DEP issued permits for the Lynn 9 and Smith Unit 59H shale gas wells in 2009.
The original violations for abandoning and not plugging the Lynn 9 well were issued on June 9, 2021 and continued on September 26, 2024 and again on December 4, 2024 with no action taken to address the violations.
The original violations for abandoning and not plugging the Smith Unit 59H well were issued on June 9, 2021 and continued on September 26, 2024 and again on December 4, 2024 with no action taken to address the violation.
DEP requested the well owner to respond to these latest violations by December 26, 2024.
DEP makes this request each time violations are issued.
More Abandoned Well Violations
This year Diversified Production LLC received other violations from DEP for abandoning and not plugging shale gas wells-- most not for the first time.
The abandoned wells are in these counties--
-- Clarion County, Ashland Twp.: Ashbaugh 1H. Read more here. (Failed to comply with order)
-- Clarion County, Elk Twp.: Emrick 1H. Read more here. (Failed to comply with order)
-- Fayette County, Henry Clay Twp.: W. Smith 1. Read more here
-- Fayette County, Lower Tyrone Twp.: Pritts Unit 1. Read more here.
-- Fayette County, Redstone Twp.: Keslar 9. Read more here
-- Fayette County, Franklin Twp.: Swiantek 1. Read more here.
-- Westmoreland County, Salem Twp.: Smith 21. Read more here.
-- Westmoreland County, Salem Twp.: Carr 19A. Read more here.
-- Westmoreland County, Salem Twp.: Kepple 5. Read more here.
All these shale gas were drilled early in the days of developing Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania.
42 Shale Gas Abandoned Well Violations
So far in 2024, 44 violations were issued or continued to 12 shale gas well owners [Diversified Prod LLC; Diversified Prod LLC; Roulette Oil & Gas LLC; Hilcorp Energy Co; Hilcorp Energy Co (3); Hilcorp Energy Co (3); T & F Exploration LP; EQT Production Co. follow-up; Diversified Prod LLC; Big Dog Energy LLC follow-up; Big Dog Energy LLC; EQT Production Co.; Diversified Prod LLC; Chesapeake Appalachia LLC, Atlas Resources, LLC; Atlas Resources, LLC (follow-up inspection)’ Repsol Oil & Gas, EQT Chap LLC; M4 Energy; M4 Energy (follow-up inspection); EQT (Rice Drilling B LLC); and Roulette Oil & Gas LLC; Roulette Oil & Gas LLC (follow-up inspection)] for abandoning wells and not plugging wells.
If you look at the photos of abandoned shale gas wells and their rusting equipment, they look a lot like the tens of thousands of abandoned conventional oil and gas wells and their rusting equipment, except bigger.
Seems to be a pattern with this industry, generally.
850 Conventional Abandoned Well Violations
So far in 2024, DEP issued 850 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells, more than in all of 2023.
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 and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.
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.
Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.
(Photos: Diversified Production LLC abandoned, unplugged shale gas wells: Top: Lynn 9 well and equipment; Bottom- Smith Unit 59H well and equipment.)
[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.]
What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind:
-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP: Diversified Production LLC Failed To Plug 2 Abandoned Shale Gas Wells For 42 Months + At Least 9 Other Shale Gas Wells Abandoned [PaEN]
-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP: Nucomer Energy LLC Fails To Restore Shale Gas Well Pad, Water Impoundment In Forest County For More Than 12 Years After Drilling Was Completed [PaEN]
-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP Issues 10 Violations To Big Dog Energy, LLC, Diversified Production LLC For Abandoning Shale Gas Wells; Violations For Shale Gas Abandonments More Than Doubled In 2024 [PaEN]
-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP: Horizontal Exploration LLC Failed To Comply With State Court Order To Plug 6 Conventional Wells In McKean County [PaEN]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP: Diversified Production LLC Failed To Plug 2 Abandoned Shale Gas Wells For 42 Months + At Least 9 Other Shale Gas Wells Abandoned [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - December 21 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 63 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 21 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles:
-- Save The Date: Feb. 27 - Shale Gas And Public Health Conference, Duquesne University [PaEN]
-- EarthWorks Blog: Common Sense Needed In The Commonwealth - How To Protect Pennsylvanians From The Environmental, Health Impacts Of The Oil & Gas Industry - By Melissa Ostroff & Charlie Palladino, EarthWorks [PaEN]
-- PUBLIC NOTICE: Proposed Oil & Gas Well Plugging Settlement With Diversified Energy, EQT May Affect Pennsylvania Surface Landowner Rights; Apply To Have A Well Plugged [PaEN]
-- DEP: Revised Application, Instructions Available For Coal-Mine Methane Enclosed Flares Air Quality General Permit [PaEN]
-- PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank Appointed Chair Of National Assn. Of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Committee On Natural Gas [PaEN]
-- North American Electric Reliability Corp: AI Poses Threat To North American Electricity Grid [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak, et al: Expanding Natural Gas Exports Will Increase Prices, Pollution, Report Says
-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Calls For Immediate Lift Of LNG Export Facility Permit Review Ban [EQT, PA Shale Gas Says We Have A ‘Duty’ To Sell More Gas To China Our Economic, Military Competitor]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Energy & Business Groups Respond To US DOE LNG Gas Export Study [PDF of Article]
-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas Markets Brace For ‘Volatility’ With Expiration Of Gas Transit Deal Between Russia And Ukraine Jan. 1
-- Bloomberg: Republican Administration Threatens Tariffs If EU Doesn’t Buy More US Oil, Natural Gas
-- Bloomberg: Oil/Gas Sector Lobbies Republican Administration To Spare It From Tariffs, Regulation
-- Post-Gazette: PA Lawmakers Talk Of Requiring Natural Gas Detectors In Buildings After Explosion That Killed 7 In Reading
-- TribLive: Residents Of Mt. Peasant Personal Care Homes Start Returning Hours After Natural Gas Leak In Westmoreland
-- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: Aqua PA Cites Existing Problems At Rhodes Utilities Water Companies [PDF of Article] [Water Companies Related To Venango County Conventional Well Spill Incident]
-- The Guardian: DOE Warns ‘Unfettered’ Natural Gas Expansion Would Drive Up Domestic Costs
-- Utility Dive: US LNG Gas Exports Raise Electricity Bills, Gas Prices And Emissions, DOE Report Concludes
-- Financial Times: LNG Gas Export Boost Would Increase Prices, Hurt Climate, US Study Says
-- Reuters: US DOE Releases LNG Gas Export Facility Study Urging Caution On New Permits
-- Bloomberg: Biden’s LNG Gas Export Study Presents ‘Speed Bump’ For New Republican Administration
-- S&P Global: Major New US Industry At A Crossroads - A US LNG Impact Study - Phase I
[Posted: December 22, 2024] PA Environment Digest
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