Generic Testing Clearance Summary Template

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for Questionnaire Testing and Research” (OMB Control Number: 1905-0186)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Cognitive Research for soliciting feedback on Form EIA-914, “Monthly Crude Oil, Lease Condensate, and Natural Gas Production Report.”)

PURPOSE: The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) plans to use the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved generic clearance, EIA-882T, (Generic Clearance For Questionnaire Testing and Research OMB No. 1905-0186), to understand how respondents use, operate, or acquire the services of oil stabilizers or also commonly known as splitters. This research will help improve the accuracy of the crude oil production data reported on Form EIA-914 because it will inform EIA on whether respondents are reporting their crude oil production and sales pre- or post-stabilization, and also improve overall accounting of petroleum products by collecting gaseous products from the stabilizers that is now missing from EIA’s data.

All crude oil when it flows from a well has some volatility when it is extracted from the ground because of the gaseous hydrocarbons that are mixed with the crude oil. Many times, the volatility must be reduced before shipping the crude oil to a refinery. Stabilizers increase the density and reduce the volatility of the crude oil by extracting light or gaseous hydrocarbons. These gaseous hydrocarbons included in the volatile oil and condensate are removed at stabilizing plants to produce crude oil and a range of natural gas liquids. The light hydrocarbons output from a stabilizer may be labeled as natural gas liquids (NGL) although the composition distribution of these NGLs will be different than the NGLs produced at a natural gas plant. If respondents are using stabilizers, EIA seeks to assess respondents’ ability to report the amount of crude oil and condensate that is sent to a stabilizer and the output from a stabilizer, separately from the existing crude oil and natural gas production data that respondents currently report on Form EIA-914. EIA will also assess the reporting burden associated with reporting the inputs and output from stabilizer activity. Your action is anticipated within two weeks; however, EIA will not conduct this research without approval. Results of this data collection will be submitted in the annual report of surveys conducted under this generic clearance.

The protocol is designed to collect information on how respondents use stabilizers to process their crude oil production, and what information they maintain in their records that relate to this activity. All participation in this research is voluntary.

EIA will use the information collected from this research to guide agency decisions in proposing any modifications to Form EIA-914 “Monthly Crude Oil, Lease Condensate, and Natural Gas Production Report,” information collection request (ICR) under OMB Control No. 1905-0205. This survey form expires November 30, 2017.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: Current EIA respondents that report crude oil and natural gas production on Form EIA-914.

TYPE OF COLLECTION: (Check one)

[ ] Field Testing [X] Cognitive Interviews

[ ] Usability Testing [ ] Focus Groups

[ ] Pilot Surveys [ ] Other: ______________________

[ ] Respondent Debriefings

CERTIFICATION:

I certify the following to be true regarding the proposed collection of information:

1. It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions.

2. It avoids unnecessary duplication.

3. It reduces burden on small entities.

4. It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents.

5. Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices.

6. It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements.

7. It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

   1. Why the information is being collected;

   2. Use of information;

   3. Burden estimate;

   4. Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

   5. Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

   6. Need to display currently valid OMB control number

8. It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

9. It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable).

10. It makes appropriate use of information technology.

Name: Thomas Leckey, Assistant Administrator for Energy Statistics,

U.S. Energy Information Administration

To assist review, please provide answers to the following questions:

Personally Identifiable Information:

1. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ ] Yes [X] No

2. If Yes, will any information that is collected be included in records that are subject to the Privacy Act of 1974? [ ] Yes [ ] No

3. If Yes, has an up-to-date System of Records Notice (SORN) been published? [ ] Yes [ ] No

Gifts or Payments:

Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to participants? [ ] Y [X] No

BURDEN HOURS

Category of Respondent	No. of Respondents	Participation Time (hours)	Burden hours
EIA-914	15	0.5	7.5
Totals	15		7.5

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is: $540.15

If you are conducting a focus group, survey, or plan to employ statistical methods, please provide answers to the following questions:

The selection of your targeted respondents

1. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe? [X] Yes [ ] No

If the answer is yes, please provide a description of both below (or attach the sampling plan)? If the answer is no, please provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and how you will select them?

Participation in this research is voluntary. We will recruit respondents to participate in cognitive research by contacting 45 companies that reported producing more than 2,000 barrels per day of 50 degree API or lighter oil on Form EIA-914 in May, 2016. Crude oil with an API gravity > 50 degrees is considered light crude oil. Lighter crude oil streams have the most volatility because they contain more of the lighter hydrocarbons. Producers of light crude oil are the most likely users of stabilizers. There are 9 large size companies that produce more than 20,000 barrels per day (bbl/d); 20 medium size companies that produce between 3,000 and 20,000 bbl/d and 16 small size companies that produce ≤ 3,000 bbl/d. EIA seeks 6 interviews from large size producers, 6 interviews from medium size producers and 3 interviews from the small size producers.

Administration of the Instrument

1. How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[ ] Web-based or other forms of Social Media

[X] Telephone

[X] In-person

[ ] Mail

[ ] Other, Explain

2. Will interviewers or facilitators be used? [X] Yes [ ] No

Please make sure that all instruments, instructions, and scripts are submitted with the request.

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