So far this year, DEP took these actions as of May 17--
-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 30 conventional, 14 unconventional
-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 3,819 conventional and 439 unconventional
-- Enforcements 2024: 231 conventional and 61 unconventional
-- Inspections Last Week: 149 conventional and 328 unconventional
-- Year To Date - Inspections: 6,467 conventional and 9,736 unconventional
-- Wells Drilled Last Week: 3 conventional and 12 unconventional
-- Year To Date Wells Drilled: 54 conventional and 136 unconventional
2 Abandoned Conventions Well NOVs
On May 14, 2024, DEP did a routine inspection of the Floch 9 conventional well in West Shenango Township, Crawford County owned by Diamond Energy Partners LLC and found it abandoned and not plugged.
DEP’s inspection report included violations and requested the owner to submit a written report by June 14, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.
On May 15, 2024, DEP inspected the CM Lemmon 3 conventional well in Jackson Township, Greene County owned by Zama Petro Inc. and found it abandoned and not plugged and venting gas.
DEP’s inspection report included violations and requested the owner to submit a write report by May 31, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.
3 Abandoned, Plugged Shale Gas Wells Still Leaking Gas
On May 15, 2024, DEP inspected the Cernuska Shale Gas Well Pad owned by EQT Chap LLC in Jefferson Township, Greene County and found wells M07H and M08H abandoned and plugged, but were still venting gas.
The inspection found plugging operations were finished on both wells, but when the inspectors did a gas leak check they found the wells were venting gas and bubbling inside the well head.
DEP inspection report for M07H and inspection report for M08H requested the owner to submit a written report by May 30, 2024 on how the wells will be brought into compliance.
On May 7, 2024, DEP inspected the Heuer Shale Gas Well Pad owned by Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC in Union Township, Tioga County and found well 1V abandoned and plugged, but was still venting gas.
DEP’s inspection report noted the plugging failed to comply with a May 11, 2022 consent order and agreement.
DEP requested the owner to submit a written report by June 15, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.
480 Conventional, 8 Shale Gas Abandoned Well Violations In 2024
So far in 2024, DEP issued 480 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging wells; and 8 violations were issued to five shale gas well owners [Repsol OIl & Gas, EQT Chap LLC, M4 Energy, EQT (Rice Drilling B LLC) and Roulette Oil & Gas LLC)] for abandoning wells and not plugging wells.
Conventional Well Spills
On May 23, 2024, DEP did an inspection of the Gaydos 5 conventional well in Cumberland Township, Greene County owned by Diversified Prod LLC and found evidence of multiple spills around the well site.
The largest area of concern was around what appeared to be a leaking wastewater tank.
DEP noted Diversified was notified of the spills at 1:45 and Diversified reported the spills to DEP at 2:50 p.m.
DEP’s inspection report included multiple violations and requested the well owner to submit a written report by June 24, 2024 on how the well site will be brought into compliance.
On May 21, 2024, DEP reported it did an inspection of a conventional well owned by Bald Hill Oil. No well name was listed or location.
DEP reported it issued multiple violations for this well, including drilling, altering or operating a well without a permit and failure to comply with oil and gas regulations and failure to submit production, waste generation and well integrity reports.
The DEP eFACTS database shows Bald Hill Oil has permits for 96 conventional wells.
Shale Gas Well Pad Spills
On May 23, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection on the Mallory Shale Gas Well Pad in Plunketts Creek Township, Lycoming County owned by EQT ARO LLC and found wastewater spills found by DEP on March 1 and May 8 are not yet completely cleaned up.
Meanwhile, two well workover rigs are in operation on the well pad.
DEP’s inspection shows the violations remain outstanding. No follow-up actions required of the well owner.
On May 23, 2024, DEP did an inspection of the Bauer 849 Shale Gas Well Pad in Middlebury Township, Tioga County owned by Seneca Resources Co. LLC in response to a company notification of a spill.
A broken pipe fitting allowed production wastewater from a truck to spray wastewater over an unprotected part of the well pad from one of the 28 fracking water tanks on the pad. A partial cleanup of the area was underway.
DEP said the well driller was fracking seven wells on the pad at the time using the “zippering” method.
DEP’s inspection report included violations for the spill and suggested screening the impacted area for the additional contamination. No follow-up written report was requested.
2024 Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups
So far in 2024, DEP received or acted on 131 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups.
Report Violations
To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.
Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.
Check These Resources
Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database webpage to search their compliance records by date and owner and the Inspection Reports Viewer.
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: One of two EQT Chap LLC owned shale gas wells plugged, but still venting gas; Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC plugged shale gas well venting gas; Diversified Prod LLC leaking conventional wastewater tank)
[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 Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - May 25 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 81 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In May 25 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week: - Gas
-- Gas Industry, Sen. Bartolotta Seek Legislation To Eliminate Environmental Hearing Board Appeals Of DEP Permits For Natural Gas Pipeline Facilities [PaEN]
-- Damascus Citizens: Do You Live In An Oil & Gas Wastewater Disposal Facility? Public Roads In 84 Municipalities In PA, One County In NY Are Being Used As Disposal Areas For Wastewater [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well Permit To PA Well Development LLC In Young Twp., Jefferson County [PaEN]
-- EPA Invites Comments On Draft Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well Permit Renewal For Seneca Resources Company, LLC In Elk County [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission June 13 Business Meeting To Consider Water Use Requests Including 7 Shale Gas Drilling Uses In Lycoming, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wyoming Counties [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 100 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In First 4 Months Of 2024 [PaEN]
-- Guest Essay: Oil & Gas Industry Waste And Radioactive Drinking Water In Pennsylvania - By Justin Nobel, Author of Petroleum-238: Big Oil's Dangerous Secret and the Grassroots Fight to Stop It [PaEN]
-- Pennsylvanians Realized $500+ Billion In Public Health Benefits By Eliminating Coal-Fired Power Plants, Switching To Natural Gas [PaEN]
NewsClips This Week - Gas:
-- TribLive: Many West Deer Residents Calling For More Stringent Regulations On Shale Gas Drilling In Allegheny County
-- TribLive: Indiana Twp. Rezoning Would Accommodate Fracking Off Route 910 In Westmoreland County
-- Williamsport Sun: Republican US Senate Candidate Says US Needs Energy Independence [Why Do PA Gas Drillers Want To Ship Gas To China?]
-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: We Need Long-Term Answers To Energy Needs; Pursuit Of More Renewable Energy Can Happen Currently With Production Of Oil & Gas
-- FracTracker Alliance: Not-So-Radical Transparency - An Ineffective And Unnecessary Partnership Between Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro And The Shale Gas Company CNX
-- The Energy Age Blog: Federal Radioactive Oil & Gas Waste Exemption History
-- WHYY: Could PA’s Oil & Gas Wastewater Hold The Key To The Country’s Energy Transition?
-- PennLive: Here’s How PA Could Become A Huge Player In Lithium Mining [Oil & Gas Wastewater]
-- Meadville Tribune Guest Essay: Abandoned Conventional Well Plugging Grant Program Is Opportunity To Work Collaboratively With Oil & Gas Industry To Benefit The Environment - By Rep. Mandy Steele (D-Allegheny) [Conventional Well Industry Paid $4,400 Into Well Plugging Fund So Far In 2024]
-- The Allegheny Front: Air Pollution Decreased, But Sill Causes Hundreds Of Deaths A Year In Allegheny County
-- MCall Guest Essay: Now We’re Cooking With Gas And Deadly Pollutants - By Bruce Wilson, Green Builder
-- SpotlightPA: Communities Fear Health, Environmental Harms As They Await More Info On Hydrogen Hub Projects
-- TribLive/Spotlight PA: Communities Fear Health, Environmental Harms As They Await More Info On Hydrogen Hub Projects
-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Is Hydrogen The Road To A Decarbonized Future Or Just Another Lifeline For Fossil Fuels
-- Citizens Voice Editorial: Protect Consumers From Energy Market Volatility By Reforming Utility-Rate Process [UGI Gas Increases]
-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas Prices Will Be Increasing Through 2025
-- YahooFinance: CEO Of Pittsburgh-Based EQT Natural Gas Warned Federal Regulations On Carbon Capture Could ‘Sabotage’ US Ability To Meet Power Needs
-- Reuters: Top US Gas Producer Chesapeake Energy Cuts Jobs
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Acquisition Of Equitrans Gas Pipeline Company Clears Antitrust Hurdle
-- Reuters: Promising Pipelines, Fracking, Ex-President Rakes In Millions At Texas Fundraisers
[Posted: May 26, 2024] PA Environment Digest
No comments:
Post a Comment