PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Cites Conventional Oil & Gas Well Operators For Abandoning, Not Plugging 140 More Wells Last Week; Total Now 380 Wells This Year

The Department of Environmental Protection issued violations to conventional oil and gas well operators for abandoning and not plugging 140 of their wells last week.

A total of 380 violations were issued for conventional well abandonments so far in 2024, according to DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database.

Just two conventional operators are responsible for 124 of those wells-- Medina Res. Dev. Co. - 111 and Lendrum Energy LLC - 23 wells.

DEP updated its database this week to report that on March 5, 2024 DEP did administrative inspections of 111 more conventional wells operated by Medina Res Dev. Co., Inc. in Erie, Jefferson and Warren counties and found them all to be abandoned and not plugged.

Last week, DEP reported it declared 101 conventional wells operated by Medina Res Dev. Co. LLC abandoned and not plugged. Read more here.

This week’s abandoned wells include--

-- Erie County, Millcreek Twp.: Corsi 1

-- Erie County, Union Twp.: Walter Bem 1, Styborski 1, Tomcho 1

-- Erie County, Venango Twp.: Carl Little 1, Wroblewski 1

-- Erie County, Washington Twp.: Nancy Smith 1, Nancy Smith 2, David Walker 1, Charles Guriel 1, Kuzma 1, Means 1, Stewart 1, Stewart 2, Sanders Ray 2, Higgins 1, Adams 1, Adams 2, Tom Miller 1, Arden Stafford AL 2, Showman 1, Krzywicki 1, Fendya 1, Tarbell 1, Smith Unit 2, Austin 2, Davis 1, Adams UX 3, Braeger 2, Zimmer 1, Metzler 1, Sanders Ray 2,

-- Erie County, Waterford Twp.: Morask 1, Malinowski 2, Malinowski 3, Strafford 1, Salmon B2, Salmon B3, Salmon B4, Salmon B5, Kula 1, Benson 1, Robertson A1, Robertson A2, Robertson B1, George Estate 3, Stutzman 1, Ernest Scott A3, Roberts 93A 2, Haynes 1, Loper 1, Clavin Niemeyer 2, Calvin Niemeyer 5, Harrington 2, Clarkson 2, Hazen 1, Fails 1, Karmazon 1, Mitchell 1, Mitchell 5, Stankey 1, Proctor 2, Mahoney 1, Walker 1, Giacomelli 1, Lugaila 2, McCall 1, Erie Sportsman League 2, Patterson 1, Homes 1, Kondzielski 1, Kondzielski 2, Kowalczyk 1, Burge 1, Sementell 1, Harrison 3, Thomas 1, O'Connel 1, Faulhaber 2, Pfadt 3, Hecker 1, Walker 1, Werner 1, Sven 1, Albert 1, Wise 2, Risjan 2, Risjan 3, Risjan 4, Rieder 1, Arneman 1, Lyons 1, Shutts 1, Ostryniec 1, Pfeffer 1, Padden 1, Cross Gene 1, Ray Romba 1, Lenock 2, Lenock 3, Albert 1, McClellan, Schall 1, Moraski 1, Reider 1

-- Jefferson County, Warsaw Twp.: Webster 1, Webster 2

-- Warren County, Columbus Twp.: Bennink 1, Burik 1, Still 1, Thompson Maple Producers Inc 1, Jankowski 1.

DEP inspection reports were not available online related to these Medina well abandonments.

On March 5 & 7, 2024, DEP did follow-up inspections of 23 conventional wells in Venango County operated by Lendrum Energy LLC and found them all to be abandoned and not plugged.

The wells included--

-- Cranberry Township: Lalley 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 12A, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21,

-- Pinegrove Township: Lambert 1, 2, 3, 6, 7; Hart North 5, 7, 8

DEP’s inspection reports [Lalley 1 - example] show the original violations issued for well abandonment were on or about July 20, 2022.

DEP requested the operator submit a written report by April 5, 2024 describing how the wells will be brought into compliance.

On March 11, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of conventional wells in East Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County operated by Questa Petro Co. and found--

-- Calvin Miller 1 and Yezek 1 abandoned and not plugged

-- Sovich 1 and Fretts 2 were venting gas

DEP’s inspection reports [Miller 1 example] requested the operator to provide a written response by April 11, 2024 explaining how the wells will be brought into compliance.

On March 15, 2024, DEP inspected the Davidson conventional well in Plum Borough, Allegheny County with an unknown operator for addition to the well plugging list.

DEP’s inspection report showed the well was located in a parking lot under a steel plate.

On March 6, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Raymond P. Shafer 1 conventional gas well operated by Crawford Energy Search Co. Inc. in Union Township, Crawford County.

DEP found the well was abandoned without being plugged. The original violation was issued on November 24, 2021. [No inspection report available online.]

On March 7, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Anderson 1 conventional well operated by C & D Gas Co. in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County and found no change since the last inspection.

DEP’s inspection report issued new violations for abandoning the well without plugging, and venting gas, and continued other violations.

DEP’s report notes a Peoples Gas pipeline is located immediately next to the well.

The operator was requested to submit a written report by April 7, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.

On March 14, 2024, DEP, in response to a notification by National Fuel Gas, located a conventional gas well with an unknown operator in Lawrence Park Township, Erie County that was found to be abandoned and not plugged.

In December 2022, DEP was part of an investigation of a fire that burned down a home nearby, but no well was located and there was no record of a gas well on the property.

DEP’s inspection report said on March 4, 2024, DEP received a complaint from National Fuel Gas that they received a call that a gas-like smell was coming from the unoccupied home that burned down in 2022.

This time, DEP found a gas well in the yard behind the home. A remote methane leak detector did get a reading of less than 1% methane inside the burnt home.

DEP added the well to the abandoned list.

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 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.

[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 - March 9 to 15 - Home Explosion; 140 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Methane In Water Supply; Porcupine Causes Wastewater Spill [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - March 16 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 76 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 16 PA Bulletin [PaEN]