PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Issued 53 Violations To Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners For Abandoning, Not Plugging Wells In October; Violations Top 409 So Far In 2026

The Department of Environmental Protection issued and continued 53 violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells in October; a total of about 409 so far in 2026.

Violations for groups of abandoned wells include--

-- DEP: Routine Inspections Find 16 Anderson Energy SVC LLC Conventional Wells Abandoned, Not Plugged In Forest County [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 357: S.R. Star O&G LLC Still Fails To Comply With An Order To Plug At Least Some Of The 11 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells It Owns In Butler County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Follow-Up Inspections Of 4 Michael Harju Conventional Wells Found They Continue To Be Abandoned, Not Plugged Going Back To 2020 In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Routine Inspections Find 3 Keystone Crude LLC Abandoned, Unplugged Conventional Gas Wells In Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- DEP Investigates Transfer Of Conventional Well Ownership, Finds Abandoned, Unplugged Well Leaking Gas 10 Feet From Apartment Building In Washington County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Diversified Prod LLC Failed To Comply With Order To Stop Gas Venting From 2 Abandoned Conventional Wells In Westmoreland 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]

Individual Violations

DEP issued individual violations to these conventional well owners--

Allegheny County

-- North Fayette Twp.: Keystone Crude LLC, William Quinn 1, 10.14.26

-- North Fayette Twp.: Keystone Crude LLC, William Quinn 2, 10.19.26

-- South Fayette Twp.: Keystone Crude LLC, HH Morgan 4, 10.19.26

Armstrong County

-- Madison Twp.: MGPR LLC, LW Bish 2, 10.25.26

Butler County

-- Allegheny Twp.: Lawrence R. Farrington, Adams 1Q, 10.8.26

-- Oakland Twp.: Harold J. Ritzert, Elliot 1, Elliot 2, Elliot 3, 10.26.26

-- Parker Twp.: Glenn M. Christy, Christy 1Q, 10.14.26

-- Winfield Twp.: George Schiebel, George Schiebel 1, George Schiebel 2, 10.27.26

Fayette County

-- Wharton Twp.: Diversified Prod LLC, Franz 1, 10.13.26

Warren County

-- Columbus Twp.: Universal Resources Holdings Inc., George Kerchak 1, 10.16.26

-- Columbus Twp.: Pine Valley Resources, Inc., Dodd 1, 10.28.26

Westmoreland County

-- Hempfield Twp.: Michael Harju, Shoaf 1, 10.5.26

-- Hempfield Twp.: Developed Resources, Inc., Hempfield Company 4, 10.27.26

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 Weekly Oil & Gas Compliance Snapshot - October 24 to 30

-- DEP: Fracking Fluid Hose Rupture Contaminates Range Resources Appalachia Shale Gas Pad, And Down The Well Pad Slope In Washington County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Release From Diversified Production LLC Conventional Contaminated Water Pipeline Pollutes Field In Indiana County [PaEN]

-- DEP Investigates Transfer Of Conventional Well Ownership, Finds Abandoned, Unplugged Well Leaking Gas 10 Feet From Apartment Building In Washington County [PaEN]

-- DEP: Diversified Prod LLC Failed To Comply With Order To Stop Gas Venting From 2 Abandoned Conventional Wells In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- DEP Inspections Of 5 Shale Gas Pads Found 2 New Well Casing/Cementing Failures, 7 Continuing Well Failures in Bradford, Susquehanna, Westmoreland, Wyoming Counties [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Reports Low-Flow Stream Conditions Trigger Stop To 11 Shale Gas Water Withdrawals, 7 More Put On Watch Status [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - October 31 [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Chapter 105 Permit For 4.5 Mile EQT ARO Natural Gas Pipeline On State Forest Land In Lycoming County [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Another Extension Of Air Quality Plan Approvals Allowing Temporary Operation Of The Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County; Title V Application Still Under Review Since July 2024 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 59 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In October 31 PA Bulletin [PaEN]