From July 13 to 19, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 546 inspection entries and caught up with posting inspection reports from the previous week.
So far this year, DEP took these actions as of July 12--
-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 24 conventional, 7 unconventional
-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 4,813 conventional and 566 unconventional
-- Enforcements 2024: 286 conventional and 69 unconventional
-- Inspections Last Week: 359 conventional and 294 unconventional
-- Year To Date - Inspections: 8,958 conventional and 13,064 unconventional
-- Wells Drilled Last Week: 1 conventional and 0 unconventional
-- Year To Date Wells Drilled: 79 conventional and 169 unconventional
9 Abandoned Conventional Wells + 6 Others
On July 8, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Stanislaw Unit 1 conventional well in Fairfield Township, Westmoreland County owned by Apollo Resources LLC and found it abandoned and not plugged.
The original violation for abandonment was issued on December 19, 2023 and the owner did nothing to comply.
DEP’s eFACTS database shows Apollo Resources holds 1,861 oil and gas well permits.
DEP’s inspection report continued the violation but had no requests of the owner about bringing the well into compliance. [See another violation below for Apollo Resources LLC.]
On July 10, 2024, DEP did a complaint inspection at the Flandreau 160A 1 conventional well in Buffalo Township, Butler County owned by Winfall Energy Inc NV and found it to be abandoned and not plugged and leaking gas.
The owner also has not submitted production, waste generation and mechanical integrity reports.
DEP’s eFACTS database shows Winfall holds 45 oil and gas well permits.
DEP’s inspection report included multiple violations and requested the owner to submit a plan by July 31, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.
On July 15, 2024, DEP did an inspection of the Evans 1 well in Glen Osborne Borough, Allegheny County owned by Beaver Kay Oil & Gas Co. and found it abandoned, not plugged and leaking gas.
DEP’s eFACTS database shows Beaver Kay holds one well permit..
DEP’s inspection report said this evaluation was being done for potential plugging with federal funding and did not include any violations.
On July 16, 2024, DEP inspected the John Panner 5 conventional wells in Moon Township, Allegheny County owned by Keystone Crude LLC and found it abandoned, not plugged and leaking gas.
Violations were issued for well abandonment, failure to submit production, waste generation and mechanical integrity reports and the well was leaking gas.
DEP’s eFACTS database shows Keystone Crude holds 33 well permits.
DEP’s inspection report requested the owner to submit a plan by July 30, 2024 on how the well would be brought into compliance.
On July 16-17, 2024, DEP did follow-up inspections on three abandoned conventional wells in Pinegrove Township, Venango County-- Cunningham 1, 6, and 7-- owned by Baron Crest Energy Co. and found the wells continued to be abandoned and not plugged.
Plugging was supposed to begin by July 1, and some site work was done, but plugging has not started.
DEP’s eFACTS database says Baron Crest holds 72 well permits.
DEP’s inspection reports [Cunningham 6 as an example] continued the previous violations related to abandonment and failure to submit production, waste generation and well integrity reports.
No requests were made of the well owner.
On July 17, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Erik A. Nystrom 1 conventional well in South Pymatuning Township, Mercer County owned by Cobra Resources, LLC and found it abandoned and not plugged.
The original violation for abandonment was issued on February 24, 2021.
DEP’s eFACTS database says Cobra Resources holds 178 well permits.
DEP’s inspection report continued the violation but had no requests of the owner. A conversation with the owner indicated they might do something with this well in the future.
On July 19, 2024, DEP inspected the WN McCracken 2 conventional gas well in South Buffalo Township, Armstrong County owned by Reel Resources, Inc. and found it to be abandoned and not plugged.
DEP’s eFACTS database says Reel Resources holds 40 well permits.
DEP’s inspection report included a violation for abandonment and requested the owner to submit a plan by August 3, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.
From July 15 to 18, 2024, DEP did a series of inspections of abandoned conventional wells last week with Unknown owners or that were abandoned by Quaker State Corp--
-- Allegheny County, Kennedy Twp. - DK Clever 8
-- Allegheny County, Sewickley Heights Boro - Lanes End 1
-- Erie County, Harborcreek Twp. - Iroquois Ave 1 - leaking gas again
-- Venango County, Irwin Twp. - Surrena 32 (Quaker State Corp)*
-- Warren County, Limestone Twp. - Magee Run 1 (complaint)
-- Washington County, Canton Twp. - Wylie Plan 2
*Quaker State Corp abandoned 12,505 conventional wells when they left the state.
1 Abandoned Shale Gas Well
On July 16, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection at the Cowden 9H shale gas well in Hopewell Township, Washington County owned by Atlas Resources LLC and found it abandoned and not plugged properly and leaking gas.
Atlas Resources failed to respond to a notice of violation issued on June 17, 2024 that required a response by July 2, 2024 [in original inspection report].
DEP’s eFACTS database shows Atlas Resources LLC holds 1,067 well permits.
DEP’s inspection report requested the owner-- again-- to submit a plan by July 31, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.
572 Conventional, 9 Shale Gas Abandoned Well Violations In 2024
So far in 2024, DEP issued 572 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging wells; and 9 violations were issued to five shale gas well owners [Atlas Resources, LLC; Repsol Oil & Gas, EQT Chap LLC; M4 Energy; M4 Energy (follow-up inspection); EQT (Rice Drilling B LLC); and Roulette Oil & Gas LLC)] for abandoning wells and not plugging wells.
Failure To Respond To Spill/Venting Violations
On July 17, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Walls 3 conventional gas well in Bloom Township, Clearfield County owned by Stonehaven Energy Mgt Co LLC and found it continued to leak gas and production wastewater continued to leak from a storage tank.
The original violations were issued on May 9, 2024 and the NOVs mailed to the owner were returned by the USPS “return to sender.”
DEP’s eFACTS database shows Stonehaven Energy holds 727 well permits.
DEP’s inspection report continued these violations, but had no requests of the owner.
Pipeline Construction Spill
On July 16 & 19, 2024, DEP inspected the Gas Connector Pipeline Project site in Chatham Township, Tioga County owned by NFG Midstream Covington LLC in response to a July 15 notification by the owner of a spill during horizontal drilling under Crooked Creek.
The drill bit was 110 feet away from the creek at the time and no impacts were observed on the creek. Steps to clean up the spill were already underway.
DEP’s inspection report noted a follow-up inspection on July 19 found brown liquid was still coming from the area of the spill.
No violations were issued and no requests were made of the owner.
2024 Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups
So far in 2024, DEP received or acted on 175 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups.
Conventional Wells Still Venting Gas
On July 9, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Brown 4 conventional gas well in Robinson Township, Washington County owned by Randy A. Dietterich and found it was still venting gas in a manner producing a hazard to the public health and safety.
The original violations for gas venting were issued on November 8, 2023 and failure to submit production and waste management reports.
DEP issued an order to the owner to plug the well on January 23, 2024 and the well owner failed to comply with the order.
DEP’s eFACTS database shows Dietterich holds 6 oil and gas well permits.
DEP’s inspection report continued the previous violations and added a new one for failure to comply with a DEP order.
The owner was requested-- again-- to submit a plan by August 2, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.
On July 9, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Boltendahl 1 conventional gas well in Dunbar Township, Fayette County owned by Apollo Resources LLC and found it continued to vent gas.
The original violations for the gas leak were issued on February 2, 2024 and the owner did nothing to correct them.
DEP’s eFACTS database shows Apollo Resources holds 1,861 oil and gas well permits.
DEP’s inspection report continued the violations and request the owner to submit a plan-- again-- by August 9, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.
Failure To Restore Shale Gas Well Pad
On July 15, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Anegada shale gas well pad in Armstrong Township, Indiana County owned by INR OPR LLC and found the site was not restored in accordance with the Site Restoration Plan.
The owner was originally issued violations related to site restoration on April 15, 2024 and took some steps to comply.
DEP’s eFACTS database shows INR OPR LLC holds multiple permits for shale gas well pads, water withdrawals and gathering pipeline Chapter 102 & 105 permits.
DEP’s inspection report included a new violation for not restoring the site according to the Plan the owner submitted and requested a plan by July 31, 2024 on how the site 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-- Keystone Crude LLC abandoned conventional well and derrick; Apollo Resources LLC still leaking gas after 5 months; Randy A. Dietterick well still venting gas 8 months later, in violation of DEP order to plug well; Baron Crest Energy Co. one of three abandoned wells not yet plugged; Row 2-- Stonehaven Energy Mgt Co LLC wastewater tank leaking and gas venting since at least May; Atlas Resources LLC abandoned improperly plugged shale well leaking gas; NFG Midstream Covington LLC pipeline spill from horizontal drilling)
[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 - July 20 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 61 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 20 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Holds Aug. 1 Hearing On Water Withdrawal Requests For Amazon Data Center, Luzerne County; 8 Shale Gas Development, Gas Power Plant Withdrawals [PaEN]
-- The Derrick: Are Rate Increases In The Future For Rhodes Estate Water Companies In Venango County? [Impacts Continue From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Contamination Of Water Supply] [PaEN]
-- DEP Sets Aug. 21 Hearing On Air Quality Permit For Equitrans LP Compressor Station In Union Twp., Washington County [PaEN]
-- DEP To Post Information Soon On New SPEED Permit Review Program Enacted As Part Of State Budget [PaEN]
-- PUC Investigation Concludes No Evidence 2023 Plum Boro Home Natural Gas Explosion In Allegheny County Caused By Gas Utility Equipment [PaEN]
-- Fayette County Republican Rep. Krupa Will Keep Fighting Carbon Capture, Other Environmental Injustices [PaEN]
-- Protect PT Hosts Aug. 1 Training Session On Using Its App To Report Problems At Oil & Gas Infrastructure Sites [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Observer-Reporter: Environmental Activist Lois Bower-Bjornson Busier Than Ever Pointing Out Concerns With Shale Gas Development [PDF of article]
-- Bucks County Beacon: US Appeals Court Rules Groups Can Continue Legal Challenge Of Pipelines That Would Pass Thru Bucks County In Environmental Hearing Board
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Peoples Gas Not At Fault In Plum Home Natural Gas Explosion That Killed 6, PUC Concludes
-- KDKA: Plum Residents Have Some Answers 1 Year After Deadline Natural Gas Explosion That Killed 6
-- TribLive: Peoples Gas Service Lines Not Responsible For Plum Natural Gas Home Explosion, PUC Finds
-- TribLive Editorial: PUC Report On Plum Home Natural Gas Explosion Doesn’t Deliver Final Answer
-- TribLive: North Huntingdon Twp. Rejects Lease For Shale Gas Drilling On Township Land In Westmoreland County
-- TribLive Guest Essay: Water Suppliers Must Make Frackers More Accountable - By Tom Pike, Protect PT
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Cleanup Of Radioactive Oil & Gas Wastewater Sludge At PA Company’s Martins Ferry, OH Plant To Begin By End Of The Month
-- Public News Service: Martins Ferry, OH Residents Seeking Answers Over Lack Of Action On Cleaning Up PA Company’s Oil & Gas Waste Facility
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Refracs Becoming Common Practice For Marcellus/Utica Oil & Gas Operators [PDF]
-- TribLive Guest Essay: Western PA Ready To Lead Hydrogen Energy Revolution - By Conor Lamb & Kate Harper, Energy Future PA
-- Scientific American Guest Essay: New Satellites Alone Won’t Stop Methane Emissions From Oil & Gas Industry
-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Prices Climb 4% On Small Storage Guild, Hot Weather Forecasts
-- Bloomberg: Major Texas LNG Gas Export Facility Outage Dented Exports, Points To Massive US Natural Gas Supply Glut
-- Reuters: Texas LNG Tanker Bottleneck Grows On Slow Freeport LNG Gas Export Facility Restart After Hurricane
-- Bloomberg: Hurricane Beryl Serves As Ominous Warning For Gulf Coast LNG Gas Export Facilities [LNG Gas Facilities Vulnerable To Many Weather Threats]
-- YaleEnvironment360: A Gulf Coast Activist Rallies Her Community Against LNG Gas Export Facilities
-- Bloomberg: China To Boost Funding To Reduce Emissions At Coal Plants Thru Biomass, Green Ammonia
-- Bloomberg: Shipping Companies Betting Billions On Tankers To Transport Green Ammonia To Decarbonize Industry
[Posted: July 21, 2024] PA Environment Digest
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