PA Environment Digest Blog: Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 29 to May 5; Major Shale Gas Wastewater Spill; 6 More Abandoned Well NOVs

From April 29 to May 5, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 626 inspection entries that resulted in reporting 60 violations of environmental regulations-- 42 violations by the conventional oil and gas industry and 18 violations by the unconventional shale natural gas industry.

So far this year-- as of April 28-- DEP issued 1,897 formal notices of violation to conventional operators and 543 to unconventional shale gas operators based on 5,367 inspections of conventional facilities and 8,547 inspections of unconventional shale gas facilities.

63,000 Gallon Wastewater Spill

A citizen complaint and a report by Seneca Resources Co. LLC resulted in a May 3 DEP Oil and Gas inspection finding an estimated 63,000 gallon spill of wastewater on State Game Lands at the WT 2587 302H 5318 well site in Jones Township, Elk County.

Click Here for more details and other leaks and spills from last week’s DEP Oil and Gas Program inspection reports.

More Abandoned Wells

DEP issued a total of six notices of violations for new conventional well abandonments last week-- Armac Resources LLC (Warren County), Diversified Prod LLC (Crawford County), Timberline Energy, Inc. (4 Venango County - continuing)

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

6 -- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

1 -- Failed to prevent the discharge of substances resulting in water pollution

4 -- Dumped solid waste on ground or into Waters of Commonwealth

2 -- Failed to prevent potential pollution of Waters of Commonwealth

2 -- Failed to report release of wastewater/brine

1 -- Failed to notify DEP of release of toxic substance that would endanger downstream users

1 -- Failed to comply with corrective action requirements

1 -- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings

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

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

5 -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

1 -- Failed to design, implement, maintain erosion and sedimentation control BMPs

Company/Location/Violations - Conventional

Clearfield County

-- Apollo Resources LLC - Penn Twp. - Harbison Walker 104 Well

-- Failed to prevent potential pollution of Waters of Commonwealth

-- Failed to report release of wastewater/brine

-- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

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

Crawford County

-- Diversified Prod LLC - Randolph Twp. - Mailliard 3 Well

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- OWS Energy LLC - East Fallowfield Twp. - Smith Jerold Unit 2

-- Dumped solid waste on ground or into Waters of Commonwealth

-- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

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

Indiana County

-- T&T Compression Inc. - Grant Twp. - Alexander Roy 1

-- Failed to report release of wastewater/brine

-- Failed to notify DEP of release of toxic substance that would endanger downstream users

-- Failed to comply with corrective action requirements

-- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

-- Dumped solid waste on ground or into Waters of Commonwealth

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

Jefferson County

-- Diversified Prod LLC - Winslow Twp. - Rochester & Pittsburgh Coal 10

-- Failed to prevent the discharge of substances resulting in water pollution

-- Failed to design, implement, maintain erosion and sedimentation control BMPs

McKean County

-- Consortium Energy LLC - Lafayette Twp. - Warrant 3410 P21

-- Dumped solid waste on ground or into 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

Venango County

-- Timberline Energy Inc. - Cranberry Twp. - Ostroske 1

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It (plugging rig moved off well without plugging for repairs)

-- Timberline Energy Inc. - Cranberry Twp. - Ostroske 2

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It (plugging rig moved off well without plugging for repairs)

-- Timberline Energy Inc. - Cranberry Twp. - Ostroske 3

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It (plugging rig moved off well without plugging for repairs)

-- Timberline Energy Inc. - Cranberry Twp. - Ostroske 7

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It (plugging rig moved off well without plugging for repairs)

Warren County

-- Armac Resources LLC - Warren City - Warren Rail Car 2

-- Failure To Plug The Well Upon Abandoning It

-- Armac Resources LLC - Warren City - Warren Rail Car 5

-- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

-- Dumped solid waste on ground or into Waters of Commonwealth

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

Washington County

-- EQT/Rice Drilling B LLC - Amwell Twp. - Bovinator Well Pad

-- Failed to notify DEP of landowner complaint of gas in water well

Westmoreland County

-- Apollo Resources LLC. - Derry Twp. - Proffitt 1 Well

-- Failed to prevent potential pollution of Waters of Commonwealth

-- Failed To Properly Dispose Of Fluids, Wastes, Drill Cuttings

-- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

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

Violations Reported - Unconventional Shale Gas

1 -- Dumped solid waste on ground or into Waters of Commonwealth

1 -- Failed to prevent pollution of the Waters of Commonwealth

1 -- Conducting an activity without a permit or contrary to a permit to prevent potential pollution

1 -- Failed to restore well site, fill pits used to contain industrial wastes

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

1 -- Failed to report release of wastewater on the site

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

1 -- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

1 -- Failed to comply with erosion & sedimentation control permit

1 -- Failed to design, implement, maintain erosion & sedimentation control BMPs

Company/Location/Violations - Unconventional Shale Gas

Beaver County

-- Geopetro LLC - Ohioville Borough - Liberato Pad A

-- Failed to comply with erosion & sedimentation control permit

-- Failed to design, implement, maintain erosion & sedimentation control BMPs

Bradford County

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Tuscarora Twp. - Folta 22HC

-- Conducting an activity without a permit or contrary to a permit to prevent potential pollution

Elk County

-- Seneca Resources Co. LLC - Jones Twp. - State Game Lands 25 WT 2587 302H 53108

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

-- Dumped solid waste on ground or into Waters of Commonwealth

-- Failed To Collect Brine And Properly Manage Wastewater

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

Indiana County

-- Diversified Prod LLC - Rayne Twp. - CR Glasser 4

-- Failed to restore well site, fill pits used to contain industrial wastes

Lycoming County

-- Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - McNett Twp. - Wissler 4HX

-- Failed to report release of wastewater on the site

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

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

Tioga County

-- Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC - Covington Twp. - Twin Ridge 3H

-- Failed to prevent pollution of the Waters of Commonwealth

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

[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 29 to May 5; Major Shale Gas Wastewater Spill; 6 More Abandoned Well NOVs [PaEN]

-- Citizen Complaint, Company Report Results In DEP Inspection Finding 63,000 Gallon Wastewater Spill At Seneca Resources Shale Gas Well On State Game Lands In Elk County; More Leaks, Spills [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - May 6 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 64 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In May 6 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]