The rupture occurred sometime before 7:39 p.m. on the 12th at the underground North Summit Gas Storage Area near the R.E. Eberly UW-204 gas injection well serving the storage area.
The storage area is located within DCNR’s Forbes State Forest.
DEP arrived onsite on September 15 at 10:30 a.m. to meet with company representatives and their consultant who reported a 20 foot section of 8-inch gas pipeline was removed from the site on September 13 and shipped off site to be tested for the cause of the rupture.
Another 18 foot section of pipeline was removed about 38 feet from the point of the pipeline rupture to remove an “outdated methanol tap.”
DEP reported the rupture occurred approximately 150 feet from the Eberly UW-204 well head “leaving a crater in the surface down to the exposed and ruptured pipe.”
Although an unknown quantity of wastewater was released, “there was no observed impact” to the well access road or the well pad surface above the crater caused by the rupture, DEP said.
No groundwater was encountered during the excavation at the site so far.
However, potentially impacted material was scraped from the area and stockpiled for disposal.
Four of five roll-off boxes on the site were filled with impacted material at the time of the inspection.
“Two production tanks on the well site are also covered in debris [from the rupture]; one of these production tanks is damaged on the top, but the sides of the production tank appear to be intact. No fluid releases have been observed from these tanks at this time.”
The company reported that they will be evaluating and providing the radius of the scattered debris.
DEP said, “violations may be forthcoming pending further review and investigation.”
Click Here for a copy of DEP’s inspection report + photos.
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 and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.
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.
Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.
(Photos: Row 1-- Point of pipeline rupture; Excavated area to remove damaged pipeline; Row 2- Debris from rupture, including rock shield around the pipeline hanging in trees; Damage to production tanks at the well site.)
[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 Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 13 to 19 - Pipeline Rupture At Gas Storage Area; Spill By DEP Plugging Contractor; Failure To Have Shale Gas Emergency, Spill Plans [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - September 20 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 80 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 20 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles & NewClips From Last Week - September 22 [PaEN]
Related Article This Week: - Oil & Gas:
-- Independent Research Study By Pitt, Duquesne Ties Water Well Contamination To Shale Gas Drilling In 2 Greene County Townships That Declared Water Disaster Emergencies [PaEN]
-- Federal Court Denies Request For Injunction In Lawsuit By New Freeport Residents Against EQT Gas Drilling Company Over Contaminated Water Supplies in Greene County [PaEN]
-- Permits For Controversial CNX Resources Drakulic Shale Gas Wells Expire Potentially Ending Appeals; CNX Can Apply For New Permits Starting The Process All Over Again [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues Water Quality Approvals For The 23+ Mile National Fuel Gas Tioga Pathways Natural Gas Pipeline Project In McKean, Potter, Tioga Counties [PaEN]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: EQT's Mountain Valley Pipeline Urges WV Appeals Court To Revive Civil Lawsuit Against Pipeline Protesters [Pipeline Finished In June 2024] [PaEN]
-- Protective Buffers PA Hosts Sept. 24 Webinar: Safeguard Our Backyards - Join The Campaign For Health-Based Protective Buffers From Shale Gas Operations [PaEN]
-- Environmental Health Project, Partners Host Sept. 25 Webinar On Health Professionals Toolkit For Protecting Patients From Medical Conditions Related To Oil & Gas Development; [PA Medical Society Learning Center Course Available] [PaEN]
-- Environmental, Health Groups Host Sept. 23 Webinar On What The A.I. Boom Means For You And Society - Big Promise Or Big Problems? [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 40 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In August; 322 In 2025 [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro To Convene 13-State Summit Sept. 22 On Critical Changes Needed At PJM To Keep Energy Costs Low, Bring New Electricity To Grid, Serve Power Demands Of A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]
-- Team PA Releases PA Energy, Data Center, A.I. RoadMap, Includes ‘Aggressively Streamlining Permitting,' Establishing Regional Permitting Commissions [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Pittsburgh Public Source - Quinn Glabicki: Independent Peer-Reviewed Study Ties Water Well Contamination In 2 Greene County Townships To Shale Gas Drilling; Townships Declared Disaster Emergencies Over Water Woes
-- PA Capital-Star/Public Source: Study Ties Southwestern PA Communities’ Water Woes To 2022 Shale Gas Frack-Out, Narrow State Law
-- Courier Times: Federal Pipeline Safety Agency Says Energy Transfer/Sunoco Withheld Information On Jet Fuel Pipeline Leak In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County [PDF of Article]
-- TribLive Letter: House Bill 502 Energy Facility Siting Legislation A Betrayal Of Local Communities - By Megan McDonough, Food & Water Watch
-- Williamsport Sun: DEP Report Shares Outline Of Cleanup, Closure Of 3 Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Facilities [PDF of Article]
-- Williamsport Sun: Cleanup Of Spilled Material At One Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Nearly Complete
-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Erie Shale Gas Conference Showcases PA Energy Advantage - By Jim Welty, Marcellus Shale Coalition
-- Observer-Reporter: Investment Firm Purchases Hill Top Energy Power Plant In Greene County To Support A.I. Data Center Development
-- PA Capital-Star: PA Electric Customers Will Pay To Keep An Old Fossil Fuel Power Plant Running Under US DOE Orders
-- Bloomberg: EQT Shale Gas Driller Says High Electric Bills Will Drive Use Of More Natural Gas ‘We’ve Never Produced More Energy… But Americans’ Energy Bills Are Up Over 35%’
-- EPA Convenes A.I. Roundtable Highlighting Permitting Reform To Make US The A.I. Capital of The World
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: LNG Gas Exports Are On A Roll, EQT Is Rolling With It
[Posted: September 18, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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