Follow these links to spreadsheets showing the violations and inspections occurring between April 26 and May 2--
Click Here for violations issued. Click Here for inspection entries.
Enforcement Actions Taken Last Week
So far this year, DEP took these actions as of April 25--
-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 71 conventional, 3 unconventional
-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 1,482 conventional and 396 unconventional
-- Enforcements 2025: 149 conventional and 48 unconventional (orders, agreements)
-- Inspections Last Week: 338 conventional and 218 unconventional
-- Year To Date - Inspections: 6,530 conventional and 8,673 unconventional
Conventional Well Plugging Contaminates Water Supply, Springs
Consol PA Coal Co. LLC
On April 22, 2025, DEP was notified of a well plugging incident at the Brown 1447 conventional well site in Morris Township, Greene County that resulted in contaminating a livestock water supply, two springs and a small stream. The well is owned by Consol PA Coal Co. LLC and was being plugged by Coastal Drilling. DEP responded to the site on April 23 and found that during drilling operations to plug the well, drilling mud circulation was lost and the mud “resurfaced within a cattle drinker (trough) and entered a nearby stream.” Read more here.
Conventional Gas Gathering Pipeline Rupture
Williams/Laurel Mountain Midstream, LLM
On Monday, March 17, 2025 at approximately 5:30 p.m., Williams/Laurel Mountain Midstream, LLM notified DEP of a rupture in the Patterson to Anden six-inch conventional natural gas gathering pipeline near Todd Farm Road on the Manack farm in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County. DEP first inspected the site on March 19 and found the pipeline rupture occurred directly below an unnamed tributary to Cedar Run, a tributary to the Youghiogheny River, and released natural gas into the stream. Read more here.
2,100 Gallon Conventional Wastewater/Oil Spill
Dakota Oil & Gas Company/Penneco Oil
On April 24, 2025, DEP was notified of a spill at the Chabal 2 conventional oil well site in Upper Burrell Township, Westmoreland County owned by Dakota Oil & Gas Company. Arriving the same day, DEP found a valve on a wastewater storage tank failed and was “ejected” from the tank resulting in the release of an estimated 2,100 gallons of wastewater and crude oil from the tank, according to a representative of Penneco Oil. Read more here.
Conventional Well Owners Want Road Dumping Wastewater Legalized
Conventional Oil & Gas Industry
On April 24, conventional oil and gas well owners continued to push DEP for ways to legalize the road dumping of their wastewater during a meeting of DCED’s PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council.
The discussion of road dumping was prefaced with a report by Council chair David Hill that GCI Water Solutions in Titusville, Crawford County shut down April 3 in a dispute with the City of Titusville over treatment of the effluent coming from the GCI oil and gas wastewater treatment plant.
Hill also noted the company has been under investigation by the Office of Attorney General for possible state Solid Waste Management Act violations road dumping their wastewater under the co-product determination process in DEP’s Residual Waste Regulations. Read more here.
Hill said, “One thing that could help this situation is if we ever got approval to use the reclaimed water [from GCI Water Solutions] for ice and dust control [road dumping], which we've been working on that for several years, but that's about the only thing that could help us now.” Read more here.
22 Abandoned Conventional Wells
Larry A. Shaffer Jr. - Violations: 2 Abandoned Conventional Wells, Failed To Report
April 30, 2025 follow-up inspection of the State Game Lands 45 WJ4 and State Game Lands 45 WJ9 conventional wells in Cranberry Township, Venango County found them abandoned and not plugged. Owner failed to submit annual production, waste generation and well integrity reports. Original violations issued March 7, 2025. No action to correct any of violations. Well owner said he intended to reactivate the wells by the end of July. Violations continued. Larry Shaffer holds 3 permits.
Ows Acquisition Co. LLC - Violations: Abandoned Conventional Well, Failed To Report
April 29, 2025 a follow-up 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, a gas leak and failure to submit production, waste generation and well integrity reports issued April 1, 2025. Gas leak was repaired, but 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.
Apex Energy (PA), LLC - Violations: Abandoned Conventional Well
April 17, 2025 inspection of the Brickel 2 conventional well in Penn Township, Westmoreland County found the well abandoned and not plugged. Well appears to be used for house gas. Original violation issued December 14, 2020. The owner says it is not their well. Production reports indicate no gas produced. Violations continued. Response requested by May 23. DEP inspection report. Apex Energy holds 98 permits.
MTN V Oil & Gas Inc. - Violations: 5 Abandoned Conventional Wells
April 16, 2025 inspection of 5 conventional wells in Salem Township, Westmoreland County
found them all abandoned and not plugged. The wells have not produced gas since 2004. Response requested by May 12. The wells include: Beaver Run Unit 1; Beaver Run Unit 6; Bierer/Mawco Unit ; Bierer Trust 1 and Export Fuel 1. MTV V holds 1,015 permits.
Paul H. Deeter - Violations: 11 Abandoned Conventional Wells
April 9, 2025 inspection of 11 conventional wells in Jackson Township, Venango County found them all abandoned and not plugged. The owner also failed to ever submit annual production, waste generation and well integrity reports. DEP noted this is part of an initiative to inspect wells that have never been inspected before to “ensure the safest oil and gas production possible.” The wells include: Deeter 1, Deeter 2, Deeter 3, Deeter 4, Deeter 5, Deeter 6, Deeter 8, Deeter 9, Deeter 10, Deeter 11, Deeter 12. Response requested by May 5. DEP inspection report example. Deeter holds 29 permits.
EQT Prod Co. - Violations: Abandoned Conventional Well
April 11, 2025 inspection of the DC Blair 2 conventional well in Bell Township, Westmoreland County found it abandoned and not plugged. Original violation issued January 23, 2025. Required annual reports submitted by owner show no production. Violations continued. Response requested by May 28. DEP inspection report.
Andrew F. Suchko - Violations: Abandoned Conventional Well, Leaking Gas
April 11, 2025 follow-up inspection of the Suchko Tract 2 conventional well in South Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County found the well abandoned and not plugged. Original violations issued October 18, 2022 for abandonment, failed to provide a plugging bond, failure to submit production, waste generation and well integrity reports, structurally unsound bridge on access road and leaking gas. Response requested by May 12. DEP inspection report. Suchko holds 2 well permits.
Failure To Comply With Order To Plug Shale Gas Well
LPR Energy LLC - Violation: Failed To Comply With Order To Plug Shale Gas Well
April 24, 2025 inspection of the Humberston Unit 1H shale gas well in Henry Clay Township, Fayette County found the well abandoned and not plugged. The owner failed to comply with an August 31, 2021 consent order and agreement to plug this well. It is classified as abandoned. Well was drilled in 2011. Original violation issued for failing to comply with DEP order issued March 7, 2025. Violation continued. No response requested from owner. DEP inspection report. LPR Energy holds 42 permits.
168 Abandoned Conventional, 39 Abandoned Shale Gas Well Violations 2025
Abandoned Conventional: So far in 2025, DEP issued or continued 168 violations to 50 conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells- [3D Resources LLC ; Amer Natural Resources LLC; WB Anderson; Apex Energy (PA), LLC; Apollo Resources LLC; Baird Oil Co.; Bialy Gas Production LLC; Chris E. Burke; Edward E. & Frederick J. Craig; Crude A Co - Randy L. Larkin; Paul H. Deeter; 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; MTN V Oil & Gas Inc.; 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.; Andrew F. Suchko; 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 41 violations to 11 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.; LPR Energy LLC; 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
Deitz Gas & Oil Inc. - Violations: Release Of Crude Oil
April 28, 2025 follow-up inspection of the Mahle M12 conventional oil well in Highland Township, Clarion County found the storage tank still leaking oil from the stop and no actions taken to clean up contaminated ground. Original violations issued March 13, 2025. The owner responded to the violations that they were received, but there was no information on a cleanup plan or schedule that was due by April 10. “All violations issued on this well are continued, penalties for these violations will increase until clean-up is completed.” Response requested by May 9. DEP inspection report. Deitz holds 326 permits.
2025 Act 2 Oil & Gas Facility Pollution Cleanups
So far in 2025, DEP received or acted on 59 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups. Read more here.
Shale Gas Well Venting Gas
LPR Energy LLC - Violation: Defective Casing/Cementing, Venting Gas
April 23, 2025 inspection of the Snow Shoe 4 8HG shale gas well in Snow Shoe Township, Centre County found the well venting natural gas to the atmosphere. This well was tophole drilled only with no horizontal lateral and is in inactive status. Well as drilled in 2011. Violation issued for defective casing/cementing. Response requested by May 23. DEP inspection report.
Erosion & Sedimentations Violations
M4 Energy LLC - Violations: Order To Restore Shale Gas Well Site
April 14, 2025 inspection of the Sproul 7005 shale gas well site in Stewart Township, Fayette County found the well site had not yet been restored in compliance with a December 16, 2021 consent order and agreement with the owner. The order required the site to be restored by December 31, 2023. The last inspection on September 16, 2024 also found it was not restored. Well was drilled in 2009. Violations continued. No response requested. DEP inspection report. M4 Energy holds 4 permits.
MarkWest Liberty Midstream & Resources LLC - Violations: Continuing E&S Issues
April 21, 2025 follow-up inspection of the Brownlee to Timber Lake Pipeline route in Buffalo Township, Washington County found some issues were addressed, but there are continuing erosion and sedimentation violations and a failure to completely address land slump discovered on December 11, 2024 by DEP. Original violations issued March 13, 2025. Violations continued. No requests of owner. DEP inspection report.
Equitrans Water SVC (PA) LLC - Violations: Failure To Comply With Permit
April 22, 2025 inspection of the NIMCH006 Water Pipeline route in Union Township, Washington County found multiple, serious erosion and sedimentation, stream crossing, discharges of sediment into water bodies and multiple failures to comply with the permit. Violations issued. Response requested by May 20. DEP inspection report.
Hyperion Midstream LLC - Violations: Multiple Failing To Comply With Permit
April 23 & 29, 2025 inspections of the Leto to Deer Creek Pipeline and Interconnect in West Deer Township, Allegheny County found numerous erosion and sedimentation violations at stream crossing (Dawson Run), failure to identify wetlands during construction and a general failure to comply with the permit requiring the installation of best management practices documented in the April 23 inspection report. Channelize flows causing erosion and violations in other parts of the pipeline route- DEP inspection report. The April 29 DEP inspection report documents the violations and requests a response by May 14.
Olympus Energy, LLC - Violations: Failure to Comply With E&S Permit
April 28, 2025 inspection of the Artemis shale gas well pad in Upper Burrell Township, Westmoreland County in response to a notification on April 26 of a best management practices failure found a land slump and multiple erosion and sedimentation violations and generally a failure to comply with the permit. Multiple violations issues. Request to respond by May 12. DEP inspection report.
Defective Casing/Cement Violations
Chesapeake Appalachia LLC
April 30, 2025 inspection of the Epsilon Blanche Poulsen 1-2H shale gas well in Auburn Township, Susquehanna County found the owner making another attempt to drill out and plug the well to correct gas releases caused by defective casing or cementing. The defective conditions were discovered during mechanical integrity testing in November 2021 and attempts to plug the well and stop the gas flow in 2022 and 2024 failed. A new plan is being implemented to stop the gas flow. Original violations issued November 18, 2021. Violations continued. DEP inspection report.
Chesapeake Appalachia LLC
April 24, 2025 inspection of the Craige shale gas well pad 1H well in Rush Township, Susquehanna County to monitor for gas leaks in the annulus related to defective casing/cementing. Original violation issued November 9, 2011. Violation continued. Monitoring to continue. DEP inspection report.
Blackhill Energy LLC
April 14, 2025 inspection of the Jackson A-South shale gas well pad 2H, 3H, 9H wells in Springfield Township, Bradford County found they were still leaking gas. Original violations for defective casing/cement issued on December 21, 2022. Violations were continued and monitoring will continue, but the report notes “Blackhill Energy is still required to correct the defects or plug the wells.” DEP inspection report (example)
Failing To Submit Waste, Production, Integrity Reports
Atlas Resources, Inc. - Violations: Failure To Submit Annual Reports
April 29, 2025 inspection of the Warhola/Ogle 2 conventional well in Franklin Township, Fayette County found the owner failed to submit annual production, waste generation/disposal and well integrity reports. The owner has a long history of not submitting reports, according to DEP’s eFACTS database. Atlas holds 564 permits, many of which are inactive or were “proposed but never materialized.” The well may have been transferred to Diversified Production Co. DEP said, but no transfer request was submitted. Both Atlas and Diversified reported this well plugged in 2018, but Diversified submitted production reports in 2023 showing the well is producing. DEP said the well appeared to be active and producing. Multiple violations issued. Response from Atlas requested by May 29. DEP inspection report.
Craig & Ophelia M. Lussier - Violations: Failure To Submit Annual Reports
May 2, 2025 inspection of the 9103 Leet 1 conventional gas well in Harborcreek Township, Erie County as a result of a complaint found the well as only used for “an outside decorative light,” according to the owner. The well was last inspected in 2003. No production, waste generation or well integrity reports were filed by the owner. The owner was advised to submit the reports on the home use form. Violations were issued for reporting with a request to respond by June 2. DEP inspection report.
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-- Deitz Gas & Oil Inc. storage tank still leaking oil from the top after a month; Dakota Oil & Gas Co brown path made by conventional wastewater, crude oil spill; One of 2 abandoned conventional wells Larry A. Shaffer Jr. said he would reactivate in July; MarkWest Liberty Midstream & Resources LLC pipeline land slump discovered on December 11 not completely addressed yet; Row 2-- Hyperion Midstream LLC multiple pipeline construction violations in Allegheny County; Craig & Ophelia M. Lussier conventional well used for decorative lighting, but did not submit annual reports; Olympus Energy, LLC shale gas well pad land slump; LPR Energy LLC failed to plug shale gas well as ordered; M4 Energy LLC failed to comply with order to restore shale gas well pad; Row 3-- Consol PA Coal Co. LLC well plugging contaminates livestock water supplies, springs (2 photos); Williams/Laurel Mountain Midstream, LLM conventional gas gathering pipeline rupture; Equitrans Water SVC (PA) LLC multiple, serious pipeline construction violations.)
[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 26 to May 2: Contaminated Livestock Water Supply; Ruptured Gathering Pipeline; Failure To Comply With Shale Gas Well Plugging Order [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - May 3 [PaEN]
-- DEP Received Air Quality Permit For 4.6 Gigawatt Homer City Generation Natural Gas Power Plant For Data Center In Indiana County [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 77 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In May 3 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- PA Senate Committee Meets May 7 On Bill To Punish Communities Taking Steps To Protect Their Residents From Health, Environmental Impacts Of Shale Gas Drilling [PaEN]
-- Ohio River Valley Institute May 6 Webinar To Announce New Report On The Growing Cost Of Plugging Thousands Of Shale Gas, Conventional Oil & Gas Wells [PaEN]
-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Continue To Push DEP To Legalize Road Dumping Their Wastewater [PaEN]
-- Consol Conventional Well Plugging Incident Contaminates A Livestock Water Supply, 2 Springs, Stream In Morris Twp., Greene County [PaEN]
-- Conventional Oil Well Storage Tank Rupture Causes 2,100 Gallon Spill Of Wastewater, Crude Oil In Upper Burrell Twp., Westmoreland County [PaEN]
-- EPA Will Hold May 6 Virtual Hearing On Proposed Permit For A Sandstone Development Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Lafayette Twp., McKean County [PaEN]
-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Fracking Gas-Powered Cryptocurrency Mining Operation In PA Shuts Down Without A Word To Regulators, Site Found Abandoned
-- PJM Interconnection: 51 Generation Projects, 9.3 GW To Move Forward To Address Near-Term Electricity Demand Growth-- 39 Upgrades, 12 New Construction [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro, CNX Resources Announce New Shale Gas Well Pad Air Monitoring Initiative [PaEN]
-- Environmental Defense Fund To Receive Dickinson College Rose-Walters Prize For Environmental Activism [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shapiro, CNX Expand Air Quality Monitoring At A Shale Gas Drilling Site In Washington County
-- TribLive: Proposed TECfusions Data Center To Use 2 Gigawatts Of Natural Gas-Fired Electric Generation In First Phases [‘No Health Effects’ To The Community From Burning Fossil Fuels]
-- PA Reps. Nelson, Mullens, Barton Announce Legislation To Accelerate Data Center Permitting
-- LevitttownNow.com: Waste Management Opens $131 Million Landfill Gas Facility In Falls Twp., Bucks County
-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: How Bucks County Landfill Produces Enough Gas To Power 63,000 Homes
-- Utility Dive: Electric, Gas Utilities Urge FERC To Launch Inquiry To Consider Natural Gas Pipeline Reliability Measures To Cope With Extreme Weather, Increased Demand
-- Grist.org: President Bypassing Community Input In US Army Corps Of Engineers Permits To Fast-Track Energy Projects That Risk Pollution
-- Financial Times: China Says It Can Live Without US Farm, Energy Goods [PA Exported $3.1 Billion In Farm Products To China In 2023]
-- Center For Biological Diversity: Federal Court Orders EPA To Reconsider Approval Of Unlimited Oil/Gas Fracking Air Pollution In Colorado
-- Courthouse News Service: Federal Court Finds EPA Overlooked Oil/Gas Fracking Emissions In Regulating Colorado Air Pollution
-- S&P Global: Reality Will Force President To Moderate US Energy ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ Policies: Fmr FERC Chair
[Posted: May 3, 2025] PA Environment Digest
No comments :
Post a Comment