The DEP’s Oil and Gas Plugged Wells Database shows 2,941 conventional wells and 460 shale gas wells had a plugging completion date between 2019 through 2024 (so far).

DEP (taxpayers) paid for plugging 325 conventional wells during that time, of which 213 were plugged through the new federal conventional well plugging program.

2,616 conventional wells were plugged by an active well owner, according to the database, however, the database does not indicate whether a well was abandoned before being plugged, only that they were plugged.

Only the wells plugged by DEP were known to be abandoned or orphaned.

The database says all the shale gas wells, so far, were plugged by the well owner.

Click Here for 2024 conventional wells wells plugged

Click Here for 2024 shale gas wells plugged.

The Numbers - 2019 to 2024

The numbers look like this--

2024 (so far)

-- 543 conventional-- 119 by DEP of which 87 were plugged with federal funds

-- 87 shale gas

2023

-- 605 conventional-- 153 by DEP of which 126 were plugged with federal funds

-- 61 shale gas

2022

-- 547 conventional-- 17 by DEP

-- 63 shale gas

2021

-- 389 conventional-- 10 by DEP

-- 85 shale gas

2020

-- 388 conventional-- 18 by DEP

-- 76 shale gas

2019

-- 469 conventional-- 8 by DEP

-- 88 shale gas

Visit the DEP Oil and Gas Plugged Wells Database webpage to search for completed well pluggings by date and well owner.

Total Wells Permitted

The total number of conventional wells issued permits by DEP is 197,771, with 88,461 classified as “active permits.”

The total number of shale gas well permits issued by DEP is 31,036, with 13,320 classified as “active permits.”

Click Here for the latest numbers.

Since 1859 when the first wells were drilled, an estimated 300,000 to 760,000 conventional oil and gas wells have been drilled in Pennsylvania.  Read more here.

Abandoned Conventional Wells

DEP reported in March 2024, its inspections between January 1, 2017 and January 23, 2024 identified 2,773 unique wells that were cited for being abandoned and not plugged.  Read more here.

DEP compiled a list of over 27,000 abandoned and orphaned wells to help qualify for federal well plugging funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act program.  Read more here. 

There may be another 200,000 conventional wells that have not been located or identified yet. Read more here.

DEP reported the most frequent violation issued to conventional well owners is for abandoning and not plugging wells.  Read more here.

None of the wells drilled before April 18, 1985 (which is most of them) are required to have any bond to cover plugging expenses if the owner walks away. Read more here.

Newer wells are required to have a maximum bond of $2,500 per well or a blanket bond of $25,000 for an unlimited number of wells. Read more here.

The average cost to taxpayers of plugging one conventional well is from $68,000 to $110,000.  Read more here.

2024 Abandoned Wells

So far in 2024, DEP issued 850 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells, more than in all of 2023.

The number of abandoned shale gas wells has been increasing, particular wells drilled before 2012.

So far in 2024, 44 violations were issued or continued to 12 shale gas well owners [Diversified Prod LLC; 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.

Prepare For Winter Weather:

-- PUC Urges Pennsylvanians To Prepare Now For Winter Storms  [PaEN] 

-- Reuters: US Winter Storms Could Cause Power Outages, Cut Natural Gas Supplies

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboard - December 28:

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - December 28 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 81 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 28 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboard - January 4:

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - January 4 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Draft Guidance For Land Application Of Excess Water From Shale Gas Well Development Impoundments  [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold Jan. 30 Hearing [Not Jan. 28] On Title V RACT 3 Air Quality Permit For Monroe Energy LLC Trainer Refinery In Delaware County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets Feb. 11 Hearing On Renewal Of Title V Air Quality Permit For Energy Transfer Marketing’s Marcus Hook Terminal, Delaware County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 103 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 4 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Related Articles Last 2 Weeks:

-- DEP: Oil & Gas Wells Plugged In Last 6 Years: 2,941 Conventional Wells, 325 Paid By Taxpayers; 460 Shale Gas Wells Were Plugged By Well Owners   [PaEN]

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility- PA: Jan. 22 Webinar On How To Talk To Your Doctor About Environmental Threats To Your Health  [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Draft Guidance For Land Application Of Excess Water From Shale Gas Well Development Impoundments  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 18 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In November; 292 General Permits So Far In 2024  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Hearing Board Denies Supersedeas, Allows Operation Of Catalyst Energy, Inc. Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In McKean County During Appeal  [PaEN]

-- Attorney General-Elect Dave Sunday Announces Transition Committee Members, Including An Energy & Environment Committee  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- DeSmog - Justin Nobel: PA Needs To Set Construction, Operating Standards For Hundreds Of Miles Of Unregulated Fracking Wastewater Pipelines

-- WSJ: America’s Big Natural Gas Footprint Is About To Get Even Bigger: ‘Build Baby Build’  [PDF of Article]

-- The Energy Age Blog: EQT Reveals Latest Shale Gas Drilling Plans In Southwest PA

-- The Energy Age Blog: EQT Executes New Shale Gas Drilling Plan In Union Twp., Washington County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: 2024 In Review: EQT, Consol Highlight Energy Industry Upswing

-- PublicSource.org: Scrutiny Of EQT Fracking Likely To Shift In 2025 With Gas-Friendly Washington 

-- PublicSource.org: Protect PT Challenges Fracking Permits In Westmoreland County

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Shale Gas Industry Consent Agreements Set Groundwork For Future Methane Regulations

-- “World-Class Standards” Of Shale Gas Production In PA

-- TribLive Guest Essay: What PA Has Been Doing On Energy Generation Is Simply Not Working, Renewable Energy Reliable, Economical - By Sharon Pillar, PA Solar Center

-- Utility Dive: Pennsylvania Asks FERC To Lower PJM Capacity Price Cap To Prevent ‘Runaway’ Costs

-- Inside Climate News: Elevated Levels Of Radium Found In Western PA Freshwater Mussels Downstream Of Oil & Gas Wastewater Discharge Points

-- Protect PT/Three Rivers Waterkeepers Jan. 16 Plum Boro Community Meeting On Pennaco Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Wells,  Plum Borough Community Center, Allegheny County 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

-- Protect PT: Jan. 22 How To Run For Local Public Office Training Webinar, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Same As Last Week - 15; Aug. 23 Was 21 [1.3.25]

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Same As Last Week - 15; Aug. 23 Was 21 [12.27.24]

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.06   Ohio- $3.15   PA- $3.26 [1.3.25]

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.02  Ohio- $2.99   PA- $3.21 [12.27.24]

-- WTAJ: 200,000+ PA Residents Could See 18% Increase In National Fuel Gas Natural Gas Bills In 2025

-- WFMJ: National Fuel Gas Customers Could See 17% Increase In Gas Costs Starting Aug. 1

-- Altoona Mirror: Peoples Gas Natural Gas Rates To Increase Jan. 1

-- Utility Dive: North American Electric Reliability Corp. Issues Electric Grid Reliability Warning Ahead Of Expected Winter Storm In Eastern US Starting Jan. 4 

-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition: Preparing For Winter - How The Natural Gas industry Ensures Safety And Reliability

-- Financial Times: US Gas, Heating Oil, Energy Markets On Edge As ‘Polar Vortex’ Set To Deliver Deep Freeze In Northern US

-- FoxNews: Natural Gas Prices Spike As Forecasts Of Colder Than Expected Winter

-- Bloomberg: US Natural Gas Prices Surge 16% As Forecasters Warn Of Artic Blast In January

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Up 2.4% With One Week Left On Ukraine-Russian Pipeline Transit Deal

-- Marcellus Drilling News: NYMEX Natural Gas Price Up 14% Last Week To $3.75; Heading For $4.30? [Cold Weather, LNG Demand Push Prices Higher]  [PDF of Article]

-- Reuters: US LNG Gas Demand Hits Record High, Prices Increase On Last Day Of The Year

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Increase As Norway LNG Gas Export Outage Adds To Loss Of Russian Flow

-- Bloomberg: Russia, Ukraine End 5 Decades Of Natural Gas Transit To Europe

-- Reuters: What Happens When Russian Natural Gas Supply To Europe Via Ukraine Ends Jan. 1?

-- FXEmpire: 2025 Natural Gas Forecast: LNG Exports, Domestic Demand Push Upward Price Potential

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Rise With Clock Ticking Toward Expiring Ukraine, Russia Pipeline Transit Deal Jan. 1

-- The Allegheny Front/WPSU: Worried About Gas Stoves? An Induction Cooking Class Explores An Alternative

-- WHYY - Zoe Read: Eastern Hellbender May Get Federal Protections

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: 2024 In Review: EQT, Consol Highlight Energy Industry Upswing

-- ABC6: Dozens Forced Out Of Their Homes After Natural Gas Leak In Bethlehem

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: 5 Years After Philadelphia Refinery’s Closure, Pollution Concerns Persist

-- Financial Times: Methane Pollution At US’s Biggest Oilfield Plunges 26% After Biden Crackdown

[Posted: December 26, 2024]

1/6/2025