89 FR 94 pgs. 41990-41991 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Oil and Gas, or Geothermal Resources: Transfers and Assignments
Type: NOTICEVolume: 89Number: 94Pages: 41990 - 41991
Pages: 41990, 41991Docket number: [LLHQ310000.L13100000.PP0000; OMB Control No. 1004-0034]
FR document: [FR Doc. 2024-10434 Filed 5-13-24; 8:45 am]
Agency: Interior Department
Sub Agency: Land Management Bureau
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLHQ310000.L13100000.PP0000; OMB Control No. 1004-0034]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Oil and Gas, or Geothermal Resources: Transfers and Assignments
AGENCY:
Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION:
Notice of information collection; request for comment.
SUMMARY:
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to renew with changes an information collection.
DATES:
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before June 13, 2024.
ADDRESSES:
Written comments and recommendations for this information collection request (ICR) should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this information collection by selecting "Currently under 30-day Review-Open for Public Comments" or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
[top] To request additional information about this ICR, contact Peter Cowan by email at picowan@blm.gov, or by telephone at
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
In accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. ) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we invite the public and other Federal agencies to comment on new, proposed, revised and continuing collections of information. This helps the BLM assess impacts of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand BLM information collection requirements and ensure requested data are provided in the desired format.
A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on November 7, 2023 (88 FR 76846).
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burdens, we are again inviting the public and other Federal agencies to comment on the proposed ICR described below. The BLM is especially interested in public comment addressing the following:
(1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 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 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 submitted in response to this notice are a matter of public record. 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.
Abstract: This collection of information enables the BLM to process assignments of record title interest and transfers of operating rights in a lease for oil and gas or geothermal resources. Each assignment or transfer is a contract between private parties but, by law, must be approved by the Secretary. The BLM uses information about assignments and transfers to prevent unlawful extraction of mineral resources, to ensure prompt payment of rentals and royalties for the rights obtained under a Federal lease, and to ensure that leases are not encumbered with agreements that cause the minerals to be uneconomical to produce, resulting in lost revenues to the Federal Government. The information also enables the BLM to ensure the assignee or transferee is in compliance with the bonding requirements, when necessary, before approval of the transfer or assignment. The BLM does not expect any changes to the burden hours for submissions; however, the BLM did update the information to be collected. The BLM added the legacy lease serial number field to capture the legacy serial number now that all leases have a new serial number based upon all records migrating into the Mineral & Land Records System. The BLM will also require the forms to include a company's principals, as defined under 2 CFR 180.995. The BLM requires the principal information to ensure the entity acquiring interest in the lease is not Federally suspended or debarred and is qualified to hold a lease. The BLM does not expect these additional fields to increase the burden as this information is readily available. Additionally, The BLM is adjusting the cost burden to reflect inflation adjustments. This adjustment will increase the total annual cost burden by $132,270 (from $881,800 to $1,014,070). OMB control number 1004-0034 is currently scheduled to expire on September 30, 2024. The BLM plans to request that OMB renew this OMB control number for an additional thee (3) years.
Title of Collection: Oil and Gas, or Geothermal Resources: Transfers and Assignments (43 CFR Subparts 3106, 3135, and 3216).
OMB Control Number: 1004-0034.
Form Number: 3000-003; 3000-003a.
Type of Review: Extension with revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Assignors and assignees of record title interest in a lease for oil and gas or geothermal resources; and transferors and transferees of operating rights (sublease) in a lease for oil and gas or geothermal resources.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 8,818.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 8,818.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: 30 minutes.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 4,410.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $1,014,070.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor and, notwithstanding any other provision of law, 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. ).
Darrin King,
Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-10434 Filed 5-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P