Saturday, March 22, 2025

Mine Subsidence Found Under Olympus Energy/Hyperion Natural Gas Compressor Station Construction Site In Penn Twp., Westmoreland County

On March 7, Olympus Energy/Hyperion Midstream LLC notified DEP it found an abandoned coal mine subsidence void under the construction site for its Guardian Natural Gas Compressor Station off Wilderness Road in Trafford, Penn Township, Westmoreland County, according to
DEP Oil and Gas Program inspection reports.

Olympus/Hyperion said they had been aware of the “potential to encounter subsidence at Guardian because of the extensive geotechnical work that has been done on the site,” according to DEP’s report.

The DEP permit for the compressor site required Olympus/Hyperion to notify the agency “immediately by phone” if geologic formations or soil conditions are encountered that might cause pollution or if active or abandoned deep mines are encountered.

Olympus/Hyperion submitted a geotechnical report to DEP’s Oil and Gas Program and the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation on the mine void with a proposal for how to fill it in and prevent future mine subsidence.

A diagram submitted to DEP shows the mine void is narrow at the top but extends down to an old room-and-pillar mine whose roof has partially collapsed creating a void.

The report recommends carefully monitoring the entire construction site for additional mine subsidence activity and to institute subsidence mitigation measures as needed.

On March 21, DEP notified Olympus/Hyperion its plan to fill in the void was approved.

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.


[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 Compliance/Notice Dashboard:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - March 15 to 21:  42 More Conventional, 7 More Shale Gas Abandoned Wells; Mine Subsidence Under Compressor Station; Conventional Gas Well Explosion; 2 Shale Gas Companies Fail To Report Shale Gas Waste Generation, Production In 12 Counties  [PaEN]  

-- Mine Subsidence Found Under Olympus Energy/Hyperion Natural Gas Compressor Station Construction Site In Penn Twp., Westmoreland County  [PaEN] 

-- Volunteer Firefighters, DEP Respond To Conventional Gas Well Explosion, Fire In Westmoreland County [PaEN] 

-- DEP Issues One Conventional Well Owner 36 Violations For Abandoning Their Conventional Wells; 7 More Violations Issued To Shale Gas Drillers For Abandoning Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issued Violations To Range Resources, LPR Energy For Not Filing Shale Gas Production And Waste Generation Reports In 12 Counties  [PaEN]  

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - March 22 [PaEN] 

-- DEP Invites Comments At April 30 Hearing On RACT 3 Air Quality Permit For Tennessee Gas Pipeline Compressor Station 307 In Howe Twp., Forest County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 115 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 22 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP To Host April 1 Webinar On New Program To Reduce Methane Pollution From Oil And Gas Operations  [PaEN] 

-- Environmental Health Project To Hold April 1 Webinar On What The Shapiro Administration Can Do To Better Protect Public Health From The Impacts Of Shale Gas Development  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project Seeking Communities To Participate In HealthWatch Program To Better Understand Local Health Impacts Of Shale Gas Development  [PaEN] 

-- Presentations Posted From 2025 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference Featuring Health Experts, Scientists, Advocacy Groups, Workers On Health, Environmental Impacts Of Shale Gas Development  [PaEN]  

-- Center For Coalfield Justice To DEP: Harmon Natural Gas Processing Plant Should Be Required To Apply For A Full Title V Air Quality Permit As They Originally Proposed In Washington County [PaEN] 

-- Capital And Main - Audrey Carleton: The Little Town Of Cecil Township, Washington County That Stood Up To Big Shale Gas And Set More Protective Setback Distances And Now Faces Legal Challenges From 2 Shale Gas Drillers

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves New Into-Basin Transfer General Permit, Water Withdrawals, Including 6 Shale Gas Development Water Withdrawals  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 34 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In January  [PaEN]  

-- The Derrick: Hearing Dates Set On Rhodes Estates Water Companies; PUC Judge Urges Parties To ‘Seriously Explore’ Settlements [Venango Water Co. Impacted By Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill]   [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension: April 2 Webinar: Gravity Energy Storage -  Giving Inactive Oil Wells A Second Life  [PaEN]  

-- Penn State Research: Reusing Old Oil And Gas Wells For Energy Storage Using Compressed Air Technology  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: PA Attorney General Launches Criminal Investigation Into Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Spill In Bucks County 

-- Spotlight PA: Federal Money To Plug PA’s Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By Their Owners Is Unfrozen, But Federal Uncertainty Plagues Contractors 

-- Dallas-based Law Firm Wins $51.98 Million Judgment Against Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Company In Beaver County Court In Contract Dispute; Court Also Found Negligent Construction Of Revolution Pipeline Contributed To Its Explosion In Beaver County

-- Observer-Reporter: Shale Gas Industry Leaders Reflect On Industry’s Direction At Range Resources Event  [PDF of Article]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Shapiro Administration Plugs 300 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Across PA

-- Warren Times: Warren City Council Approves Conventional Drilling Permit Near Betts Park

-- Sen. Yaw Reintroduces Bill Prohibiting Local Governments From Banning Any Fuel Source For Appliances, Heating Homes Or Business

-- PUC To Hold Hearings Starting April 7 On Proposed UGI Gas Rate Increase Of Up To 10.8% 

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer/Kristen Graham: Philadelphia Gas Works Explores Heating, Cooling Philly School And City Rec Center With Geothermal Energy

-- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: Report: Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Could Be Up For Sale

-- The Allegheny Front: As Fracking At Ohio’s Largest State Park Gets Underway, How The Industry Has Changed This Rural County 

-- Inside Climate News: EPA Considers Giving Oil & Gas Companies More ‘Flexibility’ To Dispose Of Their Highly Toxic Wastewater 

-- The Hill: Texas Workers Face Mounting Dangers In The Heart Of America’s Greatest Oil & Gas Boom  [Part I]  

-- The Hill: Deregulation Push By President, Texas Republicans Sparks Hope And Fear In The Oil & Gas Fields  [Part II] 

-- The Hill:  Texans Grapple With Rising Toxic Pollution As Oil, Gas Production Booms  [Part III]  

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Prices Up On Record Flows To LNG Gas Export Plants 

-- Bloomberg: ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ Mantra Set To Make US LNG Gas Exports Less Competitive 

-- Reuters: US EIA Reports US Natural Gas Pipeline Completions Boosted LNG Gas Takeaway Capacity For 2 Years In A Row 

-- Bloomberg Opinion: Cheaper Power Is Too ‘Woke’ For Texas Republicans; State Debating Bills To Boost Natural Gas, Restrain Renewables

[Posted: March 22, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

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