Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved, Renewed 20 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In September; 232 General Permits So Far In 2024

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission published notice in the October 26 PA Bulletin the Executive Director gave his approval to or renewed 20 general water use permits in September for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Clearfield, Lycoming, Sullivan, and Susquehanna counties.

This brings the total general water permits approved by the SRBC in 2024 to 232.  Read more here.

The approvals were granted under SRBC regulation 18 CFR 806.22(e) and (f) that creates a general permit-type process to grant approval for water use by individual shale gas drilling pads.

Individual uses of this general permit are not subject to public review.

A separate water withdrawal approval is required by SRBC for actually withdrawing water from a specific water source for use by shale gas drilling operations.  Read more here.

SRBC has so far issued a total of 23 approvals for shale gas development water withdrawals from specific sources in 2024.  Read more here.

Here’s a list of new general permits renewed or issued--

-- RENEWAL—Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC; Pad ID: PA Woodlands Drilling Pad; ABR-201408006.R2; Fox Township, Sullivan County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 7.5000 mgd; Approval Date: September 12, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC; Pad ID: Phelps Unit # 1H; ABR-20090813.R3; Lathrop Township, Susquehanna County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 7.5000 mgd; Approval Date: September 12, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Coterra Energy, Inc.; Pad ID: BrooksJ P1; ABR-201908007.R1; Springville Township, Susquehanna County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 5.0000 mgd; Approval Date: September 12, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Coterra Energy, Inc.; Pad ID: DiazM P2; ABR-201908001.R1; Harford Township, Susquehanna County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 5.0000 mgd; Approval Date: September 12, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Range Resources—Appalachia, LLC; Pad ID: McWilliams 1H-2H; ABR-20090607.R3; Cogan House Township, Lycoming County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 4.0000 mgd; Approval Date: September 12, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Repsol Oil & Gas USA, LLC; Pad ID: KNIGHTS (01 044) L; ABR-20090522.R3; Troy Township, Bradford County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 6.0000 mgd; Approval Date: September 12, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Repsol Oil & Gas USA, LLC; Pad ID: SHEDDEN (01 026/027) D; ABR-20090507.R3; Troy Township, Bradford County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 6.0000 mgd; Approval Date: September 12, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC; Pad ID: Bonnie; ABR-20090904.R3; Albany Township, Bradford County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 7.5000 mgd; Approval Date: September 26, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC; Pad ID: Dacheux B Drilling Pad; ABR-201407013.R2; Cherry Township, Sullivan County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 7.5000 mgd; Approval Date: September 26, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC; Pad ID: Farr; ABR-20090907.R3; Towanda Township, Bradford County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 7.5000 mgd; Approval Date: September 26, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC; Pad ID: Reibson Drilling Pad; ABR-201407014.R2; Elkland Township, Sullivan County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 7.5000 mgd; Approval Date: September 26, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Coterra Energy, Inc.; Pad ID: ChudleighW P1; ABR-201908005.R1; Springville Township, Susquehanna County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 5.0000 mgd; Approval Date: September 26, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Coterra Energy, Inc.; Pad ID: PowersN P2; ABR-201908008.R1; Middletown Township, Susquehanna County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 5.0000 mgd; Approval Date: September 26, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Diversified Production, LLC; Pad ID: Hurd; ABR-20090802.R3; Ferguson Township, Clearfield County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 3.0000 mgd; Approval Date: September 26, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Repsol Oil & Gas USA, LLC; Pad ID: THOMAS (01 038) FT; ABR-20090524.R3; Troy Township, Bradford County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 6.0000 mgd; Approval Date: September 26, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—SWN Production Company, LLC; Pad ID: PU-BB-Price-Pad; ABR-201908012.R1; Lenox Township, Susquehanna County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 4.9990 mgd; Approval Date: September 26, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—SWN Production Company, LLC; Pad ID: RU-72-FOLKVARD-PAD; ABR-201908011.R1; Jackson Township, Susquehanna County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 4.9990 mgd; Approval Date: September 26, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC; Pad ID: Hunsinger; ABR-20090905.R3; Rush Township, Susquehanna County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 7.5000 mgd; Approval Date: September 27, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC; Pad ID: Martin; ABR-20090906.R3; Granville Township, Bradford County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 7.5000 mgd; Approval Date: September 27, 2024.

-- RENEWAL—Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC; Pad ID: Sharer; ABR-20090913.R3; Stevens Township, Bradford County, PA; Consumptive Use of Up to 7.5000 mgd; Approval Date: September 27, 2024.

For more information on programs, training opportunities and upcoming events, visit the Susquehanna River Basin Commission website.  Click Here to sign up for SRBC’s newsletter.   Follow SRBC on Twitter, visit them on YouTube.

(Photos: SRBC-approved shale gas drilling water withdrawal point on the Loyalsock Creek in Lycoming County under construction.)

Oil & Gas - National Debate

-- NY Post: Fracking Could Decide The Election In Pennsylvania And Nationwide

-- Wall Street Journal Guest Essay: Fracking Isn’t As Popular (Or Important) In Pennsylvania As You Think; The Truth For Residents Is More Complicated  [PDF of Article]  - By Colin Jerolmack, Author Of Up To Heaven And Down To Hell and Sean O’Leary, Ohio River Valley Institute

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Range Resources Marks 20th Anniversary Of First Marcellus Shale Well  [PDF of Article]

Related Articles:

-- Environmental, Health Groups Submit Petition To Environmental Quality Board For More Protective Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells For Schools, Daycares, Hospitals, Buildings, Drinking Water Wells, Surface Water  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Plugs Conventional Gas Well Orphaned By The Well Owner That Contaminated A Clarion County Family's Drinking Water Well; Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Continue To Abandoned Their Wells - 767 Violations So Far In 2024 - 2 New Plugging Grant Programs   [PaEN] 

-- EDF: New Report Shows 22% Growth In PA's Oil & Gas Methane Emissions Mitigation Industry In 3 Years  [PaEN] 

-- Sierra Club PA Hosts Oct. 30 Webinar - It’s Scary Out Here! How Oil & Gas Waste Haunts Pennsylvania  [PaEN] 

-- PJM CEO Expresses Concern About Electric Generating Capacity: Higher Prices Have Incentivized Some Generators, But Building Gas Generators Has Slowed, Permitting, Supply Chain Issues Hamper Renewables  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- The Guardian: Fracking’s Return Stirs Fury In Pennsylvania Town Whose Water Turned Toxic   [Dimock, Susquehanna County]

-- WITF StateImpactPA - Susan Phillips: Fracking In Pennsylvania Hasn’t Gone As Well As Some May Think

-- ExploreClarion.com: DEP Plugs Conventional Gas Well That Contaminated Vowinckel Family’s Drinking Water In Clarion County

-- NPR: States Work To Track Down, Cap Dangerous Methane Leaks From Conventional Oil, Gas Wells Abandoned By Their Owners [Allegheny National Forest]

-- City & State NY: The Fate Of State’s Conventional Oil/Gas Wells Abandoned By Their Owners May Depend On The Presidential Election [New York, Pennsylvania]

-- TribLive: Murrysville Council Denies Citizen Petition To Rescind Oil And Gas Leases Under Park Land In Westmoreland County  

-- US DOT Announces $196 Million In Grants To Replace Aging Natural Gas Pipes, Cut Methane Emissions, Including $40 Million To Philadelphia Gas Works

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Gas Works Gets Federal Money To Replace Aging Natural Gas Mains

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Ready For Prime Time; But It Has An Achilles’ Heel- No Natural Gas Liquids Storage  [PDF of Article] 

[Posted: October 25, 2024]  PA Environment Digest