Dec 8 -- The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) asks OMB for a three-year extension (with revisions) of the Natural Gas Data Collection Program, which provides information on natural gas production, underground storage, supply, processing, transmission, distribution, and consumption by sector within the United States. The surveys covered by this request include; Form EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition; Form EIA-191 Monthly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report; Form EIA-191L Monthly Liquefied Natural Gas Storage Report; Form EIA-757 Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey; Form EIA-857 Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to Consumers; Form EIA-910 Monthly Natural Gas Marketer Survey; and Form EIA-912 Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report.
The statistics generated from these surveys are used in various EIA information 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).
Proposed Changes to Information Collection:
Form EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition
Form EIA-176 collects data on natural, synthetic, and other supplemental gas supplies, their disposition, and certain revenues by state. EIA is modifying the survey instructions to include Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) producers who inject high-Btu RNG into an interstate pipeline, intra-state pipeline, or natural gas distribution company system. This excludes on-site and local pipelines that deliver to a nearby end-user, such as to a CNG fueling station or power plant. EIA is adding this type of RNG producer because these facilities produce the equivalent of pipeline-quality natural gas that is not captured elsewhere in EIA's production statistics.
Form EIA-191 Monthly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report
Form EIA-191 collects data on the operations of all active underground storage facilities. The name of the survey is changing from Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report to Monthly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report.
Form EIA-191L Monthly Liquefied Natural Gas Storage Report
EIA is adding a new survey, Form EIA-191L Monthly Liquefied Natural Gas Storage Report to collect natural gas inventory storage data from approximately 85 operators of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities. These facilities include LNG peakshavers and satellite LNG facilities. EIA is specifically excluding marine terminals (due to their high variability in stock levels), on-site power plant LNG storage tanks, and LNG fueling tanks. Form EIA-191L is a shorter version of Form EIA-191 and will collect the same natural gas data as Form EIA-191 except it will not collect information on base gas, working gas, field type, and facility type.
Form EIA-757 Natural Gas Processing Plant Survey
Form EIA-757 collects information on the capacity, status, and operations of natural gas processing plants, and monitors their constraints to natural gas supplies during catastrophic events, such as hurricanes. Schedule A of Form EIA-757 collects baseline operating and capacity information from all respondents on a triennial basis. Schedule B is used on an emergency standby basis and is activated during natural disasters or other energy disruptive events. Schedule B collects data from a sample of respondents in the affected areas. There are no changes to Form EIA-757.
Form EIA-857 Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to Consumers
Form EIA-857 collects data on the quantity and cost of natural gas delivered to distribution systems and the quantity and revenue of natural gas delivered to consumers by end-use sector, on a monthly basis by state. There are no changes to this survey.
Form EIA-910 Monthly Natural Gas Marketer
Form EIA-910 collects information on natural gas sales from marketers in selected states that have active consumer choice programs. EIA is increasing the number of respondents to this survey due to the increased number of natural gas market participants.
Form EIA-912 Weekly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report
Form EIA-912 collects information on weekly inventories of natural gas in underground storage facilities. EIA is increasing the requested burden by 5 additional respondents to accommodate future changes in required reporting sample sizes.
FR notice inviting comment to OMB:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/12/08/2020-26884/agency-information-collection-extension
Natural Gas Data Collection package submitted to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202012-1905-001 Click IC List for survey forms, View Supporting Statement for narrative on uses, methodologies, timeline, consultations.
Point of contact: Michael Kopalek, U.S. Energy Information Administration (202) 586-4001 michael.kopalek@eia.gov
For AEA members wishing to submit comments, "A Primer on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections" is available at
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806