Dear <CONTACT>:

Your company is selected to participate in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Report of Domestic Oil and Gas Reserves for 2016 (Form EIA-23L). Participation is mandatory under federal law and it is essential for you to respond by May 1, 2017 in order for EIA to prepare accurate and timely reports.
EIA ID Number:  <ID>
Company Name:  <NAME1>

The data collected on Form EIA-23L is used to develop national and regional estimates of proved reserves of U.S. crude oil and natural gas. These estimates are vital to the analysis of key domestic energy issues, and facilitate national energy policy decisions. Your company’s response is an essential part of this process.
Response to this survey is mandatory and required pursuant to 15 U.S.C., Sections 764(b), 772(b) and 790a of the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974.  EIA annually selects a sample of oil and natural gas well operators from each producing area of the United States. Selection to the Survey Year sample is determined by the total or gross (8/8ths) annual operated production rate within the producing area. EIA estimates that the average reporting burden for completing Form EIA-23L is 45 hours. For Form EIA-23L, the information reported will be protected and not disclosed to the public to the extent that it satisfies the criteria for exemption under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. §552, the DOE regulations, 10 C.F.R. §1004.11, implementing the FOIA, and the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. §1905. The annual production of crude oil, lease condensate, and natural gas reported on Form EIA-23L are considered public information. Production (not proved reserves) data may be released in company-identifiable form and will not be protected from disclosure in identifiable form when releasing statistical aggregate information. 

Form EIA-23L and detailed instructions are available on the EIA website. You may submit the survey using the RIGS E-file option on the website, by email, or via fax at 202-586-1076. 
If you have questions about completing the survey or why your company was chosen to participate, please call EIA-23L survey staff at 1-800-879-1470. 
Thank you for your cooperation and participation in this important survey. 

Sincerely,

Director, Office of Oil, Gas, and Coal Supply Statistics     
U.S. Energy Information Administration