PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP - Day 57: More Water Seeps Break Out From INR OPR LLC Cooper Shale Gas Well Pad Possibly Related To Broken Pad Drainage System In Indiana County, Site Of 336,000 Gallon Frack Water Spill

On October 13, 2026, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the INR OPR LLC Cooper shale gas well pad in Young Township, Indiana County and found new water seeps were coming out of the south slope of the well pad.

On October 7, DEP found a series of water seeps coming out of the west slope of the well pad the inspector said were occurring due to “loose connections” in the pad’s water containment system.

The system is designed to collect water from the pad and properly manage it before it is released anywhere.

INR installed riprap around the seeps on the west slope and a sump for collecting the water that was being released. Read more here.

On October 13, the new seeps on the south slope of the well pad were not present in previous inspections. The inspector said the new seeps were “possibly part of the drain issue.”

The reason the pad water containment system is important is on August 17, 2026, there was a spill of approximately 336,000 gallons of fracking flowback water onto the pad that flowed off the pad and contaminated about 5.6 acres of fields and woods, according to an INR report. Read more here.

It is not known whether the pad drainage system was broken then or functioning, or whether the large spill of contaminated water on the pad and recent rain brought the condition of the water containment system to light.

The DEP inspection reports did not describe any efforts by INR to repair the pad water containment system or any direction from DEP to do repairs.

Previous violations were continued. No response requested by the pad owner.

Click Here for DEP inspection report + photos.

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: New water seeps on the South slope of the well pad; More seeps from drainage issues on the West slope.)

[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 Snapshot - October 10 to 16 [PaEN]

-- DEP: Investigation Of A ‘Frac Hit’ Between 3 Seneca Resources Co Shale Gas Well Pads In Middlebury Twp., Tioga County Leads To Contaminated Water Spill [PaEN]

-- WHYY: Federal Pipeline Regulatory Agency Says Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipelines Have A ‘System-Wide Risk” Of Leaks Similar To The One Discovered In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 57: More Water Seeps Break Out From INR OPR LLC Cooper Shale Gas Well Pad Possibly Related To Broken Pad Drainage System In Indiana County, Site Of 336,000 Gallon Frack Water Spill [PaEN]

-- DEP: Routine Inspection Finds Overflowing Contaminated Water Tank At Penn View Exploration Conventional Oil & Gas Well In Clearfield County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 71: Violations Continue At John D. Branch Conventional Well Site For Failing To Have Adequate Spill Containment Around Tanks Holding 42,000 Gallons On Contaminated Water In Warren County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Ruptured Underground Gathering Line Releases Crude Oil Near Bull Run Resources Conventional Well In Warren County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 82: McGuffie Oil Co Inc. Abandoned Conventional Gas Well Still Venting Gas, Creating A Hazard To Health, Safety In Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 1,916: Monitoring Of Casing/Cement Failure Continues At Expand Operating Lucarino Shale Gas Well Pad In Bradford County [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - October 17 [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Chapter 105 Permit For A Seneca Resources Co 16-Inch Shale Gas Water Pipeline Running Through Farmington & Chatham Townships, Tioga County [PaEN]