DEP said 3,108 conventional oil and gas wells were cited by DEP for abandonment in the last eight years.
85% of conventional well owners with 23,708 wells failed to submit production and waste generation and disposal reports-- 19,644 of these wells are not required to have a plugging bond.
87% of conventional well owners failed to submit well integrity reports covering 24,620 wells.
DEP also reported the agency now lists 117 shale gas wells as abandoned and only 4 have been plugged so far. 88 are under consent order to be plugged or brought into compliance..
[Note: The Ohio River Valley Institute reported earlier this year that 171 shale gas wells were listed as abandoned, based on DEP information. Read more here.]
Klapkowski made the comments to the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee hearing on oil and gas well abandonment.
“Wells that are improperly abandoned may pose environmental and public health and safety threats such as gas migration into occupied structures, water supply impacts, surface water impacts, hazardous air pollutant emissions, methane emissions, and soil and groundwater contamination,” said Klapkowski..
“These wells may become the responsibility of the state’s taxpayers to plug, along with remediation and reclamation of the well site.
“The failure to report denies DEP critical information about the operating status of individual wells.
“Significant changes in the conventional oil and gas industry’s reporting practices will need to occur before meaningful improvement can happen,” Klapkowski concluded.
3,108+ Abandoned Conventional Wells
DEP reported 3,108 conventional wells were cited for abandonment in the eight years between January 2017 and December 2024-- only 17% appeared to be abandoned prior to January 2017.
2,070 conventional wells-- 66% of those abandoned wells were not required to have a well plugging bond by law.
85% Failed To Submit Production/Waste Reports
4,204 conventional well owners failed to submit a 2024 annual production, waste generation and disposal report-- 85% of well owners-- covering 23,708 wells.
753 well owners covering 81,396 wells did report. 4,946 well owners were required to report.
Of the wells with no reporting, 19,644 wells-- 83%-- of those wells are not required to have a plugging bond by law.
89% of well owners failing to submit production/waste reports have at least one well not required to have a bond.
DEP reported last year that 86% of conventional well owners failed to submit 2023 production and waste reports covering 33,505 wells. Read more here.
87% Failed To Submit Well integrity Reports
4,314 conventional well owners failed to submit a 2024 annual well integrity report-- 87% of well owners-- covering 24,620 wells.
638 well owners covering 77,647 wells did report. 4,952 well owners were required to report.
DEP reported last year that 89% of conventional well owners failed to submit 2023 well integrity reports covering 34,455 wells. Read more here.
DEP Compliance Response
Klapkowski said, “In response to this non-compliance, DEP has undertaken significant efforts to compel compliance with Pennsylvania’s rules and regulations or penalize operators.
“From January 2024 through today, DEP has assessed over $1.3 million in penalties on conventional oil and gas operators, issued dozens of administrative orders, and forfeited over $80,000 in bonds.”
“As for conventional oil and gas well bonding, as noted above the General Assembly has significantly limited the EQB’s [Environmental Quality Board] authority to change bond amounts for conventional wells drilled after April 18, 1985, or even require bonds for wells drilled before that date.”
“DEP continues to seek other avenues to make improvements to programs designed to reduce future orphaned well burdens, such as alternative funding mechanisms for orphaned well programs to protect taxpayers from assuming additional liabilities, and reforms to programs relating to well transfer or temporary abandonment, as noted above.” [Read about a well “life insurance” approach DEP made.]
“DEP is currently working to compile information regarding how other states approach these issues and make recommendations for any reasonable legislative or regulatory changes that might assist in avoiding improper abandonment.”
“OOGM [Oil and Gas Management] is working with DEP’s Office of Chief Counsel to develop standard operating procedures to issue administrative orders, forfeit bonds and issue civil penalty assessments.
“”Template” orders and standard processes will reduce review time for compliance and legal personnel. [First recommended in December 2022.]
“Given the significant potential for threats from abandoned, unplugged wells to the environment and public health and safety, as well as the potential fiscal impacts to the Commonwealth’s taxpayers, the more frequent use of enhanced enforcement is a prudent step to take in these cases.
“Violations of final orders requiring plugging of abandoned wells would also give the DEP authority to deny applications for new well permits and deny permit transfers, an additional deterrent.”
Case Study - Abandoned Quaker State Wells
Klapkowski provided an example of the kind of effort needed to take enforcement action to address conventional oil and gas well abandonment.
“An operator in Venango County has responsibility for plugging around 210 wells in Northwest Pennsylvania.
“These wells were originally drilled by Quaker State Oil during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s but were transferred to this operator in the early 2000’s.
“Oil and Gas staff initiated a review of the operator’s wells, including abandoned wells, during the mid-2000’s.
“At that time, the operator was still operating wells and had been working with the Department to address the observed violations. However, during the 2018-2020 time period, NWDO [Northwest District Office] staff became aware that the operator had stopped operating the wells and had started another business venture.
“NWDO began to inspect the operator’s well inventory so that an enforcement action could accurately identify the necessary corrective actions, including the specific location of each abandoned well.
“Most wells within the inventory of the operator, if not all, were project wells and were not specifically located on the plat map associated with the well permit.
“Project wells are identified on a plat map as a distance and range/bearing from a key well that is identified on (typically from that time period) a hand drawn plat map.
“A common scenario that is encountered is that the key well was not drilled in the exact location identified which in turn throws off the distance and range/bearing numbers to every other well in that project.
“Some of these well projects have hundreds of wells, some close to one another so it can become very difficult to know which well is which – that is if the well can even be found.
“Given the age of some of these wells, some have been cut off at the ground surface, or are in the middle of a multiflora rose patch, or inundated by a beaver dam, etc.
“In addition to that, lease boundaries do not always align with the boundaries of the well projects so having that information can sometimes be useless (although it took quite a bit of time to get that lease information from the courthouse or other repository).
“A DEP Oil and Gas Inspector (OGI) subsequently attempted to map each of the specific wells by this operator. The project took maybe 6 – 8 months in total.
“One of the compounding issues was vegetative cover when attempting to locate the wells.
“The OGI started in the winter/spring time frame when vegetation was less sparse but given the difficulty with everything mentioned above, that process extended into the summer/fall growing season when finding a cut off well in the middle of an overgrown wooded area can be almost impossible.
“Once a few wells were located, a geologist (with GIS experience) began working with the OGI to geo-reference the found wells and then they made assumptions to the location of the unfound wells, but all the wells were not located.
“The NWDO started an enforcement action to require the plugging of the abandoned wells, but because DEP could not locate all the wells, the priority of the action was lowered.
“This took the better part of a year to attempt to identify all the wells for one operator, without even moving on to the time involved with the drafting of an enforcement action or any other time after the action is issued.”
Doing More Requires More
Klapkowski said, “It cannot be emphasized strongly enough, however, that increased oversight of the conventional oil and gas industry and enforcement will require additional resources, especially in the DEP Office of Chief Counsel and the Bureau of District Oil and Gas Operations.
“Governor Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget proposes $19 million to continue finding and plugging wells and the important mission of this office.
“Developing a stable funding source to fund these efforts will be critical to successfully altering the current course of non-compliance in the conventional oil and gas industry in Pennsylvania.”
Click Here for a copy of DEP’s written testimony.
Efforts To Locate More Abandoned Wells
Adam Peltz, Senior Attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund, provided an update on several projects they have underway to identify previously undocumented abandoned conventional oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania.
A project using drones to detect abandoned wells small survey areas in Clarion, McKean and Venango counties result in identifying 250 wells that DEP is now ground-truthing. Read more here.
He said this project is being expanded to other areas of the state this year.
Just getting underway now is a pilot program of providing a bounty of $100/well to landowners reporting undocumented wells on their property which is funded with an initial $20,000. Read more here.
Another project in Allegheny and Washington counties will use methane sensors to try to locate leaking conventional wells.
Peltz also provided an update on innovative programs being implemented or developed in other states.
Click Here for the EDF written testimony.
The Contagion Is Spreading
John Quigley, Senior Fellow, Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and former DEP Secretary, said, “Current bonding requirements in state law are wholly inadequate.
“The passage of Act 96 in 2022 made the situation even worse by taking from the Environmental Quality Board its never-exercised authority over well bonding. Restoring that authority, as proposed in House Bill 364, would be an important step in the right direction.
“Full-cost bonding requirements would incentivize well plugging, particularly for unconventional operators. Other solutions are likely needed for conventional wells.”
“But it’s also obviously necessary to look at the subject of enforcement.
“This year, DEP has already issued or continued 228 violations to 62 conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells.
“The contagion is spreading to the unconventional industry. So far in 2025, DEP has issued or continued 49 violations to 22 shale gas drilling companies for abandoning and not plugging their wells.
“In December 2022—in a remarkable self-own—the previous administration reported that non-compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements was “an acceptable norm in the conventional oil and gas industry.”
“That didn’t just happen on its own.
“It’s clear that DEP needs additional inspection, compliance, legal, and other staffing to adequately and effectively enforce the law—and not just in the Oil and Gas program.
“It is also clear that DEP must enforce tougher penalties for well abandonment, including increased fines, and fully exercise its authority to suspend or revoke permits and block new well permits for non-compliance.”
Quigley also said more research is needed in better methods to plug wells because “sooner or later, plugged wells can and do leak.”
Click Here for Quigley’s written testimony.
Funding For Well Plugging
Ted Boettner, Senior Researcher, Ohio River Valley Institute, provided an overview of a recent report on oil and gas well abandonment that recommended a fee on production to fund a new, government- sponsored enterprise (not a government agency) that can take final and permanent responsibility for legacy and orphan wells, as well as existing and new wells if elected by active companies. Read more here.
Click Here for written testimony.
Educating The Public On Threats
Melissa Ostroff, PA Policy & Field Advocate, Earthworks, described how she and Earthworks use tools like optical gas imaging to educate communities on the pollution coming from oil and gas wells by making it visible for all to see.
She said how she documented pollution from a number of wells and reported it to DEP, but they have yet to be addressed by the agency.
“It is my hope that one year from now I do not have to come back to Harrisburg to say that nothing has changed again.
“That we are still leaving this up to taxpayers and political whims. I want to be able to proudly say that Pennsylvania has made real progress to address the systemic problem of abandoned oil and gas wells in our Commonwealth.”
Click Here for written testimony.
What’s In Place Now Is Working
Tyler Q. Martin, Environmental Care Coordinator, Cameron Energy Company, a large conventional oil and gas well owner, said, “What is in place is already working.”
He said the proposed legislation to restore the authority of the Environmental Quality Board to increase well plugging bonding amounts-- House Bill 364-- “is not ordinary regulation— it is extraordinary.
“This legislation would NOT lead to better enforcement or more responsible production — it would drive out the very operators who are doing things the right way.
“If this committee advances this proposal and it becomes law, you will not solve the abandoned well problem — you will make it exponentially worse.
“Dozens of companies like ours will be forced to shut down, and the very wells we currently manage in full compliance will be at risk of abandonment. Not because we want to walk away — but because we’ll have no choice.”
Click Here for written testimony.
Written Testimony
-- Kurt Klapkowski, DEP Deputy Secretary For Oil & Gas Management
-- Melissa Ostroff, PA Policy & Field Advocate, Earthworks
-- Ted Boettner, Senior Researcher, Ohio River Valley Institute
-- Adam Peltz, Senior Attorney, Environmental Defense Fund
-- John Quigley, Senior Fellow, Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, Fmr DEP Secretary
-- Tyler Q. Martin, Environmental Care Coordinator, Cameron Energy Company
Video Of Hearing
Click Here for a video of the hearing.
Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net. Rep. Jack Rader, Jr. (R-Monroe) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7732 or click here to send an email.
Resource Links - Oil & Gas Industry Compliance History:
-- Late Night Dumping II: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Dumping Continues On Roads, This Time With Bigger Trucks; New Research On Harmful Wastewater Impacts [5.22.25]
-- New Report: Shale Gas Industry Expected To Drill 8,400 More Wells In PA; 171 Shale Wells Abandoned So Far; Shale Well Plugging Expected To Cost Up To $8.5 Billion [PaEN]
-- AG Shapiro: Grand Jury Finds Pennsylvania Failed To Protect Citizens During Natural Gas Fracking Boom [June 2022]
-- Criminal Convictions; Record Penalties, Restitution Of Over $158.3 Million Highlight Big Shale Gas, Related Petrochemical Industry Compliance History In Pennsylvania [March 2025]
-- DEP Reports 575 Water Supply/Stray Gas Complaints About Oil & Gas Operations In Last 2 Years; Investigation Can Take A Year, Sometimes 2-3 To Find Those Responsible [March 2025]
-- Daily Grind Living Next To Oil & Gas Industry: Spills, Polluted Water Supplies, Smells Like Gas, Noise, Air Pollution, Explosions, Truck Traffic, Erosion, Radioactive Waste, Gas Flares, Dust, Lights, Road Dumping Waste, Abandoned Wells [March 2025]
-- DEP: Nearly 7 Year Struggle Continues To Cleanup Multiple Conventional Oil Well Spills At Site In Economy Borough, Beaver County [PaEN]
PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - June 14 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 96 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In June 14 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- DEP’s Oil & Gas Advisory Board Meets June 25 On Well Development Pipelines; Wastewater Management Practices; Future Well Plugging Funding Needs [PaEN]
-- PA Senate Republicans Pass Bill To Roll Back Environmental, Health, Safety Regulations By Doing Nothing And Avoiding Accountability [PaEN]
-- Delaware River Frack Ban Coalition Launch Initiative To Defend The Delaware River Watershed From Oil & Gas Fracking [PaEN]
-- Plum Borough Zoning Hearing Board Voted To Deny Penneco Environmental's Application For Another Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Allegheny County [PaEN]
-- Protect PT, Partners To Host June 25 Webinar: 5 Years Later - A Progress Report On PA's Grand Jury Report On Fracking [PaEN]
-- $100/Well Bounty Established For Previously Unknown Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By Conventional Well Owners Under New Program Funded By Oil Region Alliance; 4 Penn State Extension Workshops Set [PaEN]
-- 25 Environmental Groups; Local Government Associations Oppose House Bill To Fast Track Large-Scale Energy Generation, Storage Projects Proposed By Gov. Shapiro [PaEN]
-- Lead Counsel On Court Cases Striking Down Provisions In Act 13 To Preempt Local Regulation Of Oil & Gas Operations Raises Concerns About Proposed Legislation Establishing A RESET Board To Site Large Energy Projects [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro Announces Amazon Plans To Invest $20 Billion In Pennsylvania For A.I. Data Center Infrastructure; Amazon Told PUC It Has Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Goal By 2040 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For 72 - 2.5 MW Diesel-Fired Emergency Generators At New Amazon Data Services Data Center In Bucks County [PaEN]
-- PA Trout Unlimited, 17 Other Environmental, Conservation Organizations Expressed Opposition To Proposed DEP Changes To Spill Reporting Requirements [PaEN]
-- Republican Sen. Hutchinson Introduces Bill To Abolish DEP Climate Change, Recycling Fund, Coastal Zone Advisory Committees [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Rep. Vitali: PA House Environmental Committee Examines Problem Of Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells
-- The Center Square: Higher Plugging Bonds Floated To Help The State’s Abandoned Conventional Well Problem
-- MCall: Is Ban On Fracking In Delaware Watershed At Risk? Advocates Put Out A Call To Action
-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Pennsylvania Has Failed Environmental Justice Communities For Years; A New Bill Could Change That
-- Inquirer/Capital & Main- Audrey Carleton: Pennsylvania Has Failed Environmental Justice Communities For Years, A New Bill Could Change That
-- Beaver Times/Inside Climate News- Jon Hurdle: PA Fracking Company Surrenders Water Permits, Can’t Get Enough Water Out Of Big Sewickley Creek In Beaver County
-- TribLive: President Coming To Pittsburgh For PA US Senator McCormick’s July 15 PA Energy & Innovation Summit
-- Sen. McCormick: President Coming To July 15 PA Energy Innovation Summit In Pittsburgh
-- The Allegheny Front: Pittsburgh 2030 District Buildings Reduce Carbon Emissions By 50%
-- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: A Future Fueled By Washington County - By Electra Janis, Washington County Commissioner [Hydrogen Hub]
-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition: Read The Letters Rejected By The Post-Gazette, Inquirer From The Shale Gas Industry
-- Wall Street Journal: US Electric Bills Headed Higher: Forecast Of Hotter-Than-Normal Summer, More Expensive Natural Gas Mean Pricier Power
-- Utility Dive: A.I. Data Centers Could Overwhelm The Electric Grid, Unless They Are Required To Run Their Facilities On New Power Sources, Market Analytics Says
-- Reuters: Data Center Demand To Push US Power Use To Record Highs In 2025-26, EIA Says
-- EarthJustice: 12 Groups File Lawsuit Challenging President Issued Unlawful Exemptions From Mercury, Arsenic Standards For 68 Coal Plants By Email
[Posted: June 12, 2025] PA Environment Digest
No comments :
Post a Comment