PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Releases Companies, Individuals Receiving $7.24 Million In Federal Funds To Plug 329 Conventional Gas Wells In 13 Counties

On August 7, the Department of Environmental Protection announced the award of $7,240,000 to 35 Marginal Conventional Well plugging projects covering 329 wells in 13 counties through the federally-funded Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP).

In response to a Right To Know request, DEP released the names of the individuals and companies receiving the grants on September 10--

-- 5M - $80,000 - 4 wells - Venango

-- Armac Resources, LLC - $420,000 - 21 wells - Warren

-- Bull Run - $420,000 - 21 wells - Warren

-- Harry Campbell - $20,000 - 1 well - Venango

-- Cline Oil, Inc. - $70,000 - 2 wells - Clearfield

-- CSR Services, LLC - $55,000 - 2 wells -Clarion

-- Curtis Oil, LLC - $380,000 - 19 wells - McKean

-- D&B Gas Production - $280,000 - 14 wells - Indiana

-- Dallas Energy, LLC - $260,00 - 13 wells - McKean

-- Developed Resources, Inc. - $125,000 - 4 wells - Westmoreland

-- First America Energy, Inc. - $400,000 - 20 wells - McKean

-- James H. Fowler - $60,000 - 3 wells - McKean

-- G & G Gas, Inc. - $20,000 - 1 well - Armstrong

-- Greenway Energy, LLC - $135,000 - 6 wells - Clarion (5), Erie (1)

-- Harborcreek School District - $40,000 - 2 wells - Erie

-- Howard Drilling, Inc. - $350,000 - 17 wells - Armstrong (4), Clarion (2), Clearfield (1), Elk (2), Jefferson (1), McKean (1), Venango (6)

-- Howard Drilling, LLC - $120,000 - 6 wells - McKean

-- JD Well Service & Plugging LLC - $420,000 - 21 wells - Venango

-- Kriebel Well Services - $335,000 - 10 wells - Armstrong (3), Clearfield (2), Indiana (3), Westmoreland (2)

-- Todd Herman - $35,000 - 1 well - Clearfield

-- Maxson Gas Corporation - $360,000 - 18 wells - Potter

-- Jason Moore - $40,000 - 2 wells - Warren

-- PPP Future Development, Inc. - $115,000 - 5 wells - Erie (1), Warren (4)

-- Pennhills Resources - $380,000 - 19 wells - Forest

-- Kenneth Rapp - $105,000 - 3 wells - McKean

-- Robinson & Rambolt - $40,000 - 2 wells - Beaver

-- Roulette Oil & Gas LLC Co - $380,000 - 19 wells - Potter

-- S & T Service and Supply Inc. - $420,000 - 21 wells - Venango

-- Sergeant Gas Co. Inc. - $20,000 - 1 well - McKean

-- Shellex Drilling, Inc. - $350,000 - 10 wells - Erie

-- Stedman Energy, Inc. - $415,000 - 14 wells - Erie

-- Joseph Stiglitz (Pembrooke) - $400,000 - 20 wells - Venango

-- STL Resources, LLC - $40,000 - 2 wells - Potter

-- Thaddeus Stevens - $20,000 - 1 well - Tioga

-- Wilmouth Interests, Inc. - $140,000 - 4 wells - Clarion (1), Indiana (3)

Click Here for the list from DEP.

MERP Program

The federal Inflation Reduction Act provided new opportunities and funding to reduce methane emissions from the petroleum and natural gas sector and DEP created the MERP Grant to provide funding to applicants to plug an eligible MCWs.

DEP was awarded $44 million for the federal Methane Emissions Reduction plugging program. These are the first grants awarded under this program.

Marginal wells are defined as conventional oil and/or gas wells that produce less than 15 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE, i.e. 15bbl/day oil or 90,000 cubic feet (90 mcf) of gas/day or combination thereof).

In order to be eligible, applying operators had to be in compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, including those related to the submission of well production, waste, and mechanical integrity assessment reports to DEP, and provide identification of whether methane emissions were detected at each eligible well.

Click Here for DEP’s original announcement.

Visit DEP’s Methane Emissions Reduction Program webpage for more information on this program.

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.

(Photo: Conventional well methane leak, EarthWorks.)

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 6 to 12 - Disposing Of 4.6 Million Gallons Of Oil & Gas Wastewater; 18,000 Gallon Drilling Spill; Failure To Restore Pipeline Right-Of-Way - Again [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - September 13 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 82 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 13 PA Bulletin [PaEN]