On January 18, Pennsylvania members of Congress Glenn Thompson (R) and Chris Deluzio (D) introduced the Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act designed to empower states to maximize their operational flexibility when plugging abandoned conventional oil and gas wells.

These abandoned conventional wells, either unplugged or improperly plugged, can pose serious environmental threats to surrounding communities such as water contamination, methane emission, and can introduce other harmful pollutants to the local ecosystem.

This legislation removes unnecessary burdens on state agencies regarding certain testing procedures, which will maximize federal dollars and lead to more wells being plugged.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection submitted a list of 27,230 abandoned and orphaned conventional oil and gas wells to the US Department of the Interior as part of the federally-funded conventional well plugging program. 

[There are an estimated 250,000 abandoned conventional wells in Pennsylvania and that list is growing.

[In 2023, DEP issued more than 512 notices of violation to conventional oil and gas well owners who abandoned wells without plugging them.  Read more here.]

“Pennsylvania’s oil and gas sites ushered in the modern petroleum industry, which helped lead the United States to become a global power and energy producer. Now, we must ensure these sites are properly and safely restored,” Rep. Thompson said. “The Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act will cut red tape, accelerate environmental rehabilitation, and provide an economic benefit throughout oil and gas producing regions."

“Abandoned, non-operating oil and gas wells are dangerous to the public, the environment, and people's livelihoods,” Rep. Deluzio said. “Unfortunately, Western Pennsylvania has one of the highest concentrations of abandoned wells in the country—including at least 25 just in Beaver County and 219 in Allegheny County. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $4.7 billion to plug these wells across the country, and I’m glad to work with fellow Pennsylvanian Rep. Thompson on the Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act to help get these federal funds to plug more abandoned wells faster."

"The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission is pleased to see Congressman Thompson and Congressman Deluzio take the lead in the House on this important legislation. The Orphan Well Grant Flexibility Act focuses on the goal of addressing orphan wells by eliminating barriers to well plugging efforts and allowing each state to optimize its resources and efficiencies more cost effectively. We urge Congress to pass this bill," said Lori Wrotenbery, Executive Director of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.

Pennsylvania is a member of the Interstate Commission.

Click Here to read the text of the bill.

NewsClip:

-- WTAJ: PA Members Of Congress Introduce Bill To Give State Flexibility On Plugging Abandoned Conventional Wells

Weekly PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 13 to 19;  9 Abandoned Conventional Wells; 4 Abandoned Shale Gas Wells; Freshwater Pipeline Break; Ice & Snow  [PaEN]

-- 4 Months Later, XTO Energy, Inc. Said They Will Plug 4 Shale Gas Wells DEP Found To Be Abandoned And Not Plugged In September  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - January 20  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 41 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 20 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

2023 Oil & Gas Compliance Reports:

-- DEP Issued At Least 512 Violations To 95 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them In 2023; 10 Shale Gas Operators Were Issued NOVs For Abandoning Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Record 6,860 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators In 2023-- Nearly 52% More Than In 2021; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues  [PaEN]

-- 2023 Shale Gas Operator Compliance Report: 1,310 Violations; Explosions; Pad Fire, Evacuation; Uncontrolled Gas Venting; Frack-Outs; Polluting Water Supply; Spills; Pipeline Crashing Thru A Home; More  [PaEN]

-- PA Environment Digest: Articles On Oil & Gas Facility Impacts

Related Articles:

-- DEP Releases Final Guidance On Environmental Considerations In Using Trenchless Technology To Construct Natural Gas, Other Pipelines  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Sets Feb. 1 Hearing On Water Withdrawal Requests, Including 8 Related To Shale Gas Development; And On Cooperative Fish Nursery General Permit  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 25 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In Bradford, Lycoming, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wyoming Counties  [PaEN]

-- Senate Environmental Committee To Hold 2nd Joint Hearing With Ohio Legislature On Electric Grid Reliability Feb. 1;  Will It Address Natural Gas Infrastructure Vulnerabilities?  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Issues New Cold Weather Alert For Western Region Jan. 19-22  [PaEN]

-- CFA Approves $27 Million In Watershed, Recreation Projects Funded By Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees; Fees Dropping $104 Million In 2024; New Grant Round Opening  [PaEN]

-- DEP Hosts In-Person, Virtual Q/A Sessions On Applying For $5 Million Shell Petrochemical Plant Mitigation Grants In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- Health Effects Institute Hosts Annual Conference April 28-30 In Philadelphia; Call For Abstracts  [PaEN]

-- PA Cong. Thompson, Deluzio Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Provide Flexibility To States Implementing The Federal Conventional Orphan Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- WJAC - Stoker Wieczorek: Equitrans Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area Leak Site Not Cleaned Up Over A Year Later In Cambria County

-- Reuters: Severe US Cold Snap Prompts Peak Power, Natural Gas Demand, Drop In Gas Production  [Freeze-offs Caused 17 Billion Cubic Foot Reduction In Gas Production; 19.6 Bcfd Reduction During Winter Storm Elliott; 20.4 Bcfd Reduction In Feb. 2021]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: US Natural Gas Prices Make Huge Jump On Deep Freeze; Some Shale Gas Prices Increase By 400%

-- TribLive Letter: Proliferation Of Natural Gas Operations In Bell Township, Westmoreland County Raise Concerns - Cody Deluisio

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Demand Eyes Record As Arctic Blast Dents Output

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Supplies Drop Due To Frozen Wells, Record Demand Forecast Due To Extreme Cold  [Again]

-- Reuters: US LNG Natural Gas Feedgas To LNG Plants Drops To One-Year Low By Arctic Freeze, Problems At Freeport LNG Plant In Texas

-- Bloomberg: US Deep Freeze Force LNG Natural Gas Exporters To Cancel, Delay Shipments

-- Bloomberg: EU Sees Natural Gas Storage Levels More Than Half Full By Winter’s End

-- Bloomberg: LNG Natural Gas Tankers Divert From Red Sea As Qatar Warns Of Escalation

-- Financial Times: The LNG Natural Gas Glut Will Chill The Gas Ambitions Of Oil Majors

-- Financial Times: US Energy Security Role In Question As Natural Gas Exports Receive New Scrutiny

[Posted: January 18, 2024]

1/22/2024