So far this year-- as of November 10--
-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 45 conventional, 5 unconventional
-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 5,698 conventional and 1,103 unconventional
-- Inspections Last Week: 219 conventional and 294 unconventional
-- Year To Date - Inspections: 14,177 conventional and 19,948 unconventional
-- Wells Drilled Last Week: 2 conventional and 8 unconventional
-- Year To Date Wells Drilled: 166 conventional and 361 unconventional
37 Abandoned Conventional Wells
On November 13, 2023, DEP inspected 6 conventional wells operated by Amer Natural Resources LLC in Allegheny County and found them to be abandoned and not plugged-- Grove/Crambo 1 & 2 and John Lenzner 1 (Ohio Township); Merle Minnick 1 & 2 (Aleppo Township); and John Straka 2 (Glenfield Boro).
Some of the wells were leaking natural gas to the atmosphere.
DEP issued multiple violations to each well and requested the operator to submit a written report by November 30, 2023 on how the wells will be brought into compliance. [DEP inspection report example - Grove/Grambo 1]
On November 14 & 15, 2023, DEP inspected 13 conventional wells operated by Bialy Gas Production LLC in Beaver County and found them to be abandoned and not plugged-- Mary Krkaranich 2, 7, 13, 14 & 18; Koletich 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6; Krkanick 19 & 20; Edward Turnour 2 (Economy Boro).
Some of the wells were leaking natural gas.
DEP issued multiple violations for each well and requested the operator to submit a written report by November 28, 2023 on how the wells will be brought into compliance. [DEP inspection report example - Krkanich 18]
On November 15, 2023, DEP conducted follow up inspections on 4 conventional wells operated by Apollo Resources LLC in Derry Township, Westmoreland County and found the operator had still not plugged wells determined to be abandoned-- Blairsville Associates 2 & 3; Kovalish 1; and Proffitt 1.
Multiple violations on each of the wells were continued that were originally issued on May 1, 2023, including for abandoning the wells without plugging them, failure to submit annual production and waste and mechanical integrity reports and failure to meet the terms of inactive status. [DEP inspection report example - Proffitt 1]
DEP requested the operator to submit a written report by December 1, 2023 on how the wells will be brought into compliance.
On November 2, 2023, DEP conducted follow up inspections on the Keeno 2, Smith Family Partnership 2 and Kovalish 3 conventional wells operated by Apollo Resources LLC in Derry Township, Westmoreland County and found them to be abandoned and not plugged.
DEP issued notices of violation for this and other violations at the well sites.
On November 8, 2023, DEP inspected the Baker 3, 4 & 5 (Springhill Township, Fayette County) and Benninger Unit 19 (Nicholson Township, Fayette County) conventional wells operated by Diversified Prod LLC and found them to be abandoned and not plugged.
DEP issued notices of violation for this and other violations at the well sites.
On November 2, 2023, DEP inspected the Rudolph Vanco 2 & 3 and Stella Romanowski 2 conventional wells operated by Fyrerock Reservoir Consulting in Franklin Township, Erie County and found them to be abandoned and not plugged.
DEP issued notices of violation for this and other violations at the well sites.
On November 2, 2023, DEP inspected the Andre 1, Philip Walker 1, Beck 2 and Robert Beck 1 conventional wells operated by Nucomer Energy LLC in Washington Township, Erie County and found them to be abandoned and not plugged.
DEP issued a notice of violation for abandonment.
1,260+ Gallon Shale Gas Pad Spill
On November 13, 2023, DEP inspected the Wildcat shale gas well pad operated by Greylock Prod LLC in Whiteley Township, Greene County based on a notification of a spill by the company on November 7, 2023.
An estimated 1,260 to 1,680 gallons of production wastewater spilled on the pad surface when a value on a storage tank failed, filled secondary containment and then the containment overflowed.
The company said the reported volume may change when a “more in-depth remediation is conducted when fracking equipment leaves the pad.”
DEP inspection did not identify any off-pad impacts. DEP recommended the operator use the Act 2 Land Recycling Program cleanup process because of the unknown amount of wastewater spilled.
DEP issued multiple notices of violation related to the spill and requested the operator to submit a written report by December 1, 2023 on how the area will be brought into compliance. [DEP inspection report]
Cleaning Up 1,000 Gallon Conventional Oil Release In State Park
On November 15, 2023, DEP did a follow up inspection of the conventional oil well 12 operated by Diversified Prod LLC in Keystone State Park in Derry Township, Westmoreland County that was the site of a 1,000+ gallon crude oil release on August 2, 2023 from an oil storage tank.
DEP noted progress in excavation of contaminated soil and reseeding the impacted areas, but said the replacement oil production storage tank was “exhibiting signs of corrosion” and recommended replacing the replacement tank if needed “to prevent another pollution event.”
No further followup actions were noted by DEP. [DEP inspection report]
Petro Erie/Village Of Reno Spill
On November 13, 2023, DEP did a follow up inspection of the Lower Reno 6 conventional oil well operated by Petro Erie, Inc. that was the source of the wastewater release contaminating the Village of Reno water supply in Sugarcreek Borough, Venango County in July.
DEP’s inspection reports no progress being made in remediating the area affected by the release and no annual production and waste generation and mechanical integrity reports have been submitted to DEP.
All violations related to the release issued in July were continued in DEP’s inspection report. The operator should have submitted a cleanup plan on August 11, 2023, but instead appealed DEP’s cleanup orders.
On November 13, 2023, DEP did a follow up inspection of the Lower Reno 1 conventional oil well operated by Petro Erie Inc. and found there was no progress in cleaning up a release of production wastewater at that site, since DEP’s last inspection on September 25, 2023.
No follow up action was indicated in DEP’s inspection report.
Failure To Cleanup Conventional Release
On November 13, 2023, DEP did a follow up inspection of the Adams 887-5 conventional well operated by Apollo Resources LLC in East Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County and found a wastewater release from a leaking valve on a storage tank that was not cleaned up.
The release was originally discovered on September 29, 2023. [DEP inspection report - Adams 887-5]
No follow up action was indicated in the inspection report.
Conventional Well Venting Gas
On November 15, 2023, DEP did a followup inspection of the Kennedy 4 conventional gas well operated by Diversified Prod LLC in Georges Township, Fayette County and found it was still venting natural gas to the atmosphere.
DEP originally issued a notice of violation on October 25, 2023 for venting “gas to the atmosphere that produced a hazard to the public health and safety” as well as for defective casing and cementing.
These violations were continued and DEP requested the operator to submit a written plan by November 29, 2023 on how the well will be brought into compliance. [DEP Inspection Report]
The operator responded they plan to plug the well, but gave no timetable.
Equitrans Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area
On November 13, 2023, DEP did a follow up inspection at the Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area in Jackson Township, Cambria County operated by Equitrans for the purpose of taking another set of groundwater monitoring samples.
This location was the site of a 1 billion cubic foot uncontrolled natural gas release in November 2022 [Read more here]. Groundwater contamination resulted from efforts to shutdown and plug the George Reade conventional gas well that was the source of the venting gas.
DEP’s inspection report says, “Violations shall remain outstanding as Equitrans has not yet demonstrated to the Department that groundwater impacts have been resolved.”
Gas Storage Area Inspections
On November 14 -15, 2023, DEP did a series of inspections of conventional gas wells that are part of the South Bend Gas Storage Reservoir in South Bend Township, Armstrong County operated by Eastern Gas Trans & Storage and issued no notices of violation.
On November 13, 2023, DEP inspected conventional gas wells associated with the Hughes, Portman and Vardy Gas Storage Reservoirs in Butler County operated by Peoples Gas Co LLC and issued no notices of violation.
Well Plugging Project Inspections
DEP inspected federally-funded conventional well plugging projects in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Clairon, Erie, Venango and Washington counties.
Report Violations
To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.
Check These Resources
Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database webpage to search their compliance records by date and operator and the Inspection Reports Viewer.
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.
(Photos: top- Amer Natural Resources LLC abandoned conventional well leaking gas; Bialy Gas Production LLC abandoned conventional well leaking gas + rusting wastewater tank; Greylock Prod LLC shale gas well pad impacted by 1,260+ gallon wastewater spill; One of 4 Apollo Resources LLC abandoned conventional wells; bottom- Apollo Resources LLC release from conventional wastewater tank not cleaned up; Diversified Prod LLC 1,000 gallon crude oil leak in Keystone State Park + Corroded replacement oil tank.)
[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.]
Special 2023 Oil & Gas Compliance Reports:
-- DEP Issued At Least 472 Violations To 90 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators; 20 NOVs To 10 Shale Gas Operators For Abandoning Their Wells Without Plugging Them So Far In 2023 [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues Record 5,653 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators So Far In 2023; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues [PaEN]
-- Shale Gas Operators On Track To Have More Violations In 2023 - Frozen Gas Infrastructure; Explosion; Pad Fire; Uncontrolled Gas Venting; Frack Outs; Major Spills; Pipeline Crashing Thru A Home Highlight 2023 So Far [PaEN]
Weekly PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 11 to 17 -- 37 Conventional Abandoned Wells; 1,260+ Shale Gas Spill; 1,000 Gallon Conventional Oil Spill In State Park; Rager Mtn Gas Storage Still Not Cleaned Up [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - November 18 [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of Danco Industries Petroleum Contaminated Wastewater Treatment Facility In Venango County [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 66 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 18 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Related Articles This Week:
-- State Dept. Of Health Pushing For Changes To Reduce Adverse Health Impacts From Natural Gas Development [PaEN]
-- Beaver County Residents Call For Accountability, Emergency Preparedness After Dozens Of Malfunctions, Pollution From Shell Petrochemical Plant [PaEN]
-- PUC Alert: Dec. 1 Utility Prices Are Changing - Natural Gas (+149% to -64.2%); Electric (+18.8% to -25.7%) [PaEN]
-- PUC Winter Natural Gas Reliability Overview Reports Now Available; But Do Not Address Winter Storm Elliot Issues [PaEN]
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Winter Storm Elliot’s Natural Gas Infrastructure Failures Not An Isolated Event; Report Says Electric Grid Still Vulnerable: ‘Winter Is Coming’
-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Investigating Possible Winter Storm Elliott Market Manipulation By Natural Gas Pipelines, Power Plants, Marketers
NewsClips This Week:
-- Observer-Reporter Editorial: Is Shapiro’s Voluntary Agreement With CNX The Right Move For Gas Well Safety? ‘We Do Not Trust Foxes To Guard Henhouses’
-- Warren Times Editorial: Right Partnership On Gas Wells? ‘We Do Not Trust Foxes To Guard Henhouses’ [Shapiro-CNX Statement of Mutual Interests]
-- Spotlight PA - Lilly Riddle: Companies Behind Mariner East II Pipeline Paid $42 Million In Pollution Fines To Pennsylvania
-- Spotlight PA: Did Mariner East Pipeline Construction Affect Your Water? Contact Spotlight PA
-- EnergyPortal.eu: Mariner East Pipeline Penalties Could Set Precedent For Environmental Enforcement; Attorney General’s Office Cited For Lack Of Transparency On Remediation Efforts
-- TribLive: Westmoreland Water Authority Warns Of Mandatory Water Restrictions As Dry Autumn Persists, Beaver Run Reservoir Continues To Fall [Shale Gas Drillers Withdrawn Water From The Reservoir For Fracking]
-- TribLive: Westmoreland Water Authority Halts Fracking Water Withdrawals By CNX, Olympus Energy At Beaver Run Reservoir As Part Of Water Conservation Plan [Shale Gas Operators Took 301 Million Gallons From Reservoir This Year]
-- Williamsport Sun: Fracking Wastewater Spills At Eureka Resources Facility In Williamsport
-- PA Capital-Star: PA’s Natural Gas Development Is Hurting Its Oldest Residents
-- Spotlight PA: PA Leads The Nation For Lyme Disease Cases; Oil & Gas Development, Fragmentation In Forests Boosts The Risk
-- TribLive: PA Leads Nation In Lyme Disease Cases, Oil & Gas Development, Other Forest Fragmentation Boosting The Risk
-- Williamsport Sun: PA Leads The Nation For Lyme Disease Cases; Oil & Gas Development, Fragmentation In Forests Boosts The Risk
-- Beaver County Residents Call For Accountability, Emergency Preparedness After Dozens Of Malfunctions, Pollution From Shell Petrochemical Plant [PaEN]
-- TribLive: Invenergy Scraps Plan For Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant In Allegheny County
-- The Allegheny Front: EPA Finds Spills, Leaks, Heavy Metals At MAX Environmental Landfill In Westmoreland County [75% Of Waste Comes From Shale Gas Industry ]
-- Williamsport Sun: Fracking Wastewater Spills At Eureka Resources Facility In Williamsport
-- Williamsport Sun Letter: Fracking Falsehood Spread By Sen. Yaw, Others - By Dean Marshall, Lock Haven
-- Hydrogen Insight: Plug Power Share Price Plunges 40% After Firm Admits It Could Fold In Next 12 Months [Key Player In Western PA Hydrogen Hub]
-- New York State: Massive Southern Tier Gas Drilling Spree Proposed - 6,500 Land Leases Sought For Plan To Extract Shale Gas, Store Carbon Dioxide
-- New York State: NY DEC, State Legislators Muted On Massive Plan To Extract Natural Gas, Store Carbon Dioxide In Southern Tier; But Green Groups Outraged
-- TribLive/AP: Ohio Commission Approves Natural Gas Drilling In State Parks, Wildlife Areas Despite Fraud Investigation
-- Financial Times: New EU Rules On Methane Leaks To Hit Oil And Gas Importers
-- Reuters: EU Agrees To Law To Hit Fossil Fuel, LNG Natural Gas Imports With Methane Emissions Limits
-- Bloomberg: EU Sets New Rules On LNG Natural Gas Imports - Production, Transportation
-- Bloomberg: Oil Majors’ Carbon Capture Plans Dubbed A ‘Dangerous Delusion’
[Posted: November 18, 2023] PA Environment Digest
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