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What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP Issues Violations For Abandoning 11 More Shale Gas Wells; Shale Gas Well Owner Fails To Comply With Plugging Order

The Department of Environmental Protection issued violations to Anegada Energy LLC and Taft Operating LLC for abandoning and not plugging 11 shale gas wells in Butler and Greene counties.

DEP also issued violations to LPR Energy LLC for failing to comply with an order to plug abandoned shale gas wells in Fayette and Somerset counties.

The wells were drilled in the first waves of shale gas development in 2007, 2009 and 2012.

Other violations included failure to have emergency plans onsite, failure to submit production, wastes generation and disposal and well integrity reports.

In the first two months of 2025, a total of four shale gas companies were given violations for abandoning and not plugging 22 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.

Here are the details--

Failure To Comply with Plugging Order

LPR Energy LLC - Violations: Failure To Comply With Plugging Order

February 28, 2025 inspections of two shale gas wells found the owner failed to comply with a well plugging consent order issued by DEP on August 31, 2021 requiring the plugging of these two wells by the end of 2024--

-- Fayette County, Henry Clay Twp.: Humberston Unit 1H - Drilled in 2011. [DEP inspection report] Well listed as abandoned on December 7, 2023 [DEP inspection report]

-- Somerset County, Lower Turkeyfoot Twp.: PMG Baird 1H - Drilled in 2011 [DEP inspection report] Well listed as abandoned on December 7, 2023 [DEP inspection report]

Response requested by March 16. LPR Energy holds 42 permits.

11 Abandoned Shale Gas Well Violations

Anegada Energy LLC - Violations: 4 Abandoned, Unplugged Shale Gas Wells

February 24, 2025 inspection of the Halterlein 2064 shale gas well pad in Mercer Township, Butler County found 4 shale gas wells abandoned and not plugged. The wells included--

-- Well 4HM: Abandoned, not plugged, failed to submit well integrity report - drilled in 2012 - [DEP inspection report]

-- Well 4HB 8HM: Abandoned, not plugged, failed to submit well integrity report - drilled in 2012 - [DEP inspection report]

-- Well 1HB 8HS: Abandoned, not plugged, failed to submit well integrity report - drilled in 2012 - [DEP inspection report]

-- Well 6HM: Abandoned, not plugged, failed to submit well integrity report - drilled in 2012 - [DEP inspection report]

Anegada Energy holds 8 permits for shale gas-related development.

DEP requested a response from the well owner by March 10.

Anegada Energy LLC - Violations: 5 Abandoned, Unplugged Shale Gas Wells

February 24, 2025 inspection of the Williams 2062 shale gas well pad in Slippery Rock Township, Butler County found 5 shale gas wells abandoned and not plugged. The wells included--

-- Williams Well 5HM: Abandoned, not plugged. Drilled in 2012. [DEP inspection report]

-- Williams Well 5HS: Abandoned, not plugged, failed to submit well integrity report. Drilled in 2012. Original violation for abandonment April 12, 2021 [DEP inspection report]

-- Williams Well 6HS: Abandoned, not plugged, failed to submit well integrity report. Drilled in 2012. [DEP inspection report]

-- Williams Well 5HD: Abandoned, not plugged, failed to submit well integrity report. Drilled in 2012. Original violation for abandonment April 12, 2021. [DEP inspection report]

-- Williams Well 6HM: Abandoned, not plugged. Drilled in 2012. [DEP inspection report]

DEP requested a response from the well owner by March 10.

Taft Operating LLC - Violations: 2 Abandoned, Unplugged Shale Gas Wells

February 26-27, 2025 inspection of two shale gas wells in Greene County found them abandoned and not plugged. Other violations include failure to have an emergency plan onsite, failure to submit production, waste generation and well integrity reports. Violations were issued

-- Dunkard Twp.: Miller 48 - Drilled In 2007 - DEP inspection report

-- Cumberland Twp.: Glendenning Unit 1 - Drilled in 2009 - DEP inspection report

Taft Operating holds 4 permits for shale gas development.

Response requested by March 19 and 20.

Abandoned Conventional Wells

So far in 2025, DEP issued or continued 39 violations (4 more this week) to 22 conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging their wells- [WB Anderson; Baird Oil Co.; Diversified Production LLC; EQT Production Co.; Kiski Valley Gas Co. ; Manufacturers Light & Heat Co; MTN Energy; Charles E. Myers; Myers Gas; Oil & Gas MGMT Co. LLC; PA Mineral SVCS LLC; Pillar Energy PA, LLC; Pin Oak Energy Partners, LLC; Red Lion Gas Coop Assn; Reel Resources, Inc; Fred C. Scheel; SK Opr Inc.; Stonehaven Energy MGT Co. LLC; Andrew F. Suchko; Timberline Energy, Inc.; Washington Energy Co LLC; Ronald Wise; Mary A. Woodring].

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

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: Two of 4 abandoned Anegada Energy LLC shale gas wells; Two abandoned Taft Operating LLC shale gas wells.)

[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 Oil & Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind:

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP Issues Violations For Abandoning 11 More Shale Gas Wells; Shale Gas Well Owner Fails To Comply With Plugging Order [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Coterra Energy Spills 12,600 Gallons Of Wastewater From Shale Gas Well Pad In Bridgewater Twp., Susquehanna County [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP Signs Consent Order With Roulette Oil & Gas To Plug Shale Gas Well Abandoned For 8 Years In Hebron Twp., Potter County [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP: Southwestern Energy Prod Co. Failed To Comply With Act 2 Cleanup Standards At The Greenzweig Shale Gas Wastewater Impoundment In Bradford County After 5 Years [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP Signs Consent Order With Roulette Oil & Gas To Plug Shale Gas Well Abandoned For 8 Years In Hebron Twp., Potter County [PaEN]

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

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

-- 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 [PaEN]

-- 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 [PaEN]

-- 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 [PaEN]

-- 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 [PaEN]