Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 11444-11446 [2011-4622]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
11444
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 41 / Wednesday, March 2, 2011 / Notices
I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy Information Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
Energy Information
Administration (EIA), Department of
Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request.
AGENCY:
The EIA is soliciting
comments on the proposed revision and
3-year extension of the surveys in the
Natural Gas Data Collection Program
Package. The surveys covered by this
request include:
• Form EIA–176, ‘‘Annual Report of
Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply
and Disposition’’
• EIA–191M, ‘‘Monthly Underground
Gas Storage Report’’
• EIA–191A, ‘‘Annual Underground
Gas Storage Report’’
• EIA–757, ‘‘Natural Gas Processing
Plant Survey’’
• EIA–857, ‘‘Monthly Report of
Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to
Consumers’’
• EIA–895, ‘‘Annual Quantity and
Value of Natural Gas Production Report’’
• EIA–910M, ‘‘Monthly Natural Gas
Marketer Survey’’ and EIA–910A,
Annual Natural Gas Marketer Survey’’
• EIA–912, ‘‘Weekly Underground
Natural Gas Storage Report’’
DATES: Comments must be filed by May
2, 2011. If you anticipate difficulty in
submitting comments within that
period, contact the person listed below
as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Ms. Amy
Sweeney, Natural Gas Downstream
Team, Office of Oil, Gas, and Coal
Supply Statistics, Energy Information
Administration. To ensure receipt of the
comments by the due date, submission
by fax (202–586–4420) or e-mail
(amy.sweeney@eia.gov) is
recommended. The mailing address is
Ms. Amy Sweeney, Energy Information
Administration, U.S. Department of
Energy, 1000 Independence Ave., SW.,
EI–24, Washington, DC 20585. Also, Ms.
Sweeney may be contacted by telephone
at 202–586–2627.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of any forms and instructions
should be directed to Ms. Sweeney at
the address listed above. Also, the draft
forms and instructions are available on
the EIA Web site at https://www.eia.gov/
oil_gas/fwd/proposed.html.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:34 Mar 01, 2011
Jkt 223001
I. Background
The Federal Energy Administration
Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93–275, 15 U.S.C.
761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization
Act (Pub. L. 95–91, 42 U.S.C. 7101 et
seq.) require the EIA to carry out a
centralized, comprehensive, and unified
energy information program. This
program collects, evaluates, assembles,
analyzes, and disseminates information
on energy resource reserves, production,
demand, technology, and related
economic statistics. This information is
used to assess the adequacy of energy
resources to meet both near- and longerterm domestic demands.
The EIA, as part of its effort to comply
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (Pub. L. 104–13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter
35), provides the general public and
other Federal agencies with
opportunities to comment on the
collection of energy information
conducted by or in conjunction with the
EIA. Any comments help the EIA
prepare data requests that maximize the
utility of the information collected and
assess the impact of collection
requirements on the public. As required
by section 3507(h)(1) of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, the EIA will
later seek approval for this collection by
the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB).
The natural gas surveys included in
the Natural Gas Data Collection Program
Package collect information on natural
gas production, underground storage,
supply, processing, transmission,
distribution, consumption by sector,
and wellhead and consumer prices. This
information is used to support public
policy analyses of the natural gas
industry and estimates generated from
data collected on these surveys. The
statistics generated from these surveys
are posted to the EIA Web site (https://
www.eia.gov) in various EIA products,
including the Weekly Natural Gas
Storage Report (WNGSR), Natural Gas
Monthly (NGM), Natural Gas Annual
(NGA), Monthly Energy Review (MER),
Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO),
Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), and
Annual Energy Review (AER).
Respondents to EIA natural gas surveys
include State agencies, underground
storage operators, transporters,
marketers, and distributors. Each form
included as part of this package is
discussed in detail below.
Please refer to the proposed forms and
instructions for more information about
the purpose, who must report, when to
report, where to submit, the elements to
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
be reported, detailed instructions,
provisions for confidentiality, and uses
(including possible nonstatistical uses)
of the information. For instructions on
obtaining materials, see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section.
II. Current Actions
EIA is requesting a 3-year extension of
the collection authority for each of the
above-referenced surveys and will make
minor changes to the forms and
instructions to provide clarity. In
addition, EIA proposes the changes
outlined below.
Form EIA–176, ‘‘Annual Report of
Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply
and Disposition’’
In Part 3 of the form, EIA is proposing
to collect information on whether
respondents, comprised primarily of
natural gas utilities and municipal gas
systems, have active customer choice
programs for certain customer types and
their rates of participation in order to
gauge the extent to which customer
choice programs are being perpetuated
and utilized. This data would assist EIA
in evaluating whether to reduce
spending on monitoring customer
choice programs. Also in Part 3 of the
form, EIA proposes a question that asks
companies to report whether their
distribution service territory has
changed via sale or merger in order to
maintain the accuracy of the survey
frame.
Form EIA–191, ‘‘Monthly Underground
Gas Storage Report’’ and Form EIA–
191A, ‘‘Annual Natural Gas Storage
Report’’
EIA proposes the elimination of Form
EIA–191A and the addition of the
elements it collects (storage field type,
working and total capacity as well as
maximum deliverability) to the monthly
Form EIA–191. Adding data elements to
the monthly Form EIA–191 will provide
more timely data on changes in natural
gas storage field capacities and will
improve the quality of the monthly and
related weekly estimates on natural gas
storage activity. EIA will protect against
the identifiability of reported values for
monthly working, base gas levels, total
gas in storage, and injections and
withdrawals into storage, but will
publish storage field name and type,
reservoir name, location, capacity and
maximum deliverability in company
identifiable form. This is consistent
with how EIA currently treats the
information reported annually on Form
EIA–191A. EIA proposes to publicly
release the same variables that it
currently publicly releases from Form
EIA–191A. Information collected in
E:\FR\FM\02MRN1.SGM
02MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 41 / Wednesday, March 2, 2011 / Notices
Parts 1 and 2 on Form EIA–191 will also
be considered public information and
may be publicly released in company
identifiable form
Form EIA–757, ‘‘Natural Gas Processing
Plant Survey’’
EIA proposes to continue the
collection of the same data elements on
Form EIA–757 in its present form but
proposes to remove the confidentiality
protection for the reported values and to
publicly release reported values in
company identifiable form in order to
meet increasing data user needs for
more company level data.
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Form EIA–857, ‘‘Monthly Report of
Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to
Consumers’’
In 2010, a new question was added to
Form EIA–857 that asked for monthly
system sendout by responding
companies. The data element was added
to Form EIA–857 via a non-substantive
change request approved by the Office
of Management and Budget. EIA has
been using these data to improve the
calculation of monthly natural gas
consumption so it better aligns with the
calendar month. This is more
compatible with respondents’ reporting
records because consumer deliveries are
reported according to billing cycles for
some of the respondent population. To
enhance the precision of monthly
natural gas consumption, EIA proposes
adding questions that ask companies for
their monthly company-use gas as well
as any deliveries to the vehicle fuel
sector. These items are currently
collected on an annual basis on Form
EIA–176, Annual Report of Natural and
Supplemental Gas Supply and
Disposition, however, their inclusion on
Form EIA–857 will facilitate more
accurate consumption estimates on a
monthly basis as they are seasonal in
nature.
In addition, EIA is proposing to
reduce the sample size reporting on
Form EIA–857 by approximately 25
percent (400 to 300) by moving to a
cutoff-based sample design that can
achieve the same level of quality as the
current sample design and estimation
protocol.
Form EIA–895, ‘‘Annual Quantity and
Value of Natural Gas Production
Report’’
Because of the difficulties in
obtaining portions of the data from some
States, EIA is considering discontinuing
both the monthly and annual versions of
Form EIA–895 and seeks comment on
whether the publication of select data
elements currently collected on this
survey form continues to be relevant
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:34 Mar 01, 2011
Jkt 223001
and necessary. Specifically, will data
user needs be satisfied if data collection
on natural gas marketed and dry
production, vented and flared gas, gas
used for repressuring, consumed on oil
and gas leases, as well as wellhead
prices, are eliminated and EIA only
publishes data on gross production?
Alternatively, if EIA needs to
continue publishing data on natural gas
wellhead prices, marketed and dry
natural gas production, vented and
flared gas, and gas used for repressuring
or consumed on leases is to continue,
EIA is considering the following options
or a combination thereof:
(a) Eliminate Form EIA–895 and
collect the same data elements (gross
production, gas used for repressuring,
nonhydrocarbons removed, vented and
flared gas, gas used to operate leases and
the value of production) using existing
EIA surveys of gas producers such as
Forms EIA–914, EIA–23, EIA–64A, and
EIA–816.
(b) Reduce the scope of Form EIA–895
by collecting only data elements that are
available from the States, such as gross
withdrawals and their source, and
adding data elements on crude oil
production and lease condensate to
serve as benchmarks for similar data
currently collected on existing EIA
surveys of natural gas and oil producers.
Form EIA–910M, ‘‘Monthly Natural Gas
Marketer Survey’’ and EIA–910A,
‘‘Annual Natural Gas Marketer Survey’’
EIA proposes to continue Form EIA–
910 with no changes to the monthly
data collection form and proposes to
add an annual version using a new
survey, Form EIA–910A, that will ask
respondents to report the annual totals
of all the existing elements on the
monthly survey form. The EIA–910A
will be due March 1 of each year and
the annual totals it collects will be
broken out for each local distribution
company’s territory in which the
respondent operates instead of at the
State level, as is reported monthly.
Having annual data would assist in the
reconciliation of initial estimates of
monthly gas sales many respondents
submit against actual meter reads which
are frequently not available from the
utility that delivered the gas by the
monthly form’s due date. The annual
data will also enable EIA to resolve
differences between marketer volumes
and volumes transported on the account
of marketers on Form EIA–176.
Form EIA–176, ‘‘Annual Report of
Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply
and Disposition,’’ and resolve
discrepancies between these two
surveys.
PO 00000
Frm 00022
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
11445
In addition, EIA proposes to change
the data confidentiality protection status
of the monthly Form EIA–910M from
the Confidential Information Protection
and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA)
to protecting the reported information
using exemptions under the Freedom of
Information Act and provisions in the
Trade Secrets Act. The company level
data would still be protected and
withheld from public release but could
be shared for nonstatistical purposes in
limited circumstances. The demand for
more natural gas data has grown over
the past 5 years and EIA has statutory
obligations to share energy data with
other Federal agencies for informed
policy decisions. EIA will continue its
policy of not publicly releasing
company level information reported on
this survey even though EIA is
proposing to use different Federal
statutes to protect the information. EIA
proposes to publish annual data
collected on Form EIA–910A in
company identifiable form
approximately 9 months after the end of
the calendar year.
EIA–912, Weekly Underground Natural
Gas Storage Report
EIA proposes to continue the
collection of the EIA–912 with no
changes to the form but expand the
sample size from 70 to 85 respondents
in order to maintain the same level of
survey coverage based on the increase in
the number of natural gas storage fields
in operation.
III. Request for Comments
Prospective respondents and other
interested parties should comment on
the actions discussed in items II and III.
The following guidelines are provided
to assist in the preparation of comments.
Please indicate to which forms your
comments apply.
General Issues
A. Is the proposed collection of
information necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency and does the information have
practical utility? Practical utility is
defined as the actual usefulness of
information to or for an agency, taking
into account its accuracy, adequacy,
reliability, timeliness, and the agency’s
ability to process the information it
collects.
B. What enhancements can be made
to the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected?
As a Potential Respondent to the
Request for Information
A. What actions could be taken to
help ensure and maximize the quality,
E:\FR\FM\02MRN1.SGM
02MRN1
11446
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 41 / Wednesday, March 2, 2011 / Notices
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
objectivity, utility, and integrity of the
information to be collected?
B. Are the instructions and definitions
clear and sufficient? If not, which
instructions need clarification?
C. Can the information be submitted
by the due date?
D. Public reporting burden for the
surveys included in the Natural Gas
Data Collection Program Package is
shown below as an average hour(s) per
response. The estimated burden
includes the total time necessary to
provide the requested information. In
your opinion, how accurate are these
estimates for the proposed forms?
(1) Form EIA–176, ‘‘Annual Report of
Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply
and Disposition,’’ 12 hours per response.
(2) Form EIA–191, ‘‘Monthly
Underground Gas Storage Report,’’ 2.6
hours per response.
(3) Form EIA–857, ‘‘Monthly Report of
Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to
Consumers,’’ 3.7 hours per response.
(4) Form EIA–895, ‘‘Annual Quantity
and Value of Natural Gas Production
Report,’’ 0.5 hours per response.
(5) Form EIA–910M, ‘‘Monthly
Natural Gas Marketer Survey,’’ 2 hours
per response.
(6) Form EIA–910A, ‘‘Annual Natural
Gas Marketer Survey,’’ 4 hours per
response.
(7) Form EIA–912, ‘‘Weekly
Underground Natural Gas Storage
Report,’’ 0.5 hour per response.
(8) Form EIA–757, ‘‘Natural Gas
Processing Plant Survey,’’ Schedule A,
0.5 hours per response; Schedule B, 1.5
hours per response.
E. The agency estimates that the only
cost to a respondent is for the time it
will take to complete the collection.
Will a respondent incur any start-up
costs for reporting, or any recurring
annual costs for operation, maintenance,
and purchase of services associated with
the information collection?
F. What additional actions could be
taken to minimize the burden of this
collection of information? Such actions
may involve the use of automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
G. Does any other Federal, State, or
local agency collect similar information?
If so, specify the agency, the data
element(s), and the methods of
collection.
As a Potential User of the Information
To Be Collected
A. What actions could be taken to
help ensure and maximize the quality,
objectivity, utility, and integrity of the
information disseminated?
B. Is the information useful at the
levels of detail to be collected?
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:34 Mar 01, 2011
Jkt 223001
C. For what purpose(s) would the
information be used? Be specific.
D. Are there alternate sources for the
information and are they useful? If so,
what are their weaknesses and/or
strengths?
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for OMB
approval of the form. They also will
become a matter of public record.
Statutory Authority: Section 13(b) of the
Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974,
Pub. L. 93–275, certified at 15 U.S.C. 772(b).
Issued in Washington, DC, February 24,
2011.
Stephanie Brown,
Director, Office of Survey Development and
Statistical Integration, Energy Information
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011–4622 Filed 3–1–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 2047–049]
Erie Boulevard Hydropower, LP; Notice
of Application Accepted for Filing,
Soliciting Motions to Intervene and
Protests, Ready for Environmental
Analysis, and Soliciting Comments,
Recommendations, Terms and
Conditions, and Fishway Prescriptions
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection:
a. Application Type: Amendment of
license to increase the installed
capacity.
b. Project No.: 2047–049.
c. Date Filed: January 6, 2011.
d. Applicant: Erie Boulevard
Hydropower, LP.
e. Name of Project: Stewarts Bridge
Project.
f. Location: The project is located on
the Sacandaga River in the Town of
Hadley, Saratoga County, New York.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power
Act, 16 U.S.C. 791a—825r.
h. Applicant Contact: Timothy Lukas,
Compliance Specialist, Erie Boulevard
Hydropower, LP, Hudson River
Operations, 399 Big Bay Road,
Queensbury, NY 12804; telephone (518)
743–2012.
i. FERC Contact: John K. Novak,
telephone: (202) 502–6067, and e-mail
address: john.novak@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing motions to
intervene and protests, comments,
recommendations, terms and
PO 00000
Frm 00023
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
conditions, and fishway prescriptions is
60 days from the issuance of this notice;
reply comments are due 105 days from
the issuance date of this notice. All
documents (original and eight copies)
should be filed with: Secretary, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.
Please include the project number (P–
2047–049) on any comments or motions
filed.
k. Description of Request: Erie
Boulevard Hydropower, LP (licensee)
proposes to construct a new
powerhouse that will house a 2.55
megawatt turbine-generator that will
utilize the base flow required by Article
405 of the project license. With the
addition of this new unit the installed
capacity for the project will increase
from 30,000 kilowatts to 32,550
kilowatts while the hydraulic capacity
will increase from 4,000 cubic feet per
second to 4,325 cubic feet per second.
A penstock installed off of the existing
penstock will convey flows to the new
powerhouse. The proposed new
powerhouse would be constructed
immediately downstream of the existing
powerhouse and near the project
tailrace.
l. Locations of the Application: A
copy of the application is available for
inspection and reproduction at the
Commission’s Public Reference Room,
located at 888 First Street, NE., Room
2A, Washington, DC 20426, or by calling
(202) 502–8371. This filing may also be
viewed on the Commission’s Web site at
https://www.ferc.gov using the ‘‘eLibrary’’
link. Enter the docket number excluding
the last three digits in the docket
number field to access the document.
You may also register online at https://
www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects.
For assistance, call 1–866–208–3676 or
e-mail FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov,
for TTY, call (202) 502–8659. A copy is
also available for inspection and
reproduction at the address in item (h)
above.
m. Individuals desiring to be included
on the Commission’s mailing list should
so indicate by writing to the Secretary
of the Commission.
n. Comments, Protests, or Motions to
Intervene: Anyone may submit
comments, a protest, or a motion to
intervene in accordance with the
requirements of Rules of Practice and
Procedure, 18 CFR 385.210, .211, .214.
In determining the appropriate action to
take, the Commission will consider all
protests or other comments filed, but
only those who file a motion to
intervene in accordance with the
E:\FR\FM\02MRN1.SGM
02MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11444-11446]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4622]
[[Page 11444]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Energy Information Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
AGENCY: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy
(DOE).
ACTION: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The EIA is soliciting comments on the proposed revision and 3-
year extension of the surveys in the Natural Gas Data Collection
Program Package. The surveys covered by this request include:
Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental
Gas Supply and Disposition''
EIA-191M, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report''
EIA-191A, ``Annual Underground Gas Storage Report''
EIA-757, ``Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey''
EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and
Deliveries to Consumers''
EIA-895, ``Annual Quantity and Value of Natural Gas
Production Report''
EIA-910M, ``Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey'' and EIA-
910A, Annual Natural Gas Marketer Survey''
EIA-912, ``Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report''
DATES: Comments must be filed by May 2, 2011. If you anticipate
difficulty in submitting comments within that period, contact the
person listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Ms. Amy Sweeney, Natural Gas Downstream
Team, Office of Oil, Gas, and Coal Supply Statistics, Energy
Information Administration. To ensure receipt of the comments by the
due date, submission by fax (202-586-4420) or e-mail
(amy.sweeney@eia.gov) is recommended. The mailing address is Ms. Amy
Sweeney, Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy,
1000 Independence Ave., SW., EI-24, Washington, DC 20585. Also, Ms.
Sweeney may be contacted by telephone at 202-586-2627.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of any forms and instructions should be directed to Ms. Sweeney
at the address listed above. Also, the draft forms and instructions are
available on the EIA Web site at https://www.eia.gov/oil_gas/fwd/proposed.html.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
II. Current Actions
III. Request for Comments
I. Background
The Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-275, 15
U.S.C. 761 et seq.) and the DOE Organization Act (Pub. L. 95-91, 42
U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) require the EIA to carry out a centralized,
comprehensive, and unified energy information program. This program
collects, evaluates, assembles, analyzes, and disseminates information
on energy resource reserves, production, demand, technology, and
related economic statistics. This information is used to assess the
adequacy of energy resources to meet both near- and longer-term
domestic demands.
The EIA, as part of its effort to comply with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), provides
the general public and other Federal agencies with opportunities to
comment on the collection of energy information conducted by or in
conjunction with the EIA. Any comments help the EIA prepare data
requests that maximize the utility of the information collected and
assess the impact of collection requirements on the public. As required
by section 3507(h)(1) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the EIA
will later seek approval for this collection by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB).
The natural gas surveys included in the Natural Gas Data Collection
Program Package collect information on natural gas production,
underground storage, supply, processing, transmission, distribution,
consumption by sector, and wellhead and consumer prices. This
information is used to support public policy analyses of the natural
gas industry and estimates generated from data collected on these
surveys. The statistics generated from these surveys are posted to the
EIA Web site (https://www.eia.gov) in various EIA products, including
the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report (WNGSR), Natural Gas Monthly
(NGM), Natural Gas Annual (NGA), Monthly Energy Review (MER), Short-
Term Energy Outlook (STEO), Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), and Annual
Energy Review (AER). Respondents to EIA natural gas surveys include
State agencies, underground storage operators, transporters, marketers,
and distributors. Each form included as part of this package is
discussed in detail below.
Please refer to the proposed forms and instructions for more
information about the purpose, who must report, when to report, where
to submit, the elements to be reported, detailed instructions,
provisions for confidentiality, and uses (including possible
nonstatistical uses) of the information. For instructions on obtaining
materials, see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
II. Current Actions
EIA is requesting a 3-year extension of the collection authority
for each of the above-referenced surveys and will make minor changes to
the forms and instructions to provide clarity. In addition, EIA
proposes the changes outlined below.
Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply
and Disposition''
In Part 3 of the form, EIA is proposing to collect information on
whether respondents, comprised primarily of natural gas utilities and
municipal gas systems, have active customer choice programs for certain
customer types and their rates of participation in order to gauge the
extent to which customer choice programs are being perpetuated and
utilized. This data would assist EIA in evaluating whether to reduce
spending on monitoring customer choice programs. Also in Part 3 of the
form, EIA proposes a question that asks companies to report whether
their distribution service territory has changed via sale or merger in
order to maintain the accuracy of the survey frame.
Form EIA-191, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report'' and Form EIA-
191A, ``Annual Natural Gas Storage Report''
EIA proposes the elimination of Form EIA-191A and the addition of
the elements it collects (storage field type, working and total
capacity as well as maximum deliverability) to the monthly Form EIA-
191. Adding data elements to the monthly Form EIA-191 will provide more
timely data on changes in natural gas storage field capacities and will
improve the quality of the monthly and related weekly estimates on
natural gas storage activity. EIA will protect against the
identifiability of reported values for monthly working, base gas
levels, total gas in storage, and injections and withdrawals into
storage, but will publish storage field name and type, reservoir name,
location, capacity and maximum deliverability in company identifiable
form. This is consistent with how EIA currently treats the information
reported annually on Form EIA-191A. EIA proposes to publicly release
the same variables that it currently publicly releases from Form EIA-
191A. Information collected in
[[Page 11445]]
Parts 1 and 2 on Form EIA-191 will also be considered public
information and may be publicly released in company identifiable form
Form EIA-757, ``Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey''
EIA proposes to continue the collection of the same data elements
on Form EIA-757 in its present form but proposes to remove the
confidentiality protection for the reported values and to publicly
release reported values in company identifiable form in order to meet
increasing data user needs for more company level data.
Form EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries
to Consumers''
In 2010, a new question was added to Form EIA-857 that asked for
monthly system sendout by responding companies. The data element was
added to Form EIA-857 via a non-substantive change request approved by
the Office of Management and Budget. EIA has been using these data to
improve the calculation of monthly natural gas consumption so it better
aligns with the calendar month. This is more compatible with
respondents' reporting records because consumer deliveries are reported
according to billing cycles for some of the respondent population. To
enhance the precision of monthly natural gas consumption, EIA proposes
adding questions that ask companies for their monthly company-use gas
as well as any deliveries to the vehicle fuel sector. These items are
currently collected on an annual basis on Form EIA-176, Annual Report
of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition, however, their
inclusion on Form EIA-857 will facilitate more accurate consumption
estimates on a monthly basis as they are seasonal in nature.
In addition, EIA is proposing to reduce the sample size reporting
on Form EIA-857 by approximately 25 percent (400 to 300) by moving to a
cutoff-based sample design that can achieve the same level of quality
as the current sample design and estimation protocol.
Form EIA-895, ``Annual Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Production
Report''
Because of the difficulties in obtaining portions of the data from
some States, EIA is considering discontinuing both the monthly and
annual versions of Form EIA-895 and seeks comment on whether the
publication of select data elements currently collected on this survey
form continues to be relevant and necessary. Specifically, will data
user needs be satisfied if data collection on natural gas marketed and
dry production, vented and flared gas, gas used for repressuring,
consumed on oil and gas leases, as well as wellhead prices, are
eliminated and EIA only publishes data on gross production?
Alternatively, if EIA needs to continue publishing data on natural
gas wellhead prices, marketed and dry natural gas production, vented
and flared gas, and gas used for repressuring or consumed on leases is
to continue, EIA is considering the following options or a combination
thereof:
(a) Eliminate Form EIA-895 and collect the same data elements
(gross production, gas used for repressuring, nonhydrocarbons removed,
vented and flared gas, gas used to operate leases and the value of
production) using existing EIA surveys of gas producers such as Forms
EIA-914, EIA-23, EIA-64A, and EIA-816.
(b) Reduce the scope of Form EIA-895 by collecting only data
elements that are available from the States, such as gross withdrawals
and their source, and adding data elements on crude oil production and
lease condensate to serve as benchmarks for similar data currently
collected on existing EIA surveys of natural gas and oil producers.
Form EIA-910M, ``Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey'' and EIA-910A,
``Annual Natural Gas Marketer Survey''
EIA proposes to continue Form EIA-910 with no changes to the
monthly data collection form and proposes to add an annual version
using a new survey, Form EIA-910A, that will ask respondents to report
the annual totals of all the existing elements on the monthly survey
form. The EIA-910A will be due March 1 of each year and the annual
totals it collects will be broken out for each local distribution
company's territory in which the respondent operates instead of at the
State level, as is reported monthly. Having annual data would assist in
the reconciliation of initial estimates of monthly gas sales many
respondents submit against actual meter reads which are frequently not
available from the utility that delivered the gas by the monthly form's
due date. The annual data will also enable EIA to resolve differences
between marketer volumes and volumes transported on the account of
marketers on Form EIA-176.
Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas
Supply and Disposition,'' and resolve discrepancies between these two
surveys.
In addition, EIA proposes to change the data confidentiality
protection status of the monthly Form EIA-910M from the Confidential
Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) to
protecting the reported information using exemptions under the Freedom
of Information Act and provisions in the Trade Secrets Act. The company
level data would still be protected and withheld from public release
but could be shared for nonstatistical purposes in limited
circumstances. The demand for more natural gas data has grown over the
past 5 years and EIA has statutory obligations to share energy data
with other Federal agencies for informed policy decisions. EIA will
continue its policy of not publicly releasing company level information
reported on this survey even though EIA is proposing to use different
Federal statutes to protect the information. EIA proposes to publish
annual data collected on Form EIA-910A in company identifiable form
approximately 9 months after the end of the calendar year.
EIA-912, Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report
EIA proposes to continue the collection of the EIA-912 with no
changes to the form but expand the sample size from 70 to 85
respondents in order to maintain the same level of survey coverage
based on the increase in the number of natural gas storage fields in
operation.
III. Request for Comments
Prospective respondents and other interested parties should comment
on the actions discussed in items II and III. The following guidelines
are provided to assist in the preparation of comments. Please indicate
to which forms your comments apply.
General Issues
A. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the agency and does the
information have practical utility? Practical utility is defined as the
actual usefulness of information to or for an agency, taking into
account its accuracy, adequacy, reliability, timeliness, and the
agency's ability to process the information it collects.
B. What enhancements can be made to the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected?
As a Potential Respondent to the Request for Information
A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the
quality,
[[Page 11446]]
objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information to be collected?
B. Are the instructions and definitions clear and sufficient? If
not, which instructions need clarification?
C. Can the information be submitted by the due date?
D. Public reporting burden for the surveys included in the Natural
Gas Data Collection Program Package is shown below as an average
hour(s) per response. The estimated burden includes the total time
necessary to provide the requested information. In your opinion, how
accurate are these estimates for the proposed forms?
(1) Form EIA-176, ``Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas
Supply and Disposition,'' 12 hours per response.
(2) Form EIA-191, ``Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report,'' 2.6
hours per response.
(3) Form EIA-857, ``Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and
Deliveries to Consumers,'' 3.7 hours per response.
(4) Form EIA-895, ``Annual Quantity and Value of Natural Gas
Production Report,'' 0.5 hours per response.
(5) Form EIA-910M, ``Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey,'' 2 hours
per response.
(6) Form EIA-910A, ``Annual Natural Gas Marketer Survey,'' 4 hours
per response.
(7) Form EIA-912, ``Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage
Report,'' 0.5 hour per response.
(8) Form EIA-757, ``Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey,'' Schedule
A, 0.5 hours per response; Schedule B, 1.5 hours per response.
E. The agency estimates that the only cost to a respondent is for
the time it will take to complete the collection. Will a respondent
incur any start-up costs for reporting, or any recurring annual costs
for operation, maintenance, and purchase of services associated with
the information collection?
F. What additional actions could be taken to minimize the burden of
this collection of information? Such actions may involve the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
G. Does any other Federal, State, or local agency collect similar
information? If so, specify the agency, the data element(s), and the
methods of collection.
As a Potential User of the Information To Be Collected
A. What actions could be taken to help ensure and maximize the
quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the information
disseminated?
B. Is the information useful at the levels of detail to be
collected?
C. For what purpose(s) would the information be used? Be specific.
D. Are there alternate sources for the information and are they
useful? If so, what are their weaknesses and/or strengths?
Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the form. They also
will become a matter of public record.
Statutory Authority: Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy
Administration Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-275, certified at 15 U.S.C.
772(b).
Issued in Washington, DC, February 24, 2011.
Stephanie Brown,
Director, Office of Survey Development and Statistical Integration,
Energy Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-4622 Filed 3-1-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
