PA Environment Digest

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

On December 5, 2024, the Department of Environmental found Horizontal Exploration LLC failed to comply with a Commonwealth Court order to plug six conventional oil and gas wells the company abandoned in Lafayette Township, McKean County.

DEP said the well owner was issued a Court order on May 14, 2024 that required the wells to be plugged by November 22, 2024.

DEP’s December 5 inspection documented the fact that the well owner failed to comply and the inspection reports said, “There is no evidence of any change to the well's condition since the November 30, 2023 inspection of the well.”

PA Environment Digest previously reported Horizontal Exploration LLC was issued violations for abandoning and not plugging these wells in 2019 and in 2022 which no doubt resulted in the Court order in 2023.

The wells included: Swamp Angel 3-2 [DEP inspection report], Swamp Angel 3-3 [DEP inspection report], Swamp Angel 3-4 [DEP inspection report], Swamp Angel 3-5 [DEP inspection report], Swamp Angel Pad A1 [DEP inspection report], and Swamp Angel PadA4 [DEP inspection report].

DEP made no requests of the well owner in these inspection reports.

Usually in cases like this, DEP goes back to Commonwealth Court to ask that the well owner be held in contempt of court for failing to comply with the order.

The Court could then issue another order to the well owner that typically sets penalties for failing to comply again.

Horizontal Exploration holds 22 conventional oil and gas well permits, including seven in the Allegheny National Forest.

Horizontal Exploration LLC has a business address in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

847 Abandoned Conventional Well Violations

So far in 2024, DEP issued 847 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells, more than in all of 2023.

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.

[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.]

(Photos: Pad A1, Pad A4, Well 3-2, Well 3-3, Well 3-4, Well 3-5, from DEP dated Nov. 25, 2024)

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]