PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP: Cleanup Efforts Continue At Repsol Shale Gas Well Pad Where A Well Control Problem Caused An Uncontrolled Release Of Wastewater For 34 Hours In Bradford County

Thursday, July 24, 2025

DEP: Cleanup Efforts Continue At Repsol Shale Gas Well Pad Where A Well Control Problem Caused An Uncontrolled Release Of Wastewater For 34 Hours In Bradford County

On July 21, the Department of Environmental Protection did a follow-up inspection of the Broadleaf Holdings shale gas well pad in Troy Township, Bradford County to assess continuing cleanup efforts after a well control problem on July 13 caused a major uncontrolled release of wastewater for more than 34 hours.

Repsol has excavated a large pit around the 7H shale gas well to remove contaminated material and to facilitate the reconstruction of the wellhead.

The extent of contamination at the western corner of the well pad and downslope have been delineated by a consultant.

Another temporary berm has been installed in the adjacent field, downslope from the well pad to collect rainwater runoff from areas of contamination.

A consultant is designing a more permanent land feature downslope of the pad in order to continue the collection and recovery of fluids.

Repsoll plans to have a lined sump constructed within the western foreigner berm to aid in the continued recovery of fluids.

Contaminated material is being screened and excavated from several areas impacted by the release. A consultant is screening materials every few feet horizontally and vertically to guide excavation efforts.

There have been no significant stream impacts reported by a consultant

DEP is recommending--

-- Continuing fluids and impacted soils recovery;

-- Continuing monitoring nearby streams for potential impacts; and

-- Continuing soil screening/monitoring to determine the extent of the impacts offsite [including private drinking water supplies nearby].

DEP’s July 21 inspection report with photos.

Well Control Incident

At 6:30 p.m on July 13, 2025, Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC reported a well control incident at the 7H shale gas well on the Broadleaf Holdings pad that caused the “uncontrolled release” of wastewater up the well casing to the pad surface. Read more here.

Efforts to control the pressure and prevent fluids from escaping all three well annuli failed for more than 34 hours until a second temporary plug was put in the well.

DEP’s Emergency Response Team arrived onsite at 6:30 a.m. on July 14 in response to a report at 7:45 p.m. on July 13 of a well control incident “halfway through the frac” of the 7H well and found wastewater had overtopped secondary containments.

Temporary berms were constructed along the edge of the well pad and down the pad slope to collect fluids.

“Numerous gravel berms were constructed on the pad surface to help prevent fluids from escaping the pad surface” but they failed in numerous spots.

Wastewater was also collected in a stormwater control basin on the western corner of the pad.

A second and third bench/trench were constructed below the first corner berm below the well pad fill slope the next day that directed wastewater into a stormwater control basin onsite.

DEP was onsite again July 15 at 10:00 a.m. for a follow-up inspection that found a temporary plug installed in the 7H well at 9:00 p.m. on July 14 failed to prevent the fluids from reaching the pad surface and “surging” was reported. July 15 DEP inspection report.

A second temporary plug was set in the 7H well at 5:00 a.m. on July 15 which stopped all fluids Read more here.

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: Row 1-- Large pit excavated around 7H well and contaminated material mound; Area of contamination, distressed vegetation; Row 2-- Collecting and recovering contaminated water; Large area of contaminated soil excavation; Another large area of contamination and distressed vegetation.)

[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 Link:

-- DEP: Shale Gas Well Control Problem Caused Uncontrolled Release Of Wastewater For Over 34 Hours At Repsol’s Broadleaf Holdings Well Pad In Troy Twp., Bradford County [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - July 19 to 25 - More Criminal Charges; Weeks Long Wastewater Cleanups Continue; 27 More Abandoned Conventional Wells [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 26 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Quality Permits For Daylighting 5.33 Miles Of 4 Texas Eastern Natural Gas Pipelines To Allow For Longwall Coal Mining In Greene County [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 78 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 26 PA Bulletin [PaEN]