Saturday, August 9, 2025

PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - August 2 to 8 - Shale Gas Wastewater Spill Day 25; Failed To Restore Plugged Well Site In 43 Months; 25 Months - No Action On Spill Cleanup

From August 2 to 8,
DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 646 inspection entries and earlier reports late filed.  

Follow these links to spreadsheets showing the violations and inspections occurring  between August 2 to 8--

Click Here for violations issuedClick Here for inspection entries.


Enforcement Actions Taken Last Week


So far this year, DEP took these actions as of August 1--

-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 70 conventional, 14 unconventional

-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 3,438 conventional and 811 unconventional

-- Enforcements 2025: 278 conventional and 96 unconventional (orders, agreements)

-- Inspections Last Week: 295 conventional and 519 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Inspections: 11,336 conventional and 15,269 unconventional


Shale Gas Wastewater Spill Cleanup Day 25


On August 7, 2025, the Department of Environmental Protection did a follow-up inspection of the Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC Broadleaf Holdings shale gas well pad in Troy Township, Bradford County to assess the ongoing remediation activities.  Read more here.

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 for 34 hours.  Read more here.

The August 7 inspection found Repsol continues to conduct remedial activities. Some scraping and removal of pad material around the western corner of the pad surface has been conducted. 

Drain tile piping has been installed downslope of the majority of the pad's fill slopes that divert collected fluids into the lined channels  that then flow to the lined detention basin.

The secondary and tertiary emergency berms that were constructed following the release have been reworked and the channel in the bottom of the secondary berm was excavated and impacted materials were removed.

A water truck continues to collect fluids from the preexisting stormwater basin as necessary.  Read more here.


5 Abandoned Conventional Wells


The Production Co. LLC  [43 Months]

August 6, 2025 compliance evaluation of the Rell Corporation 2 conventional wells in Franklin Township, Fayette County found the owner failed to comply with a March 18, 2024 Order to plug the well and restore the site. Discarded wastewater tanks and other equipment remains on the sites. Original violations for failure to restore well site issued on January 20, 2021. August 15, 2024 failure to comply with Order continued. Response requested by August 21.   DEP inspection report.  The Production Co. holds 19 permits.


Eastern Gas Trans & Storage Inc.  [25 Months] 

August 6, 2025 administrative review of the DCNR Tract 34C2 conventional well in Benedette Township, Elk County found the well still abandoned and not plugged and leaking gas. Original violations for abandonment issued June 23, 2023. Owner will collect soil gas samples.  No other requests made of owner.  DEP inspection report.  Eastern Gas Trans holds 1,064 permits, including 3 abandoned wells..


Pecora Enterprises [19 Months]

August 6, 2025 inspection of the Jack 16 conventional well in Bradford Township, McKean County found the well still abandoned and not plugged. Original violations issued January 25, 2024. Efforts to plug the well in the spring of 2024 were not successful after encountering an obstruction. The matter will be referred for further enforcement.   DEP inspection report.  Pecora holds 84 permits, including 1 abandoned well.


Rocksauce OPR LLC  [9 Months]

July 31, 2025 compliance evaluation of the A. Bell 7 conventional well in North Fayette Township, Allegheny County found the well still abandoned and not plugged and failed to submit a well integrity report. Original violation October 28, 2024. No request made of well owner.   DEP inspection report.  Rocksauce holds 88 permits.


Rocksauce OPR LLC  [9 Months]

August 6, 2025 compliance evaluation of the J. Gromley 14 conventional well in North Fayette Township, Allegheny County found the well still abandoned and not plugged. The well now is venting gas. The owner failed to submit annual production, waste generation and mechanical integrity reports. The owner failed to address any of the violations.  Original violations issued October 28, 2024. No request made of well owner.  DEP inspection report.


348 Abandoned Conventional Well Violations In 2025


Abandoned Conventional Wells: So far in 2025, DEP issued or continued 348 violations to 85  conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells- [3D Resources LLC ; All American Energy Inc.; Amer Natural Resources LLC; WB Anderson; Apex Energy (PA), LLC; Apollo Resources LLC; ARG Resources Inc.; Baird Oil Co.; Baron Crest Energy Co.; Bialy Gas Production LLC; Blackrock Enterprises LLC; Darrel B. Blauser; Chris E. Burke; Consolidated Coal Co.; Edward E. & Frederick J. Craig; Crude A Co - Randy L. Larkin; Dannic Energy Corp.; Harold H. Davis; Paul H. Deeter; Delong Oil Inc.; Developed Resources, Inc.; Randy A. Dietterich; Diversified Production LLC; East Resources Inc.; Eastern Gas Trans & Storage Inc.; Eastern Natural Resources LLC; Equitrans LP; EQT Production Co.; Exotic Oil & Gas LLC; Ex-Treme Oil And Gas LLC; Michael Harju; Harry L. King; Howard Drilling Inc.; Iron Pennsylvania Land LLC; Keystone Crude LLC; Raymond J. Kaufman; Kiski Valley Gas Co.; Leechburg Gas Co.; Manufacturers Light & Heat Co; David H. Melat Co; Mid East Oil Co.; MTN Energy; MTN V Oil & Gas Inc.; Charles E. Myers; Myers Gas; Niche Energy LLC; Nucomer Energy LLC; Ohio Kentucky Oil Corp. ; Oil & Gas MGMT Co. LLC; Old MTN Gas Co. Inc.; OneXXX Prod & Exploration Corp.; Ows Acquisition Co. LLC;  PA Mineral SVCS LLC; PBS Coals Inc; Raymond J. Patten; Pecora Enterprises; Pencan Explorations Inc.; Penta Oil Corp.; Robert F. Phipps; Pillar Energy PA, LLC; Pin Oak Energy Partners, LLC; The Production Co. LLC; Prosperity Oil Co. Inc.; Red Lion Gas Coop Assn; Reel Resources, Inc; Riyan Farm & Gas LLC; Raymond Sawyer; Rocksauce OPR LLC; Fred C. Scheel; SK Opr Inc.; Larry A. Shaffer Jr.; FM Sloan Inc.; Andrew F. Suchko; S R Star O&G LLC ; Stockman LLC; Stonehaven Energy MGT Co. LLC; Andrew F. Suchko; Thomas Thurma Jean; Timberline Energy, Inc.; Mervin Troyer; Valley Green Golf & Country Club, Inc.; Vessels Coal Gas Inc.; Washington Energy Co LLC; Ronald Wise; Mary A. Woodring; Woodward Inc.].


1 Abandoned Shale Gas Well


Big Dog Energy LLC  [26 Months]

July 8, 2025 inspection of the Cowfer B 1H shale gas well in Guilch Township, Clearfield County found the owner continues to have violations for an abandoned and not plugged well and defective casing/cementing. The original violations were issued on May 23, 2023.  A June 3, 2025 administrative review resulted in issuing a public nuisance violation for failing to comply with an August 20, 2024 DEP order to plug the Cowfer B 1H and four other abandoned shale gas wells in Clearfield County. Read more here. The July 8 inspection continued the earlier violations.  No requests of well owner.   DEP inspection report.  Big Dog holds 25 permits.


61 Abandoned Shale Gas Well Violations In 2025


Abandoned Shale Gas Wells: So far in 2025, DEP issued or continued 60 violations to 22 shale gas drilling companies for abandoning and not plugging their wells-- [Anegada Energy LLC; Apex Energy (PA) LLC; Big Dog Energy LLC; Big Dog Energy LLCBlackhill Energy LLC; Diversified Prod LLC;   Diversified Production LLC; Diversified Production LLC; EQT ARO LLC; EQT Chap LLC;  EQT Chap LLC; EQT Production Co.; EQT Production Co.; Frontier Natural Resources; Hilcorp Energy Co.; LPR Energy LLCLPR Energy LLCLPR Energy LLC;  Rice Drilling B LLC [EQT]; MTN V Oil & Gas Inc.; Rice Drilling B LLC [EQT];  Roulette Oil & Gas LLC; STL Resources LLC;  Taft Operating LLC].


Spills & Releases - Shale Gas


Diversified Prod LLC

July 28, 2025 follow-up inspection of the Hosler 8 shale gas well in Jefferson Township, Fayette County found cleanup was continuing from a July 25, 2025 release when an unknown quantity of wastewater from a storage tank flowed across the pad, down a slope, across the access road and into an adjacent field. Excavation work was done to begin removing contaminated soil immediately downslope of the tank. Erosion and sediment controls were installed to deal with runoff from the site. More remediation work needed. Violations continued.  Response date August 20. DEP inspection report.


Spills & Releases - Conventional


Keystone Crude LLC   [25 Months]

July 29, 2025 follow-up inspection of the McCurdy 10 conventional well in Robinson Township, Allegheny County found no action taken to cleanup multiple spills and other violations at the well site, in fact it’s worse.  A storage tank was cut in half and the bottom half is leaking fluid into the ground. Original violations issued August 10, 2023 [Read more here] and June 11, 2024.  No response from owner to violations. Violations continued. Response requested by August 22.  DEP inspection reportKeystone holds 34 permits.


Keystone Crude LLC [25 Months]

July 29, 2025 follow-up inspection of the John Panner 4 conventional well in Robinson Township, Allegheny County found no action taken to cleanup multiple spills and other violations at the well site. Original violations issued August 10, 2023 [Read more here].  No response from owner to violations. Violations continued. Response requested by August 22. DEP inspection report.


Keystone Crude LLC  [25 Months]

July 29, 2025 follow-up inspection of the D.M. Logan 3 conventional well in North Fayette Township, Allegheny County found no action taken to cleanup multiple spills and other violations at the well site. Original violations issued August 10, 2023 [Read more here].  No response from owner to violations. Response requested by August 22.  Violations continued. DEP inspection report.


Michael D. Graham  [11 Months]

July 28, 2025 follow-up inspection of the Farrah 1 conventional well in Smith Township, Washington County found the owner still failed to address violations related to multiple spills and releases from storage tanks on the site originally discovered on August 30, 2024. There has been no response from the owner.  DEP again requested the owner to remediate the area.  No response deadline. DEP inspection report.  Graham holds 30 permits.


Consol PA Coal Co. LLC  [3 Months]

July 29, 2025 follow-up inspection of the Brown 1447 conventional well in Morris Township, Greene County where plugging operations contaminated a livestock water supply, two springs and a small stream with bentonite on April 22, 2025. Read more here. The purpose of the inspection was to split water samples with well owner. Trough water at the site had a “mild cloudiness,” the stream was “relatively clear,” and the well owner removed water remediation equipment. Violations continued.  DEP inspection report.  Consol holds 1,298 permits, including 235 abandoned wells.


2025 Act 2 Oil & Gas Facility Pollution Cleanups

So far in 2025, DEP received or acted on 119 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups. Read more here.


Well Contamination Investigation


Crawford County, Spring Township

An August 5, 2025 inspection of the Kastle Resources Enterprises, Inc. Mattera Unit 1 conventional well as part of a private water supply contamination investigation about 2,400 feet from the complainant’s water well found no violations.  DEP inspection report.


Defective Casing/Cementing


Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC  [29 Months]

July 31, 2025 inspection of the Masso shale gas well pad 24HC gas wells in Auburn Township, Susquehanna County found gas in the cemented annulus indicating defective casing/cementing.  Original violations issued February 2, 2023. Continue monitoring. Violations continued. DEP inspection report.


Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC

August 4, 2025 inspection of the Cannella shale gas well pad 6H and 24HC gas wells in Auburn Township, Susquehanna County found gas was detected in the cemented annulus of the two wells which may indicate casing or cementing issues.  DEP requested the two wells be shut in for a 72 hour pressure build up test between August 11 to 14. No violations issued.   DEP inspection report.


Failed To Protect Gas Pipeline At Stream Crossing


VEC Energy LLC [3 Months]

July 24, 2025 follow-up inspection of the Austinburg shale gas gathering pipeline in Brookfield Township, Tioga County a 30 foot section of pipeline was exposed and a portion is suspended two feet above the stream channel rather than being buried three feet below the channel. Original violations issued April 24, 2025. Excavation was underway to dig a trench across the stream to bury the pipeline 3 feet below the stream channel to protect it.  Violations will be continued until construction is completed. DEP inspection report.  VEC Energy holds 1,876 permits, including 2 abandoned wells.


Erosion & Sedimentation Violations


The Production Co. LLC  [43 Months]

August 6, 2025 compliance evaluation of the Rell Corporation 1 conventional well in Franklin Township, Fayette County found the owner failed to comply with a December 29, 2021 Order to restore the site after the completion of drilling. August 15, 2024 violation for failing to comply with Order continued. Response requested by August 22.  DEP inspection report.  The Production Co. holds 19 permits.


Diversified Prod LLC  [3 Months]

August 4, 2025 follow-up inspection of the Margaret E. Beck 2 conventional well site in Center Township, Indiana County found the owner failed to address erosion and sedimentation and site restoration issues originally discovered as a result of a complaint on April 24, 2025. No response requested.  DEP 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.


(Photos: Row 1-- Diversified Prod LLC shale gas well wastewater release from storage tank, remediation underway (2 photos); Keystone Crude LLC cut waste tank in half, failed to clean up spills for 25 months;  Row 2-- Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC Broadleaf shale gas well pad cleanup continues 25 days after the uncontrolled release of wastewater (3 photos);  Michael D. Graham failed to clean up spills for 11 months;  Row 3-- Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC Broadleaf shale gas well pad cleanup continues (3 photos) ; Consol PA Coal Co. LLC contaminated livestock water trough during plugging operations still shows “mild cloudiness” after 3 months.) 


[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 - August 2 to 8 - Shale Gas Wastewater Spill Day 25; Failed To Restore Plugged Well Site In 43 Months; 25 Months - No Action On Spill Cleanup  [PaEN]

     -- DEP: 25 Days After An Uncontrolled Release Of Wastewater At A Repsol Shale Gas Well Pad, Cleanup Continues In Bradford County  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - August 9  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Posted 75 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 9  PA Bulletin  [PaEN]  

Related Articles This Week:

-- PA Supreme Court Rules No Republican Senate, House Members Can Intervene In Legal Challenge To Act 96 That Took Away Authority To Increase Conventional Oil & Gas Well Bond Amounts To Cover Taxpayer Costs For Plugging  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Awards $7.24 Million In Federal Funds To Plug 329 Marginal Conventional Oil & Gas Wells  [Names Of Those Awarded Grants Not Released Yet]  [PaEN] 

-- Range Resources Files Appeal Of The Dismissal Of Its Zoning Hearing Board Challenge To Cecil Township’s Ordinance Requiring A 2,500 Foot Setback For Shale Gas Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP: 25 Days After An Uncontrolled Release Of Wastewater At A Repsol Shale Gas Well Pad, Cleanup Continues In Bradford County  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Paying The Price For Natural Gas And A.I. Data Centers - By John Quigley, Senior Fellow, Kleinman Center for Energy Policy  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Pennsylvania May Not Have Enough Electricity For A.I. Data Centers And The Rest Of Us - By Shaliee Kishore and Arindam Banerjee, Lehigh University [PaEN] 

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: We At PJM Need Realistic Solutions, Not Politics To Take On Energy Challenges - By Aftab Khan, PJM Executive Vice President Of Operations, Planning and Security  [PaEN] 

-- AP - Marc Levy: As Electric Bills Rise, Evidence Mounts That A.I. Data Centers Share The Blame, States Feel Pressure To Act  [PA Included]

-- Scranton Times: Al’s Quick Stop Convenience Store Developer Proposes A.I. Data Centers In Blakely, Lackawanna County; Q/A With Developer Aug. 13  [PDF of Article]

-- Bitfarms Announces Partnership To Develop A.I. Data Center At Panther Creek Waste Coal-Fired Power Plant In Carbon County  [PaEN]

-- FracTracker Alliance Releases National A.I. Data Centers Tracker; Public Invited To Submit Information  [PaEN]

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility PA: The Harms And Impacts Of PA’s New A.I. Data Center Hype

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: EPA Cancels Solar For All Program That Would Lower Energy Bills For Families [$156 Million In PA]  [PaEN] 

-- FracTracker Alliance: Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Released 17.9 Billion Pounds Of Air Pollution Since It Began Operation, During 80 Malfunctions, 43 Violation Episodes  [PaEN] 

-- PA Senate Republican Policy Committee To Hold Aug. 11 Hearing On A.I. Data Center Development In Lackawanna County  [PaEN]

-- PA House Environmental Committee To Hold Aug. 11 Hearing On How PA Should Subsidize The Remediation Of Waste Coal Piles  [PaEN]

-- House Members To Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Advance Geothermal Energy Development  [PaEN]

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light Hosts Aug. 14 Webinar On The New Deadline For Taking Advantage Of Federal Solar Energy Tax Credits  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- WESA/WV Public Broadcasting: West Virginia Families Sue EQT Over Fracking Pollution 

-- PublicSource.org: Children Of 3 Families That Abandoned Their Homes Sue EQT Over Illness, Distress They Say Are Linked To Company’s WV Shale Gas Operations 

-- PA Capital-Star: Beaver County Group Calls On DEP For More Timely Reports On Shell Petrochemical Plant Air Pollution 

-- TribLive: Vote On Upper Burrell Twp. Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well Rules Could Come Soon In Westmoreland County  

-- The Derrick: State Awards Money To Plug Local Wells [No Names Of Those Awarded Grants]

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: EPA Move To Rollback Oil & Gas Methane, Climate Pollution Rules Will Hurt People Around Pittsburgh, Advocates Say 

-- Inquirer Editorial: President’s EPA Rollbacks Jeopardize Our Warming Planet And Its Wary People

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Commonwealth Court Overturns Permit For Drill Cuttings Landfill In Mercer County [PDF of Article]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Guest Essay: Energy Is A Rallying Point For Pennsylvania - By Stephanie Catarino Wissman, American Petroleum Institute PA

-- Post-Gazette/Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: New Report Shows How Health Outcomes Improved After 2016 Shenango Coke [Coal] Works Closure In Allegheny County 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Guest Essay: Abandoned, Active Mines Are Not Tourist Sites - Stay Out! - By Robert Hughes, Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation 

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility PA: The Harms And Impacts Of PA’s New A.I. Data Center Hype

-- Scranton Times: Al’s Quick Stop Convenience Store Developer Proposes A.I. Data Centers In Blakely, Lackawanna County; Q/A With Developer Aug. 13  [PDF of Article]

-- TribLive: Residents See 1st Glimpse Of Massive 180 MW A.I. Data Center In Springdale, Allegheny County 

-- KDKA: Former Site Of Springdale Coal-Fired Power Plant Could Become A.I. Data Center

-- Scranton Times: State Senate To Hold A.I. Data Center Hearing At Valley View High School

-- LancasterOnline: A.I. Data Center Noise Won’t Be Regulated By Lancaster City Ordinances 

-- MCall: As Electric Bills Rise Due To A.I. Data Center Demand, PJM Electricity Auction, What Lehigh Valley Utilities Say To Expect [PPL - Last 2 PJM Auctions Have Increased Monthly Bills $20 With No Benefit To Customers]  [PDF of Article]

-- The Allegheny Front - Kara Holsopple: What’s Behind Higher Electricity Prices? The Regional Grid Explained

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: The Price Of A.I. - How Is A.I. Impacting Energy Production And Prices?

-- Scranton Times: Proposed State Senate Bill To Fast Track Data Centers, Limit Local Zoning  [Senate Bill 939]   [PDF of Article]

-- Williamsport Sun Guest Essay: A.I. Data Centers And Cryptocurrency Mining Energy Use Needs A Clear Disadvantage - By Karen Elias, Climate Reality  [PDF of Article]

-- Erie Times: National Fuel Gas Increases Gas Rates 12.2%; How Much More Erie-Area Homes Will Pay

-- Reuters: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Complains About Limits On Exporting Ethane To China, Even Though They Have Been Lifted 

-- Utility Dive: Independent Power Producers Hit Back At Utilities [Like PPL] That Want To Build Their Own Generation Due To PJM Price Surge 

-- Utility Dive: $8.8 Billion Energy Efficiency Rebate Program On Hold In Most States, Underway In Some, Pending DOE Review  [PA Penn Energy Savers Program

-- AP: EPA Cancels, Claws Back $7 Billion Solar For All Grant Program [$156 Million PA Grant] 

-- Financial Times: US Licenses Nvidia To Export A.I. Chips To China After CEO Meets With President

[Posted: August 9, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

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