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PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - March 16 to 22 - Truck Rollover; 12 More Abandoned Wells; Failure To Submit Annual Reports; Another Chewed Wastewater Line Leaking

From March 16 to 22, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 609 inspection entries.

As of March 15 of this year, DEP--

-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 148 conventional, 0 unconventional

-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 2,217 conventional and 207 unconventional

-- Enforcements 2024: 110 conventional and 24 unconventional

-- Inspections Last Week: 225 conventional and 362 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Inspections: 3,373 conventional and 5,396 unconventional

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

-- Year To Date Wells Drilled: 21 conventional and 87 unconventional

12 More Abandoned Conventional Wells

On March 12, 2024, DEP did a routine inspection of five conventional wells operated by XITE Energy, Inc. in Venango County and found them to be abandoned and not plugged.

The wells include Corse 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 in Cornplanter Township.

These wells were also issued violations for failure to submit annual production and waste generation and well integrity reports as were Corse 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10.

DEP’s inspection reports [Corse 6 - example] requested the operator to submit a written report by April 12, 2024 on how the wells will be brought into compliance.

On March 20, 2024, DEP did a follow-up phone conversation with Leslie Gearhart, Compliance Manager for Pin Oak Energy Partners, LLC, concerning 4 conventional gas wells the company operates in Ridgway Township, Elk County.

Two of the wells were abandoned and not plugged, including Armstrong Forest 774 and Armstrong Forest 1232; another well had defective casing (wellhead “rotted off”)-- Armstrong Forest 888; and the remaining well did not have a permit - Armstrong Forest 771.

DEP’s March 20 inspection report [Armstrong 774 - example] notes the original violations for abandonment were issued on August 5, 2019 and were reconfirmed on September 7, 2022.

DEP’s violations also included failure to submit annual mechanical integrity reports.

There is no information in the report showing the company did anything about the violations for four and a half years.

The Compliance Manager told DEP the operator was currently drafting a plugging plan for the wells and “when a finalized version of this plan has been implemented, a copy will be forwarded to the Department.”

The inspector said, “It has been tentatively agreed upon that more information regarding the plugging plan will be provided to the Department by the end of March, 2024.”

On March 20, 2024, DEP inspected the Annie E. Neale 64 conventional well operated by Redmill Drilling in Redbank Township, Armstrong County and found it to be abandoned and unplugged.

DEP’s inspection report cited the operator with a violation for abandonment and being plugged and requested a written report by April 19, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.

On March 21, 2014, DEP inspected the Duff 1 conventional well operated by RJ Schreiner, Sr. in Franklin Park Borough, Allegheny County and found it to be abandoned and not plugged.

DEP also found a production wastewater tank sitting in a pool of water in the middle of a wetland.

DEP’s inspection report also cited the operator for failing to submit annual production and waste generation and mechanical integrity reports and requested the operator to submit a written report by April 10, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.

On March 18 to 20, 2024, DEP inspected three conventional wells with unknown operators for inclusion on DEP’s abandoned well list in Butler County.

Two of the wells were in Connoquenessing Township and the third was in Fairview Township.

392 Conventional Abandoned Well Violations In 2024

So far in 2024, DEP issued 392 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well operators for abandoning wells and not plugging them.

Conventional Well Spills

On March 19, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Anderson 1 conventional well in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County operated by C & D Gas Co. and found evidence of contamination around the wellhead.

DEP’s inspection report cited the operator for violations related to the spill and requested the operator submit a written plan by March 30, 2024 on how the well site will be brought into compliance.

On March 18, 2024, DEP did an inspection of the Redclyffe 82 conventional oil well in response to a complaint in Barnett Township, Forest County operated by Deitz Gas & Oil Inc. and found the well to be leaking below surface.

DEP’s inspection report said the wellhead needed to be excavated to determine the problem. No violations were issued.

DEP verbally requested the operator to send the results of the company’s investigation and provide a plan of action to address the problem. No deadline was included in the report.

Chewed Conventional Wastewater Line

On March 14, 2024, DEP did an inspection of the Smosna 1 conventional well operated by Terrence L. Allshouse, Jr. in Conewango Township, Warren County in response to a complaint.

DEP found the operator working to replace a broken pipe inside the wastewater tank containment area with a drain pipe showing “visible chew marks on it.” “The hole chewed in this line led to [wastewater] being discharged outside the containment dike.”

DEP’s inspection report cited the operator for the spill and requested the operator to submit a written report by March 30, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.

Coincidentally, another incident of an animal chewing a wastewater line-- a porcupine-- was reported last week by a conventional well operator. Read more here.

Shale Gas Wastewater Spill

On March 12, 2024, DEP inspected the AMCOR shale gas well pad operated by Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC in Meshoppen Township, Wyoming County after the company reported a spill.

DEP found there was a spill of approximately 3,360 of wastewater on the pad, although the exact amount is not known.

DEP’s inspection report included violations related to the spill and requested a written report by March 20, 2024 on how the site will be brought into compliance.

Release From Plugged Shale Gas Well

On March 14, 2024, DEP inspected the Watkins shale gas well pad operated by Seneca Resources Co. Inc. in Chatham Township, Tioga County in response to a notification of a spill.

DEP found a spill of production wastewater and oil-based drilling mud on a 40 x 40 section of the well pad surface that flowed down into a rock-lined channel next to the well pad.

The fluid came from the leaking annulus of the plugged 25H shale gas well.

The company said the release was caused by rainwater flowing across the pad and down into the 25H well “cellar” and into the annulus. The water pushed the lighter weight oil-based mud to the surface. (See photo of the very deep well “cellar.”

DEP’s inspection report included violations related to the spill and requested a written report by April 5, 2024 on how the well pad will be brought into compliance.

Truck Rollover

On March 19, 2024, DEP inspected the scene of a truck accident near the Brock 3761 conventional well in Whiteley Township, Greene County operated by EQT Production Co. in response to a notification of a hydraulic oil tank truck rollover.

DEP’s inspection report noted only a small amount of hydraulic oil was spilled and requested a written report by April 8, 2024 on how the area would be cleaned up.

The company was cited with violations for the spill.

2024 Act 2 Oil & Gas Facility Pollution Cleanups

So far in 2024, DEP received or acted on 81 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups.

Slope Failure Near Pipeline

On March 20, 2024, DEP did an inspection in response to a notification from EQM Gathering OPC LLC of a slope failure along the access road to the NINFS042 Pipeline Project in Fallowfield Township, Washington County.

DEP’s inspection report said the failure was approximately 50 to 55 feet wide and did not affect the pipeline which was in production.

Violations were issued for erosion and sedimentation BMP control failures and DEP requested a written report by April 8, 2024 on how the area would be brought into compliance.

Failure To Submit Annual Reports

On March 13, 2024, DEP did routine inspections of 9 conventional wells operated by SR Star O&G LLC in Slippery Rock Township, Butler County and found the operator failed to submit annual well production and waste generation and mechanical integrity reports.

The wells included-- Fielding 2, Mortland 4, 5, 7, 8; Renick 2, 3, 4, and 5.

DEP’s inspection reports [Renick 2 - combination oil & gas well] requested a written report by April 1, 2024 on how the wells will be brought into compliance.

On March 13, 19 & 20, 2024, DEP did routine inspections of 22 conventional wells operated by Vernard L. Shumaker in Westmoreland County and found the operator failed to submit annual well production and waste generation and mechanical integrity reports.

The wells included--

-- Allegheny Twp.: Cates 1; Brown 2.31 AC1; George Burgley Jr. 11

-- Bell Twp.: WM Bortz 1 (failed to construct well in compliance with regs); Sargent 2

-- Hempfield Twp.: Kamerer 1 (also venting gas)

-- Lower Burrell City: Alliance Church 1; Cipolla Sylvab Plan 3; Hill Crest Country Club 2HC2; Hill Crest Country Club 1; Floyd Iseman IFAI2; Elsie Graff 2;

-- New Stanton Boro: John Kline 2 (also failed to restore well site, fill pits)

-- Upper Burrell Twp.: Alcoa 1, 2; Dynys 1; Pearson 1;

-- Washington Twp.: Martin 1, 2 (also venting gas), 3; McLaughlin Unit 2; WF McLaughlin 1

DEP’s inspection reports [Kamerer 1 - example] requested the operator to submit a written report by April 12, 2024 on how the wells will be brought into compliance.

Note: Production and waste reports are 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.

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- SR Star O&G LLC conventional oil & gas well failed to submit reports; Vernard L. Shumaker conventional well venting gas; C & D Gas Co conventional well spill; Redmill Drilling abandoned conventional well; Row 2-- EQT Production Co. truck rollover, spill; RJ Schreiner, Sr. wastewater tank in the middle of a pool of water in a wetland; Row 3-- Terrence L. Allshouse, Jr chewed wastewater tank drain line; Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC spill from leaking shale gas wastewater tank; Seneca Resources Co. Inc. plugged shale gas well leaking oil-based drilling mud.)

[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 - March 16 to 22 - Truck Rollover; 12 More Abandoned Wells; Failure To Submit Annual Reports; Another Chewed Wastewater Line Leaking [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - March 23 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 80 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 23 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week - Gas:

-- DEP Reports The Number Of Methane Contaminated Water Supplies From Oil & Gas Drilling Is Up ‘Across The Board,’ ‘Not A Good Trend’ [PaEN]

-- DEP: Shale Gas Drilling Resulted In 54 Incidents Of New Wells Interfering With Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells, Water Wells Or Other Shale Gas Wells [PaEN]

-- DEP Pursuing Federal Funding To Further Define Human Health Impacts Of Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells [PaEN]

-- Spring Road Dumping Season Underway As Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Get Rid Of Their Wastewater [PaEN]

-- Fayette County Commissioners Unanimously Pass Ordinance Restricting Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Wells [PaEN]

-- DEP Notified Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County It Can No Longer Operate Under An Air Quality Construction Permit And Has 120 Days To Submit A Full Title V Air Quality Permit Application [PaEN]

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