PA Environment Digest

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PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 30 to Jan. 3 - Saga Of Plugging Nancy 13; Conventional Well Emission Offsets; Venting Since June; Still No Well Integrity Reports

From December 30 to January 3, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 301 inspection entries, a holiday week.

[Note: DEP’s database is having trouble again. Does not display any inspections past January 3.]

So far this year-- as of December 29--

-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 75 conventional, 26 unconventional

-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 6,860 conventional and 1,310 unconventional

-- Inspections Last Week: 140 conventional and 217 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Inspections: 16,133 conventional and 23,054 unconventional

-- Wells Drilled Last Week: 0 conventional and 3 unconventional

-- Year To Date Wells Drilled: 177 conventional and 423 unconventional

Replugging Nancy 13 Conventional Well - Continued

The continuing saga of trying to get Tatonka Oil Co. LLC to plug the Nancy 13 conventional gas well in Deerfield Township, Warren County that was found to be leaking brine and gas since at least December 20, 2018 -- continues. [Read prior history here.]

On December 21, 2023, an onsite inspection showed plugging contractors have started making preparations-- dug a waste pit and lined it, but will not start drilling until after the Christmas holiday. [DEP inspection report]

On January 3, 2024, the contractor told DEP they could not clean out the well below 1,020 feet so 32 barrels [1,344 gallons] of cement were put in place from 475 to 1,020 foot depth in the well. The drill pipe is being pulled from the well and drill cuttings and wastewater are contained in a lined pit on the site. [DEP inspection report] Read more here.

Zefiro Corp Private Plugging/Emission Offsets Project

DEP inspection reports show the Zefiro Methane Corp has begun evaluating abandoned conventional wells in Springfield Township, Erie County to be part of its privately-funded effort to plug wells to generate methane emission offsets it will offer for sale.

On January 2, 2024, DEP inspection reports show five abandoned conventional wells located on State Game Land 314 and placed on DEP’s abandoned well list June 17, 2015 will be monitored by Zefiro to quantify the amount of methane leaking from the wells. Read more here.

Conventional Well Venting Gas Since June

On January 3, 2024, DEP inspected the Robert Lytle 1 conventional gas well in Harborcreek Township, Erie County and met with the operator Ron Lytle and a contractor to discuss options for ending gas venting from the well.

DEP originally inspected the well on June 1, 2023 and found it was venting gas and issued notices of violation. [Read more here.]

No action has been taken by the operator to stop the venting and DEP gave the operator previous opportunities to submit a plan to bring the well into compliance.

During this inspection, DEP said options were discussed to bring the well into compliance, including to plug the well.

DEP’s inspection report said the agency was waiting for a written report on bringing the well into compliance that this time was due January 18, 2024.

EQT Shale Gas Drilling Normal So Far

On January 2, 2024, DEP inspected three conventional gas wells -- Rickie L & Darlene K. Barnhart B11, B11S and CNX B16-- in Greene County in Freeport Township, Greene County operated by CNX Gas Co. LLC and found “no abnormalities” in gas pressures.

The wells are in the vicinity of the EQT Production Company Lumber shale gas well pad in Springhill Township, Greene County that DEP allowed to frack again in November after an allegation there was a frack-out caused by wells at the Lumber and Spleen Splitter shale gas well pads. Read more here.

DEP’s inspection reports indicate DEP has onsite December 29, 2023 to check the pressures while EQT was fracking wells at the Lumber shale gas pad.

River Ridge Gravel - Still No Annual Reports

On January 2, 2024, DEP inspected 14 conventional wells operated by River Ridge Gravel Co. in Cranberry Township, Venango County to determine compliance with an administrative order to submit annual production and waste generation and well integrity reports, among other violations.

DEP found the operator was not in compliance at these wells-- River Ridge 79, 86, 87, 88, 89, 100, 102, 104, 127, 146, 147, 148, 152, and 153.

DEP did similar inspections for 11 conventional wells on December 6 and 7, 2023; 10 conventional wells on December 15, 2023; 7 conventional wells on December 27, 2023; 54 conventional wells on November 14, 2022; 34 conventional wells on November 21, 2022.

None of them were in compliance either.

DEP’s inspection report (River Road 153) does not indicate any follow up action.

DEP’s eFACT database shows River Ridge Gravel Co has permits for 111 oil and gas wells.

The production and waste report is critical to understanding how much wastewater and other waste those wells generated and where it was disposed of.

The annual integrity report is critical because it helps ensure the operator is taking the steps needed to prevent natural gas, oil or contaminated water leaks from oil and gas wells.

Coterra Energy/Chesapeake Energy/Well Plugging Projects

DEP inspectors again focused their efforts on inspecting multiple Coterra Energy shale gas well pads in the Dimock area of Susquehanna County and on federally-funded conventional well plugging projects being wrapped up for the construction season.

Attention was also being paid to multiple shale gas well pads operated by Chesapeake Appalachia LLC in Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties.

The Wall Street Journal reported January 5 Chesapeake Energy may announce a merger with Southwestern Energy to form a $17 billion company.

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: Row 1-- Tatonka Oil Co. LLC’s Nancy 13 conventional well venting gas since 2018; Robert P. Lytle conventional well venting gas next to buildings; CNX Gas Co. LLC conventional well pressure OK so far; River Ridge Gravel Co #153 no well integrity, production, waste reports required by DEP Order; Row 2-- Zefiro Methane Corp. evaluating conventional wells for emission offsets.)

[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 - Dec. 30 to Jan. 3 - Saga Of Plugging Nancy 13; Conventional Well Emission Offsets; Venting Since June; Still No Well Integrity Reports [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industry Compliance So Far In 2023 - It Isn’t Pretty [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - January 6 [PaEN]

-- DEP Disapproves Land Recycling Risk Assessment For Dozens Of Chemicals At American Refining Group Refinery In Bradford, McKean County [PaEN]

-- DEP Reviewing Act 2 Cleanup Reports For Trainer Refinery, Delaware County; Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refinery [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 49 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 6 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP: Shale Gas Operator Found Responsible For Water Supply Contamination After Investigation Documents Chemical Contamination Spread Across 3 Townships In Greene County [PaEN]

-- DEP Accepting Project Applications For $5 Million Shell Petrochemical Plant Beaver County Environmental Mitigation Community Fund [PaEN]

-- Zefiro Methane Corp To Begin Monitoring Abandoned Conventional Wells For Plugging To Create Emission Offsets [PaEN]

-- Saga Continues For DEP Trying To Get A Conventional Operator To Plug Warren County Well Venting Gas Since At Least 2018 [PaEN]