PA Environment Digest Blog: Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 8 to 14; Shale Gas Drillers Create New Brownfields, 8 Wells Found With Defective Casing/Cementing

From April 8 to 14, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 614 inspection entries that resulted in reporting 56 violations of environmental regulations-- 18 violations by the conventional oil and gas industry and 38 violations by the unconventional shale natural gas industry.

So far this year-- as of April 7-- DEP issued 1,215 formal notices of violation to conventional operators and 467 to unconventional shale gas operators based on 4,111 inspections of conventional facilities and 7,217 inspections of unconventional shale gas facilities.

This was a bad week for unconventional shale gas drillers who DEP inspectors found creating a new brownfield, unreported defective well casing or cementing on eight wells venting gas to the atmosphere and more spills.

Chesapeake Appalachia - New Brownfield, Defective Casing

In three separate DEP inspections from January 24, 2023 to April 11, DEP found multiple pools and puddles on the site contaminated with drilling wastewater and fracking chemical fluids at the shale gas Floydie Well Pad in Tuscarora Township, Bradford County that the company failed to clean up. Read more here.

The site was not contaminated by industrial waste before the well pad was developed.

Although the company committed to clean it up under the Act 2 Land Recycling Program, that effort is not yet started. Read more here.

Chesapeake also was cited by DEP for failing to report defective well casing or cementing on six wells at the Aukema Well Pad in Meshoppen Township, Wyoming County. DEP also found the company had failed to prevent natural gas, oil, brine or service fluids from entering fresh groundwater.

DEP noted the defective well casing and cementing violations for continuing violations from August 6, 2021. (Inspection Report)

In another inspection, DEP found Chesapeake failed to report a release of substances threatening to cause pollution and spills at the shale gas Stoorza Well Pad in Terry Township, Bradford County.

STL Resources LLC - Defective Casing, Venting Gas

DEP cited STL Resources LLC at the shale gas Sturgis Well Pad (wells 3H, 7H) for failing to report defective casing or cementing which resulted in venting natural gas to the atmosphere.

DEP noted these were continuing violations from January 22. (Inspection Report)

Conventional Operator Plugging Its Wells

DEP inspections found Timberline Energy Inc. has started to plug several conventional gas wells it abandoned in Cranberry Township, Venango County. Read more here.

On the downside, L & B Energy LLP was issued a notice of violation for failure to plug a well it abandoned in Beaver Township, Crawford County.

DEP/Equitrans Settlement

On April 13, the Department of Environmental Protection and Equitrans filed a settlement with the Environmental Hearing Board resulting in the withdrawal of DEP’s December enforcement order against Equitrans to correct violations at the Rager Mountain Underground Natural Gas Storage area related to the release of an estimated 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas that was visible from space.

In addition, notices of violation issued based on the November release are to be administratively closed, however, DEP is not precluded from “taking any action, including one based on the observation made, information gathered or violations noticed in NOVs” issued as a result of the release.

On April 14 the Environmental Hearing Board issued an order based on the settlement to terminate the Equitrans appeal without prejudice. Read more here.

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

1 -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

4 -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It - Plugging Efforts Underway

2 -- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

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

Company/Location/Violations - Conventional

Crawford County

-- L & B Energy LLP - WJ Hyde SR - Beaver Twp.

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- OWS Energy LLC - Clark Duncan 1 - East Fairfield Twp.

-- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

Venango County

-- Timberline Energy Inc.- Ostroske Wells 1, 2, 3, 7 - Cranberry Twp

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It - Plugging Efforts Underway

Westmoreland County

-- Michael Harju - Shoaf 1 - Hempfield Twp.

-- Failed To Submit Well Integrity Report

-- Failed To Submit Well Production & Waste Management Report

Violations Reported - Unconventional Shale Gas

2 -- Operator Vented Natural Gas Into The Atmosphere

2 -- Failure To Report A Release That Caused Or Threatens To Cause Pollution

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

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

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

1 -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

8 -- Failed to report defective casing or cementing

1 -- Failed to prevent natural gas, oil, brine, service fluids from entering fresh groundwater

1 -- Conducted an activities without a permit or contrary to a permit to prevent pollution

Company/Location/Violations - Unconventional Shale Gas

Bradford County

-- Blackhill Energy LLC - Jackson A-South - Springfield Twp.

-- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

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

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

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Floydie Well Pad - Tuscarora Twp

-- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

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

-- Failure To Report A Release That Caused Or Threatens To Cause Pollution

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

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Stoorza Well Pad - Terry Twp.

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

-- Failure To Report A Release That Caused Or Threatens To Cause Pollution

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

Clinton County

-- STL Resources LLC - Sturgis 3H/7H - Gallagher Twp.

-- Failed to report defective casing or cementing (continuing violations)

-- Operator Vented Natural Gas Into The Atmosphere (continuing violations)

Lycoming County

-- EQT ARO LLC - Chapman Bohlin Well Pad - Cascade Twp.

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

-- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

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

Susquehanna County

-- Coterra Energy Inc. - K Zupp Well Pad - Harford Twp.

-- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

-- Conducted an activities without a permit or contrary to a permit to prevent pollution

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

Wyoming County

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Aukema Well Pad - Meshoppen Twp.

-- Failed to report defective casing or cementing on 6 wells (continuing violations from August 6, 2021)

-- Failed to prevent natural gas, oil, brine, service fluids from entering fresh groundwater

[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 8 to 14; Shale Gas Drillers Create New Brownfields, 8 Wells Found With Defective Casing/Cementing [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - April 15 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 68 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 15 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]

-- 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]