PA Environment Digest Blog: Citizen Complaint Results In Finding 2 Abandoned Conventional Wells Owned By Prosperity Oil Co. Continuing To Vent Natural Gas In Washington County

On April 24, DEP inspectors, responding to a citizen complaint, found two conventional wells continuing to vent natural gas in Hanover Township, Washington County.

The wells are owned by Prosperity Oil Co., Inc. and are known as SB Donaldson 2 (see DEP inspection report) and SB Donaldson 3 (see DEP inspection report).

The SB Donaldson 2 well is located approximately 75 feet from the complainant’s home and 120 feet from the complainant’s water well.

The DEP inspector found significant natural gas readings around the well head of the water well which has been disconnected from the house and is no longer in use.

Pollution of a water well like this is presumed by law to be caused by a natural gas well located within 2,500 feet of the well.

DEP inspection records show a notice of violation was issued on March 2, 2012 to Prosperity Oil for failing to operate a well to ensure its integrity and on March 2, 2021 for venting gas in a manner which causes a hazard to the public. Both violations are still outstanding.

DEP also issued Prosperity Oil a notice of violation for failing to plug an abandoned well on March 2, 2021 as well as NOVs for failing to submit annual mechanical integrity and production and waste generation reports.

DEP requested Prosperity Oil to respond in writing to the continuing violations by May 15, 2023.

DEP’s inspection of the SB Donaldson 3 well found it was also venting natural gas to the atmosphere.

DEP inspection records show Prosperity Oil was issued a notice of violation on March 2, 2012 for failing to operate a well to ensure its integrity and on March 2, 2021 for venting gas in a manner which causes a hazard to the public. Both violations are still outstanding.

Neither well was hooked up to production equipment.

DEP requested Prosperity Oil to respond in writing to the continuing violations by May 15, 2023.

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.

(Photos: SB Donaldson 2, SB Donaldson 3 from DEP inspection reports.)

[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 Oil & Gas Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 22 - 28; Conventional Wells Venting Gas; Shale Gas Well Pad Spills [PaEN]

-- Citizen Complaint Results In Finding 2 Abandoned Conventional Wells Owned By Prosperity Oil Co. Continuing To Vent Natural Gas In Washington County [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Appalachia: DEP Inspections Find Violations For Spills, Releases, Continuing Defective Casing/Cementing At Shale Gas Well Pads In Bradford, Susquehanna Counties [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - April 29 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 61 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 29 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Compliance Reports

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

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Failed To File 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]