Follow these links to spreadsheets showing the violations and inspections occurring between April 12 to 25--
Click Here for violations issued.
Click Here for inspection entries.
Enforcement Actions Taken Last 2 Weeks
So far this year, DEP took these actions as of April 11--
-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 21 conventional, 6 unconventional
-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 1,328 conventional and 361 unconventional
-- Enforcements 2025: 139 conventional and 46 unconventional (orders, agreements)
-- Inspections Last Week: 255 conventional and 249 unconventional
-- Year To Date - Inspections: 5,660 conventional and 7,832 unconventional
So far this year, DEP took these actions as of April 18--
-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 16 conventional, 3 unconventional
-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 1,382 conventional and 375 unconventional
-- Enforcements 2025: 144 conventional and 47 unconventional (orders, agreements)
-- Inspections Last Week: 299 conventional and 264 unconventional
-- Year To Date - Inspections: 6,093 conventional and 8,344 unconventional
Abandoned Shale Gas Water Impoundment Cited By DEP
On April 17, 2025, DEP issued a notice of violation to Laurel Mountain Production based on an April 15 inspection for failure to close and restore the Stacey Road Freshwater Impoundment in Perry Township, Clarion County after the facility was not used for seven years. DEP classified the facility as “abandoned.”
DEP said Laurel Mountain Production also never complied with the basic requirement to register the impoundment with the agency since it was constructed in 2017 as required by state regulations.
Photos from the April 15 inspection show the impoundment contains an unknown quantity of water. The impoundment was certainly constructed to hold over 1 million gallons of water. Read more here.
This is the second abandoned shale gas water impoundment DEP has taken action against this month. Read more here.
Conventional Owners Must Comply With DEP Methane Reduction Rule
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the April 26 PA Bulletin conventional oil and gas facility owners must now submit a compliance report on their methane emissions by June 1, 2025 as required by a 2022 DEP methane pollution reduction rule as a result of a court settlement with the industry. Read more here.
18 Abandoned Conventional Wells
S R Star O&G LLC - Violations: 11 Abandoned Conventional Wells, Failure To Report
April 23, 2025 a follow-up inspection of 11 conventional wells in Slippery Rock Township, Butler County found the wells abandoned, unplugged and failed to submit production, waste generation and well integrity reports.
The wells include Mortland 3, Mortland 4, Mortland 5, Mortland 6, Mortland 7, Mortland 8, Fielding 2, Renick 2, Renick 3, Renick 4, Renick 5,
Original violations issued March 13, 2024 for failure to report and continued. Abandoned well violation is new. Response requested by May 9, 2025.
S R Star holds 45 permits.
Iron Pennsylvania Land LLC - Violations: Failed To Comply Well Plugging Order
April 9, 2025 inspection of the Grimes 3603 conventional well in Jackson Township, Greene County found the well abandoned, not plugged and leaking gas. The order was issued an order to plug the well by March 31, 2025 based on the original violations issued in 2023. New violation issued for not complying with the order. Response requested by May 5. DEP inspection report. Iron Pennsylvania Land holds 84 permits.
Niche Energy LLC - Violations: Abandoned Conventional Well, Failed To Report
April 14, 2025 inspection of the Dennis Bliley 1 conventional gas well in Waterford Township, Erie County in response to a complaint found the well abandoned and not plugged. Fluid was also found to be leaking from a storage tank and will be inspected by a Water Quality Specialist. Violations issued for abandonment, failure to submit annual production, waste generation and well integrity reports. Response requested by May 12, 2025. DEP inspection report. Niche Energy holds 191 permits.
Ows Acquisition Co. LLC - Violations: Abandoned Conventional Well, Failed To Report
April 15, 2025 inspection of the R&F Thompson 4 conventional well in Springfield Township, Mercer County found the well abandoned and not plugged. Original violations for abandonment and failure to submit production, waste generation and well integrity reports issued April 1, 2025. Violations continued. No response requested. DEP inspection report.
DEP also inspected the R&F Thompson 3 conventional well near this location and found no mechanical integrity report had been submitted. Original violation issued April 19, 2021. No response requested. DEP inspection report. Ows Acquisition holds 1,072 permits.
Ows Acquisition Co LLC - Violations: Abandoned Conventional Well, Failed To Report
April 22, 2025 inspection of the Gibson 2 conventional well in Hermitage City, Mercer County and found the well continues to be abandoned and not plugged and failed to submit a well integrity report. Original violation for abandonment issued October 6, 2020 and failure to report on October 25, 2021. The well has not been in operation for 7 years. Violations were continued. Response requested by May 22. DEP inspection report.
Ows Acquisition Co LLC - Violations: Abandoned Conventional Well, Failed To Report
April 22, 2025 inspection of the McBurney 1 conventional well in Hermitage City, Mercer County as a result of a complaint found the well abandoned, not plugged and leaking gas. Violations issued for these infractions and for not submitting a well integrity report. Request to respond by May 22. DEP inspection report.
Mid East Oil Co. - Violations: Abandoned Conventional Well, Failed To Report
April 9, 2025 inspection of the John W. Wilkinson ET UX 1 conventional gas well in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County found the well abandoned, not plugged and leaking gas. The owner failed to submit production, waste generation and well integrity reports for 10+ years. Multiple violations issued. Response requested by May 8. DEP inspection report. Mid East Oil holds 573 permits.
Exotic Oil & Gas LLC - Violations: Abandoned Conventional Well, Failed To Report
April 2, 2025 inspection of the Loretta Parskins Et Al 3 conventional well in Murrysville Borough, Westmoreland County found the well abandoned, not plugged and leaking gas. Multiple violations issued. Response requested by May 10. DEP inspection report. Exotic Oil holds 318 permits.
146 Abandoned Conventional, 39 Abandoned Shale Gas Well Violations 2025
Abandoned Conventional: So far in 2025, DEP issued or continued 146 violations to 46 conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells- [3D Resources LLC ; Amer Natural Resources LLC; WB Anderson; Apollo Resources LLC; Baird Oil Co.; Bialy Gas Production LLC; Chris E. Burke; Edward E. & Frederick J. Craig; Crude A Co - Randy L. Larkin; Randy A. Dietterich; Diversified Production LLC; Equitrans LP; EQT Production Co.; Exotic Oil & Gas LLC; Keystone Crude LLC; Kiski Valley Gas Co.; Leechburg Gas Co.; Manufacturers Light & Heat Co; Mid East Oil Co.; MTN Energy; Charles E. Myers; Myers Gas; Niche Energy LLC; Oil & Gas MGMT Co. LLC; Ows Acquisition Co. LLC; PA Mineral SVCS LLC; PBS Coals Inc; Pencan Explorations Inc.; Iron Pennsylvania Land LLC; Pillar Energy PA, LLC; Pin Oak Energy Partners, LLC; Red Lion Gas Coop Assn; Reel Resources, Inc; Raymond Sawyer; Fred C. Scheel; SK Opr Inc.; Larry A. Shaffer Jr.; S R Star O&G LLC ; Stockman LLC; Stonehaven Energy MGT Co. LLC; Andrew F. Suchko; Thomas Thurma Jean; Timberline Energy, Inc.; Vessels Coal Gas Inc.; Washington Energy Co LLC; Ronald Wise; Mary A. Woodring].
In 2024, DEP issued 860 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells.
In 2023, DEP issued 512 violations to conventional well owners for abandonment.
Abandoned Shale Gas: So far in 2025, DEP issued or continued 40 violations to 10 shale gas drilling companies for abandoning and not plugging their wells-- [Anegada Energy LLC; Apex Energy (PA) LLC; Blackhill Energy LLC; Diversified Production LLC; Diversified Production LLC; EQT ARO LLC; EQT Chap LLC; EQT Production Co.; Rice Drilling B LLC; Roulette Oil & Gas LLC; Taft Operating LLC].
In 2024, 47 violations were issued or continued to 12 shale gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells.
In 2023, DEP issued or continued 20 violations to 10 shale gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells. Read more here.
Spills & Releases
Diversified Prod LLC - Violations: Conventional Wastewater Spill
April 24, 2025 inspection of the Jack Shankle 1 conventional well in Mahoning Township, Armstrong County in response to a notification of a spill by the owner found evidence of a wastewater spill and dead vegetation. The owner said the tank was cracked and leaking from the bottom, but the inspector said there was no visible source for the spill. The site had not yet been stabilize, although an oil boom and absorbent pads were in place to contain the spill. Violations issued. Response requested by May 9. DEP inspection report.
MTN V Oil & Gas Inc. - Violations: Failure To Clean Up Conventional Well Release (4+ Months)
April 17, 2025 inspection of the LTV 2 conventional well in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County found there was no progress in cleaning up a release from a production storage tank that was observed pooled at the well head and exited the well site and flowed downslope from the well. The original violations were issued on November 25, 2024 and were continued in this inspection. No requests were made of the well owner. DEP inspection report. MTN V Oil holds 1,015 permits.
Bull Run Resources LLC - Violations: Conventional Wastewater Release
April 17, 2025 inspection of the Petersen P9 conventional well in Pleasant Township, Warren County in response to a notification of a spill on April 16 by the owner found production wastewater “was released from the wellhead and traveled downslope following a series of road ditches and culvert crossings.” Overflow dams and absorbent pads were in place at several locations along the path of the spill. The owner was having roll off dumpsters delivered to the site for the disposal of impacted soil along the route of the spill. The owner said between 21 and 42 gallons of wastewater had been released [?]. Violations were issued. Response requested by May 8. DEP inspection report. Bull Run holds 1,502 permits.
Coterra Energy Inc. - Discoveries: Multiple Areas Of Elevated Conductivity
April 14, 2025 routine inspection of the Jeffers Farm shale gas well pad 1 in Harford Township, Susquehanna County found multiple areas of fluid releases with elevated conductivity. The areas of contamination were documented, but no violations issued. DEP inspection report.
A follow-up April 23, 2025 inspection report documented a response from the owner saying a hole the size of a grapefruit was discovered in a containment liner near a leaking booster pump on the site. The hole has been repaired and remediation of the spill areas is underway. No violations issued and no requests made of the owner. DEP inspection report.
2025 Act 2 Oil & Gas Facility Pollution Cleanups
So far in 2025, DEP received or acted on 58 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups. Read more here. Read more here -April 19 Read more here - April 26
Water Supply/Methane Migration Investigation
Armstrong County, Kittanning Township
April 14 & 21, 2025 inspections of the Kriebel Natural Gas Co. LLC Roger Lynn George, I.Brown 001 and I.Brown 001R conventional wells were inspected as part of a private water supply/methane migration contamination investigation, and found no methane leaks or violations. DEP inspection report (example).
April 14, 2025 inspection of the Diversified Prod LLC Rosenberger Unit 1 conventional well as part of this water supply investigation found no gas leaks.
April 21, 2025 inspections of the Redmill Drilling Delores Ferrao1, Oris M. Schrecengost 1-98 and Oris M. Schrecengost 2-98 conventional wells in Kittanning Township, Armstrong County as part of a private water supply/methane migration contamination investigation and found no methane leaks or violations. DEP inspection report (example).
Exposed Shale Gas Pipeline Crossing Stream
VEC Energy LLC - Violations: Exposed Gas Pipeline Stream Crossing
April 24, 2025 inspection of the Austinburg 4-inch shale gas gathering pipeline in Brookfield Township, Tioga County in response to a complaint found a 30 foot section of the pipeline exposed and hanging 2.5 feet above a stream rather than buried 3 feet below the stream channel as regulations require. Violations issued. Response requested by May 16. DEP inspection report. VEC Energy holds 1,878 permits.
Defective Casing/Cement
SWN Prod Co. LLC - Violations: Defective Casing/Cement (Nearly 10 Years)
April 24, 2025 inspection of the Blye shale gas well pad 1H well located in Middletown Township, Susquehanna County to determine if gas was leaking from the annulus. The well casing vent was open and vented, but no new concerns were noted. Original violation issued October 23, 2015. Violation continued. Monitoring to continue. DEP inspection report.
Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Violations: Defective Casing/Cement (14 Years)
April 24, 2025 inspection of the Craige shale gas well pad 1H well located in Rush Township, Susquehanna County to determine if gas is still leaking from the cemented annulus. Gas continues to be vented into a production tank. Original violation issued November 9, 2011. Violation continued and the owner will continue to vent and monitor the annulus. DEP inspection report.
Chesapeake Appalachia LLC - Violations: Defective Casing/Cement (5 Years)
April 17, 2025 inspection of the Aukema Pad shale gas wells 1H, 2HC, 3H, 4H in Meshoppen Township, Wyoming county for the purpose of pressure testing to determine effectiveness of remediation activities using the BioSqueeze, Inc. process. Original violations issued on October 22, 2020. Quarterly testing and monitoring will continue as required. Violations were continued. DEP inspection report.
Chesapeake Appalachia LLC- Violations: Defective Casing/Cement (2 Years)
April 17, 2025 inspection of the Amcor Pad shale gas wells 2HC, 3HC and 21HC in Meshoppen Township, Wyoming County for the purpose of pressuring testing after remediation of the wells for defective casing/cement. DEP said testing found significant improvement, however, the original violations issued on March 23, 2023 were continued after gas samples were taken by DEP. DEP inspection report.
Drillers Fail To Comply With DEP Orders
M4 Energy LLC - Violations (shale): Failure To Comply With Order (40 Months)
April 14 [DEP inspection report] & April 22 [DEP inspection report], 2025 inspections of the Sproul 7005 shale gas well in Stewart Township, Fayette County found the owner failed to comply with a December 16, 2021 Consent Order and Agreement to restore the well pad site. The owner was found to not have restored the site during an April 14, 2024 inspection and no progress had been made since. The original failure to comply with a DEP order was issued on September 16, 2024 and was continued as a result of the new inspections. No request was made of the owner.
Oil & Gas MGMT, Inc. - Violations (conventional): Failure To Comply With Order (5 Months)
April 17, 2025 inspection of the Kiskiminetas Springs School 6 conventional well in Loyalhanna Township, Westmoreland County found the owner still had not complied with a February 10, 2023 order to correct erosion and sediment violations along the access road, a culvert crossing and other locations. The last communication from the owner was via a consultant on September 5, 2023, according to DEP report. Original violation issued for violating the order on November 12, 2024. Violation continued. No response requested. DEP inspection report.
Slope Failure/Erosion & Sedimentation Violations
EQT Production Co. - Violations: Slope Failures
April 14, 2025 inspection of the Shalennial shale gas well pad in Springhill Township, Greene County in response to an April 4, 2025 notification of a slope failure along the access road to the site due to nearly 3 inches of rain. The inspection found three distinct areas of slope failure which had already started to be addressed with the removal of excess materials and temporarily stabilized. Response requested by April 30. DEP inspection report.
Olympus Energy, LLC - Violations: Erosion, Sedimentation
April 17, 2025 inspection of the Athena shale gas well pad in Washington Township, Westmoreland County originally as a result of a complaint found continuing erosion and sedimentation violations for standing water, accumulation of sedimentation and lack of vegetative cover. Original violations issued April 9, 2025. No action taken to address the violations. Violations continued. No response requested. DEP inspection report.
Failure To Submit Monthly Production/Waste Reports
Apollo Resources LLC
On April 17, 2025, DEP sent a notice of violation for failure to submit the monthly production and waste generation and disposal reports for February for unconventional shale gas wells in Centre, Fayette and Washington counties.
Frontier Natural Resources
On April 17, 2025, DEP sent a notice of violation for failure to submit the monthly production and waste generation and disposal reports for February for unconventional shale gas wells in West Keating Township, Clinton County.
VEC Energy Inc.
On April 17, 2025, DEP sent a notice of violation for failure to submit the monthly production and waste generation and disposal reports for February for unconventional shale gas wells in Armstrong, Butler, Jefferson and Tioga counties.
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: Row- 1 Abandoned Laurel Mountain Production Stacey Road Freshwater Impoundment; Niche Energy LLC abandoned conventional well; MTN V Oil & Gas Inc. conventional well site release not cleaned up for 4+ months; Row 2-- Coterra Energy Inc. fluid releases on shale gas well pad; One of 11 S R Star O&G LLC abandoned conventional wells; Diversified Prod LLC conventional wastewater tank leak; Row 3-- 30 feet of VEC Energy LLC shale gas gathering pipeline suspended above a stream rather than buried below the stream channel; Bull Run Resources LLC conventional wastewater spill traveled off-site (2 photos); Mid East Oil Co. abandoned conventional well leaking gas.)
[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 - April 12 to 25: Another Abandoned Shale Gas Water Impoundment; 18 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Exposed Gas Pipeline Crosses Stream [PaEN]
-- DEP: Abandoned Shale Gas Water Impoundment Not Used For 7 Years Cited For Not Being Restored In Clarion County [PaEN]
-- Conventional Oil & Gas Facility Owners Must Now File A Methane Emissions Compliance Report By June 1, 2025 Required By A 2022 DEP Methane Pollution Reduction Rule As A Result Of Court Settlement [PaEN]
-- DEP To Hold May 1 Virtual Update On State Response To Energy Transfer/Sunoco Twin Oaks Pipeline Leak In Bucks County [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - April 19 [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - April 26 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 96 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 19 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 77 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 26 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- PublicSourceNews.org: Setback On Setbacks: PA Environmental Quality Board Tables Consideration Of New Limits On Drilling Near Building, Water Sources
-- Farm & Dairy: PA Environmental Board Delays Vote On Petition To Increase Shale Gas Well Setbacks
-- Post-Gazette Letter: I Applaud Bucks County Commissioners Who Had The Guts To Challenge The Natural Gas Industry For Contributing To Climate Crisis - Cat Lodge, Washington County Resident
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission: Low Stream Flows Trigger Restrictions On 29 Shale Gas Water Withdrawals [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 58 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In March; 142 In 2025 [PaEN]
-- Environmental Health Project Launches AirView Public, New App To Help Communities Protect Residents From Oil & Gas Pollution; Communities Can Join Today [PaEN]
-- PUC Hearing On Data Center Growth Impacts Finds 30-40% Of Utility Demand Could Be From Data Centers; Concerns About Stranded Costs; Major Commitments To Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Energy Use [PaEN]
-- Reuters: FERC Denies Rehearing On Colocated Amazon Data Center Energy Pact In Luzrne County
-- House, Senate Members Introduce Gov. Shapiro's 'Lightning' Energy Plan To Lower Energy Costs, Create Jobs, Protect Pennsylvania From Global Energy Instability [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro: FERC Approves Settlement With PJM To Prevent Unnecessary Prices Hikes, Save Consumers Over $21 Billion On Electric Bills [PaEN]
-- Utility Dive: Ratepayer Advocates: FERC Should Order PJM To Rerun Last Electricity Capacity Auction; Could Lead To $5 Billion In Consumer Savings
-- New Report: Fixing PJM’s Broken Electric Generation Approval Process Can Lower Energy Costs, Create Jobs Across The Mid-Atlantic [PaEN]
-- North American Electric Reliability Corp. Files Proposed Cold Weather Standard To Improve Reliability For Natural Gas-fired, Other Electric Generators [PaEN]
-- DEP Releases 2024 Climate Change Action Plan Update; 2024 Climate Impacts Assessment Report [PaEN]
-- Eleven Coal, Coal-Waste Power Plants In Pennsylvania Now Covered By Presidential Exemption From 2024 Mercury, Hazardous Air Pollutant Regulation For 2 Years [PaEN]
-- AP-Marc Levy: Big Tech’s Soaring Energy Demands Are Making Coal-Fired Power Plant Sites Attractive [Not Necessarily The Plants Themselves]
-- PUC Commissioners Urge Congressional Action To Preserve $19 Million In Remaining LIHEAP Funds For PA This Year [PaEN]
-- Energy Association Of PA [Utilities] Calls For Protection Of LIHEAP Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
-- PUC Announces May 6, 7 Hearings On Proposed 15.7% Rate Increase For Philadelphia Gas Works [PaEN]
-- PUC To Investigate Proposed 11.4% Increase In Columbia Gas Natural Gas Rate [PaEN]
-- Warren Times: Instead Of ‘Drill, Baby, Drill,’ US Rig Counts Falling, Layoffs Increasing
-- Financial Times: President’s Tariff Talk Roils US Oil, Gas Industry In Bedrock Republican Territory
-- The Economist: America Won’t Be Able To Bully The World Into Buying More US Natural Gas
-- E&ENews/Politico: President’s Push For More LNG Gas Exports Risks Domestic Price Surge
-- Financial Times: Growth In Oil Demand Expected To Slow Sharply As A Result Of President’s Tariffs
-- Financial Times: China Stopped Buying US LNG Gas Feb. 6 Due To Trade War
-- Marcellus Drilling News: EIA Annual Energy Outlook: Oil And Natural Gas Demand Peaks In 2027 and 2032 [PDF of Article]
[Posted: April 26, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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