Given Pennsylvania’s long history of oil and natural gas production, there are potential hazards with old abandoned and orphan wells. The Pa. DEP has a program that works to identify such wells and plug them.
Current regulations include stringent well plugging requirements for operators. All wells must be plugged once a well is decommissioned and no longer producing natural gas. Prior to abandoning a well, operators must provide Pa. DEP with ample notice of when the well will be plugged. Additionally, a portion of the well permit fee and the impact fee paid on each well is allocated to a legacy fund to plug older abandoned wells. Our industry is continually strengthening our operations to ensure that any potential impacts are minimized.
