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PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - May 25 to 31 - Shale Wastewater Pipeline Spill; Drill Cuttings Violations; More Abandoned Conventional Wells

From May 25 to 31, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 384 inspection entries, and caught up in posting previous inspection reports in May.

So far this year, DEP took these actions as of May 24--

-- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 4 conventional, 7 unconventional

-- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 3,848 conventional and 455 unconventional

-- Enforcements 2024: 231 conventional and 62 unconventional

-- Inspections Last Week: 57 conventional and 244 unconventional

-- Year To Date - Inspections: 6,559 conventional and 10,058 unconventional

-- Wells Drilled Last Week: 3 conventional and 4 unconventional

-- Year To Date Wells Drilled: 57 conventional and 140 unconventional

4 More Abandoned Conventional Well NOVs

On May 7, 2024, DEP inspected the Lot 140 6 conventional gas well in Washington Township, Fayette County owned by William Sadowski and found it continues to be abandoned and not plugged and leaking gas.

DEP talked to a Mark Susick at the site who said he now owned the well and gave him information on how to transfer a well.

DEP’s eFACTS database shows William Sadowski has two conventional well permits, both “active.”

The original violations for abandonment, the gas leak and failure to submit production, waste disposal and well integrity reports were issued on March 27, 2024.

DEP’s inspection report continued these violations and requested the owner to submit a report by May 23, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.

On May 14, 2024, DEP did an inspection of the FB Michell L4222 conventional gas well at the Holbrook Gas Storage Reservoir in Center Township, Greene County owned by EQT Gathering of PA LLC and found the well continued to be abandoned and not plugged properly to stop leaking gas.

DEP originally issued violations for well abandonment and failure to plug the well properly to prevent the leaking of gas on March 27, 2024.

DEP’s May 14 inspection report continued these violations after finding the well continued to leak gas and observed a “sheen” in ponded water east of the wellhead.

DEP requested the owner to submit a plan by June 14, 2024 on how the well will be brought into compliance.

On May 16, 2024, DEP inspected the Wheeler W7 conventional well in Winslow Township, Jefferson County owned by Farrington & Hepler Gas & Oil, Inc. and found it to be abandoned and not plugged.

The well was also hooked up to a wastewater storage tank that was three-quarters full.

DEP’s eFACTS database shows Farrington has 308 conventional well permits, with two abandoned but not this one.

DEP’s inspection report included violations and requested the owner to submit a plan by June 10, 2024 for how the well will be brought into compliance.

On May 16, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the McLaughlin 1 conventional well in Washington Township, Westmoreland County owned by Vernard L. Shumaker and found it to be abandoned and not plugged.

DEP originally issued violations for failure to submit production, waste generation and well integrity reports on March 14, 2024.

DEP’s eFACTS database shows Vernard L. Shumakers has 306 conventional well permits, with one abandoned but not this one.

DEP’s inspection report includes new violations for well abandonment and failure to plug the well and requested the owner to submit a plan by June 16, 2024 on how the wells will be brought into compliance.

484 Conventional, 8 Shale Gas Abandoned Well Violations In 2024

So far in 2024, DEP issued 484 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging wells; and 8 violations were issued to five shale gas well owners [Repsol OIl & Gas, EQT Chap LLC, M4 Energy, EQT (Rice Drilling B LLC) and Roulette Oil & Gas LLC)] for abandoning wells and not plugging wells.

Wastewater Pipeline, Shale Gas Pad Spills

On May 23, 2024, DEP inspected the Beta Cameron Shale Gas Well Pad in Richhill Township, Greene County owned by Rice Drilling B LLC [EQT Corporation] in response to a notification of a spill at the pad on May 21.

“The spill occurred when a piece of equipment failed on a well head and released spacer fluid onto the well pad. The spacer fluid misted from a valve on the well pipe, causing the fluid to cover a large part of the well pad,” according to DEP.

DEP took multiple conductivity readings around the well pad and found multiple areas of contamination, but not elevated readings in areas where remediation was already occurring.

DEP’s inspection report included multiple violations for the spills and requested the owner to submit a plan by June 14, 2024 on how the well pad will be cleaned up and brought into compliance.

On May 28, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Morris 2 and 3 production wastewater pipeline spill in Morris Township, Greene County reported by the owner CNX Gas Co LLC on May 21.

A break in the pipeline occurred as a result of a bulldozer moving dirt around the pipeline and “more than a barrel of brine water [production wastewater] had been released.”

[Gas wastewater pipelines carry millions of gallons of wastewater across the Pennsylvania countryside under significant pressure.]

DEP’s May 21 inspection report included violations for the spill and a request the owner to submit a written plan by June 18, 2024 on how the site would be brought into compliance.

DEP’s May 28 inspection report continued those violations noting there were still areas with elevated conductivity indicating contamination and two new seeps of an “oil like substance” were found in the spill area that were referred to DEP’s Water Quality Program for investigation.

The original request for a written plan stands.

On May 28, 2024, DEP water sampling results confirmed the spill of production wastewater at the Mallory Shale Gas Well Pad in Plunketts Creek Township, Lycoming County owned by EQT ARO LLC.

“The analytical report shows elevated levels of barium, lithium, strontium, and chlorides which is indicative of a pollutional substance.”

DEP’s inspection report included new violations for the spill, but no follow-up actions by the pad owner.

DEP discovered the spills on March 1 and May 8 and on the last site inspection report the owner failed to complete the spill cleanup. Read more here.

Seneca Resources Drill Cuttings Violations Continue

On May 29, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the onsite drill cuttings dehydration and processing facility at the Taft Shale Gas Well Pad in Middlebury Township, Tioga County owned by Seneca Resources Co LLC and found violations were continuing.

DEP approved an alternative method of processing drill cuttings on the well pad on January 24, 2024, but a March 6, 2024 and March 29, 2024 inspections found multiple violations for spills and mishandling of these wastes.

DEP’s March 29 inspection report had requested the owner to submit a plan by April 24, 2024 to bring the site into compliance.

The May 29 inspection report also said DEP approved this same method of managing drill cuttings at the Beechwood B09-1 Shale Gas Well pad in Shippen Township, Cameron County also owned by Seneca Resources Co. LLC.

DEP’s May 29 inspection report continued these violations, but no specific follow-up measures were requested of the owner.

Conventional Well Spills

On May 16, 2024, DEP inspected multiple conventional wells owned by Farrington & Hepler Gas & Oil in Washington Township, Jefferson County and found multiple spills at the sites--

-- Wheeler 11 - production wastewater release: DEP inspection report

-- Wheeler 12 - wastewater leak repair attempted by duct tape:: DEP inspection report

The owner was requested to submit a written report by June 14, 2024 on how the sites will be brought into compliance.

On May 23, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Reid & Howley Heirs Ambrose 10 conventional well in Porter Township, Clarion County owned by Diversified Prod LLC and found spill cleanup progress, but it is not complete.

The original violations for these spills were issued on May 7, 2024, but the areas contaminated by a wastewater tank leak.

DEP’s inspection report requested the owner to submit a plan by May 28, 2024 on how the site will be brought into compliance.

2024 Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups

So far in 2024, DEP received or acted on 135 Act 2 Land Recycling notices related to oil and gas facility site cleanups.

Pipeline, Well Pad Erosion Control Failures

On May 29, 2024, DEP inspected an “erosion incident” reported by Equitrans [EQM Gathering OPCO LLC] involving a gas pipeline they own in Gilmore Township, Greene County.

DEP’s inspection report found the sediment that washed into a stream from the incident was removed and erosion and sedimentation controls were in place to deal with the issue.

No further actions by the owner were requested, although a violation for the erosion control failure was included in the report.

On May 28, 2024, DEP did a follow-up inspection of the Holt Shale Gas Well Pad in Gilmore Township, Greene County owned by EQT Prod Co. and found continued erosion and sedimentation control failures.

DEP issued the original violations on February 8, 2024 and DEP’s May 28 inspection report continued all those violations.

DEP requested the owner to submit a written plan by June 18, 2024 on how the site will be brought into compliance.

Report Violations

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

Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database webpage to search their compliance records by date and owner 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-- CNX Gas Co LLC wastewater pipeline break, area of contaminated water; Equitrans [EQM Gathering OPCO LLC] pipeline erosion incident; EQT Prod Co. shale gas well pad erosion control failures; Row 2-- Seneca Resources Co LLC shale gas drill cuttings processing violations; Diversified Prod LLC conventional well site spill not cleaned up; Rice Drilling B LLC [EQT Corporation] shale gas well pad fluid spray; Row 3-- EQT Gathering of PA LLC improperly plugged conventional well and pond sheen at Holbrook Gas Storage Reservoir; Farrington & Hepler Gas & Oil, Inc. abandoned well, nearly full wastewater tank; Farrington & Hepler Gas & Oil, Inc. wastewater tank spill; Another Farrington & Hepler Gas & Oil, Inc. wastewater tank spill with attempted duct tape repair; William Sadowski abandoned conventional well, potentially with a new owner.)

[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 - May 25 to 31 - Shale Wastewater Pipeline Spill; Drill Cuttings Violations; More Abandoned Conventional Wells [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - June 1 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 62 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In June 1 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Week 10: Illegal Dumping Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Continues Unabated On Paved, Dirt Roads, Before It Rains, It Doesn’t Matter In Warren County [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: PUC Judge Orders 7 Rhodes Estate Water Companies To Secure Counsel For Hearings On Their Future [More Fallout From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill In Venango County] [PaEN]

-- Penn State Research Traced Radioactive Radium In Freshwater Mussels To Oil & Gas Wastewater [PaEN]

-- Protect PT Hosts 4 Virtual Workshops On How To Protect Yourself If You Live Near Shale Gas Facilities Starting June 11 [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network, Partners Host June 5 Webinar On Pipeline Methane Leaks - Causes, Impacts, Solutions [PaEN]

-- Center For Coalfield Justice June 13 In-Person Program On Air Pollution Hazards From Oil & Gas Sites, South Franklin Township Park, Washington County

-- DEP Disapproves Final Cleanup Report On Dozens Of Chemicals At The American Refining Group Bradford Refinery In McKean County For Not Meeting Cleanup Standards [PaEN]