DEP: Owner Of At Least 43 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Issued Violations For 6 More On State Game Lands In Venango County; Efforts To Locate The Owner Have Been Unsuccessful

On January 22, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection issued Carol A. Morrison Baker 6 more notices of violation for abandoning and not plugging 6 conventional oil and gas wells on State Game Lands #45 in Cranberry Township, Venango County.

These inspections are part of a DEP initiative to inspect never-inspected conventional oil and gas wells and determine their status.

The well owner also failed to submit annual production, waste generation/disposal, and well integrity reports

The wells included State Game Lands #45 J3, J25, J35, J39, J45 and J68.  Click Here for links to inspection reports.

DEP said it has been trying to track down the owner of the wells “for some time with no success.”

Carol A. Morrison Baker, address listed is in Franklin, PA, holds 217 oil and gas well permits, including 43 abandoned wells.

On September 25, 2025, Morrison Baker was issued violations for abandoning and not plugging 10 conventional oil and gas wells in Cranberry Township, Venango County.  Read more here.

Click Here for an example of a DEP inspection report.

If you have information or or the whereabouts of Carol A. Morrison Baker, please contact the nearest DEP Oil and Gas District Office.

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.]

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP: Day 455 And Counting: Seneca Resources Continues To Release Wastewater, Frack New Shale Gas Wells At Taft Well Pad In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Owner Of At Least 43 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Issued Violations For 6 More On State Game Lands In Venango County; Efforts To Locate The Owner Have Been Unsuccessful  [PaEN] 

[Posted: January 27, 2026]  PA Environment Digest