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What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Diversified Production LLC Starts 2025 With 11 Violations For Abandoning, Not Plugging Shale Gas Wells

Since January 1, the Department of Environmental Protection has issued 11 notices of violation to Diversified Production LLC for abandoning and not plugging shale gas wells in Fayette and Westmoreland counties.

Almost all are repeat offenses where Diversified has failed to correct violations for more than three and a half years.

All the wells were drilled in the first rush of shale gas drilling before 2013

The violations were issued for these wells--

-- Fayette County

Henry Clay Twp.: W.Smith 1 - Abandoned and leaking gas since Sept. 26, 2024 - 4 months. DEP inspection report.

Lower Tyrone Twp.: Pritts Unit 1 - Abandoned since April 5, 2023 - 21 months. DEP inspection report.

Redstone Twp.: Keslar 9 - Abandoned since Sept. 26, 2024 - 4 months. DEP inspection report.

Washington Twp.: ORR 33 - Abandoned since Sept. 25, 2024 - 4 months. DEP inspection report.

-- Westmoreland County

Rostraver Twp.: Lynn 9 - Abandoned since June 9, 2021 - 43 months. DEP inspection report.

Rostraver Twp.: Smith Unit 59H - Abandoned since June 9, 2021 - 43 months. DEP inspection report.

Salem Twp.: Carr 19A - Abandoned since May 24, 2022 - 32 months. DEP inspection report.

Salem Twp.: Smith 21 - Abandoned since June 2, 2023 - 19 months. DEP inspection report.

Salem Twp.: Kepple 5 - Abandoned since Nov. 18, 2024 - 2 months. DEP inspection report.

Salem Twp.: Kepple 4H - Abandoned since Nov. 18, 2024 - 2 months. DEP inspection report.

Sewickley Twp.: Shuglie 4 - Abandoned since Sept. 26, 2024 - 4 months. DEP inspection report.

Shale Gas Abandoned Well Violations

So far in 2025, DEP issued or continued 11 violations to one shale gas drilling company for abandoning and not plugging their wells.

In 2024, 47 violations were issued or continued to 12 shale gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells. In 2023, DEP issued or continued 20 violations to 10 shale gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells. Read more here.

2024 shale gas well abandonment violations-- Diversified Prod LLC; Hilcorp Energy Company; 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).

Conventional Abandoned Wells

So far in 2025, Diversified Production LLC also received two violations from DEP for abandoning and not plugging these conventional wells--

Fayette County, Redstone Twp.: Keslar 3 - Abandoned since Sept. 26, 2024 DEP inspection report.

Westmoreland County, Unity Twp.: William H. Betler ET UX 4593 - Abandoned since Sept. 26, 2024. DEP inspection report.

So far in 2025, DEP has issued or continued a total of six violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells.

In 2024, DEP issued 860 new or continued violations to conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells. Read more here.

In 2023, DEP issued 512 violations to conventional well owners for abandonment.

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: Row 1- Diversified Prod LLC abandoned shale gas well; Diversified Prod LLC another abandoned shale gas well wastewater tanks; Diversified Prod LLC another abandoned shale gas well; Row 2- Diversified Prod LLC another abandoned shale gas well wastewater tank with holes; Diversified Prod LLC another abandoned shale gas well inside cattle gates Diversified Prod LLC another abandoned shale gas well chemical drums and storage containers.)

[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.]

What The Shale Gas, Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind:

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Diversified Production LLC Starts 2025 With 11 Violations For Abandoning, Not Plugging Shale Gas Wells [1.17.25]

-- What The Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells On Federal Lands - Shenango River Lake, Allegheny National Forest [1.17.25

-- What The Shale Gas, Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Record Number Conventional, Shale Gas Abandoned Well Violations In 2024; Gas Storage Area Well Leaks [1.8.25]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP: Diversified Production LLC Failed To Plug 2 Abandoned Shale Gas Wells For 42 Months + At Least 9 Other Shale Gas Wells Abandoned [12.22.24]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP: Nucomer Energy LLC Fails To Restore Shale Gas Well Pad, Water Impoundment In Forest County For More Than 12 Years After Drilling Was Completed [12.13.24]

-- 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 [12.7.24]

Extreme Cold Alert!

-- Public Utility Commission Urges Consumers To Prepare For Extreme Cold Next Week [PaEN]

-- Shapiro Administration Urges Readiness In Advance Of Dangerous Cold Weather

-- PJM Interconnection: New All-Time Peak Electricity Demand Possible Jan. 20-22; PJM Working With Gas Generators To Try To Get Them Online Before Extreme Cold Hits [PaEN]

-- Bloomberg: Wintry Blast To Unleash Snow, Test Electric Grids From Midwest To NYC

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 11 to 17 - More Abandoned Shale Gas, Than Conventional Wells So Far In 2025; Failed Act 2 Cleanup; Acid Forming Rock; Expired Permits [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - January 18 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 107 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 18 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Registration Now Open! 2025 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference At Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Online Feb. 27 [PaEN]

-- Rep. Vitali Introduces Bill To Ban Road Dumping Millions Of Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater, Supported By The Shapiro Administration [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Oil & Gas Companies Need Greater Incentives To Cap Their Old Wells [Higher Well Plugging Bonds Needed To Keep Number Of Abandoned Wells From Rising]

-- Rep. Vitali Introduces Bill To Establish DEP Environmental Justice Permit Review Program In Law, Analyze Cumulative Impacts Of Pollution From Facilities, Supported By DEP [PaEN]

-- EPA Issues Permit To Seneca Resources Company For Elk County Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well [PaEN]

-- TECfusions Unveils Massive 1,400-Acre Data Center Project With 3 Gigawatts Of Natural Gas-Fired Power Generation In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- 30 Stakeholder Comments Received By PUC On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania; Increasing Natural Gas Power Plant Reliability To 90-95% Would Mean No Imminent Capacity Problem [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Threatens To Pull Pennsylvania Out Of PJM If It Does Not Protect Consumers Against Soaring Power Prices [PaEN]

-- PUC Commissioner Kathryn Zerfuss Appointed To National Committees On Natural Gas, Pipeline Safety

-- PennTAP: Small & Mid-Size Industries Must Complete An Energy Technical Assessment Report To Be Eligible For RISE PA Decarbonization Grants [PaEN]

-- DEP Hosts Jan. 24 Webinar Q&A On RISE PA Decarbonization Grant Program [PaEN]

-- NASEO Hosts Jan. 27 Webinar On RISE PA Decarbonization Grant Program, PA Energy Programs For Industry [PaEN]

-- PA Solar Center Hosts Jan. 31 Webinar On RISE PA Decarbonization Grant Program For Industry [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- PennLive Letter: There Must Be More Oversight Of Dangerous Fracking Wastewater In PA - By Dr. Robert Little