So far this year, DEP took these actions as of August 30--
-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 50 conventional, 1 unconventional
-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 5,758 conventional and 708 unconventional
-- Enforcements 2024: 353 conventional and 89 unconventional
-- Inspections Last Week: 331 conventional and 379 unconventional
-- Year To Date - Inspections: 11,420 conventional and 16,408 unconventional
-- Wells Drilled Last Week: 2 conventional and 5 unconventional
-- Year To Date Wells Drilled: 111 conventional and 213 unconventional
3 Abandoned Conventional Well Violations
On September 3, 2024, DEP inspected the Charles D & Myrna L. Halcomb 1 conventional well in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County owned by Richard L. Wagner, and found the owner had ignored previous violations and the well continued to be abandoned and unplugged.
DEP originally issued a violation for abandonment on June 17, 2024 and violations for failure to submit production, waste generation and mechanical integrity reports.
DEP’s eFACTS database shows Wagner holds one permit for a conventional well.
DEP’s inspection report continued all these violations and again requested the owner to submit a plan by October 28, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.
On September 4, 2024, DEP inspected the Cunningham 6 conventional well in Pinegrove Township, Venango County owned by Baron Crest Energy Co. and found it continued to be abandoned and unplugged, 65 days after plugging was to have started.
DEP originally issued the violation for abandonment on January 17, 2024, along with violations for failure to submit production, waste generation and mechanical integrity reports.
On this inspection, DEP notes there is some equipment at the site related to plugging, but noted on an August 2, 2024 inspection report plugging was supposed to have started July 1, 2024.
DEP’s eFACTS database shows Baron Crest holds 72 permits for conventional wells, many never drilled and some inactive, but none listed as abandoned, including this one.
DEP’s inspection report continues all the previous violations, but made no requests of the well owner.
Other DEP inspection reports show Baron Crest is plugging the Cunningham 1 conventional well in the same township, but they ran into problems.
On September 3, 2024, DEP inspected the River Ridge Development Inc. 25 conventional well in Cranberry Township, Venango County owned by River Ridge Gravel Co. and found the well continued to be abandoned, but plugging operations had started.
DEP originally issued a violation for abandonment on December 18, 2023. In addition, the well was subject to a DEP order to River Ridge to plug the well dated June 23, 2022.
DEP’s eFACTS database shows River Ridge holds permits for 111 conventional wells, none listed as abandoned, including this one.
DEP’s inspection report continued the violation for abandonment and for failure to submit production, waste generation and well integrity reports.
Last week, DEP inspected several conventional wells to determine their status and location and found these plugged wells to be within the criteria for the Environmental Defense Fund/Bloomberg well location project--
-- Clarion County, Perry Twp.: UGI CTL Penn Gas Inc., Logue 95
-- Clarion County, Perry Twp.: UGI CTL Penn Gas Inc., Florence Myers 118
-- Clarion County, Perry Twp.: UGI CTL Penn Gas Inc., McIlwan 111
-- Clarion County, Richland Twp.: UGI CTL Penn Gas Inc., Slicker 875
-- Clarion County, Richland Twp.: Unknown owner, Heasley #1 2
-- Clarion County, Richland Twp.: Unknown owner, Heasley 1
Last week DEP inspected a number of conventional wells with Unknown owners to confirm their abandonment status--
-- Allegheny County, Harrison Twp.: Glaister 1
-- Allegheny County, Monroeville Boro: Eli Boyd
-- Allegheny County, Versailles Boro: Daraka 1
-- Butler County, Washington Twp.: Shira 1
-- Potter County, Hebron Twp.,: Gettings 3
-- Westmoreland County, Allegheny Twp.: Klingensmith Elbert 1
725 Conventional, 19 Shale Gas Abandoned Well Violations In 2024
So far in 2024, DEP issued 725 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging wells.
So far in 2024, 19 violations were issued or continued to 10 shale gas well owners [Big Dog Energy LLC; EQT Production Co.; Diversified Prod LLC; Chesapeake Appalachia LLC, Atlas Resources, LLC; Atlas Resources, LLC (follow-up inspection)’ Repsol Oil & Gas, EQT Chap LLC; M4 Energy; M4 Energy (follow-up inspection); EQT (Rice Drilling B LLC); and Roulette Oil & Gas LLC; Roulette Oil & Gas LLC (follow-up inspection)] for abandoning wells and not plugging wells.
19-Day Mystery Oil Discharge Into Allegheny River
As of September 4, the source of a continuing oil discharge into the Allegheny River discovered August 16 in Sandycreek Township, Venango County is still a mystery, but efforts continue to contain the spill and investigate the source by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Environmental Protection. Read more here.
2024 Act 2 Oil & Gas Facility Pollution Cleanups
So far in 2024, DEP received or acted on 200 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups. Read more here.
Range Resources Shale Gas Well Casing Failure
On September 5, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection at the Augustine George shale gas well pad in Cecil Township, Washington County owned by Range Resources Appalachia LLC related to the failure of production casing during fracking operations on well 6H.
After removing the casing from part of the well, the owner found a hole in one part of the casing and a crack along the casing seam in another area.
Range Resources had failed to notify DEP of “anomalously low pressures” in the 6H well that occurred on August 9, 2024 until August 12, 2024. DEP was not onsite until August 13, 2024. Read more here.
DEP’s inspection report noted the owner intended to run logs in areas of the well as part of its continuing investigation.
A September 4, 2024 inspection report notes DEP received a response from the well owner to a violation issued on August 13, 2024 for failure to notify DEP of the pressure issue as required by regulations, however, the response was not available online.
Conventional Well Hissing Gas
On August 27, 2024, DEP inspected the Gordon Williams 2 conventional gas well in Franklin Township, Greene County owned by HR McClure and found it “hissing” gas.
The well was disconnected to any other equipment at the site and appeared to be abandoned.
DEP’s inspection report included violations for the gas leak and for failure to submit production, waste disposal and mechanical integrity reports.
The owner was requested to submit a plan by September 16, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.
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: Row--1 HR McClure conventional well hissing gas well; River Ridge Gravel Co. conventional well plugging started; Richard L. Wagner abandoned conventional well; Rows 1-- Baron Crest Energy Co. 65 days late in starting to plug conventional well; Range Resources Appalachia LLC shale gas casing hole, crack.)
[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:
-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard- Aug. 31 to Sept. 6 [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - September 7 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 48 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 7 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- DEP Permitting Efficiency: 20,595 Permits Since 11/2023; Decisions On 16,745; Zero Currently Eligible For PAyback Did Not Meet Decision Deadlines; No Application Fees Refunded [9.6.24]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Abandoned Well Citizen Expert Laurie Barr, University Of Pennsylvania Prof. Jennifer Wilcox Recognized On The Grist 50 List [PaEN]
-- Sen. Comitta: New PUC Pipeline Safety Regulations To Be Published As Final This Month For Public Utility Hazardous Liquid Pipelines [PaEN]
-- Environmental Health Project: CNX Resources Claims Shale Gas Drilling Poses No Public Health Risks Are ‘Misleading, Irresponsible, Dangerous’ [PaEN]
-- Cecil Township Proposes 2,500 Foot Setback Ordinance From Oil & Gas Infrastructure For Sept. 4 Hearing In Washington County [PaEN]
-- Center For Coalfield Justice Hosts Sept. 24 Program In Washington County On Increasing Setbacks From Oil & Gas Infrastructure [PaEN]
-- US Dept. Of Interior Approves $76.4 Million To Plug Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Pennsylvania; 1,234 Violations For Abandoning Conventional Wells In Last 20 Months [PaEN]
-- Environmental Defense Fund, Moms Clean Air Force To Hold Public Meetings In 3 Northwest PA Counties On A Project To Test New Methods Of Locating Abandoned Conventional Oil, Gas Wells [PaEN]
-- Source Of 19-Day-Old Oil Discharge Into Allegheny River In Venango County Still A Mystery; Recreators Asked To Avoid The Area [PaEN]
-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Dropped 2 More Last Week To 16; Nearly 25% Drop In 2 Weeks
-- DEP’s Oil & Gas Workload Report shows during the week ending August 30, DEP received Zero new permit applications for conventional wells and Three new permit applications for shale gas wells.
-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports 2nd Quarter PA Natural Gas Production Dropped To Lowest Level Since 2020; Number Of PA Drilling Rigs Drop By Nearly 25% In 2 Weeks As A Result Of Drillers Trying To Raise The Price Of Gas [PaEN]
-- Center for Coalfield Justice Blog: Update On Underground Longwall Coal Mining In Greene, Washington Counties; Next DEP Report On Longwall Impacts Due… Soon [PaEN]
-- PUC Invites Comments On Accelerated Removal, Replacement Of Older Plastic Pipe In Natural Gas Distribution Systems [PaEN]
NewsClips This Week:
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PA To Receive $76 Million To Plug Hundreds Of Abandoned Conventional Oil, Gas Wells; DEP Holds Workshops On New Plugging Grants
-- Earthworks: Radically Misleading - Gov. Shapiro’s Dangerous Partnership With CNX Resources Nurts Communities, Ignores The Facts
-- Inquirer - Will Bunch: Everything You Know From TV About Pennsylvania And Fracking Is Wrong
-- Reuters: Anadarko, Other Natural Gas Companies Defeat Federal Lawsuit In PA Over Royalty Payments
-- Marcellus Drilling News: UGI Seeks To Temporarily Store LNG Gas In Trailers In Scranton Suburb During Winter [PDF of Article]
-- Scranton Times: UGI Claims Dickson City Boro Has No Jurisdiction Over Plan To Store LNG Gas In Trailers
-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Erie Manufacturer & Business Assn. Questions Biden’s Pause On Permits For New LNG Gas Export Facilities [Court Ended Pause July 1; PA Shale Gas Desperate To Sell Gas To Our Competitor China To Support Their Economy, Will That Help PA Manufacturing? ]
-- PennLive Guest Essay: Energy And Labor Are Both Needed To Power PA’s Future - By Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition & PA State Building Trades Union PA Shale Gas Desperate To Sell Gas To Our Competitor China To Support Their Economy, Will That Help PA Manufacturing?]
-- US EIA: North America’s LNG Gas Export Capacity On Track To More Than Double By 2028
-- Utility Dive: Reregulation? How Utilities And States Are Responding To PJM’s Record Electricity Capacity Prices [Part 1 of 3]
-- Utility Dive: PJM Considers Fast-Track Review For Shovel-Ready Electric Generation Projects [Part 2 of 3]
-- Utility Dive: Increasing Capacity Of Existing Generation, Batteries, Demand Response May Offer Near-Term Responses To Record PJM Electricity Auction Prices [Part 3 of 3]
-- Bloomberg: High Natural Gas, Other Fossil Fuel Use Highlights US Challenge To Clean Energy Transition
-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Approach Oversold Zone After 3-Day Sell-Off
-- Reuters: US LNG Gas Export Dominance Tested As Europe’s Demand Wilts
-- Reuters: US Regulators OK First Step To Start New Louisiana LNG Gas Export Facility
-- Bloomberg: DOE Approves New Fortress Energy LNG Gas Export Facility In Mexico
-- US EIA: North America’s LNG Gas Export Capacity On Track To More Than Double By 2028
-- The Guardian: How An LNG As Export Facility Project Along The Gulf Coast Is Upending Residents’ Lives
[Posted: September 7, 2024] PA Environment Digest
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