PA Environment Digest Blog: Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Feb. 18 to 24; First Violations Noted At New Well Plugging Sites

From February 18 through 24, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 309 inspection reports that resulted in reporting 26 violations of environmental regulations-- 13 violations by the conventional oil and gas industry and 13 violations by the unconventional shale natural gas industry.

So far this year-- as of February 17-- DEP issued 449 formal notices of violation to conventional operators and 165 to unconventional shale gas operators based on 1,960 inspections of conventional facilities and 3,388 inspections of unconventional shale gas facilities.

DEP Inspected Well Plugging Sites

DEP last week inspected eight of the first abandoned gas well sites being plugged under the new federal Conventional Oil and Gas Well Plugging program to determine if they are in compliance with the state’s regulations.

Violations were reported at one well site--

Allegheny County

-- Ohio Twp. - NOCK 1

-- Ohio Twp. - Roosevelt Road 1

-- Kilbuck Twp. - SCC1

McKean County

-- Otto Twp. - Summit Lease K13

-- Otto Twp. - Summit Lease K20

-- Otto Twp. - Summit Lease K21

-- Otto Twp. - Summit Lease K22

-- Otto Twp. - Summit Lease K23 (Well Plugged By Plants & Goodwin Company based in Bradford County)

-- Discharged Waste Into Waters Of Commonwealth

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

-- Contractor advised to restore the site to original contour to prevent water runoff

-- Click Here for DEP’s Inspection Report

-- Otto Twp. - Summit Lease K24

More Abandoned Wells

Alpha Wells Inc. (Clarion County), Crawford Energy Search Co Inc (Crawford County) and Diversified Prod LLC (Crawford County) were issued NOVs for failure to plug a well upon abandoning it.

Failure To Submit Production/Waste/Integrity Reports

DEP issued a blanket notice of violation to Bald Hill Oil based in Sheffield, Warren County for not submitting well production, waste generation/disposal and well integrity reports for any of its conventional oil and gas wells in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Click Here for DEP notice.

The company owns or operates wells in Forest, McKean and Warren counties.

Mercyhurst College was also issued an NOV for not submitting well production, waste and integrity reports..

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.

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

3 -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

2 - Drilling, altering, operating a well without a permit

1 -- Failed to comply with well permit while drilling, altering or operating a well

2 -- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

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

Company/Location/Violations - Conventional

All Locations

-- Bald Hill Oil - [DEP NOV]

-- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report- 2020, 2021, 2022

-- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report - 2020, 2021, 2022

-- Drilling, altering, operating a well without a permit

Clarion County

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

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Drilling, altering, operating a well without a permit

Crawford County

-- Crawford Energy Search Co Inc - Union Twp. - Raymond P Shafter 1

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Diversified Prod LLC - Sadsbury Twp. - Taraczkozy Unit 1

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

Erie County

-- Mercyhurst College - North East Twp. - St Marys College 1

-- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

-- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

Warren County

-- R&N Resources LLC - Sheffield Twp. - Lot 437 37

-- Failed to comply with well permit while drilling, altering or operating a well

Violations Reported - Unconventional Shale Gas

1 -- Defective Casing and/or Cementing Of Well

1 -- Failed to control and dispose of fluids, residual waste, drill cuttings

2 -- 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 comply with erosion and sedimentation control general permit

1 -- Failed to design implement, maintain erosion and sedimentation controls to prevent runoff

1 -- Failed to construct gas gathering lines in compliance with regulations

Company/Location/Violations - Unconventional Shale Gas

Allegheny County

-- Markwest Liberty Midstream & Resources LLC - Findlay Twp. - Ziolkowski To Smith Pipeline

-- Failed to comply with erosion and sedimentation control general permit

-- Failed to design implement, maintain erosion and sedimentation controls to prevent runoff

-- Failed to construct gas gathering lines in compliance with regulations

Lycoming County

-- EQT ARO LLC - McIntyre Twp. COP Tract 551 B-9H

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

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

Susquehanna County

-- BKV OPR LLC - Bridgewater Twp. - Frystak East 8H

-- Defective Casing and/or Cementing Of Well

Wyoming County

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Mehoopany Twp. - Fox Well Pad

-- Failed to control and dispose of fluids, residual waste, drill cuttings

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

[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. 18 to 24; First Violations Noted At New Well Plugging Sites [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - Feb. 25 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 47 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Feb. 25 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Compliance Reports

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Haven’t Filed Annual Production/Waste Generation Reports For 61,655 Wells; Attorney General Continues Investigation Of Road Dumping Wastewater [PaEN]

-- DEP Issued 754 Notices Of Violation For Defective Oil & Gas Well Casing, Cementing, The Fundamental Protection Needed To Prevent Gas Migration, Groundwater & Air Contamination, Explosions [PaEN]

-- 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]