Written by: Salma Al-Saqqa
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued its weekly summary of compliance actions in the oil and gas sector for the period from October 31 to November 6, including a series of violations, spills, and instances of non-compliance involving multiple companies in various counties.
Abandoned Wells and Contaminated Water Spills
Routine inspections revealed six abandoned and unplugged conventional oil and gas wells belonging to "Anderson Energy SVC LLC" in Venango County. In Indiana County, "INRPR LLC" is still collecting contaminated water and building structures to recover it at the "Cooper" shale gas pad, 72 days after 336,000 gallons of hydraulic fracturing water spilled last August.
Ongoing Violations of Cleanup Orders
In Greene County, "Equitrans Water SVC" continues to discharge contaminated water 135 days after failing to comply with a cleanup order at the "Richter" shale gas collection pit. Meanwhile, in Westmoreland County, "Oil & Gas Management Inc" has failed to take any action or respond to violations in two conventional wells for 609 days.
Persistent Issues at Development Sites
"Seneca Resources" faces ongoing issues with contaminated water at its Tioga County site, where it has continued developing a shale gas well at the "Taft" pad for 740 days despite persisting environmental problems.
Oil Spill Affects Allegheny River
A spill of only one barrel of conventional crude oil from storage tanks in the city of Warren was recorded, yet it affected 7 miles of the Allegheny River, highlighting the sensitivity of waterways to even limited quantity spills.
Suspension of Water Withdrawals and Low River Flows
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission announced low flow conditions that led to the suspension of 51 shale gas water withdrawals and placed an additional 13 withdrawals under monitoring.
Fine for Defective Pipe Installation Practices
The Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved a $150,000 fine settlement with "UGI" due to defective plastic natural gas pipeline installation practices.
Jet Fuel Pipeline Incidents
An in-person community update session is scheduled for December 8 regarding the cleanup of an "Energy Transfer/Sunoco" jet fuel pipeline spill in Abington Township, Bucks County. It was also reported that a contractor affiliated with "PECO" struck a similar pipeline in Abington Township, Montgomery County, causing a 60,000-gallon leak.
Natural Gas Pipeline Issues
Water infiltration into "Peoples Natural Gas" pipelines was reported, leading to service interruptions for residents of Hempfield Township in Westmoreland County.
Annual Compliance Statistics
The Department has issued or continued 415 violations for abandoning and failing to plug conventional wells since the beginning of 2026. During the past week, 62 conventional violations and 42 non-conventional violations were issued, bringing the annual total to 4,784 conventional and 1,096 non-conventional violations. 417 conventional and 150 non-conventional enforcement actions were implemented, and 585 conventional and 316 non-conventional inspections were conducted last week, with an annual total reaching 18,680 conventional and 21,803 non-conventional inspections.
