PA Environment Digest Blog: Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard

From February 4 to 10, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 623 inspection reports that resulted in reporting 65 violations of environmental regulations-- 49 violations by the conventional oil and gas industry and 16 violations by the unconventional shale natural gas industry.

So far this year-- as of February 5-- DEP issued 286 formal notices of violation to conventional operators and 112 to unconventional shale gas operators based on 1,293 inspections of conventional facilities and 2,495 inspections of unconventional shale gas facilities.

Abandoning Wells Without Plugging

This was a big week for DEP catching oil and gas drillers trying to abandon wells without plugging them.

DEP issued 12 notices of violation to conventional (10) and unconventional shale gas (2) operators for abandoning wells without plugging them this week.

The conventional companies were-- Schreiner Oil & Gas Inc. (McKean County- 5); Kenic Gas & Oil Co. (Butler County-2); Puma Energy Inc. (Crawford County); Southwell Russel C. (Warren County); and Tatonka Oil Co., LLC (Warren County).

In addition to being abandoned, Schreiner Oil & Gas Inc. has three natural gas wells leaking gas into the air in McKean County.

The unconventional shale gas companies were-- Penn View Exploration, Inc. (Butler County) and Frontier Natural Resources (Clinton County).

So far in 2023, conventional operators received 13 notices of violation for abandoning wells without plugging them and unconventional shale gas operators received two.

Conventional operator Puma Energy Inc. also got NOVs for not submitting production and waste reports and well integrity reports for two wells in Crawford County and one in Erie County.

The production and waste report is critical to understanding how much wastewater and other waste those wells generated and where it was disposed of.

The annual integrity report is critical because it helps ensure the operator is taking the steps needed to prevent natural gas, oil or contaminated water leaks from oil and gas wells.

Both conventional and unconventional shale gas operators were given NOVs for other violations including the usual spills, releases into waters in the Commonwealth and failing to contain wastes in approved tanks or pits.

Report Violations

To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database webpage to search their compliance records by date and operator.

Sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE service which sends you information on oil and gas and other permits submitted to DEP for review in your community.

Violation Details

Violations Reported - Conventional

10 -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

3 -- Well is leaking natural gas from well head

2 -- Discharged Waste Into Waters Of Commonwealth

2 -- Failed to remove regulated substances that escaped containment

1 -- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

3 -- Drilling, Altering Or Operating A Well Without A Permit

1 -- Failed to construct and operate the well in accordance with regulations

1 -- Conducting drilling or production contrary to the Oil & Gas Act

1 -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

1 -- Failed To Contain Wastes Or Regulated Substances In Tanks Or Other Storage Structures

1 -- Failed to design, construct, maintain pits or tanks to be structurally sound

2 -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

1 -- Failed to comply with corrosion control requirements for tanks

1 -- Failed to design, implement, maintain erosion & sedimentation to prevent pollution

1 -- Failed to stabilize the site to protect from erosion

1 -- Failure To Construct Well To Maintain Its Integrity

3 -- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

3 -- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

Company/Location/Violations - Conventional

Butler County

-- Kenic Gas & Oil Co. - Oakland Twp. - Fatigati 24

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Kenic Gas & Oil Co. - Donegal Twp. - Romanelli 25

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

Clarion County

-- Alpha Wells Inc. - Monroe Twp. - TW Phillips 1

-- Drilling, Altering Or Operating A Well Without A Permit

Crawford County

-- Diversified Prod, LLC - Greenwood Twp. - Morian 3 Well

-- Discharged Waste Into Waters Of Commonwealth

-- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

-- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

-- Puma Energy Inc. - Rockdale Twp. - Alec Styborski 2

-- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

-- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

-- Failed to comply with corrosion control requirements for tanks

-- Puma Energy Inc. - Venango Twp. - Raymond J. Tobin ET UX 1

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

-- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

Erie County

-- Puma Energy Inc. - Le Boeuf Twp. - Kibbe Unit 3

-- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

-- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

-- Failed to construct and operate the well in accordance with regulations

Fayette County

-- The Production Co., LLC - Franklin Twp. - Rell Corporation 1

-- Drilling, Altering Or Operating A Well Without A Permit

-- Failed to remove regulated substances that escaped containment

Greene County

-- Diversified Prod, LLC - Cumberland Twp. - Whipkey 9 Well

-- Failed to design, construct, maintain pits or tanks to be structurally sound

-- Failed to remove regulated substances that escaped containment

McKean County

-- Schreiner Oil & Gas Inc. - Otto Twp. - Grow 1

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Schreiner Oil & Gas Inc. - Otto Twp. - Grow 3

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Well is leaking natural gas from well head

-- Schreiner Oil & Gas Inc. - Otto Twp. - Grow 4

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Schreiner Oil & Gas Inc. - Otto Twp. - Grow 5

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Well is leaking natural gas from well head

-- Schreiner Oil & Gas Inc. - Otto Twp. - Grow 10

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Well is leaking natural gas from well head

Warren County

-- Marvin Sanders Oil - Sugar Grove Twp. - Sandene 16

-- Conducting drilling or production contrary to the Oil & Gas Act

-- Southwell Russel C. - Glade Twp. - Walker-Tract 6592 1

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Tatonka Oil Co. LLC - Deerfield Twp. - Nancy 13

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Drilling, Altering Or Operating A Well Without A Permit

Washington County

-- Dallas Energy LLC - Blaine Twp. - Hodgens JAS SR 7

-- Discharged Waste Into Waters Of Commonwealth

-- Failed to design, implement, maintain erosion & sedimentation to prevent pollution

-- Failed to stabilize the site to protect from erosion

Westmoreland County

-- PA Mineral SVCS LLC - Loyalhanna Twp. - Kiskiminetas Spring School 4

-- Failure To Construct Well To Maintain Its Integrity

-- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

-- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

-- Failed To Contain Wastes Or Regulated Substances In Tanks Or Other Storage Structures

Violations Reported - Unconventional Shale Gas

2 -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

1 -- Failure to report defective well casing or cementing

4 -- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

1 -- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings

3 -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

3 -- Failed To Contain Wastes Or Regulated Substances In Tanks Or Other Storage Structures

Company/Location/Violations - Unconventional Shale Gas

Bradford County

-- Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC - Smithfield Twp. - Kingsley 2HC

-- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

-- Failed To Contain Wastes Or Regulated Substances In Tanks Or Other Storage Structures

Butler County

-- Penn View Exploration Inc. - Franklin Twp. - Huff 3

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

Clinton County

-- Frontier Natural Resources - West Keating Twp. - Winner 1

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Failure to report defective well casing or cementing

Lycoming County

-- EQT ARO, LLC - McIntyre Twp. - COP Tract 551 B-8H

-- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

-- Failed to contain regulated substances, wastes in a structure approved by DEP

-- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

-- EQT ARO, LLC - Cogan House Twp. - Elbow F&G A-1H

-- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

-- Failed to contain regulated substances, wastes in a structure approved by DEP

-- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

Susquehanna County

-- SWN PROD Co. LLC - Great Bend Twp. - Four Bucks Well Pad

-- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

-- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

-- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings

[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]

[Note: These may not be all the NOVs issued to oil and gas companies during this time period. Additional inspection reports may be added to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database.]

PA DEP Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Feb. 4 to Feb. 10 - 12 NOVs For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - Feb. 11 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 57 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Feb. 11 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Compliance Reports:

-- DEP Report Finds: Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Routinely Abandon Wells; Fail To Report How Millions Of Gallons Of Waste Is Disposed; And Non-Compliance Is An ‘Acceptable Norm’ [PaEN]

-- DEP 2021 Oil & Gas Program Annual Report Shows Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Received A Record 610 Notices Of Violation For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industry Has Record Year: Cost, Criminal Convictions Up; $3.1 Million In Penalties Collected; Record Number Of Violations Issued; Major Compliance Issues Uncovered; Evidence Of Health Impacts Mounts [PaEN]

-- Feature: 60 Years Of Fracking, 20 Years Of Shale Gas: Pennsylvania’s Oil & Gas Industrial Infrastructure Is Hiding In Plain Sight [PaEN]

-- EDF: Conventional Gas Wells In Allegheny National Forest Leaked Over 6 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas In 2019; Conventional Operators Seek To Block Methane Limits [PaEN]