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. July 14 DEP inspection report.
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 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.
Repsol had pumps collecting the wastewater from the basins, but were bringing in larger pumps to “catch up” with all the fluid pooled on the surface of the pad.
Repsol started sampling water supplies within 2,500 feet of the well pad as required for any impacts from the wastewater spill.
CUDD Well Control and Mansfield Crance were on the site July 14 to set up water cannons for safety purposes. July 14 DEP inspection report
DEP was onsite 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
Efforts continued to remove wastewater pooled on the pad surface and in the stormwater control basin.
A plug put in the outlet pipe for a stormwater control basin failed to contain the fluids and another secondary seal was placed over the outlet.
A consultant-- Resource Environmental-- began evaluating potentially impacted areas onsite and conducted drone flights to take high resolution photos to produce a detailed map of contaminated areas.
A wash station for trucks was installed after heavy truck traffic departing the well pad were dripping with wastewater.
Another consultant-- Moody and Associates-- continued sampling and screening nearby water supplies.
Resource Environmental also collected samples from a tributary to North Branch Sugar Creek and the creek itself and found no initial impacts.
DEP returned to the site July 16 at 10:20 a.m. and found sheet flow of wastewater off the edges of the well pad had subsided. July 16 DEP inspection report
Pumps were still recovering wastewater from a stormwater basin and distressed vegetation was observed on the slopes of the well pad.
An inspection of the 7H wellhead found the wastewater release caused large amounts of fracking sand from the well to be deposited around the wellheads.
Work was continuing to define the impacted areas around the well pad.
Moody’s reported field sampling of nearby water supplies found no significant changes in water quality.
Moody’s was also planning to screen the interiors of structures for combustible gasses and gather other information on the private water supplies to compare with pre-drilling data.
Repsol is currently estimating how much wastewater was released.
Violations Issued
DEP issued a violation to Repsol for failing to submit a Pollution Prevention Contingency Plan for managing wastewater and other releases from the well pad prior to commencing drilling operations.
DEP had requested the Plan on February 21, 2024-- 17 months before.
Repsol submitted a PPC plan on July 14.
Other violations were issued for failure to notify DEP of the release through the reporting hotline, for the wastewater release itself, discharging pollution into waters of the Commonwealth and more.
Reposol was requested to provide a written response on the incident by August 8 detailing the root cause or causes that lead to the lost of well control.
DEP documented its initial response to the Repsol uncontrolled wastewater release in a July 14 inspection report.
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 Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - July 12 to 18 - Uncontrolled Shale Gas Wastewater Release For 34 Hours; Abandoned Conventional Wells Top 300; 107 New Brownfield Sites [PaEN]
-- Courier Times: Bucks County Residents, Sen. Santarsiero Say DEP Isn’t Doing Enough To Make Energy Transfer/Sunoco Define The Extent Of Petroleum Pipeline Leak And Clean It Up [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 19 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On 4 Water Quality Permits For Texas Eastern Appalachia To Market 3 Natural Gas Pipeline Upgrade Project In Adams And York Counties [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Sets July 31 Hearing On Requests To Withdraw Millions Of Gallons Of Water Per Day, Including 11 For Shale Gas Development, 2 Gas Power Plants [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 103 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 19 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- List Of More Than $90 Billion In Energy, A.I. Data Center Investments, Commitments Or Plans Announced At The PA Energy & Innovation Summit [PaEN]
-- NewsClips - PA Energy & A.I. Summit Pittsburgh July 15, 2025
-- PA Republican Lawmakers Rush To Introduce Bills To Give New Tax Breaks, Waive Regulations, Environmental Standards For A.I. Data Centers Already Flocking Into Pennsylvania And Locking Up PA Power [PaEN]
-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy: What Wasn’t Discussed At Pennsylvania’s Energy & A.I. Summit - By John Quigley, Senior Fellow
-- Utility Dive: Bipartisan Group Of 9 Governors, Including Gov. Shapiro, Say PJM Interconnection Facing ‘Unprecedented Crisis Of Confidence’ And Want A Hand In Filling 2 Vacant Board Seats [PaEN]
-- Environmental Health Project Releases Compounds Of Concern Online Tool To Help Frontline Residents Better Understand Health Symptoms Related To Chemicals In Industrial Pollution, Released By Oil & Gas Facilities [PaEN]
-- Rise Of The Machines: Senate, House Members Express Concern That Demand For Power To Run Computers Is Impacting The Price And Availability Of Electricity For ‘Ordinary People’ [5.12.25]
-- US Dept. Of Energy Releases Report On Electric Grid Reliability, Security Saying Generation Growth Must Match Needs Of A.I. Data Centers; But What About ‘Ordinary People’? [7.8.25]
-- PJM Interconnection Opens Next Electric Capacity Auction Bidding Window Of July 9 to 15 For 2026-27 Electric Delivery; Hold Your Breath! [7.9.25]
-- PJM Interconnection Issues Maximum Generation Alert For July 15; Natural Gas Accounted For Most Generation Outages In June Generation Alert [PaEN]
-- PJM Interconnection Extends Maximum Generation Alert To July 16; Natural Gas Accounted For Most Generation Outages In June Generation Alert [PaEN]
-- PJM Interconnection Issues Hot Weather Alert For July 17 In Its Mid-Atlantic, Southern Regions, Including Parts Of PA [PaEN]
-- Environmental Advocates Oppose Gov. Shapiro’s Attendance At Sen. McCormick's Energy, A.I. Summit Today In Pittsburgh [PaEN]
-- Environmental Groups Rallying To Protect Delaware River Watershed From Shale Gas Fracking [PaEN]
-- Dept. Of Insurance/DEP Highlight 30 Years Of Underground Petroleum Products Storage Tank Insurance Fund Work; Paid Over $1.3 Billion To Clean Up Tank Leaks [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro Stops In Potter County To Highlight Investment In Key Gas Station Near Northcentral Regional ATV Trail To Build Outdoor Recreation Economy [Owner Failed To Comply With Storage Tank Regulations]
-- EPA Is 'Clearing The Regulatory Path For America To Dominate The Global A.I. Revolution' [PaEN]
-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Energy And Innovation Summit Is A Great Opportunity For Pittsburgh, But People Must Come First [PaEN]
-- DEP: $3.47 Million In Alternative Fuel Vehicle Grants Announced To Lower Costs, Improve Air Quality; Deadline For New Applications Oct. 10 [PaEN]
[Posted: July 18, 2025] PA Environment Digest
No comments :
Post a Comment