At 8:39 a.m. on October 22, 2025, Coterra Energy Inc. notified DEP of a shale gas well control incident during fracking the 12H well on the Lauer pad in Springville Township, Susquehanna County resulting in the release of an unknown quantity of fracking and production fluid and natural gas from the well.
The loss of control resulted in the “high pressure gas/mist coming from the annulus wing value in the well cellar” spraying fluids both on and off the well pad. DEP Oct. 22 notification report.
Coterra Energy did not regain control of the well until a second bridge plug was installed on October 24 at 9:37 a.m.-- 49 hours after the initial report. DEP inspection report.
Inspection reports posted later in the week showed DEP staff provided 24-hour coverage into October 24 after the shale gas well was brought under control.
Click Here for links to 16 DEP inspection reports from October 22 to October 31.
Coterra contacted Cudd Well Control Services to mobilize an initial response by 2:00 p.m. Additional personnel and equipment from Houston Texas to help get the well back under control were expected on the pad at about 6:30 p.m. on October 22.
At the time of the incident, Coterra was fracking a total of five shale gas wells on the pad-- 10H, 12H, 14H, 16H and 20H.
DEP arrived onsite at 10:57 a.m. on October 23 to inspect the well pad and determine the impact of the release of drilling production fluids off site.
DEP walked the perimeter of the well pad taking field measures of wet soil and small pools of fluid off the pad. The measurements did not indicate a release of production fluid off the pad.
Vacuum trucks were in the process of removing fluid from secondary containment and on the surface of the well pad as well as just outside the limit of disturbance of the well pad permit, according to the inspection report.
Multiple violations were issued for loss of well control and release of production fluids.
DEP requested a written response on the incident by November 14 detailing the root cause or causes that lead to the loss of well control, corrective actions Coterra proposed to prevent similar incidents and steps being taken to clean up production fluids released during the incident. DEP Oct. 23 inspection report.
October 27
On October 27, DEP reported Coterra had finished setting kill plugs and a cement plug in the 12H well Sunday October 26.
With the well now under control, equipment began demobilizing from the site.
Coterra will begin remediation of the pad on October 28 and a consultant began testing fluids on the well pad..
A consultant for Coterra has also begun collecting drinking water samples from surrounding residents. 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.
[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 - Oct. 25 to 31 - 100 Criminal Charges Filed; 49-Hour Uncontrolled Shale Gas Well; Failed To Clean Up Conventional Well Spills For 1,364 Days And Counting [PaEN]
-- [Read Carefully!] PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 1 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For 3.9 Mile Shale Gas Well Pad Development Access Road, Staging Area In Loyalsock State Forest, Lycoming County [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On First Title V Air Quality Permit For the Calpine Mid-Merit II 1,449 MW Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant In York County; To Supply Power To Data Center Project [PaEN]
-- DEP Sets Dec. 1 Hearing On Revised Title V Air Quality Permit For The Monroe Energy LLC Trainer Refinery In Delaware County [PaEN]
-- [Read Carefully! An Unusual Number Of Hearings, Big Permits] DEP Posted 77 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 1 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- Attorney General Sunday: Criminal Charges Filed Against Seneca Resources For 64 Counts Of Illegal Dumping Of Shale Gas Waste In Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga Counties [PaEN]
-- Capital & Main: Pennsylvania Gas Producer [CNX Resources] Sues Capital & Main Over Its Reporting On Health Risks [Trying To Silence Its Reporting] [PaEN]
-- House Environmental Committee To Hold Nov. 5 Hearing On Impacts Of Proposed LNG Natural Gas Export Terminal In Southeast PA [PaEN]
-- 500 Feet Isn't Enough: Environmental Groups Urge Environmental Quality Board To Accept Rulemaking Petition For Study Increasing Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells [PaEN]
-- DEP: Coterra Energy 49-Hour Shale Gas Well Control Incident While Fracking Resulting In Spraying Production Fluids Over Well Pad, Releasing Natural Gas In Susquehanna County [PaEN]
-- DEP Solicits Bids On 2 Contracts To Plug 25 Abandoned Conventional Wells In Erie County At Taxpayer Expense; 1 Conventional Well In Clearfield County Expected To Cost $200,000+ To Plug [PaEN]
-- DEP Air Quality Advisory Committee Meets Nov. 6 To Hear Presentations On VOC Emissions Reporting From Conventional Oil & Gas/Shale Gas Wells And Air Pollution From A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]
-- Inside Climate News: Gov. Shapiro Joins 3 Other Governors In A Proposal To Give Priority To A.I. Data Centers That Bring Their Own Electric Generation To The Grid [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro, Oklahoma Gov. Stitt Lead Bipartisan National Governors Assn. Group Recommending Energy Facility Permitting Reform To Address Nation’s Energy Crisis [PaEN]
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - November 3 [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: PA Attorney General Files Criminal Charges Against Seneca Resources Shale Gas Driller For Illegal Waste Disposal In 8 PA Counties; Company Says It’s ‘An Industry Leader’
-- Bradford Era: Seneca Resources Shale Gas Driller Charged For Wastewater Dumping
-- ExploreJeffersonPA.com: Seneca Resources Faces 114 Criminal Charges For Illegal Waste Disposal Throughout Region
-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: All Major Players In PA’s Budget Impasse Met In Person This Week, Will A Deal Follow? [RGGI, Permit, Regulatory Changes In Play]
-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA Needs Every Tool, Every MW To Meet Growing Energy Demand - By Andrew Tubbs, Energy Utility Association Of PA
-- LancasterOnline Editorial: PA Residents Shouldn’t Pay The Price For A.I. Data Center-Spiked Electricity Rates [PDF of Article]
-- PennLive Guest Essay: The Energy Utility Association Of PA Proposes To Place Risk Of Increasing Electric Generation On Ratepayers - By Nora Brownell, Former PA PUC Commissioner
-- WHYY: Republican Lawmakers From PA, NJ, VA, MD Weigh Solutions To Rising Electricity Bills Driven By A.I. Data Centers - Faster Permitting, Ending Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative In PA [That Was Never Implemented]
[Posted: October 31, 2025] PA Environment Digest
No comments:
Post a Comment