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What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP Issues 10 Violations To Big Dog Energy, LLC, Diversified Production LLC For Abandoning Shale Gas Wells; Violations For Shale Gas Abandonments More Than Doubled In 2024

The Department of Environmental Protection reported issuing or continuing 10 violations for abandoning and not plugging shale gas wells to Big Dog Energy, LLC-- 5 violations-- and Diversified Production LLC-- 5 violations-- in Fayette, Clearfield and Westmoreland counties.

So far in 2024, DEP issued or continued 42 violations to12 shale gas well owners for well abandonments.

In 2023, DEP issued or continued 20 violations to 10 shale gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells. Read more here.

Almost all of the abandonment violations in 2023 and 2024 were for shale gas wells drilled at the beginning of shale gas development.

For example, the violations issued to Big Dog Energy and Diversified Production were for wells drilled between 2009 and 2012.

Big Dog Energy, LLC

November 18-22, 2024 DEP inspections of five shale gas wells in Clearfield County with representatives of Big Dog Energy found they continued to be abandoned and not plugged.

The abandonment violations are more than a year old and the owner failed to take any action to address them.

The wells were all drilled in 2011 and 2012. The wells included--

-- Beccaria Twp.: HegartyA 1H, Original violation June 26, 2023 [DEP inspection report]

-- Covington Twp.: Gerhart(CK19) 1H, Original violation May 23, 2023, Inactive status expired on March 27, 2021 [DEP inspection report]

-- Gulich Twp.: CowferB 1H, Original violation June 26, 2023 [DEP inspection report]

-- Karthaus Twp.: RHPA 5H, Original violation May 23, 2023 [DEP inspection report]

-- Woodward Twp.: EricksonA 1H, Original violation June 26, 2023, Inactive status expired on April 22, 2021 [DEP inspection report]

No requests were made of the well owner for follow-up actions in the inspection reports.

PA Environment Digest reported in September DEP issued an administrative order to Big Dog Energy to bring these wells into compliance on August 20, 2024.

No action was taken by the well owner in response to the order. Read more here.

Big Dog Energy was issued violations in 2022 by DEP for installing 30 gas-fired generators with a capacity of 10 MW at the Hegarty A shale gas well without permits to support its cryptocurrency mining operations. Read more here.

Diversified Production LLC

November 18, 2024 DEP inspections of five shale gas wells in Fayette and Westmoreland counties found them to be abandoned and not plugged.

The original violations were issued between 19 months ago and one month prior to this inspection. The wells include--

-- Fayette County, Lower Tyrone Twp.: Pritts Unit 1, Original violation April 5, 2023 [DEP inspection report]

-- Fayette County, Washington Twp.: ORR 33, Original violation September 25, 2024 [DEP inspection report]

-- Westmoreland County, Salem Twp.: Kepple 4H [DEP inspection report]

-- Westmoreland County, Salem Twp.: Kepple 5, Original violation October 3, 2024, Diversified said this well has been sold, but it is now producing. [DEP inspection report]

-- Westmoreland County, Salem Twp.: Smith 21, Original violation October 3, 2024 [DEP inspection report]

All the wells were drilled in 2009.

DEP requested a response to the violations from the well owner by between December 9 and 18.

Violations So Far In 2024

So far in 2024, 42 violations were issued or continued to 12 shale gas well owners [Diversified Prod LLC; Roulette Oil & Gas LLC; Hilcorp Energy Co; Hilcorp Energy Co (3); Hilcorp Energy Co (3); T & F Exploration LP; EQT Production Co. follow-up; Diversified Prod LLC; Big Dog Energy LLC follow-up; Big Dog Energy LLC; EQT Production Co.; Diversified Prod LLC; Chesapeake Appalachia LLC, Atlas Resources, LLC; Atlas Resources, LLC (follow-up inspection)’ Repsol Oil & Gas, EQT Chap LLC; M4 Energy; M4 Energy (follow-up inspection); EQT (Rice Drilling B LLC); and Roulette Oil & Gas LLC; Roulette Oil & Gas LLC (follow-up inspection)] for abandoning wells and not plugging wells.

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 and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.

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.

Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.

(Photos: Big Dog Energy abandoned shale gas well; Diversified Production abandoned shale gas well.)

[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 - Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 - Abandoned Shale Gas Wells Doubled From Last Year; Failure To Comply With Court Order To Plug Conventional Wells; Abandoned Waste Injection Well [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - December 7 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 91 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 7 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP Sees ‘Very Significant Budget Gap’ In Funding Oil & Gas Regulation Program Due To Reduced Permit Fee Revenue [PaEN]

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Up 1 To 16 From Last Week; 21 On Aug. 23

-- DCED PA Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council Meets Dec. 12 To Discuss Road Dumping Oil & Gas Wastewater; New EPA Methane Emissions Reduction Program; Other Updates [PaEN]

-- What Will Shale Gas Leave Behind? DEP Issues 10 Violations To Big Dog Energy, LLC, Diversified Production LLC For Abandoning Shale Gas Wells; Violations For Shale Gas Abandonments More Than Doubled In 2024 [PaEN]

-- DEP: Horizontal Exploration LLC Failed To Comply With State Court Order To Plug 6 Conventional Wells In McKean County [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Abandoned Well Violation To Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well With Nearly Full Storage Tanks, Expired EPA Permit In Venango County [PaEN]

-- Apply Now! DEP Conventional Oil & Gas Methane Reduction Well Plugging Grant Applications Due Dec. 16; $44.4 Million Available - Only 10 Applicants Applied For 77 Wells So Far [PaEN]