From December 24 to 30, DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 223 inspection reports that included three major violations of environmental regulations at one unconventional shale gas drilling well pad.

So far this year-- as of December 23-- DEP issued 5,052 formal notices of violation to conventional operators and 1,143 notices to unconventional shale gas operators.

The three violations were the result of a spill after a failure of a valve in the produced water flow line at the Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC Haralambous well pad in Columbia Township, Bradford County on December 28, 2022.  Click Here for DEP inspection report.

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To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.

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Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database webpage to search their compliance records by date and operator.

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Violation Details

Violations Reported - Unconventional Shale Gas

1 -- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

1 -- Failure to contain wastes generated at the well site

1 -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

Company/Location/Violations - Unconventional Shale Gas

Bradford County

-- Repsol Oil & Gas USA LLC - Columbia Twp. - Haralambous Well Site

     -- Failure To Prevent Substances From Reaching Waters of Commonwealth

     -- Failure to contain wastes generated at the well site

     -- Operated A Residual Waste Processing Or Disposal Facility Without A Permit

[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]

DEP Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 24 to 30  [PaEN]

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

-- DEP Posted 50 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Dec. 31 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Report Finds: Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Routinely Abandon Wells; Fail To Report How Millions Of Gallons Of Waste Is Disposed; And Non-Compliance Is An ‘Acceptable Norm’  [PaEN]

-- UnionProgress.com - Laura Legere: ‘Rule Rather Than The Exception’: DEP Rips Conventional Oil & Gas Industry For Noncompliance

-- PA Oil & Gas Industry Has Record Year: Cost, Criminal Convictions Up; $3.1 Million In Penalties Collected; Record Number Of Violations Issued; Major Compliance Issues Uncovered; Evidence Of Health Impacts Mounts [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter: Explosion, Fire At Energy Transfer’s Revolution Natural Gas Cryogenic Plant Burned For Nearly 11 Hours On Christmas Day In Smith Twp., Washington County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues 2021 Oil & Gas Program Annual Report

-- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, North American Electric Reliability Corp. To Open Joint Inquiry Into Winter Storm Elliott  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Observer-Report: Explosion, Fire At ETC Natural Gas Cryogenic Plant Rattles Smith Township In Washington County

-- KDKA: Fire Ripped Through ETC Revolution Cyrogenic Natural Gas/Natural Gas Liquids Processing Plant Monday In Washington County

-- PA Capital-Star: Inside The 14-Year Battle To Secure A Water Line For Facking’s ‘Ground Zero’ In PA [Dimock, Susquehanna County]

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: EPA Needs To Finalize Strong, Comprehensive Oil & Gas Facility Methane Standards - Clean Air Council

-- WHYY: Cancer-Causing Benzene Will Not Be Monitored At Former Philadelphia Refinery Site In 2023

-- Warren Times Editorial: Uncertainty Proves We Need More Drilling, Refineries

-- Bloomberg: Top U.S. Natural Gas Producer Pittsburgh-Based EQT Saw Output Drops Of 30% During Cold Snap

-- Bloomberg: Record Output Slump For Top U.S. Natural Gas Basin Worsened Power Chaos; Well Freeze-Offs Sent Production Plunging In Appalachian Basin  

-- Markets Insider: U.S. Natural Gas Production Plunges As Winter Storm Wreaks Havoc

-- Bloomberg: U.S. Natural Gas Supplies Still Constrained As Extreme Cold Freezes Pipes

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Top Stories Of 2022 #9: Better Times For Natural Gas [Price Of Natural Gas Up (94.7%), Stock Up 204%]

-- Financial Times: Oil And Gas Stocks Shine Thanks To Ukraine War Price Increases, Stingier Capital Spending

-- Reading Eagle: PJM Interconnection Officials Said Warnings To Conserve Energy On Christmas Eve Helped Keep The Lights On

[Posted: December 30, 2022]

1/2/2023