DEP - Day 2,447: American Natural Resources LLC Fails To Comply, Does Not Respond To Order To Plug 6 Conventional Wells It Abandoned In Allegheny County

On August 24, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection continued violations for American Natural Resources LLC for failing to comply with a Dec. 12, 2019 order to plug six conventional oil and gas wells it abandoned in Allegheny County.

DEP received no indication from the owner they intend to plug the wells.

The wells include--

-- Aleppo Township: Merle Minick Unit 1, Merle Minick Unit 2

-- Glenfield Boro: John Straka Unit 2 (leaking gas)

-- Ohio Township: Grove/Grambo Unit 1 (leaking gas), Grove/Grambo Unit 2, John Lenzner Unit 1

DEP said in each of its inspection reports-- “The Operator has failed to plug the well by the date indicated in the Order, and the Department has received no correspondence from the Operator indicating their intent to plug this well. 

“The site is not prepped for plugging, and no equipment or personnel were on site that would indicate an intent to plug the well in the near future.”

DEP sent a copy of the inspection reports to the well owner, but in each inspection report, DEP checked the box-- “No further response required at this time.”

American Natural Resources LLC holds 49 permits and is based in Armstrong County.

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: An Estimated 336,000 Gallons Of Fracking Flowback Water Was Released During An Uncontrolled Shale Gas Well Incident At The INR OPR LLC Cooper Well Pad In Young Twp., Indiana County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP - Day 1,331: Big Dog Energy LLC Shale Gas Well Pad Lacks Secondary Containment To Contain Spills, Has No Emergency Response Plan In Westmoreland County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP - Day 2,447: American Natural Resources LLC Fails To Comply, Does Not Respond To Order To Plug 6 Conventional Wells It Abandoned In Allegheny County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP - Day 221: HR McClure Fails To Plug 3 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells It Abandoned  In Greene County; Failing To Submit Production, Waste, Well Integrity Reports For 5 Years  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: NextEra Energy Picks 700 Acre Site In Luzerne Twp.,  Fayette County For 3.75 GW Natural Gas Data Center Power Plant Complex  [Entire Township Over Known Mined Out Coal Mines Subject To Subsidence Risk (DEP)]

-- PennLive/Tribune News: Massive 7,200 Acre PPL Utilities Joint Venture Land Deal In Lackawanna County Paves Way For More Natural Gas Data Center Power Plants

-- Scranton Times: PPL Utilities Joint Venture Purchases 500 Acres In Luzerne County For 2 Natural Gas Data Center Power Plants; No Agreements Signed With Customers Yet [Not For The Public]  

--  Financial Times: The Missing Piece Of The US Oil And Gas Boom - Jobs; Production And Profits Are Rising Strongly, Employment Has Fallen

[Posted: September 2, 2026]  PA Environment Digest