in the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Nicole Mason by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8be0f2eea5e6eaf8e4e5cbe9f8eeeea5ece4fd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cda6b4a8e3a0acbea2a38dafbea8a8e3aaa2bb">[email protected]</span></a> or
by telephone at (703) 787-1607. 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. You may also view the ICR at
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA and 5 CFR
1320.8(d)(1), all information collections require approval under the
PRA. We may not conduct, or sponsor and you are not required to respond
to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we invite the public and other Federal agencies 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.
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. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. 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 proposes to renew this information collection, without change,
in order to extend the expiration date for the collection (currently
April 30, 2023) while we continue to finalize our rulemaking under RIN
1082-AA02, Risk Management, Financial Assurance and Loss Prevention--
Decommissioning Activities and Obligations. On October 16, 2020, we
published the proposed rule (85 FR 65904) to revise the regulations
related to decommissioning responsibilities of Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS) oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and grant holders to ensure
compliance with lease, grant, and regulatory obligations. The comment
period for the proposed rule ended on December 13, 2020.
The final rule will require all recipients of a predecessor
decommissioning order to submit a work plan and schedule as directed
under Sec. Sec. 250.1704(b) and 250.1708(a). BSEE considers this
necessary to protect the public from incurring future decommissioning
costs and to prevent safety and environmental risks posed by delayed
performance of decommissioning. Within 150 days of receiving an order
to perform decommissioning under Sec. 250.1708, the recipient(s) will
be required to submit a work plan and projected decommissioning
schedule that addresses all wells, platforms and other facilities,
pipelines, and site clearance. This requirement will add an estimated
4,320 annual burden hours to the existing collection. We anticipate
publication of the final rule under RIN 1082-AA02 in 2023.
Abstract: BSEE uses the information collected under Subpart Q
primarily for the following reasons:
<bullet> To determine the necessity for allowing a well to be
temporarily abandoned, the lessee/operator must demonstrate that there
is a reason for not permanently plugging the well, and the temporary
abandonment will not interfere with fishing, navigation, or other uses
of the OCS. We use the information and documentation to verify that the
lessee/operator is diligently pursuing the final disposition of the
well and has performed the temporary plugging of the wellbore.
<bullet> To ensure the information submitted in initial
decommissioning plans in the Alaska and Pacific OCS Regions will permit
BSEE to become involved on the ground floor planning of platform
removals anticipated to occur in these OCS regions.
<bullet> To ensure that all objects (wellheads, platforms, etc.)
installed on the OCS are properly removed using procedures that will
protect marine life and the environment during removal operations, and
the site cleared so as not to conflict with or harm other uses of the
OCS in coordination with other Federal, State, and local government
agencies.
<bullet> To ensure that information regarding decommissioning a
pipeline in place will not constitute a hazard to navigation and
commercial fishing operations, unduly interfere with other uses of the
OCS, such as sand resource areas for coastal restoration projects, or
have adverse environmental effects.
<bullet> To verify that decommissioning activities comply with
approved applications and procedures and are satisfactorily completed.
<bullet> To evaluate and approve the adequacy of the equipment,
materials, and/or procedures that the lessee or operator plans to use
during well modifications and changes in equipment, etc.
<bullet> To help BSEE better estimate future decommissioning costs
for OCS leases, rights-of-way, and rights of use and easements. BSEE's
future decommissioning cost estimates may then be used by BOEM to set
necessary financial assurance levels to minimize or eliminate the
possibility that the government will incur abandonment liability. The
information will assist BSEE and BOEM in meeting their stewardship
responsibilities and in their roles as regulators.
Title of Collection: 30 CFR 250, Subpart Q, Decommissioning
Activities.
OMB Control Number: 1014-0010.
[[Page 8312]]
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Potential respondents include Federal
OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and/or operators and holders of
pipeline rights-of-way.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: Currently there are
approximately 555 Federal OCS oil, gas, and sulfur lessees and holders
of pipeline rights-of-way. Not all the potential respondents will
submit information in any given year, and some may submit multiple
times.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 3,245.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 15 minutes to
28 hours, depending on activity.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 11,677.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Frequency of Collection: Submissions are generally on occasion,
varies by section, and annual.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $1,143,556.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-hour cost burdens
----------------------------------------------------
Citation 30 CFR 250 subpart Q Reporting requirement * Annual burden
Hour burden Average number of hours
annual responses (rounded)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1704(g); 1706(a), (f); 1712; These sections contain APM burden covered under 1014-0026
1715; 1716; 1721(a), (d), (f)- references to
(g); 1722(a), (b), (d); 1723(b); information, approvals,
1743(a); Sub G. requests, payments,
etc., which are
submitted with an APM,
the burdens for which
are covered under its
own information
collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1700 thru 1754................... General departure and Burden covered under Subpart A 1014- 0
alternative compliance 0022
requests not
specifically covered
elsewhere in Subpart Q
regulations.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1703; 1704....................... Request approval for Burden included below 0
decommissioning.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1704(i), (j)..................... Submit to BSEE, within 1 1,320 summaries 1,320
120 days after (including
completion of each pipelines)/
decommissioning additional
activity, a summary of information.
expenditures incurred;
any additional
information that will
support and/or verify
the summary.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1704(i); NTL..................... Request and obtain 15 min. 75 requests........ 19
approval for extension
of 120-day reporting
period; including
justification.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1704(i).......................... Submit certified Exempt from the PRA under 5 CFR 0
statement attesting to 1320.3(i)(1).
accuracy of the summary
for expenditures
incurred.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1712............................. Required data if Requirement not considered 0
permanently plugging a Information Collection under 5 CFR
well. 1320.3(h)(9)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1713............................. Notify BSEE 48 hours 0.5 725 notices........ 363
before beginning
operations to
permanently plug a well.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1721(f).......................... Install a protector Burden covered under Subpart I 1014- 0
structure designed 0011
according to 30 CFR
250, Subpart I, and
equipped with aids to
navigation. (These
requests are processed
via the appropriate
Platform Application,
30 CFR 250 Subpart I by
the OSTS.).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1721(e); 1722(e), (h)(1); 1741(c) Identify and report U.S. Coast Guard requirements 0
subsea wellheads,
casing stubs, or other
obstructions; mark
wells protected by a
dome; mark location to
be cleared as
navigation hazard.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1722(c), (g)(2); 1704(h)......... Notify BSEE within 5 1 11 notices......... 11
days if trawl does not
pass over protective
device or causes
damages to it; or if
inspection reveals
casing stub or mud line
suspension is no longer
protected.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1722(f), (g)(3).................. Submit annual report on 2.5 98 reports......... 245
plans for re-entry to
complete or permanently
abandon the well and
inspection report.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1722(h).......................... Request waiver of 1.5 4 requests......... 6
trawling test.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 8313]]
1725(a).......................... Requests to maintain the Burden covered under Subpart I 1014- 0
structure to conduct 0011
other activities are
processed, evaluated,
and permitted by the
OSTS via the
appropriate Platform
Application process, 30
CFR 250 Subpart I.
(Other activities
include but are not
limited to activities
conducted under the
grants of right-of-ways
(ROWs), rights-of-use
and easement (RUEs),
and alternate rights-of-
use and easement
authority issued under
30 CFR 250 Subpart J,
30 CFR 550.160, and/or
30 CFR 585, etc.).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1725(e).......................... Notify BSEE 48 hours 0.5 133 notices........ 67
before beginning
removal of platform and
other facilities.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1726; 1704(a).................... Submit initial 20 2 applications..... 40
decommissioning
application in the
Pacific and Alaska OCS
Regions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1727; 1728; 1730; 1703; 1704(b); Submit final application 28 153 applications... 4,284
1725(b). and appropriate data to
remove platform or
other subsea facility
structures (This
included alternate
depth departures and/or
approvals of partial
removal or toppling for
conversion to an
artificial reef.).
----------------------------------------------------
<gr-thn-eq>$4,684 fee x 153 = $716,652
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1729; 1704(c).................... Submit post platform or 9.5 133 reports........ 1,264
other facility removal
report; supporting
documentation; signed
statements, etc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1740; 1741(g).................... Request approval to use 12.75 30 requests/ 383
alternative methods of contacts.
well site, platform, or
other facility
clearance; contact
pipeline owner/operator
before trawling to
determine its condition.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1743(b); 1704(f), (h)............ Verify permanently 5 117 certifications. 585
plugged well, platform,
or other facility
removal site cleared of
obstructions;
supporting
documentation; and
submit certification
letter.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1750; 1751; 1752; 1754; 1704(d).. Submit application to 10 142 L/T 1,420
decommission pipeline applications.
in place or remove
pipeline (L/T or ROW).
----------------------------------------------------
$1,142 L/T decommission fee x 142 = $162,164
----------------------------------------------------
10 122 ROW 1,220
applications.
----------------------------------------------------
$2,170 ROW decommissioning fees x 122 = $264,740
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1753; 1704(e).................... Submit post pipeline 2.5 180 reports........ 450
decommissioning report.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Burden ........................ .............. 3,245 responses.... 11,677
----------------------------------------------------
$1,143,556 Non-Hour Cost Burdens
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L/T = Lease Term.
Burden Breakdown.
ROW = Right of Way.
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.).
Kirk Malstrom,
Chief, Regulations and Standards Branch.
[FR Doc. 2023-02647 Filed 2-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 8, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.