PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Issues Violations To 16 Owners Of 5,374 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells For Failing To Submit Annual Production, Waste Generation/Disposal, Well Integrity Reports

On August 14, 2024, the Department of Environmental Protection issued notices of violation to 16 owners of 5,374 conventional oil and gas wells for failing to submit annual production, waste generation/disposal and well integrity reports over multiple years, according to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database.

The production and waste reports are critical to understanding how much wastewater and other waste those wells generated and where it was disposed of.

In 2023, DEP reported 86% of conventional oil and gas well owners-- 4,265-- failed to submit product and waste generation reports covering 33,505 wells. Read more here.

The annual integrity report is important because it helps ensure the owner is taking the steps needed to prevent natural gas, oil or contaminated water leaks from oil and gas wells.

In 2023, DEP reported 89% of conventional oil and gas well owners-- 4,359-- failed to submit well integrity reports covering 34,455 wells. Read more here.

Failing to submit these reports is one indicator conventional well owners may be getting ready to abandon the wells.

So far in 2024, DEP has issued 700 notices of violation to conventional well owners for abandoning and not plugging wells they own. Read more here.

Companies Getting Violations

The companies issued violations include--

-- Alma Gas Co Inc. (Olean, NY) - holds 154 conventional permits

-- Apollo J. Shreffler (Hydetown, Crawford County) - holds 176 conventional permits

-- Delta Inland Oil Res LLC (Sugar Grove, Warren County) - holds 363 conventional permits

-- Donald D. Coleman Jr. (Oil City, Venango County) - holds 224 conventional permits

-- Lazy Oil Co (Emlenton, Clarion/Venango County) - holds 200 conventional permits

-- Morrison Baker Carol A (Franklin, Venango County) - holds 217 conventional permits

-- Oakes Gas Co Inc. (Kane, McKean County) - holds 163 conventional permits

-- Oil Creek Operators LLC (Ocean View, DE) - holds 283 conventional permits

-- Olympia Oil SVC Inc. (Pleasantville, Venango County) - holds 403 conventional permits

-- OWS Acquisition Co LLC (Bolivar, OH) - holds 1,072 conventional permits

-- Timberline Energy Inc (Franklin, Venango County) - holds 730 conventional permits

-- Tome Enterprises (Warren, Warren County) - holds 178 conventional permits

-- Turm Oil Inc. (Butler, Butler County) - holds 212 conventional permits

-- Universal Resources Holdings Inc. (Dunkirk, NY) - holds 371 conventional permits

-- Vista Petro Inc. (Fairview, Erie County) - holds 165 conventional permits

-- Warner Oil & Gas Prod Inc. (Hummelstown, Dauphin County) - holds 463 conventional permits

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.

[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.]

Resource Links - Conventional Well Owners:

-- 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’ [12.29.22]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - August 3 to 9 - Diversified Prod LLC Fails To Comply With Order To Plug Abandoned Shale Gas Wells; 700 Abandoned Conventional Well Violations [8.12.24]

-- DEP: 86% Of Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Did Not Comply With Waste Disposal, Production Reporting For 33,505 Wells In 2023 [3.29.24]

-- DEP: 89% Of Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Did Not Comply With Well Integrity Reporting For 34,455 Wells In 2023 [3.27.24]

-- DEP Issues Record 6,860 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators In 2023-- Nearly 52% More Than In 2021; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues [1.10.24]

-- Witness At Senate Hearing On Oil & Gas Wastewater Road Dumping Reports Her Home Has Been Surrounded By Dumping; Dumping Again On The Upswing In 2024 [4.25.24]]

-- House Hearing: Shapiro Administration Supports Bill Banning Road Dumping Oil & Gas Wastewater, Prohibiting Its Use As Coproduct Under Residual Waste Regulations [6.10.24]

-- House Hearing: Penn State Expert Says ‘Pennsylvania Should Ban Road Spreading Of Oil & Gas Wastewater;’ Contaminants Exceed Health, Environmental Standards [6.10.24]

-- House Hearing: Penn State Center For Dirt & Gravel Road Studies Says Road Spreading Oil & Gas Wastewater Is Not An Effective Dust Suppressant, Does Not Meet Environmental Testing Standards [6.10.24]

-- House Hearing: A First-Hand Account Of How Repeated, Unlimited Road Dumping Of Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater Is Tearing Apart Dirt Roads And Creating Multiple Environmental Hazards [6.10.24]

-- House Hearing: Protect PT - Road Dumping Oil & Gas Wastewater ‘Is Disproportionately Responsible For Negative Impacts On Human Health,’ Especially From Radioactive Radium [6.10.24]