New Abandoned Wells: 60 Conventional Oil & Gas Companies Issued 10 NOVs Or More For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them In One Year

Conventional oil and gas companies were issued over 4,270 notices of violation for abandoning oil and gas wells without plugging them in 2016 through 2022, according to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Reporting system.

DEP’s records show the practice of abandoning wells without plugging them is routine in the industry, and not an isolated event.

This is a list of companies issued ten or move NOVs for abandoning conventional oil and gas wells without plugging them in any one year--

Advanced Petro Corp (2016)

Aiello Bros Oil & Gas (2016; 2017)

Allegheny Enterprises (2018)

ARG Resources (2018)

Bobcat Well & Pipeline (2017)

Boyd G. & Eugene A. Nancy Kline (2017)

Chautauqua Energy (2017)

CNX Gas (2016)

Cobra Resources 2019; 2021)

D & M Energy (2019; 2020)

Dannic Energy Corp (2016; 021)

Deitz Gas & Oil (2017)

Dev Well, Inc (2017)

Diversified Oil & Gas (2017; 2018; 2019)

Diversified Prod (2018; 2020; 2021)

Donald D. Coleman Jr (2020)

Energy Resources of Amer (2016)

Enervest OPR (2016; 2017; 2020; 2021)

Engeo SVC (2019)

EQT Prod (2017)

Goe Pro Inc. (2021)

Greenridge Oil Co (2019)

Harju Michael (2020)

Hovis Oil Co (2018)

Huber William L. (2016; 2017)

IA Const Corp (2020)

John H. Ball & Son (2019)

L & B Energy (2019)

Marvin Sanders (2017; 2019)

McCoon Co (2021)

McKissick Exploration (2018)

Miller Kim (2017)

Mitch Well Energy (2021)

North Amer Oil & Gas Drillers (2016)

Northeast Consolidated Energy (2020)

Northeaster Consolidated Energy (2021)

Northwester Consolidated Energy (2017; 2019)

Northwest Well SVC (2019)

Old Mtn. Gas (2017)

Osterling Robert E (2019)

OWS Acquisition Co (2021)

Pennhills Resources (2018)

Penta Oil (2017; 2021)

Petro Tech (2018; 2020)

PPP Future Dev (2021)

Pyramid Oil (2017)

Red Valley Enterprises (2016; 2019)

Rex Drummond (2018; 2020)

Russo Russell (2018)

Schrecengost Fred M (2016; 2018)

Seepaco, LLC (2021)

Stryker Energy (2018; 2019)

Tamarack Petro (2016) 

Tatonka Oil (2019, 2021)

Tim Coleman (2016; 2017)

Timberline Energy (2017)

Titusville Oil & Gas (2017; 2019)

Utica Resources (2018)

Willard M. Cline (2020)

XITE Energy (2016; 2017; 2021)

If you believe your company is listed incorrectly, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Management Program.

Bottom Line

The only thing that stands between thousands of new abandoned conventional oil and gas wells and hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer-funded cleanup liability is the Department of Environmental Protection.

But they need state lawmakers to understand taxpayers will pay the bill for even more  new wells abandoned by conventional operators as well as the older ones  if they don’t--

-- Close the pre-1985 well bonding exemption;

-- Have real bonding for all active conventional wells that reflect today’s costs for plugging; and 

-- Have a DEP that is adequately funded to accomplish their mission.

If you want to protect taxpayers, contact your state House and Senate member on this issue: Click Here to find them.

If you don’t want to protect taxpayers, have $33,000 handy to pay for every new conventional oil and gas well that’s abandoned.

(Written by David Hess, former Secretary of DEP.  Comments should be sent to: PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com.)

Related Articles - New Abandoned Wells:

-- New Abandoned Wells: DEP Records Show Abandoning Oil & Gas Wells Without Plugging Them Is Pervasive In Conventional Drilling Industry; Who Is Protecting Taxpayers?  [PaEN]

-- New Abandoned Wells: 256 Conventional Oil & Gas Companies Issued NOVs For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them

[Posted: February 23, 2022]  PA Environment Digest