PA Environment Digest

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Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Oct. 28 to Nov. 3 - Fire At PA General Energy Shale Gas Well Pad; 5 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Replugging Shale Gas Well

On October 31, 2023, DEP did an inspection of the Huckleberry shale gas well pad operated by PA General Energy Co LLC in Union Township, Tioga County in response to a notification from the company they had a fire at the well pad.

DEP’s inspection report said an emergency shut down device activated at the well pad on October 30 at 2:14 p.m. for seven natural gas wells in response to a fire in one of two re-boilers on the pad. [DEP inspection report]

A second re-boiler, a gas production unit and four trailers on the well pad sustained fire damage. PGE personnel handled fire suppression, according to DEP.

It took until about 4:00 p.m. to bring the fire under control, but the master values on all seven wells on the pad were shut in and the wells were locked out and tagged. The wells appeared to be unaffected by the fire.

A DEP Water Quality inspection on the same day reported “The trailers were mostly empty with the exception of a few metal pipes and two chemical storage totes.”

“One tote was empty and the other had had ethylene glycol in it. The totes and the glycol were burned up in the fire.”

“Most of the tires on the trailers melted and melted rubber was observed on the pad surface. According to [a company representative], most of the fluid released by the reboiler was burned up by the fire. The fluid would have consisted of ethylene glycol and produced [wastewater] fluid.” [Second DEP inspection report.]

No violations were issued by either DEP inspector at the well pad. No follow up actions were required of the operator. There was no report on what caused the fire at the pad.

Weekly Inspection Summary

From October 28 to November 3, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 446 inspection entries.

So far this year-- as of October 27--

-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 205 conventional, 21 unconventional

-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 5,595 conventional and 1,090 unconventional

-- Inspections Last Week: 715 conventional and 354 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Inspections: 13,577 conventional and 19,385 unconventional

-- Wells Drilled Last Week: 2 conventional and 9 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Wells Drilled: 162 conventional and 353 unconventional

5 More Abandoned Conventional Well

On October 31, 2023, DEP inspected the Fay-Penn 14 conventional well operated by Diversified Prod LLC in Springhill Township, Fayette County and found it abandoned, but not plugged.

There has been no production from the well since 2019 and the well does not appear on a list of wells included in Diversified’s consent order and agreement.

DEP requested the operator to submit a written report by November 14, 2023 on how the well will be brought into compliance. [DEP inspection report]

On October 26, 2023, DEP inspected the Ewing 10 and 12 conventional wells operated by Kennedy Fuels, Inc. located in Kennedy Township, Allegheny County and found them to be abandoned and not plugged.

DEP issued notices of violation for abandoning the wells and the operator was given until November 15, 2023 to submit a report to DEP to bring the wells into compliance. [DEP inspection report]

On October 26, 2023, DEP did a followup inspection of the Weirton Coal 1 conventional gas well operated by The Production Co LLC in Luzerne Township, Fayette County and found no actions have been taken to plug the well or stop the venting of gas into the atmosphere.

DEP first issued notices of violation for venting gas and other violations on January 14, 2021 and for abandoning the well without plugging it on November 2, 2021.

The operator also failed to submit annual production and waste generation and mechanical integrity reports on the well.

DEP continued those violations and requested a written report by November 27, 2023 from the operator on how the well will be brought into compliance. [DEP inspection report]

On October 23 & 27, 2023, DEP inspected the James West 1 conventional gas well in Adams Township, Butler County operated by Turm Oil, Inc. and found the well abandoned and not plugged.

The operator also had not submitted production and waste generation and mechanical integrity reports on the well. Notices of violation were issued.

DEP requested the operator to submit a written report by November 10, 2023 on how the well will be brought into compliance. [DEP inspection report]

Re-Plugging Shale Gas Well

On October 31, 2023, DEP did a follow up inspection of DCNR COP Tract 343 Pad C shale gas well in Noyes Township, Clinton County operated by EQT ARO LLC to find a contractor replugging the well because of the presence of leaking gas.

The inspector found a drill rig over the well working to clean it out and run a camera down the well to diagnose the problem. [DEP inspection report]

Still Trying To Stop Conventional Well Leak

On October 30, 2023, DEP did a follow up inspection of the conventional gas well operated by JF Pitonyak in Summit Township, Erie County and found efforts continuing to stop the gas leak in the backyard of homes there.

National Fuel Gas responded to the gas leak on October 17 and continues its efforts.

DEP found the company dug trenches around the well and observed gas bubbling up through water at the bottom of the trenches but the source could not be pinpointed.

The DEP inspection report said National Fuel Gas was considering its next steps.

On November 2, 2023, DEP contacted SAR Gas Inc. about the Miller 1 conventional gas well in Clinton Township, Venango County in response to a citizen complaint who reported smelling natural gas where a gathering pipeline crossed a stream.

The company reported “they believe the odor at each site is from normal production activities, such as the well dumping to the production tank and placing methanol into the drip.”

The company reported finding no gas leaks in the pipelines and support equipment.

DEP did find the operator did not submit annual production and waste generation and mechanical integrity reports for the well and issued notices of violation.

DEP requested the operator submit a written report by November 10, 2023 on how it was going to bring the well into compliance. [DEP inspection report]

Shale Gas Well Pad Oil Leak

On October 31, 2023, DEP inspected the J.Brown Unit Shale Gas Well Pad operated by Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC in Troy Township, Bradford County and again found petroleum floating on top of the containment area around a compressor unit.

The inspection report said inspections on August 9 and 25 and September 25 found the same conditions. Chesapeake removed the liquid and cleaned the containment after those incidents.

No violations were issued and no follow up actions by the operator were recommended. [DEP inspection report]

Freshwater Pipeline Violations

On October 4, 2023, DEP did a followup inspection of the freshwater pipeline operated by Keystone Clearwater Solutions, LLC in Brooklyn Township, Susquehanna County serving the Rayas shale gas pad 2 operated by Coterra Energy.

DEP found the permittee failed to correct all the violations with the pipeline installation first identified on June 6, 2023. The inspection was prompted by a citizen complaint. [DEP inspection report]

DEP said the pipeline was not installed in accordance with the permit issued by the department, including location of cut off values, visible flags marking the location of the pipeline, failure to construct a proper stream crossing and other violations.

DEP requested the operator to submit a plan by November 13, 2023 on how it will bring the pipeline into compliance. [DEP inspection report]

Gas Storage Area Inspections

DEP inspected conventional gas well associated with National Fuel Gas Supply Corp. at the East Branch (Hamilton Township, McKean County) Galbraith (Rose & Oliver Townships, Jefferson County), Markle (Pine Creek Township, Jefferson County) and Swede Hill (Hamilton Township, McKean County) Natural Gas Storage Facilities and found no violations.

Well Plugging Projects

DEP continued to inspect federally-funded conventional well plugging projects in Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Forest, Venango and Washington counties and found no violations.

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- JF Pitonyak conventional gas well still leaking gas, efforts to stop the leak continue (2); PA General Energy Co LLC shale gas well pad fire damaged reboiler; middle-

Kennedy Fuels Inc. abandoned conventional gas well in trees close to apartment complex; bottom- The Production Co LLC abandoned, gas wellbore; Turm Oil, Inc. abandoned conventional gas well; Keystone Clearwater Solutions, LLC freshwater pipeline not installed according to permit; Another Diversified Prod LLC abandoned conventional well; Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC compressor oil leak on shale gas pad.)

[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.]

Upcoming Events:

-- PA League Of Women Voters, University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health Nov. 14 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference [PaEN]

-- University Of Pittsburgh Studies Of Shale Gas Development Health Impacts To Be Discussed At Nov. 14 Joint Meeting Of DEP Citizens Advisory Council, Environmental Justice Advisory Board [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Oct. 28 to Nov. 3 - Fire At PA General Energy Shale Gas Well Pad; 5 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Replugging Shale Gas Well [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - November 4 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 57 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Nov. 4 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Gov. Shapiro, CNX Natural Gas Company Sign Statement Of Mutual Interests To Monitor Air Emissions At Drill Sites, Extend Safety Setbacks While Data Is Being Collected; DEP To Move Ahead With Some Reg Changes [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network Thanks Gov. Shapiro For Defending Children's Health Thru An Agreement With CNX Natural Gas; Believes In Repenting Of Sins, 2nd Chances [PaEN]

-- TribLive Editorial: Is Shapiro’s Voluntary Agreement With CNX The Right Move For Gas Well Safety? [‘We do not trust foxes to guard henhouses’]

-- Attorney General Henry Announces Criminal Charges Against Equitrans For 2018 Natural Gas Explosion That Destroyed Home In Greene County [PaEN]